29. A Man Called Ove by Frerik Backman

This is an absolutely dear book. I loved it. It makes you laugh out loud and cry. I love his evolution. You learn why he is the way he is, and you learn about love.  Beautiful story in every way. I highly recommend it. The narrator on this version is also excellent.

This is the rare occasion where I saw the movie before I read the book. I noticed it was on Amazon Prime, and we had a free evening. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award and is a faithful rendering of the book. You will enjoy that also. :)

Here is the trailer:

28. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

This is an eye-opening and informative book, important for Americans to read. We need to rethink incarceration in this country. He brought out some key points about the disproportionate number of black people in prison, being put there without proper legal representation. This book was hard to get through because some of the stories made me, literally, sick to my stomach!  

Bryan Stevenson is a hero and a person of faith who exemplifies that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). I found this article about him informative on this point:

http://www.evangelicalsforsocialaction.org/compassion-and-justice/connecting-with-the-struggle/

The only criticism about this book would be that he sometimes ventures too far into the legal minutiae of many court cases, but it is a great book, and I stayed up late to finish it. It makes me want to do something about this terrible problem we have in this country. But what? How?

27. In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

I was a bit confused listening to this audiobook at first, but once the actual story commenced it was much more interesting. What a doomed mission! It hurt my heart to see them go off into the Polar unknown based on misinformation. It is hard to believe there was a time when you could not communicate with the developed world when you would go off on an expedition.

The last hour of the book was excruciating painful to listen to.

From now on are spoilers. So quit reading if you don't want to
find out what happened.

Many of the men survived as they were separated into three separate parties. One of the parties, including the captain, did not survive.  It was so sad, but it was very interesting.

Thursday Thirteen Freewrite

Life has been so full that I have not even had time to do a freewrite. I looked at my calendar today, and after a totally packed Wednesday, I had all day free. Hopefully, I will not fritter it away. But I have been up since about 4:30, and I have not done the best job at focusing. So, I am focusing by writing out my thoughts.

Nothing particular is on my mind. I had a hard beginning of last week, but I chose to "rejoice and be glad" as Psalm 96 directs. It was a choice. I took pictures of beautiful things and looked for Your goodness everywhere. Then I got to work and Dee said, "I am not using my classroom today if you want to use it." And I DID! I "had a ball" in my Pilates I class instead of having to drag all the balls across the gym.  Many other things happened that day that showed me that I didn't need to be down in the dumps.

You see, I discern things in other people. And while I am very grateful for being given lots of empathy for my fellow person, it can be a real bummer when you pick up on things with other people from your past, and you cannot seem to shake the sadness of it all.

That is what happened to me last week. I got a word from God to "Hang with people who GIVE and GROW," and that is why that group of people have never been people I could necessarily hang with, especially as a group. It is almost like the "group mentality" causes there to be such blindness to God. The group becomes more important than Him. He also gave a vision of the white limousine taking me in the opposite direction of my friends who chose to get in a clunky high school car and go the other way. This is from a memory I had of my friends leaving me high and dry after a high school football game and not telling me where they were going - finding out later they went to smoke pot and knew I would not get into doing that - but the loneliness that I felt being all alone behind the bleachers left a painful memory that God needed to heal though picking me up in His white stretch limo.  I have had many moments where I wanted to desperately to fit in, but I knew that it would not do to opt for anything but Jesus. Sometimes that can be lonely, even in circles where everyone is a follower of Jesus. God is just on the buffet, and they want a "little dibble of Him." It is the C.S. Lewis sermon where he said that they "settle for mud pies in the city when God is offering a vacation by the sea."

I want to go in the direction God has for me, and the next week was FILLED with such beautiful, beautiful confirmations of the full, rich life He has given me, but I hurt for them. The discernment meter was off the charts. Consequently the empathy meter led me to sadness. My dear friend said, "You are someone they admire and speak well of always, but I guess that they are drawn in with need. They perceive that you don't 'NEED' them. You are not someone they can offer or fix."  That made sense to me, but I don't like the loneliness. Then she said, "I am so thankful for you and your life and secretly I am thankful that God has set you apart from the world. Sanctified for a purpose."

I suppose I just want people to get in the limo with me so we can all go to the vacation by the sea! There is plenty of room. I want to share the extra room, but the option is always getting in the clunky car of compromise, and I just don't want to go where that car is going.

All that to say is the days built upon each other, and I am called to a different kind of life. What a fun, fun, fun rest of the week, and it didn't stop. God has given me such incredible friends, but it meant saying good-bye to old ones. Now, I only see them when we gather for big functions (and sometimes I am excluded from those as though I am invisible and forgotten). God is good. I am blessed.

And I went over my 13 minute limit and wrote for 20 minutes! BYE! Sending without proofreading.

26. On the Incarnation by Athanasius

This book was part of my Renovaré Book Club ("a guided journey through four soul-shaping books")  reading. It is the last book of four we have been reading from October to June.

Who knew how much I would enjoy this book! Oh my! A man named Christopher Hall (click on the link to read his bio) has guided us through it with an introductory podcast and study guides for each week of reading. They are excellent and have really helped me appreciate this book.

