reading

lately, i'm in more of a reading mood than ever, so watch out!

these are a few books i've finished this month.

Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army's First Blind Active-Duty Officer (Captain Scotty Smiley with Doug Crandall)  I'd say 3 out of 5.   This book provided insight into the life of a soldier.  I came away feeling grateful for the people who serve our country in the military.  He candidly describes the highs and lows of what it was like for him (on multiple levels) to go blind as a young soldier.  I always like a good adversity-overcoming story and this was one of those.  It's not top-notch literature, but still an interesting, personal story of one soldier who sacrificed for our country.

Tramp for the Lord (Corrie ten Boom)  I read her book The Hiding Place last year, which details her life in a Nazi concentration camp during WWII.  If you haven't read that one, you should read it.  This book (Tramp for the Lord), though not the most well-chosen title if you ask me (which they didn't) is a series of stories and lessons from her time spent post-WWII "tramping" around the world for the Lord.  She gave up having a home with a bed and a dresser to live her life out of a suitcase sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  She was in her 90s when this book was written back in the 1970s and it still feels fresh and rejuvinating to read.  I couldn't get enough of her insights into scripture and her passion for the gospel.  It's contagious.  5 out of 5. 


The Thank You Economy (Gary Vaynerchuk) I read this one because a friend of mine made it sound interesting in his review of it.  (He does way better book reviews that I... you can check his out over HERE)
I initially felt like it was redundant... like, I was on page 50 and thought - did i miss something or have we only gotten about 2 or 3 things so far.  However, I ended up really liking it.  The author explains how big bad scary technology (mainly social media) has actually taken our world back to the times of ma and pa shops.  He explains why and how customer service has completely changed with the advancing of social media and makes several compelling arguements for why you should get on board.  A relevant read for anybody alive in 2012.  3.5 out of 5. (Is that allowed?)


Have you read anything interesting lately??

seeking to know God

i have been reading a chapter a day from Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer.  each chapter is like 3 pages, but it's so dense. my mind can only handle 3 pages per day.  i finished it yesterday and i am tempted to type the whole last chapter for you, but i'll refrain... that has to be illegal in some way.

here are a couple key thoughts i took away from yesterday:

"any forward step in the Church must begin with the individual. What can we plain Christians do to bring back the departed glory? Is there some secret we may learn?  IS there a formula for personal revival...? The answer is yes.  Yet the answer may easily disappoint some persons, for it is anything but profound... The secret is an open one which the wayfaring man may read.  It is simply the old and ever-new counsel: Acquaint thyself with God" (114).

"To know God is at once the easiest and the most difficult thing in the world.  It is easy because the knowledge is not won by hard mental toil, but it is something freely given... But this knowledge is difficult because there are conditions to be met and the obstinate nature of fallen man does not take kindly to them... we must forsake our sins... 'blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God...'  There must be an utter committal of the whole life to Christ in faith... we must practice the art of long and loving meditation upon the majesty of God... and as the knowledge of god becomes more wonderful, greater service to our fellow men will become for us imperative" (115).

"There is a glorified Man on the right hand of the Majesty in heaven faithfully representing us there.  We are left for a season among men; let us faithfully represent Him here" (117).


if you've read it, what are your thoughts?  if not, you should probably buy it today! 

Reading in Twenty-twelve

I tried to make a reading list last year, but then I discovered other books throughout the year that I wanted to read.  So I'd read those instead.  But then I'd be sad because I love lists, and I love to check things off lists and then my original reading list was left pretty unchecked.  So rather than have a 10-commandment-style-set-in-stone-reading-list for 2012, I decided to make a list of books I'd like to read and set a more general goal.

2 books per month.  I'm open to suggestions, but here's some that, as of right now, I'm interested in reading:

Last year, I read The Hobbit and surprisingly really liked it.  Once I got into it, I could hardly put it down because I was so captivated by that little Frodo Baggins' adventures.  I also started re-reading The Chronicles of Narnia but I stopped after #4.  So, I am debating whether to venture into The Lord of the Rings, or finish The Chronicles of Narnia.  

or read Harry Potter.  I know, I know... if you are a Harry Potter fanatic, you probably can't believe I haven't read it.  If you think it sounds stupid you might wonder, why now?  well, I saw the 2nd part of the 7th movie with my family and I couldn't believe how many parallels there were to Christianity, especially since J.K. Rowling received so much criticism from Christians.  But in the 7th movie, the parallels to Christianity seemed so blatant.  So we were talking about it afterwards, and my mother in law found some articles on the subject, one of which was an interview with J.K. Rowling.  In the interview she said something to the effect of "it upsets Christians more to hear I'm a Christian than if I said I were an atheist."  (we could talk about that statement for awhile, but it's not the point.)  Now that I've seen the ending and read about some of the intentional symbolism she used, I'm kinda curious to go back and read the whole story.  I always thought I didn't like the fantasy stuff (and I don't think I'll seek out every single novel in fantasy anyway) but I did love The Hobbit.  Plus I've heard a lot about how intricate Harry Potter gets throughout the books.  And the 7th movie was great.   So, I don't know... it may or may not make the cut in 2012. We'll see.

