Compilation: 8 Books About Gardens/Flowers

Sometimes a theme gets hammered over and over, waiting for you to respond. I've been assaulted with news of the mental health benefits for those who tend flowers or work in gardens. Don't take my word for it; read this article from Science Daily. I don't know if it is enough to motivate me to get down and dirty in the garden. For this month's compilation, I decided to cull reviews for books I've read on gardens or flowers. Here are eight books, in chronological order from first read to most recent:

1. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - novel
2. The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman - novel
3. Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane - novel
4. All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio - novel
5. Floriography by Jessica Roux - non-fiction
6. The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly - novel
7. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak - novel
8. The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson - memoir - highly recommend

(I forgot my copy of The God of the Garden when photographing the books)

Book Review: The Astronaut Wives Club

After two lengthier audio books, I sought shorter fare. The Astronaut Wives Club, by Lily Koppel, fit the bill. I was four when astronauts landed on the moon. So, while I remember the rage around space travel, it is not with the clarity some might have. This book was interesting enough, yet somehow sad. It seemed to focus on how unfaithful and inattentive the astronaut heroes were and how long-suffering and, finally, liberated the wives were. After listening to Bill Bryson, this one didn't pull like my previous audio read. I didn't marvel at unknown facts. I suppose I'd call it an okay read. Middle of the road. Not a waste of time, but not as enlightening or uplifting as others.

Book Review: Every Note Played

After watching Still Alice again, I wanted to dive into another Lisa Genova book. I picked up Every Note Played. By the end of the book, tears streamed down my face. Watching the main character, a professional classical pianist, decline into ALS was excruciating. While many illnesses can strip an individual of their true self, the paralysis and challenges of ALS are extreme.

Richard Evans is accustomed to receiving standing ovations for his masterful skill and moving performances. At first, it feels like tendonitis, a common ailment among pianists. Then, his whole right arm becomes paralyzed. Deprived of the skill that provides his identity, Richard now faces memories of a marriage gone wrong and parenting missteps. His vows to never become like his own father (who belittled his preference for music over sports) have unfortunately manifested just as much damage because he chose music over his daughter.

Richard moves back in with his ex-wife, a true test of their sour relationship. Somehow, being stripped of the externals shines a deeper light on internals. Can they redeem what's broken? Will necessary apologies and forgiveness go unspoken? What does it look like to deteriorate slowly as ALS strips away abilities, life's simplest pleasures, and self-sufficiency? I loved the redemption at the end of this book. It was heart-wrenching, but a very important and life-affirming read.  

Book Review: One Summer

Once again, I tackled a lengthy audio book in Bill Bryson's One Summer. The book offered 17 hours of entertaining historical exposition. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Bill Bryson does an outstanding job narrating. His humor shines through.

This book could have easily focused on the Yankees ball team or on the history of air travel. Instead of focusing narrowly, Bryson treats many topics all falling in the summer of 1927. I would probably not have selected a book about baseball or air travel. Yet, these topics fascinated me in this book. I couldn't help but burst forth with information when Sean would finally emerge from football practice and join me in the car. I told him of how Lou Gehrig was a 14 pound baby, how he was so shy he sat mutely when friends invited girls over hoping to introduce him, and how devoted he was to his mother. Even the statistics of baseball and boxing amazed me.

I got to know Charles Lindberg and formed a less favorable opinion after hearing about the rest of his life after 1927. The book introduced Al Capone, Al Jolson, and Henry Ford. It took on politics, eugenics, weather disasters, murder cases, and movies. As the back cover promises, "Bryson captures its outsized personalities, exciting events, and occasional just plain weirdness with his trademark vividness, eye for telling detail, and delicious humor."

Book Review: Just Show Up

When I picked this book up from the library, I learned it was a follow-up book. Thus, I set it aside and went after Kara Tippett's initial book, The Hardest Peace (reviewed here). This one didn't move me as thoroughly as Kara's telling of her story. Yet, it was an informative and helpful book. Just Show Up: The Dance of Walking Through Suffering Together is a brilliant book for anyone walking alongside a struggling friend. Those struggles could vary: marital difficulties, death of a parent or child, wayward child facing grave consequences, cancer in self or loved-one. Personally, I've experienced each of these scenarios. Some walked alongside me with grace, showing care and understanding. Some offered unrequested platitudes or advice. A few withdrew and walked away in avoidance.

