Best Books of 2015

2015 was a slower, more intentional reading year for me.  And that has really been a good thing.  For one,, I've spent a lot more time in the Bible, including reaching my goal of reading through it all chronologically this year.  Besides that, it's been a year that I am very glad to see fading out.  It means a new year with a new slate to write on is just around the corner!

These are the books that stand out of the approximately 28 that I read (next to the Bible, which I just mentioned).

"Snow Treasure" by Marie McSwigan -- In the winter, the children and I did a little "Frozen" unit study, which included learning about Norway.  This was a great tale based on real events and it drew us all in.  A very fun adventure story.








"She is Mine" by Stephanie Fast -- My friend handed me this title early in the year.  I could hardly put it down.  It was shocking, sad, compelling, and amazing all wrapped up in one.  I cried my way through it.  It is the author's story of her childhood as a Korean war orphan, and how the love of God met her through adoption.  Read my friend's review here and check it out for
yourself!





"Teaching from Rest" by Sarah Mackenzie -- This is a title I had seen floating around for quite some time, but I wanted to wait until it was available in print (me and books on computer screens don't get along well).  Though I'll admit that I struggled with reading a book written by a mom of very young children yet (meaning there is a lot to be said for life experience and wisdom that grows with age), I do really like this little book for its reminders to me in my own homeschool journey, which frankly needs a shot-in-the-arm from time to time.  And perhaps a younger mom helps a veteran one find some of that idealism, enthusiasm, and focus with which she began her own home education journey!  She comes from a classical teaching bent, which I don't mind, so just be aware that some of her resources and encouragement lean in that direction.  I found some practical wisdom and encouragement here that I plan to return to.

"Own Your Life" by Sally Clarkson -- I started out the year ready to dive into this book.  But life happened, and I didn't get into it until the fall.  But it was the right time, and I loved this message from Sally.  There is usually a Sally Clarkson title in my annual list, and this is a great one.  I look forward to returning to it as well in my quest to live a life of intention, beauty, purpose, and joy!





"Of Knights and Fair Maidens" by Jeff and Danielle Myers -- I have a great deal of respect for the teaching of Dr. Jeff Myers, so when this edition of their original courtship story was reprinted and on sale, I  knew I wanted to read it.  I have read several books on dating and courtship (including some not-so-great ones).  I think this one presents a balanced view of striving for honor and purity in how young adults treat one another, without tipping the scales toward a fear-based model that never trusts young people who sincerely desire to honor Christ in their relationships.  Jeff Myers is big on mentoring in all the messages I have heard him speak, and so it is not a surprise to find that he is a big advocate of having godly accountability and wise mentors in your life at every stage, including courtship.  I am eager for my daughters to read this title when I can get them to agree that their own stacks aren't too big to add to it!

"A Path Through Suffering" by Elisabeth Elliot -- If you read my post from yesterday, you saw many Elisabeth Elliot quotes, and all of them came from this book.  This one ministered to me tremendously this year and though I haven't read a lot of books on suffering, I'd have to say this is a top one I would recommend!








"What Did You Expect?" by Paul David Tripp -- One of the best marriage books out there!  I'm not sure how well it ministers to young married couples as I have not read many reviews of it written by that demographic.  I often wonder how a young-married person would read it.  I wish I would have read it long ago.  Though as in any book I am sure there are points I don't quite agree on, overall the emphasis on facing just how much our own sin blocks us from loving our spouse well is a necessary reminder.  Marriage is for God's glory, not ours!



"Stepping Up:  A Call to Courageous Manhood" by Dennis Rainey -- I picked up this title when I found it on sale and with the thought that I was going to pass it on to my just-turned-13 son.  But of course I wanted to read it first!  It actually seemed to be most appropriate for seasoned men and for those starting out in marriage and family life.  This book is full of exhortation, great stories of courage, and all throughout I felt Dennis Rainey's passion for this subject.  It is largely a call for men to live their life well and to pass it on to others through mentoring.  I HIGHLY recommend it!  Will I pass it on to my son?  Certainly.  But I think I'll let him mature a bit first and probably wait until he's on the older side of a teenager.  One of the best parts of this book was that it sparked the theme for my son's birthday celebration...COURAGE.

