The Help

Title:  The Help
Author:  Kathryn Stockett


I have wanted to read this book for so long.  It just sat on my nightstand ... waiting.  But, once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.

The Help is set in Jackson, Mississippi at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement (1960s).  The story is told from three perspectives .... Aibileen and Minny, who are two black maids serving white families and Miss Skeeter, a young white woman who grew up with 'help' of her own, but has a very different view than that of her friends.

Miss Skeeter, freshly out of college whose close friends have already married and hired 'help' of their own, decides to write a book on the maid's stories of what it's like to work/serve white families.  She gives them a voice that, up until then, no one had heard or cared to hear.  What was interesting is maids weren't only responsible for cooking and cleaning, but also raising the children in the home. 

I forced myself to exhale and relax all through the book, not wanting any of these women to get caught.  The book describes different incidents of those trying to change 'society boundaries' and the results were violent and unimaginable. 

I fell in love with the characters.  Aibileen cared so deeply for the white children she raised and told them stories that secretly taught them blacks and whites were the same.  Minny spoke her mind so much she was often in trouble (I could relate to her! :).  I felt myself cheering on Miss Skeeter ... loving that she wanted to do something different than what was expected of her .... seeing incredible injustice and taking a risk to blow the whistle.

This goes down as one of my all-time favorite books.  I didn't want it to end.

So, I was thrilled to find out it is being made into a movie.  Yay!



Opening night in August, you will find me at the movies!!!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Authors:  Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I started reading this book on my Nook and was confused at first (doesn't take much).  I didn't realize the entire book was written in letters and notes (epistolary style).  It took me 20 pages or so to get used to it, but once I met all the characters, it all made sense.

The book takes place at the end of War World II.  The Germans had occupied Guernsey in the Channel Islands during the war.  Juliet, an author living in England, is searching for a subject for her next book.  She receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, a native of Guernsey, and a friendship blossoms between the two, as well as several others that live on the island.

Though the format of the book is different, the characters are wonderfully developed and you fall in love with them immediately.  Because it's written in letters, each character has his/her own voice.  I learned so much about what it would have been like during the German Occupation and the courage it would have taken each one to survive.  I think that's what made each character so endearing. 

I actually found a lot of humor in the book - through Juliet's letters - that revealed her wit and sarcasm (traits I love).  I cried at one point, and wanted to cheer in the end. 

Great book.

Your Secret Name

I'm going to break all 'book blogging' rules, I guess, because I have to tell how God led me to this book. 

One morning, during my quiet time, I read a verse I was sure I had never read before.  Revelation 2:17.  It says:

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna,

and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written,

which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

A white stone? A new name? I had never heard this before, so I jotted it down in my journal so I would remember to find out more about it.  I mentioned it to my friend, Rita, who said she had just heard about that same verse days before.

That same morning, I was on my way to B*rnes & Noble listening to a podcast I had downloaded.  Though Revelation 2:17 wasn't the main text for the sermon, the preacher mentioned Christians receiving a white stone with a new name written on it.

Whoa.  Three times in one morning? Okay, I'm listening.

I walk into B*rnes & Noble and went straight to the Christian section to find the books I had already decided to buy.  This was staring me in the face ....

Are you kidding me? You could have knocked me over with a feather.  Sometimes, God does that to me and I never get over the feeling of it.  Pursued.  Blows my mind.  I love it.

Ofcourse, I bought it.  I studied all I could in different commentaries about Revelation 2:17 before I let myself read this book.  But, upon reading it, the verse took on an entirely different meaning for me and I'll never forget it.

After reading it for a second time, I click on Marla's blog and she was reviewing it.  I left a comment on her post and the next morning, the author sent me an email. 

Stuff like that cracks me up.  I get such a kick out of God sometimes.

Kari Oberbrunner's book is about not defining yourself as the world sees you, but instead embracing who God created you to be.  We spend our lives allowing every situation (good or bad) to influence us, and taking on the personality of what we believe about ourselves.  Oftentimes, that belief is false, so we create this person so out of character to what God sees, we have a distorted view of living in freedom.

