Ever After: Life Lessons Learned in my Castle of Chaos.

We all rolled our eyes as children as our parents told us life wasn’t fair, right?  But for many of us we didn’t realize just how unlike we imagined life could turn out until we were adults.  For me, this became abundantly clear after college.  For four years of high school we were working towards college because getting a college degree would secure our future and our jobs.  Right? Wrong.

While I was able to secure a job before graduation I watched as it took some of my closest friends nearly 5 years to get in their first professional jobs.  I watched them live at home and defer loans while waiting tables and saying, ‘I went to college for this?’  Well, this and a mountain of student loans and a facebook page full of memories – but yes.

Vicki Courtney’s book, ‘Ever After’ is a real, honest, and humorous look at real life.  She’s not afraid to tell it like it is and to show her own flaws while talking through the real phases we’ve all been through or are likely headed.  She offers great perspective as well as practical tips for surviving each phase of adult life.

One of my favorite chapters was when Vicki talked about weddings v. marriages.  If you’re in my age group, this will ring true for you as well.  Vicki writes, ‘Our culture has made an idol out of the wedding day and a mockery out of marriage’.  She goes on to point out that we have a website full of unrealistic wedding expectations by girls who don’t even have boyfriends yet – here’s looking at you, Pinterest.  And while there’s nothing wrong with big dreams of beautiful wedding dresses we miss the bigger point of the actual marriage!  The relationship you’re committing to for the rest of your life.

Vicki writes out of personal experience of unmet expectations as a woman, a wife and a Mom.  She relates to us but also challenges us to make the right things a priority.  I love her fresh perspective and biblical basis for her advice and counsel.   Most of all I love her wit as the wades through real life.

Who should read this book?  Anyone woman who's life hasn't turned out exactly how she imagined.  Not just married women, not just Moms, but all women who are dealing with unmet expectations about how your life has turned out and where it's headed.  You won't be disappointed and I promise you'll each take something away.

Love,

B

Disclaimer:  This book was donated to me for review.  This review however, is all me.  

Books You Can't Put Down.

I like to describe things in extremist form.  If I bake something for you I will always ask if it changed your life a little bit.  With books I define a great book by whether or not I can put it down.  I actually mean this literally as I nearly chopped my own toe off with a ceramic coaster this week because I wouldn't close my book to walk upstairs and as I grabbed my coffee cup, didn't realize the coaster was stuck to the bottom until it fell off and stabbed my toe on the way down.  So there's that.

Here's my book I couldn't put down list from this summer for those of you who keep asking me what you should read next:

First and foremost read this one:

Now only could I not put this book down, I raved about it so much 3 of my friend finished the same copy of my book within a week.  Yes, that good.  Buy it, read it, pass it on, rave about it and repeat.

Here's the summary from Amazon:

A pilot's wife is taught to be prepared for the late-night knock at the door. But when Kathryn Lyons receives word that a plan flown by her husband, Jack, has exploded near the coast of Ireland, she confronts the unfathomable-one startling revelation at a time. Soon drawn into a maelstrom of publicity fueled by rumors that Jack led a secret life, Kathryn sets out to learn who her husband really was, whatever that knowledge might cost. Her search propels this taut, impassioned novel as it movingly explores the question, How well can we ever really know another person?

This next one is a 4-in-1 recommendation and actually Amber of Brunch with Amber the blog gave me this set so thanks girl - you're the best.

I started this on Monday and I'm almost done with book 3.  Yeah, so there's that.  And no, I haven't been home sick in bed, I've just been staying up too late and getting up too early to work it in.  Oh and reading in the gym, at stop lights, and every other chance I get.  My warning on this one is some parts of the book are a little 'racier' than my usual recommendations so if that bothers you, steer clear.  You've been warned.

I love the theme of the friendships in the books though and I have to say I'm a sucker for friends who turn into couples.

I'll skip the amazon on this one and tell you that it's about 4 best friends who go into the bridal business together.  They are: an event planner, a florist, a baker, and photographer.  Each book follows a different friend on the path to love and romance.

Ok, 5 books is enough for now kids.  I'll get back to you with more soon since I have the most amazing friends in the world and they gift me books (oh hey, maybe I'll get a whole new stack for my birthday next month?).

Love,
B

A Good Place.

Anyone else feel like 2013 is flying by?  It’s almost JUNE!  I head out Thursday evening for Memorial Day weekend with one of my favorite people in Salt Lake City and as I began making a packing list I thought – good grief, it’s already Memorial Day!  For me this has been a big year already – new job, Africa trip, new cities, new states, lots of travels, lots of changes both big and small.  But even with all that has already happened this year I’m surprised to say this year still feels like it has flown by.

I’ve shared in a few previous posts that I spent much of this past fall deciding what I wanted this year to look like.  I had been listening to what the Lord was telling me and I knew this would be a year of change.  I wanted to make sure I didn’t let this year slip away without accomplishing my goals.  I knew this year would require that I be intentional.  So, I wrote them out as always but this time I made a plan to meet with my accountability partner over a cup of coffee and report in on my progress. 

I have 11 goals on my list for this year and I have completed 5 now.  I’m not ready to tell you all of my goals yet but I will tell you about four that are checked off…

Travel to one new place.  Well, I’ve accomplished this once already (oh Austin, Texas how I loved you) but I’m headed this weekend to check another city/state off the list in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Choose/begin new job.  I don’t know how much I shared about this previously but going into the Christmas break I had a few job offers and I felt the Lord was leading me into something new but I just couldn’t quite put my finger on what that might be.  I turned them all down in early January when I returned, feeling as though the Lord was telling my to be still and wait for his leading.  Three months later I would start my job here at the church and I have felt the Lord confirm over and over that this is what He had for me all along.

Missions trip.  I completed this one early on with a trip to Togo in West Africa.  It was amazing. I could have done without the whole food poisoning thing but honestly, I’m anxious to plan my next one already.

Lead a bible study.  I just finished a semester and I’ve decided to go ahead and lead one for the summer as well.  This has been such a sweet, sweet time with girls I have grown to love.  Definitely a worthwhile goal for the list.

I should probably say that many of the remaining goals are in progress.  I’m reading through the bible in a year with several of my friends and I’m on track with that but of course I won’t be finishing that til the end of the year.  One of my goals involves weight loss and I’m on my way but I haven’t completed it just yet.  Two of my goals are financial and I’ve made big strides towards those but they will likely take til late in the year to be checked off.  I’m 28 books into my 80 book reading goal for this year as well for those of you not keeping up with my on Goodreads.

But most of all as I think about how this year has gone and where I am in my goals – I’m just thankful to be in a good place.  I am humbled by the Lord’s guidance, provision, and overflowing blessings.  He has been so good and so faithful.  I continued to be wow’d and truthfully – I’m having a blast!

Love,

B