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The Facts of Life: And Other Lessons My Father Taught Me
The former child star of The Facts of Life sit-com details her spiritual growth as she journeyed from the glamour of Hollywood to suburban life as a pastor's wife, homeschooling mother of three, and growing Christian.
190 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Lisa Whelchel
23 books32 followersLisa Diane Whelchel is an American actress, singer, songwriter, author, and life coach. She is known for her appearances as a Mouseketeer on The New Mickey Mouse Club and her nine-year role as the preppy and wealthy Blair Warner on The Facts of Life. In 1984, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance for her contemporary Christian album All Because of You. In 2012, Whelchel participated as a contestant on the CBS competitive reality series Survivor: Philippines and tied for second place. She was also voted fan favorite and was awarded $100,000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 6, 2024
DNF. I found this book to be to preachy. I also wanted more stories from facts of life.
February 7, 2018
Lisa Whelchel is best known for her appearance as a Mouseketeer on The New Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and her lead role as Blair Warner on The Facts of Life. Her book, The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me, is an inspirational, entertaining spin on an autobiography. It is broken up into twenty-two, well-organized chapters that represent various chapters in her own life. While it is apparent from page one that God is a prominent topic in the book, those who do not share the same faith can still take away valuable knowledge and life tips. Whelchel shares some highlighting points in her life, from God wooing her with doughnuts at ten-years-old to her life as a homeschooling mother of three. Although she discusses some very serious topics, Whelchel’s sense of humor and love for God consistently shine through.
Whelchel begins her book with how she came to be a child-actress. She tells of how she, a painfully shy little girl, was signed up for summer acting classes by her concerned mother. The saying “Mother knows best” proved itself true again, because Whelchel was bitten by “the acting bug” (22). She had discovered her passion and “was determined to give birth to a career before [she] reached puberty” (22). Many acting lessons and daunting auditions later, all her hard work finally paid off—she found herself living and working in California.
Several common themes are seen throughout The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me: God’s guidance, grace, and love. Just before filming the third season of The Facts of Life, Whelchel was forced to make a huge, value-reflecting decision: lose her (Blair’s) virginity and compromise her beliefs or refuse and risk losing her newfound career that she loved. In the end, Whelchel was willing to miss out on her fifty-five-thousand per episode salary because she “felt a responsibility to the young girls who might be watching the show” (35).
In one of the chapters, Whelchel discusses what she calls her “thorn in the flesh”: her struggle with her weight. It is not a secret that celebrities are held to a higher standard when it comes to their size, and, due to this, many of them even struggle with eating disorders. Whelchel reveals how she has had “to fight all [her] life to stay at a healthy weight” (52) and how she chooses to look to the Lord for strength. Instead of seeing her struggle as a curse, she chooses to see it as a blessing. Her reasoning behind this is: “because if life were trouble-free, we would never call on the Lord and would miss out on the thrill of being rescued” (53).
Whelchel shares the story of how she met her husband, letters from her beloved mother, and stories about raising and homeschooling her three children. She gives financial, marriage, and parenting advice that she learned the hard way and even lets the reader in on some of the not-so-glamourous struggles of her life—like allowing God to teach her how to parent her ADHD-diagnosed son. Whelchel concludes the book with the latest adventure in her life—travelling cross-country in an RV with her family while she writes books. She leaves the reader with this encouraging word— “God has a special plan for each of His children, and it’s really not that difficult to find His will for your life… God’s will finds [us] as long as [we] walk close to Him” (188).
Abbey Anderson
Whelchel begins her book with how she came to be a child-actress. She tells of how she, a painfully shy little girl, was signed up for summer acting classes by her concerned mother. The saying “Mother knows best” proved itself true again, because Whelchel was bitten by “the acting bug” (22). She had discovered her passion and “was determined to give birth to a career before [she] reached puberty” (22). Many acting lessons and daunting auditions later, all her hard work finally paid off—she found herself living and working in California.
Several common themes are seen throughout The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me: God’s guidance, grace, and love. Just before filming the third season of The Facts of Life, Whelchel was forced to make a huge, value-reflecting decision: lose her (Blair’s) virginity and compromise her beliefs or refuse and risk losing her newfound career that she loved. In the end, Whelchel was willing to miss out on her fifty-five-thousand per episode salary because she “felt a responsibility to the young girls who might be watching the show” (35).
In one of the chapters, Whelchel discusses what she calls her “thorn in the flesh”: her struggle with her weight. It is not a secret that celebrities are held to a higher standard when it comes to their size, and, due to this, many of them even struggle with eating disorders. Whelchel reveals how she has had “to fight all [her] life to stay at a healthy weight” (52) and how she chooses to look to the Lord for strength. Instead of seeing her struggle as a curse, she chooses to see it as a blessing. Her reasoning behind this is: “because if life were trouble-free, we would never call on the Lord and would miss out on the thrill of being rescued” (53).
Whelchel shares the story of how she met her husband, letters from her beloved mother, and stories about raising and homeschooling her three children. She gives financial, marriage, and parenting advice that she learned the hard way and even lets the reader in on some of the not-so-glamourous struggles of her life—like allowing God to teach her how to parent her ADHD-diagnosed son. Whelchel concludes the book with the latest adventure in her life—travelling cross-country in an RV with her family while she writes books. She leaves the reader with this encouraging word— “God has a special plan for each of His children, and it’s really not that difficult to find His will for your life… God’s will finds [us] as long as [we] walk close to Him” (188).
Abbey Anderson
October 12, 2012
Okay, yes, I bought the book after I read that Lisa Whelchel and her husband were divorcing. She said that she had detailed how they met and fell in love in this book. And fine, I grew up watching The Facts of Life. I didn't think I would actually review the book and own up to reading it, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it actually was.
Let me preface this review by saying that this book isn't for everyone. It's very religious, as it talks about how Lisa was saved at the age of ten and her heavy involvement in her church. Her religious beliefs strongly influenced her decisions in her acting career.
Lisa Whelchel was a well-known actress at the height of her career when she chose to get married and have three children in about the same amount of years. Although she attempted to get back into acting after having children, she came to realize that it was no longer in the cards. So, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom and homeschool her children.
Her marriage came about in a rather unique way. She was friendly with the junior pastor in her church,Steve, but had no romantic interest in him. However, he had feelings for her and pursued them. Lisa and Steve asked their pastor for advice. The pastor mistakenly believed that they were asking for his blessing on their engagement and announced it to the entire congregation. Lisa was upset, but decided that this was the path that God had chosen for her. I'm going to say that when a marriage starts out that way, it might be a sign that it's not going to last. It did last for 24 years, but it is over now. From the book it seems as though they really had very little in common.
"I was already beginning to change, and my heavenly Father was just getting warmed up. The first thing He told me to do was to look for ways throughout the day to thank Steve. This was the complete opposite of what I wanted to do, which was to point out everything he was doing wrong so that he could fix it. Criticizing him in front of other people and soliciting their support for my position strengthened my case that he was a lousy husband and need to shape up. I was more than willing to show him how he should be doing things."
I know that I've made mistakes like that in my own relationships. It's a good lesson to learn (I learned it before I started my relationship with my husband). I think that there are a lot of lessons like that in this book and it's part of why I really liked it.
I also appreciated the way that Lisa handled her child with ADHD. She wrote another book about that called Creative Correction.
I will say that the Kindle edition as a TON of typos.
Recommend for selected audiences.
Let me preface this review by saying that this book isn't for everyone. It's very religious, as it talks about how Lisa was saved at the age of ten and her heavy involvement in her church. Her religious beliefs strongly influenced her decisions in her acting career.
Lisa Whelchel was a well-known actress at the height of her career when she chose to get married and have three children in about the same amount of years. Although she attempted to get back into acting after having children, she came to realize that it was no longer in the cards. So, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom and homeschool her children.
