Tag Archives: reading

books, faith, mommyhood, music, random thoughts, women

Stir It Up -Finding My Calling as I Go

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As I was reading and having some quiet time yesterday afternoon, an image came to me, and I just had to stop and pray about it. I was led to pray for God to “stir up” my calling within me. I haven’t ever had a single moment in my life where I thought, This is it! This is the thing that I’m supposed to do forever! I’ve had many times where I’ve really been enjoying a job or a season or a ministry with which I’ve been involved. But I don’t know that any of those things ever resulted in a clear “Aha!” moment.

However, I do think that I’ve been easing into my calling for years. I love music. I love worship. I love Jesus. I love my husband and my kids. Just recently, I’ve been made aware (through His grace and a little bit of providence) that I love women’s ministry. I’m reading two books right now (Wild and Free by Hayley Morgan and Jess Connolly, which I’m almost done with, but I just can’t read more than a little bit at a time because I cry a lot, and Lioness Arising, by Lisa Bevere) that are focused on women, and focused on freedom in Jesus to be who He has called you to be. These books are changing my thoughts about women and ministry, and women’s ministry. I am learning that freedom and wildness is what Jesus wants for us, especially as women, where we can feel so bound by our roles (familial, cultural, etc) and the chains that come with them. The most beautiful thing about us, as women who follow Jesus, is that we are all different. We have things that we’re good at, and not so good at, things we love, and things we don’t like to do as much. We are fierce, whether loudly or quietly. We are called and equipped and FREE to do His will, and that’s an incredible (and overwhelming) feeling. These books, coupled with the Scriptural references within, are truly opening my eyes to a new way of thinking about myself and how Jesus sees me.

So when I felt like He was leading me to pray for a “stirring up” of my calling, I pictured it this way: there are lots of pieces of me – things that I’m good at, things I love, and spheres of influence that I have been welcomed into. There are all these ingredients for Him to work with, as He is crafting me into a woman of His own design and His own purpose. What will it all hold for me? I don’t know yet. But I am praying now more than ever that I will be cognizant of His call, sensitive to His voice, and willing to go wherever it is He would have me go. And isn’t it usually true that it’s going to be uncomfortable along the way? I’ve been praying about that, too.

You see, I have had this idea about what I should be doing with my church job, my blog, my family, my friends. I felt like I had found a good niche with all of these things. But I’m learning that it can grow stale if I don’t listen to what He is telling me. (Disclaimer: I’ve not been unhappy in any of these situations. I’m just learning to grow in them instead of stagnate.) I truly do want Him to stir up a calling. I want Him to take all the ingredients of which I am made, and have Him stir it up into something for His good.

So let it be, Lord. Stir it up within me. Make me into a wild, fierce woman for Your kingdom.

faith, home, mommyhood, random thoughts

Currently: Loving the Psalms

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Hey Monday! It’s time to get back in the swing of things, without the snow this time. I’m happy to have a regular currently, and a little Psalms update as well.


Watching || the LOTR trilogy! Extended versions, of course. Now that I’ve read the series, I am excited to watch them again from a more educated point of view. And Hubby’s a huge nerd (and that’s why I love you, babe!) so he was all in when I presented the idea. We’re almost done with the Fellowship of the Ring, hopefully finishing tonight.

Enjoying || Hubby’s presence at home at night. He was SO BUSY the month of December that I got accustomed to him being gone in the evenings more than he was home. We’ve had a blessed two weeks of him being home at night, and are now gearing up for him to get busy again. Busy means work, so that’s a plus!

Thankful || for our community group. There are six couples (and several children) that have been meeting together for over a year, and we’ve added a seventh, and these people are so fun and wonderful. We took a break for Christmas and New Year’s, so last night was our first meeting in a while. We’re starting a study on Tim Keller’s “The Meaning of Marriage” and I’m totally stoked. It was great to be with each other, to break bread together, to fellowship, and to get our study started. I have missed those people!

Excited || that Grimm has started back! It’s a spring season show, and so we’ve been waiting since last May for its return. I think it’s the last season (BOOHOO) but maybe that means it’ll hit Netflix when it’s done and we can watch it all the time! It started out a little rocky, but we were hooked, and it’s gotten SO much better!

And also, here’s a Psalms update. Because I feel like the blogosphere is my accountability.

That isn’t actually true.

But what IS true is that I’ve studied a Psalm every day, at least for a few minutes. I’ve used my Verses app every day at least once. I now know Psalm 23 (which I decided was an easy place to start) completely by heart. Stop me and ask me! (And actually, I’d love it if you joined me in studying the psalms; I need some people to talk it through with! Let me know if you’re interested!)

