A Girly Book

The Edge of the Divine by Sandi Patty

“Edge– the point at which something is likely to begin”. As Sandi Patty writes of her journey through bariatric surgery, she mediates on times in her life where an edge presented itself and she had to decide whether to jump or return to the familiar past. The book is full of short memories used to analyze how God has worked in Sandi's life, depict the changes she has been through, and share joyful life stories with her readers.

I have been listening to Sandi Patty with my family since I was a child! I really wanted to like this book, but I could not get into this book. It was hard to follow her train of thought and piece together what purpose she had for telling specific stories at certain points in the book. Often it seemed she went off on small tangents that did not relate to the main topic (the beginning and end of the chapters reflected the title of the chapter, but the middle was tangential and scattered).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Same Kind of Different As Me by Don Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent

Ron and Denver meet in a homeless shelter via Debbie, Ron's wife, a strong character who pushes the two into friendship. Denver gives us a glimpses of racism, sharecropping, homelessness, and grace, Ron's story tells of his experience from rags to riches, an affair followed by marriage renewal, and joy turned to deep sorrow and back into joy. An unusual friendship forms bonds the two vastly different characters – a deep friendship most of us only dream of.

Every chapter of this quick read provides life changing lessons. Lessons on friendship. Lessons on the forgiveness, love, and the bond of marriage. A history lesson on the bond on African Americans in the south. Lessons on judgment and compassion.

It was very hard to put down, made me laugh and cry, and showed the true power of God in one with great faith. It's convicting and uplifting. The only drawback I had was that the first half of the book flew by while the second half left me wanting more. Denver is drastically changed from a hardhearted man with no hope to a loving and loveable creature, but the last part of this book focuses on coping with their loss, Ron and Denver's growing friendship, and vising places from Denver's childhood. I was left simply finishing the book instead of unable to be torn away from it. I will recommend this book to others.

Booksneeze

You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be

Max Lucado

Realizing that we hold the key to our own success and have within us the power to choose a career and be happy with our decision are the focuses of this easy, empowering read. Lucado presents scripture, stories, insight, and tools useful to everyone – job searchers, job holders who want to be more joyful with their career, employees who are happy with their jobs already, those who choose a path of home making or child rearing.

Max gives great advice that is contrary from what the world teaches. God designed us to work – why fight what we can't change. Why fight If we happy with our jobs, why accept promotions for higher pay that will decrease our joy? We can't be anything we want to be, if what we want to be is not what we were designed to be. God has given us desires and talents that we shouldn't fight - “our duty is to become more ourselves, not less”. Evaluating our strengths, passions, optimal conditions, and relationships are vital to a fulfilling future.

While reading this book, I tried to think about who I could give this book to when finished. In the end, I just can't give it away! Lucado presents information, quotes, and stories that I want to be able to access in the future. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I do recommend reading it slower than I did. Take time to make lists and evaluate your life will help you get the most out of this read.