Tag: Self Care

Book Review, Books

Managing Your Emotions by Joyce Meyer

Openly Bookish

Emotions can be like a three year old that wants candy, but has a sinking feeling their mom and dad want them to finish their veggies. There can be euphoric highs and depths of despair. Some of us are taught how to manage and regulate our feelings and others of us are left to tackle that jungle solo.

In this 90 day devotional, Joyce Meyer gives short daily snippets about how we can manage our emotions and how God can help us with that. Some things I agree with and others not so much. At one point Joyce talks about sin, but then in the same paragraph refers to it as a mistake. In my opinion those are two separate actions. Calling sin a mistake to me waters down the seriousness. Another thing is it seemed like a lot of the book centered on God blessing us, or what blessing we can get from God. Not that God doesn’t want the best for us, but our God isn’t a blessing vending machine. One good thing I think Joyce shared about is how our home environment growing up helps shape how we handle our emotions as adults. Overall I have mixed feelings on this devotional.

I received my copy of Managing Your Emotions by Joyce Meyer from Faith Words in exchange for my honest feedback. The views expressed are mine and of my own will. I would read this devotional with caution.

Book Review, Books

I Cry In Corners by Chari Orozco

Openly Bookish

Anxiety can swoop in when you least expect it or want it. Sometimes it overstays and other times not. No matter what anxiety can be pure Hell.

Author, Chari Orozco isn’t fluffy in her depiction of anxiety. She doesn’t sugar coat the extremely hard times. Chari is a pastor and not a doctor. Her advice within the pages of her book are invaluable because she graciously shows and explains throughout how Jesus dealt with the very same challenges. We know Jesus was perfect and sinless, yet Jesus was fully God and fully man. Chari walks you through different times in Jesus’ life where life was challenging and how He dealt with it through his actions and how he emotionally handled it.

I don’t normally highlight in a book. Well this book got highlighted a good chunk. There is so much spiritual meat in this book. I already want to reread it and pass a copy out to friends and family who also struggle with anxiety.

I received a complimentary copy of I Cry In Corners by Chari Orozco from Faith Words Publishing in exchange for my honest feedback. Views expressed are fully my own and of my own will.

Book Review, Books

The Answer To Anxiety by Joyce Meyer

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Anxiety is something we all face either in tiny increments or large portions that paralyze us in abject fear. One person who has dealt with this affliction throughout her life is Joyce Meyer. In The Answer To Anxiety, Joyce walks the reader through what can aid us in dealing with our anxiety. Joyce provides 5 keys to help us not be anxious: 1. Don’t be anxious. 2. Prayer 3. Thankfulness 4. Enjoy peace

Joyce walks through each key, how we can apply them to our life and what the Bible says about each one. I know I am not supposed to be anxious, but I also think we can start to make it our default setting. I know for me I think I tend to pray more than I do be thankful. As for trying to have peace with myself and others, that key can be challenging at times.

I found this book to be helpful. I know that I can get so wrapped up in whatever I’m anxious about I forget about all that I have and all that is going right in my life. If I work on shifting my focus to thankfulness then I’m turning it from it being about me through worrying to it being about Him, who has given me everything I have.

If you are looking for a short book on anxiety you might find this book helpful even if you aren’t a believer, though being a believer does make a difference. Disclaimer: myself or Joyce Meyers are not doctors, psychologists or therapists.

I received my complimentary copy of The Answer To Anxiety by Joyce Meyer from FaithWords, in exchange for my honest feedback. The views expressed are mine and my own choice to provide.

Book Review, Books

Day By Day: A Guided Journal by Jess Conte

Openly Bookish

A new year means you just might be hunting for a new journal. Some journals offer plain blank pages to write whatever you want, but this upcoming journal by Jess Conte offers something better. She provides a wide range of different writing prompts from writing about your childhood, to filling out a never have I ever page, to narrowing down which foods you can’t stand, etc. Sprinkled throughout this journal Jess also offers both heart and health check in pages to gauge how you might be holding up on a particular day.

This journal I feel gives a wide range of different writing prompts. Some were fairly traditional and others were a nice surprise. The one thing that was missing, in my opinion, is more Christian faith content. Jess does have micro spots of a sentence here or there, but there are no Bible verses, prayers, etc. Maybe this journal is more for a general audience rather than a faith based one. Either audience I think would appreciate this journal. I believe Jess captures a writer’s full portrait so to speak with covering so many different topics within this journal.

I received my complimentary copy of Day By Day: A Guided Journal by Jess Conte from EllieClaire.com, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc to provide my honest feedback. Thoughts expressed are my own and of my own choice. Keep an eye out for this pretty soon to be released journal.

Book Review, Books

The 50/50 Friendship Flow by Shari Leid

Openly Bookish

Shari went on a year long journey of asking 50 of her friends to meet her for a friendship date so that she could share with them how they’ve impacted, inspired and changed her life. Each chapter is of each friend she met with whether it was for bunch, lunch, dinner or drinks. Most of the chapters showcase a picture of that particular friend at the beginning of the chapter. One theme I noticed is that each of Shari’s friends glow through their photos.

This idea intrigues me. It’s a neat way to show your friends how much they mean to you and how they have impacted your life. How often do we truly take the time to express how much a friendship means to us?