As for right now, I'm working on a couple good books... so you'll get the run-down when I finish (which I'm sure you're super excited about). :) 

What are you hoping to read this year??                             

Last two books of 2011

 Two books I read towards the end of last year were...
                                                         
The Street Lawyer is a good, easy-to-read legal thriller, per the usual of John Grisham.  Interesting brain candy, the perfect vacation book :)

The Faith: What Christians believe, Why They Believe it and Why it Matters.  Colson (who came to Christianity while in prison for his involvement in Watergate) writes a compelling explanation of the Christian faith. Written simply yet eloquently, The Faith was challenging and inspiring to me as a believer and also a book I would give to my skeptical friends.  It's not insulting of non-believers, but speaks the truth boldly.  He proclaims the hope and love of Jesus Christ & defends the doctrine of Scripture soundly. Worth reading and giving away.

What have you been reading?

home and book

Well I haven't been inspired to write anything on here and I'm still not but this blog is something I want to keep up with, so I'm doing it anyway!  I was in a lull on our 3-ish week vacation.  haha which adults take a 3 week break from life? we do.

we spent about 9 or 10 days in chicago.
then spent a day driving back to nebraska.
then i taught piano for 2 days (i crammed all my lessons into 2 days). okay, so we didn't take a complete break from life.
then we spent about 10 days in omaha.

it was all pretty awesome!  but i'm glad to be back in a normal routine and it feels good to be home.  this truly feels like home.  i love that feeling.

on a different note, i've been reading slowly through A.W. Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy.

this book is SO great. you can get it for like $2.00 online, so you probably should.  i wish i could quote the whole thing, but here is a quote from my reading for today.

"The truth is that there is not and can never be anything outside of the nature of God which can move Him in the least degree.  All God's reasons come from within His uncreated being.  Nothing has entered the being of God from eternity, nothing has been removed, nothing has been changed" (87).

at the beginning of the book, Tozer writes, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us...The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.  It begins in the mind and may be present where no overt act of worship has taken place."  He explains that we "learn by using what we already now as a bridge over which we pass to the unknown.  It is not possible for the mind to crash suddenly past the familiar into the totally unfamiliar."

although i am tempted to copy the entire second chapter, i'll refrain.  needless to say, this book is helping my finite mind to understand God better than before, although still far from a true understanding of Him.  it is humbling to read about the fact that though God made me in His image, He is far greater and vastly different than i.  

i've been reading a chapter per day.  that's all i can mentally handle and think about at once.  

happy tuesday! :)

Kisses from Katie

That is the title of the book I just read.  Just read in a total of 4 hours.  Just read in 3 hours last night and 1 hour this morning. 

Just read, as in, finished 10 minutes ago. in tears. happy and sad tears.
Tears for the brokenness of this world.
Tears of repentance for my materialistic dreams, self-reliance, selfishness, desire to live in safety.
Tears of rejoicing in the truth that Jesus has come to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free.
Tears of rejoicing that Jesus will return again to take his children home to an eternity where we are restored.

Long story short, a young woman from a wealthy neighborhood in Tennessee was obedient to God's call on her life - she moved to Uganda and he is using her miraculously to accomplish his purposes there.  He is using her story to convict my heart (and probably many others).

This book is not a guilt trip.  It's a testimony of God's greatness.  Of the truth of the gospel.

I am still processing it and don't have anything more insightful to say, except that I will be sharing it with everyone I know.

Go get it.  Immediately :)


If you can't stop what you're doing right now and go get it, here's the link to her blog... a good place to start.
And THIS is the website for her ministry.  Perhaps all the women in your family should get a necklace from this ministry for Christmas this year?!?!? 

