Tag Archives: books

Canceling the Contingency Plan

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It’s been bubbling up inside me for a while now: a new little dream percolating like rich coffee, waiting for me to add cream and sugar and maybe even a dollop of ice cream and some sprinkles.

The more I speak it out loud, the more true it sounds, the more it seems like something I could actually do.

I want to write a devotional book.

The specifics, I don’t know. Do you? I spoke to author and (in)courage founder Holley Gerth this weekend and somehow this spilled forth from me, brown coffee stains on my shirt and a burnt lip. I told her what I know: being a mom of little ones, frazzled and on my face in front of God, not even being able to voice a prayer some days.

I can’t even stick to a Bible reading plan and I think I can help other women? It’s a lie from the Devil, that I have no willpower, no self-control. I can do all through Him – all and even more.

“Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.” 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, The Message

With every ounce of me, I know I am a writer. I know God’s gift to me is words to paper, Times New Roman to computer screen. My heart burns to share Him through words.

So hold me to it, won’t you? Walk with me. Be my Jiminy Cricket and remind me when the words are held back and children scream and nothing seems right, that I am stamped with the Yes.

[This weekend at Blissdom, Jeff Goins encouraged us to write something dangerous and link it up at his page. This is it. You can read others' dangerous words there, too. Linked up with Elizabeth Esther at the Saturday Evening Blog Post, too.]

From Blah to Awe: A Book Review (and Giveaway!)

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I have finally given into the trend of digital reading. I can’t lie: I love the feel of a paperback in my hands. I love real ink. I love not looking at a screen.

But for Christmas, I asked my husband to get me a Kindle.

The convenience of an e-reader is just not something you can argue against. Books take up a lot of space. And there are so many e-books available for free! Just this week I got five books for zero dollars, and borrowed one I really wanted to read from the library.

But there are still some books you need to have a real copy of. From Blah to Awe by Jenna Lucado Bishop is one of those.

From Blah to Awe (how DO you shorten that title? Just Blah?) is aimed at teen girls who want to rev up their faith. I think if you’ve been a Christian for more than three weeks you’ve probably been there: thinking, “Is it really supposed to be like this? Why aren’t I more excited about God and living out His will?” I know as an adult and mother I wonder how to reconcile the day-to-day parenting stuff with the being-a-servant-of-God stuff; and as a teen it was just on a different scale—how did I balance homework and crushes with Jesus and missions?

Jenna Bishop LucadoJenna—the daughter of Max Lucado, if you didn’t catch that—has a passion for guiding teens into an exciting life with God. From Blah to Awe is written conversationally. It’s a super-easy read and full of stories of teen girls who have done awe-inspiring things for God. Jenna intertwines her own story with humor and some creative writing pieces.

The reason you need a physical copy of the book is because it is one-third journal. Each chapter has multiple short journaling sections with questions to answer. These are the kinds of questions with no right or wrong answers, just some thought-provoking topics.

As soon as I finished the book, I was thinking of some teen girls in my life I would love to read it. The younger a woman can realize that life with God is amazing and doesn’t have to be boring at all, the more time she has to live effectively and out loud for Christ.

If you’d like this book for yourself or to gift to a young lady in your life, it might be your lucky day! I’m giving away one copy thanks to Thomas Nelson, Jenna’s publisher.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me who you would give the book to (or why you want it, if it’s you!).

For one extra entry, you can share this post (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and let me know that you did. Only one extra entry per person. Please leave an additional comment letting me know where you shared it and a link, if possible.

One winner will be selected at random Sunday, February 19.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing me a copy of the book for myself and one for giveaway. No other compensation was received for this post, and all opinions are my own.

Dear Left Hip, I Hate You

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If any of you has the gift of healing, please pray my left hip back where it should be. I am NOT kidding. I don’t know if I’ve talked about this a lot, but I’ve been in back pain since August, pretty much. I threw out my back in August and it’s never really gotten better. X-rays show uneven hips and curves where there shouldn’t be in my spine and neck.

Lately I’ve been going to the chiropractor three times a week. Well, I wasn’t feeling great on Saturday morning. And since Saturday night I’ve been nearly immobile. Awesome.

