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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

What's on Your Nightstand



I missed September's Nightstand, so i'm jumping back in for October. From my last post in August I Shepherding a Child's Heart, The Christian Mom's Idea Book, The Time Traveler's Wife on CD, it was a very good book, but there is no way i could have stuck with it, chasing after the boys. In September I finished up Strong Women Soft Hearts and tried to read Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels, but only was able to get partway into it before it had to go back to the library. I also listened to Strawberry Shortcake Murder on CD. All were really great books.   Shepherding a Child's Heart has a lot of notes and underlining in it, i will be going back to it over and over again. Strong Women Soft Hearts was also a great book with lots of underlining that i will be going back to time and time again.
So on my nightstand for this coming month are the following.


Bringing Up Boys - James Dobson - I've read a few more chapters in this one. I don't know how long it will take me to get through it, I'm doing a lot of underlining and making notes.
Dear John - Nicholas Sparks
Nights in Rodanthe - Nicholas Sparks - I would really like to see both of these movies and i always love to read the books before seeing the movies. 
Where Do I Go? - Neta Jackson
Who Do I Talk To? - Neta Jackson - I loved the Yada Yada Prayer Group series. Hope these are just as good.
The Physik Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe - Picked this one up on a whim, not even sure what its really about or if its any good. But we'll see.

I went to the library to pick up Dear John and as you can see from my list it was a big mistake, once i'm there i just can't help piling up the books. Most of them aren't even on my Fall Into Reading List, oops. Head on over to 5 Minutes for Books and see what others have on their nightstands for this month.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

This week in Courtney's Fall Challenge she's asking us to focus on peaceful words and maintaining peaceful relationships. The challenge is to play soft music in your home and avoid anger, tattling, criticism, back-talk, etc.

A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

 Head over to Women Living Well if you would like to join in on the challenge.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Making Your Home a Haven Fall Challenge

I came across Courtney's Fall Challenge today and thought it sounded like a great fit for what i've been feeling lately. So i'm going to go ahead and join in. Reading through her post was definitley enlightening for me. She listed out characteristics of two different homes. Home number one, which is our home. This doesn't show me in a very good light, but i'm being honest and i know i need to work on some of this. I am distant at times, i love to bury myself in my books or tv or sometimes its not even stuff i really enjoy that i distance myself with, housework, laundry, cooking, preparing for something else coming up. I'm distracted, i always feel like there is too much to do, not enough time and we are always late and rushing around to get out of the house. Crabby, um yeah, guilty. Discontent, i've been working on this a lot lately, trying to make myself think of things in a different light, but i still have a ways to go. Doesn't pray, guilty again, i try sometimes but i don't think i do it enough and sometimes i wait too long.
What i'm going to be striving for so that our home is a haven.
1. Be engaged - aware of what's going on, be there if someone needs praise, correction, encouragement, love.
2. Better time management - not cram so much into a day, making sure we are better prepared for the day/week/month. (Guess this means i should get through that mountain of ironing i have, and put away all those clean clothes.)
3. Having a pleasant demeanor - getting enough rest, being patient with my season of life. Work diligently, trusting God with the results of my labor.
4. Content - nothing is perfect, be content and thankful for what God has given me today.
5. Pray - depend completely upon God to provide all that i need to fulfill all my roles. Mother, wife, friend, employee.

The first part of the challenge was to buy a big candle light it everyday and say a prayer for a peaceful home whenever the flickering light catches your eye. So today i lit a candle at my desk and said repeated prayers for peace in my home. Head over to Women Living Well if you would like to join in on the challenge.

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.  Proverbs 14:1

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Fall Into Reading 2010 Challenge

The Fall into Reading Challenge starts today from Callapidder Days. Its a low pressure challenge to try and get back into reading again. I was flying through books last Spring and then over the summer it sort of slowed down. Now i'm trying to go back and finish up several books i started but put down for one reason or another. There's a lot of non-fiction but right now that's what's interesting to me. But it does take me longer to get through a lot of those books. So anyway here's my list.




