L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge, 2010

It's time! It's time! It's time!

It's time for the second annual L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge here at Reading to Know. I've been eagerly anticipating the start of this challenge. Last year I spent a lot of time reading and learning about Montgomery herself, so this year I'm happy in the thought of spending time with her characters.

I STILL haven't decided exactly which books of hers I'll be re-reading, although I have gotten started with Jane of Lantern Hill. We'll see where I go from there.

Now, what do you need to do to be a part of this challenge? Well, I like to keep things simple so here are the basic "rules":

1. Pick the Montgomery book (or books!) that you most want to read and then read them during the first few weeks of January. **NOTE: I decided against using Mr. Linky for a variety of reasons. One very big reason you'll discover below. Just leave a comment below with a link to your introductory blog post and we'll call it good.** Your introductory blog post does not need to be excessively long or grand. You merely need to create a blog post saying, "I'm in!" and link it up here in the comment section. If you'd like to say which books of Montgomery's you plan on reading during the challenge, do so then! There are a great many to choose from.

Here is the button code, if you'd like it:

<a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2009/12/lm-montgomery-reading-challenge-2010.html"><img alt="L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge" src="http://www.bluecastlephoto.com/misc/lmm-challenge.gif" border="0" /></a>

2. Come back on Sunday, January 31, 2009 and leave a comment "linking up" to however many Montgomery related reviews/posts you like.

3. Visit around and get to know the other people who are participating in the challenge and read about what books they've involved themselves with. Be friendly! =)

I mentioned the other day that I had a really fun giveaway to host in conjunction with this challenge and I'm excited to share it with you know. I purchased the following Sterling Silver Oval Shaped Locket to give away to one of you:

Isn't it beautiful? Anne (and Lucy Maud) loved beautiful things and this locket just makes me smile. So one of you will win the locket AND a chain for it. Typically I keep my contests around here nice and easy but this one is going to take a little bit more work because, well, I think it's worth it.

How can you win this beautiful locket?

1. You can sign up to participate in the L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge. As a reminder of how to do this - you create a blog post linking back to this one from your site. You don't have to write up a long post. Just something that indicates that you intend to participate in this challenge. By signing up and leaving a comment below, you'll gain one entry.

2. For every post/review you write up about this challenge during the month of January, you can come back and leave a comment on THIS POST to gain an extra entry. The more you "play" the greater your chances, essentially! =)

Any or all of these will gain you extra entries for this contest.

Yes, I intend to be a bit stricter with this contest but it's a gorgeous locket, I bought it, and I'm making the rules. ;D haha. And trust me, I'm perfectly DELIGHTED to be able to gift one of you with it with my best blessings attached!

**This contest will be open throughout the contest, ending on Sunday, January 31st. The contest will open for U.S. residents and Canadians only. Can't leave out the Canadians on a challenge, uh, such as this one!**

So go forth - make some new literary friends and maybe, just perhaps, you'll receive a beautiful gift as a further reward for your reading progress!

Most importantly - HAVE FUN!

Goodbye 2009!

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you're bigger.
“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.” - C.S. Lewis (Prince Caspian)

An Avonlea Christmas

A couple of nights ago, Jonathan had a guy's night out with a good friend of his. They went to go and see a manly movie, of course. I used the opportunity to watch An Avonlea Christmas! I'd been saving it to watch during the Christmas holidays and it seemed just as good a time as any to relax with the King family. It had been a few years since I had seen it so I vaguely remembered this particular movie but had forgotten a lot of the details.

I have talked about my, ah hem, love for the Road to Avonlea series before and so I was eager to watch the "cast reunion" in the form of a Christmas story. In case you haven't seen it, don't worry - I won't give any spoilers. I'll speak generally.

Suffice it to say that it is set during World War I and Felix, son of Alec and Janet King, is off at war. You find out right at the outset of the movie that Felix is listed as missing in action and the rest of the movie relates to how the family is acting and interacting as a result of the news.

Watching An Avonlea Christmas when you are a teenager is one thing. Watching it after you have children (and friends' relations serving in the military!) is quite another. In other words, it was a good movie to watch when Jonathan was MIA because I could cry freely. Heh.

Now, let's do be clear about one thing: I would have cried over this movie regardless of Felix's status. I would have cried just because I was watching Avonlea again because I really love this cast of characters. I've loved watching them grow up from the age of 10 and then making friends with each other, suffering, experiencing the joys and happiness of life on a beautiful and magical Island, getting married and exhibiting emotions that are easy to identify with (now more so than ever!).

