Goals Update: August

August is coming to a close, which means September will arrive tomorrow...and with it, I am praying for Autumn to come quickly.  September is one of those sly months which you think should consider itself fall, but then it tricks you one day with its ridiculous heat.  Really, September, let's try to be focused on the cooler fall weather, yes?
 
But we're still in August now, and so here is the monthly goals update:

Become a faithful member of the 5 am club.  Honestly, I haven't sleep very well this month.  Even if I go to bed early, I have trouble getting up in the morning.  My dreams have been really intense; they haven't necessarily been scary, but when you wake up in the morning and can tell your husband that you and Desmond from Lost were on an RV road trip together whilst trying to escape from bad people and that you finally were safe when Desmond backed the RV into an elevator...well, obviously something is up with my REM cycle.

Memorize 52 verses. Yeah, the hubs and I are going to work on the James goal, but we did memorize Colossians 3:23 with our community group.  I like those short verses.

Memorize (the first half) of the book of James. We're working on verses five-eight right now and will hopefully be adding the next few.  Isaac and I are trying to get into a good routine, especially since his summer is officially over now...but since his summer is over now, I never really see him because he's at class when I'm at work, and then he's at work when I get home.  Seriously, I took part of a personal day last Friday just so I could see the boy.  Hopefully we'll get ourselves figured out soon.

Continue in the SWI program. Our first class was last week, and I am really excited about it!  Not just because I got to sit between Jess and Amanda, with Jaclyn on the other side of her (and all of us missing Abby who couldn't make it to the first class), but also because of the content of this particular class: Cross Cultural Ministries.  I've almost read the entire book already...trust me, it's a short book.  And also being back in class means I get to see most of the SWI Mafia at least once a week, guaranteed.  Now that is something to which I can look forward!

Read through the Bible. Really, I realized just how much I choose to read other books instead of the Bible.  I am completely ashamed of this and definitely need some encouragement and accountability to ensure I actually dig into the Word before reading other words.

Continue to think through our family traditions. I am determined to begin something involving trying new foods from other cultures.  I recently acquired the Usborne Children's World Cookbook and plan to use that as a starting point. 

Communicate with our family (and friends) more. Well, I've talked to my mum and my sister and that's about it.  It's so easy to write something on someone's wall on facebook and assume you're a good friend for it.  We're not exactly talking about deep, intimate friendship here...but I did do our family email update, which is better than nothing.  I apologize to my girls, as I haven't sent them an email (or called most of them) in months.  I will make a special note to work on this month ladies!

Build up our emergency fund. We're still focusing on car payments, but we definitely need to start making sure we've got enough for Isaac's tuition and fees for the spring semester, so we'll be building that up as soon as we can.

Make a huge dent in our car loan. We made a huge payment this month and we.are.so.close.  We have definitely accomplished our goal of making a 'huge dent', and in just a few months, should be able to move onto making as huge a dent as possible in our student loans (queue funeral music here).

Cut our grocery bill.  Okay, I don't keep track anymore.  I mean, I know how much I spend when I do my once-a-month-please-kill-me-because-I-hate-grocery-shopping trip, but I'm really bad about keeping track of when I go to the store to buy snacks for community group or the ingredients for spatze because I simply must drink some that day.  But I am trying to be better about at least making the meals which I put on my meal plan...so maybe all is not in vain?

Develop a consistent and workable cleaning schedule. Aside from our spare bedroom and the 'alcove' which is full of items for the yard sale in late September, the house has stayed pretty nice.  We tend to let everything accumulate in the spare bedroom, especially if it's not so clean to begin with (excuse me for placing a preposition at the end of a sentence...ugh, that makes me want to vomit).  But since we have a house guest arriving later this week who would probably prefer to sleep on the bed and not the floor, I am definitely going to be cleaning the spare bedroom pronto.  Basically, the room is full of stuff that just needs to go...as in, go to the yard sale and be.gone.

Read 30 books. I have completely lost track of how many I've read, but it is definitely over thirty.  I think I finished four or five this month, but they were all pretty short.  Even though I've met this particular goal, I've still got some books on my Reading List which I would really like to get to this year.  Hopefully I'll be able to do so.  I may be able to take a stay-cation with some of my remaining vacation time, and you best believe I will be reading to my heart's content if it works out!

Scrapbook. I've lost all motivation.  Some of my friends have gotten together to scrapbook and I've either been unable to go or did not want to drag out my hecka-heavy bag and admit to being as far behind as I actually am.  However, I have got to make some cards (birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc) soon because I'm getting a bit low on supplies.

Continue blogging. Okay, just look over there (to the right) and see my archives.  Are you not proud of me?!?!  This is the most I've ever blogged in a month- e.v.e.r.  I'm not saying this will become a regularity here, but I am most proud of myself for this abundant blogginess.  And I was even sure to read and comment on other blogs.  So I would say this was a goal accomplished this month!

And stay tuned: Would You Like To Know Wednesday will return next week!

