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

Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ by Russell Moore is a very good book. It has six chapters, and each chapter is pretty long. They are long because they take a pretty in-depth look at the specific topic the chapter is addressing. I appreciated this thorough treatment of the subject matter. Moore is a good author, and his weaving in of personal stories and examples make this theological book more readable than some others I’ve read.

The book is about the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are but without sin. Moore explains how exactly the three specific temptations Jesus experienced in the wilderness include every temptation that we will face in this life. One of the most interesting things to me was how the specific temptations that Satan presented Jesus with were direct attacks against the Fatherhood of God.

Temptation is an universal and unavoidable reality to humankind, and that makes this book applicable to all of us. I would encourage you to read this book, and I’m certain you will be able to glean something valuable for your own life. I found it really encouraging.

A few quotes I liked:

“You will be tempted exactly as Jesus was, because Jesus was being tempted exactly as we are. You will be tempted with consumption, security, and status. You will be tempted to provide for yourself, to protect yourself, and to exalt yourself. And at the core of these three is a common impulse–to cast off the fatherhood of God.”

“Temptation is so strong in our lives precisely because it’s not about us. Temptation is an assault by the demonic powers on the rival empire of the Messiah.”

“Of course, all our churches have prayer lists for the sick, and many churches go over these lists line by line in the Wednesday night prayer meeting or in the home Bible study group. but let’s be honest, aren’t most of these “prayer requests” more akin to a news bulletin or a public service announcement? When is the last time you saw a church follow the command of the Holy Spirit as to what to do for the sick, as found in James 5:13-15? When is the last time you saw a disease-ravaged Christian call the elders of his church for anointing with oil and fervent prayer for healing? Perhaps if such were more commonplace, the wounded among us would have less reason to drive past our churches to seek out the self-appointed apostle in the carnival tent down the road.”

“No matter what it is that you’re struggling against, you are a sinner, but you are not a freak.”

Well, summer vacation is over at the Harmon house. Monday was our first day back to school, and I will call our first week back a major success. There’s nothing like brand new school supplies to get kids back in the mood for learning. This year, I have three in school. Kyra is in fourth grade, Elijah is in second grade, and Owen is in kindergarten. Abby Jo is the odd man out, so we have been doing some “preschool” activities, too.

We start our day with devotions. I’ve not always been faithful to do this in the past, but I’m going to try really hard to keep this a part of our school day this year. I read a devotion to the kids…something short and sweet with a daily Bible verse from a book of kids’ devotions. After that, we share prayer requests, and then we pray together. The kids each take one of the prayer requests and pray for it. After we pray, we sing a few songs together, and then we get down to business.

For those of you interested in such things, Kyra and Elijah are both using A.C.E. curriculum. This is Elijah’s first year doing PACEs (the name of the workbooks they do…it stands for Packet of Accelerated Christian Education). Kyra is not a huge fan of doing PACEs only, so, as a concession, we are trying something different this year. On Mondays, they do pacework for all five subjects (Math, English, Social Studies, Science, and Word Building…WB is similar to spelling). On Tuesday and Thursday, they do Math, English, and Word Building pacework, and do extra reading. Extra reading is usually a biography, but not always. Kyra is reading about Clara Barton right now, and Elijah is reading about King Tut. On Wednesday and Friday, they do Social Studies and Science pacework, and we do extra things related to these subjects. We are going to be watching the documentary, America: The Story of Us together, and, after that, we will watch other historical documentaries about subjects like US Presidents, the Trail of Tears, etc.  The extra reading and documentaries add a little extra entertainment factor to learning, and it breaks up the monotony of doing only PACEs.

We are pretty relaxed about kindergarten around here. Elijah was my first homeschooled kindergartener, and I feel like I did a pretty good job with him. He tested into third grade Math and Word Building this year, even though he is a second grader. He’s a whiz at addition and subtraction, and he will be learning multiplication this year. He’s also a great reader. I was rather surprised at how much he had improved his reading skills since last school year. The kids are avid readers, and he has been reading all summer. However, he has not read out loud to me. When we started school on Monday, I was shocked at how he was reading right over words I expected to be hard for him (words like “available” and “courageous”) without hesitation. I didn’t use any curriculum for him in kindergarten or first grade. I taught him to read using a book called “Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons”. It was hghly recommended to me by several ladies at church. It worked great for us. For first grade, I just printed off math sheets from the internet, spelling words from the internet, used flash cards, and had him read lots of books. Math and Reading were my focus, and it has really paid off.