The good part? I’ve done some good reading.

I’ve finished The Red Tent (for probably the fourth or fifth time, but it had been awhile!), Foreign Correspondence (LOVED IT), One Bite at a Time, and have read a large chunk of What She Doesn’t Know by Tina Wainscott (free on Kindle!).

I also managed to take out a big chunk of my Google Reader the other night, reading on Mr. V’s iPad. Here are some of my favorites that I read:

Have you read anything good lately?

 

Read in 2012

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1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – This is the third installment in the Hunger Games trilogy. I have not talked to one person who wasn’t disappointed by it – but that’s not to say they didn’t race through all three books to see what happened. The trilogy is utterly readable, and yet I think it’s one where maybe the author only intended to write one book. Or she was rushed to write the second and third volumes. They are just not up to par with what she could have written. I would say only read the first book, but I think we all know that’s laughable. So just consider this your fair warning.

2. The Hipsters by Tim McAtee – I should probably write a long review of this. First of all, because my cousin wrote the book. He’s trying to get funded to publish print copies, but through that link you can buy it for $3 on your Kindle (which is what I did). Secondly, because my opinion of the book is so conflicted and ultimately based on the fact that I am a middle-class, suburban, stay-at-home mom in Tennessee.

3. Life from Scratch by Melissa Ford (Stirrup Queens) – I had seen a blurb about this book somewhere and pinned it on my “want to read it” board. My note on the pinboard, however, was that the book was about someone learning to cook. Which is not at all what it’s about. The book is about a blogger who HAS learned to cook post-divorce and writes about it on her blog, Life from Scratch. The book follows her new success as a blogger and writer, as well as a new relationship, and the ups and downs of learning to be a divorcee in NYC. I was disappointed that the book skimmed over the part of the character’s life I thought I might find interesting, and yet, it was utterly readable. And definitely worth the $1 I paid for it for my Kindle (sorry, it’s 9 bucks now!).

Want to see more?

 31 28 Days of Reading Well
Read in 2011
Read in 2010
Read in 2009
Favorite Books of 2007

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Turn Over a New Leaf and CLEAN!

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My to do list is healed and in use!
source: robstephaustralia

So, it’s another new year. For me, it brings the realization that I have been a stay-at-home mom for TWO years now! (Um, seriously? Cause I remember writing a post about my first 6 months as a SAHM that I’m pretty sure I never finished. Wasn’t that last week?)

I hate to admit it, but with the upheaval that has been our life in the last two years, I still don’t have any kind of regular schedule or methods in place. Need a refresher? This has been my life since January 2010:

  • Quit my job
  • Moved to Chattanooga
  • Went from being a full-time working mom to a full-time SAHM and part-time freelancer
  • Got pregnant three months later
  • Had a baby
  • Foreclosed on a house
  • Moved to a small apartment on-campus at the school where my husband teaches
  • Don’t have any family nearby

A little nuts, no?

I am trying to work up the nerve to declare 2012 THE YEAR OF ORGANIZATION.

I am a slob. I would SO much rather sit here click-clacking on my computer than do anything else, and that does present a problem. So if it means I have to set timers and schedule my days in 15-minute increments, I want to change.

If you’re like me, you might be interested in my friend Christine’s e-book Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule. Honestly, the Motivated Moms schedule worked pretty well for me during the very short period I actually adhered to it while we were in our rental house. But living in a different, smaller space, with no outdoor tasks and some unique circumstances, I really need the customized option Christine offers.

(Christine was my friend before blogging, by the way. We worked on the same floor at LifeWay. And she is the most genuinely nice person I’ve ever met. Also so happy sometimes I just want to pinch her … but that’s OK.)

Here’s how Christine describes the book on her site:

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all schedule.

As I began putting together my own cleaning schedule I looked high and low for cleaning templates and guides. You know what I realized? There isn’t a one-size-fits-all schedule. We all have different homes, needs, and expectations when it comes to cleaning.

I’ve put together an easy step-by-step plan for you to create your own cleaning schedule that fits your lifestyle, your preferences, and your family. It will help you Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule.

