Loving Well in a Broken World: Discover the Hidden Power of Empathy by Lauren Casper

Loving Well in a Broken World: Discover the Hidden Power of Empathy by Lauren Casper

About:

How can we love our neighbors amid so much division and hurt?

Loving your neighbor as yourself would be easy if your neighbors were all people you understood, people you agreed with, people like you. But what about playground bullies, colleagues, refugees, online adversaries? They're all our neighbors, and Jesus said to love them. Every one. But how?

Lauren Casper believes the key is the lost art of empathy, stepping into other people’s shoes and asking what if?—what if it were my child? What if it were me? Casper helps us discover how to identify our blind spots and tune our hearts to the stories around us;seek and extend forgiveness with grace and humility; and engage in diverse and meaningful relationships. 

Following these steps will enable us to connect in simple but life-altering ways, to respond to conflict with grace, bring about needed change, and shine God’s unconditional love into a dark world.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Thomas Nelson

Connect with Lauren

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

My Thoughts:

"Loving Well in a Broken World" by Lauren Casper emphasizes compassion and empathy as the keys to loving people well in a world that is desperate for it. Just turn on the news for two seconds, and you will see that people are starved for compassion. This book is the perfect "how to" in our current world. 

Lauren brings the reader into having more compassion for those who we may not understand. Now more than ever, I think the human race has forgotten to take a step back and try to understand where others are coming from that have varying opinions. 

This book is an easy read, but offers a difficult heart position change if you're not following compassion and empathy. For Christians, I think this book offers for us to take a step back and learn that we are to bring the light where we go, not look like the rest of the world. I enjoyed this book and felt that the author and I would sit down over a cup of coffee and discuss the issues that our world faces. This is a great, easy and needed read. I highly recommend reading this book. 

About the Author:

Lauren Casper is a writer, speaker, and amateur baker. She is the founder of the popular blog laurencasper.com and has had numerous articles syndicated by The Huffington Post, The TODAY Show, Yahoo! News, and several other publications. Lauren and her husband, John, have two beautiful children and one fluffy dog. They make their home in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Say Yes to What’s Next: How to Age with Elegance and Class While Never Losing Your Beauty and Sass! by Lori Allen

Say Yes to What’s Next: How to Age with Elegance and Class While Never Losing Your Beauty and Sass!

by 

Lori Allen

About:

From the star of  Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta , now filming its eleventh season for TLC, comes a book and a life-makeover movement for women approaching fifty and beyond.

Move over, girlfriend, Lori Allen is here to help you say yes to what’s next! Star of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, Lori Allen uses her confidence, wisdom, and signature humor not only to help young brides on their most important day ever but also to model to them and their mothers how to live out the coming years as the best of their lives.

Lori Allen is owner/operator of one of the biggest and busiest bridal mega-salons in the country, Atlanta’s Bridals by Lori. But she’s also a wife, mother, grandmother, and breast cancer survivor.

Whether you’re feeling invisible, disappearing into the fabric of your couch a little more every year, or simply being indecisive about what’s next, Lori offers herself as the poster child of what to do, not do, and how to see your way through the unexpected.

In Say Yes to What’s Next she addresses essential issues, such as


don’t let yourself go,
marriage is awesome, but it’s no fairytale,
keep your mouth shut and your heart open to your kids (and they’ll bring you grandkids),
make time to parent your parents,
maintain a close circle of girlfriends,
get off the couch and live your passion,
take charge of your money, and
what to do when life gives you a faceplant.
Say Yes to What’s Next is a life makeover and therapy session from a relatable you-can-and-you-should-do-this straight-shooter as Lori helps women shape their own futures with confidence, style, and sass.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Connect with Lori

Facebook | Instagram

My Thoughts: 

I loved this book! I laughed and cried several times through out. If you have ever watched the hit series, "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, then you know Lori Allen. Dresses by Lori are always to be an incredible experience for every single bride. In her brand new book "Say Yes to What's Next: How to Age with Elegance and Class, While Never Losing Your Beauty and Sass, she stresses the importance of self care.

This book touches on so many aspects of self-care between health, beauty, clothing, spirituality, finances, friendships, and even marriage. I love that Lori Allen has given so much of her heart into this book, and as the reader, you can feel that in each chapter. She is honest, funny, emotional and raw in her sharing her heart. I love that. At the end of each chapter, she has a section called "Girlfriends Guide" and it highlights the focus of things she mentioned in the chapter. 

Say Yes to What's Next was truly an enjoyable read. I read it in one sitting because Lori kept my attention the entire time. This book is really for any woman. No matter the age, this advice is practical and good in my opinion. I gave my copy to my mom because I loved it so much and told her to read it. Pick up a copy today. You will be so glad you did. 

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper

The Woman in the Green Dress

by 

Tea Cooper

About :

A cursed opal, a gnarled family tree, and a sinister woman in a green dress emerge in the aftermath of World War I.

After a whirlwind romance, London teashop waitress Fleur Richards can’t wait for her new husband, Hugh, to return from the Great War. But when word of his death arrives on Armistice Day, Fleur learns he has left her a sizable family fortune. Refusing to accept the inheritance, she heads to his beloved home country of Australia in search of the relatives who deserve it more.

In spite of her reluctance, she soon finds herself the sole owner of a remote farm and a dilapidated curio shop full of long-forgotten artifacts, remarkable preserved creatures, and a mystery that began more than sixty-five years ago. With the help of Kip, a repatriated soldier dealing with the sobering aftereffects of war, Fleur finds herself unable to resist pulling on the threads of the past. What she finds is a shocking story surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress. . . a story that, nevertheless, offers hope and healing for the future.

