With my summer winding down, I have been franticly trying to get in some good reading time. School starts and I'm back to work on the 7th and my time will become much more limited. Here are the books I made it through in July.
This book was recommended to me by a friend. It was a sweet story about a man who visits a small town of great significance. The people he meets there end up changing his life for the better. If you want a feel good read, this would be it.
This was an incredibly inspiring book. Erin and her class are the ones whose life stories were made into the movie, Freedom Writers. I personally love the movie and I was excited find Erin's memoir. It was even better and more thought provoking than I had hoped. I actually read this book during a pretty heated racial protest in the area where my husband is a firefighter. A lot of what I read hit home in ways I did not expect. This book is a keeper.
It is a pretty typical story about a privileged girl and a handsome boy who spend the summer together. It is your typical summer romance, but I enjoyed it as a quick read.
I'll admit it, I hated the main character for the longest time in this book. I was beginning to wonder if anything would happen that would ultimately make me like her. The story takes some interesting turns, and as always, Giffin does not disappoint. By the end, I at least began to like the main character.
I. Love. This. Book. The main character was someone I could relate to in so many ways. The author chooses a very unlikely heroine as her main character...one I adored. Her plight after her husband's death, her grit and transformation, and the ending all came together to form such a great, and unusually inspiring story. For reasons I won't mention, I found myself encouraged and cheering her on. Now if only I could get my hands on more books Evanovich has written! Our library only carries this one and then one of her books on CD. I'd love to listen to it while driving but her books are not really for little ears lol.
To check out what others are reading, check out this month's link up!
At the beginning of the year, I felt led to live the word "Lean" throughout the following months. It has been hard.
I've tried to embrace the scripture when difficulties arise, when the darkness seems to swallow the light...I've had a lot of anxiety lately. It's the kind that keeps your mind spinning at night. Worst case scenarios pop into your head and you cannot close your eyes because you know you'll see your deepest fears played out. What is harder still is talking to others about it. Maybe I am not as strong as everyone thinks I am.
I have grappled with grief in unexpected moments. It seems to hit the hardest when I realize how happy I am. It sounds strange but it seems like that is how survivor guilt works.
I've wrestled with anxiety and lost countless hours of sleep. I have allowed thoughts to bring on near panic attacks. I have physically felt the strain that my emotions have put on my body.
During some recent quiet reflection, I just kept saying, "enough is enough. I cannot keep living life like this." At that moment I realized what I had been neglecting to do. I had forgotten to lean. If you go back to the action words I just mentioned...
spinning
grappled
wrestled
lost
Do you see "lean" on that list? Me neither.
I am not meant to carry the weight of these burdens. I am not meant to live a fear filled, anxiety ridden life.
In fact, scripture clearly states the opposite:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness. John 10:10
We are designed and intended to live a full and abundantly blessed life.
Satan does not call me by name. He calls me by my insecurities. He calls me by my fears and anxieties. He calls me by all the things that I cannot control. When I stop and just listen...be still and sincerely listen, I hear my name. I hear Beloved. I hear "you are Mine." (Isaiah 43:1)
When I am not leaning on God and only rely on my [in]ability to understand the emotions within me and the world around me, I find myself on an overwhelming obstacle course. However, when I lean on Christ, my path is made straight. I may not know why or where I am going, but I can rest assured He has laid the road before me.
I will continue to learn what it means to lean into my Savior. I will call His name to bring forth light in the darkness. I will declare His name to the enemy that aims to riddle my thoughts with fears and shortcomings. I will continue on.
I want to leave you with this song by Hillsong United that has left an impression on my heart. Let the words seep in and wash away the lies you have been believing. He has carried you all this way. Lean into His embrace.
Fate Holds nothing on the providence I know No longer bound to things of wood and stone When all I had to offer was my worst You saw my heavy heart and loved me first Your beauty staring down my brokenness You chose to throw Your heart into the mess Compassion crashing down upon my debt You were there
All this time Like a river running through my failure You carried me all this time Like the splinters buried in Your shoulders You carry me now
I've been taking some time to enjoy my family this summer. The days have been going by so quickly that I have not had time to sit and blog lately. While it is something I enjoy, time with my ever growing little ones takes precedent. With that said, I'm back again for this week's link up!