I think, after watching this Christmas special this time around, I feel most impressed by Janet King. Janet is dealing with emotions surrounding a son who is potentially never going to come home. All she knows is that her son whom she loves is out there somewhere, and she is powerless to do anything for him. She is subject to governments and wars and cannot do anything but internalize it and learn to accept her new realities. Meanwhile, she has good old Aunt Hetty harping on endlessly about being brave and doing one's duty and putting on a good face for the community, yadda yadda yadda. (You have to like Aunt Hetty but she really does place unreasonable expectations on people who are honestly suffering.) As Janet tells her mid-lecture, at the end of the day, with this particular attitude, all Hetty is going to have is her honor and duty but that will be really lonely. Janet feels and I think she does a marvelous job portraying the emotions of a mother who isn't losing herself all over everyone but really is feeling great anguish. Janet's own family doesn't really understand where she is at when she is facing the potential of losing her son. She is in a very lonely place. She really is wrestling over her feelings of love for Felix and her ability to trust that all things will turn out well in the end. It is a very difficult internal struggle.

I spent the whole movie thinking about the book Choosing Gratitude (click on the title to read my review). It reaffirmed my statements that no human being (talking about honor, duty and what have you) can change a person's heart and heal their wounds. No person can speed another person's recovery and bring them round to being a humble human once again. No amount of beating people over the head to slap a smile over a wounded heart is going to change anything at all. It will just strain relationships. That's all that it will do, barring a miracle.

But then in steps Alec, Janet's husband, who acts the redeeming savior role to her. He comes to her humbly, confessing his own pain. He reminds her that bitterness is the hardest on the person carrying it and he encourages healing in her. She succumbs to warmth and love. Yes, she still hurts but it is through understanding and mutual tears that any healing comes to be. It was a beautiful picture of what God does for us when we are hurting. He says he knows the pain. He says he understands it and He doesn't expect us to explain it, because He knows we can't. He even says it's understandable and ok. And then He helps to work you through it. Marvelously done and I thought this movie portrayed hurt and healing very well.

Perhaps An Avonlea Christmas doesn't sound like the cheeriest sort of movie. OH but it is! It is about life, laughter and living with people that I enjoy being with. (Overly obsessive? Perhaps. But let's not go there.)

Again, if you haven't had a chance to watch the Road to Avonlea series, I recommend them to you. Yes, there are hiccups and hesitations along the way in the series and I don't like every single episode. But I do value and appreciate about 98% of the series and have so many good memories of it that I intend to enjoy it for many years to come. If I ever have a girl you can pity her. It'll be over before it ever begins. But I promise not to name her Anne. (Mostly because Jonathan won't let me. We've already had that discussion.)

Here's to girl's movie nights, sometimes best spent alone with a box of Kleenex and a heart that is working towards gratitude.

The NEW Classics Bookclub and How I Intend to Participate

Well, we crazy people at 5 Minutes for Books who make all sorts of decisions (ridiculous and otherwise) really wanted to keep the Classics Bookclub around but needed to tweak it a bit to make it more reader/user friendly. So instead of hosting the Classics Bookclub every month, as we have been doing, we are making it a quarterly event. On the 5th Tuesday of every month you are welcome to come and link up reviews to any classics that you might have read over the course of the prior quarter. And to encourage you to keep up with us? There'll be prizes. To learn more about these changes, you can read what Jennifer had to say about The NEW Classics Bookclub.

For starters, by linking up to THIS POST, sharing your goals or some reviews, can earn you a chance to win Invitation to the Classics (click on the title to read my review of it) which really is a nice, handy little introduction to classic literature. (Well, I found it useful anyway.)

As for me and my purposes and reading plans for this coming year....

1. I intend to read Anne of Green Gables, 100th Anniversary Edition (again) for the L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge in January.

2. I'd like to finish reading The Faerie Queen, as I mentioned earlier today.

3. I'd like to read Ben-Hur which has been sitting on my bookshelves for longer than I will admit to you.

4. I'd like to read 1984 because I keep talking about how I mean to do that, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

5. I DO very much plan on reading The Woman in White, sort of in conjunction with the Children's Classics Mystery Challenge. (It's been so long since I've read mysteries that I'm getting all excited about everyone that I see these days!)

That is my very loose plan. However, I do have quite a few classics sitting around my bookshelves and since my greater reading plan for this coming year is to read what is on my shelves, I probably (hopefully) will have a few more sprinkled in there and here, here and there.

