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Books I Love

Quote About Individuality and Self Expression by Barbara Adams

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“I think people should express themselves, not someone else. I hear mothers say that they have to buy their teenagers the latest jacket or sneakers or Izon this and that so they can express themselves. I want to say, “How can you express yourself by wearing what everyone else is wearing, and by wearing a label that expresses the designer or the company that produced it?” It isn’t what you can afford that matters, it’s what’s inside that counts. Be you; express yourself, not someone else.” -Barbara Adams

The wonderful quote above is from one of the most inspirational books in my book collection, One Can Make a Difference (Amazon Link)

Book Description:
When Ingrid E. Newkirk almost single-handedly set into motion the largest animal-rights organization in the world, she knew that one person can make a difference. In her new book, Newkirk has collected the wisdom, stories, and insight of more than 50 activists and world-changers who have proven that one person can create a movement. Through fascinating stories and advice, this book offers a roadmap for those of us seeking to better the world, and also provides a boost of inspiration for seasoned activists and other quiet agents of change.

This beautiful and inspiring book really isn’t so much about improving the world around you as it is about improving yourself, your mindset, and your goals.. and, that, in turn will have nothing but positive effects on the world in which you live.

This truly is one of the most inspiring and motivating books I’ve ever read.

Read more about One Can Make a Difference on Amazon Link.

I Create My World: Perfect Book to Help Build a Child’s Confidence

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I’m in love with this little book – more to the point, I’m in love with the concept of providing children with positive affirmations, self confidence, and self worth. I Create My World  is a wonderful book for children that I wish I could put in every child in the world’s precious little hands.

I don’t have to tell you how important self worth is, nor do I need to remind you how important it is to our happiness and even health to realize that we are…

  • important
  • special
  • wonderful
  • worthy of love, happiness, and all things good!

What I might need to remind a lot of people of is this: People need to be grounded in these truths very, very, very early in life.  The first years of development are more important than most people realize.  A lot of the beliefs, feelings, and thoughts we develop as very young children stay with us throughout our lives. The impressions we form of ourselves in the early years of life stay with us, for better or worse.

That’s why the thought of a loving adult sitting down with a child and reading a book like this, together, fills my heart with warm hope.

Picture it: A parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, or other family member sitting with a precious child reading a bright, beautiful book that’s all bout THEM!  Kids are their own favorite topic of conversation, after all – and this is a book reminding them.. reinforcing in them… that they are…

  • special
  • talented
  • loved
  • gifted
  • wonderful
  • the artist who’ll paint their life’s picture

I read to my daughters (Emily, Brittany, and Stephany) from the moment they were old enough to listen.  The time spent together was sweeter than any cupcake could ever hope to be. I found that it was often the words shared between us… between pages.. that were the most powerful.  The same would be true with this delightful and colorful book.  Think of the wonderful opportunities you’d have to instill positive life affirmations!  Having a book as a “tool” helps immensely.  The author’s words can guide your words, while the picture holds the child’s attention.

I’m reminded almost daily  just how strong children’s memories are.  My daughters often bring up things that happened so long ago that my mind had nearly misplaced the entire scenario. They remember books we checked out at the library and read as soon as we got home, they remember lessons from our home school – all the way back to when they were 5 and 6.  A few months ago, one of my girls brought up a story I’d made up when they were all younger than 8.  They remembered the “moral” and even the illustrations I drew to go along with it!

What a child experiences early in life helps mold and form them into the person they’ll become. It’s as though we provide them (when they’re very small) with the colors they’ll use to paint their life’s picture.

I Create My World is a beautiful palette of colors you can use to your child’s advantage!

Click through any of the links or images to learn more.

~ Joi (“Joy”)


90 Minutes in Heaven (Phenomenal Book!)

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90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

My youngest daughter recently gave me a copy of 90 Minutes in Heaven and I read it within 2 days. It was THAT good.

Well – no…. it’s actually better. Much better.

Book Description:

The mega bestselling book that started the heaven publishing phenomenon is now a major motion picture starring Hayden Christensen and Kate Bosworth and produced by Michael Polish. Don Piper’s incredible true story continues to expand its reach to more people than ever before.

