{The Racketeer} by John Grisham

Last Saturday I finished reading John Grisham's The Racketeer. Pretty good book about a black lawyer who ended up in jail and then got out of jail by making a deal with the FBI when he gave he name of  a guy for a murder of a judge. When the now free lawyer gets a new face and relocated courtesy of the US Marshalls, plus the reward money, he circumvents their protection and pretends to be a documentary filmer and meets up with a guy he had been in jail with at one time.

The jail guy doesn't recognize him and falls for the filmer routine and the two end up taking a private jet to Miami, only the lawyer drugs the jail guy and they go to Jamaica instead. When they get to Jamaica, the jail guy is still out cold and he gets put in jail there for drugs and a gun found in his bag. The lawyer pretends to try to help the jail guy including hiring a lawyer for him. 

The whole point was to find out where the guy had gold bars hidden that he had stolen from the judge he killed. The judge was on the take, obviously, and the jail guy and his brother had stumbled on the gold. Turns out the brother had gotten killed in a DEA drug bust before they could get the gold and the guy ended up in jail where he met the lawyer. 

I'm leaving out some key things in this story, but you really need to read the book! :)

Women of Faith Conference

(This post was written last week but due to my lack of Internet at home I wasn't able to post until now...how's that for another excuse!)

This post is a long time coming (about a month overdue to be more precise). I’m ignoring the pile of dishes left over from my mini-bake fest and postponing my Christmas decorating to write this overdue post. But first maybe I’ll make some tea…be right back!

While the tea was brewing I did put away some clean dishes, but blatantly ignored the pile of dirty baking dishes (all right, there were also a couple of days worth of supper dishes too). Oh, and before you think that I was baker-extraordinaire today, let me clarify that I baked two batches of Trader Joe’s box pumpkin bread into 16 mini loaves and made pancakes for my late lunch. The pumpkin bread is for my co-workers and probably my niece and nephews who love pumpkin bread (but their mom doesn’t like pumpkin so they don’t get it much).

So back to the point of this post…Women of Faith (I last blogged about this here). But first, let me just say, I make some good Flaming Tea – yum!

Some months ago I for the price of a couple of blog post, I received two free tickets to attend the Women of Faith conference in downtown St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center back in October. Not having ever attended a Women of Faith event, I didn’t have many expectations. The tickets included events on Friday during the day, but since I had no one to go with until the evening I opted not to attend, but now wish I had so I could have heard Dr. Henry Cloud.

So Friday night, my sister-in-law’s sister (and my brother-in-law’s cousin – yup), Lindsay, and I headed to the evening session. We stopped at Smash Burger to use a Groupon Lindsay had picked up a while back and got their in plenty of time to park and get to our seats.

Friday night’s session was mostly introducing us to the speakers and a mini-concert by Natalie Grant. On Saturday I started to take notes on my phone from some of the speakers, but I had technical issues and lost the notes…While all of the speakers had outstanding testimony’s of God’s grace in their lives, two speakers stuck out to me: Lisa Harper, single and age 48, who is working on adopting her first child and Luci Swindol, single and age 79, who has lived a full life and reminded us all to live in the moment. 

One verse that stuck out from the sessions was I Timothy 6:17, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.”

Saturday Lindsay and I ate lunch at Cosetta’s, an authentic Italian restaurant with good slices of pie, and I’m not talking about apple pie! 

{women of faith}

Back in July I found out I was selected as a blogger for the Women of Faith event. 

This opportunity was given to me because I review books for Book Sneeze (Thomas Nelson Publishing) and then blog about the books. 

I'm receiving two registrations to attend the event so I plan to bring Lindsay! along for the ride.

This will be my first Women of Faith event. I plan to write a post after the event so stay tuned!

 

{Book Review} Nick of Time (A Bug Man Novel) by Tim Downs

Book Description

Tying the knot may be the toughest thing Nick Polchak has ever tried to do.

Nick Polchak is comfortable with bugs. Their world is orderly. He knows where he stands and exactly how to interpret the signs they give him. But a fiancée and an upcoming wedding? Not so much.