What about you? Would you care to read a classic or two with us this year? Join in with us at 5 Minutes for Books and read as few or as many as you'd like! Just let us know which they are and perhaps we'll have a little something to share with you . . .

Where I'm Goin'

At first I wasn't going to use this particular image to make my point but in the end, I decided it suited me just fine and, in a strange way, I rather find humor in it.

When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla. I wonder how the road beyond it goes--what there is of green glory and soft, checkered light and shadows--what new landscapes--what new beauties--what curves and hills and valleys further on."
- Anne, Anne of Green Gables

At the end of each year we typically pause to look back (which I did yesterday) and then to look forward (which I'm doing right now). Yesterday I alluded to the fact that I wanted to read (/live) differently this coming year. I don't know about you, but the books I read have direct impact on my life. Priorities have shifted around a bit since starting this great ol' reading blog back in 2006 and in 2010 I want to redirect and refocus my reading energies a bit.

To that end, I do want to state that the number of review copies I'll be taking will be dramatically decreased. Last year I had lots of fun reading new titles, and I definitely am still interested in reading around the new. However, I'd like to spend some quality time with the old. I'm not going to try to predict anything, because if I tried to set up a reading system I'd fail miserably. =) I'll just mosey along. But it is my desire to read more classics and spend time purging my bookshelves, by reading, re-reading, tossing, sanctifying, etc., etc., etc.

I have owned and half read one particular series that I want to go through this coming year . . .



I THINK there are 9 in the series. I have five of them and shall have to collect the rest as I go along. But I plan to spread those out throughout the year. One of them is about the life of Jesus. My plan is to spend January - August reading every book in this series EXCEPT the one about Jesus. September & October I would like to spend re-reading another book on my shelf, that I love dearly, Gleanings in Joshua by A.W. Pink. I would also like to read Gleanings in Genesis, also by Pink. Then in the months of November and December, I would like to spend time with Swindoll's book on Jesus.

Another book I intend to revisit in 2010 is Choosing Gratitude (click on the title to read the review).

Beyond those things, I'm rather anxious to re-read some of my favorite Children's Classic Mystery books in conjunction with the challenge we're hosting over at 5 Minutes for Books. Will you join in? It's so easy. You can read as many (or as few) of your old friends (i.e., Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Dana Girls, Cherry Ames, Encyclopedia Brown, Boxcar Children, etc., etc.) as you wish! Introduce and involve your kids! We'd love it if you did and shared about the experience. I can't wait until my kids are old enough to share in these old favorites but in the meantime, I'm re-browsing them myself and intend to fully enjoy this journey!

Naturally, the year will be started by kicking off the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge. At the present moment, I'm inclined to read Anne and enjoy her again. We'll see what I actually end up doing, but that's the company I'm presently longing for. Last year I spent most of my challenge time learning about Montgomery herself. This year I'm anxious to be entertained more than anything else.

In July I also intend to revisit Narnia with the Chronicles of Narnia Reading Challenge (and I'm so anxious to do it, too!).



I'd like to finish reading The Faerie Queen (finally) but I'm not terribly, terribly motivated at this present moment. That's just something I feel like finishing mostly for the sake of finishing it. (So far I've only read Book I and Book II.)

Those are my general plans and in between I'll sprinkle in books that (I hope) I think are really worth spending the reading time on.

Reading is still a joy and a passion and I want to keep it so. I want Reading to Know to be a reflection of who I am and where I'm at in life. I want it to be honest and true. So I'll do a bit of purging and rethinking and see where it takes me. No predictions. Just hopes!

Gearing Up (& Giving Away)

Because I've taken it on as a mission in life to share my love of (anything by) Lucy Maud Montgomery, I picked up a gently used copy of Anne of Green Gables to give away to one of you dear souls who need a proper introduction.

Now, you should know that I keep picking Anne things to give away because she is my favorite of all of the people conjured up by Montgomery. I've read everything Montgomery has written (minus The Blythes are Quoted but can we please not talk about that right now!?!) and of all the characters, Anne still wins my heart. I feel sorry for people who haven't read her (and, quite frankly, also experience feelings of shock and outrage - ah hem) and so I feel compelled to focus on Anne. If you never meet anyone else (Pat, Emily, Sara, Valancy, Kilmeny, Jane etc.) then at least meet Anne. I hardly think it will be a regrettable experience.

Random.org selected Marjorie as the winner of the Anne of Green Gables book and, as Marjorie has apparently never read Anne before, I'm delighted to send the copy her way! =) Congrats!

