I never realize how much I miss books until I get out of the reading habit. Being in a state of transition for two years as a family meant time was filed with paperwork, childrearing, job finding, house hunting, packing and unpacking, schooling, nursing, and wondering what the next step was. There were a lot of ups and downs. I read my Bible, because I needed that. I read to my kids, but usually simple children's books. I would try to read, but the overload often sent me to the TV because, let's face it, it's easier to watch a screen to than to read a book and take it in.
As we are now getting settled and getting into a more normal routine, I have begun reading multiple books for myself and also reading much more to the kids. Between my books and books of length we're reading with the kids I have ten books going.
And I love it!!!
I recently saw a statement that said that reading for 6 minutes can reduce stress by 60%. Right now I believe it. Since greatly reducing the amount of screen time and increasing both reading and outside time I have noticed a significant change in the house.
Why?
I'm not really sure. Maybe because we're really spending time together. Maybe because we're talking more. Maybe because we're reducing the amount of blue light we're exposed to everyday. Maybe all of this and more.
It doesn't really matter why, though my inquisitive mind would like to know and understand. All I know is it is making a difference.
I'm thankful that God has given us the gift of reading. I'm thankful to have access to books and a vast variety at that. And I'm thankful that God has brought me back to this lost love yet again to remind me of the blessing it is.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Monday, June 17, 2019
Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess
This book is part of our Core C with Sonlight.
This was a fun short read that followed a boy as he learned to be a page in a Knight's castle. It is his diary from his first year in this position. Because it is written in diary form you only see glimpses which leaves some feeling of incompleteness, but because it is a year long there is a little bit of a circle.
This book does allow you to see the class dispute but on a much milder level than "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!" did. It's also interesting to see it from a young man's perspective. The historical information was interesting and my boys enjoyed learning about knights and warfare. We compared what we were reading about to battles from "Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia" which made it even more fun and helped them to understand what was being talked about in the book.
I'd personally give this book three stars but my boys really enjoyed it so they would likely give it four or five.
This was a fun short read that followed a boy as he learned to be a page in a Knight's castle. It is his diary from his first year in this position. Because it is written in diary form you only see glimpses which leaves some feeling of incompleteness, but because it is a year long there is a little bit of a circle.
This book does allow you to see the class dispute but on a much milder level than "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!" did. It's also interesting to see it from a young man's perspective. The historical information was interesting and my boys enjoyed learning about knights and warfare. We compared what we were reading about to battles from "Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia" which made it even more fun and helped them to understand what was being talked about in the book.
I'd personally give this book three stars but my boys really enjoyed it so they would likely give it four or five.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Wife No. 19
I have finally finished my first classic for the year!!! I am using this one for a Very Long Classic.
This book was an incredible eye-opener to the beginning of Mormonism and the wretched lies that kept thousands of people in bondage to the whims of their prophet, Brigham Young.
Ann Eliza wast 19th wife of the prophet and was raised completely in the bonds of Mormonism. The book begins with a little history of her family and how they came to become Mormon and then follows the history of this people and her family until she becomes free from the system.
This book is full of intrigue, horror and great sadness. You learn how Joseph Smith began to collect followers and established the system. You will learn of his death and the rise of Brigham Young. You will learn how polygamy came to be a part of this religion and the incredible detriment it had in everyone. You will learn of the cruelty of many of the men in power. You will learn of the courage of the women who were subjected to this system and crumbled under the weight. You will learn what the religion if Mormonism is at the very core and likely wonder at how it ever came to be.
As I read I consistently had to remind myself I'm reading a true story, not a bad soap opera. Truth being stranger than fiction most certainly applies here. You will feel for these people pulled around at the whims of an egotistical mad man, for I have no better description of him, and cry with them as they tried to live under an extremely oppressive religion that was their life.
Being written in the 1800s it can be a bit difficult to read, but it is still a good read.