Christian Heroes Then & Now: Hudson Taylor

The Christian Heroes: Then & Now series by Janet and Geoff Benge is aimed at older children, but would also be good to read aloud and with younger children.  I can't remember when I first heard about the series, but I tucked the name in the back of my mind and finally looked it up on Amazon a while back.  The series has several books, each of which is a biography of a hero in the faith.  The biographies are generally of more 'modern' missionaries and other influential people (from the past few hundred years), some of whom are pretty famous (Nate Saint, George Mueller, C.S. Lewis, etc), while others are lessor known (Lillian Thrasher, Jacob DeShazer, Betty Greene, etc).  I decided to read Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China first, as it had gotten excellent reviews.

Hudson Taylor was born in England in 1832 into a family who made Bible-reading and prayer a priority.  When Taylor was a teenager, he began to turn away from his upbringing because of some bad influences at his workplace.  However, Taylor's mother and sisters began to pray in earnest for him, and not long after Hudson truly became a follower of Christ.  Soon he felt the Lord calling him to China, and immediately began to prepare himself in every way he could.  He studied the Chinese language, medicine, and even began a strict regimen in order to prepare his body for the long journey.  Eventually, Taylor found his way aboard a ship bound for China and several months later, stepped onto Chinese soil.  The authors go on to tell of all the difficulties he and other missionaries experienced at that time, but they were careful to point out how God always provided for Taylor and the other missionaries.  Though not every one survived their time in China, Taylor and the other missionaries were faithful in their commitment to God and to the Chinese people.

Even though it was geared more towards children in terms of the reading level, the book was still well-done.  It's not written in a formal biographical style; it seemed more like a adventure-thriller.  The authors did not sacrifice any of the content, however, to make this biography more interesting to children.  I felt they did an excellent job of telling Taylor's story, although I think the book ended too soon.  I think this book, and perhaps the rest in the series, would be really good to share with children; it would be a great way to introduce the concept of international missions, as well as understanding other cultures, to children.  I plan on reading several more in the series for sure!

Would You Like To Know...

...some great websites to help you save and even earn a little money?  But of course you do!  I have no shame in admitting we're a poor couple consisting of a seminary student and a social worker (yeah, we're bringing in the big bucks), so we try to take advantage of every opportunity for freebies or discounts.  I don't spend all day scourging the Internet looking for deals, but I have come across some very easy websites which help me a bit with the finances.  These websites aren't a replacement for good old fashioned hard work and determined saving, but every little bit helps.  I'm determined not to involve myself (or you) with any gimmicks, so these websites are tried and true!  Here are my favourites:

1) Swagbucks.  You know I have to mention this one.  It's simply fantastic!  Swagbucks is a site which started out as a search engine but has developed into much more.  The whole concept is centered around earning these nifty little digital dollars called Swagbucks, which you can then exchange for items in the Swag Store.  The store is stocked with all sorts of goodies, but my favourite are definitely the gift cards available: Amazon, Target, Starbucks- even Southwest Airlines!  You earn Swagbucks through using their site as search engine, randomly winning various amount of the digital dollars.  You can also earn Swagbucks by participating in daily polls, surveys, and other activities, as well as referring other people to the website.  It's completely free and 100% legitimate.  I have earned over $100 to use at Amazon.com and have purchased a good deal of these year's Christmas presents using Swagbucks.

2) Ebates.  This is a relatively new site to me, but I have heard it mentioned before by several people.  Ebates offers you cash rewards by shopping online; you simply log into the Ebates website first and then click through to the store at which you are shopping.  You can earn as much as 25% cash back on your purchases, but most of them are around 2-5%.  They have all the usual stores: Target, Kohl's JCPenney, Half.com, Ebay, etc.  Once a quarter, Ebates sends you a check.  Again, this probably isn't going to add up to much (unless you are doing a lot of online shopping), but why wouldn't you take the opportunity to get a little bit of money back if you are purchasing something anyway?  You can also refer people; I was referred by a friend and was even given five dollars to start (and don't laugh at that- five dollars is a lot of cash, friends)!  If you're using Swabucks and Ebates, imagine what a difference it could actually make in your budget.

3) RewardPort.  The website looks a little shady, but I promise it's legit; it's even a member of the Better Business Bureau.  RewardPort simply sends you emails with links to different websites; by visiting the website, you earn a certain amount of points.  I usually click on the link, let the web browser open the site, and then move onto the next email.  It's always a good idea to clean out your cookies!  If you click through the emails once a day or every few days, it literally takes about one minute to earn a fair amount of points.  You then exchange your points for gift cards in a way similar to Swagbucks.  I've got my eye on a $10 Amazon giftcard or $25 Restaurant.com card.  I think it's a good idea to have an alternative email to use for sites like RewardPort; otherwise your main email could get rather clogged. 

4) MyPoints.  MyPoints is similar to RewardPort; they send you BonusMail through your email.  You simply visit the partner site to earn points; there are also opportunities to participate in surveys so that you can earn even more points.  You can also do something similar to Ebates in that you click through to your online shopping by going through the MyPoints website first.  You can then exchange your points for a ton of different giftcards.  MyPoints seems to take a bit longer for me to store up points, but again, it's literally about thirty seconds of my day.  The prizes are comparable to other sites like RewardPort, etc.