The e-book is really an excellent resource, and right now you can get it for 50% off with the code CLEANNEWYEAR2012, making it a ridiculously affordable $2.98. That code is good until the 7th.

So, anyone ready to make this year THE YEAR OF CLEAN? Or at least, THE YEAR I TRY NOT TO LIVE IN A PIGSTY?

Yes, these are affiliate links. It takes me a lot of time to write this blog and if you’d like to help fund that time in the slightest, I appreciate it. If you’d rather go directly to perfectcleaningschedule.com to buy the book, that’s OK with me too!

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Favorites of 2011

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You know when you have really bad writer’s block? After you’ve been to three states in nine days and thought about nothing but family and Christmas for weeks.

Since imitation truly is the highest form of flattery, I decided to copy Simple Mom and share my favorite books, movies, TV shows, and music of 2011. (As she said, ones that were new to me, not necessarily new to 2011.)

Sometimes it takes the act of writing to spark further writing, which is why “they” say all the best writers write every day. A practice I’ve fallen out of. I write a lot in my head. Does that count?

So without further ado …

BOOKS (of course)

I read so, so, SO many amazing books in 2011. I don’t know what sparked that, if it was just a streak of luck or coming into contact with great recommendations, but I am certainly glad for it.


You can read my treatise on why I think everyone should read Heaven Is for Real. I zipped through the small book a few short hours and found it very affecting. Read it.

I don’t think there’s much you haven’t heard about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or The Help. Both are wonderful, fast-paced reads that have spurred movies. (The former, movies in both Swedish and English!) There is a reason both are so popular: plots full of detail and excitement, rendering the reader completely unable to put them down. Read when you have the hours to devote to them!

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood was an unexpected favorite from this year. The author created another world … just after the one in which we currently live. (After reading The Hunger Games, fear of the government is starting to get to me!) Atwood is a word artist and I left this book wanting to read everything she’s written.

You can see everything I read in 2011 on this page. A few other favorites: Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks; The Paris Wife by Paula McClain; Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis.

TV

I loved watching Top Chef: All-Stars. I suppose it’s part of the little voice in my head that tells me I could be a chef if I REALLY wanted to (I don’t.) that convinces me to watch the crazy cooking shows. I’d seen most of the prior seasons of Top Chef, though, and enjoyed watching the old favorites. (As I am sure I will love Project Runway All-Stars. Woohoo!) 

I am pretty sure Modern Family is the best show on television. (At least if you vastly prefer sitcoms, as I do. I’m just not a drama girl.) It never fails to crack me up; and mid-week, a girl just needs a good laugh.

Mr. V and I still watch How I Met Your Mother, and we will ’til the end. I won’t say it’s the best show out there … it’s had its ups and downs and maybe peaked at season 2. But in all its ridiculousness, it just makes me smile a lot of the time.

Honorable mentions to Once Upon a Time and Firefly, which Mr. V and I saw for the first time and proceeded to mourn the loss of all the seasons it should have had.

MOVIES

I confess I am not into movies like I used to be. Mr. V and I went with the crowd and changed to just Netflix instant streaming with the price increase, and we mostly use it to watch old TV shows anyway.

The only movies I saw in the theater this year were Something Borrowed (and you know that was a great cinema masterpiece) and two-thirds of Monsters vs. Aliens ($1 summer movie with the kids, who started crying, so we left).

So, as I can remember, the best movies I watched this year (for the first time) were The Social Network, Edward Scissorhands, and Despicable Me.

MUSIC

Thanks to the wonder that is Spotify, we’ve listened to a lot of new music this year. (I am not someone who thinks your music, make-up, exercise, etc, need to be “social,” but we definitely enjoy being able to listen to anything under the sun!)

Here are some new favorites.


Station Wagon: Songs for Parents by Sara Groves – If you are a parent, you MUST give this at least one listen. All of the songs ring true and some crack me up. (The line “Do you have any idea how much it hurts to give birth?” is sung in the background of one song. Love it.)

Kari Jobe by … well, Kari Jobe – A great album of praises to God. Love her voice.

The Band Perry – Another great breakout album. Fills my country fix. (Since when do I need a country fix?? I HATED country music growing up. I’ve been in Tennessee too long!)

