My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalms 139:15-16 NIV
As I have mentioned in my last two posts (Magic Tricks and What We Model), my grandfather used to take me to the library every Friday. It was a joy, but there was a hurdle we had to overcome before I could start picking out titles to take home—I needed a library card!
The reason this was a sticking point was because I was under 18 and needed a parent to sign in order for me to be able to get a library card. So the next time my mom and I were in the area we stopped by the library and got a library card—a card that had my mother’s name on it since my card from another library was at home and there was no way for this new library to know that I did in fact have a real library card. However it didn’t really matter, my mother didn’t really need a card for this library so she gave me the card to use and use it I did! For the next 10 years, I was in a happy book-surrounded haze. But, something a little embarrassing happened over the course of those 10 years…
Since grandpa and I were very much creatures of habit, we went to the library around the same time every Friday which meant we had to wait until breakfast was cleared and grandpa had finished his cup of coffee which he drank while reading the newspaper in his big red leather Eazy Boy recliner. We usually saw the same librarian, Alice, every time and we would exchange pleasantries with her and got to know her over the years as we gradually built up our status as regulars. Then one day as we were heading out the library doors I heard Alice say, “Bye Luanne!” For the record my name is Alaina—-my mom is Luanne, as was the name on my card…
Since we were heading out the door, I didn’t stop to correct her figuring I would do it next time. The following week she didn’t address me by name. Then a time or two later the same thing happened! She called me my mother’s name as I was leaving! It went on like this, her calling me my mother’s name when I was just about out of the library that I never felt I had the right opportunity to set the record straight. Finally, I gave up and just figured I’d assume my mother’s identity while in the library. Alice need never know.
It pretty much worked like that. I graduated high school, attended and graduated from beauty school, all the while being known by my mother’s name every time I stopped into the library. One day I stopped and Alice was there; I told her about my recent graduation from beauty school and she asked for my business card. Without thinking I handed it over. I saw a puzzled look cross her face as she stated that the name on my business card was not in fact the name she had been calling me for the majority of a decade! I was mortified as I explained the whole embarrassing story to her!
Alice knew me, albeit not especially well, but she recognized me. She knew my grandparents, our reading preferences, and our Friday routine. But even after a decade, she still didn’t truly know us—she didn’t even know my real name!
It’s like that with people; it’s easy to get confused and tangled up and miscommunicate. The truly beautiful thing about our relationship with God is that not only does He know us by name, He also knows our hearts. He knows the intentions of our hearts. He knows what it is that we are desperately trying to say to Him but can’t quite find the words to say when we feel like we are just rambling in our prayers to Him. We can get to know Him better by spending time daily in the Word and in communion with Him. He knows us much deeper than just by name—but how well do you know Him?
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This is a story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a snipper for the Soviets in WWII with 309 official kills to her name. Lyudmila, or Mila as we come to know her, was a real person and this story closely follows the events of her life. During a tour to the U.S. to drum up support for the Soviets during WWII, people didn’t know what to make of this woman who was also a killer. Was she a monster? This story gives us background as to how Mila became the woman she did. Cold Blooded killer or patriotic mother fighting for her country? This book is filled with descriptions of chilly nights spent out on the Russian front- if you are looking for a book to read by a fire this would make a good one!
The Arctic Fury by Greer Mcallister
It has been a long time since a book scratched the itch for me of keeping me hooked, having some meat to it, and giving me a glimpse into some less talked about, but no less interesting parts of history! The author pieced together this captivating novel about a fictional group of women who travel to the arctic to find a man who was lost (who actually existed). Our protagonist too is someone who really existed, though we have no evidence to believe that she actually trekked into the arctic, we do know that she was a member of the Donner party.
This story opens and our main character, Virginia Reeves, is on trial for the murder of Caprice, an affluent young woman who ventured with Virginia into the arctic but never returned. The story unfolds of the 13 women who ventured into the arctic in search of another woman’s husband, only 5 of whom made it back to be at Virginia’s trial… Will Virginia be found guilty and hanged, or will she be set free?
This book offers a very interesting look at how an undertaking of this sort was tackled in a time before we yet had all of our modern conveniences!
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
Agatha Christie goes missing three weeks before Christmas in 1926, only her fur coat is left behind in the car she was driving. Where did Agatha go without her coat in the middle of winter? What is going on in Agatha Christie’s life to make her pull such an outrageous stunt? Did the Mystery author just want to see what it felt like to be in one of her novels, or is there more going on behind the scenes in the Christie household? Based on the real-life disappearing stunt that Agatha Christie pulled off, Ms. Benedict takes an in-depth look at potential circumstances that could have pushed Agatha Christie to do such an outlandish act.