After a semi-truck collided with Don Piper’s car, he was pronounced dead at the scene. For the next ninety minutes, he experienced the glories of heaven. Back on earth, a passing minister felt led to stop and pray for the accident victim even though he was told Piper was dead. Miraculously, Piper came back to life, and the pleasure of heaven was replaced by a long and painful recovery.

This special edition of Don’s life-changing story includes a new preface from Don about the making of the movie, plus a personal update on the impact the book has had on him, his family, and the millions who have already heard his story. It also includes a note from the publisher, stories from readers, and Scriptures and quotations on heaven.

Don Piper’s account of his accident and recovery are incredibly compelling and packed with emotion. You find yourself caught every now and again between a laugh and a cry. When a book is able to move your emotions like this, it is extra special.

The most beautiful part of the story is, of course, his description of Heaven as he encountered it when he died.

When writing book reviews, as I’ve often said, I detest the thought of giving anything away. I want the reader to discover each emotion and uncover each hidden jewel as I was able to – on their own. So, yes, this book review is incredibly short (no one needs to hear me ramble on and on and on anyway!), but I do not in any way want you to misunderstand how much I want you to read this book.

I simply don’t want to give anything away because this real life story, as it is told is one of the most beautiful I have ever read and I desperately want to see it in as many hands as possible.

90 Minutes in Heaven is a book you will read cover to cover, probably more than once as you cherish the words and glimpse of Heaven forever.


90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

Meet Stanley the Cat

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I just wrote a book review on my cat blog and I wanted to share the book with you as well. (You can click through the link to learn more about this delightful book.)

Lessons from Stanley the Cat: Nine Lives of Everyday Wisdom is the little book in question. Basically, this book is a loving tribute to the author’s cat, Stanley, served up with endless warm humor and love.

You might think this wouldn’t be a “fit” for Self Help Daily, but – to be fair – you aren’t familiar with Stanley yet.

This book is a clever collection of lessons we can learn from cats. As a cat lover who has been surrounded by incredible cats her entire life, even I never fully realized all they have to teach us!

Below is one of my favorite “lessons.”

Do not be intimidated by bigger people or creatures. Be amused by them, and let them know that your curiosity is more powerful than their size.

People who carry big sticks and stomp loudly are usually trying to cover up for some major sense of inadequacy. You are not your physical size; you are the size of your character. When you are around people or creatures that make a huge point of demonstrating their physical proportions or material largesse, simply be entertained or even amused by their exaggerated performance.

If you can enjoy their inflated self-importance, they will probably relax because you are accepting them and making them feel secure. Then you might get a word in edgewise. – Page 35, Lessons from Stanley the Cat: Nine Lives of Everyday Wisdom

I love the way the author (Jennifer Freed) words that: “physical proportions or material largesse.”  So many people do love to try to lord over others by emphasizing the size of their body or bank account. While they can drive you crazy and sometimes make your blood boil, she and Stanley make an excellent point.  What if they emphasize these traits so strongly – and often exaggerate them – because they fear that it’s all they’ve got?!

The book is filled with wisdom like this, accompanied by some of the most adorable illustrations you’ve ever seen in a book. I highly recommend this one. HIGHLY!

Seduction is just the practice of artful stretching.
Never let people know how fast you are. Appear slow in all things, and less is expected of you. When someone is on the computer too long, help them by distracting them, or walk lightly on their keyboard.

So advises Stanley, a remarkably astute cat with a keen eye for the important things in life. Perhaps you don’t have time for yoga, can’t afford therapy, or wouldn’t dare cry to mother. If so, let Stanley be your guide. Lessons from Stanley the Cat offers wise and witty maxims from Stanley himself, translated by his doting psychotherapist (human) parent, Jennifer Freed. Whether you’re a cat lover or prefer companions of the canine variety, Stanley’s warmth and insight are sure to brighten even the grayest days.

Lessons from Stanley the Cat: Nine Lives of Everyday Wisdom would make a perfect gift for cat lovers in your life.  It’s a very, very fun little book and surprisingly insightful.

Then again, how could it not be? It’s Stanley after all – he’s the cat’s meow.