I don’t often set “goals” but I do try to point my heart in a certain direction. And though it’s been less than a week since I feel like I truly felt led to begin a journey in the psalms, I’ve been doing it.

And no, I haven’t given up on my “reading for pleasure” resolution, either.

One cannot replace the other. They satisfy, in themselves, two separate parts of me. While they both could be considered “disciplines”, one is more of a spiritual discipline, and the other is no longer a discipline because I enjoy it. I’m not reading for anyone’s else’s satisfaction but my own. I don’t need to learn the characters’ motives or be able to write about the author’s purpose. I just get to enjoy the story. I finished up my Tolkien books (in case somehow you missed it, I had been slowly plugging away at the LOTR series) and have begun The Golden Compass. I probably should’ve read a “fluffy” book in between these two series, but, too late! I’m in too deep to jump out now. I might stop for a rom-com breather after the first book.

Well, there’s a January update for ya, and I can’t believe we’re over halfway through with this month. What are you up to currently?

 

books, mommyhood

A Reading Resolution

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I love the sound of reading challenges. Once upon a time, I would’ve blown them all out of the water. One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid was read. Late at night with a flashlight, in the middle of the afternoon in the summer, or all day on a Saturday. But now that things are busier, I find it hard to keep up with a reading list. There are less and less uninterrupted, quiet minutes in my day, and so reading (especially reading things that take much thought) can fall to the way side. 

I’ve set my yearly reading goals too high in the past, only to realize by the time summer comes that I’ve got to re-imagine the goal if I’m going to get anywhere close to completing it. Which sorta defeats the purpose of a goal, right? So this year, instead of choosing a huge number of books, or a strange combination of books, I choose this: 

I’m going to read for pleasure every single day. I will always be reading something,  And, perhaps most important, if I’ve read the first couple of chapters of a particular book, and I’m not that into it, I’m going to put it down and start something new. 

I don’t feel like these are too lofty, or unrealistic goals. But I also don’t feel like they are too easy. Days go by where I haven’t picked up a book (or my kindle) quite often. I’m either busy or doing something else instead (here’s looking at you, Netflix). But I want to read every day- to stretch my perspective, to sharpen my eyes and mind, to set the example of a love of reading for my kids. 

I’m open to all suggestions of books to read, and I love borrowing books, also! If you have something for me to read, pass it on! Non-fiction is the only genre I haven’t done much in. I’m almost done with LOTR (I know- it’s shameful how long it’s taken me) and I think my fresh start in 2017 will be with Philip Pullman’s Golden Compass series. I also have a few historical fiction novels on deck, courtesy of my mother in law. So it won’t be for lack of content if I don’t reach this goal! Who’s with me?!

books, home, mommyhood, NaBloPoMo

Bedtime Stories: Best or Worst Time of the Day?

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My kids LOVE being read to. I’m glad – really. I enjoy reading to them whether it’s at bedtime or before naps or whatever other random time they ask. We’ve got hundreds of books (not a lie) and we go to the library to borrow more. I get it from my mom: books are the one thing I almost never say no to. I buy them for no occasion at all, simply because I saw it when I was by myself and wanted to read it to them.

So naturally bedtime should be a wonderful opportunity for snuggles and reading. I should pine for this moment all day long, right?
Well. It doesn’t always go as planned.

Sometimes, for whatever reason (over-tiredness, too much energy, the need of potty or water) it gets difficult. They might be too tired to relax. They might be too wound up to concentrate. They beg to watch TV instead. They might just be using the reading time to put off bedtime. But they won’t stay around, won’t actually listen, won’t acknowledge that someone is reading. It’s like I’m shouting nonsense words just to make them giggle.

But those times are fewer and farther between with each passing day. My little sillies love reading more and more, and I look forward to each night that I get to share Charlotte and Wilbur, Pete the Cat, or 12 little girls in two straight lines. Even Rosie Revere (Rosie Revere, Engineer) and Stillwater  (Zen Shorts) make a weekly appearance in our routine.

I’ll take what I can get, if every few nights, they snuggle up next to me for book after book until my voice is gone and my own eyes are droopy. I’ll keep reading until they would rather read to me, or read under their covers with a flashlight. I know these days are passing quickly, so I will read, read, read to them as much as I can.

Here are a few of our favorites, in case you need some fresh suggestions!

Zen Shorts and Hi, Koo! (by Jon Muth)

Yum Yum Dim Sum (by Amy Wilson Sanger)

Rosie Revere, Engineer (by Andrea Beaty)

Dragons Love Tacos (by Adam Rubin)

The Witch’s Hat (by Tony Johnston, and I know this seems Halloween-themed, but my kids LOVE it.)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (by Martin/Archambault, and yes, many children have projects based on this one in kindergarten.)

Harold and the Purple Crayon (by Crockett Johnson)

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (by Virginia Lee Burton, and I remember reading this one to my enamored little brother twenty years ago.)

Little Owl’s Night (by Divya Srinivasan – a GREAT bedtime book)

The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child (by Julia Donaldson, and they’re also on Netflix as short cartoons!)

And last but not least, a total favorite: Jesus Storybook Bible (by Sally Lloyd-Jones). You can see how much I love it in this post from last Christmas.

books, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

Will You (Actually) Be My Friend on Goodreads?

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I’ve been a member of Goodreads for several years now, but I don’t think I’m using it to its full potential. Are there any huge Goodreads fans out there? (Come on. Raise your hand, fellow nerds.) Partially, I haven’t been reading as much as I have in the past. You know, becoming a mother and all eats up a lot of your time to read for pleasure. But I also just can’t remember that Goodreads exists. For instance, the other day I logged in from my computer (what?!) and responded to about 75 friend requests from the past nine months. Yep. Nine months. So, if you thought I was weirdly unfriendly on a nerdy, fringe social media site, I promise I wasn’t. I just forget about it altogether. 

But recently I’ve committed to reading more, and that means I need to be seeing the books that other people are loving and recommending so that I can build my list. Truly, new books excite me. But I’ve been in a slump because I’ve just been slowly laboring through LOTR for months now. I’ve commuted to blasting my way through the Return of the King (it’s not like I don’t know how it ends, right?) so that I can start something fresh and new. 

There are several things on my immediate list. First of all, I borrowed the Golden Compass books from a friend, and I want to finish those first. Next, I took a (year-long) break from the Outlander series after Dragonfly in Amber, so I’d like to start back and see what Claire and Jamie are up to. But sometimes I get in a rut when reading series, and I need to break them up with a short, easy to read novel in between them; beach reads, humor, light mystery, or romance are my favorites for this purpose. 

That being said, I’m looking for suggestions for my reading list. I’d love it if you could comment with your trusty favorite, your recent love, or the one you’ve heard is great but haven’t read yet. And seriously, be my friend on Goodreads. 

This post is part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a piece each day in November. 

books, mommyhood

Our First Chapter Book

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Recently, I’ve been noticing that my daughter was ready to read something big… something that went on from night to night, and didn’t even need to have pictures! This was a big deal for us, since she is only four and cannot read yet. It was also a challenge because the brothers wouldn’t be reading this book… just EK and me. I remember my mom reading Harry Potter to my brother and me as they came out, and now I’m a Potterhead. I’d love to cause a deep love for a story in my kids.

I happened to be at Barnes and Noble about this time buying a few new books for our home and a friend of mine with a new baby. Naturally, I wandered to the chapter book section (within the children’s books) and began looking around. I came upon a new series of books, sponsored by Disney’s Hyperion, and thought they looked very interesting, as they were set in our home state. They were books about a special girl called Serafina, and the first of the series mentioned something about a black cloak. So after reading the back cover, I snagged it.

It wasn’t until a couple of chapters in that I realized this was a little over EK’s head. I don’t mean that she couldn’t keep up with the story. I mean more that I would need to stop and explain words a little too often, and I would need to alter the words here and there… a lot of “kill” or “murder” and many details about blood.

That being said, I learned two things. I learned that I need to be a lot more familiar with the book I choose to read to her than reading the back cover.  I need to ask friends, do research, or choose a book I have read before or have time to read before I start it with her. Next, she is ready for an interesting and complicated storyline. She loved the book, asking me questions and keeping up from day to day (or few days) between reading sessions. Four and a half is not too young to read a chapter book and expect them to remember it! I just should have been a little choosier with the book.

Tomorrow we plan to visit Barnes and Noble after school to choose our next book. I plan to lead her to a certain direction, but I am excited to begin a new journey with my daughter that is just for us. 

What have you read to your kids? Do you have a suggestion for what we should read next?

books

Summer Reading List 

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One thing I’ve always loved about summer is that there’s a little more time for reading. And when I say reading, I really mean reading for pleasure. I’ve always been a reader (thanks for passing that on to me, Mom!) and summer just feels like a good time to do it a lot. Even now when I’ve got three kids and WAY less free time than I’ve ever had, I feel a surge of hunger for books.

That being said, I’ve compiled a list of good summer reads if you’re looking for a new one. I’ve read all of these books, and loved them. Some are new, some not so much, but all great reads. Let me know if you’ve read these, or if you have suggestions for my summer reads this year!