I'm also super excited about another giveaway that I'll be featuring during the course of the challenge. Any guesses? It's something I've mentioned around these parts in the not-too-distant past. The other hint I'll give is a reminder that Anne liked pretty things.

Stay tuned....

In the meantime, how's this?


Which L.M. Montgomery Hero are You?

(If you end up taking the quiz, I'd love to find out which "hero" you are.)

Reflections

So, how was your Christmas? Did you create any fun new memories and really enjoy the day? We had a good, albeit quiet sort of day. Christmas with little children in the home must just be the best and, gratefully, someone close to us reminded me of that this year. We are grateful and we are blessed. We enjoyed ourselves and had some really special times.

We were also able to spend the day remembering friends who were welcoming a new baby into their family on Christmas morning! And we were available to pray with my friend Sky regarding her brother, Bowe (see below for more info on that). Every year is different and frequently we don't know what any individual day might bring - let alone Christmas day! The greatest thing we can rest in, find our peace in and take any comfort and celebration in is the fact that God sent His son, Jesus, down to earth for US. Mind blowing! And worth some contemplation as our lives keep rolling along.

Now we find ourselves gearing up for the end of one year and the beginning of another. There is no sort of way to explain how excited we are about the arrival of 2010. For one thing, it marks the end of a very difficult year. For another, we're starting it out with a bang by welcoming in one of my best friends from law school for a visit! I absolutely cannot WAIT!

It's interesting to look back on one's life and question why you did what you did and when you did it. It's horrifying to think about "what ifs" and "well, maybes" even if you ARE only talking about books (which is the main point of this particular site, after all!). Another year of my life has gone by and what have I read!? Why did I read it!? Should I have? And, always the questions: "What can I do better next year?" And maybe you could even ask, "Why do you CARE (about books)?" I read, I think, I process. What I read changes who I am, fine tunes my thinking (if it doesn't just change it outright!) and motivates me in new directions. Books play a hugely important role in my human/spiritual walk and therefore I think they are worth talking, er, writing about. So I just keep plugging along around these parts and some of you keep reading and listening (for which I am grateful).

As I am wrapping up another year of reading there are definitely books I can look back on and wish that I hadn't wasted the time on. But we can't be all about regrets, can we? I AM definitely making different reading choices for the future though. I'm really thinking hard about reading through my own bookshelves and doing some culling and re-evaluating. My re-evaluation of what is worth my time is based on life, ever changing and transforming who we are and how we think.

** If you would like to see the complete list of books that I read this past year, visit The Master List (I keep this blog linked on my sidebar for easy referencing..mostly for myself when I'm trying to locate an old review I wrote!) I clocked in with 132 books fully read. I don't count ones that I skimmed or didn't give as much attention to as I might have otherwise liked. I spent quality time with 132. **

At the same time, while I read some books I wish I hadn't, I also did a lot RIGHT this past year. I learned and I grew through some amazing life circumstances. I thought and I enjoyed. I cried and I railed against my realities. I'm still learning about all that happened to our family this past year. We had some good times and some bad. Here is a brief run down of some particular highlights (for me, personally):

*Inkheart was made into a movie and we got to go and see it for a date night. (Waa hoo! Love this book.)



* I hosted the Lucy Maud Montgomery Challenge in January (and am absolutely planning to do that again so GET READY because it's right around the corner!). As part of my own personal reading during this challenge, I learned that Lucy Maud Montgomery committed suicide which was a horrible discovery.

* We went to Disneyland in February (first time for our family) and absolutely LOVED it!

* Strictest School in the World Series. Have you read it? Oh my word, dash out and buy it!!!

* My brother-in-law, Landon, died in April (unexpected to the extreme).

* Jonathan and I celebrated four years of marriage.

* My dad died in May of cancer.

* We went through a lot of life adjustment in a very short period of time!

* My good friend, Sky, was informed that her brother, Bowe Bergdahl, was captured by the Taliban on June 30th. We've been praying for his safety and release. (And I was none too happy that a video was released of him on Christmas day of all days. Nice political move there. And yes, I've said I wouldn't talk politics around here but this is my friend's brother.) If you'd join us in praying for Bowe, I know that Sky would appreciate it more than I (as would their whole family). You can view the prayer blog for Bowe Bergdahl HERE. Again, praying for Bowe isn't political. It's about a person who is in need of prayer.

* I really rather enjoyed The Big Steal, by Emyl Jenkins. That's probably one of my favorite fun book discoveries of this past year.

