Lit Picks: The Napping House (+ Freebie!)

I am checking in for 1 measly post this week to share one of my very favorite books to use in therapy: The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood.

 This book is amazing.  The illustrations are beautiful, it is a predictable text, there is rich vocabulary, and children think it's hilarious!  I did some activities with this book in therapy a couple of weeks ago, and there were some serious belly laughs coming from the speech room as the students saw what happened to all the crazy people and animals sleeping in the napping house! 

How to use it: 

• Predictable text:  Once you have read a few pages, you can leave off words, and children can fill them in for you.  You can also have students predict what's going to happen next.
• Rich Vocabulary: there are many synonyms for "sleep" in the book.  Have children make a list of all the words they can find that mean "sleep."
• Prepositions: Have students answer "where?" questions on each page, using prepositions.  For example, ask them, "Where is the mouse on this page?"  Instead of just having the child point, have them tell you, "ON the mirror."
• Story recall:  Have children draw a picture of everyone on the bed in the napping house, and then have them tell you what happened after they were all asleep.
• Sequencing:  Use pictures to have students retell the story in the correct sequence.  I actually just opened my own Teachers Pay Teachers store, and I uploaded free sequencing pictures HERE, so hop on over there and download them!  Your children will love it.  The download also includes a page where students can write all the synonyms for "sleep" from the story.

Happy Reading!

Lit Picks - Vocabulary Development

I am very passionate about reducing "screen time" for kids, and promoting real life experiences!  I know there are some very amazing and educational apps, TV shows, and movies out there, and I use a lot of apps in speech or language therapy with my students or clients.  I am not opposed to screen time at all!  But I think it should be more like dessert: a special treat every once in awhile (unless a child is under 2, and then I say they should very rarely be exposed to any screen time, if at all).

I'm not writing all of this because I think I'm some huge expert because I have a 7-month-old baby.  I really am still a total newb at this whole parenting thing.  However, I am 6 months from graduating with my master's in speech-language pathology, and I already have my bachelor's in early childhood education.  Therefore, I do feel like I have some valuable information to share.


One of the best ways to promote language is through literature!  So I'm going to be sharing some of my (and Scarlett's) favorite books, and how to use them to promote language.  This will be sort of a casual series that I'll post whenever I feel like I have some good books to share.

Today I'm going to share a couple of Scarlett's favorite books that I think are great at promoting vocabulary acquisition.  A major cause of language delays is simple lack of exposure to language.  You would be surprised at the preschoolers I've worked with who can't name simple household objects or animals, simply because they haven't been interacted with enough as babies/toddlers.  If they've never heard the vocabulary, how can they learn it?

I have a couple of books today that are great for babies or toddlers.  They are both lift-a-flap books.  Interactive books of any kind are great for babies or young children. 

The first book is "Toes, Ears, and Nose" illustrated by Karen Katz. 

We love this book!  I have used it in therapy, as well as daily around this house.  Each page shows a clothing item that you lift to reveal a body part:

How to use it: The book targets clothing and body part vocabulary.  When I've used it with clients in the past, I would have them point to whatever body part was on the page.  Then at the end of the story, I would review the body parts again and tell him: "Show me your teeth,"  "show me your elbow," etc.  Same with clothing items.  Obviously this would only work with older kids who have the receptive language skills to do that.  But the book itself is good for babies, toddlers, or preschoolers.

I love Karen Katz's books. They are bright and colorful, so Scarlett is content to sit and look at them over and over again.  Karen Katz has a bunch of other books like this, too.  HERE is a link to her website, where she has 4 or 5 pages of other books like this! She has a lot of seasonal stuff, which I of course love.  Scarlett has the "Where is Baby's Pumpkin?"  book too, and we read it every day leading up to Halloween.

***

Another book that's really big with Scarlett right now is "100 First Animals."  It is another lift-a-flap book.

 

 

One of the reasons I love this book so much is that each page is a different category of animals.  Like farm, sea, rivers and lakes, etc.

How to use it:  With Scarlett, I go through and read all the animals on a page.  Then I let her lift the flaps, and just name the animal every time she lifts a flap.  I also like to make the animal noises and sometimes say what color it is. 

For older children, this book would be good for categorizing, which is a really important language skill.  When Scarlett is preschool age, I may just scan and copy the pages and cut out the animals.  then I'll have her sort them.  I could also show her a group of 3 animals cards and have her tell me how they are alike. Or have her tell me which one doesn't belong in a group.  As a side note, this is a good activity to do with stuffed animals or other toys.

Happy Reading!

2014 book 1: Divergent

One of my goals this year was to read 1 book every month.  I decided to read Divergent in January. 

 

source

I had heard really good things about the book, and also wanted to read it before the movie comes out in March.  Plus I really just love dystopian books and movies.  I knew it was similar to The Hunger Games, and that was also one of the main reasons I wanted to read it. 

Divergent was the first book, besides textbooks and reference books, I read since the beginning of grad school a year-and-a-half ago!  And I have to say, it was a good pick!  I loved it! 

The action in the book was pretty much ongoing.  In the first 200 pages it seemed like there was never a dull moment as you figure out the characters and the way the society works.  

Even though the first 200 pages were pretty good and full of action, I was kind of thinking, "Okay, this is good.  But nothing excellent.  Not as good as The Hunger Games."  But then the last 100 pages happened, and I couldn't put it down!  The ending was very intense.  Still probably not quite as good as The Hunger Games, but close! Ha!  And it really set up the action for the sequel so that you just have to read the next book.