Kari weaves this story with the story of Jacob in the Bible, who spent a lifetime trying to live up to his worldly name (deceiver).  Only when he encounters the Lord and understands God doesn't see him that way at all, can he live victoriously. 

I love this book. It's one of my favorites.   Visit the book's website to see what God says about the names you are believing about yourself.

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Apart from this book, I learned so much about the white stone and what the name is that will be written on it.  Again, not really a book review, but I would love to share a little of what I learned. 

I believe the name written on the stone will be a name only God knows to be true of us.  It will be a name signifying who we really are in Him, along with what we have done for Him while on this earth.

The white stone represents so much, but I love the story of what white stones were used for in biblical times.  Banquets, weddings and formal gatherings were a big deal.  Your invitation to such gatherings would be a white stone with your family's name written on it.  You would show this as acceptance into the party.

Also, stones were used to cast votes ... white meaning 'innocent, not guilty' and a black stone meaning 'guilty'.  When casting a vote on whether someone should be put to death, a stone would be revealed (white or black), thus sealing the fate of that person.

So, imagine, if you will, the trumpet sounds and Christ returning for His bride.  He hands you a white stone ... pure ... innocent ... acceptance into heaven ... no condemnation ... with a new name .... a holy name ... a name full of honor .... a name He knows to be true of you.

Makes you want to shout, doesn't it?

Anonymous

From the back cover:

We all experience times of hiddenness, when our potential is unseen and our abilities unapplauded; college freshmen, transplanted professionals, new parents, the widowed, the retired, the waiting. Though we often want to rush through these anonymous seasons of the soul, they hold enormous power to cultivate character traits that cannot be developed in any other way! Jesus was no exception, says author Alicia Britt Chole. Most of His first 30 years were not recorded and consequently are not celebrated. But unknown is not a synonym for unimportant! This hidden 90 percent of Jesus' life was essential! As it was for Jesus, so it is for us: personal hiddenness prepares us for true spiritual greatness. In these sacred spaces, God grows in us an unshakable identity, an accurate portrait of Himself, trust in His timing, and a disciplined imagination.

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This book was recommended to me by several friends at a time I really needed to read it.  I was (am) going through a season of life when God doesn't necessarily make sense, but I trust Him so completely with my heart, I'm more than willing to do what He asks.

As women, I believe we define ourselves by what we can accomplish.  When we don't meet up to our own (oftentimes, unattainable) standards, we wear that false guilt that so easily creeps in and makes us feel like failures.  We begin to attach ourselves to an identity that isn't real or even practical.  In desperation, we ask God to chisel away at the excess we've created for ourselves, only keeping what He sees fit to.  That's when our identity is wrecked and we come to the realization we were never to identify ourselves with anything (or anyone) other than Him and His will.

So, realizing all of that ... I pick up this book.  And, it confirms everything my heart wants to believe.  That it's okay to experience seasons of 'waiting' and 'down-time'.  I'm learning these times are precious and put us in a place God can really work.

Alicia Britt Chole calls these seasons 'hidden years'.  Over the course of Jesus' life, we know very little about Him other than his birth, as an young boy understanding his purpose, and the time right before his death spent with His disciples and those fortunate to witness his miracles and teachings. 

From Chapter 1:  "10% visible + 90% unseen = an indestructible life .... The most influential life in all of history ... Ninety percent of his life on earth was spent in obscurity.  Ten percent of his earthly life was spent in the public eye.  And all of his life was, and still is, absolutely indestructible."

The book also talks about how our language as Christians most often includes "I just want to be like Jesus" when, actually, we aren't interested at all in living like Jesus.  Jesus spent a great deal of time in the wilderness and suffering, and yet we certainly aren't talking about 'that' Jesus. Just the good parts :)

Another excerpt says, "Our enthusiastic declarations that we want to 'be like Jesus' reference Jesus' visible years ... with a few notable exceptions.  In these statement we are not saying, 'I want to subject my body, spirit, and mind to an extended wilderness experience,' or 'I want to be brutally beaten, suffer excrucitating pain, and be murdered at the hands of mocking sinners.' ... No, our desire to 'be like Jesus' contains several exemption clauses."

