TWLOHA + Birthdays

           I have this quirky habit where every time I read a book I tend to choose a favorite chapter so that if I ever want to read a section to a friend I know just the chapter to read. This time around the chapter just so happened to be entitled Happy Birthday (pages 42-45, also the blog post linked). Jamie says that birthdays are "the opportunity to tell someone 'i'm glad that you were born,' which is also to say 'i'm glad that you're alive.' Those are powerful statements. The world would be a different place if we lived that way, if we said and expressed these things, more than once a year." (page 42, If You Feel Too Much) If you are new to Jamie or to TWLOHA, this chapter is a clear expression of their efforts. A mission statement of sorts you could say. 
            
          When Jamie originally wrote Happy Birthday on the TWLOHA blog, this quote below was taken from it and reblogged countless times by people all over the world. You see, he has a way with words. It struck a collective cord within us, a place that was in need of hearing that it's okay to need other people, inviting us to believe better things and to invite others to do the same. He has a way of telling us those simple truths that we all struggle with believing. A few days ago I turned another year older and I still needed to hear these words. That's why I'm such a fan of TWLOHA. It's an organization that meets us where we are at or speaks of a place we have all been at in life. I don't think we realize how important that is. 

Okay, Jamie Might Be A Broken Record

             If You Feel Too Much is a series of short stories that keep pointing back to the bigger picture. In the beginning I was just so excited that Jamie had finally written a book that I wasn't really aware that it is mostly a compilation of his previous blog posts with a little bit extra added in. A lot of those posts already made an impact as the words read were needed by so many. Now when I want to share about TWLOHA with someone, I don't have to point them to five or six blog post links. Instead I can just share my copy or suggest that they pick up their own. It's TWLOHA's story all in one place. A story that is very much still being written. 
              
              Even though I'm excited for Jamie to write another book as he has eluded to, I'm grateful for this one. I have to admit it though. His words can sound like a broken record at times. It can seem like a continuous replay of the same words told with different stories: you're not alone, it's okay to ask for help, people need other people, i'm glad you're alive, there is hope. In most other scenarios that would probably agitate me. I would probably exclaim, "I GET THE POINT!" and hesitate from continuing to read someone who repeats themselves. Maybe that's just me but I have a feeling it's not. But what has stopped me from quitting on Jamie's favorite choice of words is that they are the type of truths that we so desperately need and the type that are so hard to believe. Maybe hearing them over and over and over again is what is helping chip away at my disbelief and helping me heal. There is something so powerful in being reminded of these truths and I believe that is why TWLOHA has been so effective for so long. I didn't count how many times he said those phrases and others like them throughout his book but they are what bind those pages together. I have heard them possibly a thousand times but it astounds me how much I still need to hear them each time they grace my life. I need HOPE. I need HELP. I need COMMUNITY. I needed them this time around almost just as much as I did the first time I heard them. Even if I joke about Jamie being a broken record sometimes, I think it's probably one of his best qualities. Please, no one ever try to fix him! 

This Book is For Three People

                So I think there are three people that I would recommend this book for. Maybe you're reading this review and you've already read If You Feel Too Much. If that's the case, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. What did you think? How did you hear about TWLOHA? Or maybe you're reading this and you're contemplating purchasing the book. If that's you, this section that I'm writing is one I'd prefer to have sitting across from you in a coffee shop (or outside at a park - my personal preference) and tell you that we all need this book at some point in our lives. Every single one of us. 
 
                The first person that I think this book is for is myself. Like I shared above, I've needed these words a thousand times over and they still hold meaning in my life. I don't think I'll ever outgrow my need for these words either. The idea of things like Hope, Help, and Community are necessary in every season of life. Can you honestly tell me that you haven't felt alone, felt too much, or maybe even that the world would be better if you weren't apart of it? Those ugly lies exist. We all encounter them and others like them at different points in our lives. That's why I also believe that our loved ones need this book too. 
 