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There are several books with which we are pretty familiar and there are books that explore different facets of events with which we are already familiar. Several of the books I’ve read recently reminded me of other books and some I read concurrently. In both instances, I felt that my reading experience was enhanced by reading these in pairs and that I received a more well-rounded reading experience. Here are several book pairing suggestions that I would recommend.
Caroline and Little House on the Prairie
You have doubtless heard of Little House on the Prairie, the story of which is told from Laura’s perspective; Caroline is told from Mamma’s point of view. I think this is a great juxtaposition as we hear about the familiar events of the Little House on the Prairie, told from Mamma who was pregnant, by the way, as she started life fresh in the new territory—one that was harsh and unforgiving. For me, I found it fun to see the events from Little House on the Prairie, with which I was familiar as a child, retold through an adult lens!
Anne of Green Gables and Marilla of Green Gables
Again you have probably heard, read, or watched Anne of Green Gables. Marilla of Green Gables tells the story of Marilla Cuthbert’s childhood and young adulthood before Anne comes into her life. We get a glimpse at how events in Marilla’s childhood shaped her into the character we know and ultimately love from the Anne of Green Gables books.
Christy and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Christy is the story of a school teacher who goes to teach in the impoverished area of the Appalachian Mountains around the early 1900s. Being immersed in her surroundings is a culture shock for young Christy, who grew up in an affluent home. Contrast that with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and we see what life is like for those who have always lived in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. Cussy, the main character, is a Blue—a person who due to a genetic trait has a blood disorder causing the skin to appear blue, further ostracizing her in this already impoverished area.
To Kill a Mockingbird and The Giver of Stars
Although these books have two completely different settings, I saw various parallels between To Kill a Mockingbird and the Giver of Stars. Both of these books spotlight people who live a little differently than societal norms would dictate and are, therefore, easily villainized as a result. Prejudice takes many different forms!
Find Your People and The Life We’re Really Looking For
These are both faith-based books about community and the state of relationships in our world today. In Find Your People, Jennie Allen makes a case for why we need deep friendships with those who are near us—as in having friends who live within 15 minutes so that we can actually share in each other’s day-to-day struggles. In The Life We’re Really Looking For, by Andy Crouch, Andy takes an in-depth look at the role technology has played in disconnecting us from each other. This is not just because we spend time on devices instead of with each other, but because technology has enabled us to build more and more of a life where we hardly need each other—which is in direct contrast to the way the Bible wants us to approach life and relationships.
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Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
Matthew 7:15NLT
I return again this week with another story from my grandparents and the library!
The first time I remember my grandparents taking me to the library was to see a magic show! I believe I was 5 or 6, as they took me and urged me to sit with all the other kids. I watched in rapt amazement as the magician performed feat after amazing feat—amazing to a 5 year old at least! I don’t remember most of the tricks that he did, but there is one that I remember even after all these years.
For his closing act, the magician performed an act with which you may be familiar. He placed a piece of white rope into a wooden box, closed the box, and placed a large square of material over the box. He then said “abracadabra,” before pulling off the material to reveal a lovely white dove! I was amazed! I love animals and I fell in love with this white dove—we were allowed to carefully reach out and touch it and it was so soft.
I thought about that white dove miraculously appearing the whole way home and by the time we reached my house, I had a plan. I went into my room, emptied out a wooden box, found a piece of white string, and grabbed a blanket. I had paid close attention so I knew what to do. I held the box with my left hand while saying “abracadabra,” and slowly waved my right hand over the box. I held my breath as I pulled off the blanket waiting to see a dove that would be my new pet—nothing. I tried again, but still nothing so I paused to evaluate. I had a white string and the magician had used a piece of rope—that must be the issue! The string was probably too little to turn into a dove. I found a small piece of string that was just thick enough to be considered a rope in my book and I tried again. And again. And again. I’m not sure how long I spent trying to turn this bit of rope into a dove but it felt like all afternoon, with no luck.
I was fooled by the magician’s magic trick that day and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. Of course, in this case, my knowledgeable grandparents had taken me to a harmless magic show but I was unwittingly taken in! That is somewhat the purpose of these magic shows. We put ourselves in front of it willing to be deceived and taken in by the magician’s tricks but what about false teachers? Not every deceiver is as easy to spot as these magicians!
