(Non) Fiction Friday #14 - Lives of TV Stars

I read three extremely interesting books this week, and they happened to all be about women (and their families) who are involved in TV shows. I'm not exactly sure how that happened...It was quite an experience to read them one after another because all of them are Christians who are trying to use their lives and TV platform to glorify God; however, their goal to serve God in all they do is realized in totally different ways for each of them, which makes them fascinating to read about back to back.The first book of the week was The Women of Duck Commander by Miss Kay, Korie, Missy, Jessica, and Lisa Robertson. If you don't know who these women are, you are probably living under a rock because they are stars of the A&E's hit show Duck Dynasty which follows the Robertson family as they run their business, Duck Commander where they make duck hunting products. In this book, the women behind the men of Duck Commander let people into their lives and marriages in a more personal manner than the show allows. Miss Kay delves into the difficult early years of her marriage to the family's patriarch Phil; Korie and Jessica recount their first interactions with the Robertsons; Missy discusses how their lives changed when their daughter Mia was born with a cleft palate; and Lisa shares her extremely personal story of childhood abuse and how the affects of it almost destroyed her marriage to Al.All of these women have come from different backgrounds, but have been brought together by their love for a Robertson man and their love for God. They do their best to share their lives, both the good and the bad, for the glory of God. Throughout the book, these ladies share how they've handled their new found fame, details of their relationships with one another, and how they are trying to raise their kids in Christ. While reading this book I came to the conclusion that the Robertson's would be great people to have around. It really was a fun read written by a unique and interesting group of people.The Duggars. Their name alone is enough to incite some people into a crazed rage over the their unique lifestyle. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are known from their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, which follows their family of 26 people (2 parents, 19 kids, 1 daughter-in-law, 1 new son-in-law, and 3 grandchildren). A Love That Multiplies is Jim Bob and Michelle's second book that begins about a year before Michelle's most recent and difficult pregnancy in 2009 with their youngest, Josie, and follows their family through the craziness that surrounded Michelle's pregnancy and Josie's premature birth and their family's temporary relocation while Josie and Michelle recovered. After going through that story, which is crazy and so miraculous, they walk people through some of their life choices about family and parenting and explain where their beliefs came from. Now, the simple fact that this woman had 19 kids tells you that they are a bit different, but their differences go much deeper than how many children they have. Some of their life choices and beliefs come across more as shutting themselves off from the world rather than engaging it. Most of those beliefs are based in scripture  they just take them to the extreme. However, they also had some great ideas for how to get children to engage the Bible and help them develop a relationship with Christ. All in all, I would say that there is some good and some weird in this book, but I'm definitely glad I read it.

If you know me very well, you will know that I am a pretty big fan of Candace Cameron Bure. Most people remember Candace from her days playing the role of DJ Tanner on Full House or they know her as the younger sister of Kirk Cameron, who was also a TV star in the 80s. What a lot of people don't know is what happened to her after Full House ended. Short version: she got married to a pro hockey player, had three kids, took time away from Hollywood to focus on her family, fell in love with Jesus, overcame issues with Bulimia (which she wrote about in her first book Reshaping It All) and recently returned to the movie and TV business.After writing her first book and returning to the film industry, Candace got a lot of questions about how she manages to balance or juggle all the different roles she fills. Balancing It All is her response to those inquiries. She talks a lot about the different areas of life that affect us the most and how to find balance, but mostly she talks about how focusing on serving Jesus is the only way to find balance in our chaotic world. Candace had a lot of good advice that ranged from building good friendships to eating healthy to making sure you get some solid God time. I truly enjoyed this book and thought she did a good job intertwining personal stories with Biblical principles and practical applications. I definitely recommend this book as well as her first book!All three of these books gave me a good bit to think about. I still find it funny how differently their dedication to following God has manifested in each of their lives, which was a nice reminder that God calls us all to a unique path of trusting Him. However, there were a few themes that I saw in all three books. One was that raising children to follow Christ is the most important job any of them have ever had. Another was the importance of serving God by serving others. Also, the importance of keeping God the center of your life and your marriage or dating relationship. All of them pointed out the significant impact vulnerability and accountability can have on your life and your relationship with Christ. Overall, three good reads this week!