One by One by David A. Bednar // Book Review

A huge thanks to Deseret Book for sending me a free hardback copy of this book to review. As always, opinions are my own.

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I am a huge fan of Elder David A. Bednar. His conference talks always inspire me to increase my knowledge of the gospel and become closer to the Spirit. Anyone else feel the same way? 

I've read quite a few of his books, and if I'm being honest, a lot of the information goes over my head. He's just SO knowledgeable! However, when I saw his new book, One by One, I got so excited because this is a topic I love learning about! The book is all about the pattern of how Christ ministers to and loves individuals. One by one!

Basically we get a "guided tour" through the scriptures showing us all the ways that our Savior ministers one by one. Elder Bednar also shares some really inspiring stories from his own life. I found myself making notes in the margins and sharing what I was learning with other people.

This book is one of those books that is bound to stay on the Deseret Book Bestseller List for quite some time, I'm sure of it! 

WHERE TO PURCHASE: 

Deseret Book 

Amazon

My Favorite Books for Direct Sales + Multi Level Marketers

(This post contains affiliate links. That means I may make a portion of income from your purchase, but your price will stay the same. Thanks for supporting my blog- you're supporting foster care purchases & the occasional Diet Coke run. It  means the world to me!) 

Anyone who knows me knows I am a voracious reader. Especially as of lately.

In October 2016 I joined Monat, which is a direct sales shampoo company! I fell in love with the products, joined for the discount and decided to share this magical shampoo with friends. But I wanted to gain as much knowledge about the profession as I could, I was SO clueless about it.

So I compiled a list of my favorite books related to business, marketing, and direct sales to help you start your own collection that will help you achieve your dream life through Direct Sales, whatever company you are with.

Go Pro by Eric Worre was given to me as a gift from my sponsor. I devoured it in days and realized I did actually have a passion for this type of work! I really wanted to success. I think this is a great introduction to Network Marketing and can help solidify your belief in it as well as how to treat it like a professional job.

Get Over Your Damn Self had some great advice. I found it to be pretty salesy, but I just took it all with a grain of salt. Romi obviously knows what she is doing! Following her advice might be tricky but you will reap benefits!

Creating Magic is a book about the Disney Way of doing business & how to create magic for your customers. I LOVE Disney, and I've had amazing customer service experiences from them, most of us have! They have an unparalleled reputation for it. This focuses on the leadership side of things, but many can translate into running your business even if you don't have a huge team yet.

Be Our Guest is another Disney book (surprised? LOL) about perfecting the art of customer service. This is another great book that focuses more on the actual customer experience. It has GREAT advice for improving your customers experience! I think so much of this can be applied!

Rock Your Network Marketing Business is another easy read, but chock full of great quotes! This book taught me the best advice in Direct Sales... just. don't. quit.!! 

My friend Michelle Mccullough just launched this book the Make it Happen Blueprint. I "attended" her online course the Marketing Blueprint in December and learned so much. I'm still trying to piece it all together in bite size chunks that can improve my business. This is also a great book just for improving your life! Want to crush it in life & business without burning out? Michelle can teach you all her tips & tricks! 

Did I miss one of your FAVORITE books? Tell me below!

3 Ways to Carry the Spirit of General Conference Throughout the Year + a FREE month of Deseret Bookshelf PLUS

This weekend is General Conference! Which to me is seriously one of the most wonderful times of the year!! I love the feeling I have throughout the weekend and how rejuvenating and motivating it is. I wish that feeling could last all year.

So I've been experimenting with different ways that I could MAKE that feeling last all year and I wanted to share my top THREE ways that you can keep that spirit of #LDSConf with you in the 6 months between each conference.

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1. Use Conference Talks for Family Home Evening

When my husband & are on an FHE kick (it doesn't happen all that often...) we like to read conference talks together and share our thoughts and feelings. We often read one and then can talk about it for 30+ minutes. The church published magazines (Ensign, New Era, & The Friend) all have great ideas each month for incorporating conference talks into your Family Home Evenings.

