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Book Reviews

90 Minutes in Heaven (Phenomenal Book!)

April 8, 2019 by Joi Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Books I Love Tagged With: Book Reviews, inspirational book review, Spiritual Book Review

Meet Stanley the Cat

September 27, 2018 by Joi Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Books I Love, Relationships Tagged With: Book Reviews, books, cats, Relationships

Review: Life After Heaven by Steven R. Musick with Paul J. Pastor

April 10, 2017 by Joi 1 Comment

Life After Heaven by Steven R. Musick

Life After Heaven

If (like me) you’re an avid reader, you know the feeling: You’ve read an absolutely wonderful book  – one that has moved and stirred you greatly that you feel like you’ve taken a spin in the blender. You want to tell everyone in your world to read the book… but you recommend books so regularly, you’re afraid they won’t know just HOW much you want them to read this one.

So the challenge is afoot. How do you convey to them that they simply must read this book – if they’ve ever loved or trusted you before?!

Okay, maybe it’s not that dramatic – but it’s close.

I recommend books frequently to my daughters. And, by recommend, I mean I hand them the books and say, “Oh, girl, you have to read this…” as though they’re still 10 years old, still sitting at the kitchen table, still in our home-school, and still under my “assigned reading” control.

They’re not still any of those things, but I still want them to read the best books. Problem is, with all the reading I do, I’m always coming across great books – so, when I come across one that goes beyond being a “great” book and enters the “blender” zone, I’m met with the challenge of getting my point across… you know, short of sitting on them and reading the book aloud to them.

Kind of like I had to do with Shakespeare with a few of them…

Life After Heaven is an amazing, amazing book. Wherever you happen to be in your Spiritual life, I whole-heartedly recommend this book because it will lead you to the next level. As a Christian, I found this book to be a beautiful accompaniment to my morning Bible reading and Bible study. It opened up my eyes to many Heavenly things I had not considered or thought about.

I am one of those people who (for better or worse) lives VERY much in the moment. I think about my relationship with God as it stands today. I think about my family as they are today. I think about the world (we won’t get into that one right now) as it stands today.

If Life After Heaven only did one thing for me and that thing was open my eyes to the importance of tomorrow, it would have been more than enough. I do find myself more frequently thinking of eternity after reading this remarkable book.

While I know where I will spend eternity, I now think more frequently about others and where they will spend eternity.

From the Back Cover:

After a deadly medical mistake sent a navy sailor to the presence of Jesus, he returned from his near-death experience with new eyes to see the kingdom of heaven in this life. Now he wants to help you experience heaven on earth today.

For years Steve Musick kept his amazing story to himself, afraid no one would believe or understand it. A major allergic reaction had stopped his heart, hurling him into a five-week coma and a powerful experience of heaven. After returning to life, he couldn’t forget the memory of that vibrant place—and, most of all, the loving words and touch of Jesus.

But that was only the beginning. An amazing series of miracles, dreams, and other supernatural events had been set in motion, showing Steve that heaven was close, even in this life. God was calling him to discover echoes of heaven in the here and now—echoes that can happen at any moment, to anyone—that bring overwhelming joy.

At last Steve is ready to tell the story of his journey of a lifetime—two lifetimes. In it you’ll learn the secret of bringing heaven to earth in your everyday world, and how to nurture a relationship with God so real and intimate that you’ll feel his nearness as strongly as Steven did.

Experience one man’s incredible vision of heaven—and learn how you can live in God’s presence and power today. 

About the Author

STEVEN R. MUSICK is founder and CEO of Destiny Capital, a respected financial advisory firm. With three master’s degrees in management, financial services, and international economics, Musick has taught at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. Steve and his wife, Elaine, have three grown sons, three daughters by marriage, and three grandchildren.

PAUL J. PASTOR is a writer, editor, and journalist who loves telling stories of God at work in our world.

 I Cannot Recommend This Book Enough

I don’t want to give anything away whatsoever about Life After Heaven or the author’s remarkable journey, so I am simply going to recommend this with all of my heart to anyone and everyone. I want each and every one of you to get your hands on your own copy. I recommend finding a quiet place each day to read and enjoy this book. You will take an emotional, Spiritual journey and… please forgive me for sounding cheesy… but your life will be changed.
Life After Heaven will be one of the most important books you ever read.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Books I Love, Spiritual Tagged With: Book Reviews, inspirational book reviews, Spiritual book reviews

“Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Life and Love From a Feral Colony”

October 25, 2016 by Joi Leave a Comment

Call of the Cats by Andrew Bloomfield
Can you believe it’s two months till Christmas?! TWO. How did this happen. It seemed like only yesterday I was dancing around my house celebrating the opening day of baseball.  And here I am dancing around celebrating the holidays.

As you’d imagine, I entertain my husband and cats greatly.

Speaking of cats (how was that for transitioning?), I just wrote a review for a lovely new book, Call of the Cats on my cat blog.

While this book is perfect for cat lovers, it’s also a must read for anyone who loves a great, inspiring read. For that matter, if we’re being completely honest, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t enjoy this book.

It’s that entertaining.

Read the review here.