"I Love You, Ronnie" by Ronald and Nancy Reagan -- This past summer, Warrior and I were privileged to take a trip to the Reagan Presidential Library and I wrote about how inspiring that was here.  I picked up this title to bring home because I was taken in by the letters on display in the museum, and by President Reagan's love for his wife.  Everyone knows he is "The Great Communicator" and I loved that this book shined light into his communication with his wife.  Being a words person, I'll admit this book made me kind of swoony.  There was so much to love about it--his wit and humor, how he always found time, even in the midst of White House duties, to bless his wife with words, how they never got used to the times they had to be apart, how she seemed to shine in her role of helping him, and most of all the integrity they maintained in their marriage that seems to be nearly non-existent among the leaders of today.

"Shepherds Abiding" by Jan Karon -- This was my final read of the year, which I read aloud to the children.  I am including it here because it was mostly just a calm, breath of fresh air in the Christmas season.  It was funny and sweet and we all enjoyed it.








These books I personally enjoyed the most, but I did also read numerous titles to my children and spent the majority of read-aloud time between the Little Britches series and "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place" this year, with some "Ballet Shoes" for good measure for my ballerina girls!  Looking forward to a new year of reading, learning, and growing!  And to reading what others have found inspiring in their own readings of 2015!  Please share!

Reagan Presidential Library

So I mentioned that during our California Getaway , that we took an afternoon excursion to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.  I think we both knew that it would be inspiring (and we could use some of that!), but I don't think we knew just how much so it would be!  Warning---LOTS of pictures in this post! :)

We entered here and were on our way.

I would just like to say, that I appreciated the professionalism of this place.  I have never been to any presidential libraries in the country (and I don't think there are many I would even want to visit), so I would imagine they do this in every one.  But from the professional attire of the docents, to the helpful enthusiasm expressed at different points in the museum, I just thought it so respectful and appropriate.

We started with a short film overview of President Reagan's terms in office.  It was only about 3 minutes long, and already the tears were welling up in my eyes.

There is a lot to see and take in here.  And many rooms that depict different aspects of Ronald Reagan's life as well as his presidency.  What strikes us here is how much of a work ethic he developed as a young man.  He did not live a silver-spoon life in his growing-up years.  Yes, he became a "movie star."  But that was one of his goals in life that he determined to work toward, and achieved.  He had a great capacity for communicating, which as you may know, earned him the title The Great Communicator.

I came away with a much deeper understanding of how this was both his gift, and a discipline that he cultivated.  It reminds me that I have a stewardship to develop the gifts that God has uniquely given me.

At this podium/photo prop, each one can take their turn "giving" a Presidential speech!  In the company of other VIP's :) 

One of the highlights for me, personally, was to dwell on this little island that shows Reagan's collection of quotes in his own handwriting.  I do so love the written word, and this display, among others, captures something precious to me----the (quickly-becoming) lost art of handwriting by pen-and-ink.  I often wonder what will become of some aspects of history when all we have is typewritten emails and text messages, and even tele-prompted speeches.  This display alone made me want to write, write, and write some more!

The base of the above display has some of his quotes emblazoned on all four sides.  They were all great, and characteristic of what he believed.

Speaking of letters.....His legacy in letters is astounding.  But the most touching are his love letters to his wife, Nancy.  Oh, they are BEAUTIFUL!

President Reagan certainly had a great wit and sense of humor.  It was even displayed in the moments he entered the hospital after he was shot.  I think this sense of humor is something he and his wife both shared, and it had to have made the heavy responsibilities just a little lighter each day.

There were a few of these cute little telegrams he sent her.  

I am surprised that I did not take more photos in the Nancy Reagan portion of the gallery.  This was a place that really captured my heart (and hence more tears followed).  Mostly because what I saw here was a woman who exuded grace, charm and beauty in that she served her husband well.  She seemed to grow into her public role very well, though I am sure it was very challenging.  I miss the public examples of women who bring finesse and beauty to the things they put their hands to in their capacity as a helpmeet to their husband.  She was event-coordinator-extraordinnaire.  She did raise life above mere existence, not only for her husband, but for others.  And her husband certainly "praised her in the gates," as Proverbs 31 says.  His appreciation for her shines in so many of his public, and private, words. 

On a side note about letters, I noticed a letter written to Nancy from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher upon the death of President Reagan.  I loved how personal it felt between these two women, sharing in a grief.  And Margaret Thatcher was so encouraging of Nancy as a woman walking through grief.  She praised her for how she had witnessed her strength in bearing the sorrow, especially in a public funeral.  It brought such a sense of real.  And a sense of friendship.