I cannot say I always respond to another's suffering with the right words or responses. This book emphasizes the best thing to do, just show up. Be there for the person: in silence, in assisting in whatever capacity might meet a need, in prayer, and in presence. It is not surprising that our normal reaction to suffering is a desire to pull away. Many hang in the balance of their pain, feeling like others have forgotten them or do not care. We are called to lean in to those difficult friendships. To embrace the awkward moments. To endure the hard and gritty. And in doing so, we find a blessing. As Kara proclaimed in her first book, God is IN the hard and God IS good.

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Aside: My library provides saving statistics on each receipt. When I checked out this book, I discovered someone else's receipt in the book: "You just saved $15.99 by using your library. You have saved $53.92 this past year and $332.12 since you began using the library!" It made me chuckle. My most recent receipt says I saved $26,964.90 since I began using the library. Ha!

Second aside: After finishing this book, I took an hour and a half of my Sunday afternoon and watched the documentary (available for free on YouTube, here). It is such a touching story and reminds us we each have a story that holds promise for comfort to someone else. May my story give God the glory!

Ah, Fall!

This has been a tough week. Interest in my prodigal parenting book is tapering off and I've exhausted most of the avenues for securing more exposure. My now-adult son asserted his status and independence in two disappointing ways. Good thing my book doesn't claim to provide parenting wisdom. I have none for parenting teens/adults who are intent on making ruinous choices. My book simply expresses the heart cries of a parent leaning into God amid the journey.

Yesterday morning, I came across someone who mentioned a book about walking as a spiritual practice. This is something I've embraced for a long time. So, instead of my usual time on the recumbent bike and treadmill, I braved the cold (32 degrees) and took a walk. It provided exercise and a great time for prayer and reflection. Thanking God that He's not finished with me yet and not finished with my sons yet, either.

As I approached home, I snapped some photos of the beautiful fall foliage. 

(A photo of our long-time neighbor's property - their trees are resplendent!)

(Our house - I love the orange display behind the house - initially blocked by the front yard tree in the first picture.)

How blessed I am to live on a property with such vibrant colors and soul-stirring transformation. It may be fall. I may feel like I'm in the middle of a drought. But perhaps, as in the story of Elijah (see 1 Kings 17 and 18), God is sending the drought to prepare for a magnificent confirmation of His vast power and purpose. Without the drought, the people of Israel might not have been ready for the heart transformation when they realized (after Elijah's showdown with the prophets of Baal and against incredible odds) that the Lord is the one true God. Elijah had to endure the drought, too. Yet, God was with him every step of the way and met his every need. I'm claiming that for myself and allowing the healing power of nature to soothe my heart and soul.

Book Review: The Birdcage

In 2017, I highly recommended Eve Chase's Black Rabbit Hall. I adored that book. Thus, I thought I'd give her recent work, The Birdcage, a try. Back in 2017, I didn't provide the content caution on my reviews. Did Black Rabbit Hall contain questionable content that I overlooked, or did Eve Chase now give in to the pressures of the modern agenda? I was so wishing this would be a clean read. Alas, it was not. And, as is so often the case, it remained clean long enough to lure me in sufficiently before the compromising content surfaced.

Eve Chase creates an atmosphere of suspense in a story of three half-sisters who summered with their father in his isolated manor house in Cornwall back in 1999. Something happened on the day of the solar eclipse. It fragmented their relationships. Now, in 2019, the father has invited all three back to Rock Point. What is his impending announcement? Are there new plans for Rock Point? Can the girls reunite without harkening back to the mysterious day that ripped them apart from each other? Who is leaving menacing notes trying to drive them away? Will the secrets ever come to light?

Although I kept reading, despite the intrusion, I cannot say I enjoyed this book as much as Black Rabbit Hall. Eve Chase is a masterful writer. She knows how to people old British manor homes with interesting characters. She spins a web of mystery that sucks a reader in thoroughly. I'm rather discouraged, because I was hoping this would be a clean read.

Content Caution: 📒

Powerful Illustration

Maybe you feel like you are in a plane, in the middle of a storm, and your pilot has just fainted. Maybe you recognize your desperate need for direction and help. This sermon illustration (shared by a friend on Facebook) captures clearly the method for landing safely in a stormy, threatening world.

Book Review: The Great Alone

I often pass over longer works when I'm looking for an audio book to accompany my exercise time. It just seems like such a time investment to begin a book that takes 15 hours to complete. This is especially true now that my knees can no longer endure my fast-paced 40-minute routines. Some days I only manage 20 minutes. Thankfully, I managed some longer time spells and also secured time while waiting in the car for Sean to finish football practice (never a sure bet, even though they have a designated end time). I'm so glad I didn't pass over this book due to the length or the cautionary content (language, violence, and sexual).

