Finishing Books: the 2016 Reading Challenge

Last year around this time I came across a post by Tim Challies that encouraged people to read more in 2016 by following a reading challenge.  I was so intrigued.  I had gotten into a really bad habit of starting books, but not finishing them.  I even have a shelf on my Goodreads account that is called, "Started But Not Finished".  Yuk!  

As a result of this terrible habit and that inspiring post I set out to finish 26 books in 2016!  I say "finish" because I was already reading some pretty great books that I didn't want to abandon.  That would still challenge me to finish a book every other week.  I copied the lists below into my bullet journal and kept track of my "every other week" goal on my monthly spreads. Here are the results:

The Light Reader 

• A book about Christian living - "Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands" Technically I still haven't finished this one, but it is on my list for this month!  This is an excellent book and should be required reading for all believers.
• A biography - "Out of the Depths" A good, hard read that was recommended to me by a church friend.  
• A classic novel - "Uncle Tom's Cabin" - started, but never finished. To be continued in 2017.
• A book someone tells you "changed my life" - I tried to read "Interrupted" by Jen Hatmaker because several people recommended it, but I couldn't get past page 8.  
• A commentary on a book of the Bible - "Because the Time is Near" This was an excellent book on Revelation that I enjoyed very much!
• A book about theology - "Delighting in the Trinity" Hoping to finish this one in December.  It is a really good book that explores the relationship between the three persons of the trinity.
• A book with the word "gospel" in the title or subtitle - "What is the Gospel?" Our church hands these out in their visitor bags and I can see why.  It really lays out the Gospel in an approachable way.
• A book your pastor recommends - "Your Child's Profession of Faith"  So many books I read have come as recommendations from my pastor.  This one is great for parents.  Whether or not you have a child that has already professed faith this book is super helpful when thinking about how to talk to your child about their own profession.
• A book more than 100 years old - "Emma" This was my first Austen read.  I'm not gonna lie, it was hard to get into, but after halfway I really enjoyed it.
• A book for children - "Red Wall" Ethan has read so many of these books, but I hadn't read any yet so we listened to this on audio book this summer.  The audio book is a full cast of actors and was really engaging to listen to. All the kids enjoyed it, although most of it was over my four year old's head and I had to explain some to my six year old.
• A mystery or detective novel - "Hounds of Baskerville" I really enjoy the new Sherlock show from the BBC and I wanted to see what the original novel was like.  This book did not disappoint and I loved all the changes that were made to modernize the story, yet the heart of it all was kept in tact. 
• A book published in 2016 - "Do More Better" I cheated on this category since it was technically published at the end of 2015.  I would say if you've read Tim's productivity posts you don't need to buy the book as it was largely and expansion of those.  He does include how to set up digital tasks, but I found them to be tedious and I went back to just using my bullet journal.
• A book about a current issue - "Hands Free Mama" I want to be more present with those around me and this book challenged me to do just that.

The Avid Reader

• A book written by a Puritan - "Mortification of Sin" - Unread, on my list for 2017.
• A book recommended by a family member - "Teach Them Diligently" Actually started this one with a friend who is like a family member, but we didn't finish.  It is a serious parenting book that you can't just breeze through!
• A book by or about a missionary - "William Carey"  This book took me the longest to finish!  It was inspiring to read about such a godly man and the struggles he went through in ministry, but I did think it could have used some better editing.
• A novel that won the Pulitzer Prize - "Germs, Guns and Steel" Unread, it is at the top of my list for 2017.
• A book written by an Anglican - Never found a book that fit this category that I wanted to read, but I'm open to suggestions.
• A book with at least 400 pages - "Seveneves" 880 pages of great science fiction!
• A book by C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien - "Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe" Technically, I've read this before but the kids and I listened to it on CD and really enjoyed it.
• A book that has a fruit of the Spirit in the title - "The Hardest Peace" This was one of the hardest books to read, but I'm so glad I did.  I even read another book by this author because I enjoyed this one so much.
• A book with a great cover - "Ready Player One" If you are a child of the 80s (or close) and played any video games, you are going to love this book.  They are even making it into a movie in 2017.
• A book on the current New York Times list of bestsellers - "The Martian" I saw the movie before I even knew there was a book. Even though I knew what was going to happen, not only did I enjoy this book, but it had me on the edge of my seat at the end!
• A book about church history - "Church History" Unread, on my list for 2017.
• A graphic novel - "Drowned City" I grew up in Louisiana and watching Katrina unfold from Knoxville was so hard.  This was a personal look at what happened the the great city of New Orleans.
• A book of poetry - Never found one for this category

Other books I finished: Even though Tim supplied great topics on the challenge, there were still books I wanted to read outside of the suggestions above.