My mind is being expanded in new ways. Since LEARNER is my #1 Clifton StrengthsFinder, this is making my heart soar. It might not be everyone's cup of tea though. Even if it isn't your cup of tea, it is very short so shouldn't be too painful and would expand your world!

25. Two Paths: America Divided or United by John Kasich

This was the man that I wanted to be president. It was good to read about his background, and his vision for America. He ran a very clean campaign and did not get swallowed up in the negativity. He is the real deal.

One big thing I learned was how to pronounce his last name. I rhymes with "basic"!

23. The Pearl by John Steinbeck

I think things are better the second time around, and they are also better when discussed with friends. I have been part of the Book Dames since 2005. It was started when five of us from a contemporary book club that started in 2001 decided to discuss the classics. I am the only original member left. So many of the books are ones I already read, including this one, but discussing it was so meaningful and rich. This group is deep and loves to visit long and lingeringly on a Saturday morning whereas the other "Book Babes" reads much easier books and is in and out of there in very little time. I think I like the long and lingering type better.

This is a cautionary tale pregnant with symbolism. It is very well written and Hector Elizondo's narration is perfect pitch.

24. Poldark's Cornwall by Winston Graham

If you are a fan of the Poldark Series on Masterpiece Theatre and/or the books by Winston Graham, you will love this book of gorgeous photographs of the Cornish Coast with text  by Graham originally published in 1983 and updated in 2016. It is a visual treat, and you will learn more about how Graham came to write these wonderful novels. 

22. The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher

This book had some good points about our post-Christian era. I was so excited to read this after I saw him interviewed on the news and when I realized he is the same person who wrote Crunchy Cons.

He makes some salient points about the degree to which Christians can realistically change the political trajectory of today. (In his mind, that ship has already sailed.) He advocates pulling in and strengthening the church, giving your kids a classical education (something we did with our kids and do not regret, but it is NOT for everyone), and protecting your kids from this oversexualized society. These are all things I agree with, but he got a bit preachy. It also dragged through some of the "preachy" chapters.

21. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Wow! This is my favorite book of the year so far. It is so imaginative (the author was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia). It gives you a different perspective on refugees from all over the world. I loved it. (It does have some language and sexuality that some readers might not like.) Hamid's writing is absolutely beautiful.

Here is the PBS Newshour interview that inspired me to read the book:

20. Lilac Girls

I learned a lot through this book, but I have to admit it was really, really slow in the beginning. I felt like I was reading a harlequin romance, and I almost abandoned it on page 92. But, I did something I have never done before: I read the last chapter, and the author's notes, and it made me curious!

It is interesting because in the author's notes, I read that one of the storylines is not based on anything that happened, and you can tell! It was sort of a stupid storyline, and that is what I almost abandoned on page 92.

It was a SLOG until about page 132. Then, it started moving forward. I learned about something I had never read about: The Rabbits of Ravensbruck.

They were Polish women who had gruesome experiments done on them while they were in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp during World War II.

In the end, I was glad I finished it. I learned quite a bit.

19. Myth Making and Religious Extremism and Their Roots in Crisis

 The information was fascinating in parts, but it droned on with more and more information without much analysis in other parts. I was hoping the author would give analysis about how all of this affect terrorism, but it never seemed to get to this. I kept on saying to the author, "And your point is . . .?" I learned some new facts though, and for that I am grateful. It had no profound conclusions.

It had quite a few typos in the "Terrorism" chapter but not others, and the authors must be atheists because they tend to lump all Christians into one big pot. This will alienate many people who believe that creation is not a myth.

18. Jonathan Swift: The Reluctant Rebel by John Stubbs

I received this audiobook for free from the publisher in exchanged for a unbiased review.

When I first saw that it was 31 hours and 25 CD's (equivalent to 752 pages in the print version), I was a bit overwhelmed, but once I started listening to the excellent narration by Derek Perkins, I knew I was in good hands. WOW! I have listened to many audiobooks by British narrators, and sometimes, especially on academic subjects, they can come across with a "haughty" tone. This is NOT so with Derek Perkins. His narration is all British sophistication without the stuffiness. Excellent choice for a narrator.

The same holds true for the author, John Stubbs. This is a very scholarly biography, but it is not stuffy. It is quite readable (or easy to listen to in my case). I learned many details about British history and found it fascinating, especially since I just went to England last summer, and spent time at Blenheim Palace and many of the spots in London described in the book.

I am sort of a "Brit Lit Nerd" so I really enjoyed this book. I am not sure how much the general population will like it.

I read Gulliver's Travels in 2003, and this biography made me want to read it again now that I have a better handle on the historical background to his satire. I also want to read some of his other works like "A Tale of a Tub" and "A Modest Proposal." So the biography had a very positive effect on me.

I feel so sorry for Swift. His early experiences of abandonment  were heartbreaking. He was brilliant, but I am not sure he was a very happy person.

My only regret with listening to an audiobook is that I did not have access to the pictures that were in a print edition of the book. That would have been very helpful to see the pictures that he sometimes describes.

I agree wholeheartedly with this review of the book in the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/20/books/review/jonathan-swift-biography-john-stubbs.html?_r=0

(For West Wing fans, he describes Swift as "an 18th Century Toby Ziegler" - sarcasm and brilliance!)

