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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I found Start Here to be very inspirational. The Harris’ get down to the point quickly and concisely.
Start Here is a light easy read, but then how can a Christian living book be light? They talk about pride and sin and giving glory to God, they talk about peer pressure and stress and fears and the Father of Lies. But they also encourage teenagers to get out of the box that our society has put them in. It’s light and easy in that it’s an easily understood page-turner.
The Harris’ first book, Do Hard Things, was about encouraging teens to do just that—to do hard things—for God. In Start Here, they talk about how to go about doing those hard things, what to do when you encounter fear, press, or peer pressure, and answer all the tough questions.
One of the points that they make is that your hard thing may not be to sail around the world at age sixteen or to make a movie or to start a nonprofit organization or anything else big. Your hard thing might be what some people consider a small thing, and it may be something that nobody even knows about. But God wants you to do that hard thing because in the long run, it changes your heart for the better. At the back of Start Here is a list of 100 things that people have contributed too, and I want to share a few with you:
Sold all the clothes I didn’t need and gave the money to charity
worked up to 100 pushups in four weeks
saved my first kiss for my wedding day
read a book out loud to my younger siblings
let my brother win an argument
Babysat for a single mom who could not pay me much
Set a budget and stuck with it.
Maybe these people aren’t going to be front page news… but their hard things are pretty important.
Start Here will encourage, inspire, and help you through whatever it is that God has for you, whether you know about it right now or not. Consider it a handbook, and use it side by side with your main instruction manual (The Bible).
Recommendation: Ages 11+ Adults do hard things, too! They also will benefit from this book.
(book provided for review by publisher)
Start Here is a light easy read, but then how can a Christian living book be light? They talk about pride and sin and giving glory to God, they talk about peer pressure and stress and fears and the Father of Lies. But they also encourage teenagers to get out of the box that our society has put them in. It’s light and easy in that it’s an easily understood page-turner.
The Harris’ first book, Do Hard Things, was about encouraging teens to do just that—to do hard things—for God. In Start Here, they talk about how to go about doing those hard things, what to do when you encounter fear, press, or peer pressure, and answer all the tough questions.
One of the points that they make is that your hard thing may not be to sail around the world at age sixteen or to make a movie or to start a nonprofit organization or anything else big. Your hard thing might be what some people consider a small thing, and it may be something that nobody even knows about. But God wants you to do that hard thing because in the long run, it changes your heart for the better. At the back of Start Here is a list of 100 things that people have contributed too, and I want to share a few with you:
Sold all the clothes I didn’t need and gave the money to charity
worked up to 100 pushups in four weeks
saved my first kiss for my wedding day
read a book out loud to my younger siblings
let my brother win an argument
Babysat for a single mom who could not pay me much
Set a budget and stuck with it.
Maybe these people aren’t going to be front page news… but their hard things are pretty important.
Start Here will encourage, inspire, and help you through whatever it is that God has for you, whether you know about it right now or not. Consider it a handbook, and use it side by side with your main instruction manual (The Bible).
Recommendation: Ages 11+ Adults do hard things, too! They also will benefit from this book.
(book provided for review by publisher)
JT (287 KP) rated Out of the Furnace (2013) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Cast for so long in the trademark cowl of Batman and posing around Gotham City as the slightly disturbed and flamboyant billionaire Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale is back deep in his gritty acting roots.
Bale plays Pennsylvania steel mill worker Russell, a man living a simplistic hard working way of life. His brother on the other hand, Rodney (Casey Affleck), is back from a tour in Iraq. He’s visibly scared and not in the least bit interested in anymore manual labour. Inciting that the country owes him a something for his sacrifice he gets into debt gambling and desperate for cash to pay off his short fall he takes bare knuckle fist fights organised by loan shark friend John Petty Willem Dafoe.
Things move from bad to worse in a surprise addition to the plot, which sees Russell endure some time behind bars and in the process loses his sick father as well as seeing girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana) fall into the arms of local cop Forest Whitaker. When Russell steps outside of prison for the first time he has yet another problem facing him, in the form of local drug kingpin and all round nasty, Harlan DeGroat brilliantly played by Woody Harrelson.
DeGroat is not one to be crossed as even the local police keep their distance but Rodney heads straight into the lion’s den when he accepts a fight and then is propositioned to take a dive during it; something that he is not willing to do.
The relationship between the brothers is enthralling and totally believable. Both Bale and Affleck give controlled and sharp performances feeding off each other as the tension between them rises. The film attempts to broach the subject of the working classes, while at the same time portraying the life of the retired marine who has come back home full of nightmares and is left forgotten only to crumble into himself.
It’s a strong cast, with Harrelson’s villain commanding the screen with gusto while the likes of Saldana, Defoe and Sam Shepard play mere bit parts. But with this much talent on show not everyone can feature front and centre. The film’s setting is a perfect post-industrial stomping ground for battles both in the illegal ring and out of it, while a moody soundtrack is a perfect accompaniment to the narrative that is moving and rough around the edges.
