The Christmas Spirit by Joel Osteen

You may know Joel Osteen as pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, the largest church in the U.S.  He is also quite a storyteller, even for those of us who don't follow his preaching or his TV show.  His latest book is perfect for Christmas Eve.  The Christmas Spirit is subtitled "Memories of Family, Friends, and Faith."  And, what else is Christmas about?

Osteen views Christmas as a time to celebrate family, faith and love.  And, in many stories in this book, they go hand-in-hand.  He tells stories of his father who grew up poor during the Depression, and always wanted to provide a feeling of security for his family.  His joy in providing for his family carried through, not just at Christmas, but in little things, including stories of a grey box where the children could turn for needed money.  There's a story of a Christmas bicycle, and the secret Joel shared with his father that year.  Osteen learned lessons from the lives of his parents and grandparents, and shares those stories with humor and joy. 

Osteen's book is a small collection of memories gathered from his family, his wife's family, and a few friends.   Certainly as a minister, he relates the stories to his opinions about God and faith.  You can read those as someone who believes, or you can accept Osteen's stories as a chance to remember your own Christmases past.

Whether or not you care about the Christian aspects of the book, if you love Christmas, you might appreciate Osteen's stories, and the comment, "I realize now one of the main things our parents and grandparents gave us for Christmas was memories." 

As I spend time with my mother this Christmas season, making candy and cookies, attending a play, shopping for little gifts, just spending the time together, I'm treasuring every memory we're making.  Joel Osteen's The Christmas Spirit might just remind you of memories in your own life.

Joel Osteen's website is http://www.joelosteen.com/

The Christmas Spirit by Joel Osteen.  Simon & Schuster, ©2010. ISBN 9781439198339 (hardcover), 144p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - Library book

Stick-To-It-Iveness by Addie Johnson

Addie Johnson's Stick-To-It-Iveness: Inspirations to Get You Where You Want to Go is the third and final inspirational book I had by the author.   It's not the best or worst of the three.  It has more humor than the other books, but like the first one, Lemons to Lemonade, I found an error in it.  A Little Book of Thank Yous was actually the best of the three.  But, this one has something neither of the others do: a few stories of animals, stories that are always popular.

Much of the book is based on a quote from Thomas A. Edison.  "The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-it-iveness; third, common sense."  The author claims there is nothing we can't accomplish if we put these three qualities together.  And, the anecdotes included in the book show the importance of stick-to-it-iveness.  I'm not going to give away the ending of Franesca Faridany's story of "doggedness," but it's an important story with a funny ending.  Johnson quotes people from Winston Churchill to Martin Luther King, Jr. to prove her points, but animal lovers will also like the examples shown by the efforts of dogs, penguins, and butterflies.

Johnson does pick excellent quotes for her books.  My two favorites in this one?  "It may be that those who do most, dream most" is by Stephen Butler Leacock.  Poet E.E. Cummings had my favorite one.  "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."

If you're looking for inspiration, combined with humor and anecdotes, Addie Johnson offers Stick-To-It-Iveness: Inspirations to Get You Where You Want to Go.

Stick-To-It-Iveness: Inspirations to Get You Where You Want to Go by Addie Johnson. Conari Press, ©2010. ISBN 9781573244749 (hardcover), 112p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me the book, in hopes I would review it.

Muffins & Mayhem by Suzanne Beecher

Suzanne Beecher might be familiar to many readers from her daily columns through libraries, DearReader.com.  Or you might know her website, MuffinsandMayhem.com.  But, even if you've never "met" the author and book pusher who also shares recipes, you might want to try her memoir, Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if Disorderly) Life.

Suzanne Beecher did not have an easy childhood.  An only child, she came from a household where both parents worked, her father drank, and her mother had high expectations for her daughter that included a great deal of work and chores.  Suzanne married at 16, when she was pregnant, and her parents never forgave her.  After giving birth, she took pills to lose weight, and became addicted.  She was a single mother at nineteen, a young woman who made bad choices, and remarried at twenty, to a man who was gay.  But, one good thing came from her addiction, the chance to enroll in school, qualifying for free tuition. 

It took time, but Suzanne Beecher found her way to a successful marriage that has lasted thirty-two years, and, despite her fears and feelings of inadequacy, a successful career as her own boss in various businesses and nonprofit enterprises.  There have been setbacks along the way, including health issues, but Beecher actually found a way to look beyond all of that.

And, it's those recipes and stories of life that she delights in sharing.  The book tells of her problems in life, and her failings, but it also includes her favorite stories and recipes, "The stories that keep me grounded in this unpredictable world."  She says her recipe box is filled with the necessities of life, "Stories to help keep me grounded and recipes for good stuff to eat." 

