Finding Oneself as the Pandemic is Hopefully Ending

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

The last two years have been tough on everyone. Everyone I talk to seems to be struggling in some way or another. And it is not because they lost a loved one (though many have) or that they or a family member caught Covid (though many have). It is because we are all tired. Tired of masks. Tired of restrictions. But mostly tired of fighting. America seems more divided than ever. We were divided by politics and that division has grown. We have been divided by racism which is coming to a forefront. Now we are also divided about masks, vaccinations and more. If a person or company does not have the same beliefs, people are fighting, debating and at sometimes getting violent. Then add in that there is a shortage of workers. Everywhere seems to be hiring and they are operating understaffed. People's patience is not there, and they are being rude to the few people who do show up to serve us. It is such a mess. All of these things have gotten me feeling down and miserable. For 2022 I have picked positivity as my word of the year. Let's face it we all need more positivity in our lives (just not positive Covid tests).

I have been trying to find ways to help improve my mood and outlook. Today I am going to share four Christian books with you that are helping me. But first I have to share my happy moment of the week. The other day I was stopped at a red light and the car in front of me had a window decal that said, "I hope something good happens to you today." It just made me smile and I though how great would it be if we all had that sticker on our cars. We need to spread more kindness and love and argue and hate less. The world will be so much better and so will we. Now I will admit I have my own opinions on vaccines, masks, etc. and I have made judgements about others, but I am trying hard not to share those with you and not to push my opinions on others. I would like to think as a society we can respect one another enough to end this craziness. As for businesses, they have a right to decide if everyone is required to wear a mask when in their business (whether a building, bus, car, plane, etc.) and you have the right as to whether you will support that business. If you do not like the company's policy, let your money talk by not shopping, buying, using that business. As for transportation it is currently a federal mandate that you have to wear a mask when on public transportation. If you do not like it, contact your government officials since they make the laws. 

Ok, now on to my books. Something that has definitely been missing the last few years in our country is community. The first book I am going to share is Built to Belong by Natalie Franke. 

From the Publisher:

This fresh, inspiring call to community and connection from an entrepreneur and leader is perfect for anyone feeling alone and ready to set off on a journey to true belonging.

Many of us feel more alone than ever despite living in the most connected society in human history. We need to belong in the same way that we need oxygen–our physical bodies require it. We perform better and have greater successes as individuals when we are connected to the collective.

Join author Natalie Franke as she shares her story of longing for connection in the chaos and lessons learned on her journey to true belonging. Together we’ll uncover how to:

• Kick scroll-induced jealousy to the curb and transform the way that social media makes you feel about yourself and others
• Overcome loneliness by finding your people and cultivating true community in your personal and professional world
• Strike the balance between camaraderie and competition so that you can live a deeply fulfilled and joyful life

Human beings are not highlight reels—we’re done fanning the flames of comparison, drowning in our insecurities, and being pitted against one another. We’re saying no to the endless rat race of getting ahead and goodbye to the narratives that leave us feeling left out and alone.

We are destined for something better. We’re made for so much more. Because knit into the fabric of our DNA, we were Built to Belong.

From Me:

Let's face it we have been craving to belong and make connections in the past couple of years. Families have been kept apart even during the holidays. Friends are not as apt to get together. People are not traveling as much as they once were. And there is not as much of a neighborhood crowd at the local bar, at least I'm guessing. Over the last decade or so we have social media pop up. Why? Because humans need to feel connected and to belong. We spend much of our adolescence trying to fit in and to be liked. This book is about how working with others and building a community can help your business as well as yourself. 

Natalie gives us reason to build and/or join others in community. Community activities seem to have gone away. Less people are active in religious organizations as well as social legions. People online seem to post their highs and maybe theirs low. Natalie also gives us ways to build the communities we want and will help us, and others thrive both socially as well as in business. Her words flow easily and make the book very enjoyable to read. It leaves you wanting to connect and build community where you are at as well as online. 

Our next book is Kill the Noise by Ryan Ries. 

From the Publisher:

It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done—God wants a relationship with you.

Social media, television, video games, drugs, pornography – there is so much noise distracting us from what is important in life that it is nearly impossible to hear God’s truth that He will take you as you are. When we finally kill the noise of the world, we’ll discover in the silence a loving Savior who is waiting to forgive us and offer us a purpose for our lives.

Ryan Ries is living proof of this truth. Growing up in Los Angeles as the son of a mega-church pastor but surrounded by the music, skate, and snowboard industries, Ryan felt a tug-of-war between the church and the world. It was in the skate and music culture that he found his passion and his identity. As a result, he walked away from God and dove head first into the world, losing his way in alcohol, drugs, and sex, which led to anxiety, brokenness, and emptiness.

