Reading Challenge June 1st Update

>> Monday, May 31, 2010

Just a quick summary of how much I've done and how much I have to go:

The 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge
My first goal: 50 books.
Longer term goal: 100 books.
Currently finished: 22
44% completed

Christian Non-Fiction Challenge
Goal: 10 books
Currently finished: 0
On March 6th I made the decision to put this challenge aside, I MAY come back to it.
0% completed

The Colorful Reading Challenge
Goal: 9 books
Currently finished: 2 books
22% completed

The Chunkster Challenge-COMPLETED
Goal: 3 books
Currently finished: 4 books
133% completed-my first completed challenge

100+ Reading Challenge
Goal: 100 books
Currently finished: 27 books
27% completed

Buy One and Read it in 2010
Goal: 12 books
Currently finished: 4 books
33% completed

New-To-Me Christian Author Challenge
Goal: 20 AUTHORS
Currently finished: 6 Authors
30% completed

451 Challenge
Goal: 7 books
Currently finished: 3 books
43% completed

I added three challenges on April 25, 2010, they are the three that follow:

First in a Series Challenge-COMPLETED
First Goal: 6 books
Longer term goal: 12, POSSIBLY 20
Currently finished: 6 books
100% completed

The 2nd Challenge-COMPLETED
First Goal: 6 books
Longer term goal: 12 books
Currently finished: 6 books
100% completed

Finish That Series Challenge
First Goal: 5 Series
Longer term goal: 10 Series
Currently finished: 2 Series
40% completed

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B90, Day 58: God's amazing ability to forgive

>> Sunday, May 30, 2010

Scripture: Jeremiah 50:20

20 In those days, at that time,"
declares the LORD,
"search will be made for Israel's guilt,
but there will be none,
and for the sins of Judah,
but none will be found,
for I will forgive the remnant I spare.

Observation: God promises he will forgive his people.

Application: God has an amazing ability to forgive, ike all parents do. He truly loves us like a parent. He experiences disappointment, he disciplines as needed (quite harshly by most of our modern standards, but really He is doing what He feels is right), and he He forgives those who show remorse.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, What a great parent you are! And a great example for me to follow in my own parenting. Help me to continue growing in your word, as a person a christian, and a parent.

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B90, Day 57: Following God's plan gives me Joy

Scripture: Jeremiah 39:18

18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.' "

Observation: God is telling faithful people that he will save them because they trusted in him.

Application: Trust in God and he will save me. He already has saved me, he sent Jesus to die for my sins. I need to trust in Him. This has been something I've really been working on. Trusting God, letting Him have control, letting go. It is all interconnected. And it all boils down to one thing, God has a plan for me and He wants me to trust Him and that plan.

Prayer: Dearest Lord, I thank you for this incredible life you've provided for me. Thank you for showing me your word through my best friend. Thank you for giving me the ability to show your love to my daughters at such a young, impressionable age. It is a joy to see them filled with love for you!

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God Hides Everywhere

So for the last several weeks my assistant store manager will always ask me what I am reading. Lately I've been bringing my Bible. So we've had some interesting discussions about my reading. Especially since I'm still in the Old Testament. He asked the version (New International Version for B90) and proclaimed it most readable. And said Old Testament is too boring. Asked me how I managed to get past the "begats" and today when I told him I was still in Jeremiah (it takes 5 reading days to get through) he said its pretty interesting stuff if you can decipher it. I think he's more Bible knowledgeable than he's let on til today!! And I love it!! You rock Assistant Manager!!


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B90, Day 56: YOUR plan God

>> Friday, May 28, 2010

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Observation: The Lord is saying he knows the plans he has for his people.

Application: What a fabulous promise for us to hold to even in modern time God knows the plans he has for each of us. And His plan is for us to prosper to not be harmed and to have hope and a future. How can I not take a deep breath and relax when I read that!

Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for leaving us such wonderful promises in your word. It helps to read them and know you want not only the best but the greatest for all of us. Thank you!!

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No recent book reviews

>> Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Just wanted to post a quick apology. There will be no book review for Yada Yada book 2 or The Forbidden. Due to not having my own computer up and running for nearly a week, and it was a pretty hectic week at that, I was unable to get the reviews written. And now I just feel unable to do so adequately. I enjoyed both books very much.