That's why—a mere four days before the nuptials—Nick finds himself driving to Philadelphia for the monthly meeting of the Vidocq society. Being among a group of forensic professionals consulting on cold cases will surely allow him to feel useful and normal.

But while there he discovers that a close friend has been murdered . . . and in classic Nick style, begins to follow the trail of evidence rather than returning to his fiancée. Fearing that his one-track mind won't lead him home by Saturday, Alena and three of her dogs go to track him down.

When she finally finds him, nothing is as Alena expected . . . because the twists in this case will surprise even the most dedicated Bug Man fans.

Book Review

Ok, this book title sounded a little corny  and the book it had it's moments, but overall, it was a good read. There was this one thing that kind of bothered me throughout the book and it ended up having to do with the outcome so I won't give it away. The twists and turns of the story mostly distracted me from "this one thing" and I really did enjoy the read. This was my first introduction to this author and I think I'd like to read more of his books.

Thank you BookSneeze for the free book.

{Book Review} Which None Can Shut by Reema Goode

Book Description
Imagine a place where becoming a Christian is a punishable crime—and your own family exacts the punishment. Where those who spread the gospel among locals are deported if discovered. Where converts to Christianity face persecution, isolation, or even death as the price for their faith. “Reema Goode” and her family are Christians working in a closed Middle Eastern country where all of these things are true. Yet they are also firsthand witnesses of a whole new trend that is taking shape in missions to Muslims. Despite all obstacles, God is opening miraculous doors in the Islamic world, where an unprecedented number of Muslims are becoming followers of Jesus. In this powerful collection of personal stories, Reema takes us deep inside her Arab neighborhood to show how God is opening doors in just one of many Islamic communities. As she walks us through everyday life in a Muslim town, she reveals the diverse, creative, unexpected, and thrilling ways God is reaching her neighbors with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.”—Revelation 3:8


Book Review
I really got a lot out of reading this book. I think it's the first "on the field missionary" book I've read all the way through. It's a short read so it didn't take too long.

Reading these short stories about a Christian missionary couple who lived in the Muslim culture was eye opening. I don’t know much about the Muslim culture so it was very informative. Learning about the dangers that missionaries face just in their every-day encounters makes me very grateful to live in the country I live in. The Goode family took many purposeful-opportunities to develop relationships with their neighbors and others they met in their daily routine. These relationships led to amazing times when Reema was asked by highly influential Muslims to explain the Bible and their Christian beliefs to large groups of Muslims. My eyes were really opened to the struggles these missionaries face just to create relationships with a culture that is so different from what they know. I was challenged by the fact that these missionaries made the most of each encounter with their neighbors and those they met in the community. Because of their faithfulness God was able to use them to reach many for Christ. This book is a clear testimony that God was using them to do His work. 

Recommendation: Good read.

Thank you Tyndale for the free book.

{Book Review} Your Money God’s Way by Aime Streater

For the past 10 years I have been trying to get out of debt. Realistically, I have been seriously trying for the past four years. I am very close to reaching one specific financial goal and I think the fact that I’m so close that goal has given me a little inspiration.

Several months back I chose to review the book Your Money God’s Way by Aime Streater through BookSneeze.com, but only got through the first chapter before it was laid aside and kind of forgotten about. Recently I picked it up again in hopes that I could finish a review and get another book and I was surprised (in a good way) to find lots of things to help me reach the finish line of the specific financial goal I mentioned above.

I’m going to post this review in two sections because 1) I've finished reading half of the book and 2) since this has turned into more of a Bible study for me rather than a normal Book Review, it's going to be a little longer than unusual...

Book Description

“Amie Streater…delivers a powerful message of common sense and biblical wisdom that today’s churchgoers desperately need.” - Dave Ramsey

Readers discover the seven "counterfeit convictions" that keep them broke and encounter proven plans for getting out of debt, building wealth, and finding financial peace.

Money habits. Where do they come from? Can you pinpoint when you started shopping to feel better, why you can’t usher grown children into financial independence, or why saving for the future is a priority in theory but not in practice?

Amie Streater, associate pastor of financial stewardship for the 10,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, has been there. From her own experience, she knows what it’s like to look at an impossible pile of bills and a pile of toddlers wrestling in the next room. In Your Money God's Way, empowered by her own incredible journey to financial freedom, she leads readers to the dream of mastering their finances. She also expertly uncovers seven “counterfeit convictions” Christians believe that hinder their personal finance success.

