Then Sings My Soul, by Robert Morgan

I have always loved hymns. At the ripe old age of 24, they stir my heart like few contemporary worship songs can. There's something very special about singing words that generations before me have sung, somehow knitting us all together through song. So, when I saw this book on BookSneeze, I was very excited to read it.

I curled up with this book, and promptly got nearly every song stuck in my head. The book is set up very simply - the hymn on the left page, and a one-page story/synopsis on the right page corresponding to it. For the most part, this setup works beautifully. It helps the reader to see where original lines have been changed (would "Angels We Have Heard On High" have been as popular if they had kept it "Harken All, What Holy Singing?"), and lyricists versus composers ideas for tunes.

What is most intriguing, though, are the backstories of the hymns themselves and the people who wrote them. Most touching, I think, is the story of Philip Bliss and his wife, Lucy, which is told throughout a few hymns. Knowing what writers were going through when they wrote the hymns also gives the words a new depth and meaning (i.e. Horatio G. Spafford wrote "It Is Well With My Soul" after unspeakable tragedy lead to the death of all his children).

My only criticism of the book is slight - I wish in some cases that there was more than one page per hymn to tell the history of the song. It feels as if you're scratching the surface of the story, but just as you're about to go deeper, the story ends, leaving you wishing for more. All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves hymns and wishes to know more about their origins.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Mia" bag from Big Buddha

I had wanted this bag for almost a year, and found it nearly half-price on Amazon from other online stores. I was thrilled when I ordered it, but the next day somebody posted a review about an awful smell that came with the bag. The previous reviewer is right - there is a bad smell when you first open the box, and I was immediately disappointed that I couldn't start carrying it right away. To get rid of the smell, I sprayed it with Downy Wrinkle Releaser (one of my favorite products in the world, and basically just watered-down fabric softener). That didn't quite work, so I put baking soda in a baggie and placed it inside, and kept the baking soda box beside the bag, then put the whole thing into a scented trash bag for 2 days. That worked! The smell isn't entirely gone, but I'm fairly certain that I'm the only one who notices it.

Other than that, the bag is great! It's very large, which I love. The bag is soft and well-made, and I've only carried it for two days and have already received over a dozen compliments on it. The combination of the rose and leather-like material is a perfect blend of styles and textures. A few things to note: the bag does not stand up on its own. I expected it to be stiffer, but it's not. Additionally, even though pictures on other websites show it slung over a shoulder, it's not really a shoulder bag unless you have fairly slim arms. Other than those two points and the smell, I absolutely love this bag.

Thoughts from a Millennial

I don't often use this blog as a space for a personal soapbox, but I have something I have to share. Today, I sat in a room with marketing professionals, who were all discussing how they should go about marketing to the "Millennial Generation," which is the term for anybody born from 1979-2001. I fit squarely into this category, and I was very interested in their description of my generation. The presenter defined us as many different things - tech savvy (true), socially conscious (also fairly true), and entitled (unfortunately, very true in many instances).

What unsettled me, though, was when the discussion turned to our love of anything mobile. I chuckled at the fact that Netflix is one of my most-used apps on my iPhone, and continued to listen attentively to what they said. That's when they started talking about an activity that until 10 years ago, had almost been exclusively done on paper. Then it started slowly migrating to the Internet, and today is just now starting to be offered as a mobile app. In wanting to be discreet as to not offend the presenter, the company, or the group of marketers, I won't get any more specific than that. But they all started talking about how stupid and indulgent this new app would be, and how it was superfluous in every sense of the word. If we couldn't wait until we were sitting in front of a laptop, they said, then are we even the type of people they want to be marketing to?

I timidly put my hand up and replied "As a member of the Millennial Generation, I'd like to speak into this. I'm hearing everyone say 'why would we do this?' But one thing you should realize about my generation is that we always say 'why not?'" And honestly, I think that's one thing that I truly love about my generation. We are fearless. We see solutions to things we didn't even know were problems. Most of us have a can-do mindset, in that whatever we set out to do with our lives, we assume we'll achieve our dreams. People can tell us that we won't achieve our dreams as much as they want, and we'll just smile and think "I'll be the exception."

And is that really a bad way to be? Is it wrong to expect our dreams to come true, to be successful, and to think that our far-flung goals are attainable through hard work? We expect ourselves to be great, and to do great things. We've been told our entire lives that we can do anything we put our minds to - are we now to be faulted for thinking that way? I hope not.

This is my plea to all the other generations, and to our peers: don't box us in. Rejoice in our successes, help us to learn from our failures, and encourage us to dream big. Thank you.