2. Use Deseret Bookshelf PLUS for Gospel Learning 

Have you heard about Deseret Book's new subscription offer? It's called Deseret Bookshelf PLUS. It's AMAZING! For just $9.99/month ($6.99/month for Platinum Members) can listen to unlimited audiobooks + access to over 1,500 eBooks.

There are so many books by our General Authorities that you will have available to you. There is something so powerful about hearing (and reading!) the words of those who are in tune with the spirit. Want to read...?

Broken Things to Mend by Jeffery R. Holland

Increase In Learning by David A. Bednar

No Ordinary Women by Elaine Dalton

The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright (THIS IS ON MY TO READ!)

These (and many more are INCLUDED in your Deseret Bookshelf Plus. I'm seriously obsessing over it you guys!! You can even try it for FREE for an entire month! Use it on your commute, while you're at work, before going to bed, while taking a bath, etc. We spend so much time staring at our phones, we may as well be reading/listening to something worthwhile!

I usually prefer to read, but some days I just want to snuggle up in bed and listen, and that's why I love that this app gives you both options!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE MONTH

3. Set General Conference Quotes as your Phone Background

As soon as the conference starts the LDS bloggers get their fingers ready and make BEAUTIFUL prints of the most prominent quotes. For the longest time I had the quote, "Many things are good, many are important, but only a few are essential." by Elder D. Todd Christofferson set as my wallpaper. Our lives are busy and it was a reminder that although there are lots of good and important things I COULD be doing with my time, only a few are really ESSENTIAL.

So choose a quote you love and put it on your phone (or wall!) so you can reminded of what you learned in General Conference.

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So now... tell me what YOU do to keep the spirit of General Conference alive throughout the year!

Thanks to Deseret Book for sponsoring this post, all opinions are my own.

Books I Read in March //

I've been reading A LOT lately. I swear it's because I got a Kindle, but I've just had a renewed love for reading and it hasn't let up yet. So this month I read SIX books cover to cover, which is just crazy. Here's the list of books I read and my ratings!

1. My Story by Elizabeth Smart 5/5

I've always been intrigued by the story of Elizabeth Smart because it happened just 30 minutes away from where I grew up. My husband and I read this book together and we were basically addicted. We wanted to get to the rescue part and have her live happily ever after. The story was well written, and although the situation was horrible and terrible things were done to her, she tastefully wrote about it.



2. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan 3/5

The information in this book was good but man was it a snoozer. I started it in November and just barely finished it. I loved learning more about nutrition, but I just struggled to get into it. I had to take it like a chapter at a time because it was pretty boring!



3. Worth the Wrestle by Sheri Dew 5/5

I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book. It's all about how we should always be "wrestling" with our testimonies. When we ask questions and seek answers, our testimonies grow! We become more committed disciples of Christ. Questions aren't bad! Some answers may not come while we are mortal, and we have to trust. But there are many things we CAN learn if we seek knowledge by study & faith.

* I was give a pre-release copy of this book to read from Deseret Book in exchange for an honest review



4. List to Love by for Busy Wives 4/5

This was an easy read but uplifting and inspiring. It made me want to set some goals to improve my marriage. I love how it talked about marriage isn't just there to make us happy, but to make us holy. Sometimes we need to remember that! Lots of good ideas for your marriage and things you can pray and ponder about. I definitely recommend for all married ladies!



5. Getting Noticed by Lindsay Teague Moreno 5/5

This is probably my favorite book I've read about business! My shampoo biz is finally starting to grow and this book is gonna help me explode it even more. This book dives into how to stand out from all the other millions of businesses and how to use social media without being annoying. We all know direct sales can be annoying on social media right? It was my biggest pet peeve and why I almost didn't join one! I may order this in a hard copy soon because I want to highlight the crap out of it and start implementing what I learned! I loved this one!



6. If You Find This Letter by Hannah Brencher 5/5

Be still my heart. This is one of those books that I feel like changed me. It tugged on my heartstrings. Us millenials get a really bad rap. But you guys, we are trying! So many of us are drowning in student debt the generation above us said would be worth it & then they judge us for the debt amiright?? The author took a year between college and "real-life" to do 12 months of service in NYC. While they she starts to write love letters to strangers and leave them around town and eventually started mailing them as well. This story is amazing. I loved it and highly recommend it if you're feeling lost and unsure that you can actually make a difference.