I’ll be giving you a few “gift idea” heads ups during the coming weeks because, if you’re anything like me, you could use a little extra help thinking during these months. My thoughts get pretty tangled up with all the information flying around inside my head – Thanksgiving pies, Christmas shopping, gift ideas, decorations, Halloween candy, cookies, candy… too many thoughts for one brain.

This particular book would make a great gift idea for any cat lover in your life. Below are a few other books that’d be great gift ideas.

Cat Lovers

I Draw on Cats!

Cooking for Two: Your Cat and You

Furry Logic (Adorable!)

Cooks

Gluten Free for Good (cookbook)

The Quick Six Fix (cookbook)

The Chew: An Essential Guide to Cooking and Entertaining

Pepper: More Than 45 Recipes Using the King of Spice

Inspirational And/Or Health-Related

The Bulletproof Diet 

Jesus Talked to Me Today (Beautiful!)

A Gift of Love (Also Beautiful!)

Filed Under: Animal Protection, Book Reviews, Books I Love, Gift Ideas Tagged With: Book Reviews, cats, gift ideas

Book Review: The Bulletproof Diet by Dave Asprey

August 26, 2016 by Joi 2 Comments

Bulletproof Diet Book and Cookbook

 The  Bulletproof Diet Book & Cookbook with Bulletproof Coffee

If you’ve read any of my book reviews, you know that I at least read about nearly every new health-related topic that comes along – especially those that have to do with nutrition and how food can help improve your life and health.

I don’t, personally, follow any one particular regime. Rather, I glean knowledge from various authors, experts, nutritionists, and physicians and apply what I learn to my life. For example, I have to eat gluten-free for health reasons, but (like some in the gluten free crowd) I don’t follow the Paleo diet. However, I DO read a lot about the Paleo diet and have applied a few things to my own diet.

Knowledge is power and the more you read, the more knowledge you attain.

I think everyone should read a wide variety of books dealing with nutrition and healthy eating and, maybe, even try out a few programs for themselves. Everyone’s body is different and what one body responds to, another may not. The thing is, no one can dictate what will work for you, simply because it works for them. That’s why it’s wisest to do your own research and, in the end, find what works for you and your body…. even if it winds up being a combination of 3 or 4 different programs.

I just finished reading Dave Asprey’s The Bulletproof Diet, as well as his cookbook Bulletproof: The Cookbook. I’ve been enjoying Bulletproof Coffee in the morning and have tried a few of the wonderful recipes in, both, the book and the cookbook. I am in love with the recipes, as well as the bulletproof coffee – but given the fact that butter is one of my favorite food groups, this isn’t surprising.

I want to say, right up front, that I do not adhere religiously to this program – so I cannot accurately give you any statistics, good or bad. I simply want to introduce you to the books and allow you to make up your own mind, whether or not they are right for you.

First off, why do I not follow this program religiously? Several reasons – as the proud owner of a hiatal hernia, I have to eat small meals throughout the day.  Furthermore, meat (especially red meat) is not something I handle particularly well. I digest other forms of protein better and actually prefer sticking to fish primarily.

Compounding the issue, I have low blood sugar and “fasting” for any period of time spells Trouble for me, with a capital T.

Even on a non-health-related plane, I enjoy cooking and, if we’re being honest, I enjoy eating a wide variety of foods. Parting ways with many are simply something I can’t see, personally, doing.  I guess you’d expect a food blogger to hold on pretty tightly to her essentials.

However,  you (along with countless others) may fall head over heels in love with this program. You may be able to follow it to the letter and it could, quite possibly, be just the thing you’ve been looking for to lose weight and feel better.  My own personal belief (for what it’s worth!) is this:  if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you are presently living in a “high risk” condition. Extra weight carries with it an increased risk for just about every disease you can think of.

Drastic situations often call for drastic solutions. If you’ve tried to lose weight and simply can’t seem to, the Bulletproof Diet may be for you. At the very least, it’s worth trying.

What is the Bulletproof Diet?

The Bulletproof Diet’s cornerstone is to get 50 to 60% of your daily calories from healthy fats (such as coconut oil, avocado, and grass-fed and/or pastured animals), 20% from protein, and the remaining 20 to 30% from vegetables.

Grains, legumes, pasteurized dairy, industrially raised meats, sodas/juices/bottled tea, farmed seafood, dried fruit, and anything fried or cooked in a microwave are to be avoided.

If you click here, you can gain access to more information about what The Bulletproof Diet considers good, okay, and toxic. I could, of course, go into all of the ins and outs right here, but I feel that’s best left to the experts and we’ve already established that I’m not one.

{Review Continued Below…}

The Bulletproof Diet Book

Who is Dave Asprey?