Book Review

From the start I think the author is harsh in her analysis of what Christians should do to be good financial stewards, but I think it’s necessary. She found “that it takes more than just teaching steps to get out of debt—it takes confrontation of the wrong thinking that got them there to begin with.”

Counterfeit Convictions is first chapter and the book concludes with Conviction Clean-Up Plan. The middle chapters describe the author’s view of “seven key spiritual conditions most often cause Christians to fail in meeting personal financial goals”:

1. The Fix-It Fantasy: Unrealistic, unbiblical beliefs about the power money has to improve our lives
2. Saviors or Enablers?: A habit of trying be a savior by continually bailing reckless people out of their messes, and waiting our own resources in the process
3. Self-Righteous Slackers: Polluted theology, which we use to mask laziness and justify not working or failing to work up to our full potential
4. You Must Be Here to Help Me!: Naïveté about the intentions of others.
5. God Is an ATM: Failure to give, or a tendency to give with the wrong intentions
6. The Scarlette Syndrome: Denial about our current circumstances of the consequences of our actions
7. The Cliff Jumpers: A tendency to blame God for our own impulsive behavior

Introduction

One thing that stuck out in her introduction was “Your wealth—or lack thereof—is a direct result of the decisions you have made regarding every dollar that has passed through your hands.” Uhh…she said “every dollar”!

I was encouraged by this prayer and intend to pray it often:

Daily Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for loving me, for staying beside me, for holding me up when I fall. Please give me an open mind and an open heart. Let me see things as You see them. Show me what’s truth. Show me where I am wrong. Open the doors You want me to walk through, and close the ones that lead to places You don’t want me to be.

Please bless my efforts to improve my finances. Multiply my resources, and bless me so I may be a blessing to others. Most important, line up my thoughts with Your thoughts. Help me forgive myself for the mistakes of my pat, and forgive others for mistakes against me, just as You forgive me for all my sins as soon as I ask. I release the mistakes of yesterday, and I receive the blessing You have for me today.

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Chapter 1 – Counterfeit Convictions

In this chapter I was challenged to highlight the scriptures used so that they will provide a quick reference for me to do as the Berean Christians did in Acts 17:11.

The author explained counterfeit convictions as “beliefs that started out as biblical truths but that we absorb into our hearts incorrectly.”

Here’s the first one she mentions:

Counterfeit Conviction: “I can’t really afford this, but I’ll just put it on my credit card. When the bill comes, God will provide!”

Timeless truth: Proverbs 21:17 tells us, “HE who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.”

A daily prayer:

Father God, I acknowledge that my current financial habits may be inconsistent with what Your Word teaches because my current financial condition does not line up with the promise of the Bible. God, open my heart and my mind to new ideas and fresh thinking. Help me to see what You want me to see, when You want me to see it. Father, bless my efforts to become financially healthy, and let my decisions bless my family and honor You.

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Chapter 2 – The Fix-It Fantasy

While Chapter 1 set the stage for the next 7 chapters, Chapter 2 jumped right in to the main idea from this chapter to me was the power of negative words in your life, and replacing negative thinking with Scripture truths is the key to reversing the effects of those negative words.

A couple of quotes I pulled from the chapter:

·         “If you’re not grateful for what you have now, you won’t be grateful with more.” Contentment is happiness, not more stuff.

·         “See your setback as a temporary circumstance and not a permanent condition.” It’s easy to get into the “permanent condition” mindset. But by reversing your thinking, you will be more positive. To be more positive, you will need to add Scripture to your thinking.

·         “The only thing that can truly change you is the power of God.” Again, more Scripture in your life is key!

A daily prayer:

Dear God, please help me see money the way You see it. And show me that You value me right now for who I am and for who You created me to be. Give me the wisdom and the patience to multiply my resources so that I can be a blessing to others. Let me value my life in terms of the amount of love I give and receive, and not by the number of dollars I have in the bank. Show me what money can do, and just as important, what it cannot do. Help me to find peace and my safety in You, and only You.

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Chapter 3 - Saviors or Enablers?

Counterfeit Conviction: It is my Christian duty to be at the beck and call of everyone who wants me to help them out of a jam.

Timeless Truth: You have to take care of yourself if you’re going to be in a position to help anyone else. And the world is full of people who live to take advantage of generous souls. Generosity and a desire to be helpful to others must be coupled with wisdom and discernment.

While I like to think of myself as a generous person, I know don’t have anyone in my life taking advantage of my generosity and I also don’t believe I generally give more than I can afford so this chapter was somewhat not applicable to me. However, she did raise some good points for when you are in these types of situations and there were two things that stuck out to me:

·         Establish a budget in which your tithe and your most immediate needs (food, clothing, shelter, [and] transportation) are covered first, followed by your secondary goals and obligations (retirement savings, debt elimination, mortgage payoff acceleration, [and] vacation savings). You cannot give away money that you do not have.

·         Set aside a monthly amount to use for “spontaneous” giving or helping others. If after making your budget you don’t have money left over, then you are about to get a crash course in saying no.

Chapter 4 - Self-Righteous Slackers

Counterfeit Conviction: God didn’t want me to go to work…My responsibilities will be met somehow.

Timeless Truth: Laziness does not honor God; neither is it His plan for your life. However, God always blesses hard work and dedication.

Some themes of the chapter included:

• The author was certainly passionate about telling those she has counseled that it was a privilege for women to be stay at home moms/wives, not a right. If one chose to get in debt (i.e. for education – student loans) then one should contribute to the effort to pay those debts off.
• Caution against get-rich-quick schemes. Proverbs 21:5
• Encouragement to “work up to our full potential”- maybe even sacrifice a little now to ultimately get to do a job that we desire.
• Using more than just one of our talents if God closes the door to the one we’ve always done (be the tweezers or pliers in the Swiss army knife instead of just a knife).

Pray for my work life:

Father God, I thank You for the gifts and talents with which You have blessed me. Please help me use these gifts to make a living for myself and for my family, to bless others, and to honor and glorify You. Break off any barriers in my hear that keep me from working up to my fullest potential. Give me a strong work ethic, energy for the day, patience for the tasks before me, and grace to handle my job with a smile. Bless the work of my hands, Lord, and please bless the job searches of everyone who is out of work right now.

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Bottom line: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Colossians 3:23

I hope to post the conclusion of this review in the next week or so.

{Dear Jesus} my prayer this week

 Dear Jesus, thank You for loving me...

for staying beside me, for holding me up when I fall. Please give me an open mind and an open heart. Let me see things as You see them. Show me what’s truth. Show me where I am wrong. Open the doors You want me to walk through, and close the ones that lead to places You don’t want me to be.

Please bless my efforts to improve my finances. Multiply my resources, and bless me so I may be a blessing to others. Most important, line up my thoughts with Your thoughts. Help me forgive myself for the mistakes of my pat, and forgive others for mistakes against me, just as You forgive me for all my sins as soon as I ask. I release the mistakes of yesterday, and I receive the blessing You have for me today.
 In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

I'm reading "Your Money God's Plan" by Amie Streater and hope to post a book review about it when I'm done! It started out as just a book review, but its turning into a Bible Study - lots of Scripture to look up! It's great!!!

“Amie Streater…delivers a powerful message of common sense and biblical wisdom that today’s churchgoers desperately need.” - Dave Ramsey

{Book Review} The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews

This post is a little late...I wrote this back in August and just found it!!

Book Description

The decisions you make and the way you treat others have more impact than you may ever realize.

Speaker and New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews shares a compelling and powerful story about a decision one man made over a hundred years ago, and the ripple effect it’s had on us individually, and nationwide, today. It’s a story that will inspire courage and wisdom in the decisions we make, as well as affect the way we treat others through our lifetime. Andrews speaks over 100 times a year, and The Butterfly Effect is his #1 most requested story.

My Review

A grown up, coffee-table version of The Boy Who Changed the World. A lot of history, a big life lesson -- that's my summary of this book. My dad was a history teacher, but I only occasionally enjoy learning about his favorite subject. This book was a quick-read and kept me interested through entire book. Learning of the history of our country is something that I should try to do regularly. Learning about how every decision affects many other people is something that will take a few more lessons. Thanks for the inspiration, Mr. Andrews.

