Book Review

Top 10 Books of 2014

December 30, 2014 by Amy 2 Comments

With the adoption taking up most of the writing here these past months, I haven’t had a chance to link to the books I’ve been reading. Many of the books I read this year weren’t published in 2014, but they came at just the right time to me.

In no particular order, these are the top 10

Daring Greatly

DaringGreatly

I wrote a bit about this book here to me, Daring Greatly is one of the books that should be required for life.

Battlefield of the Mind

I’m going to call this one the most life-changing book of the year for me. It showed me so many ways I was in bondage mentally and was a catalyst for God doing a mighty freedom work in my life. I look back now over 6 months later and feel like I’m living a different life internally than I was before. I believe God used this message to prepare me for our adoption and all the mental exhaustion we’ve endured.

Victim of Grace

Victim of Grace was another well-timed and applicable book. It’s a memoir about an author’s journey that bears a few similarities to mine. I was so encouraged by her story and was challenged to believe that God was working everything together.

Forever Mom. What to Expect When You’re Adopting

I wish I would have read this book before we adopted instead of several months into it. In any case, it did help me approach my parenting to Jac0b in a new way.

Boundaries

Man, this was a good one. Revolutionary for my life. If you are a people-pleaser in any way, feel drained from relationships or are reading these words, you need to read this book!

You’re Going to be Okay

I love Holley Gerth-her writing and her as a person. She’s so down to earth and warm and encouraging. I’ve had this book in my kindle for some time, but I picked it up just a few weeks ago and it felt like it was written just for me. If you’re going through any sort of stressful time, this is the one for you.

Soul Keeping

Soul Keeping is one those read-it-once-a-year books. I learned a lot about the mind, soul and spirit and was encouraged to do soul-giving activities. In fact, I might just read this for the new year.

Kisses from Katie

Here’s another one I was late on reading, but it’s the story of how a girl in her early twenties adopted 14 girls in Uganda. Inspiring, challenging and encouraging.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This historical fiction was a fun one to read. The book is written in letters that sounds like it could be annoying, but actually works. It’s World War II era near Europe. It sounds like it could be depressing, but it’s not.

Outlander (<–Click! Kindle version is only $1.99)

outlander

Technically, I’m not 100% complete with Outlander. 600 pages is a lot! But I can already tell you, this was by far my favorite fiction read of the year. Yes, I’m on the bandwagon, finally. It comes with lots of adult-only warning labels, but it’s good writing with good characters.

I had a goal to read 50 books this year and only made it to about 33 plus a few half-read books. But still, given all our changes this year, I’m proud to have finished that many and very satisified with the return on the ones I read. Life-change, entertainment, encouragement, inspiration–books are the best!

Oh, speaking of reading, I’m leading a group to read through the Bible in 90 days starting on January 1st. I’ve done it several times and it is always such a blessing. I remember the first time I did it, it totally changed my perspective of God’s story. Request to join our closed Facebook group over here. We always have great discusssion, encouragement and reminders!

Fly a Little Higher

May 8, 2014 by Amy 1 Comment

It’s last February and my daughter and her friend come in the house with great drama, “Mom, you have to download this song. We heard it on CNN Student News today. This guy Zach Sobiech has cancer and wrote this song called Clouds. It is sooo sad!”

I hear Zach singing the catchy chorus, “Up, up, up” and my heart bends to the joyful sorrow of the song.

A few months go by and we stop for a moment to grieve when we learn of his death. So young, so talented, so joyful.

It’s a month ago and I get an email with an announcement that Zach’s mother Laura Sobiech has released a book called Fly a Little Higher and they want to know if I want to read and review it. I jump at the chance.

It’s Tuesday and I’m on page 283 of a 325 page book and Laura talks in passing about the song being featured on CNN Student News, creating even more media attention that it already had. By this time, Zach is very sick and they are near the end of their journey, this journey I’ve been traveling with them through the book. At this time, they are ignoring much of the Internet buzz just because there are so many hateful people with unhelpful suggestions and they are intent on spending their last days in peace together. Laura says,

Whatever was going on in cyberspace didn’t have much to do with what was going on in real life.

