7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 98)

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Hope in the Lord! There are many times that I’m acutely aware that I'm not who anyone wants me to be, but I have a glimmer of hope because God loves me even when all those around me serve only to remind me of how much of a disappointment I am to them for a myriad of reasons. I do offer that pain up to the Lord on behalf of all who feel utterly rejected and do not know or believe in the love of God for every single one of His beloved children. 

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Beautiful in God’s Eyes Because I’m someone who tends to see myself in a very critical light, it can be really painful for me when others (especially those closest to me whose opinions’ I’m more likely to take to heart) convey a steady stream of reasons that I’m not who they want me to be, that what I say, do, how I

look, feel, my values…are wrong, ugly, stupid, delusional, quaint, ill-informed, ridiculous...  It’s not always easy for me to separate objectively what criticisms are just and accurate and which are more indicative of the insecurities or misconceptions of the other person rather than true assessments of who I am and what I’ve done, especially when judgments are being thrown at me fast and furious. 

     My tendency is to believe the bad since that’s what predominantly goes through my own thoughts about myself.  Fortunately, there is a source Truth that never lies.  So as scary as it seems when steeped in disparaging lies, I turn to God and ask how He sees me when I want the Truth.  Do you have the courage to ask: “God, how do You see me?” And, more importantly, are you willing to listen in silence and believe what He tells you?

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Spring Dance Festival I was often fondly reminded of my Hollins friends and dancers (from when I was in college way back when) during this past weekend while visiting my youngest sister at OSU. The dance Road Trip & Spring Dance Festival.

performances were great! I enjoyed getting to see my sister dance, meeting her apartment mates—all three of whom are gorgeous women and fun to spend time with like my sister is.  We ate at some of her fave restaurants and dessert places.  To read more about our visit, check out

     I got back from Ohio with Mom on Monday evening. It's been wonderful to spend time with Kevin, who knows me well and loves me lots. It's also nice to be home and be back together sleeping in our own bed.  To which Kevin says: “Yeah buddy!”

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Body Image Spending time around beautiful women who are in really great shape, always wearing fashionable clothes, make-up and jewelry can be intimidating and discouraging for me at times.  I’m no longer able to fit into the single digit sizes I wore in my twenties nor have I have really been in tip-top physical condition at any point.  (My approach to appearance most of the time these days is probably best summed up in my post Fashion Faux Pas.) Seeing and hearing other women criticizing their bodies is very difficult for me, though, because it is far easier for me to see the genuine beauty in other people than it is to see it in myself.  The grace and trouble about that is no matter what I say or think, it’s unlikely to affect on the deepest levels how someone else sees or feels about herself.  If you’re not quite ready or willing to ask how God sees you, at least watch this video clip to see how it is that women usually view themselves.     

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Undeniably Adorable! There are numerous times during the day when Vivi will say that she’s beautiful or that her lips or fingers…are beautiful.  I always confirm that fact and say to her: “You are beautiful!”  Silently, I pray that she will hold onto that truth for many years to come.  I hope that’s the statement she will always return to when she looks in the mirror and stares back at her reflection.  Who do you recognize in your own family as undeniably adorable, beautiful, gorgeous?  Have you told them recently?  How about ever?  How about now?   

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Best Books on True Beauty Here are some of the most amazing books (and their authors) I’ve read in recent years that deal with the topics of beauty, body image, seeing ourselves in God’s image.

Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II

Fierce Beauty by Kim Meeder

Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body by Kate Wicker

Wrapped Up: God’s Ten Gifts for Women by Teresa Tomeo and Cheryl Dickow

Extreme Makeover by Teresa Tomeo

Becoming the Woman God Made You to Be by Tammy Evevard

  
     

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Comfort for the Heartbroken This week I have been and will continue praying for all who are mourning the loss of loved ones, that they may feel the hope of the Lord, allow His love to wash over them, and move in and through them as they grieve and hang on while God, in His time and in His way, turns their tears into dancing, their profound sorrow into a lasting joy.

                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary,  This week we’re meeting up over at Camp Patton since Jen and their newborn baby are just getting home and settled in.  

Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ Not Conformed to the Culture

 Extreme Makeover is a thorough overview of the truth about contraception, abortion, and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Author and radio talk show host Teresa Tomeo lays out the Catholic Church’s main teachings regarding the dignity of human life from the moment of conception, the sacredness of sexuality (and the proper context for such interactions), as well as the special role of women.

    
Woven through a slew of statistics, facts, and figures about the prevalence and negative effects of contraception and abortion in the US and abroad, is the story of Teresa Tomeo’s own experience of having her basic beliefs about herself, her marriage, the Catholic Church, and her role in the media turned upside down and inside out.
     
This book provides some good guidelines for learning more about the how and why behind Catholic teachings, a clear delineation of what they actually are (when it comes to sexuality and the expression of it) and why these tenets of the faith aren’t going to change because of public opinion or popular trends. Several papal encyclicals are quoted and referenced in order to explain controversial Church teachings on a deeper level with Scriptural background and a Christian context.
    
Not only is it important to understand Catholic teaching, but it’s also essential to compare what comes from the Church versus the slant that is placed on what’s been said by the mainstream secular media. Tomeo suggests a number of websites and practices that will help the reader begin a detox from the many cultural lies that are presented as emphatically as gospel truth by many journalists and newscasters.
    
Much of the information included about contraception, abortion, Natural Family Planning, and the pro-life practices will be a review for those who are already involved in the movement. The same is true for those who have been keeping up with Catholic teaching and papal encyclicals—they’ll have seen quite a bit of this before.
    
Extreme Makeover is a good summation of the Church’s truth versus our culture’s lies about sexual morality, reproduction, and how to respect and protect the dignity of human life. In addition to a number of resources that are included as proof of the scientific research that’s been done, Tomeo has incorporated some personal testimonies of women whose lives have also been dramatically changed since they learned about and embraced the Catholic stance on contraception and abortion.   
     
I wrote this review of Extreme Makeover for the free Catholic book review program, Tiber River. Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases. I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Fierce Beauty: Choosing to Stand for What Matters Most by Kim Meeder

“You were not created to be a princess of entitlement but a warrior, fighting to bring love and hope to the world.”  -Kim Meeder

Powerful true life stories, masterful writing, deep faith, and persistent hope are four of the elements that make Kim Meeder’s Fierce Beauty a masterpiece.  I’ve read quite a number of Christian books over the years that deal with the topic of physical beauty versus inner beauty, but not many have explored the related pain and conflicts involved with such vivid imagery, lyrical prose, and spiritual wisdom as does this prayer warrior/author.  
     
I was blown away by the gorgeous settings for these accounts.  Kim Meeder is a lover of God and a strong admirer of all of His Creations.  Her penchant for adventure and exploration has led her into some crazy encounters with the wilderness.  She’s come face-to-face with Galápagos sharks, grizzly bears, and wild horses (just to name a few) and lived to tell the tales. 
     
Meeder steps out to confront life’s challenges with courage, humility, and grace.  The depth of her compassion and love for all those whom God has put in her life is inspiring to say the very least.
     
Breathtaking scenery serves as a stunning backdrop for these stories of suffering, sacrifice, triumph, and hope.  In some ways, I felt so taken in by the descriptions of the places the author was visiting that the reading experience occasionally made me feel as enthralled with the natural world as I was when reading the Pulitzer prize-winner Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. 
     
Her actions, her insights, and her writing all show that Kim Meeder isn’t afraid to get covered in muck if that’s what it takes to bring healing and hope to people as well as animals who have been used, abused, and abandoned.  As stated on the back cover: “Along with her husband, Troy, she owns and operates Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in central Oregon, a nonprofit organization that rescues abused and neglected horses and pairs them with disadvantaged children, offering them a place of safety, peace, and hope.”
     
If you like true stories, deep faith, triumph over suffering, people who care about people, gorgeous descriptions of nature, outdoor exploration, animals, masterful writing, God, Christianity in action…then you will absolutely love Fierce Beauty!   
     