                 There are some out there who came to know about TWLOHA or about Jamie because they have either already lost a loved one to the tragedy of suicide or they have loved ones who fight the darkness every day. If that's you, I'm so sorry for your pain. Maybe it's a difficult conversation that you need to have and you are looking for the right words. Please know that these pages are filled with Hope for you and for them. As much as it is a beacon in the dark it is also a resource of sorts. I truly believe that this book is meant to be shared.

                 I remember underlying a phrase that Jamie used in telling one of his stories. He spoke about a girl that he met and again, the topic was birthdays. He recalls that 'she said that birthdays made little sense aside from love, without a person to share them with.' (page 82, If You Feel Too Much) Maybe life feels like that at times. Maybe it seems like it isn't worth it or it makes little sense without love or a person to share it with. That is why I think that this book, but ultimately the message found within its pages, is meant for strangers as well. I think it's important to know that we are not alone and that our story matters but it is just as important for others to know that as well. I hope to be someone who comes alongside of strangers and helps them push back the darkness a bit. Life is a beautiful thing when Hope and other people are involved. 

                   So I don't know if you are thinking about reading this book because you or a loved one struggles with depression, suicide, or addiction. Maybe you're here because some famous person, because let's face it Jamie has a lot of famous friends, posted about this feelings book. Whatever brought you here, just know that you're welcome into this conversation. A conversation that pleads with others to know that they are not alone. That it's okay to ask for help. That people need other people. That it's time to meet each other in our questions with Love and Hope. 

If You Feel Too Much: Thoughts on Things Found and Lost and Hoped For 
By Jamie Tworkowski founder of To Write Love on Her Arms
Published by Tarcher / Penguin on May 26, 2015
208 Pages

Purchase via Amazon HERE 
Via Barnes & Noble HERE

Not Your Average Cookbook

Sure, Bread & Wine ends almost every chapter with a recipe of something so delicious sounding that my mouth waters. Of course that means that it could be labeled a cookbook, but that's not really the point of this book and it's pretty clear early on as you flip through the pages. Even in the intro Shauna says "this is a collection of essays about family, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. It's about the ways that God teaches and nourishes us as we nourish the people around us, and about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two." (page 11) She further explains, "it's not, actually, strictly about food for me. It's about what happens when we come together, slow down, open our homes, look into one another's face, listen to one another's stories." (page 13) And I couldn't agree any more! 

I am not your average lover of all things culinary. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love food. Who doesn't? Yet, this book found its way into my life and not because I was searching for a cookbook either. But I've found that the only thing better than a cookbook is a book that reminds us of all the reasons that we love to cook and that we love to eat. For these very reasons, Shauna sits down with us around the table and tells us like it is. She tells stories that we fall in love with and she shares necessary Truth that draws us in for more. In the most beautiful way, Shauna leaves us rejuvenated and longing to live life around the table with the ones that we love most. And the crazy part is that there is room for me too. Me, this unlikely and unsuccessful one who only hopes to befriend a kitchen someday. Somehow, someway, I have a seat at the table just like everyone else.

Nice to Finally Meet You, Heidi.

   For years now I have heard of Iris Ministries and someone named Heidi Baker but it wasn't until I picked up this book that I felt like I had finally met her. I want to mention this from the beginning of this review that although this book was refreshing, it wasn't earth-shattering. In the best way possible, it was simple and full of Truth. This book is not about Heidi. Thankfully, it is about Jesus and His great love for humanity!

   Rolland Baker describes Heidi in the forward by saying, "she had a privileged upbringing, living on a private beach, and lacked for nothing in education, comforts, and opportunity. But even as a small girl growing up, she pulsed and radiated with a consuming hunger for God." (page x) First off, how stinking adorable is it that her husband wrote her forward to her book? Seriously. Secondly, how refreshing is it to read that though the things of this world vied for her affections it is still possible to be won over by One so much stronger? I, for one, am really thankful for her testimony about her upbringing. It's not common.

