Babbling about Books--Thursday

Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey through His Son’s Addiction
By David Sheff
Autobiography
(2008)

A dear friend of mine just found out her 23-year-old nephew is on black tar heroin. Her heart ached for her extended family. She felt fear for the future of her nephew.

I recommended that she read (and give to her sister) the book, Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff. I had read the book a couple of months ago. It is the true story written by a father whose son became addicted to meth. It is a heart wrenching story of decline, rehab, sobriety, and decline in meth—over and over again. The book’s facts on meth and other drugs are astounding.

Now, it is not a Christian book, so beware of language and such. David Sheff (the father) has no relationship with God. He mentions that throughout the book. However, he was told by rehab professionals, “You will believe when you’re through this journey with your son.” Although he does not have a salvation experience, by the end of the book he has turned toward God to pray, “Heal Nic. God, please heal Nic.”

Although I have never faced this type of addiction with my children, I know many parents who have with their children or even with themselves. I recommend the book if you are searching for more information on drug or alcohol addictions. I cannot say it is an “uplifting” book, but it is compelling to the end. Below is a brief review of the Beautiful Boy found on Amazon.com.


“This is a stunningly written, intense and emotional memoir of a father's struggle to deal with his brilliant, charismatic and caring son's addiction to methamphetamine. It is honest and authentic and raw and heart-rending and fascinating. It is unforgettable. As I read, I felt many emotions for both the father and son---everything from anger to sadness to grief to fear. I felt as though I was right there on the emotional roller coaster with the author.

Even if you have no personal experience of a loved one's addiction, you will be moved by this father's struggle to cope with his son's substance abuse turmoils. Despite methamphetamine being this country's most problematic drug, many of us, including me, know very little about it, and may not initially feel too interested in finding out. However, the author's struggles and emotional journey are so poignant and compelling that any reader will find themselves caught up in this memoir, will benefit from what they learn and most of all, will be glad that they read it. If you know and/or love an addict, this book will be even more important---it will be vital---as you will find much to identify with and perhaps even be able to better process some of your own emotions.” Review by O. Brown on Amazon.com.

Thankfully, our Lord Jesus is stronger than any addiction. He was sent to free us from the torment of prisons we place ourselves in with poor life choices. No matter what your child is struggling with, know that God wants to set her free from the oppression—and you, too.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”Luke 4:18-19 (NLT)

Also, if you are praying for a child with waywardness, please consider my book, Divine Prayers for Despairing Parents: What to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say. It will aid you in praying freedom for your loved one.

Do not give up hope! God is bigger than any addiction!

Barbie or Raggedy Ann?

All righty, I want to show you the cutest Raggedy Ann ever! After I spoke at Foothills Baptist Church on Saturday they gave me her as a gift. I was speechless. One of the lady’s moms, Barbara T., made it.

Is it too darling, or what? Think about it, who would you really rather be?

If you read my devotional "Divine Prayers" yesterday and have a wayward child that is struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, tune in tomorrow. I will be discussing "Beautiful Boy" on my Thursday blog, Babbling about Books.

Hugs,

Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World

This past Saturday I spoke at Foothills Baptist here in Las Vegas. My topic was “Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World.” It is a fun but truthful look at the reality of the pressures women face on a day-to-day basis. I watched the heads bob up and down in agreement—we can’t win. We are either too fat, too flat-chested, too poor, too tired, etc. Our culture preaches lose weight, work out, and get a face-lift. We scurry like hamsters on a wheel trying to keep up with what the magazines at the check-out counter dictate.

Although we feel this is a current trend—it is not. I used the illustration from Genesis 29 on Leah and Rachel. Scripture says, “Leah’s eyes were weak and dull looking, but Rachel was beautiful and attractive.” (Genesis 29:17 AMP) The story continues with, “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” (Genesis 29:31-32 NIV)

Sounds like 2009 to me. One girl not quite as attractive as her sister—bam—low self-esteem. Raggedy Ann as wife to “Ken” living with his other wife Barbie.
Haven’t we all suffered from low self-esteem, self-doubt, and derisive opinion about ourselves from others? Thankfully, God reveals the truth about beauty.
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30 NIV)

God eventually levels the playing ground. No matter how hard we fight it, age will and does catch up with us. I think about a well-known movie star whose good looks have vanished. When interviewed she is sharp-tongued and bitter. (Clue—she played Cleopatra). She carries no likeability in her prickly personality. She’s a miserable old “Barbie.”

Tomorrow I will continue the Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World discussion. Feel free to chime in.

Who do you want to be? I choose to be Raggedy Ann.

Dreams

I believe we will be hearing about Susan Boyle, the YouTube phenomenon, for quite awhile. I think she has been interviewed by every news station. I read this about her on the Internet, “Susan Boyle. She's every woman, fighting that extra 15-20 pounds, standing in the grocery check-out line, assaulted by magazine covers of size 0 women and the rich and famous. But she has a dream, a passion to share with the world, if she only has a chance.”