I highly recommend this book if you want a true inside look to the world of Mormonism.
5 stars for this important historical work.
I am also using this in my other challenges:
A book with 400 pages in the Light section of Tim Challies's challenge
A Book Published Befoer You Were Born on Modern Mrs. Darcy's Reading Challenge
This book was an incredible eye-opener to the beginning of Mormonism and the wretched lies that kept thousands of people in bondage to the whims of their prophet, Brigham Young.
Ann Eliza wast 19th wife of the prophet and was raised completely in the bonds of Mormonism. The book begins with a little history of her family and how they came to become Mormon and then follows the history of this people and her family until she becomes free from the system.
This book is full of intrigue, horror and great sadness. You learn how Joseph Smith began to collect followers and established the system. You will learn of his death and the rise of Brigham Young. You will learn how polygamy came to be a part of this religion and the incredible detriment it had in everyone. You will learn of the cruelty of many of the men in power. You will learn of the courage of the women who were subjected to this system and crumbled under the weight. You will learn what the religion if Mormonism is at the very core and likely wonder at how it ever came to be.
As I read I consistently had to remind myself I'm reading a true story, not a bad soap opera. Truth being stranger than fiction most certainly applies here. You will feel for these people pulled around at the whims of an egotistical mad man, for I have no better description of him, and cry with them as they tried to live under an extremely oppressive religion that was their life.
Being written in the 1800s it can be a bit difficult to read, but it is still a good read.
I highly recommend this book if you want a true inside look to the world of Mormonism.
5 stars for this important historical work.
I am also using this in my other challenges:
A book with 400 pages in the Light section of Tim Challies's challenge
A Book Published Befoer You Were Born on Modern Mrs. Darcy's Reading Challenge
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Year 15 of Marriage
15!
It completely blows my mind when I think of that number. It seems impossible in a way, but at the same time more than possible. Everyday is a new adventure in life and learning what it means to follow God as one flesh. 15 years of being one according to the Word, yet the first one where it has hit a level of depth we have never had before.
This year God has been teaching us to trust Him for everything, especially our marriage and the depth we have. But also what it means to be one flesh in everything. It doesn't mean we are the same. Far from it! But it is that we use all of who we are to work together for the glory of God and bringing His Kingdom in little ways to earth though raising children, serving His church, and portraying Christ and His Church to the world in our marriage.
15 years to learn that!
And yet, by God's grace, there will be many more years with even greater depth of learning these things and more.
Is that possible? I know the answer is yes! How exciting it is to see where God will take us in the years to come.
Monday, June 10, 2019
The Excellent Wife
What's an appropriate book for me to share and review the week of our 15th wedding anniversary!
This book by Martha Peace is a convicting and poignant read. She does not mince words and gets right to the point on what it means Biblically to be an excellent wife. Scripture is at the center of everything that she writes and she is always ready with practical examples alongside Scripture. I really appreciate the directness as it is always frustrating when people dance around a subject instead of saying exactly what they mean.
For me this was a great review of much I had learned at seminary wives and other marriage conferences while in Louisville. It also showed me some areas where I am still struggling or failing miserably! I really appreciated the end chapters that speak to wives own sin issues that needs to be dealt with. I also appreciate that she acknowledges there are difficult situations out there yet we are still to handle them in a Scriptural way with specific examples to encourage women in these situations.
There were a few things that frustrated me like several instances of proof texting. There were some conclusions in a few chapters that I also did not completely agree with but that is more on a personal opinion and not necessarily her being wrong.
On the whole I would recommend this book and give it 4 maybe 4 and 1/2 Stars.
For my reading challenges this will be under a book on marriage from Tim Challies's 2019 challenge and one of the Biblical Womanhood/Marriage category from the 2019 Christian challenge for women with Jami Balmet
This book by Martha Peace is a convicting and poignant read. She does not mince words and gets right to the point on what it means Biblically to be an excellent wife. Scripture is at the center of everything that she writes and she is always ready with practical examples alongside Scripture. I really appreciate the directness as it is always frustrating when people dance around a subject instead of saying exactly what they mean.