Her marriage came about in a rather unique way. She was friendly with the junior pastor in her church,Steve, but had no romantic interest in him. However, he had feelings for her and pursued them. Lisa and Steve asked their pastor for advice. The pastor mistakenly believed that they were asking for his blessing on their engagement and announced it to the entire congregation. Lisa was upset, but decided that this was the path that God had chosen for her. I'm going to say that when a marriage starts out that way, it might be a sign that it's not going to last. It did last for 24 years, but it is over now. From the book it seems as though they really had very little in common.
"I was already beginning to change, and my heavenly Father was just getting warmed up. The first thing He told me to do was to look for ways throughout the day to thank Steve. This was the complete opposite of what I wanted to do, which was to point out everything he was doing wrong so that he could fix it. Criticizing him in front of other people and soliciting their support for my position strengthened my case that he was a lousy husband and need to shape up. I was more than willing to show him how he should be doing things."
I know that I've made mistakes like that in my own relationships. It's a good lesson to learn (I learned it before I started my relationship with my husband). I think that there are a lot of lessons like that in this book and it's part of why I really liked it.
I also appreciated the way that Lisa handled her child with ADHD. She wrote another book about that called Creative Correction.
I will say that the Kindle edition as a TON of typos.
Recommend for selected audiences.
March 2, 2009
wow. just wow. I had to skip the last page of each chapter. Interesting, but just wow. I think she's even More than Kirk Cameron.
January 16, 2016
08/09: I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I expected to enjoy it. I expected a pithy, cute, pop, Christian devotional. Lisa is a woman of deeply mature faith. Providentially, we just watched "Flywheel," and now I read this, back-to-back. Both offer the same message of making Jesus Lord of one's life... how hard that is, but how rewarding. Lisa understands the "seasons" in a woman's life and offers solid insights.
From the back cover: Meet "Blair" as you've never known her before... Pretty, blond child-star Lisa Whelchel was cast as a snobby rich girl on the wildly popular eighties sitcom "The Facts of Life," which is still delighting fans worldwide. But who is the real woman behind the actress? And how did she become a voice for faith and family life today? How did Lisa escape the downward spiral that often follows a rapid rise to fame? Was she ever really (as she tells it) shy?
In an intimate self-portrait, Lisa talks candidly about the key events that shaped her life choices in the crucible of childhood fame. "My heavenly Father has taught me many earthly lessons," says Lisa, "such as... what to learn from failure, when it's good to give up, why He sometimes says no, how to spend money, who to marry, and even where to go when you're going to blow. These, I think, are the real facts of life."
From the back cover: Meet "Blair" as you've never known her before... Pretty, blond child-star Lisa Whelchel was cast as a snobby rich girl on the wildly popular eighties sitcom "The Facts of Life," which is still delighting fans worldwide. But who is the real woman behind the actress? And how did she become a voice for faith and family life today? How did Lisa escape the downward spiral that often follows a rapid rise to fame? Was she ever really (as she tells it) shy?
In an intimate self-portrait, Lisa talks candidly about the key events that shaped her life choices in the crucible of childhood fame. "My heavenly Father has taught me many earthly lessons," says Lisa, "such as... what to learn from failure, when it's good to give up, why He sometimes says no, how to spend money, who to marry, and even where to go when you're going to blow. These, I think, are the real facts of life."
July 20, 2015
Lisa Whelchel was cast as one of my favorite characters (Blaire) from one of my favorite TV shows (The Facts Of Life). It's always interesting and entertaining to read "how the other half lives" in memoirs of our favorite celebrities, but reading this book had a special twist: Lisa is a wonderful woman of faith and is using this book to spread the Good News. I admired this emensily. As she states, it wasn't just a coinseidence that I (or rather my mom) picked up this book.
I feel as if I have gained a friend,some wonderful insight on some "facts of life", and deeper roots in my faith. Lisa has a beautiful sense of humor, a kind and friendly writing style, and a relatablitiy that makes the reader feel as if they are sitting down and chatting over coffee.
Thank you Lisa Whelchel. You're amazing!
