19 hours ago
I think this linkup is a bit of an exception to my general linkup dislike because you really can use the word prompt however you want, and the five minute timeline encourages honesty in a good way.
I'm going to join in, but you should know that I wrote for seven minutes, and I did add a few words here and there for clarity. Not exactly following the rules, but this is my blog, so I can do what I want! I might join in when the word is interesting, but if it's a stinker of a word, I will have no problems skipping it. Stay tuned, but for now, here is my first installment.
6:55 PM
It’s funny how one little word can take your mind on a whole new track. Purpose. A word that isn’t just a word, but seems to prompt a question.
"What is my purpose?"
That word and that question seems to come at an interesting time for me, because I have struggled with it. For the last couple years, I have lost sight not of my overall purpose, but my day-to-day purpose to a certain extent. I always have my overall purpose in mind because of the catechism our pastor’s wife taught us when I was a young teenager.
What is the purpose of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
That is always my ultimate purpose, and the purpose of every human being if they are willing to look and find it through what Jesus did for us in dying on the cross. He enables us to live out our purpose, the one that the human race lost in Eden. He got it back for us.
But still, my day-to-day, personal purpose has been wanting. For a while I tried to find it in this blog. Writers all around me seemed to be striving and reaching much bigger things - writing books, earning money, building a ministry.
I tried for a bit too, but it all just came up empty. Like chasing the wind.
This year I’ve been slowing down and realizing that my personal purpose won’t come from “making something of myself”. I think my greatest purpose comes into my room at an ungodly hour every morning, and asks if it’s time for breakfast yet. And I’m learning to stop striving and reaching for something bigger than the four brown-haired-heads slurping Fruit Loops and spilling milk.
I was looking too hard for something different that wasn’t there.
My purpose is sitting right there, at my kitchen table.
7:02 PM
I was not aware until recently that PJ Masks is a new show, but in our house, we are all in. My kids know the theme song. They come up with PJ Masks stories to play out. Even Derek will sit down and watch an episode with them in the evenings and chuckle at it!
Last week was Wyatt's 6th birthday. I cannot believe that my baby is six years old! I still remember that surreal moment when he was born, with his tiny little cry, and the tears that were streaming down my face. This kiddo is something special, and I love him so much.
When I was a teenager, my sister and I had a couple groups of friends who like dot write stories. We would labor over those stories when we got together or between seeing each other, and then we'd read them to each other and laugh and laugh.
(Affiliate links below - you know, so I can buy more books.)
Behind The Scenes by Jen Turano reminded me of those stories, in the best possible way.
In this book, the main character, Permillia, is an official wallflower, relegated to the edges of all the exciting society events. However, that's just fine with her since she writes an anonymous society column for a local newspaper and is more interested in business than marrying well. However, on the night of a certain ball she not only makes better acquaintance with a gentlemen named Asher Rutherford, but she also learns of a murder plot with him as the target. She is determined to either figure out who is trying to murder Asher, or at the least make him take the threat seriously.
What I Liked
This is one of those books with over-the-top characters and situations, but done in a really fun and comical way - and I loved that! I love light-hearted historical fiction that avoids that "tragedy" formula and takes a comedy route instead. That was the part that reminded me of the stories I used to write with my friends, because I have always loved a story or book that can make me laugh, and this one delivered!
The ending of this book was nearly perfect too, with almost every loose end tied up in a nice bow. Some people don't appreciate that because they like their fiction to be more true to real life...I am not one of those people, and if you are, this is probably not your book! I loved everything that was slightly over-the-top, and I loved that everything came out alright in the end. It was just fun!
What I Didn't Like
Permillia's character was a little too ambitious for me at times, and it seemed she expected everyone else to recognize her value. She came off as lecturing other people when she really wasn't in a position to be lecturing. All this was framed within the context of the women's suffrage movement, since this story takes place during that time. However, Permillia did not come off as pursuing a good cause (like women's right to vote, etc.), but instead she just seemed arrogant, which is a character flaw not really addressed in this book. She seemed like a know-it-all in places. Despite that, I still liked her character overall.
The only other thing that I had a problem with was in the scene where Permillia learns her father and stepmother were really only married because they were using each other. Her stepmother used her father to escape financial ruin, and her father used her stepmother to help Permillia become more accepted in society. When this all officially comes out, there are tons of accusations and very hurtful words hurled between the parents, and between Permillia and her stepsister, with a couple of side characters even joining in with the verbal thrashing. It was probably meant to be amusing, but I did not find this scene funny. Even though this book wasn't meant to be realistic, even over-the-top fictional characters would have a hard time coming back from that.
In the end, this sad conflict with Permillia's family was the one loose end that wasn't tied up well. I wanted relationships to be repaired, especially in the marriage of Permillia's father and stepmother, because the careless words they flung at each other really seemed to bring down the whole view of marriage itself within this book. So I'm taking off a star for that.
