Posts related to Waterbrook on Remembrancy

In a world where escaping comparison gets more and more difficult, is it possible to change our thinking? Instead of looking at our friends or neighbors and being envious of their house, their car, their accomplishments, can we tell them we’re happy for them instead?

Using real life conversations and situations from her former career, her friends, and her kids, Kay Wills Wyma believes we can shift out thinking. We can say, “I’m happy for you” to someone who has been given more than we have. She contends that while we see just a glimpse of the big picture and think someone has it all together, they may be struggling with their own heartache and hurts. She shares about running into a friend in the grocery store and how difficult that conversation was to hear but when she talks to that friend again, she learns there was more going on than that thing. With humor (be sure not to miss the dedication page, if it doesn’t make it you laugh, it will at least bring a smile) and insight, much of which come from teaching moments this her kids, Wyma challenges readers to take the focus off of themselves and put it on others instead.

One of my favorite example in this book is when she’s talking to her daughter about her volleyball practice and was put in the position of setter instead of spiker. She realizes that the other girls on the court probably like to be cheered for and comes to the conclusion that her job as the setter will help make the other girls on the team feel good. What a great insight from a young lady about taking the focus off of herself and putting it on others.

If you’re struggling with how much more exciting life is for your friends (in both real life and social media), perhaps it’s time to take your eyes off yourself and lift up others. With enough practice, it just might become a way of life.

***Blogging for Books and Waterbrook provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

While Fort William Henry has surrendered, Major Reginald Aubrey makes a decision that will haunt him the rest of his life. When he comes across a sleeping woman with two babies beside her—one white and one brown—grief and sorrow over the loss of his newborn son and love and worry for his wife’s mind and health push him to lay his day son in the place of the white child. As they escape from the siege of the fort, the Aubreys come upon another child, a girl whose parents have been murdered by Indiana. That one decision weaves together hurts, heartaches, and guilt in many lives.

Years later, it is Anna, the girl Reginald considers the one pure thing in his life, who loves them all—the brother she’s grown up with, the papa who saved her life and still bears the scar from it, and the Indian boy who she initially mistakes for William who becomes her friend. When the truth comes to light, can two families survive a lifetime of guilt, longing, and the desire for revenge?

This is a story of two men, two fathers. One is consumed by guilt and shame for the fateful decision he made. The other is consumed with the desire for revenge against the man who stole his son. Both men have one thing in common. Their families suffer because of their actions and inner turmoil. The Path Finders is an appropriate name for this series (yes, it’s a series and you will be glad of that when the book ends with a few loose ends). As these men, and others, find their path to each other, to a son and brother who has been absent since birth, and to a God who is forgiving and life-changing.

I am always pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy Lori Benton’s books. You see, I’m not one of those people who loves history. But, I do enjoy historical fiction now and then. Some of these books can be mired down with too many dates, names and events. Benton manages the balance between history and fiction well, detailing the lives of the Oneida people and even the months leading up to the Revolutionary War while keeping the reader engaged with the day-to-day lives of her characters. You will not regret this read.

****Blogging for Books provided me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Waterbrook

I’m Happy for You by Kay Wills Wyma

The Wood’s Edge by Lori Benton