I feel as if I have gained a friend,some wonderful insight on some "facts of life", and deeper roots in my faith. Lisa has a beautiful sense of humor, a kind and friendly writing style, and a relatablitiy that makes the reader feel as if they are sitting down and chatting over coffee.
Thank you Lisa Whelchel. You're amazing!
July 1, 2010
8.5 -- Especially funny was the part in chapter nine where Lisa writes about a steamy novel for married women: "He laid lown the remote and made his way into the kitchen where she was wearily rinsing the dinner plates....He approached her from behind, wrapped his arms around her waist, and held her prunelike hands in his....He leaned into her body and whispered the words she longed to hear: 'Honey, I'll do the dishes for you.' She melted onto the linoleum floor..." There's a little more to that "excerpt" but you get the picture.
I also really liked her mother's advice on how to choose a husband.
So it was an enjoyable read.
I also really liked her mother's advice on how to choose a husband.
So it was an enjoyable read.
May 15, 2009
I heard Lisa Whelchel speak a few weekends ago at a Women of Faith conference and I decided to read her book. This is the 3rd time I've heard her speak (Youth Congress '85, Hearts at Home, and Women of Faith.) She has an interesting story to tell, including her first gig as a Mousketeer (I even remember that!) to playing Blair on Facts of Life. This book further explores her life as a stay-at-home mom, homeschooler, and writer. I found it to be a quick, interesting read (probably because I lived through a lot of it with her!) and I am inspired by how she puts her faith in action every day.
September 26, 2009
It can be hard to separate an actress from the character she portrayed. I never thought I would like Lisa Whelchel, but I am learning to. She is not Blair.
What I appreciated about this book is that she didn't go into every last detail of her life, as if we would be fascinated with every last detail. She just told story from her life and then gave the Biblical application and lesson she learned from it.
It was nice to learn more about Lisa as Lisa. This book could be used as a devotional.
What I appreciated about this book is that she didn't go into every last detail of her life, as if we would be fascinated with every last detail. She just told story from her life and then gave the Biblical application and lesson she learned from it.
It was nice to learn more about Lisa as Lisa. This book could be used as a devotional.
September 17, 2014
Lisa Whelchel, best known for her role as Blair on "The Facts of Life" TV series shares some of her life experiences: acting, meeting and marrying her husband, financial reverses, having three children, homeschooling, and the lessons her Heavenly Father taught her along the way.
I liked her unique "40 day non-food fasts" and what God taught her through each one.
This is an easy, enjoyable read.
I liked her unique "40 day non-food fasts" and what God taught her through each one.
This is an easy, enjoyable read.
December 7, 2014
After hearing Lisa Whelchel share an inspirational message at today's Women's Christmas Brunch at my church, I read her book. Lisa has a great story on trusting God's plan and included relevant Bible verses that apply to all of us. One of my favorite parts of Lisa's book were the letters from her mom along with great advice for choosing a husband and parenting. Lisa's sense of humor is a delight.
April 6, 2010
Interesting read. I like to read about other people's walk with the Lord and their life story. As some other readers commented, it seemed like she held back information for her privacy, so it wasn't as in depth as other autobiographies, but I did find a lot of things she said thought provoking and encouraging.
April 24, 2013
I had this on my shelf for years but for some reason I had never read it. I was a big Facts of Life fan as a young girl and always thought highly of Lisa Whelchel. However, the more I read about Lisa's life, the more alienated I felt from her. Maybe it's just me, but some of her stories seem a bit contrived. Quick read, only somewhat interesting.
February 27, 2009
I personally really enjoyed Lisa's perspective on life. Having grown up watching her shows, I was interested in her life as a christian mom. I felt so sad for her at times but inspired by her drive to keep going. In a world that is so secular focused, it's nice to see she has maintained her roots.
August 5, 2009
I enjoyed her easy writing style and the amazing changes that were made in her life. I could see myself taking some of the steps she made and enjoyed getting a peek into her life. Easy and quick read.