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B90, Day 55: I'm letting God have the control

Scripture: Jeremiah 10:23

23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own;
it is not for man to direct his steps.

Observation: Jeremiah is acknowledging that his life is in God's hands and control.

Application: With everything happening in my life and the lives of those people so close to me right now, this verse give me a lot of comfort. It's not my life. I just need to trust in God and let Him direct my steps. Or, as my best friend loves to tell me, and even wrote on my arm once, "Let Go, Let God." Jeremiah let go of his life and let God use him. I need to do the same so He can carry me through Satan's attempts to derail me.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for everything you do for me. For providing for me and always guiding me, no matter what new problem is put in my path. It shows me how this life is in your hands, not mine!

Please help me continue to give you the control, to give my concerns, my troubles, and my problems to you! Help me to remember that you alone have control.

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B90, Day 54: Honest Children

>> Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:6

"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

Observation: He is telling God he is too young to be God's prophet because he is only a child.

Application: Children may not believe themselves to be as smart or capable of speaking, but think differently. I think children are still innocent and honest. They speak the truth the way God wants.

Prayer: Lord, help me to keep my children honest. And help bring me back to a place of such innocence where the need or even desire to be less than sincere and honest is gone.

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B90, Day 53: God's prized art

>> Saturday, May 22, 2010

Scripture: Isaiah 64:8

"Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand."

Observation:The speaker is praising God for our creation. For molding us, like a potter molds clay.

Application: I just really liked how it shows us all as works of God, as pieces of art almost. Prized by God, each an individual with our own unique characteristics.

Prayer: Thank you Father for creating me as your own. For making me unique and different from everyone!

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B90, Day 52

>> Thursday, May 20, 2010

I finished Day 52 but no verses REALLY stood out all that well... So, I'm not going to stress over it! I'm just going to move on! :)

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NIV vs NKJV

Okay, so I am wondering what is your preference on versions of the Bible?

I am specifically asking about New International Version vs New King James Version, but please feel free to chime in about other versions you may read.

These two are MY preferred versions and the two I frequently find myself debating between!!

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B90, Day 51: I want to teach my children

>> Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Scripture: Isaiah 38:19

"The living, the living-they praise you,
as I am doing today;
fathers tell their children about your faithfulness."

Observation: he is begging the lord to give him life, longer life, to be able to praise God, and tell his children about God.

Application: This is a beautiful reminder to me that teaching my children about God and His love for us is my responsibility and one I can only accomplish if I am in the here and now, living. Living doesn't just mean being alive after all!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me this scripture, and it's reminder to me to teach and guide my daughters to learn about you and your love. Help me to live in the here and now and stay grounded enough to accomplish this.

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B90, Day 50

Isaiah 26:19

"But your dead will live;
their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust,
wake up and shout for joy,
Your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead."

Not SOAP-ing this, just freewriting.

This verse, Isaiah 26:19, just really struck me. It doesn't speak of God's dead being with him already in Heaven when he devastates the Earth. it speaks of them being dead. And coming to life, waking up, from the dirt. Especially the last line: the earth will give birth to her dead.

It is just more evidence to me that the adventist belief that when we die we do not ascend directly to Heaven is true. We simply are taking the longest sleep, awaiting God to tell us to wake up and come to Heaven!

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Homeschool

Started the girls homeschool pre-school today. They just seemed ready. Just about 25 minutes today. That was about all they could handle for the moment.

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B90, Day 49: You MUST trust in God

>> Monday, May 17, 2010

Scripture: Isaiah 2:22

"Stop trusting in man,
who has but a breath in his nostrils.
Of what account is he?"

Observation: You cannot fully put all your trust in "man" for eventually all humans die. Only God is forever.

Application: This doesn't mean don't trust. I think it more a reminder that no living person can replace God.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, Help me please to stay more focused on you and trust you and rely on you more. I'm working on letting go and letting you have control of my life and my problems. It's a difficult process God. Though I am seeing some results when i stop trying to hold on so tight. Thank you!