Bale plays Pennsylvania steel mill worker Russell, a man living a simplistic hard working way of life. His brother on the other hand, Rodney (Casey Affleck), is back from a tour in Iraq. He’s visibly scared and not in the least bit interested in anymore manual labour. Inciting that the country owes him a something for his sacrifice he gets into debt gambling and desperate for cash to pay off his short fall he takes bare knuckle fist fights organised by loan shark friend John Petty Willem Dafoe.
Things move from bad to worse in a surprise addition to the plot, which sees Russell endure some time behind bars and in the process loses his sick father as well as seeing girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana) fall into the arms of local cop Forest Whitaker. When Russell steps outside of prison for the first time he has yet another problem facing him, in the form of local drug kingpin and all round nasty, Harlan DeGroat brilliantly played by Woody Harrelson.
DeGroat is not one to be crossed as even the local police keep their distance but Rodney heads straight into the lion’s den when he accepts a fight and then is propositioned to take a dive during it; something that he is not willing to do.
The relationship between the brothers is enthralling and totally believable. Both Bale and Affleck give controlled and sharp performances feeding off each other as the tension between them rises. The film attempts to broach the subject of the working classes, while at the same time portraying the life of the retired marine who has come back home full of nightmares and is left forgotten only to crumble into himself.
It’s a strong cast, with Harrelson’s villain commanding the screen with gusto while the likes of Saldana, Defoe and Sam Shepard play mere bit parts. But with this much talent on show not everyone can feature front and centre. The film’s setting is a perfect post-industrial stomping ground for battles both in the illegal ring and out of it, while a moody soundtrack is a perfect accompaniment to the narrative that is moving and rough around the edges.
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Capturing Jasmina (India's Street Kids #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Kimberly Rae draws attention to the ongoing trafficking of children in India in her young adult novel <i>Capturing Jasmina</i>. Jasmina was only ten when her father sold both her and her brother Samir to a man promising safety and good education. In reality the siblings end up in a sweatshop slaving over clothes to be sold in America. After three years they manage to escape only to be trafficked a second time. Eventually Jasmina and Samir are separated and Jasmina becomes a street kid.
Whilst living on the streets Jasmina encounters a Christian missionary, Asha, rescuing women from brothels by either offering them a safe place to live or at the very least spiritually, by teaching them about God and Jesus. Intrigued Jasmina follows Asha who then offers to help her too. After having her childhood robbed from her, it seems like Jasmina, with the help of those who trust in God, will get back on her feet again.
Despite being a short novel, Rae paints a contrasting image to what the western world is used to. Jasmina finds the concept of a simple toilet baffling. It is not until you hear or see what is happening to innocent people in other parts of the world that you realize there are so many things in life you take for granted.
<i>Capturing Jasmina</i> emphasizes how difficult it is to escape once trafficked. In these situations people belong to everyone but themselves. They have no freedom and running away can cause more problems than it solves. The novel also shows what Christians can do to help. Although no one can completely solve the problems, the tiniest piece of aid they can provide is a step in the right direction.
It was slightly disappointing that we do not find out what happened to Samir once he was separated from his sister. Jasmina’s first person narrative makes it clear that what she wants most is to be reunited with her family. In a way, although there is a positive ending, not yet finding her brother makes it clear that there cannot always be happy endings. It is not possible to save everyone.
Written from a young teenagers point of view makes this book suitable for ages twelve and older. Christians will appreciate the biblical references however there is not too much religion for non-believers or those of other religions to get offended by.
Kimberly Rae draws attention to the ongoing trafficking of children in India in her young adult novel <i>Capturing Jasmina</i>. Jasmina was only ten when her father sold both her and her brother Samir to a man promising safety and good education. In reality the siblings end up in a sweatshop slaving over clothes to be sold in America. After three years they manage to escape only to be trafficked a second time. Eventually Jasmina and Samir are separated and Jasmina becomes a street kid.
Whilst living on the streets Jasmina encounters a Christian missionary, Asha, rescuing women from brothels by either offering them a safe place to live or at the very least spiritually, by teaching them about God and Jesus. Intrigued Jasmina follows Asha who then offers to help her too. After having her childhood robbed from her, it seems like Jasmina, with the help of those who trust in God, will get back on her feet again.
Despite being a short novel, Rae paints a contrasting image to what the western world is used to. Jasmina finds the concept of a simple toilet baffling. It is not until you hear or see what is happening to innocent people in other parts of the world that you realize there are so many things in life you take for granted.
<i>Capturing Jasmina</i> emphasizes how difficult it is to escape once trafficked. In these situations people belong to everyone but themselves. They have no freedom and running away can cause more problems than it solves. The novel also shows what Christians can do to help. Although no one can completely solve the problems, the tiniest piece of aid they can provide is a step in the right direction.
It was slightly disappointing that we do not find out what happened to Samir once he was separated from his sister. Jasmina’s first person narrative makes it clear that what she wants most is to be reunited with her family. In a way, although there is a positive ending, not yet finding her brother makes it clear that there cannot always be happy endings. It is not possible to save everyone.
Written from a young teenagers point of view makes this book suitable for ages twelve and older. Christians will appreciate the biblical references however there is not too much religion for non-believers or those of other religions to get offended by.