Do you have 50, 25, 15, 10, or 5 friends that you would ask to do this flow challenge with? I know for me personally I have a fairly decent number of friends. Who would you pick?

For 2023 I want to do this friendship flow challenge. All I have to do is choose how many friends I want to include and start scheduling my virtual friendship dates.

I received my complimentary copy of The 50/50 Friendship Flow by Shari Leid from Capucia, LLC, care of Pacific And Court in exchange for my honest review. Views expressed are my own and of my own will. This book would make a wonderful gift to give a Bestie, a sibling, a parent or family member. Let’s keep the friendship flow going.

Detox, Personal, Self Care, Social Media

Post Detox: 3 Weeks

Openly Bookish

It’s been about 3 weeks since I’ve returned to social media. Honestly it’s not as exciting. People don’t really communicate through these platforms. Of course I don’t exactly bare my soul either. So, in that case do I keep it? Does it add to my life? If others don’t really communicate as directly then why keep it?

There are groups I’ve joined that I value. I may pair down who I have ‘friended’ on those platforms and keep it strictly to those I’m close to. Why just add to add if I know of someone or if they were an acquaintance of mine years ago? Not that I don’t care about those individuals, but why let everyone have a window into my personal life? Sure I don’t exactly share very personal things, but if and when I do share something personal I want it to feel like a safe space. No I’m not a millennial.

This detox was good for me. It showed me who kept in contact during it and who didn’t. I’m sure some maybe thought I wanted personal space, but wouldn’t I want to still hear from friends? Especially when taking a long break.

Detox, Personal, Self Care, Social Media

T-Minus 4

Openly Bookish

Today marks 4 weeks until my social media detox is over. 3 months has felt sluggish and yet sped by. Can I go back to the main social media platforms? I still have one more month of chosen quiet. I don’t know that I’ll return. If I choose to it’s to keep in contact with a select flew.

Part of me wants to scrub it from my life. Even to add into the mix Good Reads. Recently Jesnevertheless made a great point. She mentioned how sites like Good Reads has turned the joy of reading into a competition rather than a means to share one’s love of reading. I’m a sucker for a reading goal. This year I’m barely over half way to my own reading goal and that’s ok. Instead of focusing on enjoying the books I’m reading I could be internally freaking out I’m not going to reach my 2021 challenge. My focus is misplaced.

I also, have felt like book blogging is in its self a competition of sorts. It doesn’t help that I NetGalley request splurge like a drunk going on a shopping spree at midnight. I’ve felt convicted in this department. No more requests!

So will I be back on the usual social media suspects next month? Potentially and possibly not. I have provided direct contact to a few friends and for the most part there has been silence during my detox. Maybe they thought I want privacy or something. Who knows. All I know is that social media is a communication crutch to replace direct communication. You’re viewed like you’ve died if you leave the platform and welcomed back when you return.

Detox, Self Care, Social Media

Detox Week 2

Openly Bookish

Today is 2 weeks of me surviving being off of social media. It felt at first challenging to not want to log on, but now that I’ll be going into week 3, that urge is dissipating. I think I’m starting to get used to the silence. It’s like being invisible, though you are very much alive.

Will I return come January 15th/16th? I might. I might not. Will returning change anything? The only thing I see it changing is providing an easy way for people to stay in contact. That’s it. Will people reach out more when and if I return? I highly doubt it. Maybe I’m transforming into a pessimist, but when society lives virtually is it really all that surprising?

True connection has been turned into a little box to type, add cute emoji’s to match the mood and sentiment. Sterile. As a society we’ve settled for digital affection. Our brains have gotten used to our Pavlovian response to notifications. Will our virtual life get likes? Does anyone give a bleep? It seems we are gradually going from flesh and blood humans into technical beings. Is that progress? Honestly I believe it’s by design, planned and not an accident. We’ve become digital zombies and that’s what they want.

Book Review, Books

Holy Hot Mess

Openly Bookish

Christianity can scream for perfection, especially when it comes to women having to come across perfect in their looks, life and schedule. I’ll confess. I like to look at the author photo. I wasn’t disappointed. The author, Mary Katherine is stunning. Honestly I was afraid I was in for one of those cheesy, feel good Christian books. I wasn’t wrong. MK’s book is one of those such books, but it’s not all warm fuzzies and hot cocoa.

MK tackles some deep topics. There are topics that I can really relate to. The chapter on growing up and wanting to be accepted and be friends with a particular girl at school, well I’ve been there and got burnt as well. Going to church and not being in the mood to go? Yes, I am guilty of that more times than I can count. But you know what? I miss that family atmosphere. Yes, there is always going to be church drama. Imperfect people crammed into one building all trying to learn about God, Christ and the Holy Spirit that equals a recipe for spiritual/faith drama.

I loved Holy Hot Mess. MK never is condescending or uppity, she gets right across from us and shares her heart, soul and some extra leftovers because she doesn’t want any of her readers to be left hungry or left out. She is funny, serious, vulnerable and most important readable. She doesn’t dumb down the tough subjects, but her writing is conversational, personable and memorable.

I received my complimentary copy of Holy Hot Mess by Mary Katherine Backstrom from Worthy Publishing. Views are my own and my own choice. I am so thankful I got to read this book. I love getting to discover new favorite authors. Thank you Worthy and thank you MK. I can’t wait to go read more of your books.