Youth Beach Reads

Sweet Sofie Sue will teach your child to help, love, and value their friends, family, and loved ones through Sofie’s adventure at the beach. A powerful little book to teach children how important it is to be kind to others. The author uses two methods—a Bible verse and animals to tell this delightful and fun story!

Come with us as we meet Coral, a mermaid who has been invited to her very first sleepover and is nervous about going. Does she have a reason to be worried? Join us and find out!

The Adventures of Piddle Diddle, The Widdle Penguin , tells a story of an adventurous and mischievous penguin with lots of energy. Beautifully Illustrated with a yesteryear design, children will love reading how a small penguin does not allow size to become an obstacle. Entertaining and fun to read.

Misty has many sea-creature friends, but not one true mermaid friend. Follow her adventures as she learns how to make friends while staying true to herself. We are meant to have friends and as long as we believe in ourselves, the right friend will come along.

What a great turn out for our Summertime Fun

Reading Saturday! A wonderful time was enjoyed by all on Saturday, June 24, at our first group author event. Our itty-bitty bookstore, Books & Gifts in Blountville, TN, was overflowing with excitement. Thank you to all the JCP authors and all of you book lovers who joined us to make the event a success.

Did you know? July is Women’s Motorcycle Month!

Follow one motorcycle-loving woman on her healing journey in Mile Markers by Doreen J. Oberg. In her book Oberg opens the doors to anyone who has ever questioned aspects of their upbringing. Readers will find that Mile Markers is literally one question after another from different points in the author’s life. Share Oberg’s experiences and her desire to “learn beyond” and walk forward towards unexpected horizons. If you have ever questioned family ties rooted in religious teaching, Mile Markers is for you. Told with raw emotion, the author’s personal story takes you, the reader, through her turmoil to her wellness. Her journey can provide insight and encourages readers to listen to their “still, small voice.” Mile Markers is available through Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com, and directly through JCP.

By Deana Landers www.morningcoffeebeans.com

Irecently read a story about a man who bought a brandnew car with an area in the back to accommodate his large, furry dog. Then, not too long after purchasing the car, he had it washed in an upscale, expensive car wash.

Afterward, the man noticed the car’s rear portion was still filled with dog hair. He felt ripped off because he had paid a significant sum of money for the wash and became upset. He complained to the staff but to no avail. They restated their policy was to not vacuum the trunk. They considered his dog space a trunk and refused to do the extra work. When it became apparent that his complaints wouldn’t help, he demanded to see the manager.

He spent the next five minutes yelling at the car wash manager in what he described as a harsh, obnoxious, and arrogant tone. When the man finished yelling, the manager looked him in the eye and asked, “Are you finished?”

The customer said that he was.

The manager then told the customer in a calm, unthreatening tone that he would go ahead and vacuum the car himself until every dog hair was gone. Then in a compassionate but firm voice, he said, “I have to ask you one question, sir.”

“What is it?” The man replied, still angry.

“What makes you think you have the right to speak to me or anyone in that harsh, demanding manner?”

The manager could have easily justified being rude to the man, but he chose not to do that. And we have that choice every day, too.

Many people in the service industry feel they need to be more appreciated. For example, my niece recently wrote on FB, “Please be nice to those in the service industry. We’re burnt out.” When I asked her what was causing the stress and burnout, she replied, “Our store is understaffed. We do our best to keep up, but it’s constantly overwhelming between people placing orders through the drive-thru, in the café, and on the app.”

“On top of that, customers get frustrated with us for so many silly reasons,” she said. “Whether that be an error on their order or us being out of a product. It’s extremely demeaning to be talked down to and treated rudely when the odds are stacked against us as service workers.”

Around 80 percent of survey respondents working in hospitality feel burned out. Their job responsibilities, high turnover rates in the industry itself, and sometimes low earnings add to the emotional pressure of working as a server, cook, or restaurant manager, among other jobs. It can be tough on people’s mental health.

Understanding that we are responsible for our behavior and choices, regardless of those around us, gives us much more control and peace.

The book of Proverbs is an excellent resource for understanding how important words are in life. Proverbs 15: NIV. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs anger.

The man in the car wash story said he never treated anyone that badly or with so little respect again. “Even when I have been justifiably angry or disappointed, I realize that I am still responsible for my behavior and how I treat others,” the man said.