So, all that said, I am following the same path this year with Owen. We are using the same “Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons” book, and he is doing great with it so far. We started on Monday, and he’s already reading some easy words, such as “ram”, “eat”, “me”, etc. I got a workbook from Walmart that has general “kindergarten basics” that he really enjoys doing, and I have flash cards that we are working on numbers and counting. He’s different from Elijah in that Elijah was counting to 400 when he started kindergarten, and Owen struggles to count to 20 without forgetting 12. Each kid is different, though, and I know that. Owen is happy and eager to learn. I have a feeling he will be reading pretty well before Christmas. He’s picking it up pretty effortlessly. Time will tell how he does with math, but I’m hoping he doesn’t take after Kyra. She can do math well when she doesn’t tell herself she can’t. Then we have lots of tears and drama. I much prefer he pattern himself after Elijah in the mathematics department.

So, that is our basic homeschooling plan. Chris is back in school this semester trying to get his M.Div. I am the only Harmon not currently pursuing my education, but I’m already considering cutting my “year off” down to a “semester off”. I’m not sure yet. I’m still deciding on what school to go to for my bachelors degree.

We’re not all work and no play, though. We have already had our first field trip. On Friday, after the kids did their Social Studies and Science, we took off for some more science fun at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. I’ll leave you with a few photos from that.

Owen as a deep sea diver.

This was a neat exhibit. The kids had to stick their hands in to feel what was inside, then (I think) they pushed a button to illuminate the box while they peeked through a hole.

In case you have no idea what this picture is about, I am pointing up at the giant turtle skeleton hanging from the ceiling.

Kyra, Owen, and Abby Jo inside of an aquarium.

Elijah cracked me up!

Penguins!

The Penguins were my favorite!

At least my eldest has mastered the art of looking at the camera.

I like to cuddle penguins.

I never said he wasn’t crazy. But, at least he’s cute, too.

My sweet, silly girls chillin’ with the penguin.

He’s still working on boundaries.

I have finished the fortieth book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011!

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

This book was written by the same author as the last book I reviewed. She is a foster mother who has cared for over 120 foster children. The experiences in this book are chronologically not long after the experiences recounted in “Another Place at the Table”. While I didn’t read this book all in one sitting like I did her first book, I did read it all in one day. It was just as fascinating to me, and I really appreciated the insight the author shares.

In “One Small Boat”, Harrison mostly tells the story of a little girl named, Daisy. Daisy came into her home at the age of six, surrendered to foster care voluntarily by a young mother from a well to do family. Harrison chronicles Daisy’s journey from an anorexic, non-verbal, arm-flapping, balding child with no one to want her, to a much healthier child who has learned to love and be loved. It really was an inspiring story of how a patient and loving foster mom can positively impact a child she has in her home for just a short time.

The stories of other children are also told, and your heart goes out to each of them. Even to fourteen-year-old, smart-mouthed Kayla, who is eight months pregnant, and on a fast track to nowhere. No matter what their personal flaws and issues are, the reader’s heart can’t help but respond to the pain of unwanted or uncared for children.

I would encourage you to pick up this book, if you have the opportunity, and to reach out to a hurting child in your life. No one can do everything, but we all can do something.

I have finished the thirty-ninth book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011!

Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison was a book that I could not put down! I started reading the book at ten thirty last night after I put the kids to bed, and I didn’t lay it down again until two thirty this morning when I finished it. In four hours, I read it cover to cover. It was a fascinating read.

“Another Place at the Table” is a book recounting some experiences that the author had as a foster parent. Harrison has fostered over a hundred different children, adopted three, and has three biological children. Her words were honest and poignant. She is not just an incredible human being, but she is also a good writer. She wrote with substance, and I appreciated that. As a prospective foster mom, I am so thankful for this book, because it puts a face on the term “foster parenting” and helps me see what I’m getting into.

Harrison told the stories of Danny, a mentally retarded, nine year old sex offender… Sara, a sexually abused, emotionally traumatized six year old…Lucy, a good, kind, quiet, seven year old girl who only wants to go home to her mother…and several other children. She recounts the good, the bad, and the ugly, and yet doesn’t lose her compassion, her kindness, or her dignity.

Statistics alone make the foster care system look very dire, but it is people like Kathy Harrison who are the silver lining. They are the parents who do the day in, day out caring for children who, more than anything, need someone to love them. Reading this book made me want to be like her.

I found this book intriguing, informative, and inspiring. I give it five stars!

I have finished the thirty-eighth book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011!

Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells is a sequel to the book “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”. I had read the first book, seen the movie, and also read another Ya-Ya book. What I didn’t realize till halfway through “Ya-Yas in Bloom” was that I had read it before, too. It had been a long time, but it started coming back to me as I read. It was good the second time around, too.

