Highly Recommended

I have recently read two books that I absolutely LOVE, Yearning For the Living God by F. Enzio Busche and I Am A Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson. Both were borrowed from either a friend or the library but I plan on buying both of them and reading them again with a highlighter in hand. It makes me laugh that I enjoyed them so much because I have never been fond of books in this genre. Maybe fond isn't the right word, they just took me a lot longer to finish. I wouldn't have referred to them as rapid page turners you get lost in. These two books, I couldn't put down. I love the insights, advice and examples that permeate throughout each of them. I think my change in reading style has emerged partly because I have recently realized how important this life is and how vital the decisions we make really are and that I need all the help I can get. Anyway, I highly suggest them. Enjoy (or try to at least, hehe) some thoughts I had and lessons I learned from each book.

This book was really intriguing. The historical insights were awesome and the spiritual insights...even better. To wrap up it up in a nutshell.....it is about F. Enzio Busche, an emeritus member of the quorum of the seventy. He grew up in Nazi Germany. He was drafted into Hitler's army when he was 14, and by the end of the war, had become a prisoner of war. The war left him broken down, lost and confused (as it did most of Germany). He began a quest for the "Living God" it reminded me a lot of Joseph Smiths quest. It then tells of the experiences he has had while serving in the church. Some powerful lessons I learned from the book

• We need to fill our hearts and souls with love. We need to rid ourselves of fear and hate and replace it with love.
• This life, and the decisions we make in it, are vitally important. Help, is closer then we think. There is true power in prayer.

Coming from me these lessons sound so simple, like something we hear every Sunday in church. Seriously....read the book. It goes into it so much better then I can. This book, is definitely one of, if not my favorite, of all time. Thanks for the recommendation kelli.

I am a mother, is all about how important mothers are and what a noble calling it is to be a woman and a mother. The book got a little bit repetitive, but really, it was a message worth repeating. Some of my favorite messages....

• When asked, what it is we do in life, we should never reply, "I'm just a mother" but proudly respond, "I am a mother"
• Motherhood is the work of God and because it is, he will support and help us, we only need to ask.
• Competition, can be a tool of the adversary. We should not compete to be "the best mother" and judge and criticize others. Instead, we should form strong relationships with other women/mothers and support one another. Criticism and judgement tear us apart, charity brings us together.
• We are all mothers. Well, us women at least, hehe.
• This last thought is one I have been wrestling with for awhile. I often hear other mothers complaining that becoming a mother has destroyed their identity. They no longer know who they are. These comments have bugged me because, to a point, I can understand what they are saying. I definitely am not the same person I was before having kids. However, I didn't exactly see it as a bad thing. Jane addressed this in the book. She mentioned how, as a mother, you grow into the woman God knows you can be. She also said, " You do not lose your identity when you become a mother; you have the opportunity to more closely identify with God, to become more like Him and to enrich the lives of all who come after you." I love it, I just love it.

Let me hear your thoughts...whether you have read the books or not.