In his midtwenties, Dave Asprey was a successful Silicon Valley multimillionaire. He also weighed 300 pounds, despite the fact that he was doing what doctors recommended: eating 1,800 calories a day and working out 90 minutes a day, six times a week.
When his excess fat started causing brain fog and food cravings sapped his energy and willpower, Asprey turned to the same hacking techniques that made his fortune to “hack” his own biology, investing more than $300,000 and 15 years to uncover what was hindering his energy, performance, appearance, and happiness. From private brain EEG facilities to remote monasteries in Tibet, through radioactive brain scans, blood chemistry work, nervous system testing, and more, he explored traditional and alternative technologies to reach his physical and mental prime. The result? The Bulletproof Diet, an anti-inflammatory program for hunger-free, rapid weight loss and peak performance.
The Bulletproof Diet will challenge―and change―the way you think about weight loss and wellness. You will skip breakfast, stop counting calories, eat high levels of healthy saturated fat, work out and sleep less, and add smart supplements.
In doing so, you’ll gain energy, build lean muscle, and watch the pounds melt off. By ditching traditional “diet” thinking, Asprey went from being overweight and sick in his twenties to maintaining a 100-pound weight loss, increasing his IQ, and feeling better than ever in his forties. The Bulletproof Diet is your blueprint to a better life.

Quick Takeaways

  • Each recipe I’ve tried has been delicious – I don’t follow the plan religiously, as I said, but I will always use these recipes. Anyone who reads my food blog knows that I collect cookbooks and this cookbook has become an instant classic in my kitchen. I’ll actually be writing a cookbook review on the food blog for this cookbook because I think that highly of it. The compound butters are absolutely addictive – if all I actually got from buying both of these books were the compound butter recipes, it’d have been worth it! The Cilantro Lime Butter is everything that’s beautiful and delicious in this world.
  • Reading The Bulletproof Diet has REALLY opened my eyes to the differences in grass fed beef and butter and the ones that I (admittedly) have always bought. Make that – the ones I used to buy. The information is invaluable and will change how you shop for groceries.
  • There’s no getting around it – this is a costly diet. Anyone who reviews The Bulletproof Diet will tell you that your grocery bill will go up significantly. To which, I’m certain, you could counter with “You can’t put a price on health.” And, again, if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, I can see the truth in this. If you commit to buying better food and putting only the healthiest products into your body, your body will reward you with better health, more energy, and an improved overall quality of life. Some costs are worth it. Besides, if necessity dictates it, cut back in other areas – like eating out or Starbucks.
  • If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, this is something you might want to look into.

Reviews of The Bulletproof Diet

After I read the book, myself, I read some online reviews of The Bulletproof Diet.  You can find scathing reviews and you can find glowing reviews. You can find reviews from individuals who tried it for days and those who stuck it out for weeks.

You can find reviews where the reviewer’s biggest concern is the cost of grass-fed beef  – they say that if they’re going to pay that much for food, they want to see a lot more weight loss than they’re seeing.

On the flip side, you can find reviews where people say they lost weight and feel better than they’ve ever felt in their life.

I would be the sort of person to argue with someone’s opinion – after all, it’s THEIR opinion! – however, if you see reviews where people say the taste of grass-fed beef is bad, trust me, they simply aren’t trying hard enough.  If you season the beef, use an iron skillet (not a necessity, but it’s how I roll), and give it a few stellar co-stars (guacamole, pico de gallo or a compound butter) – it’s positively delicious. If you’re accustomed to really fatty meat, you may just need to give your taste buds time to catch up with your good sense. They’ll come around.

Another “con” I see mentioned in negative reviews are that the program is not “sustainable.” that it is not something that could be sustained for long periods of time. Frankly, no one else can make that determination for you. You have to try it for yourself. You are not them and they are not you.

After all, if you try this diet and feel better than, say, you have in 10 years… my guess is it’ll be sustainable for you.

Again, I just want to say that my own personal health issues prevent me from following this diet “to a T.” However, I have taken many, many things from the book’s pages and am applying them with resounding success. As for the Bulletproof Coffee, I’d pity the individual that tried to take that away from me!

I believe a lot of people go into books or new experiences one of two ways:

  • … with a closed mind. “I am not going to like this… let me find what I hate about it”
  • … with an over-zealous mind. “This is the answer to every question I ever had! Even the ones I haven’t had yet! … let me find what I love bout it…”

While I’d rather hang out with someone from the latter camp (I think), neither one is on steady footing. Each type is too ready to jump in or jump out.

Sometimes you just have to stand still and use the brain God gave you.

Bottom line? You simply have to do the research for yourself – which is the number one thing I come away with after reading this book. Am I glad I read The Bulletproof Diet? Yes!

Am I thrilled with the cookbook? You bet!

Is this a reasonably sustainable program for me to follow? No…. because of my body, not my brain.

Is this a reasonably sustainable program for you to follow? Maybe. Maybe not. Only you can answer that.

I have learned a lot from the books and will apply what I’ve learned to future shopping and cooking. I recommend reading both of these books, and then deciding, for yourself, how to apply the wealth of information you’ll have at the end. They make absolutely fascinating reads and the recipes are knock outs.

You can find Dave Asprey’s The Bulletproof Diet, as well as his cookbook Bulletproof: The Cookbook, on Amazon.

You can also find more information on The Bullet Proof Diet’s Official Website.

P.S. Bulletproof Coffee is all kinds of AMAZING!

~ Joi (“Joy”)

 

Bulletproof The Cookbook

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fitness, Health Tagged With: Book Reviews, losing weight, The Bulletproof Diet

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