Book review: The Name of God is Mercy (Pope Francis)

I decided Pope Francis' recent book, The Name of God is Mercy, which is the transcript of an interview with veteran Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli, would be a good read for The Year of Mercy.  Since I am cheap I requested it from the library, hoping that two weeks would be enough to get through it.  Then I started it and realized it would take me less than two hours to read.  For someone who definitely tends more towards the "justice" end in her decidedly black and white view of reality, this book was a wonderful opportunity to truly understand the definition and ramifications of mercy, but also to get a more inside glimpse into what seems to be at the very heart of our current Holy Father's papacy.

Early on, Francis defines mercy as:

"...opening one's heart to wretchedness...mercy is the divine attitude which embraces, it is God's giving himself to us, accepting us, and bowing to forgive.  

Throughout the book Francis speaks of the deep intertwining between mercy and forgiveness. In referencing the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8), he further explains,

"Mercy is something difficult to understand: it does not erase sins. What erases sins is God's forgiveness. But mercy is the way in which God forgives, because Jesus could have said: I forgive you, now go! As he said to the paralyzed man: 'Your sins are forgiven!' Here, in this situation, Jesus goes further and advises the woman not to sin again. And here we see the merciful attitude of Jesus: he defends sinners from their enemies, he defends the sinner from a just condemnation." 

Francis does well to remind us that we are all sinners. Laity and clergy alike: from himself all the way back to our first pope, Peter, who denied Christ three times the night before His death.  We all stumble, over and over and over and over and over and over again.  How do we experience mercy?  By recognizing our sinfulness.  How do we show mercy?  By recognizing others' needs for forgiveness, no matter in how small a way they may express this.

"The medicine is there, the healing is there, if only we take a small step toward God...or even just...desire to take that step."

Quoting the author's words in the introduction:

"[God] overlooks no possibility, no matter how small, in attempting to give the gift of forgiveness.  [He] awaits us with open arms; we need only take a step toward him like the Prodigal Son. But if, weak as we are, we don't have the strength to take that step, just the desire to take it is enough.  It's already enough of a start for grace to work and mercy to be granted in accordance with the experience of a Church that does not see itself as a customs office but as an agent that seeks out every single possible way to forgive."

Ouch.  How often do I, in my own self-righteous sinfulness and misery, seek out every single possible reason not to forgive others?  But in the chapter entitled "Shepherds, not scholars of the law," Francis again reminds us:

"When a person begins to recognize the sickness in their soul, when the Holy Spirit - the Grace of God - acts within them and moves their heart toward an initial recognition he needs to find an open door, not a closed one.  He needs to find acceptance, not judgment, prejudice, or condemnation. He needs to be helped, not pushed away or cast out.  Sometimes, when Christians think like scholars of the law, their hearts extinguish that which the Holy Spirit lights up in the heart of a sinner when he stands at the threshold, when he starts to feel nostalgia for God."

Who am I to judge the way the Holy Spirit is working in another's heart? I do well to discern and understand His workings in my own heart.  And if He, who has no sin but rather gave Himself for our sins, offers unlimited forgiveness and mercy to those who have the mere desire to take a step in the right direction no matter how many times they stumble and fall again, why should I not also forgive and show mercy seventy times seven-fold (Matthew 18:21-22).

Reading this book, I can see why Francis is so easily misquoted and misinterpretted.  However, as with anyone from Pope Francis to Donald Trump (did I really just use his name on my blog?), it is easy to take a sound-byte and twist it into whatever meaning we are going for.  Taken as a whole, The Name of God is Mercy makes a seamless and beautiful case for the absolute necessity of mercy in the Church and the world as a whole.  Catholics and non-Catholics alike would do well to take Francis' words to heart, and I would wager to say the non-Catholic could stand to gain a deeper understanding of the Catholic Church's teachings on everything from homosexuality to the necessity of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a means for forgiveness of sins by taking an hour or so to read this book than they would from a deep study of moral theology. (Note: I am in no way denouncing moral theology, but the context of this book makes a very simple, clear case for the aforementioned in quite simple, easily understandable terms.  A deeper study of theology would be a natural next step.)

So how and where do we begin to practice mercy?

"Let us examine...the works of mercy. We have received freely, we give freely.  We are called to serve Christ the Crucified through every marginalized person.  We touch the flesh of Christ in he who is outcast, hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, ill, unemployed, persecuted, in search of refuge. That is where we find our God, that is where we touch the Lord  ...  Let us always remember the words of St. John of the Cross: 'In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone'."

