Heaven is Here

My husband has noticed one major change in me since law school graduation: my reading habit. I use to devour a book a week. Now, I can count on one hand how many books I've read in full since June 2011. Determined to get back at it, I picked up Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson. My familiarity with her went as far as a magazine article and her blog: the Nie Nie Dialogues. I was captivated by her story, with her beauty, and, more importantly, her triumph through such difficulty. My favorite lines: 

"At first I thought stubbornly that the one thing that would make me happy was for life to look like it did before the accident. But no one could give that to me, and no one else could make me happy. 

Happiness was my choice, and though it is hard won, I am the only person who can stand in the way of it. 

As I gradually accepted responsiblity to choose happiness every day, I rediscovered the beautiful life I had always wanted. I still have to remind myself to choose happiness almost every morning when I wake up in pain, and I expect I will need reminding throughout my life, but the amazing thing is the more I make the choice to see and feel joy, the more joy there is to see and to feel."

This is a must-read. Stephanie's story is powerful and inspiring. You cannot read it without gaining appreciation of your own life and its blessings. To further echo above, I believe happiness is a choice. As Christians, I think we are called to choose happiness. It's not easy but it's definitely worth fighting for. Don't let yourself stand in the way of happiness. We must appreciate the sun while it shines because rain and storms their season too. So dish: have you read this? What other must-reads should I add to my library list? Xoxo-BLC