We live in a society that applauds popularity and acceptance.  To us, a quiet season sometimes suggests we've given up or walked away from the Lord.  On the contrary, this can be a sweet time ... for learning, finding strength and direction, and gaining momentum for God's ultimate purpose for us - to bring Him honor and glory.

I am loving this time in my life .... enjoying the 'waiting room' and soaking up all He has.  It's not a bad place to be.

Oh, and I'm going through this book for the 3rd time.  It is one of my favorites. 

It's that good.

My Rating:  5 Bookmarks

The Final Summit

From the back cover:

David Ponder is back - and this time, the fate of mankind may be in his hands.

This is humanity's last chance.  Centuries of greed, pride, and hate have sent mankind hurtling toward disaster, and far from its original purpose.  There is only one solution that can reset the compass and right the ship - and that answer is only two words.

With time running out, it is up to David Ponder and a cast of history's best and brightest minds to uncover this solution before it's too late.  The catch? They are allowed only five tries to solve the ominous challenge.

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A quest to find the one principle that will save humanity?

David Ponder has been chosen (by Gabriel, the Archangel) to lead a summit of history's most brilliant people to find that one principle before time runs out.

As soon as I started reading this book, I knew what the general theme would be - to learn bits of history Andy Andrews has gleaned from reading over 200 biographies.  History's leaders are the main characters, which makes for an interesting cast.  David Ponder is introduced to Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln and King David, just to name a few.  Many others are mentioned (John Adams, Daniel Boone, etc.) though I never knew why.

All are trying to come up with the two-word answer that will save all of mankind - or solve the world's problems.  I had to keep myself from flipping to the back of the book in order to read what they come up with.  I won't reveal the answer, but once I read it, I had to remind myself this is a very secular answer. 

With that said, I have to wonder why this book is being marketed as 'Spiritual Growth and Christian Thought'.  There are references to Scripture and Biblical Figures, as well as mentions of heaven (and hell), but with little regard for the actual Word of God. 

If you want to read a book about history and those that helped shape it, woven in to an interesting storyline, which brings them all together, then this book will be just that.  But, for those looking for a self-help, motivation tool (as it is marketed), then this book is misleading.


My Rating:  2 Bookmarks

(I received this book free from Booksneeze in exchange for a review.)

The Noticer

From the back cover:
Poverty.  A failing marriage. Old age. Lost dreams.  A failing business.  An unsure future.  To the residents of Orange Beach, Alabama, these desperations are dead ends.  Hopeless, barren places with no chance of change.

But to an old drifter named Jones with a gift for seeing what others miss, there is no such thing as a dead end.  It only takes a little 'perspective', he says, to recognize the miracles in our moments, the seeds of greatness tucked into our struggles.

As Jones mysteriously makes his way through this coastal town and into the searching hearts of its residents, he offers simple wisdom and sound hope.

"My contention is that you are right where you are suppose to be.  This may look like barren sand to you, but nothing could be further from the truth.  I say to you that as you lay your head down tonight, you are sleeping on fertile ground.  Think, learn, pray, plan, dream.  For soon .... you will become."

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This was my first book by Andy Andrews.  I wasn't even sure where to find it in the bookstore.  Christian? Fiction? Turns out, it was in the Self-help section.  I had no clue why when I first picked it up.

Now I know. 

I really enjoyed this book.  'Jones' finds Andy living under a bridge in Alabama.  Jones tells Andy in order to get help, he simply needs 'perspective' - essentially opening the door for what everyone struggling in his/her circumstances needs.

Perspective.

How you look at things.  How you look at your circumstances.

The Noticer takes you on a journey through Andy's life as he learns ways Jones has encouraged others - causing them to see the good in their situations, instead of giving up and calling it quits.

My favorite quotes in the book are ....

Talking to Andy (living under a bridge) ... "If you focus on the things you need, you'll find those needs increasing.  If you concentrate your thoughts on what you don't have, you will soon be concentrating on other things that you had forgotten you don't have - and feel worse! If you set your mind on loss, you are more likely to lose ... But, a grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person's life."