So, look beyond the hard times, although they helped to make her strong.  Suzanne had a grandmother she adored, and a husband she loves.  Her book not only includes recipes, and stories of her businesses, but also wonderful chapters of love and warmth.  The one about her husband, Bob, is special, called, "He Loves Me, He Loves Me a Lot."  And, since Beecher found resolution to her problems with her mother, the chapter to cry over is, "I Miss My Mother."

But, there's humor as well.  Suzanne's chapter, "Please Give This Woman a Job," talks about her fears she'll be bored in heaven, since one perk is "There's no need to work."  Her description of heaven?  "The streets are paved with gold, you get an automatic face-lift and tummy tuck when you pass through the Pearly Gates, you don't have to share a room, the water's nice and hot the minute you turn on the tap, and you get to see all of your friends and loved ones who have passed on before you.  My Grandma Hale and I have made a date for brunch the morning after I check in."

Suzanne Beecher's memoir is the story of a woman who has faced a challenging life, and found ways to surmount the challenges.  Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if Disorderly) Life can be read for inspiration, the story of a life, or recipes.  It can also be read as a message from a friend who cares enough to share her life, her fears, and her successes.  Beecher is a friend who ends all of her DearReader.com book columns with the same message, one she shares in the book.  "Thanks for reading with me.  It's so good to read with friends."

Susanne Beecher's websites are DearReader.com and http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/

Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if Disorderly) Life by Suzanne Beecher.  Simon & Schuster, ©2010. ISBN 9781439112878 (hardcover), 233p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - Library book

A Little Book of Thank Yous by Addie Johnson

Last month, I reviewed Addie Johnson's Lemons to Lemonade, a book I criticized because of errors in the final copy.  It also seemed a little dull, lacking in the inspiration I was hoping it had.  So, I picked up her book, A Little Book of Thank Yous: Letters, Notes & Quotes, with some trepidation.  I didn't need to worry.  First, if there were errors in the copy, I missed them.  But, the book also offered some humor, along with some suggestions as to ways to express gratitude, and, even ways to feel grateful.  The book is a gentle reminder.

Johnson reminds us that gratitude should be joyful.  If it became rote when you were young, you might not say please and thank you anymore with warmth and meaning.  But, a simple thank you means so much to people.  There are interesting anecdotes and quotes to inspire and encourage the reader.  But, as I said, there's humor as well.  There are two pages about "The currency of gratitude," broken down into Pennies, Nickels and Silver dollars.  So, what were the pennies?  "Flowers picked from your garden; a sticky note on the fridge; chocolate, chocolate, chocolate."    Johnson's book indicates that expressions of gratitude do not need to be flowery or grandiose.  It's the small gestures that come from the heart that are important.

There isn't anything that makes the reader think, "What an original idea."  However, there are quotes from authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and that all-time favorite, Anonymous.   Because the book made me think of Jim, my favorite quote was from author Rita Mae Brown.  It said, "I still miss those I loved who are no longer with me but I find I am grateful for having loved them.  The gratitude has finally conquered the loss."

 Addie Johnson's A Little Book of Thank Yous can be considered a nudge, a little note of inspiration to say those two important words, thank you.  So, my note of gratitude for today is to all of you who stop by to read my blog.  Sometimes you might leave a comment.  Sometimes you just leave a sign you were here, a footprint in a statistic.  Some of you may never write a word here, but you return faithfully, checking to see what book I've reviewed or what author is posting a guest blog.  What author was I lucky enough to get to see this week?  Thank you for dropping by and allowing me to share a little of my book life with you. 

Thank you.

A Little Book of Thank Yous:  Letters, Notes & Quotes by Addie Johnson. Conari Press, ©2010. ISBN
9781573243742 (hardcover), 128p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent my copy of the book, in hopes I would review it.

Lemons to Lemonade by Addie Johnson

Once in a while, I'm in the mood for something inspirational. I'm not talking about religious inspirational books. I'm not a fan of those. And, I'm not talking about those books that profess to show you how to change your life. Not interested. But, sometimes a little gift book such as Addie Johnson's Lemons to Lemonade: Little Ways to Sweeten Up Life's Sour Moments offers just a few ideas to spark my imagination.

I always pick up these books with high hopes. Johnson's books included her own suggestions, along with quotes such as Abraham Lincoln's "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Unfortunately, there wasn't much in this book to excite me. The ideas for happiness, and the quotes all seemed stale. However, I found it even more disappointing that a tiny book of 143 pages had errors that should have been caught in the editing process. There's a problem when I found extra words more than once, such as, "Having a weekly date night with your partner is the (sic) one of the best things you can do." That "the" should have been caught when each page only has a few sentences.

I have another book by Addie Johnson to try later this summer. I'm hoping for a little more inspiration, and no mistakes, in the next book. Lemons to Lemonade didn't do much to sweeten up my life.

Lemons to Lemonade: Little Ways to Sweeten Up Life's Sour Moments by Addie Johnson. Conari Press, ©2010. ISBN 9781573244695 (hardcover), 143p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of the book, in hopes I would review it.