I've already started into some other books so I'm sure my April list will be long too! LOL! Tell me what you are reading and loving lately!

More Posts You May Like...

Books Read in January 2017 
Books Read in February 2017

Books Read in February 2017 //

I read SO much this month you guys. Your minds are about to be blown. I read FIVE books this month. Crazy. So here's the recap ya'll.

1. I started off the month reading Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific & Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer. If you've seen The War Room movie then you'll know the premise of this book. It's about creating a prayer strategy to help you conquer the enemy and fight your daily battles. I highly recommend the book and the movie! 5/5

      

2. Next up I read Speak: How Your Story Can Change the World by Nish Weiseth. I gave it a 4/5 star rating because I thought it was great, it just didn't have the WOW factor I reserve for 5 stars. The book is about how we need to share our stories as we share the gospel. And also that we need to remember that every person has a story! Nish -who is not LDS- is a friend to the LDS church (I know this from other readings) but I didn't love the perspective she gave on "Mormons". If you were unfamiliar with the LDS church you may misinterpret some of what she says and think it is "doctrine". That also contributed to the 4 star rating I'm sure. But overall, I devoured the book. I wanted more! I love her as a blogger and what she is doing with her life. This is a great read if you're wanting to feel inspired in your blogging, writing or speaking.

3. Next up was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I have been reading a TON of self-help books lately and I just really wanted to get lost in a story. And believe me- I did. I read this book in just over 24 hours. I was obsessed. I LOVED reading The Girl on the Train last year and heard this was comparable. It was, but it had a MILLION more vulgarities and F words. Which truthfully, I don't use that word so it's a little uncomfortable to read it at least once a page. But the story was riveting. The only reason I wouldn't recommend is because of it's sexual content and language. All the reviews say the ending fell flat, it kinda did for me but it wasn't horrible. Not horrible enough to not read, just a little bit weird I guess. 3/5 

4. After reading such an intense book I wanted something light hearted and fun. I'd seen this book randomly on Amazon and was super interested so I decided it was the perfect time to read it. Happy Place: Living the Disney Parks Life by Scott Renshaw was such a fun read for me! I gave it 5/5. If you are OBSESSED with Disney and Disney Parks like I am, then this book is perfect for you. He meets and interviews different Disney mega fans. Such as the one who went to Disneyland 1,000 days in a row, one who has ridden Radiator Springs Racers over 3,000 times and one who made going to the parks his job. Talk about a dream! These people are living my dream life. lol. If you're not obsessed with Disney, this book will make you think we're even weirder. But if you are, it may just bring a smile to your face!

5. Lastly I read The Four Year Career which is a book designed to inspire women who are in the direct sales line of work. Whether you're in Rodan + Fields, It Works, Scentsy, Younique or Monat like me- this book will inspire you! It wasn't really anything super special, but it did inspire me to take some more action in my business. 4/5

So tell me, what are YOU reading lately? 

Books Read in Jan 2017 //

I decided to set a goal to read 24 books in 2017 or 2/month. I'd love to commit to more than that, but honestly being in-between on foster care and such makes life complicated. Underpromise and overdeliver am I right?

I also got a Kindle for Christmas! I was so nervous because I definitely prefer to read actual books, but I knew I could save money and it would make it easier to haul around. So far I have LOVED it. I also love that I can "carry" my scriptures on it and it saves my spot. It's seriously been awesome.

So in January I kicked it off strong and consistent finishing 2 books! I started January reading a book about habits to kick off the year.


Better Than Before // Gretchen Rubin



4/5 Stars

This book is all about habit formation and continuation. Why do we choose habits, why they are hard to keep, how to make them easier and stick with them as well as some suggestions on habits we can make.

I think there were a couple of really good tips in here and one of my favorites is to make it easy to choose right. Plan your habits into routines you already have! Meet up with a friend. (But seriously, where are my friends who want to do yoga at? No one would go with me! LOL!) Plan ahead, wear the right clothes. Schedule the time in your planner.