The thing I love about the “Ya-Ya” books is that it is all about female friendships. There’s nothing like the close friendship between two girls who’ve grown up together. This book, however, is about four friends growing up together that were truly friends for life. Vivi, Caro, Teensy, and Necie became friends when they were four years old, and lived out their lives together. In “Ya-Yas in Bloom” we get several different vignettes from throughout the Ya-Yas lives and their children’s lives. You really start to feel like you know these people and their families. They’re half-crazy and truly endearing.

This is a novel, and, if you want to know the plot, read it yourself. All I want to say is this book makes me thankful for all my girlfriends, and makes me want to go get crazy with them…and take our kids along for the ride!

It was an enjoyable read, and I give it four stars.

Leaving Kroger, I opened a soda that I had just purchased, took a drink, and then passed it back to Kyra. She said, “Ugh. I don’t want this chewing gum anymore.”
“Well, I don’t want it.” I told her. “Find something to do with it.”

In a moment, I heard, “Thanks, Abby. I can always count on you. It doesn’t matter how long I’ve chewed it!”

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

Souvenirs of Solitude: Finding Rest in Abba’s Embrace by Brennan Manning
I read this book quickly, one chapter after another, but it would make for a great daily devotional reading. There are twenty-one chapters, and each one is a separate topic. Manning wrote these chapters over ten years, and combined them in this book.

The thing I love about Manning’s writing is how beautiful and melodic is his prose. He has a wonderful way with words, and he chooses just the right ones to reach my heart. Manning majors on the love of God for his children. He urges us to go to our Abba and lay bare our hearts. He insists that ours is a loving, gracious, compassionate Father who wants to spend time with us…who loves us right now and not at some distant point in the future when we have “got our act together”. I have heard countless sermons, read many articles, and spoke to many people who stress the demand of God for our holiness…our need of repentance…our state of sinfulness. Manning was one of the first authors to reach my heart with a believable message of God’s unconditional love for me.

I think you would enjoy this book of encouragement and solace, as well as Manning’s other books, of which I’ve read quite a few. He really is a beautiful writer.

There are so many great quotes on various subjects in this book, but I want to leave you with a short passage from the book regarding the parable of the prodigal son. I think that someone who will read it needs to hear this message. Maybe it’s you. Read it, knowing God loves you so much.

“The emphasis [of the parable] is not on the sinfulness of the son but on the generosity of the father. We ought to reread this parable periodically if only to catch the delicate nuance at the first meeting between the two. The son had his little speech of sorrow carefully rehearsed. It was an elegant, polished statement of sorrow. But the old man didn’t let him finish it. The son had barely arrived on the scene when suddenly a fine new robe was thrown over his shoulders. He heard music, the fatted calf was being carried into the parlor, and he didn’t even have a chance to say to his father, “I’m sorry.”
The theme is that God wants us back even more than we could possibly want to be back and that we don’t have to go into great detail about our sorrow. All you have to do, the parable says, is appear on the scene; before you get a chance to run away again, the Father grabs you by your new robe and pulls you into the banquet so you can’t get away.”

He loves you. Don’t forget it. He really loves you.

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I am finally getting around to posting photos from our vacation. Chris had Army orders to go to a chaplain conference in Orlando, so we went with him. We hung around his hotel for the first three days, and then we moved to a Disney resort for the next four. We had a great time, and took quite a few pictures. Here are a few:

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I have finished the thirty-sixth book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011!

The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson is somewhat of a classic, but I had never heard of it until a couple years ago when Amy told me about it. A few months ago, I saw it at a used bookstore and bought it for seventy-five cents. I hadn’t had a chance to read it until now. All I knew about it was that it was the story of how a preacher named David Wilkerson started the ministry, Teen Challenge.

What I didn’t know was how exciting it would be. The book starts with God calling Wilkerson, a pastor of a small, country church, to go to New York City to try to help some teenage gang members. The events that follow are nothing less than amazing, as Wilkerson recounts the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding his every step. As he begins to make contact with the young gang members, it is apparent that God has already prepared the way. Wilkerson learns to “step out of the way”, and let God work.

The book is full of exciting and dangerous encounters, dramatic stories of young, hurting teenagers, unbelievable faith on the part of Wilkerson and his partners, and an inspiring testimony to the power of God. I was left feeling moved and inspired. Moved to do something for God. Inspired that I serve an amazing and all-powerful God. There is nothing like reading the firsthand testimony of someone who believed God for big things and had the faith to follow the Lord’s leading to see it through.

Maybe I had never heard of this book because it was a Pentecostal preacher who wrote it and that doesn’t fly well in a conservative, Baptist circle, but I’m glad that it finally found it’s way into my hands. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Check it out. I’m sure you’ll be blessed by reading it.