   While reading this book, I didn't just glean from Heidi but I unexpectedly gleaned from Mother Teresa as well. You will learn quickly that she is greatly inspired by her and thus she includes her quotes in various parts of her book and at the end of each chapter. For a book that I picked up in hopes of digging more into the heart of missions, it was beautiful to hear the wisdom of Mama T (Mother Teresa - for those of you who are more formal) included into Heidi's stories.  

Let's Start a Conversation

I don't remember how I came across this book but I did. It's really small size and the fact that it's a short version the longer book Desiring God, lead me to believe that this was a good choice for my first John Piper book to read. It really is a small book too, almost like a glorified pamphlet. Which fits right into John Piper's ministry, Desiring God. (Notice a reoccurring theme here?) His ministry does an excellent job at providing resources and is a beautiful tool that is readily available in many languages. Feel free to click on the red words above to head to their website to check it out.

Okay, enough promoting and more about the little book. I hope you notice that I appreciate this ministry. I may not agree with it on every issue but I do really agree with it's main love for the supremacy of Jesus in all things as well as it's great love for missions. With that said, you know have an idea of my position towards this ministry.

Who is this Bob Goff guy?

I typically have a pretty vast and growing knowledge of all the best authors in my favorite genre: Christian Living. I follow a handful of blogs and of course, Twitter makes sure I know all of the right people. But somehow, this Bob Goff guy escaped my radar undetected. Then out of nowhere, I see this Love Does book popping up everywhere all across social media, including some of my favorite athletes Instagram, and even on an Apple commercial!

It's title alone caught my attention but it's growing audience evoked such curiousity out of me. Not to mention the fact that Bob Goff's Twitter account is literally some of the most simple yet profound tweets out there in the social media world! So I gave in and purchased this book from Amazon.

I don't regret that decision one bit! This book was such an easy read. I rarely allow myself a leisure read but this felt a good as a fiction book does. You know that feeling where you can devour pages on end almost similar to a guilty pleasure. Something that happened in this books was that I actually fell in love with Bob, the author. This really just DOES NOT happen most of the time. But from what I know, he seems to be one of those type of people who you can easily love and it's really hard to not like him. I especially like the fact that he calls his wife "sweet Maria". Come on, who doesn't love that?! 

On the last page of his book, page 224, he wrote this, "the people in my life who have actually been the most influential have also been the ones who were most available." He then precedes to give everyone who reads this page his personal phone number. Yes, you heard me right! His personal cell phone number! Excuse me while I freak out at the thought of how many texts or phone calls he has probably received since this book is a New York Times Bestseller! 

And once again, I am left with the same question that I had before I started to read this book, who is this Bob Goff guy?

The Joy of Reading Elisabeth's Work

I'm not sure when I was first introduced to Jim Elliot but I can assure you that it was close to ten years ago and it has been such a profitable introduction. It wasn't until I spent some time in Texas at a ministry that I really was introduced to his remarkable wife and her literary work. Since then, I have read close to three or four of their books with plans of reading many more! Elisabeth Elliot writes in such a way that is so realistic and so practical that it leaves the reader with such clarity. I'm so thankful for that!

Letters to Her Daughter

In the 2nd chapter of the book of Titus, Paul exhorts the older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children. Through this book, Elisabeth leaves a legacy fulfilling the command in those verses. This book is the culmination of Elisabeth preparing her daughter, Valerie, to be married through a series of letters. Like the back of this book says, these letters are "a gift of lasting worth for all Christian women." 

If anything, I am deeply inspired to beg such raw and unique advice like this from the married women around me when I am preparing to be married. Whether they send me letters, emails or Facebook messages, I don't care. I just long for this type of wisdom that seems to hide itself within those who walk uprightly and love their husbands well.

On the other hand, not only do I dream of receiving these type of letters but I plan on sending them to both my future children and those who are close to me. With this in mind, I can only beg for grace to learn well and to steward my heart in the midst of all that life offers.

