I don't know if you've ever attended a Time Out for Women event. I was able to attend one online a couple of years ago, and it was such an amazing and spiritual experience for me. So, I was way excited to get the chance to read and review these three titles from the Time out For Women Classics Series by Deseret Book, and I wasn't disappointed. Each of these titles was a fun, quick read. And I learned from them too.
About the book: Our Father's plan for us is often referred to as "the great plan of happiness," but we sometimes struggle to feel as happy as we'd like. Are there really some simple things we could do to feel happier?
You may not have thought that such suggestions as "Don't even try to get motivated to exercise" and "Stop hoping to find friends" would show up in a book on happiness, but those are just a couple of the "habits of happiness" Dr. Wendy Ulrich invites readers to consider.
This perfect blend of scientific research, engaging anecdotes, and practical advice that you might not have expected can help you discover new ways to feel a little better about life.
My review: In this book, Wendy Ulrich discusses the ways that we will be able to find more happiness in our lives. You might be kind of surprised at the ways that she talks about, I know I was. Some of the most surprising to me were don't try to be happier and celebrate failure. But as I read about each of the ways that she discusses to feel happier, they made sense. For instance, in the section on not trying to be happier she discusses the fact that we can't really make ourselves be happier, but that if we can work at being more grateful, we will naturally be just a bit happier. I really enjoyed this book, and there are tons of ideas in it that I will be using to help myself, and hopefully my family be just a little bit happier!
Buy your own copy of this great book at Deseret Book: In stores and online.
About the author: Wendy Ulrich, Ph.D., M.B.A., was a psychologist in private practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan for almost fifteen years before moving with her husband to Montreal (where he presided over the Canada Montreal Mission), then Alpine, Utah. She founded Sixteen Stones Center for Growth, which offers seminar-retreats for LDS women (sixteenstones.net). She is a mother and grandmother, a columnist for Deseret News, a former president of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapist, and a business consultant with The RBL Group. Her books include Forgiving Ourselves, Weakness Is Not Sin, and national best seller The Why of Work, co-authored with her husband, Dave Ulrich.
About the book: "Have you ever noticed that when people talk about their trials in a public setting, they tend to focus on what happened at the end?" writes Emily Freeman. "They talk about the miracle, the promise, the way it all worked out. It isn't often that people talk about what happened in the middle of the trial."
Sometimes we can't imagine there will be an end to a hard time. But we can find hope and help even when the road seems long and dark. Using examples from her personal life and from the scriptures, Emily shares six lessons that can help all of us make it through the middle moments of our lives.
My review: The topic of this book is one that I've never really given much personal thought to, but when reading this book it made tons of sense to me. Sometimes we go through things and they are really hard, and we can't imagine ever making it through to the end. Author Emily Freeman points out that there are lessons we can learn from being in the middle of our trials, there are even scripture stories that can help us to learn how best to make it through the middle of our trials. I really enjoyed the way that Emily Freeman uses both scriptures and personal experiences to make her points. This is definitely a great resource for anyone going through the middle of a trial (I'm pretty sure that would include everyone at one time or another!).
Buy your own copy of this inspirational book at Deseret Book: In stores or online
About the author: Emily Freeman took her first creative writing class in high school and has loved writing ever since. She finds great joy in studying the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Her deep love of the scriptures comes from a desire to find their application in everyday life. She is the author of several books, including The Ten Virgins; 21 Days Closer to Christ; and The Promise of Enough. There is nothing Emily enjoys more for breakfast than a bowl of vanilla ice cream, raspberries, and chocolate chips. Other favorites include parades, vacations, firework displays, and going for a long walk with a good friend. Emily and her husband, Greg, live in Lehi, Utah, with their four children, whom she adores.
About the book: Remember the phrases it seemed like your mom said every day when you were a child? "Wash your hands" was a frequent instruction in John Bytheway's home, along with "Clean up your room," "Help your sister," "Go ask your dad," and others.
In Everything I Need to Know I Learned at Home, John Bytheway makes an inspiring and insightful connection between everyday phrases spoken at home and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Using examples from his childhood and from raising his own children, he demonstrates how parents—especially moms—can use simple things to influence their families in profound ways.
My review: The first thing I noticed about this book was the subtitle, "An Encouraging Message for Moms." I have to say that I can always use an encouraging message, because as a mom, I mess up pretty much daily. I loved the way that John Bytheway uses everyday phrases, such as "Wash your hands" and "Clean up your room" to relate to the gospel and spiritual things, instead of just the temporal ones that we tend to think about. This is a book that all moms (and even dads!) should read!
Buy your own copy of this great book at Deseret Book: In stores and online
About the author: John Bytheway is an instructor at the Brigham Young University Salt Lake Center. He served his mission in the Philippines and earned a master’s degree in Religious Education at BYU. He has published dozens of books and audio programs and lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Kimberly, and their six children.
I received free copies of all three of these in exchange for honest reviews.Labels: Deseret Book, Emily Freeman, John Bytheway, LDS non-fiction, Time Out for Women, Wendy Ulrich
