Book Review : Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson

Have you heard of the Fabulous Mrs. Stephanie Nielson of Nie Nie Dialogues fame? Of course you have...or if you haven't, it's time to find out about this amazing and lovely woman.

Did you know that she recently released a book? Well, it's every bit as wonderful as you expect it to be.

Heaven Is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Everyday Joy by Stephanie Nielson

Stephanie Aurora Nielson had a fairy-tale life befitting her fairy-tale name and good looks. You know, like "lips to shame the red-red rose" and all that. It was the life she had always dreamed of...the life she imagined through her paper dolls until well past the age when most girls stopped playing paper dolls anymore.

And she was happy. She blogged up her happy life, reveling in the beauty of day-to-day life as a wife and mother.

Mr. Christian Nielson was also following his dreams. He was learning to fly.

But disaster struck. Along with their friend/flight instructor, Doug, they were in a terrible crash. Stephanie came out with burns on 80% of her body, Christian came out a little better off but still badly injured, and Doug didn't come out at all.

Stephanie was in a drug-induced coma for three months. When she awoke, she didn't want to see anyone. At times, she lost all hope and believed she could never be happy again.

But gradually, as she learned to sit up again, and then stand and walk, her personality shone through, and she realized that she still had everything she ever wanted...her family and her faith.

She talks about her life as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aka Mormons, which I also belong to. This book is a very non-threatening way to find out a little bit about that. It's not written in a preachy way. It's just part of her life (as it is mine).

I enjoy Stephanie Nielson's blog and have read it off and on for several years. I LOVED this book, though. It is about hope, love, joy, faith, and the importance of family. Stephanie shows us how, even in the midst of sore trials, we can find joy in the simple things that matter most (even laundry!)

I highly recommend Heaven is Here to adults and young adults. So inspiring.

Thoughts and Quotes on Humility: My Sunday Talk

On Sunday, I spoke in Sacrament Meeting (our main meeting at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) on the topic of humility. I thought I'd share my thoughts here, as well.

President Hinckley said, “There is no place for arrogance in our lives. There is no place for conceit in our lives. There is no place for egotism in our lives. We have work to do. We have things to accomplish. 

·         (Then he quoted Doctrine and Covenants 112:10) ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers’.

·         (Pres. Hinckley goes on…)People ask me what is my favorite scripture, and I say I have many of them. But that is one of them. ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.’

After reading many quotes and scriptures about humility, I concluded that it is essentially this: Humility is giving our will over to the Lord. It is putting our faith, trust, and confidence in the Lord. It is believing that everyone on this earth is a Child of God and knowing that our Heavenly Father’s will is ALWAYS best.

English author John Ruskin said, “The first test of a truly great man is his humility. Really great men have a curious feeling that greatness is not IN them, but THROUGH them. And they see something Divine in every other man.”

This quote reminds me of one of my favorite LDS songs. It is “A Window to His Love”.

A Window To His Love
Words and Music by Julie de Azevedo

I want to be a window to His love,
so when you look at me you will see Him.
I want to be so pure and clear that you won't even know I'm here,
'cause His love will shine brightly through me.

I want to be a doorway to the truth,
so when you walk beyond you will find Him.
I want to stand so straight and tall, that you won't notice me at all.
But through my open door He will be seen.

I want to be a window to His love,
so you can look through me and you'll see Him.
And some day shining through my face, you'll see His loving countenance,
'cause I will have become like He is

A window to His love
A doorway to the truth.
A bearer of the message He'd have me bring to you.
And with each passing year
I want to disappear
'Till He's become ev'rything
and I've become a window to His love.

One of the great stories of humility in the scriptures can be found in 1 Kings 17. This is the story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath.

·         The Lord told Elijah to go to the city of Zarephath where He had commanded a widow woman to provide food and water for him.

·         He found the widow there and asked her for a drink.

·         Verse 11, “And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.”

·         Verse 12, “And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

·         Verse 13, “And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: But make me thereof a little cake FIRST, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.”

·         As a mother, this story speaks to me. Put yourself in the position of this widow. I see her pleading with Heavenly Father. I see her praying fervently for a way to be able to feed herself and her son and live.

·         A stranger comes. A prophet. And the Lord commands her to sustain him. This prophet, Elijah, asks that she make him a cake first. I picture her watching the prophet eat in front of her starving son. THIS IS THE DEPTHS OF HUMILITY. She turned her will over to the Lord, trusting that it was best.

·         Verse 15, “And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail.”

·         Remember the scripture I read earlier. We are told that if we humble ourselves, THE LORD WILL LEAD US BY THE HAND AND ANSWER OUR PRAYERS.

 C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, cleverer, or better-looking than others. If every one else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.”

Again, this illustrates that we are prideful when we are placing the focus on ourselves…and humble when we place our focus on others, especially the Lord.

Story of one of my ancestors, Ellen Breakel Neibaur:

• Ellen Breakel was a wealthy farmer’s daughter in England. She married Alexander Neibaur, who was also very wealthy. They joined the church in England and decided to join the Saints in America. They left almost everything they had.