Good to Great in God's Eyes

Good to Great in God's Eyes by Chip Ingram, proposes that the human desire for greatness is God-given, that God designed us to want greatness.  People want to be great professionals, careers, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, athletes, scholars, artists, musicians, etc...  Chip writes, "But when  ask believers if they watn to be great Christians, they seem to be afraid to answer the question.  They become unassuming and deferential, concerned that an ambition to be great in this most important aspect of life would seem arrogant.  Yet what's the alternative?  Should we aspire to be mediocre Christians?  Is it prideful to want to honor God with lives of great faith and excellent work?  Even after spending 3 years with Jesus, the disciples didn't seem to think so.  They argued about which of them was the greatest, and though Jesus had to redefine greatness for them, he didn't tell them they were being unspiritual or arrogant because of their...desire to be great.  Instead he laid out a clear but counterintuitive pathway that 11 of the 12 eventually fulfilled.  And their greatness, as they followed that pathway, turned the world upside down in less than a century."

Ingram goes on to suggest God loves it when his people achieve greatness for God's glory and that our purpose of glorifying God "isn't served well by mediocrity." 


He clarifies that "great" Christians aren't more loved by God and that great works have nothing to do with salvation.  "These principles are, however, an opportunity to fulfill the highest and best purposes God has for your life.  Great athletes don't spend years practicing because they have to; they do it because they have a dream.  Christians who want to live the average Christian life can do so almost by default.  None of the practices in this book are required for that.  But those who dream of eternal impact in the kingdom of God, who envision crossing the finish line as one of God's great saints, are motivated to do whatever it takes to be used powerfully by God... If the honest desire of your heart is to stand before God one day and, like Jesus, tell him, "I have brought you glory here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4), these 10 practices will make a huge difference in your life."



The chapters are set up to work well with small group discussion, although I read it on my own and really gained a lot from it.  If you read it, let me know what you think!

Desiring greatness for God's glory,
Renee

Summers off = lots of time to read

As a teacher, I have the summer off.  No shame.  Among other things, I have REALLY enjoyed reading this summer.  I think I'm enjoying it extra because during the school year, reading felt exhausting.  Most nights, I was too tired to think enough to read for more than 5 minutes.  But this summer, I have loved reading again.

The Hobbit
Ben and I make a lot of trips back and forth between Omaha and Chicago (8 hours each way) and I often end up reading out loud while Ben drives.  He was reading the first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I read part of it out loud to him.  I didn't really know what was going on, but the further I read, the more I felt intrigued.  So, I decided to take a stab at it from the beginning.  (Side note -I'm not usually into any sort of fantasy or even fiction in general, but it's a classic, so what the heck!)  I backed up and read the trilogy's precursor, The Hobbit.   By the middle of the book, I was fascinated by their adventure, and towards the end, I really wanted to know what happened next.  It's a really great story.  So intricate, and descriptive.  I especially liked Tolkien's tone and the character of Bilbo Baggins.  Haven't started the trilogy yet, but it's coming up soon.  Here's a memorable quote (note: Bilbo is a hobbit who has had an unusual adventure and Gandalf is "The great white wizard," always in the right place, rescuing Bilbo, at the right time)

"Then, the prophecies of the old songs have turned out to be true, after a fashion!" said Bilbo. 
"Of course!" said Gandalf. "And why should not they prove true? Surely you don't disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?  You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!"
"Thank goodness!" said Bilbo laughing.

The Weight of Glory
This is a compilation of sermons from C.S. Lewis, given at various occasions.  The sermons covered a wide range of topics.  In full Lewis fashion, the essays were practical, theologically sound, and challenging!  I love the way he explains things - sometimes broad and confusing, you can't quite tell where it's all going, and then one connecting sentence that makes the whole thought profound.  (a poor explanation of his writing - you're better off reading it yourself.)  While it's not as popularly publicized as say, Mere Christianity, I think The Weight of Glory is one of my favorite Lewis works.

The Film Club
I read this book per recommendation of a friend whose book reviews and suggestions you can read here!  It's about a father-son relationship and how it evolves as the dad gives permission for his son to drop out of high school on the condition that they watch 3 movies per week together.  I was intrigued by the premise of a father tried to give his kid, who was failing in the traditional educational system, a non-traditional educational experience.  It made me want to watch some classic films, and it made me feel grateful for my relationship with my dad.  It's interesting and a quick read, and while I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected, I'd still recommend it.

Unbroken
This book is probably the one I will recommend to everyone, probably to an obnoxious extreme.  It's about  an American man who is captured as a POW by the Japanese military during WW2.  I have  been trying to find the words to describe it without giving a plot-ruiner and I've decided to just say, go read it.  In my opinion, it's a must-read for everyone. One of my top 10 books of all time.

