The Notebook: A Novel (1996) by Nicholas Sparks, Book Review

 The Notebook: A Novel (1996) by Nicholas Sparks

I love reading romantic novels by Sparks since A Walk to Remember. I’m not saying that novel is my favorite genre or I’ve read every book by him (I heard his latest novel, The Wish, is very good) but those that I do read, I love them all. Like one of the reviews said, Sparks “generates authentic emotional power.” I say, he always sparked the emo in me. I enjoy watching the movie too. Ryan Gosling as Noah, Rachel McAdams as Allie, and other cast members acted very well and almost as good as I imagined the novel could be. But, like many readers who watched their favorite novel turn into movie adaptation would say - the novel is better. There is… more. Only true readers will understand why. I’ve created the scenes in my mind. I’ve invested my precious time and emotions in the story. I’ve made some of the words, conflicts, and thoughts mine (or read mine into them). When the story so gripped you, someday you will wonder, as you forget that you have read it somewhere before, are these memories belong to me or someone else? Or a mix of both like cocktails? Whatever it is, you will hold tight to the sweet ones but the sad ones will always haunt you. Yet, the memories never let you stop believing what’s possible. That's what love does.

Truth be told, The Notebook is a bit cliche and in case you forget that it’s a fictional story - some of the details are unrealistic. When I first read it many years ago, I can very much figure out how it will end. But what makes me always come back to Nicholas Sparks’s novels (I’ve read Message In a Bottle, Safe Haven & The Best of Me too) is because he is very good with words - lyrically romantic, a gifted storyteller, and heart-touching genius. Let me quote one short paragraph among many that I’ve underlines like a textbook. A dialog. Hope this can encourage you to read The Notebook for yourself. This is what Noah said to Allie when she asked him to pick one moment he remember most from the summer they spent together:

“Poets often describe love as an emotion that we can’t control, one that overwhelms logic and common sense. That’s what it was like for me. I didn’t plan on falling in love with you, and I doubt if you planned on falling in love with me. But once we met, it was clear that neither of us could control what was happening to us. We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has happened only once, and that’s why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I’ll never forget a single moment of it" ❤☺

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LeadersReadNovelToo #NicholasSparks #TheNotebook #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

What Jesus Does for You

What Jesus Does for You

By Frances Ure

Jesus takes the lone out of loneliness,

And puts the friend into friendship.

Jesus takes the fear out of fearful,

And puts trust into trusting.

Jesus takes the fright out of frightful,

And puts peace into peaceful.

Jesus takes the doubt out of doubting,

And puts believe into believing.

Jesus takes the hate out of hating,

And puts love into loving.

Jesus takes the curse out of cursing,

And puts bless into blessing.

Jesus takes the down out of downcast,

And puts lift into uplift.

Jesus takes the grief out of grieving,

And puts happy into happiness.

Jesus takes the sin out of sinful,

And puts forgive into forgiveness.

Jesus takes the sick out of sickness,

And puts health into healthy.

Jesus puts the gold into the Golden Rule – isn’t He wonderful!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

God is No Fool

God in the Old and New Testament are the same - Only make clearer in Christ, my Lord.

The Old Testament teaches that obedience to the Ten Commandments will give us favor with God, but Jesus taught (not contrary) it isn't so much what we do that makes us acceptable to God. It is rather what we believe, for in the end, what we believe determines what we do. Good morality will not necessarily lead us to faith, but faith will always lead us to good morality. What we believes matter! Poet below is a good summary of this truth:

God is No Fool

By Lois A. Cheney

They say that God has infinite patience,

And that is a great comfort.

They say God is always there,

And that is a deep satisfaction.

They say that God will always take you back,

And I get lazy in that certitude.

They say that God never gives up,

And I count on that.

They say you can go away for years and years,

And he’ll be there, waiting, when you come back.

They say you can make mistake after mistake,

And God will always forgive and forget.

They say lots of things,

These people who never read the Old Testament.

There comes a time,

A definite, for sure time,

When God turns around.

I don’t believe God shed his skin,

When Christ brought in the New Testament,

Christ showed us a new side of God,

And it is truly wonderful.

But he didn't change God.

God remain forever and ever

And that God

Is

No

Fool.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP. 

If Jesus Came to Your House

This morning as heavy rain hit the roof of my house in Kuching, and when the sound of waters scream violently and deafen my hearing – I woke up from my sleeping. I took a book. Behold, a wonderful poet was in a front paging. Thus, I start my reading…

If Jesus Came to Your House

(by Lois Blanchard Eades)

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two,

If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do.

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,

And all the food you’d serve to Him would be the very best,

And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have Him there,

That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare.

But, when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door

with arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?

Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they’d been?

Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard?

And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?

Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder, if the Savior spent a day or two with you,

Would you go right on doing the things you always do?

Would you go right on saying the things you always say?

Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace?

And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?

Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,

And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?

Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you’d planned to go?

Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends?

Or would you hope they’d stay away until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?

Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know the things that you would do

If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.

I was thinking: if someday Jesus really did spend time with me,

What could I possibly do?
Oh Lord, let my life ever prepare for such moment. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.