For All Forever Moms

{Giveaway is now over}

For real, I can't say enough about Mary Ostyn's new book!  I had the pleasure of reading this before it was released and it was soooo good that I actually read the whole thing in two nights!  I'm working my way back through it now as I slowly savor each story, each encouraging word, each challenge to re-evaluate and re-think our parenting paradigms.

After spending some time with Mary and her family in real life, I have seen the love and joy they have amidst the very real struggles adoption brings.  I am even more encouraged by her honesty and words of wisdom she offers in this new book.

My favorite paragraph is right in the introduction where Mary's words so closely echo my own heart:

"In the end, this book became not so much a "how I did it," but rather how I didn't have it together at the start and how I still have so much to learn, and yet look:  God is here among us, alive and at work and powerful.  He is making beauty amid the cracked pots and the broken shards and the pain of living in this fallen world."

I hope you will pick up a copy if you haven't already!  AND, since I love this book SO much, I'm doing my first EVER give away.  Enter to win a copy of Mary's new book "Forever Mom" by leaving one or two questions (in the comments here) that you have for moms of large adoptive families.  I'll announce the random winner next Friday, Nov. 21.

P.S.  Mary's other books are also quite amazing.  They are very helpful to families both large and small!  Don't miss them either!

Broken-Down House

A Light in His Hands

So little preparation

so many

unrealistic expectations

so often

dreams are dashed

unwanted fears

realized.

Too few

understand where they are

too few

know where they're going

too many

feel alone and lost.

Yet the One who knows

and who understands

has joined the journey.

He holds a light

in His hands

and He is One

who can be trusted.

If you are looking for a book to read this year, pick up Broken Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad by Paul David Tripp

A Few Good Books

Ahh, books.

books.

books.

{smile}

I love them.

to narrow my list to just a few is quite a task.

I'll work on it though.

While I'm paring my list down to a few, check out this link to Elizabeth Bird's Top 100 Best Children's Books from a poll she recently did. I'll be checking it out too.

By the way, "A Few Good Books" list for me will be much longer than my toy list!

If you love(d) Laura. . .

I LOVED Laura Ingalls Wilder when I was a child. I read The Little House Series over so many times that I completely wore out my cherished boxed set (I still have it though; couldn't bare to throw it away!).

I'll have to admit here that I still REALLY love to read any of the Little House books aloud to my children and I always hope they will love Laura just as much as I did (oh, o.k., as much as I still DO!).

I'll have to admit, I've never really thought about the political views of Laura before, but this post is quite enlightening and has got me wondering how much her writings may have actually helped to form some of my political views! LOL! Who knew!

Check it out!
The Politics of Laura Ingalls Wilder

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Family Driven Faith

Have you read this book yet?  Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham is one of those great books that both encourages and challenges you.  If you haven't read it yet, I would encourage you to check it out!  

The only thing better than the book might be hearing Voddie preach this message (he is an inspiring preacher!).  You can hear some of his messages HERE.  

I highly recommend these two messages (I haven't listened to the rest yet)

The Centrality of the Home (a message he preached to an assembly of 1,000 pastors)

and/or

Getting Your House in Order (basically it is the message of his book, Family Driven Faith)

  My husband and I have been doing a lot of praying, thinking, and talking lately about the centrality of the home in the discipleship of children and on the place of youth ministry in the local church. . . we're pretty sure that the common ym model used in most churches today is not biblical nor effective (and my husband WAS a youth pastor for almost 10 years, so we've been there!).  

I would love to hear your thoughts after you listen in or if you've read the book!

Crazy Love

To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid "big" sins - 

is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?

-Francois Fenelon, The Seeking Heart

I am currently reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan who describes, in the preface, how he grew up in church.  I think it is almost, verbatim, what I would say about my high-school view of God and of Christianity 

". . . I called myself a Christian, was pretty involved in church, and tried to stay away from all of the things that 'good Christians' avoid - drinking, drugs, sex, swearing.  Christianity was simple:  fight your desires in order to please God. . . In hindsight, I don't think my church's teachings were incorrect, just incomplete.  My view of God was narrow and small. . . "

I know there are others out there who can relate (I know b/c you are my friends and we have talked about this!).  I am so excited to be reading this book right now because it is really encouraging my husband and I to challenge our own assumptions of what it means to live the Christ-following life.  At the same time it is a little scary because in many ways I like my comfortable life and at times I think "Lord, it would just be easier to live a life of mediocrity like everyone else!"  I KNOW this is not what is best and it isn't REALLY what I truly desire, but in all honesty there are times. . . I think I am beginning to understand more of what Paul meant when he wrote "what I want to do, I don't do and what I don't want to do, I do."  

In the end, though, I know that I will keep on reading this book and, even more importantly, I will keep on reading the Word of God - both books that are written for those who, in the words of Francis Chan: "want more Jesus. . . who are bored with what American Christianity offers. . . who don't want to plateau. . . who would rather die before their convictions do."

I don't want to be content with "enough God."  I want to desire "more God."  Lord, make it so in my life and in the life of my family!