I find this book really inspiring. I don't agree with everything in the book (mostly her low-carb diet push) but I do agree with most of it and it really encourages me to find ways to make my goals work for me!



Wild & Free // Jess Connolly & Hayley Morgan



5/5 Stars

This is one of those books that has been floating around the Christian blogosphere for awhile. It was one of the first books I downloaded on my Kindle and I read through it so fast. I love Jess & Hayley on social media and this book felt like we were all hanging out at a coffee shop chatting about life and God and Jesus and it was beautiful.

This book is all about chasing the call and the life that God has for you. It's for you who feel like you're too much for some people and not enough for others. It's a reminder that God has a place for you, and no one can take that place. We were born to be wild!

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I am so excited for the books I have up next! As I'm writing this it's mid-February and I've already finished one book, but I'll save that one for a blog post for next month. I'm really trying to finish 24 books this year or 2/month! January was a win!


The Amazon links are affiliate- this just means that I make a small portion off your purchase for recommending it. Thanks for supporting my Diet Coke fund, foster care purchases, and more Jesus tees, because honestly, who can ever have too many Jesus tees? 

Books Read November 2016

It has been a crazy month for the Jolley family, although I feel like I say that every month. We got moved into our new home in Ogden, UT and are loving it! The first 2 weeks of the month were spent unpacking, figuring out where things are, and trying to maintain my sanity despite all the changes. I barely read during that time, so once we were *mostly* settled, I popped over to the library and picked up a few books I've been reading on Amazon and got a couple books finished!

This post contains affiliate links, this just means if you purchase using my links, I'll earn a (small) portion of that income! Thank you for supporting my blog. Jack wanted to be in the picture. LOL. I love that little one-eyed dog!

1. The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Personally I really liked this book. The characters were all a little cuckoo, but it was a page turner! Some people say the ending is predictable but I did not see it coming and for that reason I loved it. The book had a little too much swearing for me, but it was easy to coast over and ignore. But just a warning if you don't want to deal with that! If you want something that will take your mind out of the real world and into a story, this book definitely did it for me. I read it in like two days!

2.  Go Pro - 7 Steps to Becoming a Network Marketing Professional by Eric Worre

I recently joined a network marketing company called Monat. My sponsor sent this to me. I was surprised that it wasn't full of sleazy advice like "message 50 people a day"! It was full of a lot of good advice. Like focus on education, not sales. If you're in any kind of direct sales, I'd recommend this easy read. I'm going to re-read but with a pen in hand next time!

3.  Cut: The true story of an abandoned, abused little girl who was desperate to be part of a family by Cathy Glass

It's hard for me to rate this book. As a future foster carer I wanted to read some stories of children in foster care. This book had some disturbing sequences. The poor young girl is emotionally disturbed in some of the worst ways and it is so heartbreaking. The story was told well, and I admire the couple so much! Foster care has also changed SO MUCH since the time of this book that it's almost not applicable to current experiences. It does have a happy ending though, which I was so desperately praying for as I read the book. 4. Get Over Yourself by Romi Neustadt Although I may not 100% agree with everything in this book, I really enjoyed it and agreed with about 90% of it. It helped me understand the steps I can take to have a successful network marketing career. I feel so much more knowledgeable and ready to conquer. I need to get a notepad and put some action steps down though because this was a lot of info and I almost feel overwhelmed by it all. Oh, and it has some swearing... including in the title. Sorry :/

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I read quite a variety of books this month, and this next month is looking just as crazy! Finance, popular fiction, vegan books, parenting etc. I'll keep ya updated! 

Books I Read In October 2016

It has been a CRAZY November. We are finally moved into our new home and are getting settled which means unpacking for days! I'm still attempting to complete by goal of reading 1 book a week until the end of the year. I'm just a little bit behind but I should have time to catch up once we are settled, plus I have so many books I want to read!!

But for now, here's an update on what I read in October!