5) Book Review Blogging Sites.  Okay, so you're probably not going to actually make money doing this, but you can definitely save a good deal- especially if you are a bookworm who finds a shopping trip to the book store way too tempting.  I started doing book reviews on my blog for several different companies just last year, but I've already gotten tons of free books!  Not all of them are destined to set on my shelves forever, but I have definitely enjoyed getting to read just about all of the books.  Generally you are allowed to request one book at a time and aren't allowed to request another book until you've posted your review, but some companies will allow you to request several books at once, and you'll often get them all!  Keep in mind you can't just request any book- there is a limited selection each publishing company offers and you choose from that selection.  Shoot, sometimes you can even get DVDs too.  I currently review for Thomas Nelson, NavPress, Bethany House, Waterbrook Multnomah, and Tyndale House.  Mmm....free books!

What about you?  What do you do to save money?

Spooks

A few months ago, I discovered a fantastic show from the UK and have been catching up on the series via Netflix.  The ninth series of Spooks will premiere this autumn on BBC, but apparently you can catch some of the older episodes on PBS.  At any rate, I finished series six and have this to look forward to:

Unfortunately, series eight isn't available to us 'poor cousins' until the Brits are enjoying series nine.  THIS is why I need to move across the pond, my friends!

The Skin Map

This is not a typical book I would choose to read, but since Thomas Nelson gave me the opportunity to review it, I thought I might as well broaden my horizons to allow for more science fiction-ish type of novels.  The Skin Map is a first in the Bright Empires Series by Stephen R. Lawlead.  The novel opens in modern-day London; Kit Livingstone is plodding along in the rain when he decides to take a short-cut through an alley.  In that alley, a man introduces himself as Cosimo, Kit's great-grandfather, and then proceeds to take Kit on a journey through not only time, but through other dimensions.

The book is a cross between science fiction, history, general fiction, and just pure what-the-heck craziness.  I usually don't read any type of science fiction, but I had to admit the concept of travelling across both time and space dimensions simultaneously threw me for a loop.  For example, at one point in the novel, Kit and Cosimo arrive in London on September 2, 1666; Kit remarks the Restoration would have just happened a few years prior, but his great-grandfather corrects him, explaining that they aren't actually time-travelling.  They've just gone to a different place, and this particular England has its own history separate from the England with which Kit is familiar; in fact Charles was never deposed in this England and there was no English Civil War.  Cosimo explained that though there was a common starting point, all the different variables have caused the different worlds to have different histories; sometimes they are similar, but generally never the same.  And as it just so happens, Cosimo ensures that this particular England never actually experiences the Great Fire, whereas 'home' or 'origin world' England still maintained the same English history we all know and understand today.  Truly, the concept is a little fun to consider!

The first novel in the series introduces you to the concept of leys (the intersections which make such travelling possible) and the main characters.  The Skin Map focuses on the attempts of ley travellers- both the good and the bad- to get their hands on the map compiled by Arthur Flinders-Petrie, a man who travelled extensively via ley lines and who compiled a detailed map of his travels by tattooing individual maps of his travels on his body to ensure he could not lost the map.  And of course, you get to meet the villain Lord Burleigh, who seems to always be thwarting the plans of Kit and crew.

Lawhead does an excellent job of weaving together the stories of several different characters from different times and locales.  Throughout the book, you see modern-day England, 17th-century London, 17th-century Prague, ancient and modern Egypt, as well as various times in China.  The historical aspect of the book is rather fascinating.  Although this isn't a book I would typically read, I thought it was well-done overall and an enjoyable read; the only problem is that the second novel, The Bone House, won't be available until September 2011.  And oh, one of the best parts of the book?  Pure British spellings throughout.  Yes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Russia, 100 Years Ago, In Color

If you don't visit The Boston Globe's Big Picture on a regular basis, might I suggest you start doing so?  This website is simply amazing, and is by far one of my favorite quick decompressors at work (imagine that...a social worker needs to decompress occasionally).  The Big Picture is basically news stories in photographs, but the quality of the photos, as well as the information conveyed by them is simply spectacular.  What's wonderful about the photographs is that you can see so much of the rest of the world and truly get a glimpse into the daily lives of those who live there.  The Big Picture covers the major news events, but also those events which may or may not be receiving as much media coverage.

Yesterday, the editor published some of the most amazing photographs I have ever seen on the site (which is pretty amazing, but the quality of the shots are by far and away outstanding).  He writes:

With images from southern and central Russia in the news lately due to extensive wildfires, I thought it would be interesting to look back in time with this extraordinary collection of color photographs taken between 1909 and 1912. In those years, photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944) undertook a photographic survey of the Russian Empire with the support of Tsar Nicholas II. He used a specialized camera to capture three black and white images in fairly quick succession, using red, green and blue filters, allowing them to later be recombined and projected with filtered lanterns to show near true color images. The high quality of the images, combined with the bright colors, make it difficult for viewers to believe that they are looking 100 years back in time - when these photographs were taken, neither the Russian Revolution nor World War I had yet begun. Collected here are a few of the hundreds of color images made available by the Library of Congress, which purchased the original glass plates back in 1948.

