Book Review: SACRED SUCCESS by Barbara Stanny

"The problem, as I see it, is this: we've never been taught the secret wisdom of creating wealth and wielding power--as women." -- Barbara Stanny

How do you not love a woman who once wrote a book called Prince Charming Isn't Coming?

And Barbara Stanny should know. She had a comfortable start in life, as her dad was the "R" of H & R Block, but she later turned a blind eye as her husband gambled all of her money away. Everything changed for her when she took control of her life and her finances, and now she teaches other women to do the same.

Sacred Success is a book for any woman who desires more; not just more money, but a more meaningful life.  I really liked how Barbara talked about the melding of the spiritual and the practical when it comes to money, and explored the connection between money and power--not power in the traditional sense, but a woman becoming fully who she is. This is so important, because our notions of power can limit our earning potential; Barbara calls it "chronic under earning," which has more to do with our mindset than straight financial savvy. 

This is an easy to read book that is packed with useful information, and because there was so much that was new to me I really enjoyed the chapter summaries which highlighted key concepts, like this: "Beneath our dislike of or discomfort with power lurks a deeper, more ominous concern--the dire consequences we might suffer if we become truly powerful."

In Barbara Stanny's own words, Sacred Success means, "pursuing your Soul's purpose, for your own bliss and the benefit of others while being richly rewarded." If this sounds good to you, grab this book and dive in to what is both a practical process and a spiritual practice, and get ready for your life to change

For more on Barbara Stanny and how to transform your relationship with money, click here. 

A Very GOOD Day With ALEXANDER At Disney's El Capitan Theatre

The El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

At the El Cap entrance and ready for a good day!

One of Steve Carell's movie outfits on display in the lobby.

The gorgeous interior of the theatre.

El Cap organist Rob Richards at the Wurlitzer.

On a beautiful Saturday (the first weekend that finally felt like fall here in SoCal), my husband and son and I headed to Hollywood for the El Capitan Theatre to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Seeing a movie at the El Cap is always an exciting experience, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to explore. I love Netflix, but this is well worth taking the time to get off the couch and deal with the Hollywood traffic. And now, the El Cap is offering daily tours--don't miss this chance to go behind-the-scenes at a legendary, historic venue. (I love the El Capitan so much that I included it in my book, From the Corner of Hollywood and diVine: Your Guide to 30 Old Hollywood-Inspired Spots.

In the lobby, we checked out props and costumes from Alexander, grabbed a souvenir bucket of popcorn, and then headed into the theatre. I always love to come early and hear award-winning organist Rob Richards on the Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ, which instantly transports me back to the glory days of Old Hollywood. This time, he played "Circle Of Life," "You've Got A Friend In Me ("From Toy Story!" screamed my four-year-old.), "When You Wish Upon A Star," "Beauty And The Beast," "Zippity-Doo-Dah," and "Be Our Guest" before riding the organ down through the floor and underneath the stage.

I absolutely loved the movie. Alexander is turning twelve, and for him...every day is a bad day. As he watches the rest of his family (including Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner as his mom and dad) have one success after another, he makes a birthday wish that they would all know what it is like to have a terrible day, too. His wish seems to come true, as one mishap after another occurs, from a ginormous forehead zit popping up on prom day to alarms not going off in the morning to a lost pacifier (if you're a parent, you will def understand that last one).

Alexander is a great example of what Disney does so well, which is getting right to the heart of the matter; in this case, it is all about family. This is one of those movies that had me laughing one minute, and then tearing up the next, either because something was painfully true about being a parent or just genuinely sweet. I hope that you never experience a day that goes wrong to the extent the Cooper family does in the movie, but if you do, you will have some wisdom from a wise twelve-year-old to keep in mind: "Sometimes, you gotta have the bad days so you can love the good days even more."

A Workout Playlist To Make You Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya

I heard a yoga teacher say that if you can walk five miles a day while pregnant, when the time is right, your baby "will just fall out." (Sounds good to me!) At this point, it would take me about two hours to do five miles (tough to work into a day of commuting, job, and hanging out with my son), so I'm doing a few miles a few days a week, along with yoga, to get ready for Baby #2 in a few weeks. I don't know about you, but music is a must-have no matter what kind of exercise I'm doing, so I wanted to share some new and old favorites with you that never fail to motivate me. A lot of these are songs that I've presented on my international countdown, The World Chart Show, and they are big hits all around the globe. Enjoy! Now, get moving...

(warm-up) "Stay Gold" -- First Aid Kit
1. "Blame" -- Calvin Harris featuring John Newman
2. "Shake It Off" -- Taylor Swift
3. "Today Is Beautiful" -- David Dunn
4. "All About That Bass" -- Meghan Trainor (If you have kids, be sure to get the EDITED version of this one!)
5. "Heart of Glass" -- Blondie
6. "Lovers On The Sun" -- David Guetta with Sam Martin
7. "Geronimo" -- Sheppard
8. "Break Free" -- Ariana Grande & Zedd
9. "Pompeii" -- Bastille
10. "Fireball" -- Pitbull featuring John Ryan
11. "Changing" -- Sigma featuring Paloma Faith
(cool down) "Take Me To Church" -- Hozier

Book Review: MOVE ON by Vicki Courtney

As Vicki Courtney was working on a Bible Study for mothers of sons (including a section on sexual purity), her oldest son told her that his fiancée was pregnant. In that moment, she found that there was no judgment in her heart or any thoughts of, "How could you!" There was only grace. And that set the course for the miracles that came after.