Replica of the Oval Office during Reagan's administration--to the exact dimensions!

Of course, there are MANY displays of gifts from leaders around the world, given during the Reagan's travels.  I took this picture primarily for my children.  We had just finished an old "Mickey Mouse Club" movie on "The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of the Applegate Treasure."  It was all about Spanish doubloons and pieces of eight and there was a catchy song at the beginning of every episode.  So I HAD to show them real Pieces of Eight!

One of the primary attractions here is Air Force One.  This one served 7 presidents, if I remember correctly.  It is quite amazing to have one on display in a Presidential Museum!  Cool plane to travel in, for sure!  And Warrior says this one is smaller than its successors.  No pictures allowed inside of it.  But for a price, you too can have your picture taken at the entrance to the plane with your lovely Presidential and First Lady wave!

And Marine One--the presidential helicopter.  Not as posh as Air Force One, but certainly comfy seating for a helicopter!

At this point we were only about halfway through the museum!  So we paused for some lunch at a little sandwich shoppe made in the replica of an Irish pub that the President visited (he has Irish roots).  It was a most excellent sandwich! :)

This doesn't do justice to the view.  It is quite a lovely view from atop the hill where the museum is.  Since our family are Roy Rogers fans, I couldn't help but think of Roy Rogers movie sets everywhere I looked.  (The names of towns were certainly reminders as well!)

My girls would find this the fun part of the museum, since it is primarily about his ranch life....and horses!  Here is a saddle collection (and some belt buckles).

Quote which my girls very much believe.  We have a cup that attributes a similar quote to Winston Churchill.  So maybe this is one he borrowed?

Just a ride with the President.

My moment to capture the gorgeous Southern California flowers!

A piece of the Berlin Wall.  WOW!  So appropriate that they would display one here.

With all these photos, you might think I spoiled it and showed you the whole museum.  But I promise I didn't!  There is a lot to see here, and different aspects will stand out to different people.  There are galleries full of exploring his role in the fall of Communism in Russia, his boyhood, the assassination attempt on his life, the Iran-Contra affair, and more, all the way up to his death and funeral.  In all, a very honoring tribute to an honorable President.  His life represents one of character, integrity, and humility (when is the last time you heard a President publicly apologize for something that happened under his watch, even if he was not directly involved?). 

They've done a fine job of paying tribute to President Ronald Reagan.

If you visit here, I do recommend giving yourself a minimum of 4 hours.  At least if you are a history afficionado.  I suppose you might breeze through it faster if you don't care to read much.  But you might be surprised!  At many museums I have a hard time reading through what's written, even though I really love American history in particular.  But this one had my attention from start to finish.  Except for maybe small portions on the economy.

Of course, almost every museum tour, lands you in the gift shop at the end.  I wanted to be careful here, but I chose two primary books that captured my attention.

I'm looking forward to spending time with these in the coming weeks.

If you are ever in Southern California and have yet to venture to this museum, I highly recommend it!  I think I left with, on one hand, a sadness for where our country has gone since his era of leadership, and on the other hand, a renewed and profound respect for great leaders and for history, a deep gratitude for true, loyal love stories such as theirs, and the desire to try my best to preserve a legacy in letters to my loved ones--to keep at that discipline of writing!

My Favorite Reads of 2013

As I recap my reading list for the year, I am grateful to have reached my "40 books" benchmark once again.  This seems to be my pattern for this season of life, and I did have to squeeze in finishing a couple of them in order to reach that benchmark.  But it is a worthy goal to work toward!

The past couple of years I have given a "top 11 or 12" list according to the year.  But I'm not doing that this year.  For one, I just find it hard to select that many "top" books this year.  Don't get me wrong.  I do have some definite favorites.  But perhaps not thirteen of them this year.  Or even ten.  So I will briefly review the ones that stood out to me this year.  Maybe you'll find some to add to your own reading list, whether your personal reading, or reading aloud to your dear children or grandchildren.  This year's favorites are admittedly mostly composed of books I read aloud to my children!  What fun memories they have made.

These are not necessarily listed in any order.  I'm just going to list them as they appear chronologically on my own list.  I'm not going to write much about them, so you will have to investigate them for yourselves.