And then goes on to blow your mind with the photos he selected.  Here are my personal favorites (remember these photos are one hundred years old!):

You can see the full article here.  All photos belong to the Library of Congress.

Granola

I've never shared a recipe via a post on my blog, but I thought it would be unfair to keep this granola yumminess from you for much longer.  This particular recipe was a great favourite with my friends back in Missouri; in fact, there were several times when I would simply put out a huge bowl of it with several spoons and watch as the granola was simply demolished (yes, James and Clemma, I'm talking about you).  I whipped up a batch over the weekend and have been enjoying it for breakfast and sometimes a snack as well over the past few days.  The granola is really easy to make; I think you will enjoy it!

Here's what you'll need:

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried cranberries

1) Preheat your oven to 250.  Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl. 

2) Whisk together the oil, honey, and syrup in a small bowl. 

3) Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well-coated. 

4) Pour onto a sheet pan; I actually bake mine in a 9x13 baking dish because I find my granola often falls off the sheet pan (I'm a messy cook).  If you use a baking dish like me, you usually need to bake it a little longer than normal.

5) Bake for one hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer the granola to a bowl.  Let it cool and then add your cranberries, cherries, and whatever else you might want to throw in there!

Doesn't that just look yummy?  You can eat it alone or even as cereal with milk!

Why I Love IKEA

A few weeks ago, I went to IKEA for the first time.  Louisville is the first place I've lived that is within decent driving distance to an IKEA, and so my wonderful friend Jessica and her son Joey joined me on my maiden voyage to the delightful Swedish store.

Oh.my.heavens.  Let me tell you why I am in love with IKEA; it's not necessarily because I want to buy everything in the store (because I really don't, even though I could see myself easily purchasing two-thirds of the items in there), and it's not necessarily because I can buy large bars of delicious Swedish chocolate and multiple packages of cookies which remind me of my grandmother, and it's not necessarily because I walked out of the store, turned to Jess and said, "This sounds so silly, but this store makes me proud to be Swedish.  IKEA and the Nobel Prize- those are some awesome contributions to mankind!"  No friends, all of those reasons are simply icing on the cake that is IKEA.  There is another reason why I love it:

IKEA inspires simplicity. 

When you walk into the showroom and see the model rooms set up, you notice an immediate sense of calm (aside from the other shoppers yelling at their children to not touch anything).  You look at the room and know that even though it's a model, it is still completely livable.  It's not one of those rooms that you look at in the furniture store or in the magazine and say, "Well, sure that's nice, but you can't really live in a room like that."

My favorite part about IKEA was the different complete model homes they had in the showroom.  Yes, that's right; the wonderful people of IKEA designed a few different floor plans which included multiple rooms and designed them as a complete home.  And here's the kicker: the largest "It's Our Home" display was around 800 square feet intended for a family with two children and included a full-size kitchen, living room, dining room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.  And do you know what?

It didn't feel small.  It felt beautiful.

In the States, our homes have continually gotten larger and larger over the past several decades, but in many place around the globes, living smaller is just a normal part of life.  And don't automatically assume that living smaller means I'm referring to people living in a third-world country.  Just one example is the families of Germany; it's normal to live small.  This is a country the size of Minnesota with a population of 80 million people (the population of Minnesota: just over five million) with one of the strongest economies in the world.  The average-size house in the United States is over 2,000 square feet, more than doubling the average size from the 1950s and 1960s; and I'm pretty sure our homes haven't gotten larger because our families have gotten larger.  The average size home in Germany?  Roughly 1,000 square feet.  Don't get me wrong; it's not that everyone in America is demanding more room while the rest of the world sits quietly content with their homes; the average German home in the 50s was between 800 and 900 square feet, so there is some growth in terms of size, but not to the extent we see on this side of the pond.

Granted, I know the United States is laid out completely differently than Germany.  Mass transit is only available in a few certain cities in the States, and even if you live in a decent-sized city, chances are you live in some type of a suburb, all but eliminating the possibility of walking or riding your bike to work.  We live in a land of Sam's Clubs and Costcos and the ability to get lots for cheap.  That's just not a possibility in Germany; there aren't Wal-Marts in Germany anymore, and did you know the standard-size refrigerator in Germany is what most Americans would consider a 'dorm-room fridge'?  It's true.  If you live in a city in Germany, you're probably living in a flat and not a large house; you go to the market (on foot or by bike) every few days or so to get just want you need (remember you've only got that tiny fridge); there just isn't room to buy bigger.

Of course I know there are no absolutes and that there are many Americans who live 'small' while there are many Germans (and others around the world) who live 'large'.  But my trip to IKEA got me to thinking:

Do we really need all this stuff?