While standing in church during a prayer session ... "I'd like us to pray for some smiling faces in this church .... I think more people would want to go to heaven, if they weren't afraid it'd be like church when they got there".

"Seeds of depression cannot take root in a grateful heart."

Talking to a man going through a divorce - admitting he has chased the American dream and rarely sees his family .... "I just think it's amazing that a person could lose everything, chasing nothing."

Explaining about five seagulls sitting on a dock.  One of them decides to fly away, so how many are left? A person would typically answer 'four'.  Jones replies, "No, there are still five.  Deciding to fly away and actually flying away are two different things.  Despite popular belief to the contrary, there is absolutely no power in intention."

There is something for everyone in this book.  You'll recognize many things you already know or have read (i.e. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman), but it gives reminders of what we should always put into practice - putting our lives in perspective, which will always allow us to remember things could be worse.  Also, that 'where' we are is a good place to be.  God can use that.



My Rating:  4 Bookmarks

Under the Overpass

From the back cover:
Mike Yankoski did more than just wonder.  By his choice, Mike's life went from upper-middle class plush to scum-of-the-earth repulsive overnight.  With only a backpack, a sleeping bag, and a guitar, Mike and his traveling companion, Sam, set out to experience life on the streets in six different cities:  Denver; Washington, D.C.; Portland; San Francisco; Phoenix; and San Diego.

For more than five months the pair experienced firsthand the extreme pains of hunger, the constant danger of living on the streets, exhaustion, depression, and social rejection - all by their own choice.  They wanted to find out if their faith was real, if they could actually be the Christians they said they were apart from the comforts they'd always known ... to discover what it feels like to be homeless in America.

Mike and Sam's story is gritty, challenging, and utterly captivating.  What you encounter in these pages will radically alter how you see your world - and may even change your life.

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Why on earth would anyone choose to live on the streets with the homeless? I knew the answer before I even opened the book - Jesus. 

God speaks to us in ways that are unexplainable sometimes, prompting us to do things that just don't make sense to anyone not a part of the conversation.  His will is for each of us to go deeper with Him, understand more of His character, in an effort to draw us closer to Him.  God, alone, knows what it will take for each of us, individually, to learn more about Him.  If we're willing, He will take us on a journey that, left to the world to understand, looks ridiculous and crazy, but the benefits are enormous.  We experience parts of Him we would have missed otherwise.  The journey is always worth it.

Mike Yankoski's journey started just like that - a prompting from the Lord to live with the homeless, putting God's love into action, instead of just reading/singing about it on a church pew.

I hoped to have a very specific question answered for me when I read this book: "Can the homeless not just help themselves?"

I learned so much from this book! Everyone has a story.  And everyone just wants to be heard.  We get into trouble when we decide who should be heard - as if where they are in society earns them a right to be acknowledged.  I can't find anything biblically sound to prove that theory.  It just doesn't exist.

These 2 men encounter many different situations in their journey ... people with severe drug addictions, mental disorders, alcohol addictions and no support system.  The struggle for each to survive each day is daunting and oftentimes, reliant on whether someone will look their direction. 

Heart breaking.

I could NOT put this book down.  What kept me up at night was the responses these men got from churches.  They were turned away, threatened and looked down upon.  Ugh! I felt myself getting so angry while reading.  Isn't the church suppose to be different?

I joke at times about how I have a hard time separating reality from a book.  I really had a hard time with this one, which I think was the point.  The reality is that my world is full of God's people who are hurting, struggling to survive, and I can either choose to acknowledge them or step over them.

I think everyone should read this book!  And maybe more than once.  Two men that had the guts and insight to live on the streets for 5 months have given us a gift ... a way to know what's going on with those around us.  I won't look at a homeless person the same.

I have always taught my girls that acknowledging someone is respecting them.  In this book, Mike suggests that the answer isn't always a dollar, but a word or an ear to listen is typically what someone needs to feel valued that day.  He says listening to their story, oftentimes, goes further than a meal. 

I will definitely read this book again!


My Rating:  5 Bookmarks