In which we talk about... books.

A. Larry Ross Communications contacted me about reading and reviewing Midnight in Aisle 7 by Jay Lowder. I might have liked the book more if I hadn't read it immediately following A Big Life. When I finished reading A Big Life, I was hungry for more missionary stories. Midnight in Aisle 7 is about people meeting God in everyday places in everyday America.

I tried to like it but couldn't immerse myself in the book. I'm not familiar with the author and don't want to make any assumptions about his ministry or his spiritual life. But the book was disjointed and I couldn't really see how people were "experienc[ing] an encounter that brings significance to life" (from Amazon's book description). It felt more like the author had an idea for a book, realized that these types of stories sell well today, and threw something together. Each chapter was separate from the rest and read more like a short story or a written version of a story shared at prayer meeting. There wasn't anything remarkable about the book, unfortunately. I was really hoping to read something special but the book fell short.

The Fall into Reading challenge ends tomorrow. I have finished half of the books I set out to read. North and South is the only book I have completely finished. I am still working through The Brothers Karamazov, currently at page 571 of 776. I am determined to finish before Christmas! And I was never able to locate the Bill Clinton autobiography, despite searching several times. My library catalog shows they own it but I was unable to find it on the shelves. Even though I didn't finish everything on my list, I did push myself to read two books that I had been procrastinating!

I currently have 42 books checked out at the library with another two on hold. At the end of the year, I'm going to return everything and start over. It bothers me to no end to constantly feel like I'm "behind" with my reading because I have a number of books due back with not enough time to read them. As much as I love browsing the stacks and coming home with a HUGE number of books, I think I need to limit myself to only what I can actually read within the loan period. I visit the library almost every single week anyway so I can always pick up more books.

That's probably enough book talk for now. I have two more review books to read as soon as I'm done with The Brothers Karamazov. Then it's time to look forward to 2013 and all the reading it will hold!

So good to be home!

I am very glad to be home again. We've had a very busy December already and there are still two weeks left!

Two weeks ago, my husband flew to Michigan for three days to see his parents. They had a good but very rushed trip. I wish it would have been possible for him to stay longer, even though I was lonely at home without him.

This past weekend, Jeff and I flew down to Phoenix. Very early Sunday morning, we headed to the airport. When we landed, we were very quickly reminded of why we had left. Even though the weather was warm enough to just wear a sweater (as opposed to a sweater AND coat here in Seattle), Phoenix is so very brown. It was depressing.

Locale notwithstanding, we had a great trip. As soon as we landed, we picked up our rental car and headed over to my mom's house. We spent several hours playing games with her and then checked into our hotel. We primped a bit and then headed to my husband's company holiday party at Maggiano's Little Italy. The best part of the meal was the chocolate cake (From their website - chocolate cake layered with sambuca chocolate mousse, iced with chocolate frosting and dusted with cocoa powder). YUM!

On Monday, I spent the morning with my mom at her house. Then she dropped me off at Jeff's office where we went out for lunch with the boss and his wife. After lunch, we went to the Data Center and I got to see where the company's lifeblood is located. It was very cool! We dropped a coworker off at the airport, picked up a Redbox DVD to transfer from Phoenix to Seattle, and then went back to the airport ourselves. We ended up having an extra hour to kill so I got a lot of reading and knitting done.

The flight home was a bit turbulent but the ending made up for it. I thought we would fly into the airport from the south but we actually ended up far enough north that we flew over the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market ferris wheel. That looked awesome lit up at night and I wish I could have taken pictures of it.

Now we're back home and life can return to normal. We're determined to not travel more than 10 miles from home for at least a month!

My mom and I

Devastated

I feel so old for saying this, but what is this world coming to? I don't usually follow the news; it's too depressing. But this morning I found out about the school shooting in Connecticut. What a tragedy. All those elementary aged children dead. Adults dead. And for what? Why?

WHY?

I know that the Bible says that things will get worse before Jesus comes.

I know that Jesus IS going to come back and children will get a new chance at life, a much better life than they could ever hope for.

But why the heartache? Why the pointless killing? Why the wars? Why the pain? It hurts too much.

I want to do something. I want to help. I want to make something right. And all I know to do is pray. The affected families are across the country from me and there's nothing I can do for them. My heart aches.

2013 Reading to Know Book Club

I'm so excited! Carrie at Reading to Know asked if I wanted to lead the discussions on one of the 2013 books! I had the opportunity to choose between adult classics and children's classics. My immediate thought was that I wanted to revisit Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. We're reading it next November!

Want to join the bookclub? You can pick and choose which months you want to read and there are some really awesome options. Here is the schedule!

January - Any title of your choosing by L.M. Montgomery
February - The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
March - Any title of your choosing by Maud Hart Lovelace
April - No Name, by Wilkie Collins
May - Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell
June - Through Gates of Splendor, by Elizabeth Elliot
July - The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
August - Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot
September - The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling
October - The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
November - Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
December - A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens

I have grandiose plans of reading them all but we'll see how they fit into the schedule next year.

I hope you'll join us!

Auntie Times Three!

I am an auntie again!! Adam was born this afternoon. Isn't he gorgeous?

Welcome to the world, nephew!

My husband - the most important relationship

Reverb has another really good prompt today. I can't resist answering it.

Considering the idea that nothing lasts forever: what was the most important relationship that you fostered in 2012?

How will you continue to nurture it in 2013?

My husband is the love of my life. We've been married for over seven years and I am so incredibly grateful to God for bringing us together. The first couple years of our marriage were tough as I battled some old abandonment issues. But my husband meant what he said in our vows - he has stuck by me no matter what has happened.

This year, I spent over two months in Michigan helping my husband's parents. Before that trip, we had only been apart for a week. By the end of my stay in Michigan, I was desperate to get back to him. Even though I knew that I was needed in Michigan and happy to help, I missed my husband something fierce.

Every so often, I have to remind myself what it felt like to be apart. It's so easy to take my husband for granted because he works from home and we are around each other almost 24/7. Sometimes my selfish nature emerges and I want things my way. I can be short tempered and take advantage of my husband's very giving nature.

In 2013, I want to continue to deepen our relationship. I know that I have flaws, that human nature is to be selfish, but with God's help, I hope to become a better wife. I love my husband more than I could even think possible and want to be the best wife possible.

2012 - What have I learned?

Reverb has a really good prompt today.

Compare the “you” from the beginning of 2012 to the “you” that you are now. What new skills or talents have you learned or discovered this year?

I've learned a lot this year, both in the form of new skills and about life and God's leading.

Here's a look back at what I've learned...

The importance of missionary work.

How to make a fantastic pizza sauce. So many people volunteered favorite recipes and we had a wonderful time testing them out.

That we have been financially blessed by God and have learned how to manage these blessings well enough to move across country and start buying furniture without credit. We also paid off our last credit card earlier this year.

While in Michigan, my mother-in-law taught me how to knit. I've started and completed several projects since March.

I have learned how to rely on God so much more than before. It's been a crazy year. My father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and I spent nine weeks in Michigan helping the family. My husband was given permission to move his work from Arizona to Washington. Our male cat was traumatized from the move and had some serious issues that resulted in almost $1,000 in vet bills. In all of this, God has provided and guided and is teaching me how to trust Him regardless of what is going on around me.

I can't wait to see what 2013 brings.