I mean really.  Do we?  You might be able to quip a reply, "Of course we don't need it, but it's nice to have."  Have you ever then sat down and tried to go through all your belongings to just get rid of what you don't use anymore?  It's hard.  Too hard than it should be, really.  Because possessions tie you to this world.  Not as in, "I have so much stuff so I just can't move to another city, state, or country."  No, having all this stuff ties us to this earthly world when we should be storing up our treasures in heaven.  I think the more possessions you own, the more you want to own, and you are willing to sacrifice something in order to keep accumulating; it's addicting, and it's easy to fall into the cycle when we live in a culture that tells you you will be happy if you just can get the next thing.  So we get the 'next thing'...but eventually, we're not happy because we don't have the next 'next thing'. 

We just keep on consuming, and we're never really happy because there is more to life than accumulating possessions and keeping up with the Joneses.

Jess and I were inspired by IKEA's simplicity.  Within a week of our excursion, I started going through our home and pulling out things we don't use anymore (and let's be honest, never actually did use) and making one big pile.  I haven't really even gotten to the spare bedroom, kitchen, or gone through our clothes, and the pile is already quite large!  Trust me, if I posted a picture of the obscene amount of stuff I am getting rid of, you would be astonished.  We've already sold some books (yes, that's right...and while I am a huge advocate of having a well-stocked library for your children, friends, and yourself, there are just some books not worth owning...i.e. the Twilight series) and DVDs and given away some other things.  Jess and I are going to have a yard sale sometime in September with some friends in order to rid ourselves of the unnecessary clutter in our lives.  Henceforth, Isaac and I are really making and effort to stop collecting things.  We definitely still purchase non-consumable items (well...you're right, we pretty much just purchase books- but only those we need for class or ones which we feel we are likely to keep forever...i.e. the Mandie and American Girls series for myself and Calvin's Institutes for Isaac), but we would much rather garner experiences in our life instead of possessions which, in the end, just sit around collecting dust.  {So, just in case you were planning on purchasing me a birthday or Christmas present- might I kindly suggest you make a donation to my official Swedish Savings Account (the far-away trip where I venture to Stockholm, see the house in which my Mor Mor grew up, and cry my eyes out because her homeland is simply so breathtaking)?  Just kidding, but no really...}

So here's to simplicity, friends.  May we be reminded not to place value on possessions instead of people or desire items more than life experiences.

Would You Like To Know...

...my all-time favourite painting?  It's this one:

 Vincent van Gogh, Almond Blossom, February 1890

It's even more amazing in person; trust me, I stared at it for three hours straight at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam a few years back.

The Poet of Baghdad

I picked up this book when I was searching for potential reading material to assign my students- not my refugees studying US citizenship, that is, but my undergrad students from Mizzou- but obviously I never assigned them anything from this book since I haven't even been teaching any classes at Mizzou for almost two years now and I'm just now getting around to the book myself.

It's a great biography of a famous Iraqi poet from the 60s and 70s; when Saddam Hussein was at the height of his power, Nabeel Yasin was publishing poems about the reality of life in Iraq under Saddam's regime.  In 1979, after being branded an enemy of the state, Yasin fled his country with his wife and son, eventually seeking refuge in London after traveling and living briefly in various countries.

The Poet of Baghdad, formerly titled Nabeel's Song, is wonderfully written and immediately draws the reader into the lives of its players.  What I liked about this book was that it did not take for granted the reader's background knowledge of Iraq, it's history, culture, and people, and did an excellent job giving good background information in order for the reader to better understand the lives of Nabeel and his family and friends.  I think this book would be especially helpful for most Americans to read so that they can get a brief history and cultural lesson concerning Iraq.  Interestingly enough however, I asked my coworker and his wife (who are both from Iraq) if they had ever heard of Nabeel Yasin and neither of them had; they chalked it up to the fact that Nabeel fled Iraq when they were both very young and they the grew up under Saddam's government, and it wasn't likely they would get to hear about Yasin from official sources.  Either way, the book is still a good read and one which you can whip through rather quickly since the story is quite engaging.

The Game, Mrs. Hudson, Is On!

Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned I had just watched the first episode of BBC's new series Sherlock and couldn't wait for more?  And remember I mentioned they had only made three episodes?  And remember when I mentioned people were already clamouring for more of the delightful show and that BBC was interested in developing more episodes?

They are.

I literally just finished watching the third and final episode of what is now first series, and I can't wait to see these opening credits on a regular basis.  Yes...

Would You Like To Know?

So you know how it seems everyone has those themed posts for particular days of the week?  The ones with titles like, "What's on the Menu Mondays" and "Wordless Wednesdays" and "Fanciful Fridays"?  It must be a requirement to employ alliteration when choosing a name.  I've thought about participating in those...but then I feel all odd about it because I'm not a professional blogger or even a very good blogger at that!