·         Circumstances became very difficult for them as they crossed the plains. They could not afford shoes for everyone in the family, so Ellen crossed the plains with her feet wrapped in rags.

·         After their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, the family, consisting of 7 children along with father and mother, lived in a tent. They often went hungry.

·         When they got settled and began to make a little money, Alexander bought his wife a nice pair of shoes and then she knitted herself some stockings that were blue and white stripped. She was very proud of them and thought they were very pretty.

·         A short time later, the Brethren came around collecting clothing to take back with them to meet another company of pioneers, and when they came to the house, Alexander said he had nothing to give them, but Ellen answered, "yes, we must give something,"

·         and she took them from her feet, the pair of new shoes and stockings, and gave them to the Brethren, binding her own feet in rags.

·         This story reminds me of the quote by President Bensen, “Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble.” Circumstances forced Ellen Breakel Neibaur to be humble at first. They simply could not afford shoes for everyone. But, when she willingly gave up her new shoes and stockings, removing them from her feet, she CHOSE to be humble.

·         She chose to be humble, then came the great blessing: The story says that when the next group of pioneers arrived, everyone went out to greet them. Everyone was looking at their faces, except Ellen who was scanning all the feet in the crowd. She spotted her beloved shoes. And looked up to find that the woman who got them was one of her dearest friends from England. The friend converted to the Church after Ellen left. So that must have been a glorious surprise.

Once we have mastered a humble feeling, what does humility look like? 

·         In the movie version of Emma by Jane Austen, there is a character named Mrs. Elton. Her comments may appear humble. When a man says to her, “These sandwiches are delicious, Mrs Elton. You really are a gourmet!”, Mrs. Elton responds, “Well, I never compliment myself, but my friends tell me I 

certinly know how to make a sandwich.” Several times in the movie, she uses the phrase, “my friends say…” to give herself a compliment. 

·         Does this portray true humility? True humility is taking the attention off yourself, thus glorifying God and serving your fellow man.

·         Our prophet, President Monson, is a good example of true humility. He is in a powerful position. I wouldn’t call him weak at all. There is a big difference between weakness and humility. He does great things, mostly in the form of service, but he doesn’t do them to draw attention to himself.

Please think about the answers to these questions from Alma 5: 26-28,

·         “Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble?

·         Are ye stripped of pride?

·         If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing a song of redeeming love, I would ask, CAN YE FEEL SO NOW?”

Finally, I can’t give a proper talk on humility without mentioning our Savior, Jesus Christ. He shows us that humility isn’t weakness. It is acknowledging the Father’s will and putting it before our own.

·         We are actually stronger when we are humble because we are acting WITH GOD, NOT ALONE.

·         Perhaps the most sacred words ever spoken were the words the Lord spake in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Luke 22:42, “If thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen

Book Review: The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen

For years, Lindsey has taken a trip to 'The Mailbox' on the beach, where she writes to the anonymous Kindred Spirit. Each summer, she pours her heart out in her letters.

This year will be the first where she'll have to admit that her marriage is over, and she is at the beach without her husband. Lindsey is reminded of her first love, and the hurt she felt when he betrayed her.

When he shows up in her life again, Lindsey will have to decide if she can open her heart up to love again.

This is a book about forgiveness, faith in God, love, and second chances.

I enjoyed it and recommend it to readers of Christian Romance. The plot is clever and well-woven. I love the idea of the mailbox (which apparently really exists.)

I Am Not Wolf by Roger Terry

“I Am Not Wolf” by Roger Terry
Review by Natalie Smith, regular contributor

I was intrigued first because of this title, and second because of the picture on the front. It’s true that generally you can’t judge a book by its cover, but this one was really interesting to me, and I borrowed it from the library.

Because “I Am Not Wolf” was in the LDS section of our library, I was expecting to read a story about conversion to the LDS Church, and instead I came away with a very different idea of what West Germany was like during the 1970s. This book barely mentions the LDS Church, except to state how the missionaries look from the eyes of an outsider with a very different lifestyle.

“I Am Not Wolf” follows a young American, David, who goes to West Germany and meets his best friend, Wolf. They have some adventures, and while the book is somewhat formulaic in places, it’s also such an interesting study in culture and personality that it keeps the attention. I recommend this one to adults because of their comprehension of repercussions of the Berlin Wall, although it would be appropriate for young adults, as well, especially if they have studied this time period.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is an inspiring journey that teaches readers to follow their Personal Legend.

The story is a parable about life and how so many people settle for less than their dreams.

We follow the story of a young shepherd boy who desires to search for treasure. Will he choose to follow his dream? If he does, will he make it to his goal?

Coelho talks about “Beginner’s Luck”, saying that when a person sets out to achieve their life dreams, the whole universe comes together to try to help. Then, at the end of the journey, the universe tests everything it has taught us.

I want to share with you a piece of my favorite part of the book (being the romantic that I am), but I’m not going to share the whole scene because I don’t want to spoil anything…

“At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him…when he saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke—the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in the heart. It was love.” P. 92

I recommend The Alchemist because it is a quick, inspiring read that can be read on a very basic level or on a more philosophical level.

The Alchemist is meant for adults, but it is perfectly clean and appropriate for teens as well.

