Growing My Mind

One of my resolutions for the new year was to read more. I used to love reading and would devour 1-2 books a day! Then, life got busy and my reading was teaching books, text books, children's books and of course the Bible with an occasional Bible study book. My bookshelves are lined with books that I want to read but just "haven't had the time."

I decided I needed to make the time. For the most part, I am watching A LOT less television. I haven't really watched much in the two years since we unhooked the television in our living room, but I was finding myself watching before going to bed at night. When my husband started working his second job and needed to go to bed earlier, I dove right back into reading because it's a silent activity and most nights I wasn't ready to go to bed when he was. Even on the nights he doesn't have to go to bed early, I still find myself grabbing my book instead of turning on the television.

I am keeping a log of what books I read. I am still reading teaching books, text books and Bible study books, but I am also adding in some "pleasurable" books as well. Of course, even my pleasurable books have an academic purpose because they are on my girls' reading lists for school at some point.

In January, I started off the year by reading Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. This is a book that I've been wanting to read for a long time. I have even started it a few times only to get side-tracked by a busy life. Since we fell in the love with the movie (thanks to a dear friend who brought it with her one time!), I wanted to read the book and see how it compared. I was mesmerized by the plot line and didn't want to stop reading because I was always searching for how it was different than the movie. I enjoyed knowing the characters more deeply and it helped me understand some aspects of the movie that had always perplexed me. It's definitely a great book to read! It did take me two weeks to read it, but in my defense, I had started three other books in that time and had finished one of those three as well.

I then received some books that I ordered with my Christmas money and started Love in the House by Chris & Wendy Jeub and McGuffey's Reader Parent-Teacher Guide by Ruth Beechick. I finished Love in the House in two weeks as well and am still working on the McGuffey's Reader Parent Teacher Guide.

Love in the House was an enjoyable book. Since large families are so rare this day and age, it's nice reading how other large families live and especially those who are doing so on one income and debt free at the same time. I did learn some tips to integrate into my life as well as a great biblical lesson on love.

I was gifted with a free copy of Finding Financial Freedom by Kelly Crawford. It is an e-book that I downloaded, printed out, and read. While most of the information in the book I already knew, I did find some new, interesting ideas to try out. This is a short read and I finished it in one afternoon.

The final book that I read this month is Made to Crave by Lysa Terkhurst. I have been wanting to read this book since it came out last year. A friend loaned me her copy this past fall. I started it when we were on our trip to Texas, but then it got put by the wayside. I decided she might want it back so I better get busy reading it! I really enjoyed it. It made me look at not only my weight loss journey in a new light, but also the emotional and spiritual entrapment of any addiction and to find true freedom, we need to deal with those issues and not just the physical ones.

I am excited to continue reading more and more books. I'm not sure what book I want to start next, but I will finish the McGuffey's Reader Parent Teacher Guide for sure. After that I have more books for school I would like to read, but I do want to pick another novel as well. Any suggestions for a great classic?

***edited to add on 1/31/13 at 8:12 pm*** I finished the McGuffey's Parent Teacher Guide tonight because I ended up with some extra reading time! That's five books in one month!

Would You?

I have seen the following before, but it's so good, I had to share here.

Would You Consider Abortion in These Four Situations?

1. There is a preacher and wife who are very, very poor. They already have 14 kids. Now she finds out she is pregnant with her 15th. They are living in tremendous poverty. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population, would you consider recommending abortion?

2. The father is sick with sniffles, the mother has TB. They have 4 children. The first is blind, the second is dead. The third is deaf and the fourth has TB. The mother finds she is pregnant again. Given the extreme situation, would you recommend abortion?

3. A man raped a 13 year old black girl and she got pregnant. If you were her parents, would you consider recommending abortion?

4. A teenage girl is pregnant. She is not married. Her fiancee is not the father of the baby, and he is very upset. Would you recommend an abortion?

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If you have answered “yes” to any of these situations:

In the first case you would have killed John Wesley, one of the great evangelists of the 19th century.

In the second case, you would have killed Beethoven.

In the third case you would have killed Ethel Waters, the great black gospel singer.

In the fourth case you would have recommended the murder of Jesus Christ.

With U. S. aborticide deaths topping 55,000,000 Americans, only God knows what we have sacrificed in lost human talent and creativity.

Is the Church Ready?

Currently, the number of Christian church congregations in America outnumbers children who are waiting to be adopted from U.S. foster care by about a 3 to 1 ratio. This means that if each congregation adopted even one child, there would be no orphans in America. God has given His church the charge to care for the oppressed, the poor, and the orphan. These statistics yield disturbing evidence that the church, as a whole, has not heeded His Word on this issue. Currently, the government is raising the fatherless, though the church was given the mandate. ~Sharon Karns

 Read the entire article at Is the Church Ready for the Abortion Law to Change?

Blessings for the New Year!

I would like to wish all my readers blessings for 2013! I know I haven't been around much, but things have been busier than I would like lately and I haven't had time to sit and write much. I didn't even have time to do Christmas cards this year and just recently found enough time to do a New Year card only to discover we don't have the funds to mail them out. I can at least share with all my friends and family who I connect with via Internet!

2012 was an eventful year with Tissa turning 1, Hava-3, Jaina & Martha-4, Cora-6, Sabra-7, Allyn-8, Eva-10 & Dara-12. We also had the opportunity to take a family trip to TX to visit friends. We were blessed to not only have places to stay, but also spend time with friends who opened their homes to us. It was a trip none of us will ever forget! We are excited for all the changes the new year will bring. Not only will we have a teenager in the house (Dara will turn 13!), but we will also, Lord willing, welcome a new little one into our home in July. May God bless you in 2013!