However, I kept thinking back to what Tracie mentioned several months ago: she wanted to more about my everyday life.  I'm pretty sure you don't want to know that I ate a whole wheat English muffin with Laughing Cow Sun-Roasted Tomato Mozzarella cheese for breakfast this morning or that I had a brilliantly hopeful meeting about N-648s earlier this week or that my coworker is making me fat by sharing her chocolate bars with me (while she, of course, remains blissfully skinny).  At any rate, I thought it might be fun to at least try to be a better, more consistent blogger who refrains from posting an obscene amount of video clips just to get in a few posts before the end of the month; so I submit to you my idea to ensure you are blessed with the chance to read a post written by me at least once a week (well...okay, in theory...but you get the idea).  It's called Would You Like To Know Wednesday.  I don't plan on making it a big deal, but thought I might as well give it a try...but if enough people tell me this is the most ridiculous idea they've ever heard, I'll give it up...but I kinda like the sound of it.  And yes, I like alliteration; hence, I use it on a regular basis.

Hopefully this endeavor will force me to become a more consistent blogger-which is just what the world needs, I know- but wasn't that one of my goals for the year?  Discipline is a good thing...and a good thing of which I need to learn a great deal more.  Feel free to participate (I'm not doing one of those Mr. Linky things because I have absolutely no idea how and I object to the name 'Mr. Linky' in the first place), and if you have something you would like to know...well, ask me.

PS- Anyone want to take bets on how long I actually keep up with this initiative?

Bleak House

That's right.  I finished Bleak House.  It only took me a few months...but in my defense, I'm not a slow reader; I just got distracted by other reading while in the midst of Bleak House.  However, my distraction should not imply Bleak House wasn't a good novel because it was excellent.

I should admit the book was a bit intimidating at first; most books a few inches thick usually are (why is that, anyway?  I think one of my goals as a parent is to make sure my children don't miss out on great literature just because the length scares them away).  And as usual with Dickens, the first chapter or so left me yawning a bit and urging good ole' Charles to just get on with it and head straight to the meat of the book.  But once I actually allowed myself to simply read instead of rushing through the novel, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Bleak House constructed around three themes: that of the murkiness and almost unethical institutions in England in the nineteenth century (namely, the court system), misplaced children, and mystery.  Each theme is developed fully with different stories intertwining to address them as they unfold the surrounding story.

Jarndyce and Jarndyce- one of the oldest cases in endless litigation in English law- is where the novel begins, and in a sense, where the novel ends.  Two wards- Richard and Ada- have some stake in the case, which follows the dispute of a will of a very wealthy man, but after Richard and Ada's custody is transferred to a kind relation after both sets of their parents die, their guardian urges them to flee from involvement in legal case as it seems nothing is ever resolved, procuring bitterness for all parties involved.  Their ward is Mr. Jarndyce, who determined after watching his father battle through the courts in hope that he might obtain some of the inheritance from the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case, hires Esther to be Ada's companion when Richard and Ada move to Bleak House to live with their guardian.

Esther, a kind and gentle young woman, had been raised as an orphan by her aunt but was never told of her parental lineage.  Throughout the novel, Esther wonders at just who her parents might have been, and in a most unexpected moment, the truth is revealed to her.  She can have no cause for celebration, however, as her newly-found knowledge must remain a secret.  And when a a high-profile murder occurs, it is difficult not to assume that Esther's mother is indeed the murderess, and her mother's involvement with the victim could lead to the downfall of one of the greatest English families.

Bleak House is often touted as Dicken's most beloved masterpiece (although, really, I'm sure most of his works are referred to in the same manner), and indeed, Bleak House is now probably higher on my list than Great Expectations.  The character development, the integration of each an every one of the characters, the plot and subplots, the little intricacies throughout the novel- all of those aspects make the book a delightful read.  Several parts of the novel read more like a suspense-thriller while other points feel as though the entire novel is a stately romance.  Honestly, my thought at several times throughout my Bleak House experience: "Dickens is a genius".  My thought at the end of my Bleak House experience: "Dickens is a bloody genius".  Seriously, I'm pretty sure I said that aloud to Isaac as I put down the book for a final time.  So, do yourself a favor, go check out Bleak House from the library, refuse to be intimidated by its thickness and small font, and jump right in.  Trust me, you'll thank me for it...and so will that soddingly brilliant genius Dickens.

And oh yes, the BBC adaptation was fairly accurate and very well-played.

Misspelled Signs

This morning as I was perusing the BBC News website, I came across the following headline: Red faces as US road workers misspell 'school' with the following picture:

Road workers were resurfacing some roads near a high school in North Carolina, and when it came time to paint the zoning signs, they didn't get their spelling quite right.  Included in the brief article was a link to other similar signage bloopers submitted by readers.  Much like the now-famous Unnecessary Quotes website, I found our society's (in general) continual inability to spell and punctuate correctly highly amusing and slightly annoying...or maybe it was highly annoying and slightly amusing?  You decide:

Same Kind of Different As Me

I must confess, I wasn't really sure what to expect when I opened this book.  The back cover didn't offer much in terms of the actual content of the pages inside, and I honestly chose to review it for Thomas Nelson because none of the other books available for review at the time caught my eye.  I requested the book, and once it arrived, promptly put it on my coffee table for 'later reading' once I had finished more important books (none other than Bleak House and Harry Potter, of course).  I didn't actually start reading the book for a few weeks, but once I actually did start reading, I couldn't put it down!

