Just Don’t Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain by Josh Sundquist

Josh Sundquist will be at Barnes & Noble in Harrisonburg signing his book this Saturday.

Book review by Kay S. Walsh

Candid, heart-warming, heart-breaking…hilarious!

The boy-next-door goes from losing a leg to cancer at age 9 to skiing as a member of the 2006 U. S. Paralympic Ski Team. Josh tells his story as though you were sitting on his shoulder sharing every encounter. Be prepared for a wild ride!!

Josh, a Harrisonburg native, shares of all the normal, often awkward, things most boys experience growing up… a first love, siblings, communicating with parents, wanting to go out for the soccer team, etc. Then he shares what is different…losing his hospital roommate to cancer, being interviewed on the Miracle Network, finding someone to teach a teenager with one leg to ski, etc.

Along with all these events, add Josh’s personality and spirit. He is extremely intelligent, extremely motivated, an extreme risk taker, extremely humous, etc. In other words, Josh is extreme.

In Harrisonburg, Josh is somewhat of a folk hero, not just because of the difficulties of his life but for the joy and hope he has given to individuals and this community. When his name is mentioned, there are always smiles. Everyone has a Josh story and a special place for the miracle guy… miracles both earned and bestowed.

If you have never heard of Josh Sundquist, you should. His is a fabulous story of growth, faith, pain and joy. You gotta read this book!

Reviewer’s rating: PG-13

How Do You Picture Joy?

This Is Your Brain on Joy: A Revolutionary Program for Balancing Mood, Restoring Brain Health, and Nurturing Spiritual Growth

by Dr. Earl Henslin Publisher: Thomas Nelson

How do you picture joy?

Why is this important to the lay person? This imagery provides powerful information to identify disorders such as ADHD (attention concerns), fears, addictions, compulsions, obsessions, depression, grief, anger, etc. In other words, conditions common in today’s world.

Doctors, counselors and therapists use this information to prescribe personalized treatment. While treatment may include medication, usually there is a combination of diet, supplements, music, cinematherapy, laughter, aromatherapy and biofeedback. Treatment typically includes physical exercise as well as spiritual exercise (prayer, reading scripture, etc.).

Instant Vacation: Cinematherapy

If you have already had your summer vacation or it seems too far away, Dr. Henslin has a prescription to improve not only your mood but also your health: Plan on watching a funny movie.

In his Brain-Heart Matters Newsletter (May 2009) he states that research shows anticipation of watching a funny movie increases hormones that elevate mood and optimize immunity. Another study shows that, “…anticipation of mirthful laughter reduced the levels of three detrimental stress hormones.” Seems Patch Adams is right!

(http://drhenslin.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&articleID=49)

Clinics

According to the back cover, “Dr. Henslin has been integrating brain imaging into the treatment of psychological, physical and spiritual problems (at his) Christian counseling group in Brea, California.”

His colleague, Dr. Daniel G. Amen, who wrote the forward for this book has clinics on the West Coast and one in Reston, Virginia.

Healing Stones (Sullivan Crisp Series #1)

by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

With all the news focused on a politician who had an affair, it’s a relief to find therapy in a fiction book that addresses the issue. I tend to view fiction novels much as I do parables. It doesn’t matter that it didn’t necessarily happen. It just matters what is learned, i.e. the moral of the story.

In Healing Stones, Demi, a college professor is caught in an affair with a colleague at their Christian college. While many are throwing stones, Demi seeks forgiveness, realizing she must pay the consequences. She loses her job and alienates her family.

Enter Sullivan Crisp, a psychologist of the best kind. He is witty and wise yet struggles with his own mistakes. His incorporation of “game show theology” is an adorable bonus.

The story line is great…intriguing, mysterious, humorous, sad and yet, reflects true life. A read of this book provides clever insight into a path of redemption.

I spotted copies at the most recent Green Valley Book Fair. Amazon.com also has it as a bargain book. It’s worth the read.

Valley Author Has Who-Done-It Again!

Kay’s Book Reviews

by Kay Walsh

Salty Like Blood, the latest release by best-selling author Harry Kraus, M.D., intertwines suspense, obsession and love in the story of a family whose 7-year-old daughter disappears while playing in her grandfather’s yard on the Chesapeake Bay. Is she a drowning victim, her body carried away by the swift currents, or has she been maliciously abducted? Will not knowing whether she is dead or alive destroy her family?