One Mother to Another: This Is Just Between Us. My friend Melissa Mowry, who writes at One Mother to Another, wrote this book. It’s a collection of stories from her own life with two boys, and it’s amazing. It came out less than a month ago, and already has amazing reviews on Amazon. Check it out on your e-reader, too!American Wife, by Curtis Sittengren. I read this book several years ago, and the story still haunts me. It’s about an unlikely woman who becomes First Lady, and her struggle to stay true to herself and support her husband at the same time. So good!

Girl on the Train. I know this one is a little older (I was late to the game reading it last summer) but it’s still great. If you don’t normally jump on the “new, trendy book train”, you should make an exception for this. 

Deep Cries Out. Written by another writer I started reading online, Kristen Lavalley (whose blog inspired me to start my own) this is a 30-day devotional for moms in the trenches. They’re short, but deep and life-giving.

Yes Please. Amy Poehler’s memoir is still one of my favorite things I’ve read in the past few years. She’s hilarious, and I love her on screen and on the page. LOVE YOU, AMY!

Divergent. I know- young adult literature. But sometimes, you need a book (or series!) that sucks you in, keeps your attention, and isn’t so complicated to read. It’s a great vacation read! AND I always like to read he booms that movies are based on. Which leads me to…

Lord of the Rings. I’m actually reading this right now. It’s my third or fourth try, but the first time I’m actually enjoying it. Tolkien has always been laborious for me, but for some reason, this time I’m flying through and totally enjoying myself. So if you’ve tried and failed at LOTR in the past, I encourage you to give it another shot!

Well there’s a nice little list for you. What are you reading? Should I read it, too?!

books, women

The Girl on the Train

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Y’all, I loved The Girl on the Train. I couldn’t put it down! I haven’t been seriously wrapped up in a novel like that in a while.

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I’ll be honest; it was a little bit confusing to begin with, when I was battling through who was who, and why each chapter seemed to be authored by a different character. But once I got a handle on it and who all the “girls” were, I enjoyed it more and more with every detail I learned.

It’s reminiscent of Gone Girl in the way that it goes back and forth between characters, spans a rather large amount of time, and gives you a big, fat surprise at the end. I also love the way that Paula Hawkins is descriptive without giving big things away too early. It really draws you in and keeps you there.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll not give a synopsis. I’ll just say that you should read it. I downloaded it on my Kindle (on sale!) and blasted through it in just a few days. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!

books, random thoughts

Saturday Review: The Vanishing Game by William Boyd

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For the Reading Challenge I’m doing, there’s a category that was extremely easy to fulfill: A book you can finish in a day. For this category, I had actually already downloaded a short ebook on my Kindle that had been “recommended for me” (you know how they’re always predicting things you might like?) called The Vanishing Game by William Boyd.

vanishing game

The book itself was good but a little oddly laid out. There were pictures (on my Kindle, no less) and the 8 chapters seemed more important, like if the book was longer, they would’ve been big sections.

The book was endorsed by Land Rover (the car that the main character drove the entire time), which I thought was interesting. Seems strange for a car company to commission a book, but they wanted the book to join with Land Rover in celebration of adventure. I get it, I guess 🙂

I also like a nice, clean finish at the end of mysteries, and I didn’t really get one at the end. There was a little resolution, but it still left me with lots of questions. It was a quick, easy and fun read, though, and I’d definitely recommend it if you need one day’s worth of entertainment!

books, women

Book Review – Yes Please by Amy Poehler

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In honor of World Book Day, here’s a review of a world-class comedy…

Love Amy Poehler? Me too. Cry a little when the Parks finale aired? Me too. Frequently re-watch her SNL episodes and think the Golden Globes she hosted with Tina Fey were the best thing ever? ME TOO! So go read her book!

Yes please, I will have lunch with Amy.
Yes please, I will have lunch with Amy.

I started her book knowing I was going to love it, and she delivered. I laughed, and I might’ve even teared up a few times. She talks about career, her family, her friends (Tina Fey and Seth Meyers, especially) and everything in between. She’s just as humorous on paper as she is on screen, and I was a junkie for the little nuggets she’d reveal about this SNL sketch or that episode of Parks & Recreation.

I was also struck by her humanity – how she talked about waitressing to make it in Chicago, when she finally got “her teeth fixed” and when she visited orphanages Haiti. She is extremely real, and I love that. She didn’t feel the need to be funny on every single page, and I loved that too.

She also talked about “Smart Girls” – an incentive she started with a friend to empower young girls to be powerful, intelligent and successful women. Talk about a feminist in a real way, not just a philosophical one.

Basically, I want to be friends with Amy Poehler. Can anyone hook me up with that opportunity?