Same Kind of Different of Me is the story of how the lives of a homeless man and of a well-to-do art dealer intertwined until they each became a vital part of the other's life.  Denver Moore had lived a tough life; he was born into poverty in the deep South in a time when sharecropping was still a part of everyday life.  For years, he worked the land, planting and harvesting cotton, but his family never seemed to make any profit once they had paid back the land owner for the seeds and tools they needed to work the land in the first place.  Eventually, Denver hopped a train when he was in his late twenties and ended up in Fort Worth Texas, living life on the streets.

Ron Hall grew up in a lower-middle class family, attended college, married the woman of his dreams, and began a lucrative career in high-end art dealing.  Ron's idea of charity was to attend black-tie events, where $1,000 plate dinners were donated to some non-profit or philanthropy.  He and his wife Debbie has been regular church attenders for years, but it wasn't until some friends invited them to a discussion group that they truly met the Lord.  Debbie threw herself into different types of mission work while Ron remained staunchly focused on his business.  Eventually Debbie convinced Ron to go with her to the Union Gospel Mission, a shelter for the homeless, on the wrong side of Fort Worth.  He reluctantly agreed to go, only to please his wife, and they began serving the Tuesday evening meal each week.

God began to work in the hearts and minds of not only the homeless at the Mission, but also in that of Ron and Debbie.  Through a series of events- perhaps divine interventions- Ron befriend the man named Denver, or rather they befriended each other, and developed a bond so close they now consider each other family.  Even though the men are polar opposites, God brought the two of them together to not only experience pain and grief, but to also bring the light of His glory to the rich and poor alike not only in the Fort Worth area, but all over the country and perhaps even the world.

Same Kind of Different As Me is the living story of what happens when we truly give up our life to what the Lord would have us to do and when we truly love people just as He commands us.  I highly recommend this book to everyone; it may change the way you think about others- and yourself.  There is also a follow up book, What Difference Do It Make? if you are interested in checking that out.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Unveiling Islam

There are tons of books out there on the subject of understanding Islam, but I'm always a little leery to trust an author's explanation of the religion; I found this book a few years ago and decided I could put a little more stock in the authors' authority since they were both former Muslims.  The authors are actually brothers; their mother was Swedish and their father Turkish, and their parents raised them in the Islamic faith.  In middle school and high school, however, the boys met friends at school who taught them about Jesus, and eventually, both of them (as well as their other brother) converted to Christianity.  Both of the authors are now professors in Theology and Church History.

The concept of this particular book had been swirling around in both of their heads for some time, but it wasn't until the events of September 11, 2001 that the demand and need for the book became so abundantly clear to the authors.  Most of America knew so little about Islam and the issue was now shoved into the spotlight.  The authors began to write this book as a basic introduction to Islam so that individuals with no exposure to the Muslim faith could begin to understand this faith of millions of people around the world.

Caner and Caner systematically explain the Muslim faith, quoting the Qu'ran a great deal in order to explain certain aspects and principles.  They also give an excellent historical background, which is needed for a general understanding of the religion.  Because most students in the United States don't receive very in-depth history lessons (or any at all, for that matter) on the Arabian Peninsula, this brief history lesson by the authors is one of great importance (and one of my favorite parts of the book).  The authors discuss the basic tenants of Islam, the calendar and holy days, the religious books, and some of the more difficult concepts.  They also provide an excellent chapter on cultural competency and reaching out to Muslim friends and neighbors.  In one small section called 'Accepting Hospitality', the authors explain the importance of hospitality and then write, "Middle Eastern food is delicious and will not harm you."  All I have to say to that is a-stinkin-men.  Mmm....couscous and saaj...

The book is also extremely well-written and very easy to understand; the authors do an excellent job of taking an often very intimidating subject and making it accessible to the reader.  The only thing that truly surprised me was that in particular spots, the tone seemed to lose its neutrality and seemed a bit harsh.  There are also some recent developments and controversies regarding Ergun Caner and some contradictory statements he has made in the past.  Last month, Liberty University stated they would not renew his contract as dean of their seminary.  So, be aware when reading this book that you also may want to research other sources as well.  However, I still recommend the book, at least as a starting point for those wanting to learn about the Muslim faith.

To Mumsy With Love

Today is my mom's (aka Mumsy, aka Dr. Mom, aka MTM) birthday.  As evidence of her complete and utter awesomeness, see the picture below.

This photo was taken three months ago after a week-long vacation adventure (hence the reason we look quite peaked in the photo) with our favorite men: Isaac, Erik, and Mickey...at DisneyWorld, of course!  And yes, we went to three different Disney Parks in one evening just to find those silly Minnie Mouse ears.  Because we.are.that.awesome.  For further evidence as to how I know Mumsy is quite simply the best mother in the world, hands down, check out the detailed post I wrote on her birthday last year.