Conclusions
Even though those last two books sound fairly bad when they're all typed out, just take my word for it that the book overall was fun and funny and lighthearted! Despite my couple of bones to pick, I really enjoyed reading it, and I'd still recommend it if you want some not-too-serious reading! It comes out in April if you want to check it out, or preorder here!
Note: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
2/5 stars
I was going to try to keep this spoiler-free, but then I realized that if it were me reading this review, I would want enough spoilers to decide if it was going to be a book that was worth reading to me personally. So there are some slight spoilers below. You've been warned.
What I Liked
The best way to describe this book is a cautionary tale, on three fronts, and I guess what I liked about the book was that the author got her points across in a really powerful way.
1. The first is a cautionary tale about what can happen when Christians put a supposed call to ministry ahead of their families. This book follows Lauren and Sam as they meet, fall in love, and have a baby...then as they proceed onto the mission field. However, it becomes clear pretty early on that "the call" is really Sam's exhaustive drive to bring about his own vision of what he wants to do with his life - and to bring his family along without regard to whether they are also feeling the same "call". The results are disastrous and heartbreaking. We watch Ryan, a happy six year old, slowly descend into a sullen teenager who feels rejected by his father in favor of Nepali villagers, and consequently rejected by God. This brings him to a very dark place, and he attempts suicide. This was especially hard for me to read, since I currently have a happy six year old. However, I thought this is where the author made her point so well. The first ministry that we are given by God is to our own family, and any other ministry comes second to that...and mixing up the order can destroy lives and even faith. This book is a sobering story, even chilling.
2. The second cautionary tale was about how easily one can slip into an emotional affair if they aren't careful. In the process of the story, Lauren starts communicating with a childhood friend, and eventually becomes so infatuated or in love with him that it has negative effects on her marriage and family.
3. The third caution seems to be about submission, and how a wrong understanding of it can lead wives to submit to things that they know in their hearts go against God's plan. This happened when Lauren kept submitting to Sam's missionary plans instead of listening to the Holy Spirit's still small voice that told her this wasn't right. Unfortunately, Sam's character in this book is pretty single-minded in the worst way when it comes to the getting on the mission field (and though the book doesn't say it, I think it's for his own glory, not God's), and if Lauren stood up to him he would have gone without her.
What I Didn't Like
Appropriately, what I didn't like about this book can also be separated under those three points the author was trying to make.
1. First, with regards to priorities in ministry - I felt that in the process of making this point, the author didn't do a satisfactory enough job (to me) in clarifying that God does not call us to sacrifice our families for the sake of ministry. The book talked about how Lauren and Sam neglected Ryan, but I thought the author could have done a better job explaining how Sam's "call" really wasn't from God if Sam was willing to sacrifice his family for his own idea of what mission work should look like. Phoenix attempts to show this in the end when she writes about how Lauren turns back to "her God", the God who loves His children and is grieved by all they excused in His name, as opposed to "Sam's God". But it wasn't quite good enough for me, because it wasn't God at all who "called" Sam to abandon his family, and I wish that was shown more clearly.
2. Second, on emotional affairs - I felt that what Lauren did was never really presented as wrong. Sure, Sam was totally neglecting and disregarding his family for his own glory, but I still think Lauren should have been more on guard, and at least recognized what she did wrong with regards to getting so involved with Aidan. I don't feel like she ever did. We as the reader are just left to our own devices on the morality of her emotional affair (note: it's not okay). The consequences are seen, but the repentance is not.
3. Third, I kind of hate how this book threw in phrases like "the tyranny of submission", without really explaining more about biblical submission. It makes submission the bad guy, when really I think it was a misapplication of submission. I don't think the command for wives to submit to their husbands involves standing by and doing nothing while your child is neglected and goes down a dangerous path because of his parents' poor choices. Lauren's character acted like she was helpless because of "submission", when really she just didn't want the conflict that would result if she stood up for what God was showing her about the effects of Sam's plan on their family. And instead of seeking God about her struggle, she just distracts herself with her emotional affair (see above). Not a great example of biblical submission at all, and maybe that was the point, but again, I wish it was clarified more.
Conclusions
I'd also just like to note that while there was a lot of talk of "reaching" people, there wasn't a lot of talk about what the characters were trying to reach them with. Only passing references to the Gospel and Christ, but the characters themselves didn't seem to personally recognize what Christ did in dying to take away our sins and rising again, not in a way that impacted their lives - they were just going through the motions of "ministry", either to keep the peace (Lauren) or to do something "great" (Sam).
Once again, maybe that was the point, but the bottom line is, I wouldn't recommend this to someone who didn't already know what it means to believe in Jesus to take away our sins, or have a strong foundation in their knowledge of what it means to be saved. I appreciated what the author was trying to do here in presenting us with the perils of jumping recklessly into missions, but only because I am grounded in my faith. For someone who doesn't really know what Christianity is about, this book presents a very negative view of "Christian" intentions gone amuck.