The only complaint I have is that it was a little heavy on the love story.  That is one thing I really like about The Hunger Games: yes, it was partly a love story, but they kept it so innocent, and focused more on the action.  Maybe this is just a personal preference, but I think they could have left the sex talk out.  Especially since it is technically a young adult novel.  Divergent is not nearly as obnoxious as Twilight with the love story, but much more obnoxious than The Hunger Games.  

Overall I would say it was a great read!  I am really looking forward to reading Insurgent, the sequel.  And also really excited about going to see the movie!  I just watched the trailer and it gave me chills!  

Have you read Divergent?  What were your thoughts?                                               

Current Reading Love

Over the past year or so, I've become increasingly interested in biographies and autobiographies. I used to think they were boring, but obviously I was way off base. I'll take a good biography over a fiction book any day (with a few exceptions).

I started my biography obsession last year when I read Life, in Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson. It was a book about a girl who had tried to commit suicide by jumping under a train. She miraculously survived, but lost both of her legs. The story was an incredible story of hope, and I loved it!

Next up I read Unplanned by Abby Johnson. It was about a woman who had worked for Planned Parenthood and then changed her whole stance on the abortion issue. The book was great to read for anyone on either side of the issue.

This year I've jumped into the biography/autobiography thing with both feet. I finished Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman a few days ago. It is the story of the Chapman family (as in, Steven Curtis Chapman) and their journey through adoption and ultimately, the tragic loss of their youngest daughter. The book was so good and totally inspired me to want to adopt. Even more than I was already inspired! Make sure you read it with a box of tissues.

I'm currently in the middle of reading Tina Fey's autobiography, Bossypants. I will add a disclaimer that I do not agree with everything in the book, and there's definitely some language in there. But for the most part, I can't read more than a sentence or two without laughing out loud. If you like her and that type of random humor, you will be in stitches if you read this book. (I always read on my Kindle in between classes at school in the atrium where a lot of people hang out. Last week I was reading Choosing to See and wiping away tears, and this week I'm reading Bossypants and suppressing giggles. People are going to start thinking I'm crazy!)

I just received another Amazon gift card as a thank you for pet-sitting the week of Christmas. And I've decided I think I'll spend it on two more biographies I've been wanting to read:

Kristin Chenoweth's A Little Bit Wicked

And Gabby Giffords' book

I don't know where this obsession has come from, but I just love reading/hearing interesting stories about people. Maybe that's why I read so many blogs, too!

What are some other biographies I need to read??

2011 Books

One of my goals in 2011 was to read 30 books.  I didn't quite make it, but I came so close with 26!  Anyway, it's better than the 12 books I read in 2010, so I'm counting it a success!  Today I thought I'd share the books I read.  I made a nonfiction and a fiction list, and kind of put them loosely in order with my favorites at the top and least favorites toward the bottom. I always love getting new book recommendations, so hopefully this is helpful to someone out there :-)

Nonfiction

1.Hearing from God Each Morning - Joyce Meyer (daily devotional)

2.So Long, Insecurity - Beth Moore (Christian self-help)

3. Wild at Heart - John Eldredge (Christian book about masculinity)

4. Captivating - John and Stasi Eldredge (Christian book about femininity)

5. Unplanned - Abby Johnson (Christian biography about an ex-Planned Parenthood worker)

6. Life, in Spite of Me - Kristen Jane Anderson (Biography about a woman who survived a suicide attempt)

7. Forgotten God - Francis Chan (Christian book about the Holy Spirit) 

8. The Harvey Girls - Lesley Poling- Kempes (Historical book about the Harvey restaurants and railroads out West)

9. Sun Stand Still - Steven Furtick (Christian book about praying with power)

10. Cracking the Communication Code - Emerson Eggerichs (Christian relationship book...too much similar content to Love and Respect by the same author.  That's why it's not rated very highly.)

11. A Thousand Days in Tuscany - Marlena de Blasi (Autobiographical book about a woman's experiences moving to Tuscany.  I thought it was boring which probably means I'm not very cultured :-P)

Fiction

12 - 14. Harry Potter books 3-5 - J.K. Rowling (YA fantasy)

15. Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maude Montgomery (Classic Novel)

16. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (YA)

17. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (YA)

18. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen (historical fiction/romance)

19. The Lost World - Michael Crichton (Science Fiction...Jurassic Park was way better in my opinion!)

20-22. The Ashley Stockingdale Series (What a Girl Wants, She's Out of Control, With This Ring, I'm confused) - Krisin Billerbeck (Christian chick lit)

23. Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne (Children's classic)

24. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult (Realistic fiction)

25. Here Burns my Candle - Liz Curtis Higgs (Novel based on the Biblical story of Ruth and Naomi)

26. Something Borrowed - Emily Griffin (Chick lit.  It would have been rated higher, but chick lit is not my thing)

Happy Reading!

Christian Romance Novels

Last week I wrote a post about Breaking Dawn and the fact that I think it gives women false expectations about love and romance. Found here. At the end of the post, I briefly mentioned that I believe Christian romance novels can sometimes give the same false expectations.

A few days after writing that, I came across this YouTube video by Joy Eggerichs (daughter of Emerson, who wrote my favorite relationship book, Love and Respect). Her words expressed my thoughts exactly! I couldn't resist sharing it here, because I know it gave me some things to think about.