1.  "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge.  A delightful read all around.  It reads a bit like a fairy tale, but more believable.  I took away some gem quotes from this story, and we just really enjoyed it together.

2.  "Blue Willow" by Doris Gates.  I have a friend who loves this story and even bought her granddaughters their own blue willow plates to go with the book.  I thought that a beautiful little idea that I might just have to tuck away for someday.  This story was a gem, full of the elements that make a story wholesome and good.

3.  "Treasures of the Snow" by Patricia St. John.  So far, I have read only two of Patricia St. John's titles.  I enjoyed this one more than the last only because I didn't like the evil "villain" in the other story.  But she writes excellent stories of redemption.  Stories that have the power to make you cry (which I did) for both injustices, and for the transformation of character.  If you are familiar with Lamplighter Publishing or Lamplighter Theater, her stories fit right in to that "genre."

4.  "Little Britches" by Ralph Moody.  Having a bunch of "country dreamers" in my house, this book was well-loved.  I did edit out the language episodes that appear periodically as part of the "rough and tough Western culture" (and appreciated the many, many reviews of this series over the years that warn you about that element, so I could be forewarned).  I think I cried in this book too.  The children are all eager to read the next book in the series.

5.  "Candy Bomber:  The Story of the Berlin Airlift's 'Chocolate Pilot'" by Michael O. Tunnell.  What can I say about this book?  It is an incredibly heartwarming account of a man, Lt. Gail Halvorson, also known as "Uncle Wiggly Wings," who touched thousands of lives by dropping candy from an airplane.  His legacy still stands for how he used his military career to care for the war-torn, divided, hurting people of Berlin.  Tender Warrior read this one to us all and everyone kept asking him to keep reading.  We all loved it!

6.  "Alone, Yet Not Alone" by Tracy Leininger Craven is the story of her ancestors, sisters who were captured by Indians during the French and Indian War.  We wanted to read this one before National Bible Bee since they would be showing the movie there as an optional activity (which we ended up not seeing anyway for lack of time).  It is a bit on the "scary" side, so I would caution reading this to children younger than ten without some editing.  It is simply written, as the author wrote this story as a young girl, but is a touching story of how God used some tragic events in the lives of these women and carried them through.**As a side note, the book linked here is not the same edition as the one I own.  I do not know if the book has been at all changed to "fit" the movie.  I read one review that suggested this.

7.  "On the Shoulders of Hobbits" by Louis Markos is a bit of an intellectual study of virtue on Tolkien and Lewis. It is largely about the power of story to convey truths about virtues (and vices), which is not a particularly novel concept, but the author does do a good job of pulling these out of the stories.  If you like Tolkien and Lewis, you will probably glean something valuable from this book.

8.  "Hannah Coulter" by Wendell Berry was an interesting fictional story of a woman's life and love and family life in rural America post World War II (primarily).  I found many truths interspersed in this story and many beautiful descriptions of real life.  As with many fictional stories, there are portions I did not care for.  But I found it a very telling study in family life which can communicate powerfully to us today.  This is the only book of Wendell Berry's that I have read so far.  I know he has a whole series of tales on the Coulter family.  I picked this one up after seeing a trusted recommendation, and I enjoyed it.  As I don't spend much time in adult fiction, it might be awhile before I pick up another.  But I would like to read another of Berry's works on this family.

9.  "The Greatest Gift" by Ann Voskamp.  I was at first hesitant to pick this one up, thinking it would end up being just a hard copy of her original  Jesse Tree devotional booklet that I already have.  I was not disappointed!  These are all new devotionals for the Christmas season and I found them insightful, stirring and thought-provoking and just the right thing for my personal Advent devotionals this year. I will be returning to this one again!

It's been a grand year of reading, once again, and I am so thankful to be able to even enjoy the ability to engage with the world of words in story, prose, and teaching.  It still holds true that when I sit down and start reading aloud, everyone drops what they are doing and comes to the living room!  I am grateful for the power of words well-written, well-chosen, and well-told.

A Happy New Year of reading adventures to you all!

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

― C.S. Lewis

linking up today at:

Who Shall Deliver Me?

