A giveaway of ‘Impossible Marriages Redeemed’ with your bits & pieces!
I hope you had a lovely Easter and are continuing the glorious celebration of the Risen Lord!
The above picture is from yesterday, cold but sunny.
Today:
Never mind.
I have an important book to give away, so let’s get right to it: 3 copies of Impossible Marriages Redeemed: They Didn’t End the Story in the Middle. (Affiliate link*),
Leila Miller has put together hopeful and inspiring stories, all completely true, of marriages that are saved. These people didn’t give in to the divorce culture, despite truly oppressive difficulties.
They stood and fought. Read about how real couples rescued their marriages and went on to live happily ever after — yes, it is possible, once we realize that this vision includes struggle and sacrifice — sometimes by one spouse without the help of the other for a good long time.
Leila gives 65 voices a chance to convince our world with their own marriages that divorce is not the answer, no matter how dire the circumstances seem. And your mind will boggle at what people have done to hold fast! In nearly every case, my own thought was, “Well, this is one where she should just walk away for sure.” How little faith we have.
In some cases, the people in the book simply stood, one spouse holding to the truth of the marriage, with no fairy tale ending. As I’ve written here many times, this standing has its own reward in preserving the hope of the children and in bearing witness to society. For the stander there is only the satisfaction of remaining firm in suffering; but we have to remember that we are not made for this world.
You will remember that Leila Miller edited another book, Primal Loss (affiliate link*), that sparked a real and noticeable change in how people speak about divorce. For the first time, when the stories of what children really think and suffer in divorce were allowed to be heard, the narrative that “divorce is necessary for moving on and the children are all right” could be challenged. The next step was clearly to offer hope for preventing divorce, and I really admire Leila for accepting that challenge with this new volume.
This new book, Impossible Marriages Redeemed*, needs to be read by everyone whose marriage is rocky, who counsels those whose marriage is under attack, and who knows anyone who is at risk for divorce. (The Foreword, written by my husband, is very good too!)
We need to turn around our divorce culture. The readiness with which we break sacred bonds has called down on our society great evils. But it’s true that in many cases, people resort to divorce because they don’t have a vision or model for anything different, and this book remedies that problem. There are examples galore, right here in this book, offered from the heart.
I encourage you to enter for a chance to win one of three copies that Leila has generously offered, and to buy copies for yourself, your parish priest, and your counselor friends. Slip one to that person in your life who is about to make a terrible mistake!
Enter a comment for your chance! I will pick three winners at the end of the week.
*An affiliate link means a small amount goes to us when you buy, but we would recommend this book even without it!
bits & pieces
Remember that Lenten coloring calendar that was so intricate? Good news — there is an Easter one as well! Get it here. It’s lovely and quite involved — good for an older child who can read, enjoyable for the motivated adult.
Excellent review of a bad feature film about the great Phyllis Schlafly. Learn who she really was.
The more I look in to how disease is overcome, the more I am convinced that the most important factor is basic hygiene. Truly, there is no need in ordinary life to be compulsive; certainly we should be attentive. We need to practical hygiene that doesn’t overlook the most fundamental issues of air, sunlight, and cleanliness. An interesting article about the evolution of the bathroom.
Do you know about this site that provides evidence-based childbirth information? Lots of good stuff about birthing in these scary times with Covid as well as all the other issues to navigate. Specifically, here is a sample form to sign to refuse separation from baby.
Giving Poland and Hungary Their (Qualified) Due — worth reading and thinking about the concept (described by Pierre Manent) of the fanaticism of the center.
In general I have become more skeptical about the efficacy and safety of vaccines, but I am most concerned with those that are derived immorally, from aborted fetal cells. No matter what the benefit, it can never be right for the death of one person to be required for the health of others. We are in the position of being able to voice our concern with a potential Covid vaccine, as two are in development and one does not use aborted fetal cells. I would hope that all those of good will would urge the pursuit of that one! I’m not sure who one tells, but at least know the facts.
Using aborted fetal cells in medicine can seem like a scientific issue with only a remote relation to ethics. But abortion is connected with paganism, including the idea that the sacrifice of innocent life protects people from harm. “You might be thinking modern-day abortion, although perhaps done for the same reasons, is not the same as ancient ritual infant sacrifice. For one thing, where’s the ritual? Believe it or not, it is not at all uncommon for women to engage in some kind of ritual behavior around their abortion experience.” Read the evidence.
Some day when we can all travel again, let’s go to this gorgeous shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Wisconsin!
A more flourishing society, including one that is more hospitable to neighborhood businesses and services, would have a lot less occupational licensing. The emergency lifting of these barriers to entry in the current crisis could be the turning point if we pay attention.
I’m so glad that public schools are closed. They have done no end of mischief. Our children need to be sprung from those jails! Here is a good article about the transgender ideology that is being promoted there (and other places), victimizing our nation’s children: “Our academies, our hospitals, and our schools are sick with the belief—ancient and well-intentioned but fatal nonetheless—that the flesh is a prison from which the spirit can be freed.”
from the archives
Spirited woman, strong marriage — my book review of an older classic work of historical fiction, Hannah Fowler
Whining children getting you down? Whining whiners and how to cure them
liturgical year
Saturday in the Octave of Easter — let’s continue to celebrate our joy of the resurrection!
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
The post A giveaway of ‘Impossible Marriages Redeemed’ with your bits & pieces! appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
