Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “You’ve Got This” direct from the publisher CFI (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I wanted to read this collection of inspiring stories:
I was invited to this blog tour by the author Elise Hahl of whom I was thankful who introduced me to this inspiring non-fiction collection of human interest stories and affirmations of positivity which can inspire teenagers to find courage and strength in their growing years. I find these kinds of collections cross-relatable and cross-applicable – as the wisdom and truth of what is being shared is timeless. When your growing up there are moments where you like to have self-reflection and self-motivating modes of inspiration to guide you on your path. You can have a wonderful support system within your family and/or community but there are times where it is best to withdraw internally and seek out the answers you’re pursuing through your continuing journey where you lean on your faith most directly.
As I will be adopting out of foster care in the future – I am keenly interested in finding books I will one day be recommending to my children. Either for fiction or non-fiction interests and pursuits as the joy of reading and seeking solace in literature is one of the blessings I want to instill in my children. You can gain so much through books – it’s something that I look forward to sharing with them. Therefore, this is one of those motivational books I was keen to read and become acquainted with in case down the road it would become quite handy to have knowledge of whilst giving me the chance to share it with my child(ren).
You've Got This
Subtitle: How to Look UP when life has you DOWN
Life is tough, but so are you! Learn how to work through life’s trials with advice from popular youth speakers, including Hank Smith and Al Carraway, who have endured a few challenges of their own. This encouraging book will help you see trials as essential stepping-stones to becoming who you’re destined to be.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781462119424
on 1st October, 2016
Pages: 128
Published By: CFI (imprint) of Cedar Fort Inc (@CedarFortBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #LDSFaith and #INSPY #nonfiction
About Al Carraway
Al Fox Carraway has spent the last four years inspiring the world with her story of conversion, redemption, and finding faith. As a blogger and award-winning public speaker, her message has reached millions. This up-close look at her life will show you what it means to truly trust in the Lord.
Photo Credit: Al Fox Carraway headshot by Beka Price Photography.
About Elise Hahl
After serving as a missionary to the Brazil Manaus mission, Elise Babbel Hahl completed her studies in English at Stanford University, married her mission pen pal, and went on to earn a master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her work has been published in Choosing Motherhood, Whereabouts: Stepping Out of Place, Education Next magazine, Do NOT Attempt in Heels, and recorded on “The World in Words” podcast. She lives with her husband and four children in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.
About Hank Smith
Hank Smith has been a full-time religious educator for the Church for 12 years, teaching seminary and in the Religion Department at BYU. Hank is a favorite speaker with Especially for Youth, BYU Education Week, and Time Out for Women. With his trademark sense of humor and his captivating stories and examples, Hank makes it fun to learn gospel principles and strengthen personal testimonies.
The collection itself is portable – not only for the slimline publication but because it is broken into different sections by each of the contributing authors – each of whom have something unique to share about how their faith re-energised their hope and provided grace in their lives through their adversities. Each of them has a new perspective to offer and a life lesson to impart on the young reader who might be seeking advice but isn’t as sure about the kind of advice that needs to be sought. Sometimes you read inspiring stories just to let you mind wash over something positive even if the pursuit of the story isn’t readily known at the time.
Hank Smith focuses on Joseph and cross-relates the antidote of Joseph’s journey through life’s adversities to a contemporary audience. He finds a way for a young reader to find a window into Joseph’s life by showing what Joseph went through and how he turnt towards forgiveness rather than spite when everything was said and done. There are cross-references between the Bible and the Book of Mormon respectively to help illustrate the points of the reflective piece whilst honing in on where you can further take your own personal readings of the texts themselves.
It was through the story told by Whitney Wilcox Laycock I could personally find myself relating to how she appreciated multicultural schools and the merging of traditions on school grounds. I grew up in the inner city for most of my formative years – in school districts which were a melting pot of religion, cultural identity and ethnicity. I could instantly relate to how hard she had of a transition from her school in Chile to the one in Utah; how one felt more like home than other one and how what surprised her the most is how out of step she felt in Utah! Her story was heart-warming to read because you can feel the pain of her loss – at two different times of her life whilst seeing the beauty of how she embraced the experiences which were alighting in front of her to find courage to understand there was purpose in her days.
I loved how Brad Wilcox followed Ms Laycock and bolstered the story she shared with his own sentiments on the matter of relocating and finding your own personal niche of where you feel your free to be your unique self to the world. It’s a lesson that takes time to develop understanding and the confidence that is equal match to the way in which you present yourself also takes time to understand. The best takeaway from these two sections is how to consistently believe in yourself even if at the time your growing more confidence in your own skin, those around you might not always understand your present or your past. You have to own your own life’s journey and be confident that even if your situations and memories differ doesn’t mean that you are lacking in worth.
Zandra Vranes had such a sharp wit about her passages – she tells it straight-up and doesn’t hold back! She even had a clever way of incorporating pop cultural references with the ease of seeing how no matter what she was sharing with you, true blue references of how living life forward is one of the hardest lessons to overcome! She related how she would perceive things when she was younger vs when she was more mature; to where she could apply distance and understanding to events that had little effect on her process of understanding her walk in faith but on reflection later on were the missing pieces she needed to collect to see the whole picture. She will make you laugh for sure, but it’s her candid disclosures that will make you understand that everyone has ‘something’ in their lives and it’s how you bolster yourself to brace against the tides that will speak volumes about your character lateron. In short truth, the more you lean on your faith, the more strength you can gain.
Tamu Smith explains how frustrating growing-up can become when your dealing with peers who are bent on breaking your spirit and making your life uncomfortable at school. In the wisdom and advice she shares from her grandmother, you start to realise how old school truths still measure up today even if the world has changed from when we all grew up. There are certain things that still cross-apply today and re-focusing our internal fears and worries into mindful prayer is one way to button down the anxieties that seek to destroy us. Ms Smith had a lot of things weighing on her young mind as a child but one thing she held onto was how you can easily transform those negative thoughts away by turning to the One person who will always hear your voice.
Chad Hymas has led an extraordinary life back to graceful living from adverse tragedy which physically affected his future. In his section, where he journals his story and outlines the changes he had to endure, he also points you towards a 10 step prompt towards spirit-led living where you can remind yourself that there is a better way to focus on your present and a method of setting up your future on positive ground. He’s beyond inspiring due to his ‘never give up’ attitude but also due to his honesty and how he’s able to use his own life story as a testament of God’s unwavering love and grace.
Ms Carraway truly walked back through her talking points within her non-fiction release earlier this year More Than the Tattooed Mormon of which I enjoyed reviewing. I welcome you to visit my earlier post on her behalf to better understand this section in this release, as it’s cross-applies to the motivational work she is constantly doing in order to share her story with those it might encourage a lift of spirits.
What makes this collection a keepsake is because you can return back to it whilst finding the right passages which will apply to you in the moment you need them most. Like most devotionals or works of inspiration, you can find these bite sized pieces of wisdom palpable enough to digest and inspiring you on multiple levels of insight. Each of the writers in turn internalised the purpose of the collection in different ways whilst imparting timeless wisdom and encouragement at every turn of the pages! You will appreciate reading this inasmuch as a teenager as these are life lessons that are never too old to read nor to be reflected upon to draw out new insight on your current path.
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Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2016.
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