Kill the Noise tells Ryan’s story about finding God in the messiness of life, and lets you know how you too can find peace, joy, and purpose in Jesus Christ. This book will be a tool to help you kill the noise of the world so you can hear God’s voice telling you that He loves you and that you belong to Him.

From Me:

Although I cannot relate to Ryan's life, I can relate to the anxiety, brokenness and emptiness he was feeling in his life. This book shares his hard journey and how turning his life around back to Jesus was hard but how it improved his life. There is talk about forgiveness. There is talk about finding purpose, joy and love and how finding these you need to follow and love Jesus. Some things I love in this book is how Ryan calls out the hypocrites in our religious societies. I love how his story is easy to read and follow along. At first I had trouble getting into the book because his life was and is so different from mine. I have not done drugs. I was not a partyer. And I certainly do not have fame. But I can relate to needing to find silence and meet Jesus there. Often when I am feeling empty and broken I try to turn to God. It sometimes takes me a while to do this though and that is what this book is truly about. God loves us and wants a relationship with us. He wants us to come to him so he can give us what we need and often what we want, but we have to come to him with sincerity and love. Once Ryan begins to share about his transition to becoming a Christian, the book completely drew me in. It is interesting to read his story as well as the others' stories he shares.  He gives some of his own interpretations of Scripture and relates it to our daily lives. Are
you ready to kill the noise and find Jesus?

Our final two books are companion books. The first is The Power of Thank You and the second is My Thank You Journal both by Joyce Meyer. I will review them together for my part.

From the Publisher:

Adopt a lifestyle of thanksgiving with the help of this inspiring book and discover that no matter how messy life gets, God will make it good.

Each moment that you’re given is a precious gift from God. You can choose to have a thankful attitude and live each moment full of joy, simply because God is good. In The Power of Thank You, renowned Bible teacher and #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer encourages us to take a look at ourselves and the importance of being thankful.

Living life with a heart of gratitude for who God is and what He has done lifts your burdens and allows you to see everything in a different light. Regularly giving thanks to God not only helps you fully realize how He’s working in your life, it gives you a new perspective—your mind is renewed, your attitude is improved, and you're filled with joy.

Things will certainly happen to you that don’t seem fair, and it’s much easier to make excuses and feel sorry for yourself. Keep saying, “I trust You, God, and I believe You will work it all out for my good.” If you find The Power of Thank You in every situation, truly believing that God is working everything out for your good, you will end up with the victory every single time.

From the Publisher:

Find your own gratitude attitude with this helpful journal inspired by the teachings in The Power of Thank You and discover that no matter how messy life gets, God will make it good.

Living life with a heart of gratitude for who God is and what He has done lifts your burdens and allows you to see everything in a different light. Regularly giving thanks to God not only helps you fully realize how He’s working in your life, it gives you a new perspective—your mind is renewed, your attitude is improved, and you're filled with joy.

Things will certainly happen to you that don’t seem fair, and it’s much easier to make excuses and feel sorry for yourself. By using the characteristics outlined in The Power of Thank You, this journal gives women a place to write out their praises, concerns, prayers, and thanksgivings, and the beautiful four-color interior design makes My Thank You Journal a stunning and extraordinary gift for any time of year.

Keep saying, “I trust You, God, and I believe You will work it all out for my good.” If you find The Power of Thank You in every situation, truly believing that God is working everything out for your good, you will end up with the victory every single time.

From Me:

What are you thankful for today? Do you keep a gratitude journal? Joyce takes us on the journey of being thankful. Even at our worse moments there are things we can be thankful for like having clothes, breathing, waking up, having food, etc. In our materialistic society we often want more and more but do not take a moment to be thankful for what we have. How many memes have you seen about Amazon orders and/or the number of them? These days buying is so easy. You see it online and click buy. We charge it and many people are in debt because of it. This book reminds us to be thankful for everything. God gives us what we need and often what we want in his own time. We need to trust God and thank him for what we do have. The more gratitude we show the more content we become. 

Besides sharing the need and reasons to show gratitude, Joyce shares a vehicle to show it. My Thank You Journal is full of lined pages with pictures of flowers along the outside edges of the page or on the bottom and with a quote or Scripture on the tops. You can see the sample page above. I am going to use this journal to keep a running list of things I am thankful for. The sticker I shared in my introduction is already written there. When I stop to think about what I am truly thankful for I take time to thank God for those things as well as have some quiet time with him. These two books are helping add more positivity to my life every day. 

So if you are like me and need more positivity in your life and are feeling a bit broken, down, or disconnected, I highly recommend all four of these books. Find your way back to our Creator and obtain his peace and love. Thank you for reading this post!