The Hiding Place
The autobiographical experience of Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place tells how Corrie and her sister spread love in the midst of evil, while imprisoned in a concentration camp during WW2.  As she writes in the book, "there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still."  Another must-read.  Another one of my top 10 books of all time.
The Giver
I just finished this book today! A quick read that is often assigned to junior high or high school lit classes, it paints the picture of a futuristic regulated society where people live with very few choices.  (I guess I'm expanding my horizons with 2 fiction books this summer already...)  I really enjoyed it - I like how the author paints a picture of this society as if she is living in it, and yet it is so different from what we experience today.  Well written and thought-provoking.

What are you reading this summer?

On Forgiveness

"Now it seems to me that we often make a mistake both about God's forgiveness of our sins and about the forgiveness we are told to offer to other people's sins.  Take it first about God's forgiveness.  I find that when It hink I am asking God to forgive me I am often in reality (unless I watch myself very carefully) asking Him to do something quite different.  I am asking Him not to forgive me, but to excuse me.  But there is all the difference in the world between forgiving and excusing.  Forgiveness says, 'Yes, you have done this thing, but I accept your apology; I will never hold it against you and everything between us two will be exactly as it was before.'  But excusing says, 'I see that you couldn't help it, or didn't mean it; you weren't really to blame.'  If one was not really to blame then there is nothing to forgive. In that sense, forgiveness and excusing are almost opposites." 

-Excerpt from On Forgiveness, a speech given by C.S. Lewis (written in collection of his speeches titled The Weight of Glory)

Random Updates

Ben has signed up for the Chicago Marathon.  It's official.  He'll be running it with a group from our Church (The Moody Church) who runs annually with Team World Vision.  "World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice."  They have focused on clean water in Africa for a long time, although they now have all sorts of outreach world wide. 

Ben also found out the other day that he has officially been accepted to the Phd sociology program at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  Yay!!  We are still waiting to hear from other schools he's applied to and we are waiting on the Lord to direct us.  The repeated command throughout scripture to "Trust in the Lord" takes on a new meaning in different situations, doesn't it?  We are learning this lesson each day.  We are also so thankful to God for his provisions!  His mercies are new every morning.  Great is His faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23) 

We had a blizzard.  Oh wait, that was the only news story this week, so you probably heard about it ;)

Our church does a one-on-one mentoring program for women and pairs up younger women with older women under the command in Titus 2 to teach younger women.  I signed up to be a mentee and met with Valerie last night for the first time, my new mentor.  It was lovely getting to know each other.  I could see that this was a great fit :)

Reading lists are well underway.  Ben is powering through book after book - some of his latest are:

The Seeing Eye, C. S Lewis

What in the World is Going On, David Jeremiah

Brothers Karamosov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky.  

Some of my latest are: 

Choosing to See, Mary Beth Chapman

Forgotten God, Francis Chan

The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis 

We're both reading through the "Chronicles of Narnia" series again - brilliant!  I appreciate it SO much more as an adult.  The biblical metaphors are beautiful and moving in a fresh way.  It's such a quick read too... READ IT!

Book reviews to come. 

Our street was finally plowed last night - so Ben is faithfully shoveling out our car as I write.  We decided last night that this snow probably won't melt until July.  Bummer. (My students' drama has rubbed off on me, what can I say...?)

Happy weekend,

Ren

Reading Lists

Ben and I have made our 2011 reading lists.

Inspired by our friend, Luke, Ben has decided to read a book a week in 2011.  Here's 10 random ones from Ben's 2011 list:

- Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
- The Doctrines that Divide, Erwin Lutzer
- Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J. I Packer
- Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
- The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis
- The Chronicles of Narnia Series, C.S. Lewis
- The Lord of the Rings Series, J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Purpose of Man, A.W. Tozer
- When Work Disappears, William Julius Wilson
- Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk

I don't think I have a number goal... Well, I started with the goal of 2 per month.  Then, I got to more than 24.  So, we'll see.  That's the minimum. :)  Here's a few off my list, in no particular order:

- Forgotten God, Francis Chan
- Choosing to See, Mary Beth Chapman
- The Fruitful Life: the Overflow of God's Love Through You, Jerry Bridge
- Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman who Bound Them Together, Ron Hall
- Teaching to Change Lives, Dr. Howard Hendricks (an annual re-read) 

- So Much Reform, So Little Change: The Persistence of Failing in Urban Schools, Charles M. Payne
- Teen 2.0, Robert Epstein
- Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students, Kathleen Cushman
- Motivating Students Who Don't Care, Allen Mendler

What are you reading?  Any suggestions for us?

Cozy with my husband on the couch... about to pick up a book,
Ren