Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn

This book is a definite must read from me to you.  I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the book.  Maybe my review below will give you an idea.


Robin's an amazing artist. Painting pictures with her words that make me feel like I am right there being part of the story. Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes tells the story of pen pals Summer and Noelle. They have been pen pals since childhood but had never met face to face. Summer's sudden medical diagnosis of an abnormal mammogram sends her sideways. After talking to her husband they decide a week of denial and fulfilling a lifetime dream of meeting Noelle face to face can become a reality and Summer is off to Holland. Dinner the first night of her visit set the tone for her visit. Calm, peaceful and honoring. Nothing was rushed or forced.

Summer's basic nature to control her environment is challenged in a variety of mishaps that kept me in stitches. An unplanned dip in the chilly North Sea where a rascally seagull stole her sock and she had to slosh back across town to the car in her sandy, wet apparel was one of the highlights that kept me laughing.

Noelle was so gracious and amiable and let Summer just be Summer. I love the depth of the friendship as Noelle kindly and gently reprimands Summer for her need to control instead of just going with situations and trusting.

God's presence was clearly felt in the clarity and insight each woman experienced on her road to restoration and faith.

I now very much want to make a trip to Holland in the spring to experience the bulbs in bloom and the colorful wooden shoes and the Delft tiles and of course pannenkoeken. She's right, it is fun to say.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have.


 
http://www.amazon.com/Sisterchicks-Wooden-Shoes-8/dp/1601420099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428349873&sr=1-1&keywords=sisterchicks+in+wooden+shoes


PS. As a note, I received the book for free to review.  All opinions are completely my own.  I attached the link in support of the book not for any monetary reward.  No affiliate links.

Believing in myself

Have you ever gotten to that point in you life where you know you are capable of so much more than you've done or hoped for?  That feeling that you've been holding yourself back from better things?

That's the feeling I've been feeling.  I always start with great aspirations only to fizzle out soon after starting.  I make huge goals then quickly forget them and go back to my same old routines.  I've allowed myself to get stuck in this pattern with my life.

It's time to change things up and start living my dreams instead of just setting them on a shelf for me to follow someday.  Over the next few days I am going to be writing my goals list for next year, not resolutions but actual goals that have a timeline and are measurable and that stretch me to be who I know I am and to do more than I currently think I am capable of.  Some of the goals have been dreams for a long time.  Some of them are relatively new.  All of them are going to require discipline and self control and focus.

I am nervous and excited and can't wait to see how things turn out.

Hope you'll join me for the journey.

Goals for the last week of 2013

Personal:

Write 3 blog posts

Finish reading Say Goodbye to Survival Mode and write review and blog post about it.

Voice Practice for 2 1/2 hrs

Mail letters and packages, yes, I am later getting a couple Christmas gifts out but I have very understanding loved ones.  Whew!

Parenting:

Finish reading Spirit Animals to lil man.  Start reading Artimis Foul to him.

Have one on one time with the oldest lil.

Health:

Walk at least 2 miles 4 days.

Drink 80 oz water daily

Relational:

Write 3 letters (and mail them) to friends.

Call my Aunt to encourage and catch up.

Crafty:

Finish the scarf I'm working on and make another as well.