I wrote my post Tuesday and read this line late Wednesday. It hits me hard.

I cry when he dies at the end.

I’ve known the end since the beginning, but experiencing it with them, it breaks your heart.

And yet.

They had so much hope, so much strength in Christ, so much love for one another. It was beautiful to watch it unfold.

One of the only reasons the Sobiech family agreed to share the song and so much media was to raise awareness and money to help save others with cancer. In fact, Laura’s prayer when she found out Zach was terminal was that if he did indeed take Zach, that God would do something BIG with it. Given the success of the song and story, I’d say God is answering in abundance.

If you want to be a part of this answer to prayer, download the song, buy the book or donate to the cause. And more importantly, heed Zach’s wisdom:

You don’t have to find out you’re dying…to start living. –Zach Sobiech

This post is part of the Fly a Little Higher Blog Tour with hundreds of bloggers raising awareness and giving hope to those with cancer. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!

My Yes in My Mess

May 1, 2014 by Amy 4 Comments

After visiting Kenya with Compassion several years back, Kristen Welch was led to make a difference for young, pregnant women in Kenya. She founded Mercy House Kenya which continues to thrive and grow. In fact, TODAY they move into a new house for the women.

Rhinestone Jesus is her newest book chronicling her journey from a Christian teen wearing her sparkly Jesus pin to the founder of a non-profit in Kenya.

As I read Kristen’s new book Rhinestone Jesus, I began questioning what my yes might be.

If you’ve been reading for the past 6 weeks, you might remember a post in which I wrote about coming to terms with my working mom status. It’s been such a freeing last month to not carry the weight of the false guilt. But still, even though I was coming to terms with working, I still didn’t see it as my YES IN MY MESS.

God began pressing on me, though, that indeed my yes right now was to my job in that cubicle.

But how could God ask me to say yes to that? Isn’t that the extreme opposite of any God-work? Doesn’t that reek of the American Dream that Kristen wrote against in her book? Aren’t I supposed to leave the cushy job and 401K to say yes?

As I continue to seek God, though, I realize he has been asking me to say yes all these years.

Even without my joyful yes, he’s been using my job to teach me, not to embrace, but to let go of the American Dream.

He’s taught me to live simply and give generously.

To let go of faith in income and benefits and understand it could all be *poof* gone in an instant.

He’s taught me not to rely on the security of a job and rely on Him.

He’s taught me not to chase after fulfillment in a title, but my title as daughter of the one true King.

He’s taught me to be a light for him, no matter where I go.

He’s taught me to have integrity and character in a place that at times is so very lacking.

He’s taught me to work as unto Him and not to man.

He’s taught me to put family first among so many other duties.

He’s been doing God-work all this time and I refused to see it.

God is not working in me and others in spite of my job, but directly through my job.

My yes has been a very stubborn yes, but in the past month I have been whispering a joyful yes. Yes, Lord, if you really do want me in this space I’ll do it. I’ll do it unto you until you move me.

And yes, there’s a mess in my yes. There’s laundry that sits in baskets for days and dishes that sit in sinks. There’s tired mornings and missed school functions. *I* am the mess most of the time.

I resonated so much with Kristen’s husband who wanted to leave his corporate job to devote more time to Mercy House Kenya but stays right now to make their yes possible. And I realized, my yes to my job has in part made their yes possible as we’ve been able to support Mercy House Kenya over the years. And there’s many more yeses we’ve said to help others say yes to their calling.

So, I suppose it is as they say–we can’t put God in a box. His plans sometimes don’t look like what we thought they should. One person’s yes will look wildly different than the next. Someone else’s wrong might be our exact right. We are all different parts of the body working together. Watching Kristen’s yes unfold has taught me how to let go of the American Dream while working and in doing so, my working has helped support her yes. How cool is God?

So what does your yes look like? Is it something big or maybe a little yes with a big impact? All of our yeses to God matter and make a difference.

Rhinestone Jesus is so much more than about calling. It’s about faith and parenting and marriage. I was so encouraged and I know you will be too.

Pick up Rhinestone Jesus on Amazon or any major retailer. For more posts about Rhinestone Jesus, check out the link-up over here.

I was provided a copy of the book for the review but all opinions are my own.

An Easter Experience for Families

March 13, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

Did you know Easter is just about 5 weeks away? Crazy-town!

Before we jump into Easter baskets and candy, let’s think about taking time to share about the true reason for the holiday with our kids. I’m really excited my friend Amanda, author of The Truth in the Tinsel, has now released a family study for Easter to make it all super simple for us.

A Sense of the Resurrection includes 12 activities focused on one of the five senses–for example, smelling the perfume Mary used to anoint Jesus’ feet, hearing the rooster crow after Peter’s denial. It’s only 12 activities and the activities are not so crafty–they are big memory-makers (like making bread for the Last Supper).

I’m really looking forward to walking through this with my girls. Truthfully, I don’t know if Emma will be into doing something like this next year. I definitely want to take time to make special memories talking about our Savior’s resurrection and Amanda makes it oh so easy for us.

Go buy A Sense of the Resurrection now!

Thoughts on Living Intentionally and Notes from a Blue Bike

February 3, 2014 by Amy 7 Comments

Sometimes I read books and walk away with one thing to take with me. If I’m lucky, a handful. But then, there are some books whose message makes me rethink everything.

As a blogger, author, entrepreneur, wife, and working and homeschooling mom, Tsh Oxenreider knows what it means to live the fast-paced culture of America. And yet, while living extensively overseas, she also learned how to wear those labels in a slow, relationship-based culture.

After moving back to America, she’s relearned how to wear all those labels, get it done and yet, incorporate the slower lifestyle of other cultures so that she’s living the life her family craves.

If you read her blog for any amount of time, you know that Tsh speaks not from theory, but from an authentic voice of experience. She knows how to leave the American chaos behind to live simply and yet richly.

She’s taken all that experience and written Notes from a Blue Bike, encouraging readers to take a break from the chaos and live intentionally.

In her book, Tsh suggests these are the five categories where we can be most intentional with our life.

Work

Travel

Education

Entertainment

Food

Through engaging stories, she challenges her readers to not just mark some things off your to-do list to slow down, but to rethink the life your living. You come away asking yourself questions like:

What will we do when we retire?

Am I doing the work I’m meant to do?

How much work is enough work?

How can I help educate my children—whether they’re in public school or homeschooled?

How can we entertain our family without the TV?

Where should we go on summer vacation and why?

What kinds of food should we eat?

I hope in some way we’ve all asked ourselves these questions, but in this book, we get Tsh’s wisdom on the answers for her family. But what I love about Tsh is that she doesn’t suppose she knows the answers for your family—although she will insist you travel overseas at least once. The doors are open wide for you to wrestle with the questions and figure out what is best for your family.

After I finished the book for myself, I read—out loud and with a head cold, mind you—the entire section on Travel to Scott. I read him my favorite chapter from the Work section, “Enough”.

We are inspired.

I can’t recommend Notes from a Blue Bike enough. Required reading for everyone, ok?

Now, if you’re local, we have some exciting news. Tsh is traveling on a book tour and is making a stop in Charlotte! Follow along at The Art of Simple to get details when they come out.

In the meantime, I highly recommend you checking out these videos on each of the topics and then picking up a copy.

Food: http://youtu.be/r5ROsqUvngQ

Work: http://youtu.be/78XtPP8n6go

Education: http://youtu.be/gjSPkNxdpLI

Travel: http://youtu.be/4y0cd2Yd7Bg

Entertainment: http://youtu.be/PZBYZQdMGxQ

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This post is part of the Blue Bike Blog Tour, which I’m thrilled to be part of. To learn more and join us, head here.

