Making your own story

Lynn Austin recently wrote a book called "Wonderland Creek" it follows a young woman in the 1930's whose world revolves around books. She works in a library until various circumstances land her in the small town of Wonderland Creek in Tennessee. It is an entertaining look at how we can spend our time longing for adventures, drama, and even a bit of romance; while it is always there if we make an effort to look for it and start making our own life the way we want it to be.

Dorothy Cummings whose book "The Closets All Mine" and her blog Seraphic Singles, both of which can be found at http://seraphicsinglescummings.blogspot.com/, focuses on this aspect of taking a hold of your own life and making it what you want it to be. This can all be heard in Francesca Battistelli's song "It's your Life. Check out her other music while you are there. I have spent the last few years evaluating my life and trying to figure out what to do with my life. I am taking it a day at a time searching for God's will and living life to the fullest extent possible.

le Chaim, Nina

You can't live with them, you can't live without them

Families are the foundation of civilization and also the source of both joy in sorrow in our life. We often find ourselves with special relationships with certain people in our family because there are always certain people who understand us better and reversely, those that don't understand us. Francine Rivers new two-part series, Marta's Legacy looks in depth at this problem through multi-generations of women in one family; their stories and relationships. Their story starts in the early 20th century with Marta and continues through both world wars, the "sexual revolution" of the 70's and continue to the present day.

These books are not really as enjoyable as they are thought provoking. If you ever had an argument with your mother you know the uncomfortable feeling that goes with those arguments. The books "Her Mother's Hope" and "Her Daughter's Dream" explore how this family's history has an effect on their relationships with members of their families. How bitterness and lack of understanding can ruin relationships. And open communication, love, and of course God can heal and strengthen our relationships with our family.

Shalom, Nina

PS: Another book I read recently called "Shadows in the Sand," a murder mystery by Gayle G. Roper takes another look at the value of understanding peoples motives and the necessity of forgiveness.