Book Review and Giveaway: "The Life We Never Expected" by Andrew and Rachel Wilson

I am reviewing a book today that has blessed me and helped me to the utmost in exploring how to respond to suffering Biblically. Andrew and Rachel Wilson  Sometimes life throws you a curveball.

Andrew and Rachel Wilson share their journey as husband and wife living a life they never expected becoming the parents of two children with special needs. They reflect their deep joy along with deep pain along their journey as special needs parents and I appreciated the raw honesty they share about their experiences.

They explore responding to suffering through four steps, drawing heavily from the format of Psalm 130, through weeping, worshiping, waiting, and witnessing.

About "The Life We Never Expected"

"The Life We Never Expected"is 148 pages in length and I feel it shares powerful wisdom in a quick read. I love that it is written to be geared toward busy adults and each tool the authors share are broken down into five short cycles, so I like that they are quick and easy to read.

The Wilsons explore the four steps broken into five “cycles” of each of the four steps. In each cycle, the Wilsons share their experiences of coping and thriving in difficult times.

I highly recommend this book not only for parents of autistic and other special needs children, but anyone who is struggling with suffering and loss. 

About the author:

Andrew and Rachel Wilson are the authors of The Life We Never Expected: Hopeful Reflections on the Challenges of Parenting Children with Special Needs and have two children, Zeke and Anna. Andrew is the teaching pastor at King's Church London and a columnist for Christianity Today. 

Giveaway:

One of you will win a copy of ""The Life We Never Expected" (ARV $12.99).

To enter, please leave a comment below to let me know you would like to win. Giveaway closes Monday,  July, 11 at 5:00 pm EST. Open to US and Canada residents only. 

If you are not able to leave a comment on this blog post, please e-mail me at angelaskitchen@rocketmail.com with "Giveaway Entry" in the subject line and that will count as your entry.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Happy 4th of July and No Bake All-American Apple Pie

Happy 4th of July, y'all! Our family is celebrating our tradition of the 4th at the family beach house on Long Beach Island.

This is one of my most requested recipes for the 4th of July holiday. It is a perfect lightened-up, no oven needed treat for this hot weather and it is diabetic-friendly. 

"Angela's No-Bake Amazing Apple Pie” 

5 medium apples, peeled and sliced

1-3/4 cups water

1 package (4-serving size) sugar-free Jell-O lemon gelatin 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 package (4-serving size) sugar-free Jell-O cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix

1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (8 inch) 

Optional: 1 cup Cool-Whip Lite whipped topping, thawed

In a large saucepan, combine sliced apples, 1 1/2 cups water, gelatin, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until apples are tender. Combine dry pudding mix and remaining ¼ cup water. Stir into apple mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Pour into crust. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish each slice, if desired, with heaping tablespoon of whipped topping. Enjoy!