I’m definitely adding Kim Meeder’s three other books—Hope Rising, Bridge Called Hope, and Blind Hope—to my wish list, and my guess is as soon as you read one of her books you’ll want to get the other three as well.  I don’t know that I’m daring enough for some of the extreme outdoor adventures Kim Meeder’s gone on, but I’m positive I would absolutely love to go to her ranch and meet her in her element some day.
     
For more info about the book or to order your copy, click here.  To read the first chapter of Fierce Beauty, click here. 
     
I received Fierce Beauty for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  If you’re a blogger interested in reading, check out their Blogging for Books program.    

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 14)

 

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Havoc wreaked by Hurricane Irene is still blatantly obvious all over the city.  Enormous trees with roots the length of an SUV have fallen, pulling up sidewalks, destroying cars, damaging houses, and taking down power lines nearby.  Driving has been more dangerous than usual, not only because there are fallen trees, huge branches, sticks everywhere, but also because a very high number of traffic signals aren’t working.  Some have handled the four-way stop when the lights are working procedure better than others.  Many have been without power for days.  Kevin and I were very fortunate in that we lost power for only 12 hours or so from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

Here's a picture of one of the six trees down across from where my grandma lives.  She's in the forefront out examining the damage with my mom.

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Everybody cut footloose! After having to wear a large soft boot for numerous weeks this summer so the micro-fractures in my husband’s feet would be given a better chance to feel, the doctor told him Monday that he no longer needs to wear the big black boot.  This is, of course, good news, but while Kevin learns to walk normally on both of his feet again, it may seem rather odd to passersby.  If not purposeful in the steps he takes, Kevin is liable to end up walking around in circles.  My husband doesn’t drink, but at this point in his reclamation, he’d have a hard time walking a straight line as part of a field sobriety test.  Let’s just hope he doesn’t get caught by some security guard watching him weave in and out of cars in the parking lot at work.   

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Lose the attitude.  I made the following comment after reading Matthew Archbold’s recent blog post “You Can Never Afford Them” about children, sarcasm, and God’s grace:  “As another person who has quite a bit of experience being a smart aleck, I commend you for accepting God's grace to hold your tongue when Mr. Collar was so clearly asking for a fight or intellectual discourse with a rather sarcastic tone.  It's so true that we don't know what people are thinking and going through beneath the surface, especially if we are so quick with the quips that we never give them a chance to open up and speak what's really on their hearts and minds.”

 

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What songs are stuck in your head?  I like to listen to a variety of different music.  A question my husband posed to me the other day got me thinking about some of what I listen to these days and in years past.  He asked, “Would God approve of all of the music you dance to?”  My honest answer would have to be no.  Some of it, I’m fairly certain He’s not happy with.  I don’t think God approves of any music that is degrading to women, advocates using drugs, extreme violence, promotes a culture of death, is self-centered and sin-based, so some of the popular songs that have a good dance beat would not be God-sanctioned.  

Sometimes I’m really horrified by the lyrics that pop into my head from songs I’ve heard recently or those that I listened to over and over again in my youth.  Embarrassing as it is, I can still recite lyrics from a whole lot of songs that are devoted to nothing other than the seductive qualities of a woman’s backside.  What does this mean?  I’ve still got a long ways to go when it comes to sanctification and holiness.  There are more and more ways that I am being called to select music, TV shows, movies, books, etc. which glorify God and/or at the very least don’t undermine human dignity.  Whomp, there it is!

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Walk it out.  A friend of mine from Cursillo, Lynn DiChristina has set a goal of getting ten people to walk with her to support the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  As the NAMI Walks website explains: “In 2011, thousands of concerned citizens in over 80 communities across the nation will walk together to raise money and awareness about our country's need for a world-class treatment and recovery system for people with mental illness.”  To find a NAMI Walk in your area, click here. 

If you live in the Virginia area, please click this link and prayerfully consider signing up to walk with the Helpful Hearts team led by Lynn and her family on Saturday, October 8, 2011.  

