Making it Happen

Make. It. Happen.   Three words I've been constantly repeating, especially when I'm having a hard time getting motivated to check items off my to-do list. Have you been there? One day I'll wake up feeling ready to see what the day will unfold, and confident I'll be able to do so gracefully. Then there are the days that I just struggle. The anxiety starts to build as soon as I start working on a task and then BOOM! I'm a hot mess. On one of these particular days when I was stressed and couldn't think straight, I decided to drop everything I was doing and ran over to my bookcase and picked up Make it Happen by Lara Casey. I already knew a lot about the author Lara from reading Southern Weddings Magazine for a number of years and admired her love for the Lord, her passion for the South and her joy for all things weddings. Without really knowing what the book was about, I decided to purchase it because I knew whatever Lara wrote about would be good. But y'all, I didn't know it would be as life changing as it was. It was challenging, an eye opener, and so good for my soul.   This was a book I could have finished in a couple of days it was THAT good. But the content was so rich and powerful that I didn't want to rush through any of it! Just like a conversation with a dear friend, I invested my time and full attention on every word, every question and every task. Without going into all the details of the book (I think you should really just go ahead and purchase it after you finish reading this post!), I thought I would share a few things I highlighted and found valuable.   - Doubt can turn into desperation.   - "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going" - Beverly Sills   - God's way isn't always easy, but it's always worth it.   - It's in the depths of our challenges, when we are left with what feels like nothing, that we sometimes see more clearly. I couldn't agree with this statement more. I've never gone longer then a couple of weeks without working until recently. Being unemployed is NOT fun. It's stressful, causes doubt and a whole slew of other things. But over the weeks I've been able to see more clearly all the blessings I have in my life.   - Making it happen is a life lived on purpose and comes by surrendering control.   - Done is better than perfect, and doing one thing well is better than doing a thousand mediocre things. Can I get an amen? I need to write this one down and put it on my fridge.   - Don't let your unhappiness make you ungrateful.   - You will learn from your failures than you will from any of your successes. Your failures are gifts, allowing you to learn, grow, redirect, and take new and potentially better paths.   - Making things happen is about taking positive, purpose-filled action. Learning how to break things down into action steps in an essential skill.   - When you know where you are leaping, the how doesn't matter as much as the why.   - Busy is the enemy of peace. It takes us away from our purpose. Busy is not truly productive in the big picture. Busy means life's joys and surprises can't find a way into our lives as easily because we move too fast to see and experience them.   - I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection. No one is perfect. There is no such thing as the perfect life, the perfect home, the perfect job, or the perfect look. So if that's true, then why spend so much time trying to create something that's not possible?   Can you relate to any of the above? Which one is your favorite? If you've read the book, what other things did you take away? I hope y'all found this encouraging and have a great week!!

Divine Applause Book Review

Recently I finished reading a book called Divine Applause by Jeff Anderson. It was a good book and helped me understand my relationship with God better. I know a lot of bloggers don't like to get personal on their blogs, or open up about their faith with others, which I totally understand. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it either! But for me, talking and sharing my own experiences has deepened my relationship with God and has helped me see myself in a different light so to speak. And taking a break from my "fun reading" to read something that requires reflection is one of my personal goals.

When I first read what the book was about, I was instantly captivated by what would be inside. It seemed to answer a lot of the personal struggles I've been facing and I enjoy hearing personal stories of other Christians who have been facing what I'm also going through. I also liked how the book was broken down into three parts; seeing differently, bold steps, and walking upward. Reading through the book in parts, and then taking time to reflect on each part was extremely helpful for me! It caused me to slow down and really take in all the information that I had read. One thing I do wish Jeff had done more of though was reference scripture a little bit more in this book. But overall, no other complaints!

The main thing I got from this book that I feel is so important to remember is that going to God in prayer doesn't always means you'll get a message in return or hear his voice. And reading the Bible doesn't always mean you'll understand what the point of the passage is. However, over time, you will be able to start pinpointing when God is talking to you and will know His ways more clearly.

If you are looking for a Christian book, that contains personal stories and is a light read, then this book is one I would recommend checking out.

I received this book to review from Blogging for Books. However, all opinions are my own.

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The Power of a Half Hour: A Book Review

For the longest time I've felt that there are never enough hours in the day, especially these past few weeks as Will and I have been preparing for our move to the new townhouse! There are some days were I feel like my to-do list is growing before my eyes. And other days I feel I am behind on more then I'd like to admit. Why does it seem that there is not enough time in a day to spend relaxing or catching up with family and close friends? I could go on...but can you relate?

Last month, I read a book by Tommy Barnett called The Power of a Half Hour. The title sounded interesting so I put in my order and patiently waited for it to arrive. To be quite honest, December was such a busy and chaotic month for me that I forgot I even ordered the book until it arrived on my doorstep about a week or two later. The first thought that came through my head as I opened it up to the first page was, "Why did I even order this if I don't even have time to read it?'. But on the first page I saw that Joyce Meyer had given praise of the book so I continued.

"The Power of a Half Hour is full of unique, practical, and God-inspired truths to keep your time focused on all that God has called you to do. If you apply these principles, I believe it will bring renewed purpose and inspiration to your life". Instantly, after reading what Joyce thought of the book, I knew this would be something I needed to make time to read, and it was and so I did. Knowing that 2015 was right around the corner reminded me of the fresh start I could have in the New Year so that was another motivator to read the book as soon as I could.

This book is both inspirational and practical. So far it has helped me to realize how I can better my faith, become more productive, and live more intentionally with the time that I have. I learned that I wasn't using all of my time meaningfully and because of that, wasn't presently aware of all of that things God was trying to show me. When I fill my time with nonsense thoughts, and waste away hours worrying (which results in only doing half has good of a job a I can be doing) I'm not truly utilizing my time the way God wants me to.

I've got about two chapters left to go before I finish this book, but think it's an awesome read!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. However, all opinions are my own.