17. Spiritual Multiplication in the Real World by McNabb

I just read this in October to see if I would use it in my Kingdom Community Curriculum, and I am so glad I included it. They LOVED it and all bought it for themselves. SO it was a good call to have them read it. I reread it when they read it because I had read it on my Kindle and wanted an underlined book because it is so hard to lead a book discussion with a Kindle!

Here is my prior review:

http://carolhomeschool2.blogspot.com/2016/10/38-spiritual-multiplication-in-real.html

Liturgy Audit

I have this from my Renovare Book Club and from the book Liturgy of the Ordinary

What activities and practices are you regularly immersed in each week? How much time is spent doing different sorts of activities? (Name 3-4 things you do in a week and time spent doing them).   • If you have children, how do they spend their time?  (Name 3-4 things they do in a week and time spent doing them).

M/W Teach two Pilates classes at OSU

T Teach Kingdom Community Training

M-S Daily Time in Bible Reading and prayer

M-S Daily reading to enrich my mind

What do you do with the first 2 hours of your day? 

Time with God - reflection on Scripture and praying responsively

How does that shape the rest of your day?How does this routine shape you? 

It sets my feet to be intentional about living to glorify Him as I live and move and have my being.

What do you do with the last 2 hours of your day?

Watch the news or a program on TV. I watch Survivor and Amazing Race. Not really into any dramas. Sometimes I will watch a DVD movie or series that has a good plot and no smut.

I also read books before I turn off the light.

During Lent, I read more of my Bible and Jesus books, and that was very fun!

How does this routine shape you? 

I don't get depressed by the news. It helps me understand people better and helps me pray more. I am in a prayer group, and it helps when we pray for different parts of the world to be informed about it. One woman knows nothing, and I feel like I help her pray more effectively by my information.

Survivor and Amazing Race help me to observe people dynamics and effective (and ineffective) communication strategies. No joke. I am such a people person that this is my overflow of my time with God so I can continue to grow without constantly being with people.

Sometimes I have evening commitments with people, but it is not my best time of  day. I used to have them a lot more, but now I get to bed fairly early, and I have better health as a result.

How might you “surrender” to God at the end of a day? How do you resist “surrender” at the end of the day? 

I don't think I do resist that I can think of. I maintain surrender through the day.

 

Think through yesterday. How did you use each hour? (Try to write this down in detail). 

5-7 - Up and make chai tea. Time with God. Read in Acts. Contemplation and prayer. Listen and Obey time in the shower writing how He speaks to me on the wall.

7:00-7:30 Review Field and Prayer work for Kingdom Community - send out email reminding them. Finalizing that last five weeks.

7:30-7:50 Dress straighten room

7:50-8:30 Get house straightened up for Valentina and Pieter to come and clean. Dry hair.

8:30-9:00 Do OSU Pilates class attendance on line as Valentina talks to me and cleans.

9-9:15 Drive to library and park

9:15-9:30 Walk and pray as I approach OSU Campus. Pray for Avery where Sandy is going to lead her Mom and Baby Class on Thursday.

9:30-9:40 Visit with PAC Office staff and pick up mat

9:40-10 Set up Pilates room, get equipment for day

10-12 Teach two Pilates classes and interact with lots of students

12-12:15 Walk back to library and pray

12:15-1:10 Deliver books and flowers to shut ins for Corvallis Library Dial a Book. Deposit check.

1:10-1:20 Drive home and pick up a Salmon Hazelnut Salad from Burgerville (YUMMMMMY!)

1:20 Home and Michael was already gone to work! HOUSE CLEAN!!!

1:20-2:00 Relax and Eat

2-5:30 Book Review for Crucial Conversations (book we are finishing for Kingdom Community), prayer for friends, catch up on Lose It food and exercise recording, doing a Freewrite.

5:30-8:00 News of the World (I had not watched it in a while)

8-10 Survivor (was only expecting it to be one hour, but it was a delightful two)

10-10:30 Trying to watch more news but fell asleep some time during that.

What do you think are the most important rituals in your life?  In your day?

Chai tea and Christ together each morning. Prayer walks. Bible Book Club. Staying in the word daily.

In my life are both above and also my regular prayer retreats for days and overnighters.

Walking and talking and praying with George and also watching BBC dramas together.

Regular Freewrites.

What activity do you feel incomplete without? (However mundane…could be getting coffee or going on a walk). 

Chai and Christ the most important to me.

 How does this activity shape your daily routine?How does it shape you?  

I think I answered this one early on in the questionings.

Are there habits you go to when you feel sad, angry, or hurt? 

I think when I am all the above, it helps me to get outside in nature and move my body and think and pray.

How do those habits shape you?

Helps me see the bigger picture.

 How do they shape your view of God? 

When I see nature I see how I am in the whole scheme of things.

Think about the most potent practices in our culture. What cultural practices do you want to embrace? Which do you hope to avoid?

I would love to have an example from this. Maybe I will submit my question to you for your podcast! 

I want to avoid smut on TV and tons of negativity.

I want to embrace the fun-loving spirit of many Americans and the way they express themselves through art and literature.

 If you have children, grandchildren, godchildren, nieces, or nephews, what are the cultural forces that you don’t want children in your life to be shaped by? 

Same as above.