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Gimme a break!  I’m very grateful that the Lord is gentle, patient, and kind to all of us.  Goodness knows, I need a break from me, at times, but I’m glad He doesn’t take one.  I can be so flipping self-centered.  I argue with Him about things that He’d prefer I just accept with gratitude rather than tell Him what He already knows, that I don’t deserve the blessings, love, and mercy extended to me.  I get more worked up over things that in the big picture, and definitely in the realm of eternity, are really quite insignificant than I do some aspects of life and examples of injustice that should make my blood boil.  I poke, prod, beg, plead, complain, and whine about suffering, much of which is caused by my own pride and sinfulness.  Lord, thanks for loving me unconditionally especially when everyone around, including me, can see all the reasons why your limitless love and boundless mercy shouldn’t apply to me.       

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Rummage Sale: All proceeds benefit parish in Haiti!   Clean out your closets and unclutter your living space.  Donations are needed of gently used items to sell: toys, housewares, vases, knickknacks, books, clothing, linens, sporting goods, baby items…etc. 

Please drop off donated items at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church on Thursday September 8 from noon-8:00pm and Friday September 9 from 9:00am-3:00pm.

Saturday, September 10 come back from 7:00am-12:00pm noon to get great buys on a wide variety of items!

    

Check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s 7 Quick Takes Friday series and her award-winning blog Conversion Diary.

Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body

I first learned about popular writer and journalist, wife and mom, Kate Wicker because of her renown in the blogging world.  I was really struck by one of her posts which included a letter from a woman whose daughter was struggling with an eating disorder asking for tips on what the mother could do to help her get better.  Kate wrote back some suggestions for this mother as to how she could help her daughter.  Where does Kate Wicker get her insight into the confusing world of eating disorders, diets, weight loss, exercise, binging, purging, and calorie counting? 

     
For a number of years, Kate suffered from anorexia and bulimia.  She knows firsthand how the pursuit for skinniness can wreak havoc inside your body, mind, and soul.  In Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body, Kate shares some of the intimate details of her own struggle with body image, calorie counting, excessive exercise, binge eating, as well as describes where the desire to keep her weight down originated and what happened when she got the help she needed. 

   
This book isn’t just for women or men who have struggled with an eating disorder.  It’s for every person who has ever been less than satisfied with his/her physical appearance.  It’s for anyone who has ever wished he/she was skinnier, taller, more muscular, had a better complexion, fewer freckles, no wrinkles, darker skin, lighter hair, a smaller nose, more voluptuous lips, longer eyelashes…

     
Kate read quite a bit about eating disorders when she was recovering and she quickly discovered that most of what she read dealt with the emotional and physical symptoms of the illness and how to become healthier in those two areas, but an important element was missing.      

     
What about the spiritual suffering that is involved?  How does someone heal that aspect of their lives?  These are two of the questions which inspired Kate to pray about (and then write about) the spiritual aspects of returning to health. 

     
There are countless resources, books, magazine articles, and websites devoted to beauty, fashion, exercise, as well as those that help people to identify, address, and treat eating disorders, but Kate found there was a definite lack of resources that included Scriptural support for every person to have a healthy body image.  Kate reminds us of many passages from Scripture in which each of God’s children are precious, loved, lovable, and even beautiful.  For example, she reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” according to Psalm 139 (which happens to be one of my favorites to return to when feeling unlovable for any reason).    

     
Kate talks about how she came to have a better body image herself, and how she encourages her daughters to see themselves as beautiful in God’s eyes.  It is only through a deeper relationship with the Lord that lasting peace and true acceptance of yourself and others is possible.  Kate came to this realization a while ago and has been inspiring others by living it and passing a healthier legacy down to her daughters.    

     
I don’t know about you, but I have an ongoing need to be reminded that I am made in the Lord’s image and always beautiful in God’s sight, because I certainly have days, sometimes even weeks or months, when that feels anything but true.  This book is a great place to start to heal, love, and be loved in mind, body, and spirit.   

     
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Weightless - Making peace with your body. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

Share, Be Satisfied

     God provides all that we need and then some.  God provides us with an unquenchable hunger for Him that keeps us focused.  He gives us the gift of faith.  He showers love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion upon us, so that we may go and share these gifts with others, thereby bringing us all closer to Him.  He provides for some of what we need for ourselves and gives us extra that’s meant to be shared. 