Now you might be thinking that perhaps my life is so put together and pretty, after the previous two posts on the joyful celebrations we've shared.  But it simply isn't true.  To be quite honest, there are days of deep struggle, conflict, and pain.  And those aren't so lovely or beautiful.  But as this place is where I write of how I look for the beauty that is in all things, yes, even the hard and ugly, I needed to write here today to collect my thoughts.  More than that, what I sincerely desire is to speak the Words of Gospel life into my heart in a way that truly impacts it.  Somehow going around just thinking thoughts to myself doesn't always feel very productive or helpful in achieving that goal--though I do believe it is right and necessary as well.  John Piper has said that writing helps us see things in a way we do not otherwise see.  I have always felt and understood this to be true in my own processing of what God is doing in my life.

This morning I came to my quiet reading desk where I spend time in Bible study and prayer.  The tears started flowing as soon as I read what I was "supposed" to be studying this morning.  A cloud of condemnation, waves of doubt, even a crisis of faith.

I came to the breakfast table a little while later and saw the Tabletalk magazine sitting there with the topic this month of "The Seven Deadly Fears."  I skimmed through what those fears were.  I landed on one, thinking it would speak most to where I was, but actually discovered it was another.  And in His Providence, every word of this article spoke directly to my present struggle.  I will likely spend a lot of time quoting because this is just the tool God used to direct me back to His Word this morning--and just what I needed to preach the gospel to my heart today.

WHO SHALL DELIVER ME?

God strengthen me to bear myself;
That heaviest weight of all to bear,
Inalienable weight of care.
 

All others are outside myself;
I lock my door and bar them out
The turmoil, tedium, gad-about.
 

I lock my door upon myself,
And bar them out; but who shall wall
Self from myself, most loathed of all?
 

If I could once lay down myself,
And start self-purged upon the race
That all must run ! Death runs apace.
 

If I could set aside myself,
And start with lightened heart upon
The road by all men overgone!
 

God harden me against myself,
This coward with pathetic voice
Who craves for ease and rest and joys
 

Myself, arch-traitor to myself ;
My hollowest friend, my deadliest foe,
My clog whatever road I go.
 

Yet One there is can curb myself,
Can roll the strangling load from me
Break off the yoke and set me free

 

~Christina Rossetti

 

 

This poem is quite a depiction of the internal struggle with self and the condemnation that so often plagues, as Paul so aptly explains for us in Romans 7:24..  If you have not guessed, the fear that this article addresses is "Fear of Self."  Right away, after a brief analysis of this poem, the author of the article, Kris Lundgaard,  makes this statement.  And I find it perfect.

 

"The beauty of the Bible is that it never leaves us to think we are alone in our fears."

 

I've found that word I was looking for......BEAUTY.

 

 

What was Paul's response to his own desperate cry?  To start preaching to himself.

 

"I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."  (Romans 7:25, NKJV)

 

Anyone else think it frustrating that we can imagine in our minds how obedient we'll be, and know what is the right thing to do, and be powerless to carry it out?

 

Then he continues on:

 

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1, NKJV)

 

 

What I had not noticed before is that Paul models for us how to make this move--how to go from self-condemnation to self-proclamation of the victory that is ours in Christ Jesus.  And it is likely that Paul learned the same from the models given in Psalms, like in Psalms 42 and 43.



 

 

I have spent much time in these Psalms the past year or so, and have only begun to unpack what's here.  These laments show a pattern that encourages me in knowing just how to speak the Gospel into difficult situations.  First, the psalmist shows his thirst and longing for God, yet feels distant and perhaps separated from Him.  Can you relate?  He shows his sense of oppression, and the feeling of being overwhelmed by grief and trouble.  A very deep and troublesome groaning inside (I always think to Romans 8 when I find my spirit so deeply hurting; those groanings that words cannot express). 

 

But then...HOPE rises!  The psalmist begins to turn from his inward laments, his self, toward God. 

 

"Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance."

~Psalm 42:5, NKJV

 

The author of the article again says this well:

 

"As long as the heart searches inward--reckoning up past sins, rehearsing past failures, bemoaning hardships--it will only find reason for self-doubt, discouragement, and fear."

 

Been there.  Am there, perhaps.

 

He continues on:

 

"We must preach the gospel to ourselves.  This demands that we keep our noses in the Bible, listening for God's voice, founding our confidence on Him and His promises rather than on ourselves.  What we will find in the Word is that though 'our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything' (1 John 3:20).  That's right--He searches our hearts more piercingly than our own conscience can, and He knows that we are actually worse than we ever imagined."  (Kris Lundgaard, italics mine)

 

I saw those last words and immediately remembered the Sonship course we took over ten years ago, in which the author was very fond of saying something very close to, "Rejoice!  You are worse than you ever imagined.  But God's grace is greater than you ever imagined."  Somehow it's easier to remember the first statement than the last.  The last statement is where we shine the light of His truth and gospel into our dark places.