What are the liturgies that you do want to shape their habits or desires? (Notice how this helps you glimpse what you value and find alarming about your own cultural practices).

 Good questions. I am going to think about that. I would love for them to have regular time listening to God. Enjoying his presence. Pursuing their passions. Tuning their temples.

Are there rituals in your day that encourage your anxiety, impatience, or distraction? 

I don't think so. I live a pretty peaceful life. I gues the one thing I would say is that if I get too busy. I get anxious. I know whey I have pushed myself too hard, but I rarely do that anymore. It has been nice to live a life of balance.

How do you see hints of Christian worship in your day? 

Isn't every minute worship? The sun is coming out right now, and I see God in nature. I marvel at His wonderful works. I give thanks for everything that I enjoy INCLUDING the inconveniences that all seem to be "first world problems."

What rituals help you embrace God’s work in your day?  

Morning time with Him and walks.

What moments of the day or tasks do you find most draining and/or disheartening? (Name 1-2)  

Taxes (I only have to do those once and year and finally decided to let them go to an accountant this year when they got overly complicated.)

Ironing - I have learned to play worship music or put on a audiobook or even a nice Jane Austen movie. Substitute the drain with a pleasure.

What moments of the day or tasks do you find most exhilarating and/or encouraging? (Name 1-2)

Leading the Kingdom Discipleship Training Team

Studying the Bible with not yet believers

Time with God

Teaching Pilates and seeing people grow in strength

Riding my bike

Taking walks.

(I cannot stop at 1-2!)

What Matters

"What matters is to listen attentively to the Spirit

and to go obediently where we are being led,

whether to a joyful or a painful place."

Henri Nouwen in Making All Things New

Freewrite

I have attempted to do this so many times by doing a "Prayerful Review of my Day," but it has not happened. So, I am just going to write freely in a freewrite for the next fifteen. It seems like it has been a while since I did that.

The last couple of weeks have been really lovely. Something is changing in me that is really encouraging. For instance, we had taken our taxes to an accountant, and we had signed everything on the dotted line last Friday and thought they were going to the IRS. Tuesday afternoon (tax day) brought in a flurry of texts and emails. Long story short, there was a mistake on our tax form, and we would not be getting the big refund that we thought, and we had to pay more for our Oregon tax. I had looked forward to getting a break on Tuesday afternoon. We had all day Sunday with guests for Easter, all day Monday with teaching at the University and then visiting for about five hours with different internationals, and then getting ready to lead my Kingdom Community on Tuesday morning (getting up early on Tuesday to do it since I had quite a bit of reading to do). So, I was taking a walk and then was going to just rest! (I was sick in bed Thursday - Saturday with a nasty cold.)

Instead of resenting, complaining, sighing, etc. I just got in my car, drove down to the accountants office, and wrote a check and walked out and was laying down within 30 minutes. No hemming or hawing. I was just resigned and peaceful.

I have been that way since then. I made a choice. I just decided not to exert any energy on it. I even had a great time driving down there in the car and back.

Then, I rest and woke up this morning to have great time with God (reading Acts now), preparing for Kingdom Community for next Tuesday (only five more weeks), and leading two high powered Pilates classes, walked and did Dial a Book, and now I have just been home and so peaceful.

I asked Elizabeth for prayer on Monday night. Someone (who is obviously in pain and probably ashamed) doesn't want to talk to me. I know I didn't do anything wrong, and they are feeling unsafe. (I think something really terrible happened, but I don't know what happened.) Anyway, I realized the pain of that was bothering me. So, I asked Elizabeth to pray for me (I don't usually do that except with George). Since then, I have a real peace. God keeps on telling me that He is keeping me from drama. That it is a matter too difficult for me and I can compose and quiet my soul (Psalm 131:2). So, I chose peace and not drama.

So, I sit here just aware that I don't need to be fearful or afraid or frustrated or even nervous. I can just be at peace.

That is lovely.

So, here I sit composed and quieted. I am good.

I do think it has helped that Michael is working the swing shift, and I can have solitude in the afternoon. He is not loud or obnoxious though. It is just nice to have the run of the house for all these hours. I love it. I love just resting into that.

I have to say that I am really going to miss this Kingdom community. They are so positive and encouraging and caring and love to pray. They are also so teachable. They have been introduced to so many new things, and they have just eaten everything up and APPLIED everything. They feel convicted, and they respond so humbly. I really like this group. I will miss praying and studying and doing outreach with them. Such a good year. I am really glad I listened and obeyed.

Well, I think that has been a long freewrite. But I am going to press the button and just not worry about proofreading anything. (I always say that, but I might do it, and that is ok because it is my freewrite.)

16. Crucial Conversations by Patterson

This is my third time reading through this book, and it is always so challenging. I sometimes forget to apply these principles, but when I do, it is amazing how much easier crucial conversations become!

Here is my previous review:

http://carolhomeschool2.blogspot.com/2014/01/5-crucial-conversationstools-for.html

15. The Story of Jesus by Reader's Digest Association, Inc

This is third in the books that I have been reading since Christmas. I love this book! It is in full color (and I purchased it at a used book store for only $10).  It starts at the beginning of the Gospel account and adds literature, poetry, and art from all over the world. It is a lovely book. It ends in the book of Acts where the Apostles spread Jesus to the world.