     Oftentimes, God works through other people to meet our most basic physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  We each have different gifts, talents, and abilities, possess different types of wealth, but we’re each called to share all that we have been given. 

     Some of us may believe we haven’t got much that’s worth sharing.  We fear we can’t make a significant enough contribution to others.  We believe we don’t have enough money, resources, education, support, faith, and/or wisdom to share with others. 

     Sharing makes us vulnerable.  It means giving not only what we have, but also who we are, and that can be frightening at times.  Sharing our food and/or our money can be far easier than

Quiet Desperation

Most men lead lives of quiet desperation...                                                  

                                                                                      -Henry David Thoreau

Many circumstances have led me to believe that many people really do lead lives of quiet desperation. I’ve often been surprised to find out that someone I see regularly is going through a major personal or family crisis. Most of us have been taught to hide any impression of being stressed or depressed. Put aside fear or indecision, and forge ahead with a purpose. Never let them see you sweat…or sigh, give up, give in, quit. Big girls don’t cry. That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Blah, blah, blah.

I know I was schooled in the art of living the lie that everything was fine when really it wasn’t. Early on, we’re taught to get ahold of our emotions and stifle them or bury them when it isn’t considered appropriate to express them. When growing up, we learned to do this not only when we were in the grocery store and wanted candy we’d been told we couldn’t have, but also when in front of a group of our peers whose teasing only escalated if we became increasingly upset. When company came, we were told to be on our best behavior, meaning not embarrassing our parents by saying or doing anything that would reveal our true nature and upbringing wasn’t by any means Mary Poppins kind of picture perfect.

  
If almost every one of the family members and friends I am close to has one thing or another going on in their lives that is a crisis or could easily become one, then it makes me think that’s also the case with people I don’t know very well.
  

For many years, I was convinced that I shouldn’t say anything about what I experienced or how I felt because other people wouldn’t understand, wouldn’t care, and/or wouldn’t believe me. Most of their families seemed normal. I assumed my friends weren’t worried about the effects of workaholism, alcoholism, depression, or co-dependency on a family. I was right. Some of them weren’t worried about any of those things; instead, they were concerned about cancer, separation, divorce, finances, physical and/or emotional abuse, drugs, and death.

  
Now that I’ve learned more about human nature, I know adults are particularly adept at putting on a mask that tells everyone life’s just fine even when that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Some people’s masks are more elaborate, sophisticated, deceptively calm, sickeningly sweet, or duplicitously attractive than others. I’ve found, lately, mine, which used to be several inches thick, has begun to wear thin—perhaps because I’m sick of keeping so much in. If I’ve fooled all of the people some of the time, then I bet you have, too. What if I take off my mask and you remove yours?

Mirror Images versus Made in His Image

It’s quite amusing to watch kids checking themselves out in a mirror. They smile, make funny faces, flex their muscles, and enjoy seeing how they look from different angles. The only time recently when I’ve had that sort of elated reaction when looking in a mirror has been when I’m holding a little one or when Kevin comes up behind me and makes silly faces.
    
When I look in the mirror, I’m more likely to notice the dark circles under my eyes, the blemishes on my face, the off-center slant of my nose…than I am to marvel at my appearance.
    
I was disturbed by my reflection in the full-length mirror in our hotel room. I could see all my muscles in need of toning, clear evidence in my legs that I have poor circulation and don’t exercise often enough, and was forced to face a number of flaws from head-to-toe that made me tempted to put on pants and long sleeves rather than exit our room wearing my swimsuit. One consolation is that we were several hours from home, and I’d likely never run into the people who saw me ever again.
    
Kevin found my thoughts about all of this to be unreasonable. My dear husband couldn’t understand why I became discouraged. For that, I’m grateful. If he’d been standing behind me pointing out all of the physical flaws I’m already aware of, it would have only made things worse. Fortunately, he sees me through the eyes of love. He actually likes that I’m curvier now than when we first met. My love isn’t blind. He knows I could tone up and firm up in places, yet that’s not what he sees first when he looks at me.
   