Perfectly Imperfect: The Art and Soul of Yoga Practice by Baron Baptiste 

3/5 I kinda wish I could give this a better review because I was really hoping for it to be good but honestly it was pretty boring. Yoga has been really helpful in managing my anxiety and I wanted to read more about it but it was slow and super repetitive. I will admit it had some good stories and advice which is why I still gave it a 3 out of 5 but it was not a page-turner by any means.


Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

5/5 I can't imagine a more beautifully written memoir. We are all broken and we all live messy lives. I'm so grateful for Glennon's heart and for being vulnerable enough to share her story of her husband's infidelity. Something about reading a memoir with such raw emotion encouraged me to be more vulnerable in sharing my own messiness, which hopefully I will get around to soon on this blog.


No Ordinary Women by Elaine Dalton

5/5 I purchased this on audio book with some birthday money back in September and finally got around to listening to it last month. This book will help remind you that you play a unique role in this life and that God & the world needs you!


You've Got This: How to Look Up When Life Has You Down

I did a full review on this book HERE. 


See Me by Nicholas Sparks

5/5 It has been awhile since I sat down with a good old romance novel and I must say I enjoyed See Me! It was a little longer than more Nicholas Sparks book and had an air of mystery to it which I liked. If you're not into his books though I'd say pass on this one because it's got a similar feel, but if you like his other stuff you will love See Me!


I've been reading lots of different types of books this month so I'm excited to share those with you at the end of November as well. What books have you been reading lately??

You've Got This! How to Look Up When Life Has You Down - Book Review

I was sent You've Got This- How to Look Up When Life Has You Down to review and I must say I truly loved it! The book is made up of multiple popular authors, speakers, bloggers, etc. It is aimed at teens but everyone can benefit from the stories and lessons in it. 

One thing I really like about the book is each story only took 10-15 minutes to read. Which is perfect for winding down at night or taking a social media break to read something uplifting. 

All of the stories were uplifting and really helped me understand trials a little better. I feel like I learned how to look a little harder at my trials and see some silver lining. We can find joy in the messiness of life and this book is a perfect reminder. 

It's the perfect stocking stuffer for teens so pick one up from Amazon today! 

13 by 2017 - an end of the year goal

I'm a big believer in goal-setting. I've been slacking lately, life just got crazy and I felt like I was just barely getting by. Surviving, not really thriving, do you know how that feels? Anyway, I decided to set a fun goal to reach by 2017. One thing I've really missed has been reading! I've missed my long strolls through the library, anticipating my recent Amazon book coming to my door, and having so much to think and talk about because of what I'm reading. 

So I set a goal to read 13 books by 2017! I set this goal a few weeks ago when there were still 13 weeks left in the year! Now there's only 10 which is crazzzzy. 

This Fall weather has been perfect for cuddling up with a book and relaxing in the evening. Although it can be hard to pull my eyes away from Vampire Diaries long enough to read ;) 

You can see what books I read in September by going HERE. I'll do another update for October books read soon! Happy Fall guys! 

The Sacrament Is For Me - Book Review

I've been so blessed to be offered so many amazing book reviews lately. I hope you are loving them, I sure am! The most recent book I've received to review is The Sacrament is For Me by Jessica B. Ellingson. 

It is a really cute rhyming children's book that explains how we should act during the sacrament. It explains why we take it and how to make it a special time. I absolutely love the focus of Jesus Christ in this book, I feel like one issue I find in church is I don't hear enough about Jesus! But maybe that's because you can never hear enough about Jesus ;) Either way, I love the reminder this book is for children and adults on why the sacrament is for each of us. 

Any book that rhymes is automatically a winner to me. I love the way the words flowed in this book. I've wondered how we will be able to teach our future children (and foster children!) the way we feel about sacred ordinances like the sacrament, and books like this are the perfect way. How blessed we are to live in a dispensation with so many resources at our beck and call!

If you'd like to read more reviews and/or purchase the book you can pop right over to Amazon and check it out!

Defenders of the Family - Review

I was given the opportunity to review a new book called "Defenders of the Family" by Benjamin Hyrum White. I've been wanting to build our collection of children's books as we prepare to start our family and this book looked like a perfect one to add to our collections.

It was!

 This book has comic book type illustrations which kids will love! It goes through many of the roles of family, why families are important, and how we can strengthen our families.