14. Jesus: A Gospel by Henri Nouwen

 I have had this book sitting on my coffee table for quite a while, and I thought I would read it along with the Harmony of the Gospels. I have recently been on a Henri Nouwen extravaganza so it fit to read a compilation of his quotes related to Jesus' life! On top of all that, there are illustration by Rembrandt! YUMMY!

I love Nouwen's insights. Here is one of my favorites:

As you see more clearly that your vocation is to be a witness to God's love in this world, as you become more determined to live out that vocation, the attacks of the enemy will increase. You will hear voices saying, "You are worthless, you have nothing to offer, you are unattractive, undesirable, unlovable." Do not be afraid. The more you are called to speak for God's love, the more you will need to deepen the knowledge of that love in your own heart. The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inner journey must be.

AMEN! 

13. The Harmony of the Gospels by Thomas and Gundry

Here is a previous review:

http://carolhomeschool2.blogspot.com/2012/11/52-in-52-week-46-harmony-of-gospels-new.html

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

It is Easter Sunday 2017, and this year, I read through the life of Jesus in "harmony" from December 21st until today.  This is such nice way to walk with Jesus chronologically.

I couldn't wait to get up at dawn this morning and read about His resurrection. It is going to be a blessed day.

(I also read two other books along with this, and the reviews for them will be coming soon!)

12. Ross Poldark by Winston Graham

I have been asked over the years what my favorite Masterpiece Theatre series is, and I have always said POLDARK! My husband and I have been fans of Poldark since the early 90's when we watched the 70's version on VHS. We have watched it more than once, and we love Robin Ellis as Ross:



Then came the equally wonderful NEW Poldark series! I like both actors as Ross and both series are equally amazing. Aiden Turner is a mesmerizing Ross:

And I love that Robin Ellis is also in the NEW Poldark! How cool is that?

So, I was curious to know what the Poldark books were like. My husband had read this first one many years ago, and when the new series came out he commented that the new one is much closer to the books, and I have to agree. As I have read up on things, Winston Graham was disappointed at how they changed things in the 70's version, but I think he would definitely like this new version.

I just have to say that if you love the TV series, and you love to read great literature, you will love this book. I thought his writing was SUPERB, and it really is the best I fiction I have read in a while. He paints such vivid pictures and has wonderful character development. I love knowing the thoughts of the characters; something you cannot always surmised from watching it being acted.

So, TWO THUMBS up for this book. My husband went and got the next one (Demelza) from the library when I was on my last hour of listening to the audiobook version of this book (helps that I have a terrible cold and canceled all my plans for today).

By the way, the narrator, Oliver Hembrough, is absolutely wonderful. He does the Cornish accent to perfection. He also does men and women distinctly.

There are 12 books in the series, and I have a feeling this will be my summer series like Narnia was last summer.

Then we will have to go back to England and go to Cornwall! :)

Prayerful Review of the Week: April 2-11

What made me feel most alive and in tune with God's plan:

• Starting another term of teaching Pilates I and II - I was born to teach movements and health. I love young people. I love empowering them to develop lifelong habits that will prevent physical pain when they get to be my age. Desiring to be salt and light
• Kingdom Disciplemaking Team (DMT) - leading a discussion of Spiritual Multiplication in the Real World and having the light bulbs go on and people feeling a gentle nudge from God to grow in this area. His kindness leads us to respond in action. So sweet.
• Riding my bike to and from work.
• Fourteen years of volunteering on Wednesday and going to the appreciation banquet on Friday.
• Having it work out the I could deliver all the books to our Kingdom DMT because one of my volunteer book deliveries was right across the street from Rebekah's!
• Listening to J & M's heart after a return from overseas.
• Seeing EIGHT rainbows on the way from J & M's and claiming them as promises for them.
• Going to MAZZI's after J & M's with my sweetheart!
• Deciding to have our taxes done by a professional and finding out we get a federal refund! (and only a bit of Oregon Tax if we contribute to the Oregon College Savings Program)
• Kingdom DMT on April 11 had us Skyping with a graduate of the kingdom team who was in North Africa. His update and prayer for this wonderful area were so wonderful. I LOVE praying with this team of women!

What made me feel most dead and not in tune with God's plan:

• Nothing comes to mind from the day

11. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

One word: WOW! This is my favorite book of the year. It is carefully researched and made so personal by the stories of the people involved from Woodrow Wilson's heart-broken over his wife's death to Charles Emelius Lauriat, Jr. who was crossing the Atlantic with a Charles Dickens's personal copy of A Christmas Carol.(I won't tell you what happens to the copy, but that is why I couldn't put it down. I had to know!) The book kept my attention the whole time with no "dead spots" in Dead Wake. I highly recommend this book, but it may convince you to never take an ocean voyage! 

Bible Book Club: April in Leviticus/Numbers

Bible Book Club: April in Leviticus/Numbers: APRIL 1.        Leviticus 23&24 2.       Leviticus 25 3.       Leviticus 26&27 4.       Leviticus 26&27 5.       ...

10. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

I thought this was a fiction book, but it was actually a true account the zookeeper of the Warsaw Zoo who sheltered Jews during World War II. What bravery! I applaud them. I think there could have been nips and tucks in the story to keep it moving, but overall, I was enriched by reading this book. I just prayed for Poland today on prayercast.com. So it was nice to have Warsaw so vividly described by the author. Any stories that continue to remind us of the atrocities during World War II are valuable for future generations.

9. The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond

I found this in a "Files" app on my iPhone. I have no idea where I got it from. It was lovely for a walk to the gym and workout in the morning. I actually own this little book.

Update: I found that I had downloaded it from Learnoutloud.com as their free book of the month in February 2012, but I have no idea how it got in a "files" app instead of in my iTunes. I had even already listened to it and wrote a review. So, I had read it before! Call it a "Post Menopause Moment"!

Here is my previous detailed review:
http://carolhomeschool2.blogspot.com/2012/12/52-in-52-week-52-greatest-thing-in-world.html

It is an analysis of 1 Corinthians 13.

Please Sign the Raymond Koh Abducted Pastor Petition

We went to this wonderful Pastor's church when we lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the late 90's. He is a gentle man who was just helping the poor. Some people did not like him doing that and have threatened his life over the past 13 years. They finally took action and abducted him on February 13. PLEASE SIGN THIS! There is also a White House Petition that I will post soon. Let's get him home to his family!

8. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

What a great story! I am finishing it about 15 minutes before I am going off to see the movie. My girlfriend and I have been trying to go together for about six weeks, but I am so glad we did not go because I was waiting for it from the library and got it in time to read it before I went.

The narrator is very good in this. I enjoyed the history so much!

7. The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

According to my records, I have read this five times since 2009. It took me four months to read it the first time. Now, I seem to fly through it.

It is interesting to read what I wrote about this book while reviewing Summa Theologica in 2012:

"I am not big on theology. As I told my friends who were gathered around a picnic table hotly debating theology one summer afternoon in 2001, "I just don't 'think' about God." This was followed by uproarious laughter because they all knew I had been studying and leading Bible studies  for over 30 years (www.3yearbiblebookclub.blogspot.com). I don't think about God just as I don't "think" about my husband, I LOVE him. I ADORE him. I want to KNOW him. I don't want to THINK ABOUT him!  So that is where I get hung up on theology.

BUT I believe this is how some people's brains work. So, I have slowly and painfully tried to read theology in order to become "all things to all men." I like Piper and Tozer, but they make it so practical. I still struggle with Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy because it is too philosophical and just not practical. But others gobble it up. Therefore, I muddled my way through it, twice. (Part of my reason for not thinking that book is too earth-shattering is that I say, "Duh, isn't this how all believers should live? Isn't it obvious? Don't people already know this stuff about the Kingdom of God?" But apparently not for those raised in a traditional church culture. I was nurtured in the Navigators which was radically different and more like what Willard describes. The Navigators were more practical than Willard though. I do like Willard's Spirit of the Disciplines though. But I digress. . .)" 

After reading this quote, I feel like Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (1995 mini-series version) in this memorable scene with Mr. Darcy:

Darcy: "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April (when she hatefully rejected his marriage proposal), tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever."

Elizabeth: "Oh my feelings. My feelings - I'm ashamed to remember what I said then. My feelings are so different. In fact, they are quite the opposite."

So this is sort of how I feel about this book. I sort of grows on you or maybe I have grown. I have an easier time reading this (which on reflecting on my previous quote above is really not "theology" at all). Maybe my head is bigger because C.S. Lewis is also easier for me to read these days too.

It wasn't that I didn't "get" what he was trying to say, but it seemed too long-winded and I figured everyone believed this, and it was obvious. Now I see that this is not the case, and it is why I like it so much now.

 I was so surprised to see every person in this year's kingdom community EAT IT UP with their first try. They all bought their own copies! So, that was nice.

So, I recommend you read it. It will be good for your soul.

Here are my previous reviews with quotes:

2014: The ultimate goal of this book is that you will “join God in a divine conspiracy to advance the invisible kingdom of God here on earth,” and you do that by “choosing to be an apprentice to Jesus, who stands at the center of everything – having died on a cross ‘to undermine the structures of evil’” (Study Guide, p. 5, DC, p. 188).

Willard writes:

Whatever the ultimate explanation of it, the most telling thing about the contemporary Christian is that he or she simply has no compelling sense that understanding of and conformity with the clear teachings of Christ is of any vital importance to his or her life, and certainly not that it is in any way essential. … More than any other single thing, in any case, the practical irrelevance of actual obedience to Christ accounts for the weakened effect of Christianity in the world today. . . . It also accounts for the practical irrelevance of Christian faith to individual character development and overall personal sanity and well-being. (introduction, p. xv)

This book . . . 

. . . presents discipleship to Jesus as the very heart of the gospel. The really good news for humanity is that Jesus is now taking students in the master class of life. The eternal life that begins with confidence in Jesus is a life in this present kingdom, now on earth and available to all. So the message of and about him is specifically a gospel for our life now, not just for dying. It is about living now as his apprentice in kingdom living, not just as a consumer of his merits.

