Tracking My Reading

I've been keeping a secret.  Well... not really.  I've shared this with some of you with whom I interact IRL this past year.  I've been tracking my reading on my Journal app.  Yes, the app that lives on my phone... I'm sure you have it, too.  It just doesn't get used by a whole lot of people, I don't think.

So... here is how I do it in 3 simple steps:

1.  I take a picture of the book cover when I finish the book.  The app automatically date stamps the photo.

2.  I add the title of the book on the title of that journal entry.

3.  I add a sentence of two about that book.

That's it.  Here's the caviat:  If I don't finish the book, I leave the photo in black & white... and add the page number I stopped reading that book in the description, in case I want to pick it up at a later time.  

I've known people that keep notebooks, journals, and spreadsheets.  I've tried them all.  

How do YOU track your reading?  Just curious... 

How to Get Your Kids to Read... and 3 Amazing Books I Read This Month.

I'm wrapping up this month of July with a full heart.

Our schedule was FULL.

As a family, we juggled between lots of activities, lots of late nights, and lots of tired faces in the morning.  However, I was pleased to see that in the midst of camp, soccer, 4-H, county fair, swimming lessons, and playdates, WE managed to take some time to read some awesome books.

I'm Addicted to Books

I have a problem.

And I'm willing to admit my weakness.

7 Favorite Books I Read in 2017... And A Few Honorable Mentions.

I made a goal at the beginning of 2017 to return to reading.  But not just reading, I made a goal to fall in love with books AGAIN.

Since finishing graduate school in 2007, I gave my brain permission to rest and reset.  But what I didn't realize is that by not picking up a good book consistently through the years, I was decreasing my ability to critically think about important issues, be expose to rich stories, experiences, and different cultures.  I was starting to inundate myself with noise... voices on the screen, social media, podcasts, and neglecting my forgotten passion for the written word.  The touch of crisp or crinkled pages.  The very act of holding a book.  A collection of stories.  A door and window to someone's world.  

So, this past year was good, as I awakened my love for books.  

And I read some INCREDIBLE books!

A Quick Read... and Recommendation.

Are you wondering what I've been reading lately?  

I need to confess that I've been going through a LOT of good books.  Some amazing books, actually.  And I really want to share some of the best ones I've had the time to read this past year.  

In the meantime, I've been meaning to make you a quick recommendation.  

A Prayer: An Invitation

Holy Spirit...

You are welcome here.

I'm ready to receive everything you have for me today.

I RECEIVE everything you have for me today.

The good you have for me.

Everything.

May I see it.

Experience it.

Take time for it.

May I hear it.

Sense it.

And may I recognize that it is from You.

Guide my lips, eyes, mind.

Be my peace.

Holy Spirit... come and stay a while!

Letting The Words Flow... Inhaling & Exhaling

I recently heard that if you're a writer, a poet, a baker, a runner, or anything that requires consistent action and practice, you're also meant to do those things regardless of your audience.  Do it quietly.  Do it without accolade.  And more importantly, do it for yourself.  For the simple act of exercising your gift.

Learning To Listen and Praying with Eyes Wide Open

It's been a good Summer... and I have been unapologetically taking time "off" social media and writing for the sake of staying present with my family.  As the kids get older, I'm realizing their independence can easily turn into my excuse for independent parenting... meaning... I can let them play outside without close supervision, they can feed themselves and play with each other (rather than have Mama over here "entertaining" them).  Right?  So, as I set out to live a life of being present, in the moment, with my kids, I realized I had less and less time to listen to the Lord in the quietness of my days.  Seriously, though... Quiet?  What is quiet?

Reading, Reading, Reading... And a Surprise Find!

Can you believe it's already the END of Spring?
Unbelievable!
It's amazing what a little "break" does to you, though.
Since the kids have been out of school, I've been consistently trying to stay present.  In the moments of every day.  Emily Ley's "Grace Not Perfection" was a beautiful book I read at the beginning of this year, and Shauna Niequiest's "Present Over Perfection" keeps coming back to me after so many months.  After reading and hearing about so many books about the reality that we, as mamas, NEED to purposefully enjoy our days, I KNOW it must be a theme for me, for this season in my life.

All that to say... Yes, I've been enjoying a little break from the usual.  And I'm liking it.