The End of the Spear by Steve Saint

THE END OF THE SPEAR by Steve Saint

Review by our resident author, Joyce Moyer Hostetter

In 1956 five American missionaries to Ecuador were speared to death by members of the Waodoni tribe. Since then, millions have drawn inspiration from the slain missionaries and from their wives who chose to befriend the killers.

The End of the Spear by Steve Saint, unravels much of the mystery around the event and also the motivations of both the missionaries and the Waodoni. Steve is the son of Nate Saint, one of the men who was murdered. As a boy of 9, Steve went to live with his Aunt Rachel who herself chose to live among the Waodoni. His early immersion into the culture gives him a unique perspective and a fierce love for the people who killed his father. The End of the Spear reveals which of the men killed Steve’s dad and also that Steve now loves this man as a father.

After Steve had lived apart from the Waodoni for decades, they asked him to return – to teach them skills held by outsiders – especially health related skills such as uses of medicine, treating wounds, and dentistry.

Steve agreed and took his amazing wife and teenagers with him. But he was determined not to simply make the Waodoni dependent on him or any other outsider. His affection for them was so fierce that he wanted only to preserve the tribe – not to turn them into a welfare society or to put them at greater risk for those who might prey upon them.

It took me a little while to really get into this book; there were many strange names to pronounce and Saint moves back and forth in time to unravel the story. But eventually it settles into a thoroughly absorbing read!

One of the things I especially loved is the way in which Saint writes about faith. While this is clearly a book about the expression of Christianity there is nothing cliché about it! There is no religious jargon – only the Waodoni’s beautiful way of expressing their relationship with God.

This story is deep and multilayered - filled with inspiring examples and profound truths.

For information about how the Waodani are learning to be independent and to use technology that is feasible for their setting, visit http://itecusa.org/who.htm

The Debt by Angela Hunt

The Debt is the story of Emma Rose Howard. Emma Rose is the committed and loving wife of a busy and prominent minister. Emma Rose plays a vital role in her congregation; her days are filled with acts of service for her husband and her brothers and sisters in Christ. Out of the blue, one phone message changes everything. The caller reminds Emma Rose of her past and forces her to evaluate her life. Emma Rose learns that while serving the people of God is noble and important, she has neglected an even greater calling.

In this novel, Angela Hunt poignantly reminds the reader that although Christians are called to serve their brothers and sisters in Christ, they must not forget their mission in the world. If you are in need of a gentle shove to help you step outside your comfort zone, check out this thought-provoking book. I am new to Mrs. Hunt's novels, but I plan to read more of her novels soon.

This book is Christian fiction and is appropriate for adults.

Happy Reading!

Posted by Lauren, regular contributor.

Baseballs and Bows

Julia's Kitchen by Brenda Ferber

There are not enough words to describe how much I loved Julia's Kitchen by Brenda A. Ferber. I enjoy much of what I read. I love many. But there are a few that touch my heart and I know that I'll always always love. Julia's Kitchen is now one of them. It is the story of a young girl, Cara Segal, as she goes through a heartbreaking journey of grief and sorrow when her mother and sister die in a fire.

When we first meet Cara she is happy and carefree. Having stayed overnight at a friend's house she is unaware that her life is forever changed. One phone call changes everything. Suddenly a happy family of four is a confused and grief-stricken family of two. Having been her mother's pet, the two liked to bake together, she is struggling trying to connect with her father emotionally. Her mother, Julia, owned her own catering business "Julia's Kitchen" and Cara loved helping her mother. Now she's vowed never to eat another dessert. Cara's journey of how she learns to live again, love again, believe in God again, and yes, even bake chocolate chip cookies again is unforgettably touching. And there is even a recipe for those cookies in the book!

Recommended Ages: 8 and up.

Posted by regular reviewer, Becky Laney

Becky's Book Reviews

Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson

Heather "Hezzy" Curridge is like so many women today. She has it all and yet still feels unfulfilled and wants to have and do more. She and her husband are raising a teenaged son who is sometimes a target for the bullies, which reminds her of her own mistakes in this arena from her school years. In this novel by Lisa Samson, we follow her journey as a church dropout to try to find a way to better know and serve God and God's people. We also follow the journey of a married couple who might be drifting apart. We follow the journey into Heather's past, and her bold steps towards helping to create a new future for her and her family.

Lisa Samson has a wonderful insight into people. Through Heather, she analyzes a woman's guilt at overeating, overachieving, and overspending. She examines women's friendships--some genuine and some superficial, as well as the obstacles that we create that hinder finding new friends or going deeper with the ones that we have. Characters are described, but then as they act, they leap off the page at you.

One thing that I love about her novels are that they are so diverse. Each novel features a rainbow of characters who have different skin colors, different ages, different ways of worshiping God, different gifts and different personalities, indirectly challenging us to look at the people in our lives, or the people who aren't in our lives.

Quaker Summer is a novel that you will enjoy as each chapter introduces a new character, a new story, or a new issue that Heather is wrestling. The book also contains a reader's guide, so the topic, along with the provided questions would make it an excellent book club choice.

Reviewed by regular contributor Jennifer.

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