Kuhzoo by Bellaruse – The lead singer of this group happens to be my uber-talented cousin, Kay Gillette … but if I didn’t like the music, I still wouldn’t listen to it. And I do. It’s crazy, jazz/folk/something type stuff. Just trying listening to The Kazoo Song and see if you aren’t addicted!

If you’ve made it through this lengthy ordeal, you must tell me: what were your favorites of 2011?


Let’s pretend this is a top ten plus, oh, eight list and link it to Top Ten Tuesday. I think Amanda loves me too much to call me out on it. ;)

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Truth in the Tinsel; Or, How Other People Plan My Crafts for Me

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It’s both a relief and panic-inducing to me that Libbie is finally old enough to do craft-type things. I longed for her to be able to color, glue, and maybe even cut. And now that she can, I try to take advantage of it!

I’m not a crafty person myself, but thankfully I live in the era of Pinterest. We’ve done several creative things from there recently, including cloud dough and toilet-paper-roll turkeys!

I’m thankful to continue letting others plan my craft projects, and in December we’re undertaking a big one: learning about the nativity story by making an ornament every day.

Amanda (of OhAmanda and Impress Your Kids) is my oldest blogging friend. Her passion for teaching her children about Christ never fails to amaze me. And this year she’s put all her crafty energy and passion into Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands.

I was thrilled to see how thorough each day’s experience is: Amanda provides a “clue” for the kids to discover in an advent calendar or on a paper chain, a Scripture to read together, questions to discuss, an ornament to make, and a further activity to do if you choose. There are also supply lists and recommendations for only doing selections from the 24 days of Advent.

The Truth in the Tinsel e-book is $4.99, but for Black Friday it’s $2.99! WOOHOO!

I sincerely hope you’ll take advatage of the opportunity to teach your child the importance of Christmas. I’ve read through Truth in the Tinsel and it’s so full of gospel truth, creativity, and love. I can’t wait to do it with Libbie and watch her grasp the Truth. And I’ll be sharing some of our projects on the Truth in the Tinsel Facebook page, so make sure you like it!

Yes, I will make a small affiliate fee if you buy through my link. If that bothers you, just type in TruthintheTinsel.com and buy it from there. But please DO IT! Cause this is an awesome resource.
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On Being Wrong

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During my 31 27 Days of Reading Well, I made a big old stinking deal about the book The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney. It’s so good! I said. I cry every time! The characters are so real!

Well, apparently there’s something to be said about reading books in different phases of life. According to Laura, Catcher in the Rye is extremely poignant if you read it at the right stage. (I didn’t read it until after college and found it rambling and ridiculous.) I didn’t read Wuthering Heights until I was well along in my English major, and I adored it, while I know many who read it in high school found it abysmal.

I don’t think I had actually read The Saving Graces since early on in our marriage. The summer before we got married, my daddy’s best friend died from liver cancer at age 50 … and looking back, I think perhaps that affected my reading of the book more than anything.

At 29, I’ve struggled with infertility. I am married with two kids. I’ve held a job, I’ve wanted to be a writer, I’ve gone through some deep depressions. I might have too much in common with some of the characters now.

I was eager to reread my battered copy after I wrote about it this October. But in those water-stained and creased pages I found none of that original emotion. I shed no tears. I felt no real pull to the characters.

Too far away from a cancer experience? Too long without intimate women friendships? I don’t know.

I hate to recant my statements but in this case … I wouldn’t want anyone to buy the book, read it, and think I was nuts. Compared to most else of what I recommend to you, it’s just not my cup of tea anymore.

I think reading tastes change … and I think that is OK.

Are there any books that have led you to say, “What was I thinking?”

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A Christmas Baby (No, Not That One.)

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My little David is a Christmas elf. He was born December 20th. When you ask those with Christmas birthdays how they feel about it you get one of two responses. Either, “I love it! I always have family around then!” or “I HATE IT SO MUCH MY PARENTS MUST DESPISE ME TO HAVE CONCEIVED ME IN MARCH AND I CELEBRATE IN JUNE.” Well then.