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B90, Day 48: Live for Life and for God

Scripture: Eeelesiastes 5:15

"Naked a man comes from his mother's womb,
and as he comes so he departs.
he takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand."

Observation: We come with nothing, and we'll leave with nothing.

Application: No matter what we physically gain on Earth, we cannot take it with us when we die. So it is better to worry less about our material gains and more about the kind of person we are. What do we stand for? Who do we stand for? What do we believe in?

Prayer: Father, help me to remember that I do not need all the fancy material things. Oh, I like them, but help me to see them in the right way! Help guide me to live my life the right way. A way that pleases you and shows others around me a strong, happy, confident woman.

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Busy busy

>> Monday, May 10, 2010

It has been a BUSY time for me. My ex-husband is here visiting our daughters, and his parents are here visiting as well. It has been a good visit.

We've celebrated several birthday's, mine in late April, BFF's son and DH last week, her's today. LOT's of cake.

I've enjoyed having the last few days off to be free for all the visitors. I wasn't too sure what all the plans would be, so I wanted to be available. It's been nice having time off.

I have several books from the library awaiting my attention! I am currently reading Book 2 of the Yada Yada series. Next up is Book 2 of the Nellie Fisher series. Then comes Charlotte's Web. BFF actually had her oldest DS read it, he devoured it in a matter of HOURS. He is assigned to write a book report on it after they discuss what is expected. We will also be reading Charlotte's Web aloud to all the kids. After that I have a Karen Kingsbury book, the first in the "Firstborn" series!! WOOOOHOOOO!!! And lastly, a REAL chunkster, clocking in at 1089 pages (large print), "The Hour I First Believed." I sure hope I can get it read!!! LOL

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Reading Challenge Book Reviews Week Ending May 8, 2010

>> Saturday, May 8, 2010

Rebecca's Promise (Adam's County Trilogy Series #1), by Jerry Eicher
100+ Books, Buy One and Read It, New to Me Christian Author, First in a Series

Rebecca made a promise eight years earlier, when she was nothing more than a young schoolgirl, to meet her crush back at the bridge when she turned 21. But life has changed so much for the young Amish woman in those 8 years. She has moved away, accepted a marriage proposal, and the young boy she had a crush on has left the Amish community and "gone Mennonite." But on the eve of her 21st birthday, when she becomes an adult in the Amish community, she is sent back to the town where she had the crush to help her aunt have a baby, she is stirred by emotions and thoughts of what if.

I found this book to be a bit dry and honestly somewhat boring for the first half. Perhaps it's because I had JUST red Beverly Lewis's The Parting which is also about the Amish. Or maybe it's just this book. The second half picked up better and was a lot more fun to read. I was bothered by how too much of the story seemed to bounce around to other characters that seem, IN THIS BOOK, to be unimportant, minor players. But, I am HOPING that the author is laying the groundwork for them to have larger roles in the other 2 books, as this is a trilogy. If that is the case, it will certainly make more sense in the end, but I would have preferred some of it to have been more subtle. I've seen other authors bring in characters in this way without them confusing the overall book such as Eicher did in Rebecca's Promise.

I am looking forward to reading the other 2 books in the near future to see how the rest of the story turns out. How her return to her own community goes, and how these other characters play out.

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
100+ Books, Support Your Local Library, 451 Challenge, The 2nd Challenge

451 degrees Fahrenheit... The temperature at which paper burns. How can I NOT love a BOOK about a crazy world where fireman SET fires to BURN books?? I was first assigned to read this book the summer before my freshman year of high school. Then we read it again during the year. Over the course of the following six years I re-read that copy of the book SO many times that I finally had to throw it away as it was missing pages and had torn pages.

I am not EVEN going to attempt any further review of this INCREDIBLE work. I declare Fahrenheit 451 a MUST READ!!! :)

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Reading Challenge Book Reviews Week Ending May 1, 2010

>> Saturday, May 1, 2010

American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld
100+ Books, Buy One and Read It, Chunkster (550 pages Regular Print)

A unique book to say the least. Not what I expected. Not really the story I had thought it was going to be. It was almost a memoirs of a fictional First Lady. It started slow, and for that matter, ended abruptly. At times the writer would explain a couple days of the main characters life in minute detail, but then skip years, decades even, of her life. The author NEVER covered any portion of the elections taking place.