DISCLAIMER: I am not posting this to say that every Christian romance novel is wrong to read. Period. I just think that we need to examine our use of them. Make sure we are not running to these idealistic stories to escape from the pain and disappointment of day-to-day life, and creating unrealistic ideas about how the Christian men in our lives should act.

Word.

Thoughts?

The Twilight Saga: Guard Your Heart!

On Friday, I went to see the latest movie in The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn Part 1. I have been a Twilight fan since I began reading the first book in 2008. I wouldn't put myself in the "Twi-hard" category, but I do enjoy the books and the movies an acceptable amount. I've heard some incredibly bad reviews about this latest movie, so I think I'm in the minority when I say: I loved it.

For the first time in a really long time, I got totally sucked in by this movie. Maybe partly because I had already read the book and knew what was going to happen, so the incredibly weird stuff didn't shock me much, because I knew it was coming.

Anyway, let me tell you why I loved it so much: the romance! The wedding scene was sooo beautiful! And romantic!

And the honeymoon? First of all, let me just say that I thought those scenes were completely inappropriate for all the little junior high girls who will go see this movie (call me old fashioned)! But anyway, it was equally as romantic.

Sounds like a pretty sweet and romantic movie right? And where is the harm in that?

Well I do believe there is some harm in that if we are not careful!

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart. For it is the wellspring of life."

How many women get totally irritated and angry when we see our husbands or boyfriends looking at other women? Or watching movies, TV shows, or even commercials that contain scantily clad women who look perfect in every single way? It is really hard for us to live up to those images that completely inundate the media.

Those images are not real. They are a total fantasy, and no one is really that perfect. Lighting, slow motion, and Photoshop are really responsible for those perfect images.

And just like those images are not real, a perfect romance like Edward and Bella have? Is not real.

See the parallel?

Now I'm not saying that it is totally wrong to read the Twilight books or go see the movies. Everyone is different, and it may not effect you at all! But I know people who have read the books, and who are looking for a Twilight sort of romance. And they're just not going to find one, because romance like that doesn't exist long-term in the real world!

I guess what I'm saying is that we need to guard our hearts, just like Proverbs 4:23 tells us. If we're going to allow ourselves to read books or go see movies like this, we need to know that it's not real. We need to completely separate ourselves from those fictional situations, stop comparing our own relationships to those in the movies, and get rid of all expectations that real life is like that. Because I think Satan can sneakily use the media to steal our contentment about our own relationships.

If I've learned nothing else about marriage and relationships, I've learned that we cannot compare our relationship to anyone else's! Especially not the relationships of fictional characters!

And I'm not even talking about simply Twilight movies. I'm talking about things as close to home as those Christian romance novels that are so readily available to us even in our own church libraries.

Again, each person is different, and we need to guard our own hearts and know what we can handle, and how things affect us. But there are some Christian romance novels out there with some pretty idealistic portrayals of romance and relationships.

So I guess I'll get off my soapbox for the day :-) But I just wanted to share what God is teaching me about my own heart, and the way I need to protect it.

Time Management Fail

When you're a full-time student with a 16-credit hour course-load, and you still work 3 days a week as a substitute teacher (or at least I would if they'd call me more) you have to be good at time management.

Things I haven't had time for lately due to copious amounts of homework:

1. couponing
2. reading for leisure
3. working at the church library
4. spending much time with Luke
5. cleaning the house

Things I've somehow found the time for anyway:

1. Knitting a scarf
2. Watching all my TV shows
3. Blogging almost every day
4. Shopping. A lot. What? We have a new Kohls in town!!
5. Baking

Time Management: FAIL

Now where's that time management book I bought, but never found time to read?


I need a crash course because clearly I'm doing something wrong! I think it all comes down to self-discipline which I'm obviously lacking. Help!

Unplanned by Abby Johnson - My Thoughts

I feel like I need to preface this post by saying a few things:

First of all, I have not completely finished reading the book Unplanned by Abby Johnson. But this post has been formulating in my head for awhile, and I'm going to write it anyway. Because I may never have time to finish it now that anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing have completely stolen just about every waking moment of my life. (Not sure how I've found time to blog lately!)

And secondly, I don't usually post about controversial topics here on the blog, so I hope I don't get any really mean comments.

Also, totally petty but I apologize that the font sizes on this post got all messed up and Blogger is not letting me fix it. Which makes me want to bang my head against my desk considering my OCD tendencies :-P But I'm trying to ignore it.

Okay, forging ahead. If you haven't heard about Unplanned I'll give a very brief outline of the plot. It's about a woman who was the director at a Planned Parenthood in Texas. Through an experience there, she decided to walk away from her job and join the Coalition for Life.

First of all, I have to say that this book completely changed my perception of organizations like Planned Parenthood. It gave me a compassion for the people who work there, and showed me that they have compassion for women going through an unwanted pregnancy, just like people on the other side of the abortion debate. They have a heart for hurting women, and their intentions are nothing but good. They just happen to disagree with people like me on the abortion debate.

I personally am 100% against abortion. It hurts my heart so much to know that I would give almost anything to have a baby, and there are women out there who are purposely ending their pregnancies.

However...

Sometimes the way I see pro-lifers going about trying to change others' opinions on the matter is just as offensive to me. And I'm not saying this to judge anyone, because I used to be the same way. I used to have debates with a certain friend on this issue that I'm sure have pushed her further in the other direction because I went about it the wrong way.