"Where Hearts Are Free," by Golden Keyes Parsons

My Review:

The first few times that I tried to read this book, I ended up bored and put it down after the first 10 pages or so. Finally, I pushed my way through the first chapter, and settled into the story. It's mainly the story of Bridget Barrington and the Clavell family, which the story switches back and forth from frequently. Bridget is in love with Philippe Clavell, who has worked for her for six years as an indentured servant (an event which transpired in previous books). However, because he is "only" a servant, she is forbidden to marry him, and her parents instead insist on a more suitable match - the daunting Edward Moorehead.

As I mentioned previously, it takes a while to get into the story. Once you push through the first chapter, though, it's an enjoyable read. I had not read the two preceding books in the series, and so it was hard to have very little backstory on the characters. Although it was fine as a stand-alone book, I never quite felt emotionally vested in the characters. As much as it pains me to say it, I also found the heroine annoying at times - she is basically a love-struck teenager through most of the book, and although she is meant to be heroic there are certainly times when she comes off as desperate. The story moves along at a good pace, and there are a few moments that are truly engrossing. Where Hearts Are Free is a quick read with a good story, but ultimately I don't think I'll remember much about it.

Book Description Provided By the Publisher:

The odds are stacked against Bridget and Philippe reuniting. But God has a plan for them if they'll only believe.

It’s 1687, in the burgeoning town of Philadelphia, and for seven years, Bridget Barrington has watched with growing affection as Philippe Clavell worked as an indentured servant for her father, a wealthy landowner.

Her father rejects her request for Philippe to be a potential suitor as he has none of the qualities Mr. Barrington hoped for his daughter's future husband, the least of which is a respectable income.

Heartbroken, Bridget accedes to her parents’ wishes and gets engaged to a man she does not love. However, Bridget's husband-to-be does not love her, but only her wealth.

But there's always light in the midst of darkness for those who have faith. This stunning historical romance concludes the gripping Darkness to Light series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Glee: The Complete First Season

Wow! This DVD set is nothing short of spectacular. The DVD set contains all 22 episodes of Season 1 on seven discs. The show speaks for itself - it's positively delightful. Whenever I'm in a bad mood, I turn on an episode of Glee. The music makes me smile, and there's almost always at least three lines that make me laugh incredibly hard. The cast, especially Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, and Cory Monteith, are phenomenally talented, and rejuvenate old classics with brand-new energy and vigor. Plus the guest stars are spectacular - Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, and the list goes on!

The DVD set itself is also great. The menus are easy to navigate, and even include a short synopsis of each episode when you click on that episode. I haven't made it through all of the special features yet, but there are lots of them, including: a Glee "jukebox" (basically a selection of songs from different episodes to listen to), a Glee sing-a-long with four songs, a comprehensive dance instructional, a short feature on the costumes, and more!

I recommend both this set and the show. I know many people bought Volume 1 when it first came out, which contains only the first 13 episodes, but this is a great alternative to buying both volumes separately.

To bring a smile to your face...

This is a re-dub of the Inception trailer (see my review here) and it absolutely made my day, so I thought I'd share. We're talking laughed-til-I-cried, almost fell off the chair made my day. Especially when you get to the part where, in the original trailer, it sounds like a foghorn. Happy weekend to all!

Outlive Your Life, by Max Lucado

I had never read a Max Lucado book, but I'm so glad that I started with Outlive Your Life. This book is a call to get off the couch, to care about someone beyond yourself, and change the world for the Lord. In the first chapter, Lucado hit me square between the eyes with the following paragraph:

A few years back, three questions rocked my world. They came from different people in the span of a month. Question 1: Had you been a German Christian during World War II, would you have taken a stand against Hitler? Question 2: Had you lived in the South during the civil rights conflict, would you have taken a stand against racism? Question 3: When your grandchildren discover you lived during a day in which 1.75 billion people were poor and 1 billion were hungry, how will they judge your response? (pages 6-7)

That last question really got to me - how many of us actually think about what our grandchildren will think of us? The book also centers on the 120 people who helped form the early church in the first 12 chapters of Acts, and helps us to realize that they changed the world for the Lord even though they were ordinary people. Like us. But they had the courage to follow God's call.

I really enjoyed this book, and have found myself pondering its points during my day-to-day life. I appreciate how Lucado has made the early Christians come alive, and be relatable to my life today. I was certainly encouraged by this book, and am so very thankful for it. In particular, I appreciated chapters 9, 10, and 11. Chapter 9 focuses on something that has always been a pet peeve of mine (not putting on a show in worship).

Also included at the back of the book is a lengthy discussion guide, covering each chapter in depth. I believe this will be a great book for small groups to discuss, but is also valuable for personal reflection.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”