What's On My Nightstand

A while back I told you all about a book I was just getting into, "The Help".  At that point I couldn't really make an informed recommendation because I hadn't finished the book yet.  Since I have convictions about what I feel the Lord would have me to read & I know some of you do to, I don't take making recommendations lightly.  None of us has oodles of time to sit around & waste on a bad book, whether the story itself is disappointing or the content is just too colorful, if you know what I mean.

That being said, I can wholeheartedly recommend "The Help."  My goodness, did it ever make me think!  In really such a short span of time our country has made some major strides as far as discrimination & integration go.  And I never really thought so before, but I think we still have progress to make.  It might not be so much with black people & white people anymore.  I think it's gotten more complicated than that.  We have so many 'minority groups.'  You can't classify just by race anymore.  There are belief systems, sexual orientations, financial classes, educational distinctions, tall/short, fat/thin, red headed with freckles, & so many others.  It just really made me pray that I would learn to show the love of Christ to anyone & everyone that I interact with.  After all, every person is a person that Jesus loves. 

Let me just put one caveat on the book: there is one section that would not be appropriate for young readers.  Definitely preview it before you give it to a teenager to read.  It's not a gratuitous scene; it actually is telling the story of an attack that two of the ladies endure.  Just something to be forewarned about.

And if you're not convinced that "The Help" is a good read, I'll tell you one more little thing.  My friend Autumn borrowed the book on a Friday night & by Monday morning she emailed me to tell me she was done with it, she loved it, & could her coworker borrow it? 

So now that I've finished that book up, I'm on to something new.  And this time it's a bit of a change of pace.  It's actually a type of book that I've never read before so we will see how it goes. 

I could absolutely get consumed (ha!) by the topic of food & nutrition.  I am just like everybody else, I want to lose some weight.  I want to feel good.  I want to be healthy.  I want all of my blood test numbers to fall into the right ranges.  So I tend to obsess about food & exercise.  I read food blogs.  When I get the chance, I watch the Food Network.  I work out almost every day.  I talk to other people about what they eat & how they work out.  And I know I'm not alone.  It cracks me up that one of my friends on facebook has an album entitled "Stuff We Eat" where he chronicles his wife's culinary masterpieces.  I use the iphone app Instagram & more than half of the pics on there are pics of food (mine & the folks that I follow).  Why do we love The Pioneer Woman?  Mostly because she is real & great but also because she cooks!  And anytime the topic of diet or nutrition or exercise comes up, everyone has something to say.

I decided that since I had read about & heard about this title several times recently that I would go to the library & see if it was available.  They had it, I checked it out, & now I'm going to read it.

It's supposed to contain a health plan that is based on the Bible & proven by science.  I guess we'll see.  I'll let you know what I find out!

As always, if you have any thoughts about my thoughts, please share!  And let me know if there is a book out there that you think I should put on my nightstand.

Just so there's no confusion, these are just my thoughts & opinions.  I have not been given these books to review & I have not been compensated in any way.  Over & out.