I could sit here and argue all the points against abortion all day long. But I think we've all heard all the arguments for and against this issue already. I'm confident that there's nothing anybody could say that would change my stance on this issue. And the thing is, that's probably true of a lot of people on the other side of the argument. I've read some Christian blogs who've written about this issue, and I think that by arguing their point further and further, they've just turned off the people on the other side, and made them more hateful of us, and also made them more adamant about their own opinions.

This book has shown me that instead of arguing, protesting, and ultimately hating one another, it is so much more important to show each other love and compassion. Jesus did not change people by arguing and protesting. He won the people over by His loving and compassionate words and actions, and then lives were changed. I have learned it is much more important to love others than it is to be "right."

I don't think you will ever find me arguing about the abortion issue, because I don't want to turn anyone off from Christians or other pro-life supporters. But in the past year or two, I've decided there is one issue that I would love to promote. And that is:

Adoption.

I can't tell you how much my eyes have been opened in the past year-and-a-half about adoption. As someone who is struggling to start a family, I have considered the idea of possibly adopting someday. I even think I'd like to adopt if we are able to have children of our own. (Luke and I haven't really seriously discussed this yet, so I'm just talking and dreaming here). I think it is such a noble thing for someone to do to go through pregnancy for 9 months, and then give the gift of a child to someone who so desperately wants to be a parent.

I don't understand why God let's couples go through infertility. And I don't understand why He lets so many women become pregnant who are not ready. It all comes down to the fact that we live in a fallen world, and bad things happen. But to me, adoption is the beautiful solution to such ugly problems. Maybe God let's couples go through infertility because He knows they can provide the loving home for a baby that the biological parents just can't. It's such a beautiful thing to me!

I hope I have not ruffled too many feathers today. But this book has brought a lot of things to mind, and has had me mulling them over in my mind for weeks. So I knew I had to share some of my thoughts.

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts? And if you haven't read it, it is eye-opening, no matter on which side of the issue you stand.

Here Burns My Candle: A Book Review

I am part of a program called Blogging for Books through the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing group. It is a great program! Basically, I get free books just by reviewing them on my blog. If you like to read, you should sign up!

I recently read the book Here Burns my Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs. I met Liz a few years ago when she was the speaker at a Christian conference I attended, so I thought it was about time to read a book of hers. She was an amazing speaker at the conference, and her writing did not disappoint either.

Here Burns my Candle is a historical fiction novel set in Edinburgh, Scotland in the mid 1700s. I won't give too much away, but it is based upon the Old Testament story of Ruth and Naomi.

First I will say that the book was very slow-moving at the beginning. I had a very hard time becoming interested, and would let the book set unopened for days at a time. However, around page 200, the drama quickly picked up, and I could not put the book down! Higgs takes a long time setting up the back story and the characters, but once it's all in place, she takes the reader on a very exciting ride!

I have always loved the Biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, and Higgs does a great job of bringing the story to life in a new setting. The Biblical story and this new fictional story weave together perfectly. The feelings and emotions of the characters were so real they were almost palpable. I was so engrossed in the story that I found myself shedding a few tears during multiple parts of it.

Although difficult to get into, this book was definitely worth the read. I am excited to read the sequel, Mine is the Night.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this Review. All opinions are my own

Summer Reading

Here's what my view has looked like for a good portion of this week:

I was sitting behind the computer at the church library, getting more books entered into our electronic system, and out on the shelves for a few hours each day.

I have always loved the atmosphere of a library. It's just so peaceful when it's quiet and filled with so many books! As I was sitting there working on things, it obviously put me in the mood to read. Just last night, I spent hours and hours reading. And even though I have three books at home I wanted to read, I couldn't help but check out one book for myself at the library, too.

In honor of the library opening and my passion for reading, today I thought I'd make a list of all the books I hope to read this summer.

1. Here Burns my Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

This book took forever to get into. I've literally been reading it since March. By about page 200, I was finally interested, and since then, I haven't been able to put it down. It's a historical fiction novel set in Edinburgh, Scotland in the mid 1700s. I won't give too much away, but it is based upon the Old Testament story of Ruth and Naomi. I plan to finish it today!

2. Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

I read "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge last winter when I found it for $1 in a thrift store. It was great, and helped me see into the male psyche. When I was unloading books from boxes yesterday at the library, I came across this gem. I knew I had to check it out, because I had heard so many great things about it! I believe it's about women and embracing our femininity.

3. So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore

I decided to read this book because when it came out, the Christian blogger community was just abuzz about it. I can't wait to read my first Beth Moore book, and I know it's going to be amazing.

4. Something Blue by Emily Griffin
I read "Something Borrowed" this winter, and couldn't put it down. I knew I had to read the sequel, "Something Blue!"

5-9: The rest of the books in the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (from The Prisoner of Azkaban on)
I've been planning to read these for years, and just haven't gotten around to it. So I'm making it a priority this summer! I want to finish before the last movie comes out.

10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I found this book at a thrift store for $.50. I had heard great things about it, and obviously couldn't pass it up at that price! I bought it in January, but I'm glad I finally have time to read it now that school's out.

11. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
This Philippa Gregory story comes chronologically next in line after "The Other Boleyn Girl." I read both "The Constant Princess" and "The Other Boleyn Girl" about two years ago, and LOVED THEM! TOBG is now my favorite book of all time. I found "The Boleyn Inheritance" at Goodwill for a couple dollars (are you seeing a theme here? I don't buy books at full price :-P) and it's just been sitting on my bookshelf for months! I can't wait to read it :-)

12. The Shack by William P. Young
I read half of this book awhile ago, and I'm not sure why I never finished it! I tend to be ADD with my reading, and I read more than one book at a time, so most likely I got too caught up reading something else and never finished it. It's such an interesting story, and really makes you think. So I definitely need to see how it ends!

That's 12 books...one for each week. It remains to be seen whether or not I can read that many books! But with all my free time, It's possible.

Oh, and there are a few more books I'd love to read again if I get the chance:
I watched the trailer for Breaking Dawn: Part I and got sooo excited, I just HAD to read the whole series again. It comes out in November, I believe, so maybe I'll have time to read them in the fall.

What's on your summer reading list?

Life, in Spite of Me: A Book Review

I mentioned this when I did my first review about a month ago, but sometime before Christmas, I joined a program called Blogging for Books through the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing group. It is a great program! Basically, I get free books just by reviewing them on my blog. If you like to read, you should sign up!

For my second book I chose Life, in Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson, with Tricia Goyer. This book sounded very interesting to me just by the description on the back cover: "She wanted to die; God had other plans."

The book had me hooked from the very first page. It is Kristen's story, chronicling her life before and after her failed suicide attempt at just 17 years old. Her story is unbelievable and miraculous, and simply reading it has strengthened my faith.

We see a dramatic transformation in Kristen's life during the book, which is my favorite part. She changes form a young woman who thought all hope was lost and life wasn't worth living into a woman who found her hope in the Lord and saw amazing things happen because of it. Truly inspirational.

The only little complaint I have is that I thought the book was too short! I would have liked to read more details about Kristen's story. It felt like a brief summary of the events leading up to and following her accident. I would have loved something a little more in depth!

That being said, it was an excellent book, and a very easy read. It helped me to reexamine my faith in God: that He can do the impossible. It also reminded me that God has amazing plans in store for all of us. This book has the potential to change lives, so I highly recommend it.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this Review. All opinions are my own.

Relationship Resources

I wrote this post awhile ago to save for a day when I have no inspiration. Well, today I have inspiration, but it's just too beautiful of a day to spend it at my computer! So here is a post I wrote about my favorite books about relationships, since Valentines Day was this week.

Also, I wrote a post over at In My Twenties about practicing love as a verb instead of just a feeling. Go check it out!

For Single Women:

Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James - A book about waiting for the perfect person, and cultivating a pure relationship

SHE by Rebecca St. James and Linda Hunter Bjorklund - A book about becoming "The Woman You're made to be - Safe, Healthy, Empowered." This book had a big impact on my life.

For Engaged Couples:

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. This book teaches about how we all "speak" in different love languages, and I found it to be very insightful and helpful to read right before we got married.

The Act of Marriage by Tim and Beverly LaHaye. This book is especially good to read if you are saving yourself for marriage. It gives a lot of information and takes a little bit of the stress and pressure off!

For Married Couples:

Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. This is the most helpful relationship book I have ever read, and explains that men need respect while women need love. It sounds simple, but this book changed the way I treat and see my husband in almost every area.

His Needs, Her Needs by Willard F. Harley, Jr. This book will help you understand your spouse and how he (or she...but I doubt any men are reading this ;-) likes to be treated..

What are your favorite books about relationships?

December Happenings

Things around here have felt very Christmasy and wintry lately. I had 2-hour delays on Monday and Tuesday due to the large amount of snow we've had in the past week. We don't usually have this much snow or this cold of temperatures this early in December. It's felt a little weird, and I keep having to remind myself that it's NOT the middle of January! It's been nice, but just a little too cold for my liking.

Yesterday I sent out our Christmas cards! I had so much fun with them. I won't share the actual card yet, because I don't want to ruin it for anyone who is going to receive one, but here is what the envelopes looked like. Ignore all the whited-out spots.
I had fun drawing the little string of lights on each one :-) Have I mentioned that I love Christmas? I feel good now that I have my cards sent out. However, let's not talk about my Christmas shopping. Deal? Deal.

What is it about the frigid temperatures that just suck the energy right out of you? I've had so much trouble staying motivated this week! But at the end of each day, after I'm finally done with everything I have to do, I have loved snuggling under a warm blanket, stretching out on our new couch, and reading stories from this book:

This is a very special book to me. My dad had to go on one or two trips a year for his job while I was growing up. We always missed him when he was gone, but he always brought us special gifts when he returned. They were special because we knew that for Christmas and birthdays, Mom usually picked out most of our gifts. But these were things specifically from Dad. I can't remember where he went on the trip that he bought me this book, but it was probably in 1996 when I was in 6th grade. He brought me "Christmas with Anne." I LOVED the book!The book is full of excerpts from stories by L.M. Montgomery (the author of the Anne of Green Gables series), and they are all about Christmas! I remember sitting on our window seat when I was about 12 with a beautiful, snowy landscape in view, and reading this book for two days straight. I devoured it!

And 14 years later, I'm enjoying it just much! I am too busy to read it in one or two sittings now, and I usually fall asleep after reading just a chapter or two each night, but it is such a peaceful way to end the day. As I have said about so many of my other favorite books, I can't wait to read it with my daughter(s) someday. Let's hope I have at least one. If I have all boys, I just won't know what to do with them!! (Just kidding, I'm sure I'll figure it out if it comes to that :-)).

This Saturday I think I'll begin my Christmas baking. I don't really know what I'm going to do with all of the things I bake, but I'm sure I'll find someone to give them to! I like baking all through the month of December. That way, when people come over, I always have something Christmasy to feed them :-) And if I go to a party or whatever else, I have something to bring. Also, I like to give a lot to my grandma who lives in the apartment downstairs. She has a sweet tooth just like me! That must be where I got it...

I'm not sure what I'll make on Saturday, but I can't get peppermint bark off my mind, so that will probably be in the mix. Maybe I'll make some Russian tea cakes, which are my all-time favorite Christmas cookie. Although that probably wouldn't be smart, because my waist-line and rear end will be cursing me the whole Christmas season for that!

I hope you're enjoying this season as much as I am! It's definitely the most wonderful time of the year, if you ask me!!

The Battlefield - Week 4

On Tuesdays I am doing a Bible study of the book "The Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer. It's a great book, and I encourage anyone to read it!

Last week I wrote about how I was going to try to have a positive outlook on my life, and to work on praying and reciting scripture aloud to fight away mind-binding spirits.

Well this past week has been a doozy, I guess you could say :-) I was extremely stressed out about some things having to do with the beginning of the school year. I had to fight some very worrisome thoughts. I always struggle with this, but this week it was much worse than usual, even. But I did try to pray aloud and recite scripture aloud, and it helped! The verse that I proclaimed as my own this week was Psalm 28:7 -

"The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to him in song."

I inevitably faced the things that were causing me so much stress on opening day at work. Everything turned out fine, as I knew it would. But once the worry was gone, I had to face something else this weekend and today!

I've been having trouble sleeping lately, school is starting, I've been sick, and getting up at 5:50 in the morning is not helping. I have been fighting this horrible mood for about three days now! I feel so bad for Luke. I have had to keep myself distanced from him because I keep blowing up at him for really stupid things. I feel really bad for him! I'm pretty much Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde over here. These crazy mood swings are something I haven't dealt with in a long time, and I am not dealing well! I've been trying to fight the negative thoughts and the complaining, but it is so hard! I'm working on it, though. I'm chalking it up to being a little stressed out and overly tired, and I'm trying to focus on the things that I'm thankful for to ward off the anger. Funny that the week I read about staying positive is the week when I'm feeling sooo negative. It's good practice, I guess :-)

Okay, now onto this week. Chapters 7 & 8.

Chapter 7: Think about what You're Thinking about

This chapter sounds simple enough: We need to really think about what we are thinking about. I have sort of been doing this since I started reading the book a few weeks ago (because I knew this chapter was coming up. Ha! Remember, I read it a year ago, too). I've found that I think about things that worry me a lot, and I dwell on problems or negative things a lot too. I also struggle with envious thoughts.

This chapter talks about how important it is for us to meditate on God's word. The more we meditate and delve deeply into the word, the more wisdom we will have, and the more likely we will be to dwell on Good things, i.e. The Word, instead of the bad things.

One thing that really stuck out to me in the chapter was when Joyce pointed out that when we're upset, we usually blame it on things that are going on AROUND us. But really, we are probably upset because of things that are going on WITHIN us. This is so true! This is a really good thing to keep in mind.

Chapter 8: When is my Mind Normal?

In this chapter, Joyce speaks about how our "normal" mind should be. "Normal" meaning, how God wants it to be without all the lies and bad thoughts from the enemy.

Basically, the "normal" mind should be calm. At peace. No crazy, wandering thoughts or panic, worry, confusion, etc. Because if our mind is calm, we can hear the "still, small voice" of the Holy Spirit. If our minds are not at peace, more often than not, we will miss what the Lord is trying to tell us.

Application:

I will work on MEDITATING on the word this week instead of just reading it. I will reflect on what I've read and pray that God brings a deeper understanding and more wisdom to me.

I will also pay attention, again, to the kinds of thoughts I am having. And I will try to keep my mind calm, avoiding panic and worry. Basically this will just be more of what I did all week last week!

The Battlefield - Week 3

On Tuesdays I am doing a Bible study of the book "The Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer. It's a great book, and I encourage anyone to read it!

This week I kept trying to be aware of my thoughts, and what I needed to change. The thing I noticed most that, as I mentioned last week, I worried. A lot! Especially with the summer coming to an end, I worried all the time about the new school year starting. It was ridiculous!

I really did try to keep those thoughts at bay. Whenever I felt myself worrying and getting that sinking feeling in my stomach that comes along with stress, I would pray that God would take away the stress, and I would try to busy my mind with something else. As I read about last week, it is a struggle, and it will take a lot of time, so I am being patient and making little baby steps each day.

Today I am going to study chapters 5 and 6 of The Battlefield of the Mind.

Chapter 5: Be Positive

In this chapter I learned about being a positive vs. a negative person. Both positive and negative people have good and bad things that happen to them. But a positive person chooses to hope and see the good in a situation, while a negative person chooses to expect the worst, and see only the bad in a situation.

Honestly, I do not see myself as a negative person. Sure, I complain sometimes, and get upset every once in awhile. But I feel like for the most part, I have a good outlook on life, and a lot of hope. It is in those moments when everything feels like it's falling apart that I struggle with being positive. And there have been a lot of moments like that in the past year! But I think it all comes back to trusting God, and knowing that he will work ALL situations for good.

Chapter 6: Mind-Binding Spirits

This was a short chapter that warned about "mind-binding spirits," or the evil spirits who feed us lies and try to steer us away from God's path. Joyce says that the best way to be delivered from these spirits is to pray frequently about it, and to recite scripture aloud.

Application:

This week I will try to have an overall positive attitude. And when I'm having moments of doubt or negativity, I will try to be positive, and find joy in the situation.

I will also try to remember to pray aloud when I'm driving each day. And every day I will pick a Bible verse that will become my anthem for the day, and whenever I am feeling frustrated or defeated, I will say it aloud as well.

The Battlefield - Week 2

It's Tuesday, so it's time for me to write about my study through the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer.

Last week I read about how there is always a spiritual battle going on, and that we have to be aware of it. We have to recognize what we are thinking about.

I kept a little journal last week to record some of my thoughts. And what I found was that a lot of my thoughts centered around envy, which is obviously not a good thing. But the majority of my thoughts were worries. I worried about things that I didn't even realize that I was worried about until I wrote them down! I also worried about one major issue which has been a big problem in my life lately. Writing down these thoughts really helped me see the specific areas where I feel like I am being attacked.

Now on to week 2, and chapters 3 and 4.

Chapter 3 - Don't Give up!

This chapter was very short and to the point, and taught me that I shouldn't avoid my problems, but jump in head first! I will never make any progress in my walk with God if I don't fight my battles. It may be a difficult journey, but it will be worth it in the end.

Chapter 4 - Little by Little

What I got out of this chapter is basically that God will probably take His time delivering us from a situation. He wants us to learn to trust Him, that His timing is best, and that our lives are in His hands. I've been coming to terms with this all summer, and you can read this post to see what I mean.

I used to be a dancer, and every time I danced, I would stretch beforehand. My dance instructor made us do splits during our stretching time, and if we were not all the way down, she would put her foot out in front of us and we would have to push down further until we touched her foot, and hold it for a whole minute. When I first started, those stretches HURT. I could barely walk afterward, and I was always so sore the next day. But before long, after weeks and weeks of stretching, I had a beautiful split, completely down with both legs straight. I could do high kicks above my head, extensions, and lots of other tricks. I was a much better dancer after weeks and weeks, and even months and months of stretching.

This is how God works in our lives. He stretches us, and it HURTS, and it takes a lot of time. But when God is finished with us, we will be dancing beautifully. And I think that is what Joyce is trying to say in this short but sweet chapter :-)

Application

This week I will continue to journal my thoughts. I will start to try to change my envious thoughts and worries into praises for what I have. And I will keep in mind that what I'm going through right now may take a long time, and may be painful, but I need to go through it so I can do a beautiful dance when it is all over!

The Battlefield - Week 1

Last fall I attended a Bible study at church. We studied the book "The Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer. I have repeatedly said on this blog that this book has changed my life more than any other book.

Last year, I started reading the book, and the more I read, the more I could tell that I was under spiritual attack. It was crazy! But the book was amazing, and I got through all of it feeling like my relationship with the Lord was so much stronger.

This summer has been insane. Not in a good way. I am going through some things, and I feel like this book would help me out a lot. Just a year ago I read it for the first time, and now I can't believe I'm at such a vastly different place than I was then, and I feel like the book will take on a whole new meaning and significance now.

I've decided to do it just like I did last year: read two chapters a week. And every Tuesday I will write about what I am learning from the book and how I can apply it to my life. That way, it will keep me accountable to keep reading it, and I will have a reference to go back to.

So on week one, I am studying chapters 1 and 2 of The Battlefield.

Chapter 1: The Mind is the Battlefield

This chapter sets up the idea that there is always a spiritual battle going on that we cannot see. It's crazy to think about! Sometimes I feel funny saying that something I'm going through is a "spiritual attack," because I feel like I am reading too much into the situation. But then I look at Ephesians 6:12 - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So yes, we are constantly being lied to and deceived by "spiritual forces of evil." Yikes! That is creepy! But true.

I'm currently reading "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti. It is a pretty great book to be reading while I go through this study. The book is about a fictional town and some evil things going on there. The author tells the story from the perspective of the town inhabitants, but ALSO from the angels and demons who are in spiritual warfare over the town. Although it is fiction, it is an interesting read, because it really makes you think about what is going on beyond the surface of our lives.

Anyway, this first chapter sets up the idea that the mind is a battlefield. We have to be aware of that before any of the rest of the book makes sense. We have to be able to control our mind, because the mind controls our actions.

Chapter 2: A Vital Necessity

This chapter talks a lot about the nature of our thoughts. You are what you think, basically. For example, on days when I am feeling depressed, am I a joy to be around? Absolutely not. I'm sure Luke likes to steer clear of me as much as possible on those days. On days when I am angry, my actions reflect my anger. If I'm having a day where I'm feeling thankful for all of my blessings, I am more fun to be around.

Joyce says it is important for us to think about what we are thinking about. It sounds funny, but it is important. I guess I just let my thoughts come to me. It feels like a natural thing, and not like something we can control. But we CAN control our thoughts. And it is vitally important that we do. Because our thoughts control our actions.

Applications

So how am I going to apply this information to my life this week? Mostly I'm just going to try to be more aware of my thoughts. I'm going to start writing in a personal journal, just recording my honest thoughts each day so I can see what kinds of thoughts I'm having. Are they envious? Angry? Worried? Or joyful?

Once I have figured out which area needs the most work, the rest of the book will be much more helpful.

I will write next Tuesday about chapters 3 and 4.

Here are my initial thoughts about the book the last time I read it.