For my part, I think we cheer her on because she is a woman who has a dream—and it might just be fulfilled. She chose the song, I Dreamed a Dream. The lyrics are as follows:

I dreamed a dream in time gone by

When hope was high and life worth living

I dreamed that love would never die

I dreamed that God would be forgiving

Then I was young and unafraid

And dreams were made and used and wasted

There was no ransom to be paid

No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night

With their voices soft as thunder

As they tear your hope apart

And they turn your dream to shame

I think I can relate to these lyrics. Can’t you?

But God . . . Those are two of my favorite words. They are found throughout the Bible. No matter what has happened in our lives—the good, the bad and the ugly—the Lord can turn it into something good. God has the power to fulfill our dreams—but in His own way. It may not look like we imagined. But God . . .

“But God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:19-21 NIV)

Sounds like a Heart-Print of fulfillment to me.

Friday--The Writers' Porch

One of the things that I am asked often is, “How did you finally get a book published?”

My answer is that there were several steps involved over many years of writing. I will discuss each of these steps in more detail each week. But here are my personal Top 10 steps for the pathway to publication.

1. I felt God’s calling on my life to write.
2. I attended writing conferences to learn the craft and to network with editors.
3. I wrote. Writers write. I kept on writing.
4. I kept files with ideas, Scriptures, and even just great words.
5. I collected rejection letters—enough to wallpaper my office.
6. I had 2-3 people proof and edit my work before I sent it to the editor.
7. I started with magazine articles, devotionals, and then moved to books.
8. I kept records of who and where I sent my manuscripts to and what their response was—if any. (Smile).
9. I built a speaking platform, which is a must if you are writing non-fiction.
10. I discovered my own “writing voice.” This takes time and you must keep writing steadily in order to find your own voice.

For the next ten Fridays on The Writers Porch, we will delve deeper into each of these topics. However, if you are looking for a great proof reader and copy editor, I use Margaret Traudt. Her information is below. The going rate for proofer/editors is approximately $40.00 an hour. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it!

Margaret Traudt
Jt15708@peoplepc.com
(402) 782- 8973.

Remember, writers write—keep writing.

Babbling about Books--Thursday

The Thirteenth Tale
By Diane Setterfield
Fiction—Atria Books (Traditional publisher)
(2006)

As I begin my babbling about books, I wanted to start off with one of my all time favorites, The Thirteenth Tale. It’s a page turner about a woman who loves books and writing. She was offered the opportunity to write an autobiography of a celebrated author.

The plot has several twists and turns, but the ending I could have never guessed. I had a friend who read the book and asked what I liked about it the most. I loved the twist at the end and I liked the development of the characters.

The minute I finished the book, I wanted to read another by Ms. Setterfield. But surprise! It was her first novel. I was shocked. It had a superb plot and captivating characters. (Rumor has it she is writing her next book.)

I read this novel in a book club of about ten women. Most of the women enjoyed it; a couple didn’t like it at all. If you like mystery books, I highly recommend it. It is not a “who dunnit” book, but I feel it falls into the mystery genre. I do want to forewarn that it was published by a traditional publisher, so not all the content will fall within the Christian worldview.

If you choose to read it, I would like to know your thoughts. Tomorrow—Friday—The Writers’ Porch.

First Impressions

I imagine most of us have seen the amazing performance by Susan Boyle. Ms. Boyle auditioned for Britain Has Talent, which is much like our American Idol. It even has old Simon Cowell as a judge. She appeared on stage as a frumpy, middle-aged, single, never-been-kissed try-out. The judges rolled their eyes and said, “All right darling, go ahead.” She opened her mouth and belted out “I Dreamed a Dream” from the famous theater production of Les Miserables. It was beyond spectacular. There are really no words to describe the beauty of it; of the song, her voice, and how the lyrics applied to her life.

The judges sat open-mouthed, speechless and swallowing the lump in their throats—even Simon Cowell. Their first impression was so mistaken. The female judge (who I am not familiar with) apologized for the pre-conceived judgment of her. They all gave a big “YES!” for her to continue on in the competition. The next day she was an international sensation. Ms. Boyle was featured on almost every news station across the world. The world’s first impression was dead wrong—Ms. Boyle has talent.

Now here is what I would like to leave with you today. I babysat my 20-month-old grandson Michael last week. The day after Susan Boyle made a splash across the media, I sat with Michael on my lap and showed him the You Tube video of the performance. He sat mesmerized by the audition and at the end, before everyone else began to applaud, he clapped his chubby little hands together in appreciation. This 20-month-old toddler held no beauty prejudice. He heard loveliness and responded. We re-watched the video five times. Each time he snuggled into my chest and leaned forward to the computer screen. He never wiggled or squirmed. He was transformed by the gift of Susan Boyle. (Now at all other times he is a busy, busy, busy, active little boy.)

My grandson’s reaction to "I Dreamed a Dream" sang by Ms. Doyle made me cry. I prayed for him and my two granddaughters to keep the innocence that childhood gives—that they would see everyone as a perfection of God.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:16-17).

I guess what I and millions of others learned is this: don’t judge by the world’s standards. We all have dreams. We are all children of the Most High God.