Book review: Saints of the Roman Calendar

The past year or so it has really dawned on me in a new way the absolute treasure trove we have in the saints.  Not simply as intercessors and friends in Heaven, but as **real life examples** of how to do this thing we call life.  Um, wow.  (For more on that, check out Saints: A Closer Look.)  So I've been on the lookout for a comprehensive-ish book with short(er) stories on the lives of the saints.  Don't get me wrong, a good biography/autobiography is well worth the time, and simply doesn't compare to a five-paragraph essay (Saint Francis of Assisi and St. Therese are two that come to mind), but sometimes I just don't have the mental energy to expend on something like that.  And I'm just not quite ready to invest in Butler's.  Yet.  A priest friend recommended Saints of the Roman Calendar (kindle version available here) to me so I went ahead and picked it up.  Good call.  It is a great, comprehensive edition that includes (as stated by its subtitle) "Feasts Proper to the English-Speaking World."  And by "Feasts", this means it includes not only saints but also feasts such as the Assumption or the Immaculate Conception.  And because it is tied to the Roman Calendar, it flows with the Liturgy, which I just love.  Each saint/feast ranges from 2-3 pages and is divided into two sections: "Historico/Liturgical Note" and "Message and Relevance."  The "Historico/Liturgical" section gives a brief biography of the saint/history of the feast and reasons for its celebration including why it was placed on this particular date (for most saints it is the eve or date of their death, but this isn't without exception).  The "Message and Relevance" section often quotes from the prayers of the Mass, the Office of Readings (particularly the non-Biblical reading) or one of the antiphons for that particular day, or it may speak/quote further on some of the written works of the saint or give details regarding their cause for canonization.  Because this version is "Updated and Revised", it includes very modern feasts such as Bl. Teresa of Calcutta or St. Josephine Bakhita.  I particularly appreciate this since the most current edition of the Liturgy of the Hours is 1976.  Each saint/feast ends with a prayer, typically from the Preface or Opening Prayer, oftentimes from the missal that may be particular to that saint (IE, Dominican, Augustinian, etc.)  If you are looking to learn more about the lives of the saints and their liturgical relevance, I highly recommend this book.  I did not receive anything in return for this review, and the links are not affiliate links, I simply wanted to share my love for a new book I acquired.  PEACE!!

Small successes XLVII

1. After getting the kids set up with their new beds and moving Gemma's queen bed to the basement spare room, I decided it was time that room got a bit of an overhaul.  We have a ton of storage in this house (most of which is taken up with tub after tub of children's clothing...) but the spare room (which is also my sewing room and the room where I keep our "school" things) had starting ending up the "catch all" room and it was driving me nuts.  Now the storage area is more organized and the spare/sewing/school room actually looks like a spare/sewing/school room, and not a mess.  This was a bit of nesting that brought me a very huge and nerdy amount of joy.  

2.  Got my hair cut (trimmed).  I will shamelessly admit, this was one of my big priorities on the "to do" list before baby arrives.  

3.  I've gotten a lot of planning/ideas organized for our "preschool at home" this coming summer/school year.  I'm finishing up on a blogpost about it that I hope to share soon, but it feels good to have so many resources explored/available and I've come up with what seems to be a realistic system for implementing all these ideas. 

4.  As I mentioned as a goal in my last Small Successes, I finished reading Walking With God A Journey Through the Bible.  It was very good.  If you're looking for a great, easy-to-read (and understand) overview of Salvation History from Old Testament Genesis through the Acts of the Apostles, I would highly recommend this book. I enjoyed it so much, and would love to participate in the Great Adventure Bible Study at my (or another) parish at some point.

5.  Currently enjoying lots of good books with the kids as part of the Summer Reading Program at our library.

6.  Reactivated my Facebook account.  I'm not a huge fan of Facebook, it's kind of a love/hate thing I guess anymore.  But after a several month hiatus, I decided an online FB presence was a good enough thing in my life, so I'm back.  Ahhhh, always striving for balance.

Head on over to CatholicMom to join in Small Successes each Thursday.

Children's Book Review: Under the Sun and the Moon

Margaret Wise Brown rarely disappoints, and she was in true, good form with her book of poems entitled Under the Sun and the Moon And Other Poems.  The poems are cute, witty and short, great for toddlers and preschoolers; and the soft, colorful illustrations by Tom Leonard are the perfect complement to each poem.  We checked this book out from the library for "U" week and it was a good kick in the pants to get back into our poetry at lunchtime tradition, which seems to ebb and flow in its successfulness.  If you're looking for some short, nice poems to share with young children, this book does not disappoint. 

For our other "U" week activities, click HERE.

A favorite Morning Offering

I thought I'd share this prayer, in case anyone else would like to use it.  I know Lent is a nice time to start new prayers/prayer routines.  In order to give credit where credit is due, this is from the prayer book Every Day is a Gift that I received from a dear friend.  The book does not list an author for this specific prayer.

Prayer to Bring Christ into Our Day

Lord Jesus,

present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar,

help me to cast out from my mind

all thoughts of which You do not approve

and from my heart

all emotions that you do not encourage.

Enable me to spend my entire day

as a coworker with You,

carrying out the tasks that You have entrusted to me.

Be with me at every moment of this day:

during the long hours of work,

that I may never tire or slacken from your service;

during my conversations

that they many not become for me

occasions for meanness toward others;

during the moments of worry and stress,

that I may remain patient and spiritually calm;

during periods of fatigue and illness,

that I may disregard self and think of others;

during times of temptation,

that I may take refuge in Your grace.

Help me to remain generous and loyal to You this day

and so be able to offer it all up to You

with its successes that I have achieved by Your help

and its failures that have occurred 

through my own fault.

Let me come to the wonderful realization 

that life is most real

when it is lived with you as the Guest of my soul.

If you are looking for a book (for yourself or to give as a gift) with short daily meditations, I would highly recommend Every Day is a Gift.  My friend said it jumped out at her because it had the same name as my blog, and I'm so glad it did.  It has been a nice, simple addition to my daily prayer routine, with its concise (a sentence or two) Scripture verses, reflections and prayers.

Book review: Blessings Every Day

For Christmas, Gemma received the book Blessings Every Day: 365 Simple Devotions for the Very Young (Catholic Edition).  I was really excited when I found this book, I prayed it would be just what I was looking for...and it was!!  I love it when that happens.  We use this now every day with our Morning Prayers, and it works just perfectly.  It really is geared to the 3-5 year old crowd just perfectly.  I mean, really spot on.  I don't have to dilute anything for her; it's just perfect while not being too "fluffy" either.  Each day starts off with a verse from Scripture, then a devotion/meditation, and then it ends with a two-line poem that sums up the devotion.  It really is great!  The only thing I wish it had was a prayer to go along with each devotion, but it has been a good opportunity to start working on spontaneous prayer so I really can't even complain about that too much.  If you have a toddler or preschooler in your life, I would very highly recommend this book. And if you're not Catholic, there is a non-Catholic edition as well.  Check out my friend Mary Elizabeth's post on Family Prayer as well for some great book recommendations and ideas for incorporating prayer into your daily family life.

Wine bottle holder

I made this wine bottle holder (it's holding a bottle of Castle Rock Pinot Noir if you're curious...very tasty) for a friend for Christmas, and was very pleased with how it turned out.  I got the directions from my One Yard Wonders book.  If you have basic sewing skills, and at least a limited ability to follow directions (and believe me, my sewing skills are still pretty basic, and my ability to follow written directions is just plain awful), this would be a book I would highly recommend owning.  I got it from a friend of my mom's when she moved, and I thought it looked kind of gimmicky until I actually started flipping through it.  This is the third or fourth project I've made from this book, and they've all been equally simple, minimally time consuming, and I've gotten great results.

Poetry update

I posted a few months back about reading poetry in our home and I wanted to update.  While we certainly don't read poetry every day or even close to every day at lunch as the "plan" is (I really need to try to be more disciplined about this, maybe blogging about it will help...) we still enjoy it, and lunchtime is definitely the favored time to pull out one of our books of poems.  We currently own Eloise Wilkin's Poems to Read to the Very Young and that has been a great place to start.  My dear friend Debi also gave us a copy of A Child's Garden of Verses which has some great classics.  About a month ago I was browsing for something online at the library (I don't even remember what) and stumbled upon The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry.  WOW!  What a treasure.  This is a hugely comprehensive big book, organized by theme with great, colorful illustrations for every poem.  The poems are not by Bill Martin Jr., as the title may imply, but are a compilation of his favorite poems so it is very eclectic.  This book would make a great addition to any home poetry collection, and it is definitely on our wishlist!

GIVEAWAY - "Welcome Baby Jesus"

Can you believe that Advent is literally right around the corner?!  I have been spending some time lately planning our family Advent activities and recently purchased the book "Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families" by Sarah A. Reinhard (Liguori Publications) at our local Catholic bookstore (for a mere $1.99) to aid in the celebration of Advent in our home.  What a neat little book!  Each day has a "Think", "Pray" and "Act" section with meditations, prayers and Advent actions literally geared towards the whole family.  Plus, not only does it go through the Advent season, but it has meditations, prayers and actions for the Octave of Christmas and the Epiphany as well.  One of the things that has me most excited about this book is the fact that the meditations are written at a level that I think even Gemma (almost 4) will mostly understand and benefit from.  But they definitely seem appropriate for grade-schoolers or even high-schoolers as well I'd think.  Mom and dad, too!!  It really is written for the whole family. 

I was so excited about this book - and about its great price - that I decided to purchase an extra one to give away here on the blog!!  SO, please leave a comment telling me about your favorite Advent activity or tradition, and this Thursday (after 12 noon) I will randomly select a winner to be announced here on the blog first thing Friday morning!!

I'll start by sharing a tradition we enjoyed last year and are looking forward to again this year and that is our paper chain to count down to Christmas.  The colors coordinate with the candles on the Advent Wreath (purple for weeks 1, 2 and 4, rose for week 3 and white for Christmas day), and each link has something special for Gemma/our family to do for the day.  This year I intend to mainly use the "Act" section from Welcome Baby Jesus on our links.

Now it's your turn!!!  Leave me a comment sharing a favorite Advent tradition in your home, and enter to win your own copy of Welcome Baby Jesus!!!

I received nothing in return for this review.  I wrote it because I thought it was a good book, and purchased my copy and the extra copy to give away myself.

Book Review: The Bible Compass

The Bible Compass: A Catholic's Guide to Navigating the Scriptures by Dr. Edward Sri was a very basic guide to Scripture as seen through the lens of the Church (namely Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium).  It was recommended to me by a friend in my Motherhood group and I'm really glad I read it.  While it doesn't delve too deeply into any one particular aspect of Scripture, it gives a great overview of Salvation History, where the Bible came from along with descriptions of various translations and interpretations (with a good discussion about dynamic equivalence), how archaeology, history and geography can play a part in our study of the Bible and other information along those lines.  One part I was particularly excited about was a chart that laid out the timeline of Salvation History in the first column, the Narrative book(s) that go along with each of the 12 major historical periods in the second column, and supplemental books in the third column.  I have recently started reading the Bible from the beginning (I just finished Genesis and have started on Exodus and Job) with the Collegeville Bible Commentary and this chart will be very helpful when it comes to navigating which books to read when.  While this book mainly focused on reading the Bible for intellectual/learning purposes, it did briefly touch on Lectio Divina at the end which I thought was very appropriate.  I would recommend this book to any Catholic looking to learn a little more about the history of the Bible. 