V-Day Love

I knew as soon as January was over, my life would get a little more exciting again :-) So far in February we've gotten new carpet and redecorated our attic/living room, we've gotten the biggest snowstorm I can remember in a long time, and have consequently had a FUN Saturday sled-riding for the first time in years, had Netflix movie marathons, and I've had a snow day! On top of that, we had a fun party on Saturday. And coming up, we have one of my FAVORITE holidays: Valentines Day!

This week I decided I'd post a lot about V-Day. Because I love it so much :-) Today I thought I'd write about my love for Valentines Day, even back when I was single :-)

Honestly, sometimes I really miss high school me. I was so innocent and even naive and had not a care in the world. I rarely had boyfriends in high school, but had a GREAT group of friends, a wonderful family, and a fun youth group that I was really close to (which Luke just happened to be part of! If only I knew then what I knew now ;-)). I really had nothing to worry about back then besides my grades. I would spend my weekends going to the movies with my friends, or having girl's nights with them where we would stay up way too late talking and giggling. Oh, and I could eat 4,000 calories a day and not gain an ounce. That was nice too ;-) But that's besides the point...

I think my best high school year was my junior year. I was seventeen, young enough to still be under my parents protection yet old enough to start feeling a little freedom. I was a hopeless romantic. I was completely single, but knew that God would write my love story. I knew that my prince charming would sweep my off my feet someday, and all I had to do was sit around and wait for him :-) I just couldn't wait until it happened, but I was okay with the fact that it hadn't yet. Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm glad I was able to hold onto my innocence and be okay just being me. Most of my friends had lots of boyfriends, but I can look back and be glad that I didn't.

So anyway, it was Valentines Day 2002. Seventeen year old me woke up and got ready for school. I'm sure I was wearing a pink sweater. I only wore one color back then ;-) I remember walking downstairs and finding the packages on the kitchen counter: one for me, and one for my sister. Yes, my parents gave us V-Day presents every year growing up, even when we were older. Come to think of it, my mom still gave me one last year! When I was married! lol...anyway...

I opened my package. Inside was chocolate, of course, and a book :

I had seen the movie when it had come out a few weeks before, and it was easily my new favorite. I was so excited when I opened the book, I wanted to skip school and just stay home and read it!

I went through my school day, probably only receiving a few Valentines Day Carnations from my friends (I always hated this V-Day tradition in high school btw! Way to make the single girls feel bad!)

When I got home, I closed myself in my bedroom and devoured my new book. I read it all that evening. I cried, and I just knew that real love would be like the love that Jamie and Landon had for each other. Then I ate some chocolate, took a relaxing bubble bath, and watched a chick flick or two. I let my imagination run wild about when I would finally fall in love and have a boy that would do anything for me like Landon would do anything for Jamie. Oh my goodness, the part in the movie when Landon helps Jamie accomplish some of the goals in her life list STILL makes my heart skip a beat. After approximately 3,782 viewings :-P When he puts the butterfly tattoo on her shoulder, and then takes her to the state line so she can "be in two places at once." Ahh, it still gets to me! My absolute favorite part is when they are in the play together, Jamie sings her song looking absolutely beautiful, and then they spontaneously kiss while the curtain closes. Be still my teenage heart!

So anyway, all that to say I love Valentines Day. I've always loved it. For me it was an excuse to be girly and to celebrate the day that I would finally find my "Landon." Well guess what! I found him! A mere two-and-a-half years after that special, single Valentines Day :-)

This Saturday, Luke is having a bunch of guys over to play video games and do other guy things (I'm so glad I'm a girl!! :-P) And I think I decided I'm going to read and watch "A Walk to Remember." to get me in the romantic mood for Valentines Day on Sunday. I have some fun things planned (as long as I can get to town sometime in the next few days in this horrible weather!) But I'll write about those later. Enjoy this week! And even if you're single, celebrate your single-dom, and the fact that God is writing your love story, right now!

Crazy Love

I had my "Crazy Love" (by Francis Chan) Bible study tonight. It was great! This is another life-changing book like "The Battlefield of the Mind" (Joyce Meyer) was in the fall. It is such a simple book, but really kind of slaps you right in the face. We have only studied the first two chapters, but already I can feel my outlook changing. I thought I'd share some tidbits that really stuck out to me tonight:

*Sometimes we need to stop praying for a minute and acknowledge God. Make sure prayer doesn't just become an automatic thing that is a routine.

*God is evidenced by His intricate creation. If we forget the power of God, we need only to look out our windows at the beauty of His creation. Or even just think about the intricacies of the systems in our bodies and how he has orchestrated them together so that they work just like a well-oiled machine. How can you NOT believe in God when you think about things like that?!

*God has a purpose for all of our lives. But we don't need to think about this "purpose" as something far off that we hope to accomplish sometime in our lives. He has a purpose each and every day for us, and we should concentrate on fulfilling that. Whether it's just helping someone out or showing someone love.

*We were created by God and FOR God. Our true purpose is to bring him glory in every situation, each and every day of our lives.

*We are not guaranteed a tomorrow. Or even a next breath. Today could be the day that we see Jesus face to face. If there's anything you would regret about your life if you saw Jesus today, change it! This is the thing that hit me more than anything else. I am done spending my time worrying because if today was my last day, I would regret that I spent so much time and energy worrying about things that I have no control over anyway. God is in control, and when I worry, I limit his power.

I know I just did a book review yesterday, but this is another GREAT book worth checking out! And I'm only about 50 pages in :-)