Later, Vicki wrote Move On: When Mercy Meets Your Mess to share her story and her journey, and to encourage others who have maybe felt that God has set them free but His people were ready to lock them up. Like The Spirit-Filled Life, another book that I just read and reviewed, Move On is written in very simple language and filled with stories (the author's and stories from others), but at the same time packed with enough oomph and Biblical wisdom that it will touch your heart and also challenge you. I liked that there are questions at the end of each chapter to encourage deeper reflection, which is so important in a book like this because what is presented can truly be life-changing.

Vicki's personal story brought tears to my eyes as I thought of the guilt and shame she suffered as a result of a secret she kept for years, and then I was so inspired by the freedom and acceptance she found as she brought what she had kept hidden into the light, and began to heal. If there is something in your past that you feel you will never be able to move on from, I encourage you to read this book. I also encourage you to pick up Move On if you yearn to be real and authentic and to drop the game of pretending everything is peachy while your world is falling apart. Because, as Vicki says, "The truth is, we're all a mess. But the good news is that God is bigger than any of our muddy messes." Amen!

For more on author Vicki Courtney, click here.

Book Review: THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE by Charles Stanley

I have enjoyed hearing Pastor Charles Stanley on the radio and on tv for many years. He has a no-nonsense way of presenting Bible truths that makes them easy to apply to everyday life, so I was intrigued when I saw the title of his newest book, The Spirit-Filled Life.

As Pastor Stanley says in the book, "[The] Spirit-filled life is both wonderful and worthwhile--especially when compared to the alternative." He shares his own story of encountering the Holy Spirit, and talks about learning to recognize the Spirit's influence in your life. I appreciated that the book was written in an easy-to-understand way, using language that anyone can understand, while at the same time being very deep; this is a thorough exploration of the Holy Spirit. I also liked the "Think About It" questions at the end of each chapter, as I have found that actually stopping to probe a little deeper can allow what you have learned to have an impact on your life, rather than just having it be "Spiritual Entertainment," as Mastin Kipp would say.

Nothing can substitute for actually reading the Bible, but The Spirit-Filled Life is a wonderful additional resource as you learn to walk by faith and not by sight. I am grateful that Pastor Stanley took the time to write this, and answer questions that so many of us have, like...Who is the Holy Spirit? And, in light of who He is, how do we live our lives? Read The Spirit-Filled Life if you feel burned out from trying to live life on your own, and discover the joy of relying on the wisdom, love, and power of the Holy Spirit.

The importance of waiting on God.For more on Charles Stanley, click here.

Book Review: DAILY LOVE: GROWING INTO GRACE by Mastin Kipp

I first heard about Mastin Kipp a few years ago at a festival in Santa Monica, when he was speaking with Elena Brower. That night, I checked out The Daily Love website for the first time and was so happy to find a place online that was so loving and supportive. And others have discovered the same thing; hundreds of thousands (maybe even millions at this point) of people check out the site or get the email every day! Over the years, I have heard bits and pieces of Mastin's story, so it was really cool to get the whole scoop in his fantastic new book, Daily Love: Growing Into Grace.

One thing that I find so refreshing about Mastin is his honesty; living in Hollywood, most people you run into are big talkers who are very concerned about how they are coming across and will never admit that they have made a mistake. Not so here; Mastin is very open with his struggles in relationships, addiction, and even his weight. The book details his journey from living the high life in the entertainment industry to crashing and burning, recovery, and finally finding his true calling..."Following your bliss," as Joseph Campbell, one of Mastin's heroes, would say.

If you have ever seen someone who is "doing all the right things" when it comes to spirituality but still behaves in a horrible way (that has been me at times), or if you have ever thought that it would be so easy to live a life that feels close to God if you could go to Bali or become a missionary in Africa (that has also been me), I think that Daily Love will resonate with you. In a way that is nonjudgmental and never preachy, Mastin intersperses tons of wisdom with his own path of walking from crisis to Grace. This is a deep read but also an easy one at the same time, and I love how Mastin managed to work in Ariana Huffington, Jesus, Oprah, Tony Robbins, The Empire Strikes Back, and Kim Kardashian along the way!

There were so many things that I bookmarked in Daily Love that I know I will come back to again and again for inspiration, and this was one of my favorites: "Yep, it sometimes takes nothing less than a life-shattering crisis to break up the soil and let Grace unfurl," writes Mastin on page 23. I also loved this, on page 21: "For if we can figure out how to relax, find our power, and learn from our difficulties, we can turn this out-of-control situation called life into something truly wonder-full." I also liked that Mastin does not encourage us to just pretend that pain does not exist, but rather to let it be our teacher and to transcend it. And in the midst of suffering, we can still look for and find those chance encounters in every day that are actually Divine encounters, or what Mastin calls "Godshots."

Whether you are dealing with a crisis or just feel a yearning for something more, read Daily Love. If you feel like the entire universe is against you, read this. If you admire those who use their struggles to help others and want to do the same, read this. Thank you, Mastin, for writing a book that is so transparent and helping the rest of us learn to uncover our gifts and share that with the world.