This romantic mystery from award-winning Australian novelist Tea Cooper will keep readers guessing until the astonishing conclusion.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Connect with Tea

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

My Thoughts:

The Woman In The Green Dress is the eighth novel from Australian author, Tea Cooper. It is written as a dual timeline book and I was eager to read this book. It is a historical diction story with main character, Della. Della isn't your typical lady, but one who is independent. She is strong, big hearted and loyal to the Australians. She is willing to stand up for others.  

We also meet Fleur in a tea shop after the war has just ended. She is waiting for her husband to come back safely. However, he does not return home. Fleur has been given land and wealth. She goes on a journey to discover herself and learn of her husband. 

Both of these women, are from different time periods yet, the reader is caught up in a beautiful story of real history, faith and family. As the story began to move, I was unable to stop reading this book. This book is a poetic masterpiece. I highly recommend picking up a copy today, you will not be disappointed!

About the Author:

Tea Cooper writes Australian contemporary and historical fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling.

Swimming For Freedom By Tera Bradham

Swimming For Freedom By Tera Bradham

Tera Bradham was born to prove people wrong. The fastest swimmer her age in the United States by age ten, many believed ''Tera the Terror'' was destined for the Olympics.

Her fiercely competitive spirit and unmatched intensity knew no limits until Tera suffered a sudden, devastating shoulder injury that derailed her promising career. Although she trusted in God, she also wrestled with doubts of his goodness throughout subsequent years of misdiagnoses, chronic pain, and crippling disappointment. Her injury finally forced her to fully surrender to God.

Then her miracle came, or so she thought. Her shoulder was successfully reconstructed, and after two more years of grueling recovery, Tera found the courage to swim again and pursue her dreams with renewed faith. 

Swimming for Freedom tells the story of Tera's unconventional comeback and shows that through God, all things are possible. What started as an Olympic dream ended in her true miracle: the freedom of a life in Christ. Tera's story will inspire you to rise up, dream again, and fight for his calling on your life.


My Thoughts:

Swimming for Freedom, by Tera Bradham  is a positive story, that with God all things are possible. I loved this book and could not put it down. It was such an inspiration to read, especially during a difficult time in our history. 

I finally felt like I was reading some good news for a change. This book inspired me personally to fight for what God has called me to do. I felt very challenged by this book and was just in awe of Tera's faith. This book had me in tears, but also had me cheering for Tera. Lots of mixed emotions when reading Swimming for Freedom, but in a great way! 

This book is for everyone, you don't have to be an avid lover of swimming. I pray this book gets great media attention, but the author is incredible! I loved every second of this book. 

About the Author:

Tera Bradham began her journey as a swimmer, where God used the sport and an undiagnosed injury to solidify her identity in Him. Her story of overcoming pain and depression through a miraculous God has inspired thousands. Tera's heart cry is to help those in physical pain live in miraculous victory over adversity. In addition, she is consumed with a desire to propel our generation to chase God-sized dreams. Her journey has led her to speak at events across the world as an inspirational speaker with a message of empowerment and purpose. She writes, coaches, and teaches from her home in Montana.

Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It by Bob Goff

DREAM BIG

About Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 23, 2020)

From New York Times bestselling author Bob Goff, the creator of the popular Dream Big conferences, a wildly inspiring yet utterly practical blueprint for helping readers find and reach their biggest dreams.

Bob Goff is on a mission to shake people into the version of their lives they dreamt about before someone told them it was impossible or incorrect. He wants people to reconnect with the seat of their passion and their person. He wants them to dream big.

In this revelatory new book, Goff takes readers on a life-proven journey to rediscover their dreams and turn them into reality. Based on his popular Dream Big workshop, Bob draws on a lifetime of living and dreaming large to help guide readers to reaching their larger-than-life dreams. In Dream Big he shows us how to:

• learn to define clearly your dreams for yourself,
• identify the obstacles holding you back,
• come up with a specific plan for reaching goals, and
• develop the tools that will help you act on the plan.

Dream Big is the only book you need to uncover the wild and exciting dream for your life you’ve hidden from yourself–and help you take the steps necessary to achieve it.

My Thoughts:

Bob Goff fans, go to Amazon right now and order this book. You won't be disappointed at all. This book is fantastic! This book has changed how I view my faith and walking with the Lord.

Most people who follow Jesus daily do not like to be confronted with the uncomfortable, but that is the crux of following Jesus. He doesn't call us to be comfortable, but he calls us to experience a life fully dependent on him. 

While reading Dream Big, I was inspired by Bob to just do that. It will literally encourage you to go full force into something that is messy, frustrating and exciting all in one. I was very encouraged by this book and love how Bob talked about with every book he has written, he wrote a 1000 words a day. I love his advice in finishing projects like this. Additionally, this book continued to spark and challenge my view on the church today and how it is bigger than just a building. The church is its people. We need to stop making it about events and start making the church about glorifying the Lord, not ourselves. This book was very eyeopening. 

Overall, this book was encouraging, inspiring and hard because it challenged my thinking, which I LOVE! This book will help you live on the dream that God has put inside of you. Grab your copy today, you will be sad to have missed it. 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Bob Goff

Bob Goff is the author of the New York Times bestselling Love Does and Everybody, Always as well as the bestselling Love Does for Kids. He is the Honorary Consul to the Republic of Uganda, an attorney, and the founder of Love Does—a nonprofit human rights organization operating in Uganda, India, Nepal, Iraq, and Somalia. He’s a lover of balloons, cake pops, and helping people pursue their big dreams. Bob’s greatest ambitions in life are to love others, do stuff, and, most importantly, to hold hands with his wife, Sweet Maria Goff, and spend time with their amazing kids.

Connect with Bob

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram