This pretty little book contains selections from a variety of books chosen by the editors at St. Anthony's Messenger Press. The selections are each placed into a theme based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 like "A Time to Be Born" and "A Time to Love, A Time to Hate." Each one includes Questions for Reflection based on the particular quotation and the theme.
This book is best read in small portions. It might work well as part of a daily devotion or just as a morning ritual along with a cup of coffee. I found if I tried to read more than a few pages at a time, the quotations and reflections seemed to blend together.
I found some of the selections to be more powerful than others. That's probably not too surprising as they come from different sources. Also, they would probably effect me differently if I read them at a different time in my own life. One of my very favorites was the first one in the book (from Beth M. Knobbe's Finding My Voice: A Young Woman's Perspective):
There is undue pressure to find the one right thing, but any decision we make is never the last decision. It is just the next decision. I don't have to worry about forever, if I am able to concentrate on doing the next right thing.I shared recently about mothering Second Son, so this particular quote struck me. It also reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses:
‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:24)I think this could be a nice gift or a good book for a guest room. (We almost have a guest room now; there's a bed in the office. One day we will have a real guest room and I plan on providing a variety of funny or sweet little books from which a guest can read just a few pages before bed to relax. You see how welcome you'd all be here on the Range?)
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my objective opinion. This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Good Words - Inspiration for Catholic Women. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.