Still, one goal the author definitely accomplished... I HAD to finish the book, I had to know what else happened!!

I'm not sure I would recommend this book, but I wouldn't go against it either. A good enough book>

The Yada Yada Prayer Group, by Neta Jackson
100+ Books, Support Your Local Library, New to me Christian Author, First in a Series

This book, along with the rest of the series, was recommended to me by my BFF. She thought I'd like them. Well, I LOVED it! I was sucked in and wanted to read it and know what else happened. In many many respects I can relate to the main character. Her, at many times, lukewarm faith, feeling not quite adequate for the task at hand. Yes, I can relate. Her internal voice, the arguments she has with herself, Yup, I can relate! I am not even going to "review" the book further, because I just don't think I can do it justice and because I feel too much connection to it. So I'm just going to leave it at this: I felt a DEFINITE connection to the character of Jodi, and cannot WAIT to read book #2!!

Divine, by Karen Kingsbury
100+ Books, Support Your Local Library

Another incredible Karen Kingsbury book! If nothing else, this challenge has given me an incredible love for 2 things, Christian fiction, and specifically, Karen Kingsbury's work!

Mary Madison was rescued again and again by people, from the streets, from a life of slavery not once but twice, and many other horrors, but it wasn't until one man shows her the way to being rescued by Christ that she can finally pull her life together and make something of herself. And when she does, she makes something of herself in SPECTACULAR fashion! She goes to college, earning multiple degrees, and opens several women's shelters in the DC area to help women like herself. On top of all that she appears before several senate and congressional groups to help secure funding and further causes to help keep women safe.

All this leads her to meet Emma, a woman just finding her way OUT of a life much like Mary's once was. Mary knows she can help her, if Emma will just hold on long enough to listen to Mary's story.

A beautifully written story, told in long periods of flashbacks as Mary tells her story to Emma. The reader is pulled back to the story of Emma just frequently enough to remember that Mary is no longer the victim, but the helper trying to give Emma the tools. It is heartbreaking to read both Mary and Emma's stories, and at the same time, uplifting to read them both finding Christ at their darkest hours. I truly cried for them. At times it was hard to remember that this was a work of fiction.

The Parting: The Courtship of Nellie Fisher, by Beverly Lewis
100+ Books, Support Your Local Library, New to Me Christian Author, First in a Series

This is a new author and a new type of book for me.

A story about a young Amish woman who has lost her sister and is being courted for marriage by a young man.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I find it VERY difficult to review or describe the book in short order. I found the mannerisms and language of the Amish quite unique, as I have had pretty much NO experience with the Amish before. It was an enjoyable and moving story and I look forward to finishing the series.

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Reading Challenge May 1st Update

Just a quick summary of how much I've done and how much I have to go:

The 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge
My first goal: 50 books.
Longer term goal: 100 books.
Currently finished: 19
38% completed

Christian Non-Fiction Challenge
Goal: 10 books
Currently finished: 0
On March 6th I made the decision to put this challenge aside, I MAY come back to it.
0% completed

The Colorful Reading Challenge
Goal: 9 books
Currently finished: 2 books
22% completed

The Chunkster Challenge-COMPLETED
Goal: 3 books
Currently finished: 4 books
133% completed-my first completed challenge

100+ Reading Challenge
Goal: 100 books
Currently finished: 23 books
23% completed

Buy One and Read it in 2010
Goal: 12 books
Currently finished: 3 books
25% completed

New-To-Me Christian Author Challenge
Goal: 20 AUTHORS
Currently finished: 5 Authors
25% completed

451 Challenge
Goal: 7 books
Currently finished: 2 books
28% completed

I added three challenges on April 25, 2010, they are the three that follow:

First in a Series Challenge
First Goal: 6 books
Longer term goal: 12, POSSIBLY 20
Currently finished: 5 books
83% completed

The 2nd Challenge
First Goal: 6 books
Longer term goal: 12 books
Currently finished: 3 books
50% completed

Finish That Series Challenge
First Goal: 5 Series
Longer term goal: 10 Series
Currently finished: 2 Series
40% completed

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