I have the winner of the Book Giveaway! I made a little video of the drawing process.

Congratulations, Joy Boyer, you won a book! Contact me over email, facebook, or through the “contact me” link on the blog to let me know your address and which book you would like.

Thanks, everyone, for leaving a comment. I may do another giveaway very soon, so stay tuned!

Chris and I are going on a cruise on February 4th. Do you know what that means? It means I am busting my butt in the gym trying to lose weight and tone up before I spend a week in a swimsuit!

Losing weight isn’t really a New Year’s Resolution for me this time around. I was already working on it before the new year rolled around, and I am working toward a very specific goal. I have been going to the gym a lot and really watching my calories. I don’t know if I have ever (healthily) tried so hard to lose weight. So far, I’ve not lost any pounds, but I have lost half an inch off of my waist and half an inch off each thigh. I forgot to measure my hips when I started, so I’m not sure if I’ve lost any inches there. Chris is trying to lose weight, too, and he’s dropping pounds like it’s nothing. We both started a week ago Monday, and he’s already lost twelve pounds. Every day he tells me he’s lost more weight, and every day I want to throw stuff at him. It’s not really fair. I’m trying so hard, but it’s slow going for me.

I’ve never spent much money on a swimsuit before, but, since I’m going to be pretty much living in one for a week in front of lots of people, I’ve been searching the internet for a cute suit.

Here are some of my favorites. Which one do you like best?

Last year was a breathtaking voyage of words for me. I read 72 books just for the pleasure of reading them, and I enjoyed myself immensely. I have read 29 novels, 14 memoirs, 13 theology books, 3 biographies, and the remaining 13 were various topical, non-fiction books.

My favorite novels? “The Help”, “Little Bee”, “The Elegance of the Hedgehog”, “Lolita”, “Stern Men”, and “The Gravedigger’s Daughter”

My favorite memoirs? “Eat, Pray, Love” “Higher Ground” and “Committed”

My favorite theology? “Adopted for Life”, “The Canon of Scripture” and “A Feminist Introduction to Paul”

I thought about trying again in 2012 to read 100 books, but I decided against it. I want to focus on writing words instead of reading massive amounts of them. Oh, I’ll still read lots. I always have and I always will. Just not at such a breakneck rate. If it weren’t for taking five classes during the spring semester, I think I might have actually read 100 books. I guess I’ll never know.

To celebrate 72 books read and an infinite selection of wonderful books ahead of me, I’m having a giveaway. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me the title of your favorite book, and I’ll put your name in the hat. Additionally, if you read any of the books I reviewed after I reviewed it, tell me the title (titles if you read more than one) and I will put your name in again.

What’s the prize? A book, of course! What else? If you win, you can choose between any of the books that I reviewed that I actually own a hard copy of. Obviously, I can’t give away Kindle books or library books. Here is a picture of some of the books that are up for grabs. If you want to read one that isn’t here (these were just the books I had handy), let me know and it’s yours if I have it. Also, if you are the winner and you read a book that I reviewed, I will send you two books of your choice.

Ok? Ok.

Even if you aren’t particularly thrilled with this giveaway, please leave a comment. I’d really love to know who’s reading. It’s extra motivation for a year of more frequent blogging.

That is the end of the part of the post about the giveaway. Feel free to stop reading now. For those who are interested, though, I’m posting a numerical list of the titles of all the books I read this year.

~~

1. Radical by David Platt

2. The Darkest Child: A Novel by Delores Phillips

3. Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

4. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

5. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

6. Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches by Russell D. Moore

7. Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos

8. The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives by Ravi Zacharias

9. The Awakening by Kate Chopin

10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

11. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

12. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

13. Spiritual Parenting: An Awakening for Today’s Families by Michelle Anthony.

14. Gray Matter by David Levy and Joel Kilpatrick

15. A Taste of Heaven by R.C. Sproul

16. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

17. Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus by D.A. Carson

18. Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent

19. Stupid History: Tales of Stupidity, Strangeness and Mythconceptions Throughout The Ages by Leland Gregory

20. I Quit: Stop Thinking Everything is Fine and Change Your Life by Geri Scazzero

21. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbary

22. Naomi and Her Daughters by Walter Wangerin Jr.

23. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

26. The Gravedigger’s Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates

27. What Is The Gospel? By Greg Gilbert

28. Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola & George Barna

29. The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation by Thom S. Rainer & Jess Rainer

30. A Feminist Introduction to Paul by Sandra Hack Polaski

31. The Canon of Scripture by F. F. Bruce

32. Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper

33. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

34. Affirming the Apostles Creed by J. I. Packer

35. Churched: One Kid’s Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess by Matthew Paul Turner

36. The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson

37. Souvenirs of Solitude: Finding Rest in Abba’s Embrace by Brendan Manning

38. Ya-Ya’s in Bloom by Rebecca Wells

39. Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison

40. One Small Boat: The Story of a Little Girl, Lost Then Found by Kathy Harrison

41. Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ by Russell Moore

42. Lucky: A Memoir by Alice Sebold

43. Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

44. The Little Known by Janice Daugharty

45. Hope for the Separated: Wounded Marriages Can Be Healed by Gary Chapman

47. Unplanned by Abby Johnson

49. Missing Mom by Joyce Carol Oates

51. Higher Ground: A Memoir of Salvation Found Then Lost by Carolyn S. Briggs

52. Committed: A Love Story by Elizabeth Gilbert

53. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search For Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert

54. St. Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton

55. Living Close to God: When You’re Not Good At It by Gene Edwards

56. In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life by Sinclair Ferguson

57. A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates

58. The Land of Elyon #1: The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman

59. Beasts by Joyce Carol Oates

60. A Mended and Broken Heart: The Life and Love of St. Francis of Assisi by Wendy Murray

61. Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates

62. The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi by Brother Ugolino

63. The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions by Jeff Manion

64. The Land of Elyon Book #2: Beyond the Valley of Thorns by Patrick Carman

65. Stern Men by Elizabeth Gilbert

66. The Pearl by John Steinbeck

67. Zombie: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates

68. My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather

69. First Love by Joyce Carol Oates

70. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

71. The View From a Monastery by Brother Benet Tvedten

72. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2012 is here. Thank you, God!

I know that 2012 is a year like any other year. It will have good times and bad. There will be highlights and abysmally low points. There always is. However, after my 2011, just the thought of this newborn year gives me hope.

Today is rather symbolic for me, in a way. I woke up this morning and went to church with the kids. I think it’s really cool for January 1st to be a Sunday. I like knowing that I started my year worshiping God. Tonight, I will be at the funeral home to remember my uncle, who passed away unexpectedly. His life was snuffed out and he went to be with God, and that is a reminder to me that any moment could be my last. It really doesn’t feel that way to me. I understand that it is true, but I feel like I’m going to live forever. Bobby’s funeral tonight is a reminder that I won’t.

So, for me, today is a symbol of the year ahead. I have at least this moment to start again. I will make the effort to worship the one who created me…to seek Him and listen for His voice, even in unfamiliar places…because life is a vapor.

Hope and levity. Light and dark. A beginning and an end.

Hello, 2012. Please be kind.

I took a daycation today. I have been really down and depressed, and a recent decision I had to make has taken me off the charts on the sadness scale. So…I took a vacation for a day!

How does one take a daycation? Well, I chose to begin my day by sleeping in. The kids spent the night with Chris last night, and he took them to school, picked them up, and kept them all day today. I slept until about eight thirty. After waking up, I ate a bowl of cereal, and then went back to bed and read a couple chapters of a book. I made it to the shower by about ten thirty, got dressed, and went to the salon. I was thrilled that they were running a $29 mani/pedi special. When I went inside, there was no wait, and they were playing a song by one of my favorite singers (Adele). I finished my book while getting my pedicure, and my nails looked fabulous after the first manicure I’ve had in over a year. I was feeling rather spoiled.

I then left town and headed toward Knoxville. I chatted on the phone with Amy Jo all the way there, and decided to have lunch at Genghis Grill. I had only ate there once before, so it was still kind of a new experience. If you’ve never been there, it’s a Mongolian stir fry place where you fill a bowl full of uncooked meat, veggies, spices, and sauces of your choice, and then they cook it for you and serve it over a starch (rice, noodles, potatoes, etc.). It was really yummy, and I enjoyed it immensely, even without any companionship. Normally, I don’t like doing things alone. In the last couple of months, however, I’ve gotten comfortable with doing some stuff on my own, and have even found it relaxing and enjoyable.

After an early dinner at Genghis Grill, I drove to the artsy theater in West Town and saw the movie, “The Way”. I wasn’t sure what to watch, but I am glad I chose the movie I did. It was really good, and kind of comforting somehow, too. The movie was about a father who sets out on a pilgrimage to a holy site to finish the trek where his son had died shortly after beginning. The father walks across France and Spain spreading his son’s ashes one handful at a time along the way. It was pretty moving, and the location was beautiful. I have added making that pilgrimage myself to my bucket list.

After the movie, I went to the nearby mall. However, I wasn’t taking into consideration that it was Halloween. There were kids in costumes in every congested walkway of the mall. It was kind of depressing actually. Children were simply filing past every store with their hands out where they were given candy by an unenthusiastic employee. I got a cinnabon and left. I ate it in the van while talking to my friend on the phone, and I enjoyed it much more than had I stayed among the vampires and princesses and other assorted trick-or-treaters.

Finally, the cherry on the top of my lovely daycation…a trip to Barnes & Noble. I love bookstores so much. I could easily spend hours and hours in a bookstore. I wandered the aisles for a bit before choosing a book to sit down in a comfy chair to read for a while. I was really enjoying the book, and intend to check it out of my library tomorrow. I perused the bargain books where I scored a $9.95 copy of “Sacred Places: Sites of Spiritual Pilgrimage from Stonehenge to Santiago de Compostela”. I was kind of excited because, among other sacred places, it included the “Way of St James”…Santiago de Compostela…that the movie I watched was about. I also bought some pretty stationary. I stood and coveted a beautiful, leather journal made in Italy for a few minutes. It smelled so wonderful and was, oh, so beautiful. It was thirty bucks, though. So, I will have to return another day to smell the leather and imagine having thoughts beautiful enough to right down in such a book.

When I finally left the bookstore and headed home to my babies, I felt exceedingly better than I had started out the day feeling. I’m really glad I decided to indulge in a day of temporary hedonism. It did wonders for my spirit. I highly recommend a daycation every now and then. With or without a friend, it’s nice to take a day and just immerse yourself in things you enjoy. Try it! I think you’ll like it.

‎”There is a fresh I-don’t-care-ness that accompanies belief in the gospel. Whether you like me or not doesn’t matter, because my worth and my dignity and my identity are anchored in God’s approval. Christ won all of the approval and acceptance I need.”
–Tullian Tchividjian

This is not an easy thing to say, but I need to say it so I can get past the major writer’s block here on my blog. Please be kind in any comments you leave for me. I am hurting, and I don’t need to be kicked. I probably already know why you think it is wrong just as well as you do, anyway. That said…

Chris and I have split up. We have been separated for two months. We are going to get divorced, but we decided yesterday to stay separated for an extended period of time so that, when we do actually get divorced, I will be in a better position than I am now to take care of myself and the kids. It was Chris’ idea to wait. He doesn’t want to get divorced. I agreed to wait because it is beneficial to me and the kids to wait. I will not be blogging about the reasons behind the decision to get divorced. I have already heard from several people who think I’m a very bad person. I will not defend myself by making known things which are no one’s business but ours. I do not want things said to my children that they do not need to know about. I appreciate all of you who already knew about our situation who have reached out to me in kindness. I appreciate those of you who think I’m terrible but have refrained from telling me so. I also appreciate those of you who will respond to this post in kindness. I am definitely learning who my real friends are through this ordeal.

There have been and will be a lot of transitions for our family. The decision to divorce does not take away our family ties, nor would we wish it to. Chris and I have four beautiful children together, and we will do everything in our power to protect their hearts and raise them to love God and love people. We appreciate your prayers…especially prayers for the children. They are going to start public school for the first time in the next week or so. Remember them as you pray that they will adjust well to the differences.

I thought about closing comments on this post, but have decided to leave them open. I am going to trust the good in people to prevail over the desire to “preach”. I’m not going to be blogging anymore specifically about the separation or divorce. I simply wanted to clear the air and not have to worry about what I blog. It’s known that Chris and I are living separate, and I think that’s all that needs to be said. I will however continue to blog my life. Sometimes it feels like this situation is my life, but it’s not.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

I have finished the forty-seventh book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011!

Unplanned by Abby Johnson is a very thought-provoking book. This book tells the story of Abby Johnson, a former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic, who, during an ultrasound-guided abortion she was helping with, realized the brutality and horrific reality of what abortion really is and had to face the dichotomy between her Christian beliefs and her position within the pro-choice culture. She ended up “switching sides” and became an advocate for the Pro-Life movement.

I feel like this book has the potential to make a LOT of people angry, but it will also have the effect of making people think. Johnson is very honest about her own life, including her decision to have two separate abortions herself. She is honest about her struggle differentiating the work that Planned Parenthood does that is legitimately beneficial to women’s health and the work that they do that costs millions of babies their lives. This book is also an inside look into the organization through the eyes of a clinic director.

I recommend this book. It was worth the read.

I also finished my forty-eighth book which was a topical, non-fiction book.

I follow the blog of the Haitian ministry, God’s Littlest Angels. This is an orphan care and adoption ministry that God is using to save a lot of little lives in Haiti. They are in the running for a grant that is decided by votes. Will you click here and go to the Giving of Life website and click the Vote button. All you have to do is vote, and they are a little bit closer to getting the grant money.

You can follow the ministry at their blog, Life in Haiti Goes On.

I have finished the thirtieth book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011.

From Amazon’s website:
“Sandra Hack Polaski introduces readers to the letters and world of Paul, encouraging a critical appreciation of Paul and his writings that does not require a choice between commitment to the scriptures and integrity as a modern feminist. In conversation with the leading interpreters of Paul and considering possible responses to Paul-conformist, resistant, rejectionist, and transformational-Polaski forges her own theory of how to interpret Paul. She reads, emphasizes, and reinterprets overlooked, neglected, misintegrated, or differently interpreted Pauline texts, making visible the invisible and challenging the accepted readings. Polaski uncovers both the ideologies behind the text and the ideologies the text seeks to suppress. She traces the trajectories toward which the texts point even if Paul did not fully follow the trajectories to their logical end. Such a program leads Polaski to find God’s New Creation as the operative center of Pauline thought.”

I posted the above product description, because I felt like I couldn’t do it justice. The folllowing, though, are my own thoughts:

I came across a used copy of A Feminist Introduction to Paul at the used bookstore the other day, and it was almost as if the skies parted and a beam of heavenly light shone down on the book as an angel choir sang in the background. Okay, maybe not exactly like that, but it was pretty darn close. I have struggled with the teachings of Paul for a long time, but my commitment to Scripture held me at an impasse. Sandra Hack Polaski’s in-depth, scholarly take on Paul and his teachings has really helped to illuminate some of the issues that have been like an uncomfortable rock in my shoe. I’m not sure yet how this book has and will affect my belief system, but I can say that I don’t dislike Paul like before. It seems that he may not have been quite the misogynistic oppressor of women that I (in my worst moments) thought he was.

I know a lot of my friends and acquaintances who sometimes read my blog have been freaked out since they first read the title of the book I am reviewing, and I certainly don’t expect anyone to read this book just because I like it. However, for the open-minded, it’s a fresh take on an old conversation, and can help to reconcile a respectful commitment to Scripture with that tug-of-war within the mind of a woman who wants to serve God in the church.