And it was Beautiful by Kara Tippetts

I first heard of Kara Tippetts at the same time that many of you probably heard about her. She wrote a letter to Brittany Maynard about dying well and not allowing doctors to determine your days. Kara lived with purpose, passion, and with eternity in mind. Heaven was in front of her but she still wrestled with letting go of this life... like all of us struggle with daily. Not only did she have her husband to think about, she wanted to be sure her 4 children knew that she passionately loved them. She knew one of her children would mostly know her only because her husband would tell her about Kara because most likely her littlest one wouldn't remember her very much. Kara lived well and died well.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking I should be crying and so sad. After all, this book holds a letter to her readers upon her death. But by the time I got to the end, I didn't cry. I was still sad, but ultimately I saw how much her life glorified God and felt how at peace she was by the end that it was reflected in her writing.

This book is a collection of her blog posts. Since I never went back to read all of her first posts about this journey or how it started, I was thankful for this collection. I want  my life to be lived with eternity as my focus, just as Kara did.

Read more reviews on this book at http://litfusegroup.com/author/ktippetts.

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About the Book

And It Was Beautiful: Celebrating Life in the Midst of the Long Good-Bye (David C Cook, March 2016)
“I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it.” —Kara Tippetts
How do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed?
Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story.
In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.
Learn more and purchase a copy.

Kara Tippetts

Kara Tippetts was the author of The Hardest Peace and the co-author of Just Show Up. She blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, has been parenting their four children and leading the church the couple founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Just Show Up by Kara Tippetts and Jill Lynn Buteyn

I was privileged to be able to walk with my grandpa on his cancer journey. I learned so much about what it mean to have a couple of people "just show up" for me. Most of them were not local people, so they would send a text or call. My mom experienced people showing up for her physically, whether by bringing meals by as she cared for my grandpa, or meeting her for lunch, or bringing her coffee. It was those small things that meant so much to our family. We so desperately wanted someone to acknowledge how crappy cancer is. I currently am thankful to walk with a close friend on her cancer journey with her son who has cancer. Because I saw how people showed up for me, I am able to show up for her. It was a trial not wasted. Not one I ever wanted to go on, but one that helped open my eyes to the long journey of cancer and how so many people forget to include you or call or even to bring up the subject.

This book should be in any church that has a care groups or has anyone wanting to know how to walk through suffering with someone. You're heart will hurt, you will be left wordless so many times, and you will cry so many tears on behalf of someone else. However, you will be blessed by the journey and by the relationships formed.

Just Show Up is full of a beautiful story of a community of women reaching out even in the suffering. It wasn't always beautiful and lots of grace was needed for the times when things were said that could cause hurt feelings, but it was a community that could come together to help meet most needs for Kara before and after her death. One friend was able to help her plan her funeral so her husband and family didn't have to do that. Another friend took care of the kids and another stocked her freezer full of food.

I could relate to so much in this book that I kept telling my friend that she just had to read this book! There were times with my grandpa when my heart was so broken that all I could do when praying was to say "Lord, Lord." I didn't even know how to finish my prayer or what to ask for. I was so thankful to see that Jill did too! And after getting so much devastating news from Kara, I can relate to the sleepless nights and lots of tears. I feel like I text my friend so much with "I have no words. Praying,." It feels so small, but I know it's all I have.

I can not possibly say too many wonderful words about this book. I love the little perspective from Kara placed at the end of each section by Jill. How beautiful! She was a lady that I think so many people loved to be around and her loss has probably made a giant hole in the lives of so many people.

I highly recommend to everyone to read this book. It is a giant book of grace--extending grace to yourself and the one suffering. I also thanked how she talked about insecurity. I can definitely relate to that!

Read more reviews on this book by going to http://litfusegroup.com/author/TippettsButeyn.