Books to Finish:
1. Bringing Up Boys - James Dobson
2. Soft Women, Strong Hearts - Paula Rinehart
3. The New Strong-Willed Child - James Dobson
4. Master Your Metabolism - Jillian Michaels
5. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (on CD)

Non-Fiction on my list
1. Crazy Love - Francis Chan
2. Understanding Exposure - Bryan Peterson
3. One in a Million - Priscilla Shirer
4. Dancing with My Father - Sally Clarkson
5. Captivating - John & Stasi Eldredge
6. Effective Parenting in a Defective World - Chip Ingram
7. Cure for the Common Life - Max Lucado
8. Everyday Talk - John Younts

Fiction
1. Strawberry Shortcake Murder - Joanne Fluke
2. Blueberry Muffin Murder - Joanne Fluke
3. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder - Joanne Fluke
4. Fudge Cupcake Murder - Joanne Fluke
5. The Wedding Officer - Anthony Capella
6. When Crickets Cry - Charles Martin
7. Dear John - Nicholas Sparks
8. The Last Song - Nicholas Sparks

Wow 21 books, that might be stretching it, but we'll see how far i get, if i could finish up all the books i'm in the middle of right now and read a couple extra i'd be very happy with that. If you're interested in the challenge head over to Callapidder Days and link up or just check out everyone else's lists. Have a great day!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Hooo Are You?

1. What is your Zodiac sign? Virgo
2. Name 3 things that are always in your purse besides your wallet.
1. chapstick
2. coupon holder
3. checkbook
Pretty boring huh?

3. Which magazines do you look at the most? I LOVE Life:Beautiful, BHG and Fresh Home
4. Do you pluck or get your eyebrows waxed? Too much work involved in one and too much pain with the other, i've left mine as God gave them to me.
5. How often do you go grocery shopping? When i'm good, once a week, otherwise when we're out of milk, bread or chocolate, you know the essentials.


NightOwlCrafting



Wednesday, August 25, 2010

What's on Your Nightstand - A Day Late



I was so excited to participate in the What's on Your Nightstand. And then yesterday was just a blur. So i'm going to go ahead and post a day late. I didn't do much reading last month, but i'm determined to get through a few of the books i've been in the middle of for quite some time. So here's whats on my nightstand right now, for September.

Shepherding a Child's Heart - Tedd Tripp - We started this book in our Sunday School class this past winter and i'm still trying to finish up the last couple of chapters. It's been an interesting book and definitely has given us lots to discuss and think about. I only have i think one chapter left, so hoping to finish it up very soon.
Strong Women Soft Hearts - Paula Rineheart - I started this book back in April or May and am about 1/2 way through, it was very good and am not sure why i put it down in June and seem to have forgotten it. I started to read it with an online book club; The Bloom Bookclub.
Bringing Up Boys - James Dobson - This one i received as a gift from my hubby's grandma for one of my son's baptisms. So i've had it a few years and finally last February decided to start reading it. Well some of the statistics were sort of freaking me out and then we started the Shepherding a Child's Heart in Sunday School so Bringing up Boys was put to the side, but am really looking forward to reading through it.
Master Your Metabolism - Jillian Michaels - Not sure about this one, i've watched a few episodes of Losing It with Jillian and she intrigues me. The reason i grabbed this book from the library is because i need to make some changes to my diet and besides the obvious of cutting back sweets and eating more fruits and vegetables i wanted some more information and just thought, why not.

Not pictured.
The Christian Mom's Idea Book - Ellen Banks Elwell - This book was lent to me by a friend at church i'm part way through and have found a few good ideas and tips i might be using.
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - I started to read this one and had to renew it 3 times and still was barely half way through. Not that i didn't think it was good, it was just hard for me to find time to get into it and read it last month while i was trying. So i just went and picked it up on CD from the library and will try to get through it this way.

So that's what's on my nightstand for this month. I'm hoping i can get through them all and then throw a few fun ones in for pure entertainment.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

What am i doing?

I have no idea what i'm doing. Why am i trying to start a blog? Good question. I don't know. It just always seems like it might be fun. But now i feel like the pressure is on to write something good, something worthy of everyone reading. And why now? I definitely don't have a lot of free time on my hands, but i guess i'm just feeling like trying something different. So here goes. Bear with me as i try to learn how to write and how to make this blog interesting.