August 18, 2009
Loved reading the story of Lisa's life, especially after hearing her talk at the Women of Faith conference this year. I like how she is real but gives such great spiritual insight and makes you ask yourself questions.
September 1, 2009
While I enjoyed this - it was empty in spots. I understand she didn't want to reveal some areas of her life due to privacy but it left me wanting more; not information, but depth. I helped that I heard her speak about her life and therefore enjoyed the book because of this.
April 29, 2014
Super easy and enjoyable read. Each chapter is an anecdote in her life and explains her walk with God. I would recommend it to others but it's not a huge classic worthy of five stars. Parts made me chuckle and others made me tear up. Definitely good if you want a quick read.
February 19, 2008
surprisingly good read
August 22, 2008
This book is a wonderful testimony of God's love and power! If you like Lisa Whelchel (Blair from Facts of Life) Read this one!!
July 6, 2009
I got the book while at a women of faith conference 2 weeks ago. I can't wait to read more but too busy to pick it up.
August 3, 2009
I loved this book. Lisa is amazing. She is real and honest. She talks about decisions the Lord helped her make despite the lack of worldly support. She is an inspiration.
October 19, 2010
I was wanting to read some of Lisa's other books, but thought I would start with her background story first. This is a quick read and lets you know where she is coming from. I enjoyed it.
September 8, 2011
Lisa Whelchel explains her personal faith and references her life as a child actor. I was susprised with how genuine she is with her own insecurities and "human-ness" if you will.
July 5, 2012
Delightful to read.
May 14, 2013
I could totally relate to the story about her taking pictures of her husband after he fell off a ladder - a scrapbooker to heart!!! :D
July 5, 2014
i enjoyed this book
September 15, 2014
Great story of her life and how God has worked through it all.
March 18, 2024
Lisa Whelchel realized that she wanted to follow Christ at the tender age of only ten. Many of her readers may have first met her when she was a Mouseketeer on the short-lived revival of the Micky Mouse Club or when she starred on the hit series, The Facts of Life. But her life has not always been one of fame and fortune.
She married Steve Cauble and together they had three children. But their marriage was not a perfect one. Since she was no longer working, Lisa had to get used to living a less extravagant lifestyle. She lost a fortune when the real estate market collapsed. Since she could not afford to enroll the children in private school, Lisa decided to homeschool.
But throughout any hardships that came her way, Lisa did not waiver in her faith. She found creative solutions to deal with her problems Fasting, not always a food related issue, became a way to help her move forward.
I have no idea where this book has been hiding and I had actually forgotten about it, but it suddenly appeared on the top of a stack of books I have sitting on a cabinet. It was obvious to me that I was meant to read it now and I am glad I did. I encourage anyone who is interested in living a Christian life to pick up a copy and read Lisa Whelchel’s story
She married Steve Cauble and together they had three children. But their marriage was not a perfect one. Since she was no longer working, Lisa had to get used to living a less extravagant lifestyle. She lost a fortune when the real estate market collapsed. Since she could not afford to enroll the children in private school, Lisa decided to homeschool.
But throughout any hardships that came her way, Lisa did not waiver in her faith. She found creative solutions to deal with her problems Fasting, not always a food related issue, became a way to help her move forward.
I have no idea where this book has been hiding and I had actually forgotten about it, but it suddenly appeared on the top of a stack of books I have sitting on a cabinet. It was obvious to me that I was meant to read it now and I am glad I did. I encourage anyone who is interested in living a Christian life to pick up a copy and read Lisa Whelchel’s story
June 29, 2020
I enjoyed this book so much Lisa and I have so much in common. Some of which is a love of and a personal relationship with the Father Jesus Christ. This book is very uplifting and gives a good insight about how to give praise in the good times and the bad. She emphasizes to make all your decisions with God involved and listen to His opinions and then follow them and if you have faith it will work out in the end. Lisa also addressed a great point that it is important that we be very careful what we get caught up in this world, alot of things are not for us. Definitely recommend this book. Would read more than once.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews