My husband knows me well. This month, on the 21st, I turned 27. Ryan declared it birthday month for me and on about October 2nd-he started giving me my birthday presents. I got 8 books for my birthday and we also built a book shelf earlier this month. I have a really sweet husband. You might be offended if you got 8 books for your birthday-I am super excited about it. I've read 4 of them.
Oh-most of the books were used which means they were super cheaper than they would be new which means-he splurged on hard back for me. Also-in our family we have started "birthday week punch cards". Right now its a metaphorical punch card but in the future they will be real. Each day for 7 days leading up to your birthday you get 1 punch! I used most of mine on Christie Cookie, Chick Fil A, and entertainment choices-a Sunday hike, a Friday date while the Palmers played with Brody-thanks :)
Here are the books I got for my birthday-so far, all of them are slam dunks.
This book was so good and eye opening. Once you get through the heart stopping grief that launches this story you can't put it down. If you're looking for a light happy story-this isn't it. But if you're into the kind of books that change your heart and help you learn more about the world and people who have experienced tragic loss, along with a lot of triumph-READ IT TODAY.
GO + DO was the perfect encore to Jantsen's Gift for me. This book is written by a man and I don't read many books authored by males so I liked the difference. There are so many capacities of serving and reaching out to others and this one is written by a lawyer-most lawyers don't get credit for saving the world, so if you know someone who is interested in law and wants to help people-give them this.
Unbroken pretty much left me sleep deprived and amazed. I stayed up past midnight several nights in a row because I just couldn't put it down. What a story! This is pretty high on my favorite books ever list. I don't know what else to say about it-just read it.
Anything-this book really spoke to me. It put into words a lot of what I've tried to put into words and instead just made up a bunch of really bad analogies for how I feel. I think Ryan appreciates when I finally read something and can say-this is it-this is what I've been trying to say. Because then we can all sleep.
I sort of think that all of these books were written with the purpose to be life changing for Christ. Now the Bible is obviously THE book for such a thing, but sometimes when we read the stories of people we can meet or look at pictures of-it just helps us see the bible in a whole new way. I'm still letting them all "simmer" but I'm pretty pumped about their affect on me.
Still to be read...
Very excited about all of them! If you have read any of these let me know-I love discussing books! I may even let you borrow one, as long as you return it. :) I like to "encourage" my hubby to read books that I love so that we can come a little closer to having the same brain. (Wouldn't that make some things easier?)
So I am 27. I don't have a lot of wisdom to impart except that I am SUPER blessed. I have an amazing husband, a precious son, and hopefully sometime before I'm 37-2 more precious souls will join our family. We have a home that is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I actually have to decide what to wear each day which means I have more than one thing to wear. Grocery shopping is something that I can do any time I want. I know how to read and can own any book I want. I can proclaim Jesus on the internet or in a store or anywhere I go (and I still don't do it everywhere I go-even though no one will throw me in jail or behead me.) I stay at home with my kid every day and we have to "find things to do" so we don't go crazy. Eating too much is the problem and running and walking are forms of exercise that I need to do more and not forms of getting around. My house is a wreck right now because the boss-ME- doesn't seem to care. Teaching my toddler to share is my hardest work assignment right now and the worst thing that happens to my son each day is having to come inside from playing.
Right now-at 27 I have some perspective. Maybe its because we are in the process of adopting from Africa. Maybe its because of these books I have been reading. I don't know-maybe God has given it to me because I need it so badly. Yikes I am blessed and I don't want be ungrateful or belittle my blessings. I want to share them and be grateful for them! I want to want less and give more. I am so not a finished project and I have such a long way to go. I hope I'm doing a little better than I was at 17 and I pray that I have the opportunity to be better at 37. My talents are limited but my heart is open. If you like to shut out all of the bad things that are going on in the world-DON'T, because you just might be the person that God wants to use to do something about it. It might just be me. I'm not sure? But I hope my ears are open too-so I can hear what's next.