I loved the simple descriptions that were used in the book and I wanted you to see what the inside looked like so you can see that below!

The book describes perfectly what Heavenly Father's plan is for families. It would be absolutely perfect to read to children to help them understand.

Like we learned in conference, if we don't teach our children about God and Jesus Christ, the world will.

This book can be purchased HERE from Amazon.

September Books I Read //

End of August I joined a book club in my ward. Even though we weren't able to meet with them once the book was finished, I really enjoyed getting back into reading. Reading has been one of my hobbies for so long, but as the years have gone by and my anxiety has gotten worse I set it aside. Reading for the book club reminded me of how much I love it!

I committed to reading 10 pages a day. If I wanted to read more I could, but if nothing else I'd read 10 pages of a book for pleasure every day. I finished four books in September! (Needless to say I read more than 10 pages most days!) 

Fishers of Men by Gerald Lund

This is the book I read as a part of the book club. I'll be honest, it took me about 100 pages to actually "get into". I felt really confused. But after those first 100 pages or so I started to get super into it and loved it! It follows some families who were alive at the time that Christ lived on the earth and as he began his ministry. I really enjoyed hearing the stories of Jesus in a new way, through the eyes of fictional characters who were there. There are a few more sequels and I want to read them soon!

Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst

I had seen a lot of bloggers posting about this book so of course I bought it to read! I hadn't read anything by Lysa Terkeurst yet, and I must say I love her writing style! This book gave me some amazing eternal perspectives on why we feel left out, where our worth comes from, and how to overcome those awful feelings of loneliness and comparison. If you're even a tiny bit interested in this book, give it a read. 

Let God Love You by Wendy Ulrich

I just finished a full review of this book. You can read it HERE.

Anxiety: Panicking about Panic by Joshua Fletcher

I purchased this book back when I was first diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder back in May. It wasn't enough to know that "something was wrong with me." I wanted to know what and why and how. This book explains what can cause anxiety, and what's going on biologically when you are experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. I have found it super helpful. Knowledge is truly power! I believe one of the best ways to dispel fear is to gain more understanding about what it is that you fear. 

I've already purchased a few books for October and my Amazon list is FULL! What are you currently reading that you love?? I'd love to add some to my list!

Let God Love You - Book Review

Wendy Ulrich is one of my favorite authors. As a psychologist, I just feel like she GETS me. She understands the mental challenges we experience, and she understands that they affect us spiritually. 

I recently was given the opportunity to review her newest book from Deseret Book titled, "Let God Love You- Why We Don't, How We Can." The idea behind the book is coming to understand that our past and current relationships have affected the way we picture God. 

If we've had relationships that were really good, and then that person let us down, or abandoned us, or turned against us, we know the pain and trauma those experiences cause. We may start to put those ideas into Heavenly Father. Well if my husband left me, why wouldn't Heavenly Father? If my best friend gets impatient with my long stories, why would Heavenly Father want to listen? If my parent abused me when I made mistakes, how could God ever love me after this mistake?

See what I'm saying? After reading this book I realized just how many incorrect ideas I have about Heavenly Father that have come from past relationships. This book is amazing at helping you uncover what it is that is keeping you from closeness with God.

There are so many quotes in this book I want to share! But the best thing to do would really be to go buy the book from Deseret Book and read it! Here's one of my favorites I shared on Instagram. 

"Christ's disciples once asked Him to teach them to pray. He can teach us too. Sometimes we need more practice with submissive prayer, or grateful prayer, or penitent prayer. Sometimes we need to try praying longer, out loud, or with a paper and pencil in hand. And sometimes we need to simply invite God to join us at whatever empty chair we can see or can imagine, opening our heart to let Him come close, and sit with us as we wrestle with a problem, or feel sad, or just stare in wonder at the night sky."

This book has changed my perspective on how to get closer to God. I'm so grateful I took the time to read it. I have so many quotes marked in it. Most books I donate or share with a friend after reading, but this one is going to stick around so I can re-read it someday. God is truly waiting for us to let Him close! His love is unchanging, it is simply, always, there.