Can I just tell you how excited I was to read this book? Al Fox Carraway is a lovely bottle of sunshine. It was probably a year ago that I stumbled across her blog. I loved reading her story. Being a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I always love hearing about how others are introduced to the gospel. She shared an experience when she first moved to Utah and was pretty much a new member. You can read about her Café Rio experience here. Someone chose to make an unkind remark to her based on her appearance. I think it’s good for each of us to stop and think how do we treat others. And those of us who have taken on the name of Christ through baptism, are we representing our Savior in our thoughts, words, and actions? I know that personally I am still working on keeping my thoughts positive.
Last month or so Grady asked if I would want to go to a fireside to listen to Al Carraway speak. I was like “Yes please!” I loved her fireside! She is funny and an amazing story teller. And she is passionate about sharing her testimony and encouraging others to seek happiness. I have to admit I left the fireside feeling different. I have been trying to live the life I think Heavenly Fathers has wanted me to live. I’m striving to do His will, not mine. We moved from Orange County California to Arizona because we felt like that is what The Lord wanted us to do. I sought peace from my Savior and acceptance of his will when baby girl was going through challenges. But what about now? What am I doing now and what does The Lord want me to do now? I realized that I hadn’t ask Him that in awhile.
I enjoyed reading this book! More Than the Tattooed Mormon is a wonderful read! I found her story simply inspiring. The first half is about her conversion. And so much for details than she was able to share in the fireside. I love books that are positive and uplifting. As I read about Al overcoming her hard trials and dealing with what life threw at her it makes me want to face life’s challenges with more courage. She shares her heart and her testimony. And I think members of all faiths would enjoy reading her conversion process. And she is funny. I know that not everyone can be funny, but it always makes it easier to listen when they are. I love hearing her honest thoughts about the elders. I am excited to share her story with my sons and help to better prepare them for the mission field.
As much as I love a great conversion story, this book is so much more. It reminds us where we stand on issues and what to do about them. It reminds us when trials come we can face them in lots of different ways. The best way is to face them with our Savior Jesus Christ. As we strengthen our relationship with Him we can handle anything. Honest books invite the spirit and invite you to act. And I love that Al Carraway is doing what The Lord wants her to do. She’s sharing her testimony. She is letting her light shine. And her light shines brightly with humor and love for everyone. Her testimony shines brightly for our Savior Jesus Christ. And she is not afraid of sharing what she knows.
I love how this book made me feel. And now I am trying to ponder and study and find out what The Lord wants from me. Being a wife and a mother are of course my top priority. But what else can I be doing to prepare the world for the coming of our Savior? How else can I serve and help the world be a better place? I would encourage you to read this book and see what change it will bring about for you.
You can find Al Carraway’s book at Amazon or Deseret Book. And be sure to check out her book tour if you live in Arizona. Super excited to take our family to meet her in Gilbert Arizona tomorrow the 24th! I want to share her story with them for family night tonight. I know it can be hard when you are a child growing up with your family’s code of living and you meet others who might live differently. It’s easy to think that if someone lives differently than you that they are bad. I know my oldest son was really upset his teacher was drinking coffee. We don’t drink coffee in our family. She did a great job of respecting our faith and letting him know every family has their own code of how to live. I was grateful for how she addresses this concern and that she told us about it. This is another great conversation starter to talk about how we should be kind and loving to everyone. We shouldn’t assume someone doesn’t want to learn about our faith because they don’t fit a certain mold. Or that we shouldn’t be unkind to them or think less of them because they might have a different code of living. We need to extend kindness and fellowship. We can still hold to our standards and defend them while still extending love and kindness.
And you can also check out her clothing company Believer to find some great clothing. It’s a great way to let your light shine. And let me know your favorite part of her book! I really loved reading about her love story with her hubby! I’m such a sucker for a great love story!!! And in addition to her love story and conversion process I really enjoyed reading about her journal ideas. I’m excited to start some new journals that I know will bless me and my family. Check out her book and then check back in and share what you loved most!
For more insights and thoughts about More Than The Tattooed Mormon be sure to check out other reviews on the Cedar Fort Book Blog tour. I think you will especially enjoy the review by This Mormon Life.
Enjoy and Happy Reading!!!
Some of these items are affiliate links. You are welcome to buy them from anywhere. But I don’t mind if you buy them from here. I make a small commission at not extra cost to you. I only share items I really like. Thank you for your support!