Notes From a Blue Bike is written by Tsh Oxenreider, founder and main voice of The Art of Simple. It doesn’t always feel like it, but we DO have the freedom to creatively change the everyday little things in our lives so that our path better aligns with our values and passions. Grab your copy here.

What I’m Into – December 2013

December 30, 2013 by Amy 26 Comments

I’m linking up once again with Leigh Kramer to talk about what I’ve been into this month. It’s a great opportunity to talk about all the little things I got excited about.

Family and Friends

My Christmas break is officially over. We made a short Christmas bucket list and marked them off through the month, but mostly we hunkered down and spent a lot of time at home. I enjoyed a full week off with the family and man, was it what I needed. We had a great Christmas week and I’m so thankful for another year with family and friends.

Julep Nail Polish

After hearing about it many times, I finally broke down and subscribed to the Julep Maven box–a monthly beauty subscription service–when a friend posted a coupon for a free box.

In my free box, I got two Julep polishes and wow! I was super impressed with how well the polish went on, how shiny it was and even how long it lasted. I’m not sure how many Maven boxes I’ll actually get, but you can count me in as a definite fan of the polish.

Get your first box with the code FREEBOX!

TimeHop App

My friend ohAmanda introduced me to the TimeHop app and oh, it is so fun. Every day it shows you what you posted on your social media accounts that exact day in any previous year. You can’t see any day except the day you’re on.

For example, on Christmas, it was so fun to relive those Christmas mornings again. I have tweets from 6 Christmases ago!

You also unfortunately get to see some rather embarrassing moments too. Like, 5 years ago I don’t think I posted anything that wasn’t related to Twilight for a few months. Sheesh. Sorry, folks.

The best thing is it’s free!

Wedge Tennis Shoes

These wedge tennis shoes are way out of the norm for me but I found them on Clearance at JCPenney’s on vacation and I just couldn’t say no.

They are so comfortable and unlike many wedges, they make my feet look smaller instead of like small boats. Does anyone else think they look like the high-tops in Back to the Future?

Mary Kay Skinvigorate Cleansing Brush.

I just got this for Christmas so I haven’t been able to do any long-term testing but I’m definitely loving my Mary Kay Skinvigorate Cleansing Brush. Everyone raves over the Clarisonic but the price point was just a little high for me.

I can’t compare them, but I really am enjoying the Mary Kay cleansing brush. And at $50 retail, you really can’t beat the price (especially when you’re a consultant!). It doesn’t feel too rough, but it leaves my skin feeling super smooth.

Shameless plug: If you need a MK consultant, I do ship anywhere in the US.

Miche Bags

Speaking of consultants, my mom is a Miche bag consultant. She’s been trying to get me into the bags for years, but I’m a one-bag-at-a-time-and-for-years kind of girl. Seriously, the bag I had up to this month I’ve carried every single day since I bought it in March 2012 in Georgia.

My aunt gave me the mid-sized bag and a few shells for Christmas and y’all? I kind of love it. Like, really love it. Even though no one probably cares, it’s fun to swap out the shell in just seconds to a shell that compliments my outfit. It sounds so trite but it really does make me happy!

Books I’ve Read

Contrary to how I thought my month would go, I read fewer books this month than any this year. I spent a ton of time on the house (and Netflix—see below) and very little time reading. In fact, I only finished one novel: The Misremembered Man.

This novel was billed as a romance but it was so much more. Set in the 70’s in rural Ireland, it’s the story of a man who was abused in a Catholic school as a child and then adopted. The reader comes into the story just as he decides he needs to get married in his early 40’s.

As someone who is trying to adopt a boy from DSS, this was a little gut-wrenching, particularly at the end, but it was just such a work of art. I couldn’t speed read through the Irish accent in much of the dialogue and the vocabulary was rich. The characters were just lovely (well, some of them) and a surprise (and GOOD) ending left me satisfied this was the only book I read all month.