George Mueller: Delighted in God

I chose to add George Mueller: Delighted in God to my 2010 Reading List because Isaac (and every other first year seminarian, it seems) read it in one of his required courses his first semester.  Isaac mentioned several times that he thought it was an excellent biography and very inspiring, especially in the area of prayer.  In case you've never been to a church where the pastor quotes George Mueller on a regular basis (yes, I'm talking about the one and only Pastor Burt), you should definitely get to know this man's story.  Mueller was born in Prussia, but eventually made his way to England where he is credited with caring for over 10,000 orphans in his lifetime.  If that number itself doesn't speak sheer volumes as to the kind of man Mueller was, I'm not sure what else could!

This particular biography was a great read; it's not too long, but it packs a powerful punch- not just of biographical information, but also a good deal of conviction.  Steer focuses on Mueller's decision to refrain from asking anyone to fund either his salary at the church or any needs at the orphanages.  Rather, he determines he will pray, and pray fervently, that the Lord would provide.  And what is so amazing is what happened.  People- both friends and strangers alike- would send Mueller money without his requesting any funds or assistance from them.  Their letters always conveyed that they were simply led to give, and so they did.  This conviction to pray and wait for provision was not simply some experiment Mueller conducted for a specified period of time.  No, he did this for years; in fact, he never stopped doing it.  The George Mueller Foundation does not fund raise in any way, and they do not declare their financial needs to anyone except God in prayer.  It seemed that so many times, Mueller would literally be on his knees asking how he was going to feed all of the orphans that day when someone would bring him either money or break or milk or just what was needed.  Talk about the Lord providing!

This book is an excellent read; it's well-written and is incredibly convicting.  It's also incredibly encouraging as well.  As I sit here on my comfy couch in my comfortable cool apartment (I am praising God every day for central air conditioning right now because of this merciless heat), I admit that it's hard for me to be content with what the Lord has blessed me.  It seems we're always wanting more, even though we already have bounds and bounds beyond what we really and truly need.  And even though I have more material possessions that the vast majority of the world, I still worry about the Lord's provision.  Reading this book helped put things into perspective for me (again) and gave me a good dose of much-needed conviction; I highly recommend it (the conviction and the book, that is).

America...the States...

In honor of the actual day which the Declaration of Independence was signed (no, it was not signed on July 4th, 1776 as most Americans assume; it was adopted on July 4th as a formal explanation of why and how the United States declared independence from Great Britain on July 2nd, but wasn't actually signed until a full month later), I am posting a lovely song performed by Hugh Laurie in one of the best shows ever created, A Bit of Fry and Laurie. 



And yes, at some point, I will begin posting actual content on my blog instead of just filling the gaps with video clips and pictures.  But really, didn't that video at least make you smile, if not laugh out loud?  That's what I thought.

August's Focus: Jefferson Street Baptist Center

To be honest, when we woke up this morning, Isaac and I hadn't yet determined a Focus of the Month for August.  July seemed to end so quickly that we hadn't even really begun to think about it.  When we went to church, the Lord clearly showed us what needed to be our focus for the month: the Jefferson Street Baptist Center.

The name might sound familiar because several weeks ago, I mentioned that they were the the newest SpendYourself t-shirt (and what a lovely shirt it is, my friends).  Our church has had a on going relationship with Jefferson Street for about five years now, and this morning one of the program directors came and spoke to us briefly about some needs.  Jefferson Street Baptist Center actually has roots going back to 1888, making it one of the oldest mission agencies in the country.  They are very intentional and determined to keep Christ as a part of their core ministry, and because of that have actually severed all federal funding (so that the government cannot dictate their actions).  Without the federal funding, Jefferson Street Baptist Center relies even more on area churches and individuals as donors since they lost about $87,000 in federal funding.

Jefferson Street exists to "extend gospel-centered mercy to the homeless and hurting of the greater Louisville area" and have several different programs, including the Day Shelter, where homeless men and women can access showers, the laundry room, and other facilities.  These individuals also have access to services to help with employment, housing, and medical referrals.  Fresh Start is a Christ-centered six month program for men struggling with life issues, including drug and alcohol addiction.  The men live communally at Jefferson Street and are expected to participate in classes, chores, service (at Jefferson Street and through other community organizations, and random drug tests throughout the program.  Permanent Supportive Housing helps to provide housing to men who also struggling with life issues; participants have access to the Fresh Start program so that the men can become sober, clean, and possess an overall general well-being.  Th final program, Hope for Louisville, provides an opportunity for young men and women to serve the homeless and urban poor.  Team members live and work in the inner-city with the goal of developing relationships with the people around them in order to show them the love of Christ.

The ministry of Jefferson Street Baptist Center and other similar groups are so important.  We are called to love and care for the poor, but how is this exhibited in our daily lives?  It's a question with which I grapple a lot.  Is donating money every now and then sufficient?  Or do I really need to dig deep and get my hands dirty- get out of my comfort zone- in order to really understand what that call means?  I am more inclined to believe it is the latter rather than the former, and yet how often I don't do anything more than just mention a ministry or a person or a situation in passing prayer!  I pray that my life would not be marked by this, but by selfless devotion to the people to whom the Lord has called me.