A.K. Frailey
A. K. Frailey Books
ISBN 9780997067569
ASIN B076P5VRHK
I have only read one novel from A.K. Frailey. But have intended to read more of them, and even have a few on my device ready to go. I have enjoyed many of the stories and reflections she has shared links to via social media, and greatly enjoyed them. When I found out she had released this collection of reflections and a collection of short stories called It Might Have Been: And Other Stories, I immediately picked up both. I could not decide between fiction and non-fiction first so tossed a coin. And this was an excellent collection. The only thing really missing is an index or table of contents so you can jump to specific pieces. I also would have loved original dates if they had been posted elsewhere previously. But for the price it is an excellent series of reflections. I read through the pieces in 2 days, but plan to go back and reread them at a slower pace at some point in the future. The pieces included in this work are:
Turning Points
Picture Perfect
Eight Kids and Grateful
Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot
Getting Educated
No Guts, No Glory
This Side of the Divide
Who Are You?
Know What I’m Saying?
Some Days I Wonder
A Deep Moral Dilemma
Surprise Me
Walk On Water
Well Lived
Looking On the Bright Side
In the Souls Of Those I Love
To believe in god
A Timeless Truth
Supernatural Synchronization
A Better Point
Learn As I Go
Another Season
Along the Roadside
Love Anyway
Whispering In My Ear
Living Spring Time
Both Sides Of the Road
The Real Reason
Take It Easy and Get Back To Work
Allow My Soul To Soar
Stars Twinkle In Concert With Darting Fireflies
What God Has Desired
Wisdom Between Them
A World of Faces
Make One Strong
Back To Shore
What Hope Looks Like
Love Alone
My first time through I highlighted 18 passages in the volume. Some of the pieces are deeply moving. Some might make you laugh. All are well written and they are both entertaining and encouraging. A few of the passages I highlighted as examples of some of the wisdom in the volume are:
“Faith is a lot like hope. It isn’t reasonable. It doesn’t protect itself at all costs. Love embraces both the faithful and the despairing, strengthens the will, holds up exhausted arms, and heals even the most mortally pierced heart.”
“I can’t define or even defend God. That’s His job.”
“It isn’t my goal to completely disengage from the Internet madness but rather to engage on a human level with the people around me. I don’t think I can stop evil. That’s never been my job. I can disconnect from toxic people. Never a bad idea. But the best solution of all—being honest and decent to my fellow human beings both on and offline. Now that I can do.”
“In a world where everyone seems like an expert—I’m okay being uncertain about some things. I’m glad that God is God. I don’t want His job. I’ve got to make a semblance of sense of the struggling-to-survive-world in front of me. This human journey is a labyrinth fraught with peril, and our choices can have eternal consequences. Yet we must live. We must make decisions. We must keep walking. On water. So it seems.”
“Perhaps a simple life isn’t the point. Perhaps just living life as it comes with dead batteries, iridescent eyes, locked doors, missing phones, and the need for help makes a better point. Simple or complicated—live.”
“One of the things I always loved about Tolkien’s stories was the way he managed to include some kind of retreat. A time-out. Or maybe, a time-in. It was a period where the characters would get off the road, luxuriate in a hot bath, shift into clean clothes, eat honey and homemade bread, and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet.”
“My experience as a human being is summed up in the word—unpredictable. The moment I imagine the perfect scene is the moment that the scene won’t measure up in reality. God can imagine a leaf and make it quiver with life. I imagine anything and I stop seeing what really is. I stop being present. Alive to what grows and goes all around me.”
“In the country, it can seem foolish to get attached to animals since we know full well that some critters are raised as food. Pets are a luxury. An illusion sometimes. It is a human decision who lands on the dinner table and who gets fed from the table.”
“The words faith, hope, and charity swirled around in my head this week. I have faith in God, and I try to show charity wherever I can, but I had to face my inner trauma-drama and admit that I don’t often feel a whole lot of hope. Hope seems a lot like trust, and it’s hard to trust these days.”
“Perhaps I don’t feel enough. Or I feel too much. But in the end, I find that saying the words, “I love you,” without expectations but simply because it happens to be true—even when I disagree with that person over politics, religion, and how to properly laminate the floor—is very freeing. I can love even though the other person has bad habits, is an unresponsive jerk or jerkette at times, and worst of all, might not love me back the way I want them to. My love, like my self-esteem, does not depend upon another person’s acceptance. It is a free gift. Even when it stands alone.”
This is a wonderful volume. Pick it up and read it. Pick up extra copies and pass it on. An excellent book that I highly recommend.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by A.K. Frailey:
Melchior: Vengeance is Mine
The Adventures of Tally Ho
It Might Have Been: And Other Stories
Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories and Novella
One Day At A Time And Other Stories
New Earth Series:
The Last of Her Kind
NEWEARTH: Justine Awakens
…
Deliverance Series:
ARAM
Ishtar's Redemption: Trial by Fire
NEB the Great: Shadows of the Past
…
Hidden Heritage Series:
Georgios
Georgios II - A Chosen People
…
Old Earth Series:
OldEarth ARAM Encounter
OldEarth Ishtar Encounter
OldEarth Neb Encounter
OldEarth Georgios Encounter
…
Non-Fiction:
The Road Goes Ever On: A Christian Journey Through the Lord of the Rings
Heart Beats: Spiritual Being Human Journey
Hope's Embrace and Other Poems
…
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