2013 Review (I mention that this is my third time, and that is when the book clicked for me): http://carolhomeschool2.blogspot.com/2013/12/64-divine-conspiracy-rediscovering-our.html

What I REALLY like are his two others book: The Spirit of the Disciplines and Hearing God. I also love his DVD series with John Ortberg: Living in Christ's Presence. Actually the DVD series is my favorite of all!

6. No Knives in the Kitchens of This City by Khaled Khalifa

This book was not an easy book to read because the disintegration of a society is hard to read about. It is a very sad book, but it is beautifully written and helped me get a glimpse into the city of Aleppo after Assad rose to power. I am glad I read it. It is my first book of Arabic fiction. I love expanding my horizons.

Good review:


http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2017/0224/No-Knives-in-the-Kitchen-of-this-City-tells-the-heartbreaking-story-of-Aleppo

Freewrite on Tuesday Afternoon

It has been a while so here goes. I am a little "low ebb" this afternoon. I am too tuckered out to go and work out. Plus, it can be a rest day as I have exercised many days in a row, and I think I am due a rest day. I am frustrated because other than Thursday at my mother in laws, I have been SO GOOD with my eating, but the scale does not show it. I am 2.2 pounds away from my goal, and I am STUCK and have been stuck since February 13. Even on the Thursday at my mother-in-law's house, I did OVEREAT. I just ate more than I have on previous days that week. Sigh.

Am I getting sick? Maybe so. I hope not though. I have a full day tomorrow. SO, it is probably best to rest right now.

I am putting the final touches on our Kingdom Community Curriculum today, and we had a lovely group meeting this morning. I am going to miss these women. We are over the halfway point of our journey, and it has been a very good year. They have been an excellent group. The last two weeks, I have really reworked my stories so that next time it won't be as much work for me, and I can just practice them myself. They have all learned that it really helps if they record them.

I know this group will take things away that they will do for the rest of their life. Still praying for real breakthrough though.

Oh, now I said I was going to do a fifteen minute freewrite, and I am only five minutes in and am too tired to even finish this. Fickle as I am, it is my FREEwrite and I have the FREEdom to do anything I would like to do.

Five minutes is all I got.

Wellness of Body Freewrite

This is a Wellness Blog. I been reporting spiritual (Prayerful Reviews) and emotional (Prayerful Reviews) and mind (book reviews) wellness, but it has been a while since I did some physical stuff.

Well, my lifelong effort to maintain my weight really has gone well over the years. I pretty much have not been overweight since January of 2013. So I have kept myself in my weight range for over four years now!

WOOOHOO!

But, I do like to be at the middle of that range rather than the top. I was pressing toward the top of that range in December 2016 (five pounds away from the top but still too close for comfort). So, I decided to get down to the middle when I stepped on the scale on December 12 after eating for five days at an "all-inclusive" resort for my niece, Jenna's, destination wedding in Mexico.

I know weighing the day after I got back was probably really stupid. I quickly lost weight that first week.

I am now in my little range of four pound fluctuation that I want to stay in for the rest of my life!

WOOHOOO!

I have been successfully recording my eating for 61 days since I came back. I am at a 22.5 BMI, and I have eaten an average calorie deficit of 895 calories a day. The deficit was probably more for the last half of December because I was doing much more cardio. I lost 10 pounds between 12/12-1/12 (but seriously probably three pounds of that was water weight after traveling and eating a ton of food).

It is always harder for me to lose when I start teaching Pilates at OSU and SNAP because I only have so many hours in the day for exercise, and those formerly cardio hours at about 400 calorie burn per hour were replaced by strength and stretching hours of about 120 calories per hour. So, the loss has been much slower (and my daily burn is naturally going down as I lose more weight too) at only six pounds from 1/12-2/11. I also started weight training at the beginning of January, so it is probably due to muscle weight too.

The good news is that I traded two of my six Pilates hours for cardio hours because I quit teaching my SNAP night classes. I have three students who really want me to continue teaching the class in my basement, but unless I get enough students, it just is not worth it for me to teach, and I could do the whole routine on my own in 23 minutes and use the rest of the time to do cardio.

Speaking of cardio, I am going to do some aerobic weight training and elliptical today. So, it might be more than six pounds by tomorrow!

That is a quick overview.

The big thing for me to record is the average calorie deficit was 895 per day. I want to get down a little more to be at the bottom of my four pound weight fluctuation (3.2 pounds to go). Then, I will slowly add in more calories so I can really determine how much I should eat each day to maintain! That is my goal for the rest of the year starting in March.

Little by little gets the job done.

Slow and steady wins the race.

5. Wilderness Time: A Guide for Spiritual Retreat by Emilie Griffin

I have been doing Spiritual Retreats since I was 21 years old (1980). I love this book because it will be nice to give to someone who is doing it for the first time. It has the Renovare philosophy of life behind it, and I love that! I don't know how I missed it when it came out. There was an excerpt from it on the Renovare website, and I had to have it!

I also give people this little handout when they go to spend time with God:

How to Spend a Day in Prayer

They are both wonderful resources!

4. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham

This was an enjoyable, quick read. I love behind-the-scene information. She is a delightful and funny person. Loved her writing voice. If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, you will definitely enjoy this book.