* I hosted the first Chronicles of Narnia Reading Challenge in July (and will host again this coming July so you can plan for that if you'd like!). The best books are meant to be read and re-read a million times over.



* The third book in the Mysterious Benedict Society released. And I still LOVE the series!!!

* I started the Reading My Library Challenge in which I am reading through all of the children's pictures books in my library, by author, from A to Z. My ability to progress in this challenge seems to be dependent on how many times I'm able to make it to the library. I hope to go again this week. So far, I've made it from Aa to As.


My favorite children's book author that I have discovered so far is Jim Arnosky. He writes a lot of books about animals, including picture books on sea animals which we have just loved to pieces.

* Steven Curtis Chapman's new album, Beauty Will Rise released (and ministered to me greatly in processing grief).

* I wrote my STOP THE PRESSES post in which I (still) question the value of Christians copying the world in almost everything. I wish we (Christians) wouldn't do that. The sad thing is - we don't have to. We choose to.

Even on that note though, I've spent the month of December gobbling up some Christian fiction that I intend to talk more about come January. I read Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers within the past month for the first time and kinda feel like reexamining Christian writers. That said, I intend to critique. (Don't think I've gone soft or anything.) ;D haha. Well, we'll see. I'm thinking about this particular genre a lot these days.

* I made good friends with a dead man (Winston Churchill).

* We rejoiced in the goodness of God.

* I began to realize that I can Choose Gratitude (and need to do it!) and I have been thinking a lot about that.

This has definitely been a year of pain and sadness, as well as great happiness and joy. But you know, God can make all things new.

Out of all of the ashes, the regrets and pains and concerns we might have - beauty will rise. God makes all things new. He starts us on new days, with new dreams and new adventures. I can't wait to see what the future holds in books and in life - which remain strangely intertwined for me!

You make all things new
You make all things new
You redeem and You transform
You renew, You restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You
You turn winter into spring
You take every living thing
And you breathe the breath of life into it over and over again

AMEN! I'll take that promise and run with it!

Merry Christmas!

Going on my little Christmas blogging break for the next few days but I did want to say MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you!

I hope you and your families have a wonderful Christmas celebration, however you are spending it!

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christa the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12

And here is my Christmas card to you (because I like those musical cards):

For the God who spoke is speaking still
And the God who came still comes
And the miracle that happened still happens in the heart that will believe
And receive the miracle of Christmas

Nightstand

Last month I supposed that getting much reading done during the holiday months was going to be a bit difficult. And it has been! I've found very little time for reading. That said, I did accomplish reading three books from last month's list.

* I read Franklin & Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship which I loved and adored. If you missed it you can read my post about Franklin & Winston, as well as my post about Friendship, Winston Churchill Style.

* I read My Life in France, by Julia Child.

I also read Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers and haven't written a review of it for the same reason I suspect that I've never seen a decent review of it before. Yeah, uh huh. Hmm. Definitely thought provoking. When I was done reading it (in 2 days time, reading while cooking, going to the bathroom and any spare quiet moment I could find and then some!) Jonathan asked, "How was the book?" My reply? "I can't talk about it." And I can't. It has internalized and it's not coming out. And I don't know that I would pin the blame on any one person who told me to read it. You bear collective blame.

And if you WERE one to told me to "just read it already" then you know how much is wrapped up in that one little paragraph written above.

As for what is on my Nightstand for the following month....

I shall be primarily focusing on my pet project and challenge (which I thoroughly and heartily encourage you all to join in on, of course!):

You are welcome to read more about the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge HERE.

I haven't really decided WHICH book(s) to read by Montgomery yet. But it will be something by her. (I know...big surprise there, right?)

Otherwise, these are the books that are staring in my face with raised question marks before them, just like so:

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I've read Grace-Based Parenting before but would like to read alongside Gospel-Powered Parenting to contrast and compare, so that's my grand plan.

In the meantime, all I'm really planning to do is to celebrate Christmas and have a little fun celebrating around that.

What about you? What's on your Nightstand? I do love hopping around and seeing what other people are up to reading these days so - see ya around!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Names of God

Barbour Books just released The Names of God: An Illustrated Guide on December 1st this year and, for my part, I can't think of a better book review to end the year on. This fully illustrated book talks about over 250 names and titles that are given to God in the Bible. The book is divided into three sections: names given to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Each name/title that God carries is given about 1-2 paragraphs of explanation and there are accompanying photographs, scripture references, historical facts, and lyrics to age-old hymns given to illustrate the beauty of each individual name.

