A Heart for Freedom
The dramatic and fascinating story of Chai Ling, commander-in-chief of the student protesters at Tiananmen Square and witness to the massacre of thousands of Chinese civilians. Risking imprisonment and possible death for her leadership role in the student democracy movement, she was on the run in China for ten months while being hunted by the authorities. She eventually escaped to the U.S., completed her education at Princeton and Harvard, found true love, and became a highly successful entrepreneur. But her desperate quest for freedom, purpose, and peace—which she had sought in turn through academic achievement, romantic love, political activism, and career success—was never satisfied until she had an unexpected encounter with a formerly forbidden faith. Her newfound passion for God led to her life’s greatest mission: Fighting for the lives and rights of young girls in China.
How I felt: A Heart for Freedom is remarkable story. Not only of a woman’s life and her struggles for the freedom of herself and her country, but it is a remarkable history lesson that you won’t get in school. This was an amazing book and I learned a great deal from it. Things that I thought I knew in part, I learned a great deal more about. Not only about the specific events touched on in the book, but about the country of China as a whole. It really is the most remarkable story and I think that everyone should read it. I don’t say that often about biographical type books. Usually they feed into a niche of interest, like Presidents, Entertainment or General history. But so much can be gleaned from this book and I believe it is important enough that anyone who would like to appreciate their life and simple American pleasures might pick up this book and discover a great deal about how lucky they are.
I give this five out of five combat boots from the Cammo Love House!
Buy it: Amazon
Stress Point: Thriving Through Your Twenties in a Decade of Drama
Want to ditch the drama and thrive through your twenties?Body image. Friendships. Career. Money. Dating. All these issues and more serve as points of stress for the 20-something woman, and combined they can make for a decade of drama in a girl’s life. Sarah Francis Martin is the slightly older girlfriend who’s been there, done that, and got the not-so-cute t-shirt. Through this interactive Bible study, Sarah helps young adult women address each stress point by encouraging them to wait on the Lord, worship Him, and make Him the focus of their lives.
Sarah Francis Martin has a passion to encourage and relate to women in their twenties, and is honored to do so through She Seeks, the 20-something ministry of Proverbs 31. Her relevant and conversational style will lead young adult readers to live out the Kingship of Christ in everyday life in order to find godly success, purpose, and well-being. Obsessed with pink lip gloss and all things artsy-crafty, Sarah lives with her husband and son in North Carolina. Her ministry, LIVE IT OUT!, is a space for 20-somethings to connect with one another and grow closer to Jesus (www.liveitoutblog.com)
What I thought: This is a book that I wished I had had when I was in my 20s. I chose this book to review specifically for this reason. As I’m sure most people do, you have the occasion to reflect upon what you wish you knew and what you might have done differently. I am no different this most people. I think this is remarkable workbook/bible study. I think anyone might like this whether or not they were interested in a bible study or not. It is fun, relevant and deep. Sarah Martin does an absolutely wonderful job coming up with relevant information and is the perfect, “older sister” who has been there, done that. Who among us has experienced the ridiculous drama that continues with us through our twenties. And seriously, who has thought or said to themselves, “Aren’t we done with high school?” I know that I have thought and said those same things. Add into that the uncertainty of the future of most people in this age range, who are just beginning to start life – going to college, picking a career and perhaps finding their mate and getting married. This is a great book for self study, but would be super fun for a group of close girlfriends to work through together. Its the perfect excuse for a girl’s night out with mani/pedis and ice cream.
Another five out of five combat boots from the Cammo Love house
