Disclosure: I received these books to review. Opinions shared are mine; post contains affiliate links.

Remember my post about The Hardest Peace?  The author, Kara Tippetts, had a unique stronghold on life even as she faced death.  Although she passed away in March 2015, her book Just Show Up is a wonderful demonstration of the way that God’s spirit lives on through her words.

No matter what life has thrown your way, chances are good that you’ve needed help from a friend at some point.   In my case, we had a pretty big scare a few weeks ago when my husband went to the ER with chest pains. We were literally getting ready for work/school on a Monday morning when he announced (very calmly) that he thought he’d just head over to the ER and get it checked out.  In my desire to keep the children from being alarmed, I tried to keep things as normal as possible while I dropped everyone off, arranged for a substitute teacher, and headed to the hospital.  Meanwhile, my friends jumped into action.  Although it’s hard to accept help, it was such a blessing that they took care of me. Ali made plans to pick up my kids after school, Lori took care of lesson plans, and Cornelia visited me in the hospital.  Several people texted me with notes of prayer all day long.  Lori called me around dinner time to let me know that she was planning to bring me dinner.  All of these ladies heard me say, “No, no, no….” while my heart was so grateful for their willingness to just show up.  They took friendship into action, not content to leave it as a noun.  

It didn’t pass my notice that the book cover looks an awful lot like my front door.  I felt like Kara and Jill were speaking directly to my heart, saying that it’s important to play both sides in this game.  It’s up to me to accept help from my dear friends when they offer. That gift is only good when it’s accepted with graciousness.  Likewise, I need to offer help to my friends, not being swayed when they say, “No thank you” even when their eyes are begging, “Yes!”  The ideas of challenging comfort and stretching oneself just keep popping up in the book. No matter which side of the door you’re on, it’s tough.   I’m so thankful for the dear friends in my life.  They help to hold me up when it just seems too hard to sit up.  Thank goodness that the hospital scare was a false alarm, but it helped me to see how blessed I am to have friends who aren’t afraid to show up. Then, later that day when I was browsing online, I found a Show Up tee to go along with the sentiment. What do you think?

Rotherwood Mansion…..Biltmore Estate…..The Netherland Inn….hearing legends about these local places make me wonder what is fact and what’s fiction.   In the book Until the Dawn, author Elizabeth Camden created an engaging story about the Dierenpark history and mystery.  The female protagonist, Sophie, had such a sunny disposition that it even got on my nerves at times.  Her other characters, especially dear Pieter, were wholly vivid in their personalities and actions.   The quintessential grumpy rich guy, Quentin, had a pretentious Mr. Darcy vibe about him.  Who doesn’t like to see a prickly guy get worn down with homemade pea soup?   Speaking of Sophie’s food, I really wished there were recipes included in the book. I’m now determined to google a recipe for delicious orange bread with lemon zest glaze.

There was an interesting connection between science and folklore in the book.  I loved the way that Sophie’s character bridged that gap.  Some nuances in nature just can’t be explained by tests and readings. That’s what makes life so interesting!