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Just Show Up (David C Cook, October 2015)
Kara Tippetts’s story was not a story of disease, although she lost her battle with terminal cancer.
It was not a story of saying goodbye, although she was intentional in her time with her husband and four children. Kara’s story was one of seeing God in the hard and in the good. It was one of finding grace in the everyday. And it was one of knowing “God with us” through fierce and beautiful friendship.
In Just Show Up, Kara and her close friend, Jill Lynn Buteyn, write about what friendship looks like in the midst of changing life seasons, loads of laundry, and even cancer. Whether you are eager to be present to someone going through a difficult time or simply want inspiration for pursuing friends in a new way, this eloquent and practical book explores the gift of silence, the art of receiving, and what it means to just show up.
Learn more and purchase a copy.

Jill Lynn Buteyn and Kara Tippetts

The late Kara Tippetts was the author of "The Hardest Peace" and blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Cancer was only a part of Kara’s story. Her real fight was to truly live while facing a crushing reality. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, is parenting their four children and leading the church they founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado. ***||*** Jill Lynn Buteyn is the author of "Falling for Texas," an inspirational novel, and a recipient of the ACFW Genesis Award for her fiction work. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Bethel University. Jill lives near the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her husband and two children.

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I received this book free from David C. Cook Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Halo Found Hope by Helo Matzelle

As someone who has watched a loved one go down the road of brain tumors, this book hit home. I currently have a friend's elementary-aged son going through a brain tumor and thought of her the entire time I read this book. Needless to say, I bought her the kindle copy so she could read it. I knew that if I had been encouraged by this book, then so would she. Walking down this road is a lonely, scary road. Helo did an amazing job telling her story and being transparent about her fears and her battles.

I found it very helpful to read about how her different family members handled the news of her brain tumor. She shares her perspective of what it was like for her parents to see their child suffer, her husband to watch his wife suffer, and her children watching their mom suffer. Everyone thought this would be a surgery with a 6-day recovery. When the unthinkable happens, the family each copes with the ups and downs of the prolonged hospital stay and near-death experiences in their own way.

I appreciated how Helo focuses so much on God and how her relationship with God brought her through those tough times. She shares her fears of dying and leaving her family behind, but she also shares the hope that she found in Christ. She shares how intense the battle of her mind was and how she had to deliberately focus on God when she was scared. I liked how she was able to get through the MRI scans! I could just see her toes wanting to tap right off the table!

This book is for absolutely anyone and everyone, in my opinion. However, this would be a huge source of encouragement for anyone walking through a brain tumor diagnosis. She shares her rehab frustrations and how she is different now from before the surgery. It will definitely minister to those who are anywhere on this journey.

Read more reviews on this book by going to http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/halo-found-hope-helo-matzelle.

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{More about Halo Found Hope}

Halo Found Hope (December 2014)
Machines beeping, the blur of medical staff running, a crash cart whizzing into an ICU room—was there any hope?
A young woman lay, packed in ice, as doctors attempted to somehow stop the swelling in her brain that threatened to take her life… and her family waited.
Six days turned into eight weeks. She awoke to discover that she was not the same. She saw two of everything, couldn’t feel half of her face, couldn’t hear from one ear, and could not speak. She couldn’t even tell anyone that she felt hopeless… or could she?
Halo Found Hope is the story of a beautiful, busy wife, and mother of three whose life changes instantly with the diagnosis of a rare brain tumor. An exceptional ENT, a brilliant neurosurgeon and a dedicated medical team tackle the tumor, setting off a series of unbelievable miracles. Helo’s story is not one of survival, or of salvaging a life through a broken body. It is not about endurance through pain, but victory because of it. While the family heard her silence, God heard her prayer. Helo’s story is simply this: Wherever you are and whatever you are going through, God is right there. He doesn’t need to be re cognized by you, to be there for you. He can replace fear with courage and discouragement with determination, if you let Him. Helo did, and that is how she found hope.
Learn more and purchase a copy at Helo’s website.

{More About Helo Matzelle}

Helouise “Halo” Matzelle led a charmed life until receiving a shocking diagnosis in 2011 of a rare brain tumor sitting over the main artery in her brain. Matzelle’s passion is helping those who face various challenges and afflictions discover where true hope is found. She resides in Redmond, WA, with her husband and their three children.
Find out more about Helo at http://halofoundhope.com/.
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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Dog Ear Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.