Book Review: What your doctor may not tell you about Children's Vaccinations

What your doctor may not tell you about Children's Vaccinations by Stephanie Cave, M.D. was an interesting read.  I will say up front that if you are looking for well-documented, unbiased information about vaccines and the diseases they are meant to prevent, this probably is not your book.  A better book for that in my opinion is Sears' Vaccine Book which is actually being re-released late this month with updated information on all the current mandated and recommended shots and the diseases they are meant to prevent.  But I digress.  

Cave's book was published 10 years ago, which makes a lot of the information pretty dated and somewhat non-applicable for a parent wanting to make a decision today about today's vaccines.  That aside, she seemed to really have an agenda for blaming vaccines on the plethora of brain and autoimmune conditions that plague so many of our children today.  I certainly don't disagree with her argument - I personally feel that there is a plausible link there, somewhere, between the increased number of vaccines given (often in multiple dosings) to very young children today and the steep rise in cases of autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, developmental delays, etc. that we are seeing currently. I just thought some of her evidence was anecdotal and a little questionable at times.  The book was well-cited from a number of "credible" sources like the Lancet, the World Health Organization, the CDC etc., but there were also many sources that could be considered "less credible" by a critic, and the book was interspersed with a lot of examples from her own practice as well that I just thought would have been better left out.  I think they undermined her credibility, even if they were true and valid.  Plus, as I read there were various things I thought just sounded odd or incorrect and ran them by my husband (who has a medical background) and they just didn't quite add up.  

Her statistics about vaccine injury though were very sobering (and all of these were well-sourced, VAERS documented cases) and the reiteration of the shady dealings and conflict of interest that goes on between big pharma and the government to put vaccine mandates in place angered me, as it has for some time now (but not always, mind you...)  I learned a lot about why people blame conditions - namely autism - on vaccines and I definitely feel more informed having read this.  It is a terrible injustice to us and our children that drug companies and the government are so willing and eager to completely write the idea off without doing adequate research on the matter. And I could rant longer about that but won't.  Bottom line, if you are looking for a book to aid you in becoming better informed to make the right vaccine choices for your children, I would look elsewhere.  If you feel sufficiently informed on the subject and would like more information on some of the more "controversial" aspects of the vaccine debate, this book provides some very interesting insights.

And on a related note, I recently requested from inter-library loan and began reading Vaccine Epidemic: How Corporate Greed, Biased Science, and Coercive Government Threaten Our Human Rights, Our Health, and Our Children (published in 2011) and it has already proven to be absolutely riveting - approaching the vaccine debate from a refreshingly logical, no-nonsense point of view through numerous well-sourced essays, studies and reports written by a number of authors with varying backgrounds.  It focuses namely on legality, parental rights and human rights issues when it comes to strictly enforced vaccine mandates without the opportunity for (true) free and informed consent.  After reading the introduction and bouncing around to several chapters I decided to purchase this book for myself.  It is that poignant.  And it boasts recommendations and praise from people like the former director of the National Institutes of Health and current health editor of U.S. News and World Report; the former vice chair for the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines; retired military personnel; and a practicing M.D. and former U.S. Congressman.  It presents information in a way that even the staunchest advocate for the current AAP recommended vaccine schedule (read: state mandates) would have trouble refuting intelligently due to its pragmatic approach.  But that's all I'm going to say for now.  I do need to actually read the rest of the book...  You can read more customer reviews of this book by clicking here.

Poetry

I recently read Honey for a Child's Heart and really enjoyed it.  It gave me all kinds of wonderful tips and ideas when it comes to the use of the written word in our home.  One of the genres of children's literature of which this book spoke very highly was poetry.  We read a lot around here, but have never read much poetry aside from Nursery Rhymes.  I, for one, have never been a huge poetry fan.  I have very distinct memories of memorizing it in the first and second grade, and I always thought that was fun; and then there was Shakespeare in high school, and I didn't think that was quite as much fun.  ;-D  I do enjoy the poems of Jessica Powers occasionally, but for the most part a book of poems is not going to be the first or second thing I am inclined to pick up.  Even so, I know it's important to instill a love for - or at least an awareness and appreciation of - all types of literature in my children.  So I checked out When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne from the library and have been pleasantly surprised at how well it has gone over.  I decided to pull it out at lunchtime and read a few selections each day.  Gemma really likes this (and I've even caught Kolbe signing "more" when I finish a peom), and she already has certain poems she will request to hear.  I even forgot one day and she went and got the book out of the drawer and brought it to me.  It's been a good tool to use as well...Gemma isn't always the best eater, and I've found myself saying, "take another bite and then we'll read another poem," and she happily acquiesces.  (YAY!)  I also purchased Eloise Wilkin's Poems to Read to the Very Young from Thriftbooks (THANKS DEBI!!!!!!) and this is just a lovely little book.  It is a board-book, so very sturdy, but much larger than most of the board books we own.  The illustrations are (of course) Wilkin at her very best...each one more pleasant to look at than the last.  Definitely a good buy for $3.95 shipped!  So all in all, the incorporation of poetry into our day has been an easy and positive one!!  I love it when things work out the way I picture they might in my head, because heaven knows for every one idea that works out splendidly, there were a dozen or so that fell flat on their face.  ;-D  What are some of your favorite poetry collections for children?