I make no bones about the fact that I am a Christian around here and the books I read, the movies I watch and the very life that I live is channeled through that filter. I believe that everyone has a presupposition and a world view and if you've been around here for any period of time, you'll have noted that I have a world view that is Christian in nature. You may not share the exact same worldview and that's ok. I'm not asking you to. I'm just telling you where I stand. (You can't say you weren't ever told!)

I love the treasure reference book that is The Names of God because it draws me deeper into the faith, teaching me of Who and WHAT God is. This is not only a handy reference, but is also inspirational reading. I highly recommend it for personal study, as well as for small group studies. It is an awesome book. But it is awesome, because it is about an awesome God.

This year has not been an easy one for Jonathan and I. Not at all. It has been filled with struggles and pain, none of which we could have imagined, dreamed of, and definitely would not have requested. We have been stretched to the brink many times over. As Christians, we don't believe that we will accept Jesus as our Savior and then live perfect and unrumpled lives. On the contrary, we very much believe that life is about struggles. But the struggles are good if they draw you closer to God. So, browsing through this book I have to say that these are the things that God has been to us in our season of struggle. I speak these things boldly, declaring that this is my God and in Him I do trust - even when the darkness is so thick we feel as if we will be crushed - when we are perplexed and confused and wondering where God is in the midst of the struggle and what He intends from it. We will not be destroyed, because God faithfully upholds us with His hand. (2 Corinthians 4:8) We are not destroyed. We are encouraged. We are loved. We are cared for. Though we have stared at death (a great deal more than we'd like this year!) we declare He is the victor over death and that death leads to life.

We will not be forgotten or forsaken, for He IS this:

He is The Most Upright (Is. 26:7) - even when people fail us and we find out that they are not what we thought they were. God is always righteous and is "not capable of error or wrong doing." (page 55)

He is our Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10) - He is, like strong towers in ancient warfare, our "final line of defense." When we have been exposed this year to painful and false accusations and misunderstandings, God has proved the strongest tower - the last and the best line of defense. We have received His vindication and we find our rest in Him.

He is our God Who Sees us (Gen. 16:13) even in our moments of great distress. He sees our hidden and private pains. "He sees our needs, hears our prayers and comes to our aid in our times of trouble." (page 34)

He has proved to be our Comforter. (John 14:16)

He is the Lord Who Heals (Ex. 15:26). He touches our hearts and keeps them from growing hard. He may move slower than we (or others) might prefer, but He moves. He gives us sleep and rest, touches our hearts and makes us able to move beyond the wounds we receive in this world. He works all things together for our good, yes, and for His glory.

I am reminded of this song (You Have Been Good, by Twila Paris):

O, Lord, You have been good
You have been faithful to all generations
Oh Lord, You have been good
You have been faithful to all generations

For by Your hand we have been fed
And by Your spirit, we have been led
O, Lord, your steadfast love and tender mercies
have been our salvation

O, Lord, You have been good
You have been faithful
You have been good.

Friend, I really don't know where you are at in your walk. I don't need to know. I'm just here to say where I am: I am struggling, I am broken, I am imperfect, I am undeserving, I am pathetic, I am miserable, I even occasionally suffer from bad moods that Starbucks cannot heal. I don't always enjoy my "to do" lists. I don't dress like others, think like others, or act in ways that everyone expects me to. I make people mad at me and I get mad at other people. I am impatient with others and they are impatient with me. Sometimes I let the laundry pile up until it spills out of the laundry bin. (And still, I blog!)

But God is still good. He sees my imperfections and He knows them better than I do. Because He is Holy (Is. 43:15, page 36) He must separate Himself from sin. Because He has adopted me, He forgives me my sin and draws me close to Him.

"'When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.'"

--The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe



In SPITE of me, He is. He is more than I deserve. He is faithful, He is true. He has redeemed me and I cannot comprehend why. I can only say, "Thank You."

Children's Classics Mystery Challenge

I am SO WAY HYPED (as I mentioned over at 5 Minutes for Books).

We're replacing our regular Children's Classics carnival with a Children's Classics Mystery Challenge for the months of January - June. So, in addition to the Nancy Drew Challenge (which I mentioned I would be doing) I will also be reading around a few other fun characters from the past - like Trixie Belden, Cherry Ames and a new one I picked up the other day - Robin Kane.

