Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns
If you think Jesus would have come into your home that day and not issued a strong rebuke to the head of household, you are mistaken. These words of condemnation have been haunting me for days now. They aren’t all that different than the soundtrack I play in my head on an almost-daily basis. It’s…
I am nesting. On Saturday I emptied the refrigerator. Last summer’s homemade pickles in their jars. The bread ends that seem to multiply on every shelf. The eggs. The milk. The fruit and veggies. All of it sat on the floor or the counter as I carefully removed the shelves and wiped them down with…
I’ve heard that life is like a highway. And it definitely seems like that sometimes. The pace of life swirls around me at dizzying speeds. We’re all so busy. In such a hurry. Always somewhere to be, something else to do. I’m a get-to-the-point, get-there-quick kind of girl. I don’t like to waste time on…
What a difference a decade makes.
In Mercy Come Morning, 37-year-old Krista Mueller is forced to face the relationship she’s been avoiding with her mother, who is physically dying of congestive heart failure but who has been mentally dying of Alzheimer’s for more than 10 years. Her imminent death brings Krista back to her hometown and to a past she’s been trying to forget.
Interestingly, Lisa Tawn Bergren first released this book in 2002 with a different title. Had I read this book 10 years ago, I’m not sure I would have liked it. But as a 30-something woman now, end-of-life issues for loved ones are closer than I’m ready for them to be. I kind of freak out when I see people in their 50s (my parents’ ages) in the obituaries, and health — mine and other family members’ — has become an ordinary topic of conversation.
That said, I truly enjoyed the book and would list it as a recommended read. Grab a couple of tissues, though. It’s a potential tear-jerker.
FAVORITES: I most enjoyed Bergren’s descriptions of New Mexico scenery. Her words sent me on a cross-country trip in my mind, and I wanted to make the trip a reality. I even Googled a picture of a church she described. I love reading about places I’ve never visited, and Bergren certainly made Taos, New Mexico come to life.
FAULTS: Predictible at times, but if you read enough of certain genres of fiction, you tend to know how things are going to end. It’s the getting there that’s the most fun.
IN A WORD: Enlightening. I learned a few things about Alzheimer’s from this book. Bergren, in her reader’s notes, reveals that she had family members who were afflicted with the disease, so that gives her credibility in my eyes.
Click here for a sneek peak at the first chapter.
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In exchange for this review, I received a free digital copy of Mercy Come Morning from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group through the Blogging for Books program.
Click the link below to rate this review — 1 to 5 stars — and become eligible to win a copy of the book.
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/15270
Oh, the holidays. Cookies. Candy. Comfort food.
I knew that starting a weight loss plan in early December might have been a mistake. My husband had papers to finish for finals week. We packed to go home for a couple of weeks, then went home for a couple of weeks. And ate and ate and ate.
The few weeks I dared step on the scale after restarting my personal weight loss challenge, I had no good news to report. Small gains, in weight that is, each week. This must be what it’s like to get older and just watch the pounds pack on. I feel like a llama trudging up a mountain with supplies strapped to my sides. Or a pack mule. I’m packing on extra pounds, and I almost feel helpless and powerless to stop it.
But I’m not.
And thanks to a few tools at my disposal, I have a 3-step plan for the new year.
One of my Christmas gifts was a Wii with a Zumba Fitness game. A couple of months ago, I attended a Zumba party at a friend’s house and loved it! Now, I can have my own Zumba workout in my living room at 5 a.m., hopefully before anyone else in the house is awake. This is a huge boost to my intention to lose weight.
I also plan to read this book. It’s been on my Kindle for months. Exercise, and lack of it, is only part of my battle. Another part is food. I love food. Cooking it, baking it, serving it, eating it. Food, itself, is not bad. But my relationship with it is not right. So, I look forward to any insights this author has to offer. I’m also going to use a 21-day devotional that goes along with a book called “Made to Crave” by Lysa Terkhurst. To put food in its proper place in my life, I have to put God in His proper place. I’m hoping to do that through this devotional. And maybe the full book later on.
Thirdly, I’m finding strength in numbers. My husband is on board and is helping me make healthier eating choices. He is my in-house accountability. My mom is also on a weight-loss journey and we’re planning to check in with each other about our weight, our eating habits and exercise choices. Support is essential to success when attempting something difficult.
So, there it is, for all to see. My 3-step plan for weight loss this year. I’m hopeful, and a little desperate.
I know I’m not alone in these struggles, and I hope to maintain balance. I don’t want to focus on food so much that it controls me in the opposite direction.
Health. Fitting into my clothes. Feeling good about myself when I look in the mirror. These are my goals.
I’ll never be a size 6 or 8 or whatever the “ideal” is. But I know that where I am now is not where I want to be.
Want to join the journey? E-mail me or comment on this post. I’ll pray for you and support you in good times and bad.
Let’s do this, together, shall we?