Recent reads (May 2011)

Time for God by Jacques Philippe

This was a good book on making time for prayer.  It was not the most practical in application for a mother with young children, but I still gleaned from it some really good information and knowledge in regards to cultivating a life of prayer.  Definitely worthwhile.

Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe

This book was very good.  It discussed the interior freedom we all possess, reflected on the fact that no one can take this away, all in light of the theological virtues faith, hope and love.  This book was down to earth, practical and inspiring for me.  I really like Jacques Philippe and would highly recommend any of his books (Searching For and Maintaining Peace was the first one I read) to someone looking for a relatively short (and easy!), spiritually edifying read.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein

I will first off admit I did not finish this book.  I didn't even read most of it.  That being said, I really do agree with Orenstein's conclusions regarding today's girlie-girl culture (princesses, make-up and spa parties for seven-year-olds, rampant commercialism and materialism, sexiness vs. healthy sexuality, licensed items and the like...basically it's a quite comprehensive analysis of what we're teaching our young girls as a society these days and the long-term repercussions thereof).  The topics she addresses really run the gamut, and I like and agree with much of what she has to say.  I just fundamentally disagree with the way she reaches her conclusions.  I like to think I view feminism in light of appropriate, God-given femininity, where-as Orenstein's (who I believe is actually Jewish) feminist views seem much more secular, for lack of a better term.  I was discussing my thoughts on the whole thing with my husband one evening, and a few days later ran across this article on Oprah by Rachel Balducci.  Her assessment of Oprah really echoes mine of Orenstein.  While a lot of what she says is true, she's missing that Absolute Truth.  The lens through which she looks at things is not the God-given lens through which I have learned to (strive to) filter my life.  This book (what I read of it) was good in that it challenged me to look deeper into why I feel the way I do about all things girl, especially as a mother of a daughter.  If you're looking for something faith-filled that offers a more Christ-like perspective on the topic, this is definitely not your book.  Still, it provided some interesting food for thought.  And now you know.  (You can check out Peggy's blog here if you'd like to find out a little more.)

A Catholic Woman's Book of Days by Amy Welborn

I've been trying to read this book daily since I got it around the first of the year.  That doesn't always happen, but it's on my end-table and lately I've been picking it up more days than not.  I really like it.  It is nothing incredibly "deep" or earth-shattering, but sometimes that's OK.  Sometimes that's nice.  Each day has a verse or two of Scripture (sometimes correlating to a feast or saint, other times the scriptures appear to be selected at random) and then a brief paragraph or two meditation/reflection on the selected Scripture.  Very short.  But nice.  I can pick it up here or there, meditate on the Word a bit, and read a Catholic mother's perspective on the particular passage.  Anymore I am trying to really focus on Scripture as part of my reading and prayer time, and this helps with that immensely.  I've also been reading a bit about Lectio Divina, and Welborn's book has been helpful in giving me good passages of Scripture on which to mediate, pray and talk with God.
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I mentioned last month that I was going to give some JPII a try.  Well, I failed.  Miserably.  I read the first 3-4 chapters of Crossing the Threshold of Hope, and am currently skimming through Love and Responsibility.  Right now though, I just can't do it.  I do not have the brain power to read JPII.  I love what he has to say, and I have love LOVED anything I've read about his writings (by another author).  I feel incredibly grateful for the number of years he was our Holy Father, and am immensely humbled by and in awe of his intellect.  Right now though, my poor mommy-brain just can't handle the real deal.  Maybe someday... 

Currently I am reading Mountains of Spices and Conversing with God in Scripture.  Hopefully I'll be back to review those and others here in a month or so!  Happy reading, everyone!

Recent reads (April 2011)

Inspired by my friend Kansas Mom, I've decided to keep closer track of what I'm reading here on the blog, for my own sake as well as for the purpose of recommending good reads to others.  SO, my most recent reads along with a brief review of each have been: 

Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa
by Immaculee Ilibagiza

I will be completely honest here, this book did not do a lot for me.  And I absolutely LOVED Immaculee's other two books (Left to Tell and Led by Faith).  There is just something about Marian apparitions...it's not that I don't believe, it's just that I guess I view them as something that is private revelation (which they certainly are) and while some of the messages are timeless and apply to all, I think it is a very gray line and in my opinion some private information is just best left private.  I'm probably not being incredibly articulate, but that's how I feel in a nutshell.  I think I would have done better either not reading this book at all or simply putting it down after getting into it. The book was however interesting, informative and well-written, so if you enjoy stories on Marian apparitions then I would definitely recommend this book.

They Just Don't Get It: Changing Resistance into Understanding by Leslie Yerkes

This was a FAST read.  Like, 45 minutes to an hour and I was done.  It gave some really good insight into relationships and how to deal with people, especially those who may not be of the same opinion as myself.  Definitely a worthwhile read.

The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

This book was good.  Very good.  It got better the more I read, I found myself wanting to pick it up every chance I got.  The style in which it was written was definitely different than what I'm used to, so it took awhile to really feel like I was getting into it, but once I did, WOW.  Just gem after gem of wonderful, beautiful wisdom.  A must read for any Catholic.

Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Jacques Philippe

This short (a 1-2 hour read) treatise on internal peace/peace of heart was just amazing.  I actually got this book about a year ago, read the first 20 pages or so...then it sat on my end-table, and in the book basket, and made its way down the basement to my bookshelf.  I'm not sure why I didn't finish it then.  I guess I was just somewhere else spiritually, or maybe God knew how good it would be for me just now.  At any rate, I re-stumbled upon it the other day as I was putting some books up and literally devoured it.  Its message of peace and hope left my heart feeling, well, peaceful and hopeful.  ;-D  It was truly beautiful.  I'd like to quote a bit from the end (don't worry, it's not a 'spoiler').

"If I am still not able to remain at peace when faced with difficult situations, then it is better that I should begin to strive to keep this peace in the easier situations of everyday life: to quietly and without irritability do my daily chores, to commit myself to doing each thing well in the present moment without preoccupying myself with what follows, to speak peacefully and with gentleness to those around me, to avoid excessive hurry in my gestures and in the way I climb stairs! (this really struck me) The first steps on the ladder of sanctity could very well be those of my own apartment!  The soul often is reeducated by the body!  Small things done with love and to please God are extremely beneficial in making us grow."

The whole thing is really just that good. It addresses ways to maintain spiritual peace through all different circumstances and situations.  It heavily quoted St. Francis de Sales, of whom I  found myself quickly becoming a huge fan.  Anyways, I'm definitely intrigued enough to read more Jacques Philippe.

Next up on my bookshelf:

Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard

Crossing the Threshold of Hope by BLESSED John Paul II

I've decided (as you can see) that it's time to give JPII a try. I know I will LOVE what he has to say, his works have just seemed a bit daunting in the past.  I will certainly report back.

Duck at the Door

If you are looking for a seriously cute children's book, check out Duck at the Door.  I can't exactly put my finger on just what it was I loved about this book (we got it from the library last week), but I smiled every time Gemma asked me to read it to her.  It was just plain cute.  There appear to be several other titles featuring duck, so I am Gemma is anxious to check those out as well!!  Happy reading!

Book review: The Temperament God Gave You

Even though Sophia's Books for Bloggers program is currently on hiatus (bummer), I still wanted to review my last read from them, The Temperament God Gave You; partially because I felt the need to keep my word and review the free book they sent me, but also because it was really a fantastic read and I wanted the opportunity to recommend it to others.

This isn't "just another book on personality", rather it goes much deeper into studying the human person. As the cover states, it is "the classic key to knowing yourself, getting along with others, and growing closer to the Lord." I found all of these assertions to be true as I read this book. I will admit it was not as easy a read as I would have liked (don't get me wrong, I really wouldn't change a thing); it just probably read more like a textbook than a novel (heaven forbid), and I kept getting interrupted by other titles (and my children) that were clamoring for my attention. But, with one final oomph of perseverance, I finally decided to sit down and finish this one. No more distractions. And I'm so glad I did. I learned a lot about myself, why I am the way I am, why others are the way they are, AND how to mesh that all together in order to form good relationships and healthy communication with people like my spouse, my children and my extended family and friends. Really, anyone who ever deals with people should read this book. The information is just that good.

The book centers around the explanation and understanding of the four classic temperaments: choleric, melancholic, sanguine and phlegmatic. I'm not going to give an in-depth explanation of each one in this review (if you're really curious you could google it I'm sure) because I think it's important to understand them in the context of the way they're presented in the book. Once you have somewhat of a grasp on the four temperaments (I found myself flipping back to that section frequently), the book takes you through eight more sections that I will tell you (because I'm hoping they will intrigue you enough that you'll pick up this book):

1. Which temperament is mine?
2. Understanding your spouse's temperament
3. Temperament combinations in marriage
4. Understanding your child's temerament
5. Parenting and parent/child combinations
6. How to motivate yourself and others
7. Discovering your secondary temperament
8. Temperament and the spiritual life

There is also a "temperament indicator" test at the end of the book which is pretty interesting.

As I said before, I liked this book a lot. The presentation was kind of dry, but the topic was quite fascinating in my opinion and that made up for any perceived dryness. It taught me so much about relationships, I could just go on and on. Not only did it help me more effectively understand myself and the way I'm wired, but it has opened my eyes to really analyze the way I relate with my spouse and the way I parent. What works for me, motivates me, speaks to me, may not work for my hubby or children (although I also learned along the way what I had already suspected, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and my oldest daughter and I are a looooot alike). We each have a God-given temperament infused in our souls, and while this isn't a "cop out" or easy excuse to rationalize our actions, it does give a good amount of insight into why people of various temperaments act and react the way they do in any given situation.

This book succinctly flies in the face of the many "one-size fits all" parenting approaches out there by reiterating the fact that we all have temperaments, not just adults. Things such as behavior, motivators and reactions are all based upon a child's God-given temperament, and these must be recognized and respected as we parent each individual child. It reaffirms that while many "one size" approaches may seem wonderful on the surface and look good on the cover of a book, they just aren't going to work long-term for every child. Parenting, like any relationship, is about learning and relating with people. Putting yourself in others' shoes. Knowing yourself, knowing others, and learning how to seamlessly transfer this knowledge into the ability to relate well with our children and all those whom we come in contact.

If you are interested in reading this book, you can pick it up from Sophia, Amazon.com or check your local library. Or, if you live around and see me on a regular basis, holler! I'd be happy to loan out my copy. Whatever the case, it comes with high recommendations.

Small successes XXV

1. Kolbe napped, wait for it... wait for it... IN HIS BED for over two hours on Sunday. His naps (the few he takes in his bed anyways) have been very rough over the past month or so; most of the good napping he does is on me in the mei tai carrier anymore, so this was pretty exciting!