I'm also quite excited because I was browsing a used bookstore this past weekend and found a 1930 first edition of Nancy Drew and The Secret of the Old Clock! (I prefer the 1930's editions.) My heart was singing!!!

We really do hope that you'll revisit some old classic mysteries with us over the course of the first half of the year. Feel free to double up your challenges (like I'll be doing!). We wanted to create a challenge at 5 Minutes for Books that provided plenty of flexibility and opportunity to learn about a variety of series and I think we can do it with the Children's Classics Mystery Challenge. Looking forward to it and hoping you'll join in!

A good day for me, turns into a good day for you. (Speaking of Giveaways.)

Want to participate in the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge but don't know where to begin? Never read Anne and seriously need to correct this reading flaw? Walla! I have an extremely and very gently used copy to give away to one of you.


If you would like to win, simply leave a comment below. I will hold this contest open through Sunday, December 27th so that we can find out what might be hidden under Christmas trees. Go ahead and leave a comment though and if you win and already received the book, I'll just pick another winner. But at this rate, I'll have a week to get the book to you in time for you to participate in the L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge!

Consider me a woman on a mission to change and save the reading world, one person at a time.

Seriously. If you haven't read Anne leave a comment. This is the best I can do at forcing you to make a new friend.

Laughing at Myself

(Groaning is more like it.)

Good heavens! I just went back and read some of my first posts. I'm half tempted to delete them! (I did reword a few things.)

Time and distance offers so much perspective.

No doubt five years from now I'll look back on 2009 and wonder what on earth I was thinking when I typed __________.

*I shudder to think.*

Friday Favs

Suzanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts this carnival every Friday for people to list their five favorite things for the week.

Today is my brother's birthday so I'm going to list 5 things about him that I am grateful for. (Because his wife gave me permission to do this online. And it beats a traditional birthday card. And it's the only way I know how to draw him over to the computer to look at a mere blog.)

1. When we were little, he was easy to bribe. If I accidentally (or otherwise) hurt him, I would beg him not to tell our mother and offer to buy him a G.I. Joe toy as payment for his silence. My mother thought I was an extremely generous older sister. She didn't realize I was paying to avoid my sins. That said, you wouldn't be able to bribe him with anything or for anything now that he's all grown up and adult-ified. He's as honest as the day is long. (And those of you with little children know that sometimes the days can be very, very long.)

2. He met his wife at a very young-ish sort of age (I know that some of you would say he IS young so what am I talking about?) and I never heard anything but "Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer." (Ok, but not in the sappy way that I made that just sound.) What I mean to say was, he wasn't the type to flirt and his affections were secure. He has always been faithful to and about her in every way. I'm so grateful that he married her (because she's really much more fabulous than he is). And I think I can get away with saying that because I do believe he agrees. He chose well and he loves her deeply. It commands that everyone else love and respect her also. (Not that that would be difficult, but it is nice to see and a good thing to be in fear of.)

3. When my dad was dying of cancer my brother cared for my dad in one way which I will never forget as long as I ever live. At the end of my dad's life, I watched my brother care for his father in an amazing way that touches me very deeply and, after having witnessed with my own eyes, I will always respect my brother for. Always. No matter what.

4. My brother is now a father himself and it is clear that he adores his little boy (aka, the Buckaroo). He works hard to care for his family - his wife and his son.

5. My brother loves the Lord with all of his heart, soul and mind. This I know. We're very different, he and I, but no matter the differences, I respect and admire his faith. It cheers me. It humbles me. And it makes me love him all the more for it.

Happy birthday, Christopher! If I could only ever have one brother to grow up with - I'm glad it was you.

My Life in France

I did it! I finally got around to reading My Life in France! Now I can join the ranks of thousands of other hip female readers who follow the latest rages (which, in this case, is really an old rage). I've even seen Julie & Julia (the movie)! In the theatres! (For me, that's a novelty, ok?)

My Life in France was about what I expected and it was also not what I expected at all. I was rather glad, actually, that I had seen Julie & Julia before reading the book. Before having seen the movie, I had never really paid attention to Julia Child at all. Sure, I had seen spoofs of her, but I didn't realize people were mocking her. I had never heard her voice for real to know what all the fuss was about. Hearing her manner and style of speaking in the movie, prompted several Youtube sessions and it gave me a voice through which I could read this particular book. That made the whole thing more fun.