At only $3.99 for the Kindle version and free to borrow for Prime members, you shouldn’t pass this one up.

I spent the Advent season reading through The Greatest Gift. If you’re on the Facebook page, I hope you enjoyed the snippets each morning. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. If you haven’t read it, don’t hesitate to read it at any time of the year.

TV I Watched

What Not to Wear holds a very special place in my heart. I started watching the show when it first began in 2003. I was in my early 20’s and still trying to figure out my style. I learned so much from them and really, feel like I relearn it all every time I watch. I haven’t watched it in years and years, but they put the last two seasons on Netflix. The girls and I were goners.

I’d heard the buzz online about White Collar. Tiffani Thiessen from Saved by the Bell AND Hilarie Burton from One Tree Hill are on the show so you would think I’d be all over it. For some reason I never took the time to get into it.

When my parents got into it recently on Netflix and insisted we did, we took a peek at it one night and we were sold. We buzzed through the first season in just a few days. Great law enforcement drama, great characters, good humor and all around great show.

*While we’re on law enforcement dramas, I should also note that Scott was WAY into the series on Netflix called Flashpoint this month. I watched a few episodes with them and even though it wasn’t something I was into, he was. If that’s your sort of thing, you should definitely check it out as well.

So with that, we’re staring down the end of 2013. I’ll be back tomorrow with a year in review post.

In the meantime, anyone want to share any Christmas gifts they’ve been loving?

What I’m Into – November 2013

December 2, 2013 by Amy 9 Comments

November was a busy month of birthday parties capped off with Thanksgiving. I read a lot and watched Netflix with the family to decompress. I don’t have a ton of stuff to share but let’s get to it!

Online Shopping

I know this might be an odd thing to say I’m into, but I’ve definitely been into online shopping. Given today is Cyber Monday, I thought it worth mentioning. I bought all the girls birthday presents online and the only Black Friday shopping I did was some poinsettias from Lowe’s. The rest was done from the comfort of my office chair. Even when we did go out for a few presents this weekend, we found that there were better deals online. And who doesn’t love to have a bunch of boxes show up on your front porch?

If you don’t have an Amazon Prime account, we’ve found it pays for itself easily. Also, did you see they’re testing 30 minute deliveries with drones. I’d be into that.

A serious footnote: I’ve been wrestling with all of this consumerism this holiday season given this post I wrote about Catching Fire. I can’t seem to find my way through it yet and life marches on—we’re crossing our Christmas list off the only way we know for now. Maybe I’ll write more tomorrow on Fair Trade Tuesday.

Earthpaste Toothpaste

Soo…I never thought I’d be including this, but I really am into this natural toothpaste called Earthpaste. I got it as a free gift on one of the eBook bundles. It’s made out of clay and has no foaming agents. At first, I was completely turned off. But honestly, the more I use it, the more I prefer it to traditional toothpaste.

I don’t feel like my mouth gets as icky in between brushes, I feel like my breath is better and my friend Becky that uses it too said it’s really helped her teeth unlike any others she’d tried. I have it in the lemon flavor but it also comes in peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon, and spearmint.

Mocha Brownies

Now let me give you a good reason to need toothpaste…Pioneer Woman’s mocha brownies. I’ve made these several times in the past, but again for Emma’s birthday this month after we were caked-out. It always gets rave reviews, but be ready for a serious sugar rush! As you can see, they’re more icing than brownies!

Christmas Music

We started decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving so I’ve already been into Christmas music. I’m not one of those crazed Christmas music fans, but it doesn’t bother me to hear it early either. I found a few good lists on Spotify (FREE music!) that are perfect background music for the season.

Books

I didn’t read a ton, but I did manage to complete a few books. I admit, this month’s books are a little unfair. I read a few Advanced Reader’s Copies I got from Allume.

