Recently I read a lovely book by Grace Valentine entitled What Will They Think? and I kept wondering what all of y'all, my blog friends, have been thinking about me because I haven't blogged in over a month. I hope y'all will extend me a little grace. (Please scroll to read my review of What Will They Think?)
To say that it's been a busy month is an understatement. We have replaced several appliances in our home, and we've had other repairs inside and out completed. We have not been to Lake Martin at all this summer because our cabin's façade was reclad, and it took longer than expected.
Over the Independence Day Weekend, Mustang Sally almost died. We were so fortunate that the surgeon on call at the emergency veterinary clinic knew how to perform the surgery that saved her life. It's a fairly new procedure to correct acute onset epiglottic retroversion/entrapment. In laymen's terms, her breath was going into her stomach rather than into her lungs. The procedure was fairly quick, and she was able to come home the next day. My breast cancer surgery was the following Tuesday. I had a lumpectomy, and Sally has been recovering with me. I have been in pain, and when I went to my follow-up appointment last week, my surgeon said my pain was caused from a wicked hematoma. So that means two more weeks of not using my left arm, and I will follow-up with her next week (again).
I have not been doing much at all since surgery other than giving orders, LOL. Shelley is helping me with this post, and Trip and Shelley have both been great to help me with everything. Trip has really stepped-up to help with the gardening, and he has taken instruction well. ;P
Below is a collage of my few activities:
I was gardening a lot in the mornings before it got too hot, but once I had surgery I had to stop because I can't get sun with the meds I'm on (this is only temporary). Trip has been growing beautiful tomatoes, and my Rose of Sharon has bloomed profusely this summer. I have read many books, and eventually I will write a couple of posts with mini reviews.
I was warned that I might have neuropathy with the last chemo treatments, so I stopped painting because I didn't want to mess-up the paintings I had been working on for many hours. I decided to draw instead because it wouldn't be a big deal if I messed up a few drawings. I'm drawing with graphite and colored pencils, and I'm still taking my art classes via ZOOM. I was very fortunate that I was able to complete all rounds of chemo, because so many patients have to either stop or postpone treatments. I went straight through, and surprisingly I had zero neuropathy in my hands.
This rose is standing on its head, and the blossom reminds me of a ballerina's tutu.
I have enjoyed drawing, and I think I will continue drawing for a few more months because the set-up and clean-up is so much easier than painting: I can do it with one hand! Plus, I don't have to smell the solvents and be exposed to heavy metals.
Our daughter Shelley has read a couple of Grace Valentine's books, and she's a fan. When TLC Book Tours asked if I was interested in reviewing Grace's latest book, I said yes because of Shelley's endorsement.
About What Will They Think?: Nine Women in the Bible Who Can Help You Live Your Life Boldly
Paperback: 240 Pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 12, 2022)
In this inspiring guide for young women, Grace Valentine shines a spotlight on nine courageous women in the Bible who lived their faith boldly. In a world that pressures you to seek validation from others, learn to focus on what truly matters.
“What will they think?” It’s a question that consumes many women and may even stop them from living the lives God has called them to live. Whether it’s don’t be too loud, don’t be too aggressive, or your role is to be a sidekick for men, women struggle to live a life that is about pleasing others—but Scripture describes women who actually did the opposite.
In this third release from popular blogger and podcaster Grace Valentine, What Will They Think? features the stories of nine incredible women in the Bible, including Esther, Deborah, Sarah, Mary Magdalene, and Tabitha. These women did not bend to peer pressure or seek to people-please but instead turned their focus on God.
What Will They Think? contains:
- Inspiring and motivating stories of strong women who lived courageously in their faith
- Practical steps on how to stop caring what others think and focus on what truly matters
- Personal stories from Grace’s life and her own struggle to stop focusing on the opinions of others
For inspiration found in the lives of these biblical heroes, What Will They Think? provides steps to finding freedom to live life boldly and to stop caring about what others might think.
My Review:
I loved this book, y'all. Although it is geared toward younger women, I still learned plenty from it. After all, one of the nine women discussed in the book is Sarah, Abraham's wife, who becomes a mother in her nineties. God can use women at any age to further his kingdom! The other eight dynamic women featured in the book are: Queen Esther, Deborah, Hagar, Mary, Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman who touched Jesus' cloak, and Tabitha. Reading about these women was fun and inspiring.
I was very happy that Grace included Deborah in her book because I recently read about her in a Bible study: she was one of the judges of Israel before Israel had kings. She was a prophet, military leader, and she literally listened to and decided legal cases for the people. Deborah's story was part of the section entitled "What If They Think I'm a Leader?" This is the most empowering and encouraging section in the book.
I found Grace Valentine's voice to be so endearing. She is bold in her writing because she's self-deprecating in sharing her testimony and some of the mistakes she's made and misunderstandings about Christianity she's had in her past. Yet her self-deprecation is not in any way told to make herself seem "less than" because she understands her value and knows her true worth as a child of God. She has a wicked sense of humor, too! I also like how she uses contemporary examples of lessons women can learn from the nine women in the Bible. My favorite quote from the book referencing Deborah:
When people make you, as a woman, feel like an object meant to please others, remind them you're a warrior.
I think this book is appropriate for all women because we're reminded that God calls women from all walks of life and ages to serve him. Some of these women were outcasts in their communities, yet they were changed by their encounters with Jesus. Grace does an amazing job in relating these biblical stories to contemporary situations in how we can boldly serve God based on our talents and strengths.
Shelley with Grace Valentine at her book signing for What Will They Think? in Homewood, Alabama.
We loved meeting Grace: She is truly a dynamic and kind young Christian lady!
She is darling, y'all!
Disclosure: I received a copy of What Will They Think? from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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Until next time...
Happy reading!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
