book list - 2010

this is an update on my new year's resolution from 2010 to read 12 books in a year (one a month.) this may not seem like a big goal, but for me it was because i have never been a great reader. i mean, i can read but wasn't given the gift of loving reading. plus, i fall asleep when reading if i read for more than 20 minutes at a time; yes, even sitting straight up in an uncomfortable chair at the kitchen table. so, i met my goal of 12 books. i didn't, however, read one a month. there were a few months i read more than one and a few months (nov. and dec.) that i didn't read any books. this is my list and yes, i recommend all of them. i am not going to give a full review of each book but if you want to know more, just ask.

~last 4 "left behind" books (the remnant, armageddon, the glorious appearing, the kingdom)

january started off with a bang. mostly because i was reading super easy reads from a series i had started in high school and never finished. i loved these books, even though they are a bit cheesy and of course fiction. i get that the rapture and following events may not be anything like these books but they were interesting and fun to read.

~culture shift -al mohler

a shorter book that is a collection of essays written by al mohler about various topics that are hot issues in our society today like abortion, birth control, education, and many others. it got me thinking about what i believe and in one instance even led me to research more and make a big life decision for our family.

~why we’re not emergent by two guys who should be - cluck and deyoung

a funny yet thoughtful book about the "christian emergent" movement and why it is not biblical nor helpful

~shepherding a child’s heart -tripp

one of the only parenting type books i have read so far but definitely one of the best written approaches to loving and disciplining your kids that i have heard. if you are a parent (no matter the age of your kid) or going to be a parent i recommend this book highly. he explains what he believes to be biblical discipline and getting to the heart of your child's behavior, not just addressing the action but the why behind it. i plan to read this again soon (as i didn't retain as much as i would have liked)

~treasuring God in our traditions -noel piper

i guess this book would count as another parenting/family book. my mom gave it to me for mother's day and i loved it. noel addresses different traditions in our culture (and some of their families own traditions) and talks about the need to have the things we do and why we do them point to God and His greatness. it really got me thinking, especially about christmas and easter, and hopefully our family will benefit from me reading this book and being more intentional about our traditions we celebrate.

~till we have faces -c.s. lewis

i had read this book once before and this was the second time. i still love it. it is a mythological story set in perhaps the middle ages. it has characters that everyone can identify with and is a fast read that really hits you in the face with the "punch line" of the story. great book

~forgotten God -francis chan

the women of our church read this together during the summer and met once a month to discuss. i really like his approach to how we as a culture think about God and why we need to break out of our normal habits and let God lead us.

~the hiding place -corrie ten boom

this is another book i had read before but i think it was in high school

. i have learned so much more about the holocaust since then that i believe the book was even better this time. i love reading about people's stories of struggle, bravery, and survival during that time. i recommend this book highly. the movie is good too, but read the book first :)

~the toddler owner's manual -kuhn and borgenicht

this last one was because i needed one last book and had already read part of it. mike bought it for us when jane was born and it is a funny book. it talks of toddlers as if they are a piece of equipment like a vacuum or computer. they are referred to as a "unit" and the book talks about upgrades from baby to toddler. it actually has helpful information for first time parents because it talks about things you might not have thought much about like travel, nutrition, and moving from a crib to bed or potty training.

so that's my year's list. i hope you enjoy and this year (2011) i am focusing on reading more of the Bible and maybe a parenting or wifey type book here and there. thanks for reading!

1st Shaving Cream/ Messy Experience

jane was able to play with shaving cream at discovery time. it was martin luther king jr day so only jane and a boy showed up. this video is complete with my strange "mom voice" i sometimes get, mostly in public; and jane's learning to share. once she knows something is off limits she often points to it and says, "no!" which is what she does in the video. just a glimpse of our monday mornings.

february blogging

quick blog update before jane wakes up from her nap (which could be at any moment.) i only blogged once in january and i want to write about things more often - at least to share them with you.

i like the month of february. it is shorter, usually we get some snow, and it has valentine's day. with the month being shorter (though by a few days) i feel like more can be accomplished. this might come from being a teacher because february was an in-between month. the students were back from Christmas break long enough and the end of the quarter/spring fever blues hadn't hit yet. i taught so much in february; it was like my A game month when other teachers dread it for some reason (i was that way with march - not enough breaks and spring comes back.)

anyway, i am not a fan of super cold temps but i do like to watch the snow come down. i hope it snows soon or spring really does come early this year (thanks little groundhog.) valentine's day is not a crazy big holiday but i feel like it is a "girly" holiday and i celebrate on my own for about 2 weeks. i seem to dress up more, paint my nails, jane and i have socks with hearts... things like that. when jane is older i am going to enjoy making cards with her for our friends and family. i would also like a date night out of the whole thing (hint, hint) but i'll talk with pete about that soon :)

spiritually, february is usually a down month for me. i think because january usually is still going strong from my "new years" high. this year is different because i slacked off quite a bit the last weeks of january so i am in need of more depth in february. i hope to read and study more of acts to coincide with the sermons and go back to previous chapters to study them again. i hope your month can be spiritually uplifting and you will leave february stronger than you came in. well, jane is still not awake, woohoo! i bid you good bye, until my next post. i'll put up some fun videos of jane's craziness lately.