Revising...
My hubby has officially gone back to school. He will be getting his BAS in Emergency Management. He'll be taking one course at a time since he is still working full time. His course this semester is an English Research class. As the lover of English and literature, I am his acting editor. A couple times a week you'll find me using the children's nap time to proof read his papers. I am so proud of him for taking this step!
Seeking...
I have been seeking guidance on a couple of ventures lately. Hopefully I'll have more to share soon!
Dreaming...
We meet with our builder this week to begin the process of picking out all the details of our house. We'll decide on counter tops, fixtures, exterior colors, etc. The list is a mile long but I cannot wait! This puts us one step closer to breaking ground. Here are a few items and or pictures of inspiration.
Low carb eating can have its challenges, especially when it comes to sweets. I have no intention of giving up my sweets, but I do try to make intentional choices. Halo Top ice cream fits the bill and while I've only tried the Peanut Butter Cup, I am sold. Bring on the flavors!
I hope this finds all of you well and I can't wait to see what you've been up to.
June flew by! I feel as though I blinked and our summer is half way over! I'm trying to soak in every spare second with my littles. Hopefully July will be slower in passing. However, with July in full swing, it's time for the Kids Behind the Blog link up. Join the fun!
What do you need to make s’mores?
-marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers
What is your favorite summertime treat?
-chocolate cookies
Would you rather fly in an airplane or ride on a ship?
-Ride on an airplane because I did not ride on one before.
How would you change the world if you could?
-Be a happy person to everyone.
What comes after summer?
-Winter-fall...?
Needless to say, we've made a few s'mores over the summer lol. I'm not sure where the "chocolate cookies" answer came from because all summer she has asked for ice cream or popsicles. We also apparently need to work on our seasonal transitions.
I cannot wait to see what everyone else's little ones had to say.
As we prepare for our new house to be built, I'm constantly looking for landscaping ideas. I am far from having a green thumb, but I plan on giving it my best shot. This book had great visuals and is very "how to" friendly. It also recommended plant groupings/pairings that would be appropriate for our region.
This story was beautifully written. As the story opens, I was immediately drawn towards the main character and I eagerly read through the pages to know him more. The outlook on faith and religion is pretty on point from my personal view and I loved how the overall message was that God is love.
Giffin has a new reader. I could not put her book down, and thanks to my hubby managing the kids, I was able to read through most of the book in a day. Yay for "me time"! The story combines a little romance and football...two of my favorite things. I was so caught up in the details that I was sad when the story ended.
I was captivated from the very beginning. This novel shares the story of a young woman and her son who have been forced to live their lives inside a small room. It goes through their journey, both inside and outside of that room. I was engrossed throughout the entire book.
Yep, another Giffin book. I can't help myself! This story takes an interesting turn as the main characters big secret is revealed. I wish the story had a slightly different ending, but that is the hopeless romantic in me. Overall, it was a great read.
This is the second book in this series, however, I did not realize that until I was well into reading the story about two young teens trying to navigate their way through high school. Most people would consider this story Young Adult Fiction, but due to some of the explicit scenes and verbiage, it was cataloged under adult at our library. I did enjoy the book. It was a quick read and I look forward to reading more of Layne's work.
Last week and this week we've been taking the kids for swimming lessons Monday-Thursday. They have great instructors and the kids really enjoy it.
Eating...
I've been eating low carb and I'm feeling really good! The tired and sluggish feelings are dissipating as I continue on. Thursday will be 2 weeks on without any major emotional binges.
I'm not a typical lover of hot weather and the heat has been vicious. We've had a couple recent days of tolerable, dare I say nice, weather and we've been soaking it up.
Quick fixing...
Some mornings are chaotic and I've been trying to keep the healthy jive going for my kids as well. I've never been one to watch gluten, but since I've been lowering it in my own diet, I'm doing the same for my kids. These muffins are a great quick breakfast fix for the kids.
I'll have things that are more exciting next week. Until then, I hope all is well with everyone!