For me this was a great review of much I had learned at seminary wives and other marriage conferences while in Louisville. It also showed me some areas where I am still struggling or failing miserably! I really appreciated the end chapters that speak to wives own sin issues that needs to be dealt with. I also appreciate that she acknowledges there are difficult situations out there yet we are still to handle them in a Scriptural way with specific examples to encourage women in these situations.
There were a few things that frustrated me like several instances of proof texting. There were some conclusions in a few chapters that I also did not completely agree with but that is more on a personal opinion and not necessarily her being wrong.
On the whole I would recommend this book and give it 4 maybe 4 and 1/2 Stars.
For my reading challenges this will be under a book on marriage from Tim Challies's 2019 challenge and one of the Biblical Womanhood/Marriage category from the 2019 Christian challenge for women with Jami Balmet
Friday, June 7, 2019
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
This book was part of our Core C reading with Sonlight as part of our study of medieval times.
It was a very interesting and eye-opening read. Through poetry, prose and little snippets of history, you gain an understanding of how people in different statuses lived and thought during this time period. It was challenging, at times, to see how people of the lower classes were treated, but it was also convicting to be reminded that it is often how people are still treated today.
Academically, it great for vocabulary building and literature comparison as well as the historical value it offers. It is a good way to talk about difficult subjects, especially dealing with how people treat each other affording natural conversations about how God tells us to treat one another and follow His commands.
I give this book 4.5 stars on the whole.
Not sure if it falls into a reading category for my challenges.
It was a very interesting and eye-opening read. Through poetry, prose and little snippets of history, you gain an understanding of how people in different statuses lived and thought during this time period. It was challenging, at times, to see how people of the lower classes were treated, but it was also convicting to be reminded that it is often how people are still treated today.
Academically, it great for vocabulary building and literature comparison as well as the historical value it offers. It is a good way to talk about difficult subjects, especially dealing with how people treat each other affording natural conversations about how God tells us to treat one another and follow His commands.
I give this book 4.5 stars on the whole.
Not sure if it falls into a reading category for my challenges.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Mary on Horseback
This was my second time reading "Mary on Horseback" with our Core A reading from Sonlight. From what I remember, I like it as well as I did the first time.
This book tells a few stories about Mary Breckinridge who was a frontier nurse in the Appalachian Mountains. As a nurse who is married to a nurse and lives in Kentucky, I really enjoyed hearing these stories of how nursing came into this region. They are hard stories to read but are good for giving kids a basic understanding of how differently some people live and the hardships they face. It is well written and easy to understand and easy to talk through with kids as long as they are not squeamish and you're not squeamish.
It is also interesting to see a tiny bit of the history of nursing. I also appreciated learning a little bit of Mary's background as she is from a prominent family in Kentucky.it holds great lessons on what it means to look out for other people and to fight for what you believe.
I would give us book four stars.
I am using this book in the Tim Challies 2019 reading challenge for a book of a hundred pages or less in the avid section of the challenge.
This book tells a few stories about Mary Breckinridge who was a frontier nurse in the Appalachian Mountains. As a nurse who is married to a nurse and lives in Kentucky, I really enjoyed hearing these stories of how nursing came into this region. They are hard stories to read but are good for giving kids a basic understanding of how differently some people live and the hardships they face. It is well written and easy to understand and easy to talk through with kids as long as they are not squeamish and you're not squeamish.
It is also interesting to see a tiny bit of the history of nursing. I also appreciated learning a little bit of Mary's background as she is from a prominent family in Kentucky.it holds great lessons on what it means to look out for other people and to fight for what you believe.
I would give us book four stars.
I am using this book in the Tim Challies 2019 reading challenge for a book of a hundred pages or less in the avid section of the challenge.
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