It’s rather baffling to me when other people who are very attractive aren’t happy with their looks. I wonder why they can’t see what other people see when they look at them. I also find it fascinating that other people who some would consider homely are perfectly content with their looks.
    
The only way to find the healthy place between feeling ugly and being vain is to remember that we are each made in the image of God. Regardless of what we see or think when we look in the mirror (or what others view or think when they look at us), God sees each of us as beautiful, precious, and lovable all the time. It’s even easier for Him to perceive and admire our physical likeness to Christ than it is for us to identify the resemblance between members of the same immediate family.
    
Lord, teach us how to see ourselves and others the way You see us. Remind us that Your view of us is even more beautiful than that which is seen through the eyes of a loving father, a tender mother, a gentle spouse, a long-time friend… Help us to accept Your view of us and reach out to others to show how it is You see them. Amen.

Never Give Up

The title of this book sounds like something my dad would say. I think he’d also like the picture on the cover of a little fish leaping out of a small fishbowl into a bigger one. Never Give Up: My Life and God’s Mercy by John Janaro delves in to the stark reality of physical and emotional suffering in his own life and talks about how the unconditional love and grace of God have brought him through some very dark periods, giving him glimpses of the Light of the world in the process.
    
Janaro’s daily life thoughts, prayers, mediations are mixed in with sublime revelations, down-to-earth, pensive prose, questions, and reflections. The poems/prayers I found utterly profound. I don’t usually reread books, but I’m definitely going to go back through this one and spend more time with the poems.
    
I will admit that it was very uncomfortable to read this book at times because the descriptions of pain hit close to home, elicited memories of loved ones and some of my own suffering. The poignancy of the poetry and prose certainly fit within the realm of afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.
    
I can attest to the pain, frustration, and emotional distress caused by Lyme disease. I was diagnosed with it many years ago after I began developing a number of the symptoms during eighth grade when our family lived in NJ. Fortunately, I had a good pediatrician who was familiar with the illness, and I was given the treatment needed to get rid of it before it progressed too far. Reading about Janaro’s struggle with the illness and its countless symptoms reminded me again to pray for the many people who suffer daily in mind, body, and spirit, with little reprieve. I’m not sure how people do it without having a relationship with God.
    
Some of the internal monologue and even prayers are disturbingly easy to identify with if you or someone close to you has suffered a lot. The first part of the book is very much focused inward and on pain, then it moves outward to family and God, touching on major elements of the Catholic faith and beliefs along the way.
    
The only minor confusing aspect of the book is that it does hop around a bit from the microscope on pain and self to the wide angle lens of God’s grace and the vastness of His Kingdom. This microcosm versus macrocosm relationship I believe is best summed up by Janaro’s describing how Jesus Christ’s whole divinity and humanity are present in each Eucharist, every single Host.
    
This book digs deep into the soul and lifts the heart up high, just like the Lord does.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I receive a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Never Give Up - My Life and God's Mercy.

Freedom

This collection of twelve stories about how the Theology of the Body can transform lives was an amazing first taste for me of the power within Pope John Paul II’s sermons. In preparing for a Catholic Writers Conference, I read several newly-released Catholic nonfiction books, checked out a number of Catholic websites and periodicals and found that many of them mentioned something about the Theology of the Body. This piqued my curiosity, so I ordered the very large tome Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II. I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to read it before the conference, so I chose to read Freedom to see how this much talked about treasure could be applied to people’s lives today.
   
Through telling the stories of twelve people with very different lifestyles and circumstances, the reader is shown how Pope John Paul II’s insight into the holiness and goodness of the body can and has completely changed the thinking and behavior of men and women. What’s rather phenomenal is that the collection of sermons making up the Theology of the Body discourse as it is now commonly called were written about twenty years before they became popular to study and teach.
   
It’s likely that a wave of change will wash over a greater number of Catholics through books such as Freedom which show the benefits of learning about the Theology of the Body by showing the benefits of those who already have embraced such wisdom and applied it to their lives in a book whose length and reading level is more modern, not quite so technical and academic.
   
This book serves as a great introduction and interest-raising step into the Theology of the Body. You can purchase this book here.  I wrote this review of Freedom for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.