Anyone want to join me in this adventure?  The first 3 chapters of "Crazy Love" deal with the real root problem of why we are lukewarm - any guesses?

Answer:  We have an inaccurate view of God.

Come on - order the book or borrow it today and leave a comment if you'd like to be a part of the discussion!

Current Reading List

Some books I am currently reading/thinking about (want to join me?)

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham

Crazy Love by Frances Chan

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

A Mother's Rule by Holly Pierlot

The Mission of Motherhood (again!) by Sally Clarkson

Home learning plans

I just love the term "home learning" as opposed to "home schooling" since I don't really view our home as a school - but as a home where learning is always taking place.  Sally Clarkson's book "Educating the Whole-hearted Child" and Elizabeth Foss's "Real Learning" helped me in thinking about life in this way!  

But, I digress, this post is supposed to be about my plans for this upcoming "learning year!"  I put plans in italics because I am most certainly NOT a type-A, check-listing, curriculum following type of home schooling mom!  I enjoy taking each day as it comes and have not (at least, to date) ever stuck to any formally laid out lesson plans.  

However, this year I would like to be slightly more intentional in presenting and requiring certain information and response to that information and so I was DELIGHTED to find some wonderful lesson plans that have been laid out by the ladies over at Real Learning.  They just happen to be covering the very time-period we were planning to work on this year and they just happen to be in a list form (as opposed to daily assignments) AND based around good literature.  Just my style!!!  Yeah!!  

So here is the link to what I'm thinking we will be doing this year.

Along the American History Trail (at Serendipity)

2008 Book Reviews

This is just a simple list of books I've read this year along with my brief thoughts. I will update at least monthly to include my latest reads!

JANUARY/FEBRUARY
Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours by Kevin Leman
One I've read before, yet always a good reminder. Dr. Leman incorporates a lot about birth order which is especially helpful to us right now with our two first born sons trying to work things out. It is FULL of practical and useful ideas for how to "pull the rug out from under the little buzzards" (as in natural and logical consequences). Focus is on authoritative parenting and encourages against authoritarian and/or permissive parenting. One that will stay on my shelf through these next few years!

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
I can't believe I had never read this book before. From the same author of The Witch of Blackbird Pond (scheduled to read soon), this is a GREAT book that "Mr. Z" and I both really enjoyed. It is a coming of age story of a young boy who braves the wilderness alone while his father goes to pick up the rest of his family. Lucky for him, he is not really alone. . . I won't give it away, but it is VERY similar to The Courage of Sarah Noble (another wonderful book), only this one is for more advanced readers. It makes a very good read aloud and
would be a great "Daddy read-aloud."

MARCH/APRIL/MAY
Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl

Well, you pretty much will either love it or hate it (just check out the reviews on Amazon and you will see what I mean!).  I happen to be in the "love it" category on this one.  This book is not for the faint of heart and Debi Pearl does not tread lightly so as to be politically correct or to not hurt feelings.  On the contrary, she is downright blunt at many points and I found myself WANTING to argue with her about certain subjects but, after searching scripture and praying, knew that I could not.  

One of the most compelling reasons I am giving this book a "love it" review is that I have seen the impact it has had on the 6 of us who have been reading it together.  The challenges and encouragement to have a cheerful, merry heart, to "know what we bought" (check out the chapter on the different kinds of men - invaluable insight!), to focus on the 8 callings in Titus 2, and to serve joyfully have literally CHANGED marriages of people I PERSONALLY know from good to GREAT!

 I know lots of people disagree with some of the Pearl's theological positions and/or parenting philosophies, but it is a shame that so many people simply dismiss this book based on these things - I mean, really, is there anyone out there who has it all figured out and isn't probably a *tiny* bit wrong on some theological point about something. . . and I have yet to find a parenting book that isn't a part of some heated internet "mommy wars" debate at some point on some site somewhere.  So, if you can just read this book as it was written - from an older, godly woman to a teachable, younger woman, I think that you will probably glean some (if not a LOT) of insight, wisdom, and a bit of a "kick in the pants" encouragement to stop whining and complaining and to start to joyfully serve those around you with a happy and contented heart!

Spring Reading List

As many of you know, I like to read. Oh, O.K. - I LOVE to read! My husband says, "if it has words in print, she has to read it!" So, I thought I might incorporate this into my blog. I would eventually like to list some of my favorites and maybe even do some book reviews. Alas, since I can hardly keep up with posting twice a week, I suppose I shall have to start with something a little more simple. So. . . here is a list of books I am currently reading or hoping to read this spring:

Currently Reading:
New Testament: Acts and Romans
Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl
Farmer Boy (with the kids) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Secret of the Andes (with "Mr. Z)

Hoping to read soon:
New Testament: continue on through the Epistles (! Corinthians - Philemon)

A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul
by Holly Pierlot

Family Driven Faith by Voddie T. Baucham

The Babylon Blog by Glen Morris (I actually know this author! He's really funny!)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, Camille Kingsolver, and Steven L. Hopp

All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

Around the Year (with the kids) by Tasha Tudor

there are a lot more, but that's good for now. . .