This is why the Bible tells us to beware of deceivers and false prophets. Many times these false prophets can look like legitimate teachers of the Word. So how are we to know? By spending time in the Word and getting to know God as a dear friend. If we invest time getting to know Him as we would one of our friends then we can spot the false teacher a mile away! But if we don’t invest in a relationship with Him, we can be easily deceived. If you had big plans for spending a lot of time in the Word and you find yourself getting derailed, I urge you not to give up! This is the most important relationship you can invest in and it’s worth pushing through the challenges that might get in your way in order to get to know Him better!
It is that time of year again, the time of year I think of as the lonely season… because when I take down my Christmas tree(s) it just feels so lonely in my home! Not to mention the festivities have calmed down, and I have a week or two to catch my breath. As I am in Pennsylvania I look around and think, “Gee, how many more months of this till we get to summer?” However, that’s really not all this season has to offer—I love the fresh start of the new year and I enjoy doing what I can to reflect some of that freshness in my home. Usually, I leave up as much of my wintery decor as possible: sparkly branches, winter trees, every greens—whatever reflects what is going on in nature. This year I was ready for more bareness. The holidays seemed more rushed and chaotic than normal and I just felt like I needed more room to breathe after the holidays. Can you relate? I don’t want my home to feel depressing though; I want it to feel cozy! Here are some things I am doing to refresh my home for winter and to enjoy this new time of year!
Purge
Nothing says new year like a good purge! Usually, I do an audit of our home the week in between Christmas and the New Year and do a quick purge. Seeing as our family was sick that week this year, I am carving out a little bit of time each weekend to do a purge and reorganize. It’s funny, every year I think I’ve paired down as much as I can bare, only to come across something the next year and wonder why I ever kept it!
Organize
You really can’t organize without having first purged so don’t skip that step. After you’ve done a light purge, take a step back and think about what I call the hot spots in your home—what areas are you always scolding your spouse for cluttering? What problem are you habitually having to deal with? Look at these problem areas and think about how you can solve them once and for all! For me this was getting a rack to hold the lids to my pots and pans. While my kitchen isn’t crowded for storage, these big lids weren’t as accessible as they could be, making it a pain to move all of them when I needed one for cooking. Moving all these glass and metal lids didn’t seem to be too much of a problem—till I had a napping baby in the other room and then the noise seemed major! Getting a lid rack solved this problem.
Here is the link to the lid holder I am currently very thankful for!
Missing Your Tree?
Are you missing your Christmas tree? While this could be because of all the fun the tree represents, it could also be the other elements that your room is missing. Does the room seem dark and bare? Does your room now seem boring? Does your room seem lifeless? Here are some possible remedies.
Add Light
Your Christmas tree can provide a lot of light. If your room feels dark, try adding a new lamp, candles, or a lantern. You could try incorporating a strand of fairy lights into a winter vignette to get a cozy glow going!
Add Scale
There is no doubt about it—your Christmas tree is a big statement piece in your home! If your home is feeling a little dull without it, closely look at your room and see if you have any statement pieces in your home. Do you have a large statement lamp? A show-stopping plant? A large mirror or piece of artwork? Your room needs a little drama! If you have been wanting to add a statement piece but just haven’t gotten there yet, this would be a good project to work on in these slower months!
Add Life
As I mentioned above, plants can add life to a dead-feeling space. If you don’t have any green in your room it really is time to add some. If you are not one for keeping plants alive, I hear you! Check out my post, Plants That Even I Have Kept Alive, or go for faux, but you’ll be amazed at how much style a little plant can add!
Cozy Up!
We already talked about adding candles and lights to your home, but don’t stop there! Pull out your warm, fuzzy throws! If you’ve packed up any throw pillows, pull them out. They will add warmth to your home and provide more comfort for the times when you are hopefully playing games, reading, or doing a puzzle.
Bedding
Most of us in the north have different bedding for our home for winter and for summer. Pull out your flannel sheets, swap out your lightweight comforter for a heavier one, and layer your throw blankets onto your bed.
Brighten Up
If you live in an area where winter can just be gray, try to brighten up the inside of your house by adding some touches of white. Treat yourself to a few white flowers—either as a plant or a bouquet.
To brighten up other rooms of your home try swapping dark drapery for white.
Enjoy!
So now you have refreshed your home with a purge and added any organization that you might need, you’ve pulled out your throws and your pillows, added lights and candles, and added some touches of white, if your home was lacking. Now it is time to enjoy your home! Here are a few ideas of how to enjoy your home this winter:
Make some soup. Nothing tastes better than hot soup on a cold day! Check out soups to warm you up! Play board games Do a puzzle Read Work on a craft Relax with an adult coloring book I hope this helps to give you some ideas of how you can enjoy this winter!
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