'Tis the Season!

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a good Christmas and that God will bless you in 2013. Sorry to leave you all "hanging" with the Hoarder book review. I got a great deal of reading done over the holidays but not any reviewing/writing. In fact, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the possible books I can review today!

I will begin with a couple of seasonal books. Let's begin in a positive note, shall we....

Tis the Season!
By Lorna Landvik

Caro is an alcoholic heiress who has managed to alienate pretty much the entire planet, including what was once her closest friends. Her antics have been great fodder for the press but heartbreaking for at least one person from her past. When her world finally bottoms out, Caro's healing and road to forgiveness becomes a pathway for others as well.

Caro is a great character with a biting sense of humor and a willingness to improve herself as well as reach out to others. Cyril, Astrid and one surprising character make their entrances and become part of the way to reach out to others with forgiveness and friendship -- especially during Christmas. What I really liked was the way Landvik showed that active forgiveness is possible even with those who have hurt you terribly, don't share your faith and don't seem to have any redeeming qualities.

The book is a very easy read as it is written in emails, letters and entertainment newsbytes.

What did this book have to do with my faith? Tis the Season really brought it home to me that forgiveness has to be active as well as verbal. You can't just say you forgive someone then continue to act the way you do. True forgiveness changes you, sets you up for possible further hurt and really causes you to live it out. Kind of like Jesus going to the cross and forgiving those who killed him. Without that forgiveness, there would not be forgiveness for the rest of the human race. I wish I had written down a quote from the Cyril character who really pointed toward what forgiveness is all about.

I highly recommend this book!

Happy reading in 2013!

Amelia