Child had a certain attitude about her that made her, maybe not so much someone that I would have been friends with, but rather someone that I would have been strangely drawn to for amusement purposes. And I can't say that my motivations would have been totally honorable. She's the type of person I would snicker in my sleeve over. Once I would have figured out what brought about a rise within her, I'd probably have goaded her a bit to get a reaction. She took issue over interesting things, I think, and I find her intriguing in a humorous way. (I would have poked fun at politics and told her how much I liked dry toast and Kraft macaroni and cheese. Even though that's not exactly true. I'd do it just to see her reaction and for no other very good reason.)

If you aren't familiar with My Life in France, it is about Julia & Paul Child's experiences while they lived in France. Mostly, it is written so that Julia could share her love of French foods and the French people themselves. In this book she also talks about how she came to be a part of and write Mastering The Art of French Cooking. It is a personal memoir of a specific passion in Child's life. In these few sentences, you can pretty much sum up the feeling of the whole book:

". . . I felt a lift of pure happiness every time I looked out the window. I had come to the conclusion that I must really be French, only no one had ever informed me of this fact. I loved the people, the food, the lay of the land, the civilized atmosphere, and the generous pace of life." (page 58, movie tie-in version)

I absolutely do not begrudge her the love of France, French people or French cooking. But she does take on a rather condescending air in the book that any American who did not understand this or agree with her whole heartily, was small minded. That is a particular attitude that I do not appreciate very much because I think there is great honor in loving your home country. I am very proud to be an American and to be able to live here. I would choose to live here under either of the main political parties (in other words, I've never made a threat to leave the country if my own choice for president wasn't elected). I love this country, plain and simple. I appreciate other countries and enjoy visiting them. But America is my home. Julia Child's "I love France more than America" was a bit off-putting at times, but not so much so that I couldn't enjoy the book.

As for cooking, I have to say that, for the most part, I appreciated her attitude. (Now that I've seen her chunk pots, pans and food aside on episodes of The French Chef, I'm more amused.) Something I both appreciate and question to a degree is her attitude towards serving people meals that didn't come out quite as you had hoped.

"I don't believe in twisting yourself into knots of excuses and explanations over the food you make. When one's hostess starts in with self-deprecations such as "Oh, I don't know how to cook . . . ," or "Poor little me . . . ," or "This may taste awful . . . ," it is so dreadful to have to reassure her that everything is delicious and fine, whether it is or not. Besides, such admissions only draw attention to one's shortcomings (or self-perceived shortcomings), and make the other person think, "Yes, you're right, this really is an awful meal!" (page 77)

There was one evening that we had invited some friends of church over for dinner. I used some older noodles in an attempt to make a pasta dish and the noodles were just plain bad. They were so mushy that they covered the chicken and you couldn't tell if you were eating a dumpling or a piece of meat. Just awful! I let my family talk me into serving the dish anyway and it was HIDEOUS. I DID apologize to our dinner guests and offered to make them something else on the spot! (Thankfully, dessert had turned out well so there was a consolation prize to my meal.)

I think there is (or ought to be) a balance. I don't know that I would say a hostess should never apologize for her poorly made meal. After all, when we invite guests into our home, we want them to feel treasured and enjoyed and one way we show and tell them that is by making something especially for them - hopefully something that they'll find appealing! At the same time, it IS the role of the guest to show appreciation and gratefulness because someone else is obviously putting time and energy into providing a meal for them and that's no small matter! That's HUGE! So it works both ways. We should want to set our best meals down before guests. And when we are guests ourselves, we should be gracious and show appreciation for whatever we are given to receive - whether we like it or not.

The thing I found most amusing in Child's book was her exposure to American supermarkets when trying to research and prepare Mastering the Art of French Cooking for an American public.

". . . American supermarkets were also full of products labeled "gourmet" that were not: instant cake mixes, TV dinners, frozen vegetables, canned mushrooms, fish sticks, Jell-O salads, marshmellows, spray-can whipped cream, and other horrible glop." (page 225)

It IS true that Americans are generally horrible cooks and are always on the look out for quick and easy. (Guilty as charged!) I would say that there is a movement towards the raw and organic which does require more preparation time and offers us more healthy and enjoyable alternatives for an evening meal. I can imagine that Julia Child, who had spent several years working on learning how to properly cut and prepare a chicken would be horrified by spray-can whipped cream! Ha! As a short blurb, here is Julia Child talking about McDonald french fries, if you are interested:



On the whole, I thought this book was insightful as to personalities and entertaining as to culture and her own brand of....being. I quite enjoyed it and am glad I spent the time becoming more acquainted with Mrs. Child. Again, not totally what I expected but not altogether unexpected either.