You can trust Kristin Hannah to craft a riveting story with a rich setting and believable characters. It is 1974, and thirteen-year-old Leni and her mother, Cora, never know quite what to expect from the man of the family, Vietnam POW Ernt Allbright. Like most battered women, Cora always believes the apologies, promises, and hopes. When Ernt inherits property in Alaska, it seems like the answer to their prayers. But Alaska demands a lot out of its inhabitants and the darkness can be enough to drive anyone crazy, let alone someone as unpredictable as Ernt.

As the back cover explains, "Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves." The author's portrayal of Alaska is both fascinating and frightening. It brought to mind the movie, Into the Wild. Not everyone is cut out for the artic tundra.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The cursing was to be expected from a character who is reeling from the aftereffects of war. It didn't persist in a lengthy way, though scattered throughout. The story sucked me in. My heart raced at the horrifying treatment Leni and Cora endured. The book made me think long and hard about the resilience of love and the magic of the mother-daughter bond. I put myself in their shoes and walked many a mile across their troublesome terrain. It was an experience worth taking and I wouldn't want someone to avoid this book because it isn't entirely clean. It may be easier to read in print, so you could skim past the questionable bits. Still, I loved the listen. Julia Whelan did a fantastic job with the narration. I wavered back and forth on whether to bill this as a highly recommended read. It would make an excellent book club read.

Content Caution: 📒

In a World of Charlatans

Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash

We are in the end times. I have no doubt. Scripture is fulfilled day after day. All I have to do is look around me to see biblical prophecy manifested. Mankind fixates on self and self-fulfillment. "Look at me; this is who I am! My happiness trumps God's will and way." Like Frank Sinatra, so many are doing things their own way with no thought for God's way. And the only path to knowing God's way is immersion in His inerrant God-breathed Word.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

What a rich chapter, 2 Timothy 3! First, it focuses on where mankind is going astray. Satan lies, "You can blend in with the world and still be God's." Then, the passage highlights how to get back on track. Focus on seeking God through knowing and obeying His Word, though costly.

"But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:10-17)

I recently came across an old clip (8 years old - we've been headed this direction for years) on YouTube. It shows charlatans who pretend to speak for God, only to guide men back into themselves, seeking happiness over holiness. They say, "Do good, but not for God, rather for yourself, because God wants you to be happy." This video showing that clip rebukes the charlatan. It reminds us, our goal is not personal fulfillment but the glorification of God.

Even more current is a new campaign titled, "He (Jesus) gets us!" This movement claims to "free the story of Jesus from hypocrites and extremists" and "from those who judge, harm, and divide." The Jesus they paint is impotent. Again, the focus is on ourselves. Yes, He accepts us as we are, but not to leave us as we are, navel-gazing and seeking our own way. To the diverse cast He ministered to, He said, "Go, and sin no more." No, His love doesn't stop at acceptance (they wish to put a full stop after acceptance). He transforms us into ambassadors for Him, heirs with Christ, through His atoning blood. It is not that "he gets us" but that "we get Him."

Their goal? Make Jesus less offensive; emphasize His love over His holiness. But God's Word declares He is offensive to those who want their own way.

"Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." (1 Peter 2:6-8)

What brought all of this to mind today? In a world of charlatans, we have lost someone who truly pointed away from self and toward the glorification of God. We can only glorify God through the power of His Word, transforming hearts and minds into His image, with His goals and purposes, to build His kingdom. Brother Andrew ("God's Smuggler") and his Open Doors ministry focus their energies on getting God's Word into the hands of seekers. They reveal those who forsake self to the point of persecution for the sake of the gospel. Would that I might reach as many as Brother Andrew reached for God! He is now resting in the arms of the Father, an instrument for God's glory, receiving his eternal reward.

So, smuggle God's timeless and true Word behind the societal bars that attempt to keep you enslaved in self-focus and sin. Test His Word! Does it present Jesus as a sanctioner of sin or savior from sin? Does Jesus get you, so you can do it your way, or does He free you to seek His way? Is the end goal happiness or holiness? Will you be a sinner clinging to sin, looking to Christ to sanction your way, or will you be a sinner admitting your sin and looking to Christ to save you from sin's penalty - eternal separation from God? Please, before time is up, read His Word! Seek Him and His glory!