I wish the salvation message had been presented more clearly through the ending in this story in case any non-believers pick it up, because without that this book lacked a shot of the Truth that I felt it desperately needed. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it because of that. I would recommend it with caution to believers in Jesus if they want a book that gets them thinking about the kind of struggles missionaries may face, and a book that gives a good shot in the arm about the importance of ministering to your own family - but don't expect to leave this book feeling encouraged, because you will be disappointed.
Note: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.
In the spirit of the day, I thought today's old-fashioned blog post could surround the holiday. How often do major holidays land on a Tuesday, after all? Not often.
(If you are here for the movie suggestions, scroll down.)
Valentine's Day Spirit
Valentine's Day Buckets
Old School Movies For Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day Spirit
I'm sure you are all well aware by now that I love Valentine's Day - mainly because every year I mention repeatedly how I love Valentine's Day. If you need to get into the Valentine's Day spirit, I suggest these previous musings on the subject.
Valentine's Day Buckets
For the kids' Valentine's gifts I had to be a little thrifty this year, so we just kept it simple.
Cute Valentine's Buckets - Target
Educational Card Decks (wrapped in DIY wrapping paper) - Target
Valentine's Pencils - Walmart
Glittery Hearts - Walmart
Rolos - Anywhere
As of this typing they haven't seen their Valentine's treats yet, but I'm confident they'll be a hit.
I ordered a present for Derek a couple of weeks ago, but it has yet to arrive. I was quite disappointed by this, because Derek always out-does me when it comes to gift giving, and I was excited to out-do him this time. I've decided instead to sneak a little Valentine's gift into his work bag for each day leading up to the arrival of his gift. That will keep up the suspense and gift-giving excellence, right?
Old School Movies For Valentine's Day
Excuse me for using my old-fashioned post for something slightly Pinterest-y. Last week I bemoaned the fact that there are very few new chick flicks out these days, and I am still stretching to think of a recent good romantic comedy. I don't like my romantic movies heavy in any sense. I appreciate light and happy. I considered sharing my favorite modern chick flicks, but then I realized that I am sure all of you reading this blog have seen those many times over, so I reached a little farther back. I present to you, for your Valentine's Day viewing consideration:
The African Queen (1951) - I admit, it's been quite a while since I watched this one, but I may have to remedy that soon. Humphrey Bogart! Katherine Hepburn! A quirky love story that takes place on a boat! I can almost guarantee it will leave you grinning, for one reason or another.
How To Marry A Millionaire (1953) - Lauren Bacall! Marilyn Monroe! I realize I should probably stop exclaiming all these actor names, because unless you already into old movies it won't really make a difference to you. But, just trust me, it's a winning combination. This movie is funny, and outrageous, and just cute. An old-school romantic comedy if ever there was one.
The Shop Around The Corner (1940) - Remember You've Got Mail (how could you not)? This is the movie that inspired that movie. I watched it several years ago, and thought it was different than the original but not in a way that ruined either one!
McClintock! (1963) - Imagine a John Wayne western and a romantic comedy got married and had a baby. This is that movie. Can't picture it? Let me tell you, it's a lot of fun! About a married couple on the brink of separation as they reconnect, all set in the old west.
If A Man Answers (1962) - And this one I'd call more of a "Galentine's Day" movie. Not that you couldn't watch with your husband, but there is some (respectful) comparing of husbands to dogs, so it's more fun to chuckle at it with your girlfriends than with your man!
A couple of these are one Netflix, but if you don't have any luck there, I suggest checking your local library!
What are your Valentine's date plans (if you have any?). We went bowling and shopping last week, so we'll probably just hang out and watch a movie tonight.
(Photo taken by Wyatt!)
Old School Blogger Shoutout
I think I need to create a spreadsheet because I'm losing track of who I already mentioned!
Elizabeth from Life In St. Petersburg - Elizabeth is an American mom living in Russia. I always find her posts interesting, whether she delves into Russian culture or not!
Carol from Pur et Simple - Carol is a mom to eight kids spread across 20 years - so she has grown kids and little ones. It's interesting to me to read what that looks like since mine are a lot closer together!
Both of these ladies are relatively newer reads to me, but it's so interesting to peek inside life with kids in different stages and places!
Who are your favorite old school bloggers? If I don't get some new suggestions this section is going to peter out in the next couple weeks. Or I might switch it to specific post shout-outs. What do you think?
Comment below if I haven't mentioned you yet and you'd like to be featured, or tell me your favorite old-fashioned blog to read (and read this post and this post again if you need a refresher on what I mean by "old-fashioned").