Prayer Review from Last Saturday to Today

What made me feel most alive and in tune with God's plan:

• Resting at home all weekend and not going to any of the prayer events. Listening to my God about taking care of my body.
• Eating healthy
• Teaching Pilates at OSU and dropping SNAP Fitness Pilates
• Riding my bike to and from work in the crisp winter air
• Listening to the end of Genesis and the story of JOSEPH! (still my favorite person in the Bible behind God and Jesus!)
• Prayer - sweet hours of prayer. Especially with Kingdom Community.
• Prayer and meeting with this stellar group of Kingdom Community people this year - Heather, Rebekah, Nancy, and Sharon. So life-giving to me on so many levels. They liked reading The Divine Conspiracy. Go figure!
• Reading Divine Conspiracy and finding it continues to touch my SOUL.
• Discussing Divine Conspiracy with Kingdom Community.
• Amy asking me to mentor her. I love to mentor women! That is so life-giving for me and so in tune with God's design for me.
• Serving at Southside for the 9th school year!
• Doing this with my family and one of my besties (Teala)!

(So right now, I am spending a day in prayer and am going to go over the last few months of doing this exercise and seeing the pattern of what is life-giving and what is deadening. I see the most life-giving things are exercise [and teaching others about the benefits], prayer [especially intercession], Bible, meeting and mentoring/training are all very life-giving for me.)

What made me feel most dead and not in tune with God's plan:

• Feeling overwhelmed at having to take the food handler's certification exam again because I had no margin.
• People-pleasing. Should I do this Pilates class as home? Do I have the margin? Am I just doing it because others want me to do it?
• Trying to schedule things with other busy people! UGH!

Ways to show my love for God and others today:

Worship and Intercession


Follow up from yesterday's commitment:

Prayer walk with George once the fog clears (the fog never cleared, and I stayed in bed all day; but we went for a walk on Sunday). Take care of my body by resting more today (all day). I think I was too busy this week and run myself down a bit (very true - I am a true introvert. I had extra people time and was plum worn out). Continue to pray for Molly's support so she can go back to the Dutch Bros time (I don't think I did that, and I will do that today) . 

Gifts God has given not already covered in feeling alive:

Freewrite Wednesday

I have been doing "Prayer Reviews" rather than Freewrite lately. So I am switching it up. Anything to avoid doing paperwork for my Pilates class this morning!

Speaking of Pilates, I have let go of the evening SNAP fitness class as of Monday. I told them months ago that I don't think they are making any money, and the manager seemed to be tense about the money situation. I don't know if they get pressure from "corporate" or not, but the old manager never seemed to be concerned about the size of the class and certainly didn't expect me to recruit for it. Now the old members want to continue in my home at the same price, and I don't think I am willing to lead Pilates classes for below minimum wage. The new day and time would afford me not having to do three Pilates classes in one day, two days a week and would spread it out. Also, it would be after three hours of sitting in a chair, but it would make for an extra hour on Tuesday. So I really need to think through things. I am not feeling well this week. So it is not a good time to make a decision.

With that comes multiple requests for my assistance in some way. Every day. I am happy to give my input and meet with people. I just need a bit more margin. I need some more "I" time. I get it in the evenings as there are not any weekly evening commitments for me (extra the SNAP class that ended at 6:30 on MW which, as I said above, has ended). Yesterday was a woman asking me to mentor her, another asking my opinion about putting two people together on a team and do I think that they would click with the team leaders? There were students wanting special treatment because they have medical conditions - if your grade is 78% participation then you are in trouble if you get sick. I am only allowed to have 12% extra credit that does not involve activity. So, they must participate in my class two hours in a row or go to a adapted physical activity class to make up for the time lost. I also always have people in our Kingdom Community asking my opinion too.

So, all the different "pots" don't know what the other "pots" of activity are doing. So, the pots of people don't know how busy I really am. I LOVE having to teach Pilates because it gets me on my bike or walking and then doing Pilates every Monday and Wednesday. I will not give that up any time soon because it gives me balance. A third class was ok for the first year when I was trying to get to 500 hours of instructional time (which I think I am very close to achieving). Getting certified in Pilates was a VERY good decision. I do not regret it.

So, I may not go up to Newberg. There is snow in the forecast. I am not feeling well. The other alternative is to go to the Abbey in Lafayette. I think I need to sort through stuff. It has been a month since I had a day of prayer too. SO, I am evaluating how I feel at the end of the whole thing.

Lord give me wisdom about the rest of this week.

Give me wisdom about Wellspring. I want to do the right thing. I am glad that the little "blip" was resolved, but I must confess that it brought to light that I don't feel like it is the best "fit" for me. I didn't really think about what my needs were in the whole thing. I really would like to be around like-hearted people who are my age. I have closer to that with the new Kingdom Community, and in some ways, I hate to have it end in the Spring. This is a GREAT group. I don't know if they like it as much as I do, but I REALLY like them. SO, there you go. They are leaders in their own right and a little bit more outwardly focused than the Wellspring group.

I just need to think it through.

I will say one thing. I love my time with You God! My mornings are my oasis time. I love getting up early and soaking in your stories. This morning was halfway through the story of Joseph. I couldn't stop!

But my freewrite time has concluded so on to prayer and the pesky paperwork I was avoiding. I have 1 hour 15 minutes before I need to leave though. SO, I think I am fine.

Bye!