{Book Review} The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

Book Description

Did you know that what you do today can change the world forever?

The Boy Who Changed the World opens with a young Norman Borlaug playing in his family’s cornfields with his sisters. One day, Norman would grow up and use his knowledge of agriculture to save the lives of two billion people. Two billion! Norman changed the world! Or was it Henry Wallace who changed the world? Or maybe it was George Washington Carver?

This engaging story reveals the incredible truth that everything we do matters! Based on The Butterfly Effect, Andy’s timeless tale shows children that even the smallest of our actions can affect all of humanity. The book is beautifully illustrated and shares the stories of Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug, Vice President Henry Wallace, Inventor George Washington Carver, and Farmer Moses Carver. Through the stories of each, a different butterfly will appear. The book will end with a flourish of butterflies and a charge to the child that they, too, can be the boy or girl who changes the world.

My Review

A little history, a pinch of nature, and a big life lesson – that about sums up this enjoyable children's book. The illustrations were great!  Ages 5 and up would probably be best suited for understanding and enjoyment. 

The book gives three quick stories of four real children who grew up to change the world: Norman Borlaug, Henry Wallace, Moses Carver and George Washington Carver. While I wasn't familiar with the first two historical figures, I think everyone knows about George Washington Carver and all of his inventions with just a peanut! The author wove the stories together very well. I especially enjoyed reading about how Moses saved George from outlaws—I’m not sure I was taught that in History class, at least I don't remember...

The creative emphasis on family, community, and the world was a great reminder of how Jesus called us to preach the gospel in Jerusalem, in Judea, and to the uttermost parts of the world!

I think everyone who reads "The Boy Who Changed the World" will benefit from being reminded about how our decisions affect more than just ourselves or just the here and now. I believe what the book claims is true: decisions made today affect your whole life and many other lives. I can’t wait to read this to my nieces and nephews.

{Book Review} A Child Is Missing by Karen Beaudin

This is not my usual book review as it is unsolicited. My past few reviews have been for BookSneeze, but this one is on my own! I hope you'll read this book!


Book Description
As I walked into the house, the scene I beheld was like something out of a movie. Every eye turned toward me, but no one spoke a word. 'What's wrong?' As tears ran down my sister's face, she said, with a voice filled with sobs, 'Kathy's dead; she's been murdered.' It was a cold November night in 1971 when thirteen-year-old Kathy Lynn Gloddy went missing, only to have her beaten, bruised body found the next day on the cold ground. Enter into the tragedy as Karen Beaudin vividly recounts the horrifying revelation of her younger sister's death in A Child Is Missing--the shocking true story of a small New Hampshire town stunned by the revelation of such a brutal crime, and a family devastated by the loss of a beloved daughter and sister. As Karen and her family search for justice, their faith will be tested in the battle against the guilt, fear, and devastating grief that comes when they realize every family's worst nightmare: A Child Is Missing.

Author's website: http://www.karenbeaudin.com/

A Tate Publishing book trailer for A Child Is Missing by Karen Beaudin.

My Review

I went to college with the author's oldest daughter. We had many of the same friends even before I met her. I met Joscelyn when we sang in the same traveling choir after she transfer in from another school. After I graduated I didn't hear from her until Facebook, but I have lots of fond memories of my friend Joscelyn from our choir tour adventures and also a trip to Chicago with 3 other friends to watch Phantom of the Opera. While this book was not  written about Josc, it is a record of a piece of her family history that directly impacted her mom in a severe way.

A Child Is Missing tells a first-hand account of a family who were the victims of a horrible crime: a daughter, a sister, murdered. It's hard for me to imagine losing one of my siblings, let alone losing one because of a murder. Even typing the word murder in the same sentence as siblings is hard. As I read Karen's account of losing her sister to murder, a brother to a heart condition, her father to cancer, and her mother who took her own life, I tried putting myself in her shoes and I don't know that I would come out the other side as strong she did. However, Karen's life is a testimony of God's faithfulness in her daily life and I believe that God can and will show himself to be just as faithful to me and you.