2. Gemma successfully carried out her flower girl duties at my husband's friend's wedding this past Friday. We talked to her about it a lot leading up to the big event (she doesn't always do so well in new, unfamiliar situations) and she was a very good girl and did a great job. YAY Gemma! (I realize these first two successes really aren't "mine" per se...but they were BIG this past week, so I felt compelled to share.)

3. I've finished two books since the first of the year. I've already talked some about Hind's Feet on High Places and I plan to review The Temperament God Gave You tomorrow.

Head on over to Faith and Family LIVE! to share in others' successes this Thursday and every Thursday. It's a great way to take a day of the week on your blog to recognize and share in the accomplishments in your and other mama's lives!

Lessons from the High Places

I recently finished Hinds' Feet on High Places, and also read the "Lessons" and autobiography at the end. When I was younger I never read prologues, epilogues, autobiographies, anything like that. As I've gotten older, I've begun reading these and have found that often these "added" sections can contain rare gems and interesting insights that would otherwise be overlooked by the reader. This definitely held true with Hinds' Feet. While the book itself was totally amazing, don't get me wrong, the section at the end - "Lessons Learned on the Slopes of the High Places" - was intriguing and awe-inspiring. In this section the author spoke of her experiences during a two-week period spent on the Swiss Alps that led to her "call" to write in the first place. It connected a lot of dots, was very fascinating, and true to its name contained some beautiful lessons. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites here on the blog.

In this lesson, she is speaking of the fickle mountain whether. One moment it is sunny, the next an all-encompassing mist covers everything. The rains come, the thunder can shake you to your foundation. But even so...

"How suddenly the change had come. One moment I was gazing almost breathlessly at the beauty of the Haustock as the clouds lifted from it for the first time. Then just half an hour later all the snow mountains were blotted out as completely as if they did not exist...Then my Lord said, 'These changes come in life, too. For one hour the vision on the Mount, and then perhaps almost directly, the descent into the depths of the valley where the vision may seem to be completely blotted out by changed circumstances. But believe steadfastly in what I showed you in the hours of vision and clear sky. The reality is there still, even though a curtain seems to blot it out. You have seen the Haustock, and though there is no trace of it now, and it has disappeared like a dream, nevertheless it is there. It is a reality. But the mist and cloud are transient and will pass away, and the true reality appear again!'" (page 260)

And then she goes on several pages later, speaking still of the heavy mist...

"If a person had never been here before, that one would not even dimly guess at what lies beyond the curtain of mist. All that I have looked upon and loved and rejoiced over has disappeared completely. 'But it is all there,' says the loving Lord, 'though you cannot see any of it, for it has been completely blotted out and apparently vanished into nothingness. But remember, nothing is missing. It is invisible now but is is waiting to become visible again. And its last message to you is this: Believe steadfastly in the invisible things. For the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal' (cf 2 Cor. 4:18)." (page 269)

I guess this was just a really powerful reflection for me on life in general. I get so caught up in the day-to-day that sometimes it is just darn hard to focus on the eternal. On our only real goal in life. The only true "reality" in our journey as children of God. In the story, the five main "bad guys" are Fear, Bitterness, Resentment, Pride and Self-Pity. With this I can totally identify and relate on a pathetically real level. It is so easy to let these stumbling blocks consume me. Frequently. Daily. Hourly. To not see the forest for the trees. To wallow, as it were, grudgingly through the day-to-day without keeping my eyes on the prize, my perspective on the eternal. Oh how I struggle.

In speaking of our journey through life she says,

"In heaven everyone and everything is lovable, but as the Lord Jesus said, 'If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" (Matt. 5:46) In heaven everyone loves everyone else, and in hell no one loves anyone. But on earth we are in a perfect environment (emphasis mine, I just love this) for learning to love as God loves: to abandon ourselves to loving the apparently unlovely people who remind us that in many ways we are still very unlovely ourselves! (wow) ... Here on earth we have the opportunity to do what the God of love does all the time, and to learn to abandon ourselves to loving, to giving, to seeking, and to saving others. Not a lovely feeling of affection, or physical pleasure and satisfaction, but the extreme eternal ecstasy of creating happiness and good and blessed things for others to enjoy. To cast ourselves down...in happy giving, asking for nothing in return except the joy of so doing. When we really begin to learn and practice that lesson we shall begin to feel 'at home' in the eternal world of selfless love." (page 277)

And a bit later, as she is viewing the Alps one last time from the airplane...

"In that hour, in the airplane above the Alps, my little narrow, cold, self-centered human heart caught a tiny but staggering glimpse of what it means to be the sons and daughters of the eternal God of love. We are called to love with the fullest capacity of which we are capable. To love as He loves, and so to be an echo - faint and feeble, but a true one - of that eternal self, giving us drops of the water of life, poured out in the cataract of the divine self-giving." (page 284)

This is a book I can see coming back to again and again...and taking away something different and unique yet completely applicable each time. I hope you have enjoyed these reflections. They sure struck a vibrant chord with me.

Quotable

I am currently reading the allegory Hinds' Feet on High Places. It is remarkable, really. I feel so uplifted every time I pick it up. Anyways, I keep coming back to this one quote (on page 91 in my edition). Seriously, it is totally changing the way I approach life in general. And I'm not just saying that. Like, wow, really. Amazing stuff.

