2018 - book 31

Pages 244

I liked this book.  There are no perfect parenting books (other than the Bible).  I find it helpful to read a bunch of different ones and pick things that apply to my children and me.  A friend lent this one to me and I learned a few things.  I passed it on to another friend when I finished. 

2018 - Book 30

Pages: too many

I don't have a problem with much of the content.  I found the authors writing style annoying.  The most obnoxious thing about the book is the formatting.  My eyes hurt from looking at the various fonts and sizes.  The bold and the italics and the underlining...

It bothers me when authors underline, highlight, italic, and bold parts of Bible verses that back up their ideas. The visual clutter really gets in the way and makes my brain distracted from the text. 
 

So, the book was okay... not my favorite...not the absolute worst.  There is good material mixed in with a bunch of extra words.  It isn't one that I will be buying lots of copies to give out to friends. 

I can't think of anything that I learned from the book.  I give it a mheh review and add it to the donate pile. 

End-of-the-semester

I pick a book for my staff each year. This is one of my favorites.

In previous years I have given out:
* When Helping Hurts
* Dispatches From the Front - Tim Keesee

I haven't decided what I will give out next year.  It will depend on what Westminster Theological Seminary's bookstore has one sale. Do you get their emails? I want to buy all the books they recommend.

2018 book 29

Charlotte’s Web
E. B. White
Pages 180

I bawled my eyes out reading ahead in the book while the boys played when Charlotte is left at the fair to die alone. This (and the Hobbit) are enjoyable children’s books to read. They are so well written that I would gladly read them again. I love all the characters in the book, Wilbur, Fern, the sheep, the geese, Templeton, and of course Charlotte. How can you feel so much for a spider? The boys seemed to like this one too. They had lots of questions.

As a comment... I think growing up on a farm has advantages. There is so much to learn about life from observing the seasons and crops and life and death of animals. Our children are so far removed from the food cycle and mating cycle. I don’t know what I am trying to say. Something about how computers and technology don’t always make the quality of life better. Things are more sterile and compartmentalized. I want to expose my kids to real life as much as possible (hiking in the woods, exploring creatures at the beach, catching snack, collecting eggs from chickens, hatching tadpole eggs, etc.). I don’t want them to just read about thing. I want them to see them and touch them and smell them. We lose something when it is all flashing lights in a screen. In some ways we lose closeness from God in technology. Sure, there are tons of resources on the web. But there is something awe inspiring about nature and the stillness of sitting on a porch watching a sunrise or watching a frog swim or observing a plant growing. It helps me focus my mind on who created it.

A sewing project

A friend of ours is having a baby in August! They asked for some teethers like the ones that I made my boys.  Since they don't know if they are having a boy or girl I made two.

 

And look, I used my labels again!!

 

(I actually made these while Jared was studying for his Spring finals... )

I am so far behind is uploading pictures.

2018 book 28

The Diciple Making Parent
By Chap Bettis
Pages: 260

Excellent parenting book. I really appreciated all the ideas for questions that he had to engage your children in conversation and get to know their hearts. Beeke’s 70 Page book on parenting is still my favorite because of the length and depth. But this one is near the top of my list for best parenting books. No one book is perfect and I find it useful to read a bunch and pick out the parts that apply and move on to the next book.

I think this book would make a great study in a group.

A doll cloak

I made this doll cloak for two of my nieces.  I never owned an American Girl doll, just this well-loved Cabbage Patch doll. His name is Dale.  A friend of my parents won him in a raffle before I was born and gave him to me. This was back in the day when they were worth lots of money.

 

My sister gave me my own labels this year.  How fun is that?!?  I have always wanted some. 

 

And here it is actually on the doll.  :)

 

I had grand plans of making several dresses and accessories, but I ran out of time.  The box sat in my room for over two months while I waited for time to make more things.  Finally I shipped it off with just the cloak.  I miss sewing.  I hope to do some more of it soon.  

2018 book 27

Praying the Bible
Donald Whitney
Pages: 96

This book is excellent. Super short. But direct and easy to follow. I am probably going to buy copies of this to hand out to friends. I really enjoyed it.

This fulfills my goal of reading one book on prayer each year. :)

2018 - book 26

What’s the Difference
(Manhood and womanhood defined according to the Bible)
John Piper
Pages: 82

A short little book on the role of men and women in the church for single or married people. It would be interesting to discuss this in a group setting with others, to encourage each other to follow the Bible’s commands and challenge each other where we fall short.

A quote:
My earnest prayer and challenge for you is...
13. That you developed a wartime mentality and lifestyle; that you never forget that life is short , that billions of people hang in the balance of heaven and hell every day, that love of money is spiritual suicide, that the goals of upward mobility (nicer clothes, cars, houses, vacations, food, and hobbies) are a poor and dangerous substitute for the goals of living for Christ with all of your might and maximizing your joy in ministry to people’s needs.

2018 - Book 25

Pages: 150

This is the best Martha Peace book I have read this year (of 4). Each devotional is two to four pages long and is followed by a list of questions on the topic.  There are about 10-15 questions for each chapter.  It is a good conversation starter. My favorite part of the book is the two to three books that are suggested as resources on each topic.  I like that you could go do further research on them if you wanted.  I haven't seen that in many books and I always appreciate book suggestions.

2018 - Book 24

Pages: 190

I read this to the boys. It is cute, but kind of silly. 

2018 - Book 23

Pages: 230

I heard the author interviewed on Fresh Air last year and knew I wanted to read this book. He was discussing all these housing policies that I had never heard. Crazy stuff. Information that we should all know and struggle with. How could former generations have treated people so badly? And how do we do the same thing these days?   It is an excellent book (a bit dry - it is written by a lawyer after all). My children will be reading this book for school when they get older.

The book discusses how many administrations (since slavery was outlawed) have continued practices that have discriminated against people of color.  FDR was one of the worst.  The housing part is so interesting.
* Did you know that returning WWII veterans were denied housing loans by the VA if they were black?
* Did you know that many neighborhoods created covenants that banned the sale of a home to a black person in that neighborhood (and that many of these were sponsored by churches and colleges)?
* Did you know that the FHA would only loan money to developers that would build all white communities and promised to not sell to black people?
* Did you know that when FDR built many of the interstates in the country that they went through black communities and that the government did nothing to help them find alternative housing after they demolished their houses? This forced them to double and triple up in the areas that they were allowed to buy houses in.
* Did you know that projects used to be for middle-income people?
* Did you know that governments would either evict blacks that moved into a white community or allow people to harass them until they moved?

I didn't know. I put it on the list of books that every one should read. It is in my top 5 for this year (I think I have more then 5 in my top 5 by now...)

Here is the author's webpage to read even more of his writing.
I found this article especially fascinating: Five Social Disadvantages That Depress Student Performance (Why Schools Alone Can't Close Achievement Gaps). 
The part about lead poisoning is interesting.

And again I am left with wondering what I can do about this...

2018 - Book 22

Pages: 190

Jared read this to me while I was working on various projects around the house. I read it for the first time two years ago. It is excellent! The Devil character is so creepy. The book always makes me think.

Sunrises and Sunsets

Sometimes I dream of owning a house that overlooks a field and where I can watch sunrises and sunsets from a porch, in my rocking chair or hammock. I probably won’t and I am okay with that. I’m okay with seeing the occasional sunrise or sunset at a friends house or on vacation or on a walk. Because sunrises aren’t the ultimate thing they simply point us to a greater beauty. And what is coming is going to be so much better.

So often when I find myself longing for something it is because it is pointing to something greater. And if I never get to experience the reflections and small glimmers of the ultimate beauty in this life it doesn’t matter because some day I will be able to experience in full. Thinking about these things puts my priorities in order. I don’t have to chase after fleeting pleasures of this world. I don’t need to have it all now. I don’t need to see every sunrise and every sunset.

Now I see but dimly.
Then I shall see face to face.
Now I know in part.
Then I shall know fully.
(Paraphrase) 1 Cor 13

2018 - Book 21

These are the three books in the trilogy. 

The copy I found at the library looked like this.
pages: 250

The boys both loved this trilogy.  We read it in four days. The story and the illustrations are delightful.  The boys were intrigued by the map in the front and back of the book. The story follows a little boy that goes on an adventure to save a baby dragon and the adventures they have together. The boy and animals can talk to each other (that is never explained). The boy leaves home several times for several days or weeks and the parents are perfectly fine with that (that is also never explained).

It was a fun read. We were gifted the books on cd for Christmas and are saving them for a car ride this summer. Do you have any other suggestions for books on tape for kids in a car? I really want to do the Narnia radio theater, but I don't think they are quite old enough... I don't want to ruin it by reading it too early.

2018 - book 20

Pages: 360

5 million people in Ukraine died in the 1932-1933 famine. It was one of several that the USSR used to purge Ukraine of its history, language, and leaders. This one was the worst. 

It was a little slow getting into this book. There was a lot of background information about Ukrainian and Russian relationships in the years leading up to the famine and of several earlier famines caused by Russia. But after that everything else is fascinating, tragic, and awful. Awful in a way that you can't stop reading and wish you could stop what is happening.  

Russia still denies the famine happened today. The last two chapters on the effects of the famine on future generations and politics today is some of the best information in the book.  It really helps frame some of the events that happen in the world today and makes them easier to understand. 

As a side note: This is also the second book this month (April) that I am reading that mentions FDR in a negative light... maybe I should read more about his presidency.  

It rained for five days and five nights.

I love rain. I love grey weather. I love sleeping with the sound of rain. I love playing in the rain and splashing in puddles and getting soaked. We have had five days of steady-never-let-up-crazy-rain-all-day weather. Five day. Five nights. My parent's field has ten inches of water and all my tomatoes and potatoes and strawberries and watermelons will die... my neighbors' yards are flooded... it is a little much. All of the bugs have had enough and are starting to seek dry land (aka my house).

In a more positive spin, because my parent's field flooded thousands of frogs decided it would be a good place to mate. The boys and I caught four pairs of frogs and let them lay eggs in a container. Hopefully we will have baby tadpoles in a week or two. It is more interesting to study the life cycle of frogs with a real life example.

2018 - book 19

Pages: 139

Read to the boys. 

Not a huge fan. 

How is this a classic?

Hiking

We've been doing a lot of hiking (when we are battling stomach illnesses or colds). And we picked the first strawberries of the year.

2018 book 18

Pages: 220

My book loving friend, Caitlin sent me this book hot-off-the-presses. I was as excited as the pictures show and equally surprised. It is wonderful when a friend "gets you" and what you love! Thanks so much, Caitlin. 

This book was amazing and challenging.  I hope to put some of it into practice soon.  I am mulling over and praying about a bunch of ideas. It is exciting (and terrifying) to be on the brink of maybe starting something new. ESL feels like that right now too. 

This is one of my top five books this year.  You should go read it. I'd love to discuss it with you if you do.

I quickly went and purchase 5 more copies to give to friends. :)