Restless – Jennie Allen’s book coming out in January is a next step from her book Anything. It’s an answer to those calls you have way down deep that there’s something more. I was underlining this one like crazy—something I only do when a book is one of my favorites.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode – Crystal Paine’s book is another January release. If you’ve read Money Saving Mom for long, you know Crystal is like a productivity ninja. This book is all of her productivity secrets rolled together. I’ve learned so much from her over the years and I can’t imagine this wouldn’t motivate someone. She aims to stress less, sleep more and restore your passion. I highly recommend it.

If You Find Me – I read this YA fiction after reading a passing social media comment about it. It was ok but nothing to rave over. It had some sensitive subjects in it, but I was drawn to the theme of adoption. It wasn’t terrible, but I can’t say I highly recommend it either.

Speaking of books, I’m reading through Ann Voskamp’s Advent book The Greatest Gift his month and posting about it on the Facebook page. Join me there!

What have YOU been into this month?

Check out more What I’m Into posts over at Hopeful Leigh

The Law, Love and a Review of Jesus > Religion

October 8, 2013 by Amy 1 Comment

I found myself in tears in my living room. It was an ordinary weeknight. I’d just been lying with my daughter reading as I do every night, but had to excuse myself so I didn’t lose it in front of her.

I’d been reading Jeff Bethke’s new book Jesus > Religion and a passage explained a set of Scriptures that always left question marks in its wake.

Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

While I always understood Jesus died for all my sins, I’d always read this and thought But Jesus said the Law is still valid. He might have covered all my sins, but he still expects me to obey the law. Then things would get confusing. Which law was still valid? Which do I have to follow? Which can I ignore?

The pendulum would swing the other way at times and I’d think well of course we don’t have the law. Jesus got rid of all that. We’re totally free to do whatever we want. Eat, drink and be merry!

And then I would think, but…but…Jesus is holy and wants us to be holy. I know the Holy Spirit guides me away from some of the same things the law does. The law fits in there somewhere. Plus, didn’t Jesus say…

Somewhere in my head I knew he’d freed us from the law, but I just could not understand how these verses made it all work together.

In response to these verses in Jesus > Religion, Jeff writes:

Jesus wants to make it clear: he isn’t taking God’s moral law lightly. The only difference is, he didn’t come to crush us with it—which religious people do, like the leaders in John 8—but rather, he came to fulfill it for us. When something is “fulfilled,” it means it has reached its end or completion. That’s what Jesus said he was doing. He was fulfilling the righteous requirements of it, on our behalf, to give us perfect standing with God.

That paragraph is what sent me in tears out of my daughter’s room. I’d read that verse so many times but finally I understood. I am free. Totally and completely free from the law. Jesus fulfilled all the requirements for me.

And here’s how I finally understood the rest: God hasn’t changed. He still desires for us to be holy. The law shows what God’s holiness looks like. It’s purpose is to show that we don’t meet that standard. With religion, we try to follow all the rules so we will be right with God. With Jesus, he does it all for us and then we begin to obey and grow out of a love relationship with him. Likely, the more we grow, naturally we are obeying the laws because we are becoming more like the character of God which is displayed through the law. But we do not have to obey the law first to be right with God or even to maintain our righteousness.

The law then to me as a Christian is simply a mirror of God’s character.

God is so good to me in that our sermon yesterday, the question for us was if we are free from the law, can we just do what we want? The answer is that yes, we’re free from the law but when we have that relationship, we live out of love and want to obey his Spirit not his law. It’s like God just wanted to give me an extra pat on the back and say, yes! You’ve got it now!

And this is what I love about Christianity. I don’t have it all figured it out. The questions don’t go away. But the trust doesn’t either. I may not understand every piece of the puzzle but I trust that the puzzle is complete in Christ. He shows me answers when I’m ready and sometimes that’s when my heart, a book and a sermon are ready to intersect.

I’m convinced Jesus > Religion is going to be part of so many more moments of clarity. Jeff is a voice for a generation that desperately needs to hear Jesus is relevant and a reminder to long-time believers what we truly believe. Jesus > Religion released this week and whether you are a person of strong faith or the word religion sends you running, I’d highly recommend it.