Book Review
 Taking Care of the ME in Mommy
by Lisa Whelchel
Reviewed by Pattie
It is January. It’s a new year. It’s time for
new beginnings, new year’s goals or resolutions (or
not!), new journals and new promises to ourselves and to
God. I think it’s this “newness”
that prompts us to re-evaluate our clutter, both inner
and outer. I find myself re-evaluating my last
year’s resolutions and deciding on new ones, always
striving to do the best I can with what I’ve been
given.
One of the things I want to do this year is take better
care of myself. When I first saw this book by Lisa
Whelchel, I was excited by its title. Taking care of
myself is something I’m not very good at
doing. I have enjoyed Whelchel’s books in the
past, and I loved reading her online journal during the
year her family traveled the country in an RV. Her
writing style is friendly and straightforward, not
didactic and condescending. I eagerly dove into the book.
I am happy to report that I am not disappointed by Taking
Care of the ME in Mommy. In fact, I am excited by it!
The book is structured around three areas in which moms
need to take care of themselves: spirit, body, and soul.
The book includes discussion of prayer, Bible study,
journaling, healthy eating and exercise, creativity
through hobbies, having fun, organization, cooking,
finances, friends, and marriage, among others.
What sets this book apart from others of this kind is its
sheer practicality. Whelchel includes tips, in sections
called “Rest Stops,” on how to incorporate
these principles into our very busy daily lives. These
“rest stops” are inherently practical, full of
suggestions for improving our walk with Jesus and our
mothering. My favorite is the laundry
prayers. For example, when folding laundry, she
suggests praying for integrity for your husband while
folding his clothes; for unity in marriage when folding
your own nightgowns; for modesty when folding your
daughter’s shirts; for physical protection when
folding your son’s pants. Each chapter is followed
by a multitude of suggestions such as these for
implementing these principles in our lives. She stresses
in the introduction not to feel overwhelmed by the many
ideas in the Rest Stops. Choose only one or two to
implement at a time. (I like this choice feature!)
An added bonus is the free “Personal Mom
Coaching” that comes with each book. I signed up;
what I’m receiving is a new tip each day (for 21
days) in my email inbox to help me establish a new habit.
I will be well on my way to taking better care of myself
in 2007!
Lisa’s website can be found at http://www.lisawhelchel.com
Movie
Review
Charlotte’s Web
reviewed by Pattie
Starring: Julia Roberts
(Charlotte), Dakota Fanning (Fern), Dominic Scott Kay
(Wilbur), Steve Buscemi (Templeton), and a plethora of
other celebrity voices.
Synopsis: Based on (and faithful to) E.B. White’s
classic book, “Charlotte’s Web” is the
story of Fern’s rescue of the runt piglet Wilbur,
who eventually grows too large for a house pet and goes
across the road to Uncle Zuckerman’s farm. He makes
a new friend, a spider named Charlotte, who promises to
help Wilbur avoid the inevitable end of a spring pig: the
“smokehouse hotel.” Along the way, the
barn animals become friends with one another and unite in
support of Charlotte’s campaign to save Wilbur.
In terms of quality, I found this film to be very well
done. The animation is superb. CGI continues to improve
and it was easy to believe that these animals truly were
speaking. Dakota Fanning is just adorable, and her
interpretation of Fern was fabulous. I loved Julia
Roberts’ voicing of Charlotte; she brought my
childhood love of the novel to life on the screen.
The main theme of the movie is friendship. The film's
closing line was, and still is, my favorite. “It is
not often that someone comes along who is a true friend
and a good writer. Charlotte was both."
Rated: G. I would hesitate to take very young children,
mainly due to the frank discussion about death. My 7- and
10-year-old daughters handled it well, but younger,
sensitive children might be upset by the talk about the
possibility of Wilbur becoming bacon, and
Charlotte’s eventual demise.
Foul Language: Other than the fact that there are talking
geese (thus “fowl” language!), there is not one
occurrence of profanity, unless you count
“heck” and one incidence of “bloody”
(a British profanity spoken by John Cleese's sheep
character, not overtly emphasized).
Inappropriate Situations: There are some flatulent cows,
voiced by Kathy Bates and Reba McEntire, but compared to
other family films, the bathroom humor is mild.
Recommended: This is the inaugural review for our movie
review section, and with it I introduce not a five-star
rating system, but a kernel system.
I am pleased and proud to give this movie five
fully-popped kernels! I found nothing I did not like
about the film. I laughed, I cried, and it left me with a
sweet longing at the end, wanting to see the film again.
Final note: I highly recommend this film.
Produced by Walden Media, home of "Narnia" and
"Because of Winn-Dixie."
For more information about the film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413895/
For Focus on the Family's review:
http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/A0003003.cfm
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