 

Preaching this truth to myself has really brought about a peace in my spirit that "rules" over the circumstance.  Perhaps another way we were designed to take dominion in the image of God.  I've never thought of it that way, but it makes sense.  I find that I do have to "rule over" my sinful flesh with the Word of His truth.  Not an easy task...but most essential.

 

"God is on our side--even against our hearts...In fact, the thought that God would turn against us after giving His Son for us, or that the Son would abandon us when He's the very one who died for us and who lives to pray for us--well, the thought beggars the imagination."

 

 

And that, dear friends, is our only hope for deliverance!

 

 

**Quotes, besides the poem by Christina Rossetti and the Bible, are taken from Kris Lundgaard in his article, "Fear of Self," Tabletalk magazine, October 2013.



 



Stay Awake

 

"This is what all the great artists and thinkers do--they stay awake to the wonder of God's world.  Great thinkers are the grateful thankers."
 

~Ann Voskamp
 

"There just isn't any need to complain, because whatever circumstances God sends--rain and snow, sickness, and trouble of various kinds--he sends in order to bless us.  But it is impossible to keep an eye out for God's blessings while harboring a complaining spirit.  Grumbling about hard things blocks our expectation of good things, and if we are not looking for good things, we may fail to see them when they come.  That's part of why thankfulness is so important.  Offering thanks to God, no matter what is going on in our lives, is a way of acknowledging that he knows exactly what he is doing and that we can trust him."
 

~Lydia Brownback, "Joy"
 

"And so I have to say that another of the golden threads is gratitude.

All through that bad time, when Virgil's absence was wearing into us, when "missing" kept renaming itself more and more insistently as "dead" and "lost forever," I was yet grateful.  Sometimes I was grateful because I knew I ought to be, sometimes because I wanted to be, and sometimes a sweet thankfulness came to me on its own, like a singing from somewhere out in the dark.

I was grateful because I knew, even in my fear and grief, that my life had been filled with gifts."
 

~Wendell Berry, "Hannah Coulter"
 

"I am not made for perilous quests," cried Frodo.  "I wish I had never seen the Ring!  Why did it come to me?  Why was I chosen?"

"Such questions cannot be answered," said Gandalf.  "You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not posess; not for power or wisdom, at any rate.  But you have been chosen and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have."
 

~J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring"
 

"It is an extraordinary and beautiful thing that God, in creation, uses precisely the same tools and rules as the artist; he works with the beauty of matter; the reality of things; the discoveries of the senses, all five of them; so that we, in turn, may hear the grass growing; see a face springing to life in love and laughter; feel another human hand or the velvet of a puppy's ear; taste food prepared and offered in love; smell--oh, so many things:  food, sewers, each other, flowers, books, new-mown grass, dirt...

Here, in the offerings of creation, the oblations of story and song, are our glimpses of truth."
 

~Madeleine L'Engle, "Glimpses of Grace"

Thoughts I want to take to heart in a new year.  A year for me I hope will be characterized by more "quiet" and better "habit"; not meaning, of course, that I expect my life or surroundings to be "quiet" always.  Just that I want to stay awake to these words and to the work of God in me, in those I love, and in His great and glorious creation around me.

I'm off to get out of "the fog" that is characteristic of our climate this time of year, and find some sunshine.  Off to be awake to the wonder of God's world around me and to stir up some beauty and creativity.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
 

~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My Top Twelve Books of 2012

As 2012 closes out, I enjoy looking over the list of books I have read this year.  I am happy to be keeping my average of at least 40 books in a year.  Mind you, this does not include the MANY picture books I read to my children, but is a compilation of personal reads mixed with chapter books or read-alouds with my children.

Here are my favorite 12 of 2012 (not in any ranking order...that would be just a little too hard, but I do honestly have a few that stand out here).  This is probably more of a chronological list of when they were finished.



1.  "Loving the Little Years" by Rachel Jankovic---a humorous and insightful little book to inspire me in the love and care of my littles.  Will certainly go on my re-read list.







