Sunday, May 8, 2022
A Mother's Prayer
Friday, March 18, 2022
O Who Is Like Jehovah God?
"Hast that not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall untterly fall;But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."Isaiah 40: 28-31
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
February Brighter Winter Reading Challenge
My sister Charity and I both took part in the Brighter Winter Reading Challenge. Here are a few of our favorite books read in February.
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Charity - a book recommended by a family member and a book written by a pastorSurving the Tech Tsunami by Gary Miller
Monday, February 28, 2022
Sisters' Spring Reading Challenge
Last year, my sister Charity and I came up with monthly reading challenges which we shared here on the blog. We both enjoyed these so much. We loved pushing ourselves to read new genres and being a bit more deliberate about our reading choices. We read many unread books from our shelves.
But we are reluctant to do monthly challenges in 2022. The next six months look very busy for both of us. Though we will certainly find time to read, we don't want the pressure of too many deadlines. Plus, last year we were reluctant to begin longer books because we didn't think we could complete them in a month.
So this year, we are going to do seasonal reading challenges. This will give us three months to complete the list, giving a bit more breathing room while still challenging us to complete some of the unread books on our TBR.
We hope that you will join us! Each season (spring, summer, fall) we will have eight challenges. Six of the challenges will be to read a book and two of the challenges will be a book-related activity. That means, if you read two books a month, you will be able to complete these challenges.
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Sisters' Spring Reading Challenge
1. Read a classic you think you should have read.
Is there a book that others talk about, but you have never read? Maybe Dicken's Tale of Two Cities or Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. We are defining a classic as a book written before 1970.
2. Read a verse novel or a book of free verse poetry.
April is Poetry Month. We both love verse novels, and if you've never tried this genre, you are in for a treat. Verse novels are short and easy to read, but can pack an emotional punch.
Some examples:
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
3. Ask a friend to pick a book for you--and read it.
I get so many great book recommendations from friends. Here is an excuse to read a book one of them suggests.
4. Read a book that has siblings as the main characters.
This could be fiction or nonfiction--anything from a book on the Wright Brothers to the many middle-grade books that feature siblings.
5. Read a book about a less famous historical event.
You can define "less famous" however you wish. The book could be nonfiction or historical fiction. Some examples:
The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner (Ellis Island)
Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff (Irish Potato famine)
The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society by Annie Barrows (World War 2 on Guernsey Island)
6. Read a book that has an elderly person a main character.
They don't have to be the main character, but they should play an important role in the book.
For example:
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
7. Read from a book before picking up your phone in the morning.
You could extend this challenge to see if you could read a book before picking up your phone every morning for a whole week. And maybe you'll begin a new habit of reading a book before checking your phone every morning!
8. Copy a poem (or write one) and hang it where you will see it.
This challenge is specifically for Poetry Month in April, but you can do it anytime.
Hope you have a fun spring season in books!
Monday, January 31, 2022
January Brighter Winter Reading Challenge
Charity and I both enjoyed the Brighter Winter Reading Challenge this month. Nothing beats reading a good book on cold winter evenings. Here are a few of our favorites read this month.
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Friday, January 28, 2022
Making Yogurt in an Instant Pot
Long-time readers may remember how slow I was to climb on the Instant Pot craze. But one thing that has become a routine in my kitchen is making yogurt in the Instant Pot. It is so simple and always turns out. No more milk boiling over on the stove or struggling to keep the proper temperature.
Obviously this makes a lot of yogurt which is perfect for a large family. My favorite way to eat yogurt is with granola. You can add sweetener to the yogurt before you incubate it, if you wish. I prefer it plain, but my children like it a little sweeter.
Yogurt intimidated me until I tried it and found out how truly simple it was.
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Shaping Surroundings for Good Habits
For the last number of years, I've done a series in January that has had something to do with Bible reading and schedules.
2021- 30-Day Phone Challenge
2020 - Friends share Goals and Routines that Work
2019 - Friends share Choosing His Words
In the last five years or so, I've read several very good books on habits. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhig, Switch: How Change Happens When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, and Atomic Habits by James Clear. I read a lot of books in a year, and maybe it shows the value of these books that I can remember so much about each one, though some were read quite a few years ago. (This post contains affiliate links.)
But, of course, it is not enough to read a book and agree with what it says. A book on habits has no power unless it changes my habits.
I know from reading about habits, that change best happens when we make a specific plan to make the good habit "obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying." (from Atomic Habits)
"If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your systems. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change." James Clear in Atomic Habits
Lots of people make goals at the beginning of the new year, including me. And it shouldn't be a surprise that when I make a goal without thinking through how I'm going to make that goal a habit, it flounders by mid-January.
Since last January, I've been thinking about the changes I want to make and why some of them can't seem to become consistent habits.
For example, in the last few years, I've been terrible at planning. All kinds of planning. Planning meals. Planning grocery lists. Planning schedules. As the result, I often feel like I'm running behind, not knowing what I'm going to make for dinner tonight. Going grocery shopping only to get home and find I missed a necessary items. Completely forgetting an appointment.
While I feel like I'm doing relatively well holding together and most people in my life think I'm organized, I know how scattered I feel inside.
Last January I made it my goal to begin using my planner again. At one time I used my planner often. I covered it with to-do lists, reminders, and random thoughts. But the last few years, the pages have been blank. I knew that if I would begin to consistently write things down, I would feel less disorganized.
But I had no plan for how I'd actually begin this new habit and nothing changed.
And that is just one example. I could make great goals, but unless I knew how I was going to incorporate them into my life, nothing would change.
So I've spend the last couple months thinking about my specific routines. I don't have babies anymore. I'm crawling out of the grief fog. My life is fuller than ever, but it has more predictability than in past years. I knew I could find a way to shape my environment to encourage better habits.
Now is when I start to feel silly. This probably isn't worth sharing on a blog post. And I know it is only January 19 - too soon to tell if this will truly work. But I've been analyzing this for months, it isn't a hasty idea, and I've been slowly making tiny changes, so I think this will last.
I'm also hesitant to share this because you may not need, or want, to copy me. I'm only giving this as an encouragement to look at your life, consider the changes you want to me, and find ways to shape your environment to make the changes work for you.
One problem I found was that I had things scattered around the house. I read my Bible on the couch, but if I wanted to journal, it was beside my bed. I kept my planner in the kitchen, so if I had an idea before bed, it wasn't handy.
My bedroom is small and can tend to be the catch-all room. For example, it contains a large bookcase that contains school materials and teacher's manuals. There isn't many options on moving furniture in that space. But a few weeks ago I had an inspiration. By moving the large bookcase in the opposite corner, I was able to squeeze out space for a chair and a small bookshelf. I picked up a lamp at Goodwill and instantly I had a comfortable spot that I couldn't wait to use.
This comfy spot became what I needed to shape better habits. My Bible, journal, and planner now have a home. I anticipate sitting there each morning and evening to plan my day. Walking in my room became a delight. And my phone is not kept in this space. No longer am I faced with the temptation to check my phone before reading my Bible because I have a lovely place to read my Bible, with no phone in sight.
Ask me in a few months how it is going, but because I've shaped my surrounding to support my goals, I think this will give long-term benefit.
I'd love to hear how you set up your home to encourage good habits.