Return to the Garden by Rebecca Mann Kelly Audio & Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 10/7/23}

hReview By LAWonder10:

This is a message many women in the world need. Actually, it is more important that many young women listen to this before they decide to get married. I believe most of what she says is true.

This is based on scriptures in the Bible. However, it is based on human interpretation of the Bible. There are 29 books of scripture mentioned in Biblical records that are not included in the Bible. So much is missing. Also, the Bible has been translated by many individuals. Many words in translation have multiple meanings and the person interpreting chose what words felt right to him. I have a problem when a person states his/her understanding of scripture as fact. 

When the author relates Adam, Eve and the devil’s interaction in the Garden, she draws her own conclusion and states this and other verses as fact. 

The understanding I have always been taught since Eve was created from a rib in Adam’s side, he was made aware of how Eve’s part is separate but equal. According to my tutoring, the following is true: Equality existed after the Fall. They were all cursed with physical discomforts but with a hope for future Atonement through Christ for Adam and Eve.  As for marriage, the laws were based on righteousness. A woman was never expected by God, to endure abuse and degrading. The final say was for the husband to make after respectfully and lovingly listening to his wife. The pompous attitudes were created by man.

A lack of self-worth is the problem of most young women and women. We need to be able to compromise differences but if we are comfortable within ourselves, we will not accept abuse in relationships. 

 I feel we are expected to do all we can to absolve problems in marriage but if both parties are not willing to receive help and acknowledge part of the problem is his/hers, I don’t feel God expects them to stay in that marriage.

The other problem I have with this book is blaming religion. I feel religion is good and important. It is up to the individual to seek out the religion they feel is right for them. I have full confidence in my religion and the interpretation of the Bible it has always taught. It teaches from childhood up, the importance of a relationship with God, that he is a loving Father in Heaven, He wants us to be happy by obeying his laws and following the example of Jesus. One needs to determine if the religion is primely based on God and His word or aggrandizement and/or monetary means.

When the scriptures states a man is to rule over a woman I strongly feel it is an error in human translation.

Again, I feel the message she offers is important to make women and young women aware of God’s love and to respect themselves enough to not bow to a man’s desires and whims. Also, to teach them to avoid men with the symptoms related to an abusive relationship.

She offers truly great steps to aid a woman in moving forward in a positive way. She also offers a more accurate translation of the Bible Christ fulfilled the Mosaic law. He then made a new law but did not change the basic commandments.

She did a good job in narrating her book, except I had to speed it up a level to add energy to her points.

I offer a Four Stars rating

This audiobook was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review.

What We Learn About Hope From Rats by Rebecca Mann Kelly

Johns Hopkins Professor Curt Richter led a study in the 1950s that has profound implications for us today. In his study, Professor Richter observed that wild rats placed in a bucket of water were able to swim only for a few minutes without drowning. But Rats who were domesticated, and had experienced the care of a human, swam longer without drowning.

Then Professor Richter put rats in a bucket of water, and when they got tired, he removed them and let them rest, and then returned them to the water. In this case, the rats swam for up to sixty hours before drowning. Sixty hours!

There were no physical differences between the rats that determined how long they would swim. The only difference was hope. Wild rats didn’t think anyone would save them and died within a few minutes. But domesticated rats who had experienced being cared for, and rats who had experienced being saved from drowning were exponentially more likely to swim for hours, sometimes days, before giving up.

Hope is defined as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” Where we have hope, we keep going! We have supernatural stamina, perseverance, and endurance. Where we have no hope, we die. Dreams die, we fail to reach our potential, we stop short of the possibilities in our hearts.
How is your hope?

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)