We’re approaching David’s first birthday. Let’s not talk about how much it pains me to even write that! He is still my little tiny baby and I am not ready to give that up for toddlerhood. He is trying to walk and talk and play with Libbie and it’s too much for my mama heart.

But anyway, I am trying to decide if I should do something for his first birthday. It feels wrong NOT to! I know we won’t have any family there, obviously, because we will see them all the following weeks for Christmas. So … will anyone come?

Right now I’m thinking of having an open house-type get-together the Saturday before his birthday. I realize most people will have something else that day, but maybe they would drop by. What do you think?

If we do have a mini-party, I think I am going with a snowflake/winter theme. Here’s some of my inspiration.

Of course, if you know me you realize I mean a VERY simplistic version of these decorations. I’m not a very good party planner. And I haven’t been able to convince Amanda to just throw one of my parties for me yet.

So, I want to hear it. What’s your advice for Christmas babies?

Speaking of parties, last week my sweet bloggy friend Mary released her first e-book, Plan a Fabulous Party without Losing Your Mind.

Is that not the most hilarious cover ever?

Seeing that Mary’s blog is Giving Up on Perfect, her writing speaks to me! (Because really, I am forced to give up on perfect each and every day. Good enough is the new perfect, or something like that, right?)

I had the privilege of proofreading Plan a Fabulous Party and if I do throw a little David shindig, I will definitely be referencing my copy! It has tips for planning, decorating, and food, along with cute quotes, tricks, and pointers for every kind of get-together.

You can buy it using that link above or get it for your Kindle on Amazon. With the holidays quickly approaching … it can’t hurt to have some quick party tips at your fingertips! The book is $7.99, but with code FABPARTY you can get $3 off through tomorrow, 11/15.

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31 Days of Reading Well: Day 26

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The Books That Changed Them

I recently read The Book That Changed My Life. No, really. That’s the title! It’s an excellent collection of essays from writers ranging from Anne Lamott to John McCain to Frank McCourt. All share a book (or few books, for those who are like me and can’t make up their minds) that changed them.

The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them

It’s been sitting on my shelf for probably two years. I stocked up on books when I started using PaperBackSwap and as a result have spent the last year trying not to acquire any new books while I read the 200+ that I have. But now that I’ve read it, I’m sad I waited so long. As someone who loves chatting about books more than most things in life, reading this was like sitting down with a group of good friends and finding out their very favorite books of all time.

(Although I’m not sure I trust anyone whose life was changed by Catcher in the Rye. I just don’t get it, I guess.)

The Books That Changed My Life

I can’t pick one. Are you surprised? I would guess not if you’ve read any of my posts about books. But I can narrow them down to two: one that changed my reading and one that changed my writing.

I’ve waxed poetic about A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving before (see this post). I first read it for a creative writing class in high school–by far the best gift I received from that particular teacher. I had never been presented with a novel so intricate, one that was so incredibly thought-out.

A Prayer for Owen Meany (Modern Library)

I don’t know if Irving writes with such a detailed outline that he knows each and every event that will happen (Bird by Bird refutes that this actually happens, but I still wonder!), or that he goes back and tinkers with precision once he has determined his characters’ paths, but either way this book has such a sophisticated road to the end it takes my breath away. Above all else, it caused me to think about what I am writing and not just blab on in train-of-thought–although we all know I do that some too.

The book that changed my reading is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I was in a 200 level English class entitled Great Novels with the lovely Susan Heroy. I was flip-flopping around about my major, having discovered that I would need more than a summer study abroad to obtain an International Studies major and not really wanting to go that route. Opening Garcia’s masterpiece led me on a wild goose chase. I scribbled in the book. I asked questions of my professor. I was fascinated by his use of mysticism, smells, colors.

Shortly after I closed the text, I decided to declare a major in English despite not having one class toward the major. I wanted to read more books like One Hundred Years of Solitude. I wanted to spend my time talking about them and writing about them with the hopes that one day I would write my own.

So I did.

Maybe some day I’ll finish that book I’m writing.

Is there a book that’s changed your life?

Originally published in January 2010.

See the books the authors recommended: Part I and Part II.

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