I Came; I Saw; I Conquered? No! I Cried!

Hello peoples!

I cannot believe that we are now in the fifth month of 2021. Just where has the year gone? I say this every year and suppose I should be used to it by now but no, it never seems to amaze me just how quickly time flies by.

Forgive me dear friends and followers for my prolonged absence. I may not have been active with my posts but you have been very much on my heart and in my prayers. I trust you are all well.

To kick-start this new month, I’d like to share a review with you all, on a book I read towards the end of last year. It has been written by one of our fellow bloggers, with whom I’ve formed a bond.

It’s not often we have the pleasure of gaining personal insights into the lives and hearts of people we know. Granted, I only ‘know’ Shell Vera as a fellow blogger but she is still somebody I know a lot better than many other authors, whose books I’ve read.

I hope you enjoy reading my review and will purchase a copy.

BOOK REVIEW: When I Stopped Remembering Tomorrow

I came

I came to Shell Vera’s book with much expectation. I was familiar with her writing and creativity and, as a fellow-writer, was keen to hear what she had to say and how she would choose to say it. I was not disappointed!

When I Stopped Remembering Tomorrow is the story of a brave woman willing to rip away the mask of pretence, a Christian woman not willing to subscribe to the façade of religious “perfection”.

I saw

I saw rawness and pain. I saw a woman who has opened her heart to tell a story—a story which might well have been my own, or yours. Whilst reading, the following well-known saying came to mind: There, but for the grace of God go I!

I saw the awful reality of historic emotional cruelty and domestic abuse distilled into the conciseness of poetic form. I saw a courageous woman, who drawing back the curtains of private pain, invites readers into her experiences: to look, to see, to feel, to empathise, to recognise, to know, to take note, to commiserate, to care.

I saw words magically constructed, depicting youthful notions, desecrating hopes and romantic dreams.

Encapsulated within this book’s pages are the uncomfortable memories of shame, abandonment and grief. Memories that are unique to this writer but experiences which are familiar to all.

I conquered?

I squashed the urge to just read and place Shell’s sacrificial offering back upon my bookshelf and forget about its message, its challenge.

I conquered the instinct for self-preservation that would drive me back into my corner of privacy and not allow God to use my gifts, my experiences to educate, enlighten, equip and reach out to those lost and hurting, whom might benefit from my retrospective wisdom.

I cried

I cried inwardly. For this dear woman. For the young girl (as she was then), whose life was ravished by the lies and deception of the Enemy. For the universally experienced consequences of walking our own wanton path, away from God (e.g. degenerate behaviour, emotional hurt and broken relationships).

And my heart ached for the hundreds and thousands of girls and women like her, for whom God sent his Son, to rescue and deliver and make them whole, yet either they do not hear the message, or understand the message or could not care less about this message—of unconditional love, of inner peace that transcends natural understanding and of spiritual healing, all available for the asking!

Purpose-driven believers and aspiring dream achievers, we have a responsibility to use our abilities as artists, authors, bloggers, poets, teachers, whatever, in service to others.

May God grant us the courage and boldness to step out and share our stories. May he also grant us the openness of Shell Vera, who did not hold back from bleeding her life over pristine pages for public consumption.

And may we borrow a leaf from Shell Vera’s book, and be bold enough and transparent enough to bleed out our own lives.

 Order here

Have a great week!

Best wishes,

Carol (aka Lady Cee)

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