Through Karen you get a very real idea of what people go through when crime cases go unsolved. The hopes are very high and the and disappointments are very low. There is often a struggle to move on with your life and lay to rest your loved one. You relive the sadness not only out of guilt and trying not forget your loved one, but also from trying to remember any detail that might help the case. 

Karen's writing a sequel to this book to recount what happened when the case was reopened in 2004. She hopes to find new leads to solving her sister's murder.

Recommendation: Excellent Read

{Book Review} Sarah's Garden By Kelly Long

This is my second book review for Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze. My first review was for The Noticer by Andy Andrews. I love reading. I love free stuff. I enjoy writing. So BookSneeze seems like a great idea to me! 

Sarah's Garden A Patch of Heaven Novel

By Kelly Long

When Sarah realizes that she has fallen in love with an Englisch doctor, she must choose between her family and her forbidden love.

Deep in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains, shy Sarah King is happiest when working in her vibrant Amish kitchen garden, but new family responsibilities lead her into the confusing world of the Englisch.

Sarah finds her life turned around when she encounters the community’s new Englisch veterinarian, Grant Williams. His blue-gold eyes and his obvious concern for her people attract her immediately. Sarah seeks solace and direction from the Lord as she creates a quilt pattern which details her struggle between two worlds.

The Lord is guiding Sarah to follow His will, but will she listen?

My Review

My parents live in "Amishville" (they purchased land from Amish and built their house across the street from Amish), so I find occasional opportunities to learn more about them. I enjoyed reading the Sarah's Garden for that reason. 

The characters were mostly Sarah's family and a few community members that she interacted with. I believe this is the first in a series, so I'm eager to see the number of characters expand as we possibly meet other community members. 

The author portrayed Sarah as extremely sheltered and described her seeing more of the world when she took charge of her family's fruit/vegetable stand. I had a hard time imagining that she saw much more of the world by working at the fruit/vegetable stand. Even though she is portrayed very sheltered, I do like her character, a lot. It might be her love for gardening that endears me to her...even though I'm not a gardener at all. Maybe it's because I  admire people who can grow things! :)

So I can't leave out the romance! There was, of course, the Englisch man who Sarah falls in love with. She isn't given a chance to risk her world turning up-side-down because he leaves! I'll let you read the book to find out if and how the romance has a happy ending!

Recommendation: Good Read!

{Book Review} The Noticer written by Andy Andrews

The Noticer written by Andy Andrews

As this is my first “official” book review as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program, I feel a little nervous (almost like I have a book report due)–but here goes anyway!

The Noticer is about a man (Andy, the narrator) who meets an old man (simply Jones, not Mr. Jones) who over a period of many years, and at different times, gives Andy and the rest of the town “a little perspective.” This “perspective” is given when Andy or the townspeople are going through a difficult time. Many of lives are changed because of this old man's inspirational perspective. You will be encouraged by the stories of these people's lives as they are very believable. The experiences written about could be about your neighbor, your co-worker, or even a family member. There are interesting twists in the book about who is Jones?, why does he carry a suitcase?, what nationality/race is he?, why do some people call him by another name?

My first reaction was that I liked this book. The readability was set at a nice pace to be read in just a few evenings. I don't like slow starters and this definitely had me from the beginning. I was intrigued why a guy would be living under a pier and how a random old man could change his life by asking him “What is it about me that people would change if they could?”.

As much as I liked the book, it didn't really work for me because of the lack of scriptural context. There were many inspirational, helpful life-tips, but not a lot of reference to God and what He can do for and through you. A few themes in the book that I appreciated and would like to consider more with scripture mixed in:

• Love dialects (spoken word of approval, favors & deeds, physical contact, quality time).
• Whatever you focus upon, increases.
• “Don't sweat the small stuff”is not really an accurate motto to live by because it's the small stuff that makes the big picture.
• A decision to change may take a long time, but the actual change takes place in a heartbeat.
• Choice vs mistake. Ask forgiveness for wrong choices, don't just say “I'm sorry.”
• Take the first 10 minutes after you wake up to write down what you're grateful for.

Recommendation: Good Read.