Hello Ladies,
Book Club is this Thursday and the discussion will be about the assassination of our 20th president, James Garfield. Currently we have no one hosting, if someone would like to do it let us know. Otherwise, come to my house at 12:30 to enjoy a light fall lunch. Next month the book is Moon Over Manifest and Julie will be hosting.
Molly
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Recap of lunch
Okay ladies, this is a long post so please do not feel that you have to read it. Last week when I invited everyone to book club, Nese responded that she would not be able to make it (heehee) but would I please include a description of all of the books that were suggested. I miss Nese, she has been such a sweet friend to all of us, I want to write just a little about our discussion so that she can feel a part of our group or even contribute her thoughts. Love you Nese.
Sometimes we have a great discussion about the book we've read and sometimes we talk about other things. I love when we talk about God, faith, hope, survival, eternity. Last week I learned so much as each of you shared some of your experiences with faith, hope, prayer and fasting during trials in your life. My mind has returned again and again to the idea of how trials require from us a deeper level of faith. We pray harder, we fast with more diligence, our hearts yearn for comfort and answers, we plead and we continue to pray. I love the idea that even as we go to a deeper level of faith, we can see that the levels continue to be deeper. I have reflected on our last TFOT lesson where President Nelson taught "When you reach up for the Lord's power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him-when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life-you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do. When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before then His power will flow into you." My thought is mayhaps, this is one reason for adversity, for it will make us turn to God in our brokenness and give our hearts completely to him.
Thank you ladies, always for how much you make my life better!!
Okay on to the books. We chose Moon Over Manifest. This is a short novel, winner of the Newbery Award. I hope you love this book as much as I did. It's sweet, touching and made me both laugh and cry. We chose it because we will next read a little more dense history book and this will be a lighter read after that.
The second suggestion was Same Kind of Different as Me. I loved this book. It's the story of a homeless man and a wealthy art dealer and the woman who brings them together. I don't know if you are experiencing this or not, but I am having more interaction with homeless people and those who would be considered "on the fringe". The prayer in my heart is to see each person as a child of God in eternity and to treat them as such. It's much easier said than done, but this book, because it is true, was very inspirational. I also love that God will work through anyone who is willing to listen to Him.
Finally, I offered I Can Do Hard Things with God. This is a collection of stories from LDS women of faith who have had or continue to have challenging mortal experiences and they share their faith. For instance one story is titled "Will You Be Poor for Me?", another is "You're the One Who's Bipolar, So How Come I'm Going Crazy?'. I think all of us have experienced hardships that are out of our control - maybe yourself, your child, your spouse, your neighbor. I think this book gives us insight into how others feel and how we can be better supports to each other. Less judgement, More Mercy!! Here is a thought from one author, "Even if I was a burden, God would remain God. He would take my lowly burdens and carry them easily forever. I didn't need to save Him work. Somehow I understood more clearly that my Father in Heaven was my father. When I was low, sad, tired, and imperfect, I could go to Him, and He wanted me to. He knew all my broken parts. [My sisters death by suicide] taught me that I was imperfect by design but that God wanted me this way so I would turn to Him with humility and meekness. Then His grace would be made manifest through me."
You can always go to Amazon if you would like to read the "official description of each book. A lovely luncheon, thank you ladies for coming. Next month we will be discussing Destiny of a Republic.
Sometimes we have a great discussion about the book we've read and sometimes we talk about other things. I love when we talk about God, faith, hope, survival, eternity. Last week I learned so much as each of you shared some of your experiences with faith, hope, prayer and fasting during trials in your life. My mind has returned again and again to the idea of how trials require from us a deeper level of faith. We pray harder, we fast with more diligence, our hearts yearn for comfort and answers, we plead and we continue to pray. I love the idea that even as we go to a deeper level of faith, we can see that the levels continue to be deeper. I have reflected on our last TFOT lesson where President Nelson taught "When you reach up for the Lord's power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him-when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life-you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do. When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before then His power will flow into you." My thought is mayhaps, this is one reason for adversity, for it will make us turn to God in our brokenness and give our hearts completely to him.
Thank you ladies, always for how much you make my life better!!
Okay on to the books. We chose Moon Over Manifest. This is a short novel, winner of the Newbery Award. I hope you love this book as much as I did. It's sweet, touching and made me both laugh and cry. We chose it because we will next read a little more dense history book and this will be a lighter read after that.
The second suggestion was Same Kind of Different as Me. I loved this book. It's the story of a homeless man and a wealthy art dealer and the woman who brings them together. I don't know if you are experiencing this or not, but I am having more interaction with homeless people and those who would be considered "on the fringe". The prayer in my heart is to see each person as a child of God in eternity and to treat them as such. It's much easier said than done, but this book, because it is true, was very inspirational. I also love that God will work through anyone who is willing to listen to Him.
Finally, I offered I Can Do Hard Things with God. This is a collection of stories from LDS women of faith who have had or continue to have challenging mortal experiences and they share their faith. For instance one story is titled "Will You Be Poor for Me?", another is "You're the One Who's Bipolar, So How Come I'm Going Crazy?'. I think all of us have experienced hardships that are out of our control - maybe yourself, your child, your spouse, your neighbor. I think this book gives us insight into how others feel and how we can be better supports to each other. Less judgement, More Mercy!! Here is a thought from one author, "Even if I was a burden, God would remain God. He would take my lowly burdens and carry them easily forever. I didn't need to save Him work. Somehow I understood more clearly that my Father in Heaven was my father. When I was low, sad, tired, and imperfect, I could go to Him, and He wanted me to. He knew all my broken parts. [My sisters death by suicide] taught me that I was imperfect by design but that God wanted me this way so I would turn to Him with humility and meekness. Then His grace would be made manifest through me."
You can always go to Amazon if you would like to read the "official description of each book. A lovely luncheon, thank you ladies for coming. Next month we will be discussing Destiny of a Republic.
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