My sister-in-law and I are huge fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines' HGTV show Fixer Upper. We even made the three hour drive to visit their Magnolia store in Waco, Texas. Their store is beautiful and they have made everything so family friendly. I visited again with a friend when it happened to be the grand opening of their bakery. Everything was so yummy! We also visited their bed and breakfast, and it was as beautiful as it appeared on the show.
When I heard they were coming out with a book, I immediately thought of my sister-in-law and bought it for her as soon as it was available. I didn't buy it for myself because I thought she would definitely enjoy it more than me, and I already had a book pile and online course load a mile long. I am also quite immersed in the spiritual theme for books as you can see from the majority of my blog reviews. My sister-in-law read the book and told me how great it was and that it was all about their lives. She asked me if I wanted to read it, and since it sounded pretty light and positive, I happily borrowed it.
The Magnolia Story is a wonderful book. First of all, I love the way it is written. It is as if you are sitting with them listening to a conversation about their lives. When Joanna is talking, the font is bold and when Chip is talking it's a lighter type face so you can tell the difference. There is an ease to the conversation as well as a palpable feeling of love and respect that they have for each other.
The sweet surprise for me was realizing that the book was truly spiritual. Joanna recognizes and is grateful for the synchonicities and steps in their journey that brought them to where they are now. You can feel her strong faith and belief in a higher power. God can have a greater plan for us than we could ever have imagined for ourselves, and when you let go of your plan, the real magic happens.
With humor and honesty they share how they met, their growing family, the kindnesses Chip shares with other people, flipping houses, how they got the show, and helping other to be successful. The don't sugar coat anything, Joanna tells of her perfectionism, and the story of Chip as a new dad will be thoroughly relatable!
This book shows a family with strong values, and how they learned along the way. It is a powerful example of never giving up, because you are closer to what you want then you think " And if we'd given up, if we'd walked away, if we'd crumbled when we were at our lowest, we would never have made it around the corner to see all of the blessings that were about to come due."
The Magnolia Story is also about realizing that everything was perfect and part of a higher plan, as is all of our lives. "We both realized quickly thereafter that this was no a fluke. It had been the story of our life together, ever since we'd met. From the very beginning. I feel like we had encountered miracle after miracle that allowed us to get by and survive. Now it was happening on a much larger scale - in hundred - thousand - dollar increments. But maybe we should have been paying attention to all those little miracles all along. We were now both out on that limb and we looked up and saw God right there with us." Are you paying attention to how your life is unfolding? This is the perfect book to open you up to your own possibilities and see how guided and held you always are.
To order the book: Click here
Magnolia Market at the Silos: Click here
Silos Baking Co.: Click here
In Gratitude & Love
Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com
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