Praying for Your Elephant by Adam Stadtmiller (Review of an Amazing Book!)

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Praying for Your Elephant by Adam Stadtmiller

Praying for Your Elephant

I read A LOT of books… Spiritual books, Old Hollywood Biographies, inspirational books, Agatha Christie mysteries, American History books, Ancient Egypt books, cookbooks….

You get the idea. I’m almost always seen with several books in one hand, a caffeinated beverage in the other, and a cat (or two or three) in my lap.

I always have more than one book going at once – usually 3 or 5 because my interests are all over the place. Having said that, three genres are constant:

  • Agatha Christie (I read and re-read her and have one Hercule Poirot mystery going at all times)
  • Inspirational Book
  • Old Hollywood Bio

Agatha Christie is like playtime for my brain.. I simply love everything about her mysteries. Old Hollywood books are an absolute obsession – if I’m not watching an Old Hollywood movie, I’m lost in at least one biography. As for inspirational and Spiritual books – they feed my soul.

The book you see pictured here, Praying for Your Elephant, is one of the best books of any genre I have ever read. You read that right…. I loved it that much.

Have you ever heard of the phrase “Prayer Warrior?” I have considered myself to be a Prayer Warrior for many years. This simply means that I pray day and night with the fervency and determination of a warrior who is smack in the middle of the battlefield. I pray for my family, friends, people I read about, strangers, crazy drivers who run red lights, individuals I see prayer requests for, etc. With this much praying going on and with this much on the line, I need all the inspiration I can get! Naturally, the Bible provides the bulk of said inspiration, but God uses Christian authors to further inspire and motivate.

Prayer does the salvage work of raising the sunken treasure of our lives. – Praying for Your Elephant Page 57 

This particular author, Adam Stadtmiller, has written an extraordinary book and it has taken my prayers to a whole new level. I’ve always believed in asking God for all needs – from small to large and all sizes in between. However, this book has inspired me to go further. It takes the phrase “small to large” and asks, “Why stop at large? Aim for COLOSSAL!”

Elephant-Size Colossal!

From the Back Cover:

What If Your Biggest Prayers are Too Small?

Get ready to re-ignite, re-imagine, and repurpose your prayer life while experiencing great intimacy with God. This is an invitation to identify your elephants—to name, through specific and strategic prayers, the 100 most important and audacious petitions you can imagine. These are the elephants that—if answered by God—would be game changers in your life and perhaps the world.

By supersizing your prayers and daring to ask for the big things – your elephants – you will come to know God in a way you never have, even if His answers aren’t what you expect. Dive deep into the adventure that is the prayer-filled life!

Praying for Your Elephant starts off with a bang. The author guides you into a 40 Day Prayer Challenge: Forty Days to Praying for Your Elephants. He gives you 10 suggested “categories” to create to organize your prayers and all but dares you to pray big!

My take away from this section was to pray as big as the God we’re talking to. Again, COLOSSAL comes to mind.

The book provides a chart for these categories, or you can simply write them down on paper or (my own personal approach) in a Prayer Journal. Writing prayers down helps you to see, over time, which prayers are answered and which ones may take a little longer. I have also experienced something else in my prayer journal – sometimes your prayer changes as God guides you from one destination to the next.

“There is no way that Christians in a private capacity can do so much to promote the work of God, and advance the kingdom  of Christ, as by prayer.” – Jonathan Edwards

Praying for Your Elephant is available on Amazon and I, quite frankly, could not recommend it enough. I love to tell you about books that have the potential to change your life for the better… to help you open up a whole new world… to touch you in such a way that you feel empowered to do anything you set your mind and heart to!

This is such a book and I really hope you’ll grab your copy as soon as possible. You won’t regret it. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Find out more by visiting Praying for Your Elephant!

About the Author: Adam Stadtmiller is lead pastor at one of the San Diego’s most historic churches, La Jolla Christian Fellowship. A regular contributor to Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal, he is also the author of Give Your Kids the Keys and Discover Your Kid’s Spiritual Gifts. Adam lives in Carlsbad, California, with his wife and two daughters.

Praying for Your Elephant Quote Graphic