2.  "Keeping House" by Margaret Kim Peterson---I really loved this book for its theological underpinnings about something that might seem so mundane to us homekeepers.  It gave me fresh vision on home duties at a time where I felt bogged down in the everyday, and less-than-inspired.  I promptly finished this book and handed it to my teen daughters, who also enjoyed lessons in the "whys" of what we do.




 3.  "Hans Brinker of the Silver Skates" by Mary Mapes Dodge---This one is one of my treasures from my grandmother's book shelf. I've had it on the "to-read" list for quite some time.  We read this aloud in mid-winter, which was perfect with the Holland setting and talk of (ice) skating.  We enjoyed this classic literature piece, which was a heartwarming story.







4.  "Raising Real Men" by Hal and Melanie Young---I reviewed this book here.  Definitely a must-read if you have boys.  My favorite practical book on raising boys!





5.  "The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Romance" by Heidi St. John---I also reviewed this one.  Loved her humorous and very real writing style on a topic that is of great necessity to home-educating mothers.  I also read her "Guide to Daylight" on time management, which is also excellent (and hence, I squeeze in another favorite book without actually listing it!)










6.  "Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey"---a fun biographical read to encounter in my month of British "library-books-on-hold-that-all-arrived-at-the-same-time."  A fascinating read, which I discussed a bit more here.


 7.  "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom---our Bible Bee studies this year served as a catalyst to also get us back into missionary biographies and stories of great heroes of the faith.  Since this had also been a book I wanted to read aloud for some time, this was the year.  We appreciated it deeply for all of the reasons that make it a great in Christian history.  It was brought to life all the more because we actually had opportunity to visit the Ten Boom museum in Holland when my now-big- girls were small.  One of our favorite picture memories of that trip was a photo of them standing in that hiding place.  Powerful and stirring.


8.  "Almost Amish" by Nancy Sleeth---I checked this book out from the library and it was a stirring read for me.  Though I do not subscribe to romanticizing the Amish or their way of life, I did appreciate some of the lessons this woman gleaned from their lifestyle that can be very thought-provoking.  Mostly this book had me thinking about community and simple living.  I really liked hearing how this woman and her family mades some drastic changes in their lifestyle and how they were benefiting from it.  I thought long and hard about this book and it's one that had staying power with me.


9.  "A Woman's Wisdom" by Lydia Brownback---This book came by high recommendation of a very trusted friend and fellow-reader.  In fact, a few of my top 12 books did.  When it comes to this genre of books in particular, I usually know that if she has high recommendations I am going to feel the same way.  And I was right!  I had some of Brownback's books "marked" for a someday read, but when I saw this one, I jumped at the giveaway (and won!).  I'm so glad I did.  This is a certain re-read.  This book is greatly convicting and was very needful for me, personally.  I add my highest recommendation to this one!



10.  "The Homestead Blessings Cookbook"---by the West Ladies.  Well, it is a cookbook.  Which means it isn't necessarily a reading book, though there are several vignettes to read in it.  But I like this little gem for me and my homestead-loving daughters.  It's been fun to try a whole lot of these recipes.  We still want an outdoor kitchen someday.




11. "The Thunder" by Douglas Bond---We have read many books aloud by Douglas Bond.  I think the Mr. Pipes books are our favorites.  The "Crown and Covenant" series are interesting and we do need to know about the sacrifices and difficult circumstances our Scottish ancestors lived through for the cause of Christ, but the graphic descriptions are often hard for my feminine side to stomach (so I sometimes edit while reading aloud).  While "The Thunder" certainly does not sugar-coat anything, it was a bit less graphic and I just appreciated the whole story about one of our heroes of the faith, John Knox.  My older children constantly asked for me to read another chapter.



12.  "The Fruitful Wife" by Hayley DiMarco---Oh.  my.  What can I possibly say about this book, except that it should be read by every Christian wife who is serious about growing in the fruit of the spirit (which should be all of us).  I liked DiMarco's honest reflections (and I said "ouch" just a few too many times because I have a feeling her personality is a bit like mine)--they add credibility to her writing without detracting from her message and focusing too much on her self.  This book is hard-hitting, yet encouraging and I will be revisiting this book again in the near future.

Now I'm off to start pondering my reads for 2013!  Looking forward to more biographies, more read-alouds (the best time of every day), a couple of classics, more stirring reads, some fun reads, and how it all will (hopefully) grow and change me and the ones I love!  Happy New Year!