A few years ago, Dr. Kraus spoke to the Shenandoah Christian Writers. When asked how to create fictional characters, he said something to the effect that the writer should imagine the main character as having traits you would like in a best friend. Then, have him lose his job, give his dad cancer, let his wife flirt with an old love and make his only child disappear. That’s exactly what Dr. Kraus does in this book. 

For Virginians, the book brings home the feel of a road trip across the Old Dominion. The setting moves from Richmond to the Eastern Shore and back again. Familiar names and places pop up like next door neighbors dropping in for coffee.

Yet, like a reality show, the characters’ strengths and weaknesses show up in desperate times; some helpful, some destructive. No one wears a totally black hat or totally white hat. In this gray world, who will ultimately remain faithful and who will step into the darkness?

While there is a strong theme of forgiveness and redemption as characters struggle with what to believe, this is not an overtly religious story. Much like real life, faith is tested and the search for how to live in the daily world is ongoing.

Salty Like Blood earns five stars (out of five) and a PG-13 rating for innuendos and chilling scenes. For more information on Harry Kraus and his writings, go to www.harrykraus.com.

New Age…. or Age Old?

Cold weather lends itself to cuddling up with a good book. If you are looking for a great fiction read, try The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann. This comes under the genre of contemporary fiction and romantic suspense but borders on being a thriller.

Set in Maryland, the story centers on Tessa, a landscape architect obsessed with labyrinths. She is drawn to the ruins of an intriguing labyrinth; however, to follow her passion, she must work with a man she once loved but who ultimately betrayed her. Until the end, it’s unclear as to whom should be wearing the white hats and who deserves the black.

To bring it even closer to home, you may want to explore the prayer labyrinth at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. For history and information on the EMU labyrinth, go to https://www.emu.edu/seminary/whylabyrinth.html

To fully explore the depth of the messages hidden within this book, consider more than one reading. You’ll want it on your bookshelf.

-Kay S. Walsh

Kay’s Book Reviews

Reflections of God’s Holy Land: A Personal Journey Through Israel

By Eva Marie Everson and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh

“In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”

David Ben-Gurion (p. 18)

Written by two friends, a Christian from the United States and a Jew from Israel, this “arm chair tour” of Israel illustrates miracles, both ancient and modern.

As the two friends move from the Judean Wilderness to the Garden Tomb, the women journey not only in miles but in depth of heart and kinship. Two unlikely traveling companions. Two women bonded in search for what they hold holy.

Through the eyes of the two friends, we come to the Western Wall, a sacred place of prayer for centuries. We see men dressed in traditional religious garb while others wear khaki shorts and athletic T-shirts. The history is fascinating (“Did You Know?”) but Eva Marie Everson’s insights (“Reflections”) stir the soul.

At Beersheba’s well, we wonder with the authors, “…how deep I’m willing to go each day to find water from the stream.” (p. 33)

At the Field of Boaz, we understand that when one traveler cannot enter Bethlehem safely, the other will not go. Like Ruth and Naomi, they are not parted.

This book is not just beautiful and inspirational; it touches the soul. It tells of miracles of the past while creating hope for the future.

Reviewers Notes:

One of my favorite sections of the book is the story of when Rebekah sees her future husband for the first time. When translated from the original Hebrew, Genesis 24:64 “…says that when Rebekah saw Isaac, she fell off the camel!” Later in this section, the author asks, “When was the last time your Heavenly Bridegroom knocked you off your camel?” (pp. 30-33)

Kay’s Book Reviews

Reaching for Answers to Crohn’s Disease

By Martha Kalichman, R.N

Imagine a prescription for a devastating disease that is simple, relatively inexpensive, without side effects and effective long term.

Author Martha Kalichman did just that when faced with her fifteen year old daughter’s diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease. She called upon her knowledge as a registered nurse, her interest in medical research and her faith to find a better answer than the harsh medications currently prescribed.

In this reader-friendly narrative, Martha shares the journey her family traveled in search of better options. The result is an incredible discovery that is backed by medical research.

Written in conjunction with a pediatric gastroenterologist, J. Rainer Poley, M.D., who completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic and now practices in North Carolina, this powerful little book contains Martha’s story and guidelines for this “prescription.” Medical references are provided for those interested in looking into the research themselves.

Reaching for Answers to Crohn’s Disease will live as a trailblazer for improved health and quality of life for sufferers of this potentially debilitating disease.

Reviewer’s Favorites:

The titles of some of the chapters add a bit of humor to a serious subject, including “Low Grade and Rising,” “Go Home and Eat Some Bugs” (about yogurt and probiotics) and “Orange Teeth.”

Paperback

ISBN-10: 1414111762

ISBN-13: 978-1414111766