What I'm Drinking: Diet Lime Coke. I know. Where's the tea? It's just a Diet Coke kind of day.
2/5 stars.
I picked The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson because I love a good fairytale retelling, and I had never read one of Dickerson's before. However, I have to admit, I skimmed the second half of the book because it just didn't grab me and I found myself getting annoyed at a few things.
Positives
I really liked the idea of this story, which was somewhat of a fairytale retelling...the main character was like a mix of Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Merida from Brave (let's just ignore the fact that both of those are at the bottom of my list of favorite Disney Princesses). The bones of the plot had a lot of potential. The part I liked best about this book was that I thought the author did a pretty good job of incorporating faith into this book in a really natural way, including a brief presentation of the Gospel. A lot of times this feels forced into Christian fiction, but I thought it was done pretty well in this book.
Negatives
(One) - I didn't like the way this book represented men. For the most part, all the male characters were either villians, had questionable character, or were made to look ridiculous or unreasonable at some point. This was also reflected in the way some of the female characters talked about men. The only man who was not portrayed negatively was Westley, and even he was made to look occasionally clueless.
They also made him apologize to Eva a little excessively, in my opinion. Why does he have to apologize for not unquestioningly accepting her word? He didn't even know her!
(Two) - I also found many (really, a lot) of the situations in this book really not believable. If Westley was supposed to be some sort of a noblemen, I just don't think he would be fraternizing so much with the servants in his house. Whenever anything happened to Eva, he was always right there.
One particular scene stood out as a little ridiculous to me. Eva is practicing her archery (and of course Westley happens to be there), and a friend of Westley (who Eva saw trying to kill Wesley earlier in the book), comes up and greets them in a friendly way. Eva swings her arrow around and points it at the man, to "protect" Westley, and accuses and threatens the other man.
Let's go over why this bugged me: 1) In the real world during this time, I'm pretty sure she would have been fired on the spot for the way she handled that, even if she was right about the man. 2) I hate how this situation made Wesley seem clueless and helpless. Once again, it felt like a negative view of men being reflected in this scene. 3) I have a HUGE pet peeve about women "protecting" men in fiction or film, with the clueless man standing there doing nothing. This always seems to me like a cheap ploy to make the heroine seem strong and "empowering", and it just really irks me. It's a lazy way of making a woman seem "strong". And I don't know what's particularly strong anyway about foolishly threatening to shoot a nobleman and accusing him without any proof!
And finally, I just have to mention how at one point the characters end up walking, eating food at a festival, and laughing together about how they just fended off the bad guys who almost murdered them. Like they had just finished watching a movie instead of fighting for their lives! Oh boy.
(Three) - On top of all that, the writing in this book left much to be desired. The characters felt really one-dimensional, and the plot didn't have a lot of internal tension, it was mostly driven by external situations. It felt like the author just thought of a bunch of characters and events, and wrote it all out linearly without taking time to paint the scene or develop the characters or relationships. Many of the scene-shifts were jarring (like the above scene for an example - one minute we're practicing archery, the next we are threatening to shoot somebody, with no real transition or glimpse into Eva's thought process for this rather foolish move). It also felt like there was a lack of historical research for a book that was supposed to be set in 1300's England. Dickerson threw in a couple nods to history and a few old English words, and seemed to think that was good enough, but I think even the intended audience of teenagers appreciates a well-researched and well-thought-out book.
Bottom Line - Though this book had the potential to be a cute story, the writing was not great, and the portrayal of men was troubling to me. I wouldn't recommend this book to adult women because of the lack of depth, and I wouldn't recommend it to the intended audience (preteen/teen girls) because of the (in my opinion) generally negative portrayal of men.
Note: I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.
My parents are the biggest reason why Valentine's Day was never depressing. There are three things we did as a family that made it fun:
1) We ate an excessive amount of candy hearts (a tradition I continue today).
2) We all broke out the construction paper and made paper valentines for each other every year.
3) My parents gave each other sweet Valentine's Day cards (it's good for a child's heart to see their parents loving each other).
4) My parents always got us a little gift that would be waiting on the table on Valentine's Day morning.
That was enough, even during those tumultuous teenage years. I think we underestimate the impact of the love of a parent on Valentine's Day. It doesn't have to be anything big and flashy, just something small to remind your kids that no matter their relationship status, they are seen and loved by you.
I plan to do these things with my kids, and I also am hoping to spread the valentine joy outside of our immediate family to our cousins and friends as well! I think I have a subconscious goal to not let any children in my kids' circles to feel forgotten on Valentine's Day.
If you are of a mind to join me...I have a long list of Valentine's Day gift ideas for kids on Tommy Nelson this week! Ideas for classroom valentines, and Valentine's Day gift ideas for your own kids too! Read all my ideas here, then come back and tell me if I missed anything, por favor!
And Happy (early) Valentine's Day to you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