"When you wear the weed of impatience in your heart instead of the flower Acceptance-with-Joy, you will always find your enemies get an advantage over you."

My patience lately has been totally lacking. Especially with my children and husband (imagine, the people I spend most of my time around). And not that I'm 'cured' by any stretch. But so often now, when I want to huff around and gripe and whine and do the "oh poor me, my life is so rough, everything is going terribly routine" I think of this. And it is amazing, when I don't let my impatience get the best of me, everything seems better. If I patiently accept-with-joy whatever comes my way, things are so much more pleasant. For me and those around me. (Because, as a dear relative reminded me in her sweet Christmas card, "the mother sets the tone in the family." So true). Anyways, I think this quote will be my mantra for the year.

That being said, I'd highly recommend the book. Allegory isn't a writing-style I had delved into too deeply before, but I like it. This book would definitely come with my highest recommendations, and I'm only not quite half-way through.

A book meme

My friend Angie did this and it looked like fun. (And it was! Thanks Ang!) Anyone else (hint, hint Kansas Mom) please be sure to share!!!

1. Favorite childhood book?
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Oh the Thinks you can Think

2. What are you reading right now?
The Temperament God Gave You
It's good but I'm having trouble motivating myself to read. Too many distractions. Getting ready to start Led By Faith, which I know will captivate me to the point of distraction.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Christmas in the Barn
All for the Newborn Baby

4. Bad book habit?
If it's a really good read, I have the tendency to ignore other things so I can continue reading.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Teaching Your Baby to Sign
Birds
I'm Feeling - Teaching Your Baby to Sign
Little Quack
Bear Stays Up for Christmas
A Book of Sleep
The Friendly Beasts - A Christmas Carol
A Hat for Minerva Louise
Spot's Halloween (Gemma chose this all by herself the other day)
What does baby see?
Bertie at Bedtime

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No. And honestly, not interested.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
depends

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I've definitely gotten more recommendations and such by reading others' blogs.

9. Least favorite book you read this year?
Really can't think of one. If I don't like it, I don't read it.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Hands-down it was Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Rarely. Actually, probably never. Unless it comes highly recommended.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Fiction, Catholic Fiction, anything Catholic/Spiritual that is not too daunting, parenting and family

13. Can you read on the bus?
I couldn't tell you the last time I road a bus. But no. I get horribly motion sick if I read while in a vehicle. Uck.

14. Favorite place to read?
Depends on the season...on the couch, snuggled under a blanket, with a cup of coffee; or outside while catchin' some rays.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I try to keep tabs on what I have out. I generally trust my friends/family with books so it just really isn't an issue.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Sometimes. I try to only do it to my own however.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
On occasion. Depends on the book. I have a crazy penchant for using a red pen on typos though. Maybe even if it's not mine. Maybe. But don't tell the library.

18. Not even with text books?
My eyes haven't seen the inside of a text book for years! But I think I would occasionally hilite/make notes.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English. I enjoy the challenge of reading in Spanish though because I am able to pick up a rudimentary amount of what I read.

20. What makes you love a book?
Has to be well-written. That sounds horribly vague, I know. And I can't exactly define this, but I know it when I see it. A gripping plot and memorable characters are worth a lot as well.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
See answer to #20

22. Favorite genre?
Fiction or Catholicism/Spirituality

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
non-fiction/history

24. Favorite biography?
Hmmmm, can't say I remember. I'm sure I've read one, but it's been awhile. (is that lame?)

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I suppose some of the parenting ones I've read could be considered "self-help"

26. Favorite cookbook?
not really into cookbooks

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or nonfiction)?
Again, Left To Tell. Read it.
A Mother's Rule of Life was very inspiring as well.

28. Favorite reading snack?
coffee

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I can't think of one

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Really it depends on the critic and the topic.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I will review any book honestly

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Latin, Hebrew, Greek...any of the "old Church" languages

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Bible or anything JPII

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
oh there are tons

35. Favorite poet?
Jessica Powers

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
15-20

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
it happens

38. Favorite fictional character?
Kay Scarpetta

39. Favorite fictional villain?
none that come to mind

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
something light (figuratively speaking), fiction and fun

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
I go in spurts. I'll read read read read read, then I'll fall off the train for awhile. But I read to Gemma every day.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
The Lovely Bones

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
needy children. imagine.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Little House on the Prairie comes to mind. Lord of the Rings = very cool as well.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
none I can think of off the top of my head. I'm not real into movies though.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
oh who knows. lots I'm sure. especially if you're counting Amazon.com

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
rarely. I don't even like to read the back/dust-jacket

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Lack of interest. Inappropriate material.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes. They are in various spots throughout the house, but they are organized.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
Depends on the book. If it's a "one time use" novel, then I will pass it on (or just get it from the library in the first place). If it's something I know I will revisit, then I will most certainly keep it.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
If it's daunting, but I should still read it, then I'm probably avoiding it. But I do read the Bible (wanted to make that abundantly clear).

52. Name a book that made you angry.
None that I can think of.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
The Lovely Bones

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? used to be anything forensic fiction, (Patricia Cornwell and Tess Gerritsen come to mind) but it has been a long time since I've read anything like that. I do, however, make sure I enjoy anything I read (or at least benefit from it), so I can't complain.

Your turn...PLEASE SHARE!!!!!!