And because of the change in pace in my routine, I've been able to READ a ton!  As you know, I love books and I've been really trying to pursue a more active and diverse reading life.  So, in my quest to balance reading non-fiction AND fiction books, I've come across some really good ones!  Some expected finds, and some really surprising finds.  It's apparent that I really DO need to get out of my literary comfort zone.  If plainly to experience a place and culture I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do so.

Here's just some of the titles I finished these last couple of months and highly recommend:

Whispers of Rest - Not Your Typical Devotional Book

“Quiet isn’t the absence of movement.  Quiet is a movement to trust you were meant for more than striving.  You were meant to be fully alive.  When you give yourself permission to just breathe, you can just be.” 

- Bonnie Gray

I can’t remember the last time I chose to bring my laptop outside. 

The sounds are different.

The breeze is refreshing.

The birds sing, fly, and observe their surroundings… all trying to figure out why there’s a girl in a lawn chair... 

Even the chickens are out today… unusually calming, since on most days they’re locked inside their coop.

Garden Watering

As I was watering our garden this morning, the mist and fresh breeze reminded me of God’s grace.  Fresh.  Daily.  Soothing and awakening.  It was His provision for me. 

For anything to grow and flourish, the initial nurturing is essential. 

Our garden received the fresh watering with a smile. 

It didn’t take long for me to sense God’s presence, right there, in the midst of the ordinary.

Two of my children are home from school today, with that nasty flu bug. 

Mother's Day at the ER - A Letter to My Firstborn

My dearest firstborn son,

This year's Mother's Day was unlike any other... and yet, it was exactly what the Lord had planned for you.  I think you know what I mean...

Biblical Hospitality: A QUICK Book Review...

I’ll be honest…

Whenever the word “hospitality” is said, I cringe.  Not because I don’t like the sound of it, but because I feel guilty for not having scored high on hospitality in my Spiritual Gifts Inventory test.  It’s one of those expectations placed on women, on Christians, and especially on pastors’ wives.  Am I right? 

Meet My Friends: The Inspire Shop & A Giveaway!

Today you're in for a special treat!
I have been anticipated this post for a LONG time, as I've been parading around my house and secretly enjoying my "Write Your Heart Out" mug for the past few weeks.  (Hint... keep reading for an exclusive giveaway!)

Can I pray for you today?

I am fully aware that you might be going through some tough times right now.
And I'm also fully aware that we have a real enemy whose sole purpose for existing is to steal our joy, to kill, devour and destroy us.  

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."  John 10:10

A Few Things I Learned While On Spring Break

Oh... how I loved being on Spring Break this year!

As the kids get older and as I'm learning what it means to "rest" and to enjoy the small (but important) things in life, I can honestly say that taking a week to UNPLUG was GOOD.

My March Favorites

How is it already April!!??

March tends to be a long month, but I cannot believe how fast it came and went!  Am I the only one who feels like that?

Anyway... before I dive into all things April... Easter... Exciting giveaways (coming up soon, I promise!)... I am here to share the THREE THINGS I've been loving from the month of March!

A Different Kind of Grief

Grief is so thick.
While everyone grieves differently, and for different reasons, grief has a way of creeping in at different seasons in our lives.
I'm not an expert on grief.  Or on how people can and should grieve.  Goodness, I can't even claim to know and understand the levels of pain, suffering, and hurt that grief brings to someone's soul.  I recently wrote about how to enter into someone else's grief here, but I'm still aware of my limitations.

Loss is inevitable.
People lose people.
People lose jobs and careers.
People lose status.
People lose comfort & routines.

Loss is part of our lives.

What Does It Mean To Have Peace?

I'm pretty sure of a few things in life.

Coffee makes me happy.  

White IS a color.

And how I feel is actually a CHOICE...

So... 

What about coffee that is so comforting to me?  

(Taken at my beloved Main Street Coffee House in Nappanee, IN)

The Song Lyrics That Have Been Breaking Me Down

What is that ONE SONG that you've listened to lately that completely broke you down?  

Not just the "breaking down" that brings a tear or two, or even those watered eyes you fight to keep sealed behind your eyeballs?  I'm talking about that ONE SONG that grabs your heart and the insides of your soul, and has a ridiculous way of making your joints and muscles turn to jello!