Made Well a Book Review from the Heart.

A Book Review: Made Well: Finding Wholeness in the Everyday Sacred Moments. Written By Jenny Simmons

When we think about healing we think of this miraculous, one moment sick-the next moment healthy, kind of healing. But what happens when that doesn’t happen? What happens when we are called to a journey of becoming whole, a journey that is marked with hard work, emotional battles, a journey that takes putting one foot in front of the other everyday to being made well. When we respond to the invitation that Jesus gave so long ago, and still gives every day, an open hand, a sweet whisper to our hearts “Do you want to be made well?”, with a resounding yes… our journey can look different than expected. This book is a guide, a love letter, a soothing balm to the soul on a healing journey. A Journey through pain, through hurt, through sickness to a place of peace, a peace that passes all understanding… That can only be received if we accept this invitation.

As I was reading though this book there were so many moments when my heart leapt because she was speaking directly to pain and hurt in my own life. Jenny has interwoven personal stories all throughout this book -weaving a tapestry that we can all recognize even though our journey may look different, we see the common threads, the heart hurts, the unseen hand, that hind sight as 20/20, and even though we may never know the purpose, we know that we are on the road to being made well. 

The concept is simple, yet so profound. It grasped me in the first few pages, my heart recognized that I needed to read this book, that this was a message for me, for my hurt moments, for my hurt heart. 

If you are ready to accept the invitation “Do you want to be made well?” then this book is for you. It will encourage you - you are not alone, you are being made well, we are being made well… and You are worth being made well. I am worth it. And we are so loved. 

As many of you know I have had my own hurt heart, my own issues with fertility and no babies, and a hurt heart, a mother’s heart that has never been filled, a heart that is mourning the loss of a lifetime of dreams, a heart that is on a journey to being made well. A heart that has chosen gratitude and hope… a heart that somedays physically aches in my body. I live a life that sometimes catches me off guard and takes my breath away, drops me to my knees, hurt. I don’t understand, I may never understand, but what I do know is that I responded to the invitation “Do you want to be made well?” and in doing so, I have journeyed a long way on a road of healing.

Healing hurts. Healing is hard work. Healing takes time, healing can take a life time… sometimes healing may only come on the other side of glory, but healing does come… and we will be made well.

Thank you Jenny for writing this book, sharing your heart, your hurts, your victories, your stories. Thank you for re-introducing us to Jesus, the ultimate healer, friend, confidant and Saviour.  This book is such an encouragement to me, it read my pain, it spoke a healing balm to my heart, and it has moved me in ways I cannot express.

What a beautiful way to start a new year… knowing that healing takes time, healing hurts, but we’re all going to make it through, because we have accepted the most beautiful invitation ever… 

Do you want to be made well? 

Share the love,
M.

Please Note: Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc .

LostBumblebee ©2016 | Made Well | Printable 8x10in. | Personal Use Only | www.lostbumblebee.net

LostBumblebee ©2016 Made Well,
Desktop Image 72 dpi, not for print, personal use only, www.lostbumblebee.net

LostBumblebee ©2016 Made Well,
Desktop Image 72 dpi, not for print, personal use only, www.lostbumblebee.net

LostBumblebee ©2016 Made Well,
Desktop Image 72 dpi, not for print, personal use only, www.lostbumblebee.net

It's My Party.

And I'll cry if I want to.
Cry if I want to. Cry if I want to.

The clock of my life has just ticked another year older. June 1, 11:42am, 1978 I was spewed into the world, if my mother had been a blogger, I'm sure there would have been a very poetic account of my birth, but alas she was not... therefore I was spewed into the world in a pile of goop, and probably poop- if we are being completely honest.

For years now, since I turned 29- my birthdays are somber, a little sad, slightly uneventful (except my 30th, we partied like it was 1978- and it was awesome- I'm a sucker for a good costume/theme party- I love them.) 

But in all seriousness, I take (probably) too much time to think about life, what is happening and what isn't happening -that I wish was happening. This year I tried to see things how they are... not how I expected them to be when I was 18. Do you know how much time I've wasted wishing my life away- hoping and praying for things to be different, instead of being grateful for how they are? the lessons I'm learning?  and just how blessed I am?

This year was a turn. Did I have a moment of tears, yes... did my Hubby take time to sit with me and discuss it? yessss... but only after he imitated me, being me, having my own little pity party- and then we laughed until my sad tears turned into the tears of joy. (Psalms 30:5b - ...weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning... )

I wish I could see only the positive in life, I wish I could be the person who always sees life from a higher perspective, but sometimes I'm not. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I throw a pity party for myself. Sometimes I put my feelings above those of other people. Sometimes people make me want to scream-  and I love people.  I'm starting to believe that seeing the positive in life is a skill that is learned and not something you are born with. A skill that needs to be honed and nurtured, protected and chosen. You can't catch it, like the measles-  You've got to pursue it, believe it in, aspire to it, choose it, live it, and give yourself a break when you fail miserably at it.

So this year for my birthday I'm giving myself the gift of grace. I generally hold myself to a higher set of expectations than I hold other people to, but this year, this year is a year of grace. (Not an excuse to be a sloppy human, who does whatever they want, whenever they want and never puts the hearts of others above their own). But instead grace in the truest sense of the word- Grace that excludes merit. The one that I can't earn, even with myself. A grace that isn't deserved, just given.

So here is to a new year, a fresh start, and a year of grace.
Maybe you need to offer yourself some grace... true grace, one you can't earn, maybe you don't deserve, but you need. Make today a fresh start in your life...

I created this print, initially it was only going to say Grace once (in black)... but then I kept adding more, we need so much grace in our lives- many times in a day. So as many times are you read grace on this print, give that to yourself, to your children, to your coworkers, to your hubby, to your friends and to everyone else and then times it by 7.

Share the love, and the grace...
M.

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Thank you :)

M.

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