The Smell of Redemption

I'll admit it. Reading through stories of abuse and trauma are never something that I enjoy. In fact, I cringe just a little bit more each time. But today, I can find 1 out of 4 people who would cringe with me because they, too, share a similar story. They, too, have memories that haunt them. They, too, are longing for relief, restoration and redemption.

Regardless of your history, this generation is still backed into the corner with their morals failing them. We are all surrounded with a sexually immersed, drug intaking, deceit believing culture trying to coerce us to join the party. But for the remnant of us who are desperately trying to walk with Jesus, we need hope. A hope that ensures us that we can actually live it out. Shelley agrees as she says, "I am convinced that this generation needs more faith for personal holiness than for the miraculous demonstration of God's power." (page 104) 

Is that not the truth? Is this not the greatest need of our generation? Shelley Hundley uses her book, A Cry for Justice, to speak a hope-filled message from the Lord to this generation. One that we desperately need. And one that proclaims both the healing of our past and the grace to walk with Jesus in our future. Her book gives us new lens which to see Jesus through. New perspective that invokes new and necessary Truth.

Thankfully, "the Holy Spirit is being released as a mighty champion within us, winning us for Jesus." (page108) It is here, in the glorious work of the Holy Spirit, that our victory is secured and our future spoken over with a delightful Truth. 


"What is my family history? Love. What is my background? Love. What is my destination? Love. The enemy's version of my existence was that I was abused, depressed, and headed nowhere." (page 78) Oh the beauty of a past redeemed when the Truth is revealed!

A Divine Interruption

Joyful is rarely an adjective used to describe me. I am often deemed stoic or intense as I am usually plagued with more thoughts than with emotions. And unfortunately, most of the time my mind is my choice of habitation rather than my heart. But in all honesty, it is tiring and rarely rewarding to live out of your mind. Over the years I have tasted and am therefore tempted with the glory of living from the heart. 

Recently, after purposing to live from my heart, gratitude began to intrude into my daily living. At first, my heart was awakened to how invested into my life has been by so many Truth-carrying, love-bearing people. To actually think back and account over what each of those people have done was a glorious event. It was so refreshing to take the time to think of the blessings that these people have individually gifted me with and then to reflect that gratitude back to both these people and to God. This was an open door in my life for joy to invade.

Aware of what was taking place, I grabbed ahold of Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts. And what a wonderful decision that has proven to be. Once I had started reading, putting this book down was impossible. Joy had lured me in.

Ann shares so confidently that "joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped." (page 57) And surely I had been given a gift that was unwrapping into something life-changing.

Culture Today.
In today's culture, it is difficult to become the woman you dreamed of becoming in the days of your innocence. Turn the TV on for one moment and you'll see this clearly. Seemingly far gone is a woman who respects herself, has a healthy self-image and who knows when to say no. I'm sure that you know this full and well.

In Rosalie de Rosset's book, "Unseduced and Unshaken: The Place of Dignity in a Young Woman's Choices", she addresses this issue among many topics that affect women.

"To be a Christian woman of dignity, a woman must know who she is before God; she must have dealt thoughtfully with her personhood and made decisions about who she will be." pg 24

An Untouched Topic.

There's currently a stigma that surrounds the Old Testament confusing us to believe that it is boring or irrelevant to modern Christianity. Quite frankly, this is something that we need to deal with. Why? Because it's an issue hindering us and we need to face it. and we have done poorly thus far.

That's the reason why I started reading Philip Yancey's "The Bible Jesus Read". It targets the topic of a stale and troublesome Old Testament that believers struggle to read. And to say that this book has helped my Bible reading or my view of the Bible is understatement.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the Old Testament. But I really only enjoyed parts of it. Yancey quotes Oswald Chambers on page 9 saying, "the Psalms teach you how to pray; Job teaches you how to suffer; the Song of Solomon teaches you how to love; Proverbs teaches you how to live; and Ecclesiastes teaches you how to enjoy." But I wonder, what are we to do with the other 34 books? How are we to enjoy those?