• "A Life of Principled Obedience" Technically this is just a pamphlet, but it is a great one!
• "Harry Potter" I had read this already, but this summer I wanted a really easy read and this answered that need!
• "Simply Your Spiritual Life" This was a great book!  I read it on the Kindle and I really need to transfer all of my highlights to my Evernote so I can make some tasks from them for 2017.
• "Just Show Up" This was a follow up book to "The Hardest Peace" and I really enjoyed it.
• "Green Ember" and "Ember Falls" I really enjoy reading fiction before bed and I loved these books.  My 9 year old also ate them up and we are excited for the author to continue the series.
• "Mr. Popper's Penguins" This was a cute novel that we listened to in the van this summer.  All the kids (4-9) enjoyed it.
• "Jurassic Park" and "Lost World"  Especially in the summer months I just want good books that I can read and enjoy.  I remember Jurassic Park being one of the first novels that I read as a young girl and loved so I read through it again this summer.  This year I also read the sequel and found it equally exciting.  

Other books that I've started, but haven't finished yet:

• "12 Years a Slave" As I'm reading this book I can't believe it's a true story!
• "Heart of Anger" Philip and I are reading this great book as a result of some discipline issues that came up this summer.  It is super helpful in helping parents help their kids walk through their anger issues.
• "The Peacemaker" This book is so excellent.  Right along with "Instruments.." it should be required reading.
• "When People are Big and God is Small" Looking forward to finishing this book as soon as possible.

Summary:

• Books finished: 25!  Only one away from my goal and I have three weeks in the year left.
• Books to finish in 2016: 2 I'm going to try and finish "Instruments..." and "Delighting in the Trinity"
• Started, but haven't finished: 8  This is a large number, but with a plan I think they will all be finished this year or next.

Even though I haven't finished this challenge yet this was a huge success for me.  I can't believe I've read this many books this year!  To continue with my pace I do plan to 

to write my own reading challenge for 2017.  This year the categories will be based on my areas of responsibility and roles in those areas.  I'm going to read books that pertain to my personal growth, Biblical counseling, parenting, diabetes, etc.  I'll post that list in a future blog post.

What did you read this year?  If you want to read more in 2017 I highly suggest making a plan and then sticking to it!

It's Not a Horse

Image credit: www.wildernessinquiry.org

One of our favorite types of games are those that don't need a table and even more special are those that don't need any equipment.  We learned this game from a fellow Physics undergrad student at UL.  I believe he was from Russia.  Basically this game is a Russia version of 20 questions, one person thinks of a word and the rest of the players try to guess what the word is.  We really like it because as soon as your kids are old enough to spell words (1st-2nd grade) they can fully participate in this game.  Here's how you play:

• Player One thinks of a word.  It can be any noun.  Then they tell the other players the first letter of the word they have thought of.
• "The first letter is H."
• Now the rest of the players (in no particular order) ask questions of the first player that all have answers that begin with the letter that has been given.  The goal is to eventually figure out the word the first person is thinking of. 
• "Is it a farm animal?"
• Player One must now think on an answer that begins with the given letter and answers the question.  They begin with the phrase "No, it's not a...."
• "No, it's not a horse."
• Players continue to ask questions and Player One continues to try and answer without giving up the word he/she is thinking of.  If at any time the players stump player one by giving them a question he/she can not answer Player One must supply the next letter of the word he/she is thinking of.
• "Is it the capital of Botswana?" 
• Player One: "I don't know the capital of Bostwana."
• "The capital of Botswana is Gaborone."
• Player One: "Okay, the next letter of my word is "O"."
• Player One doesn't have to answer the question exactly like the player thought it should be answered.  If Player One still supplies an answer that fits the criteria they "survived" that question.  The player then must rephrase the question before asking it again.
• "Is it a show on Netflix?"
• Player One: "No, it's not Heroes."
• "Is it a Netflix original show?"
• Player One: "No, it's not 'House of Cards'."
• Eventually the players will stump Player One so many times they will be able to ask a question who's answer is the word Player One was thinking of all along.  The player that asks the winning question gets to go next.
• "Is it a place you live?"
• Player One: "Yes, it is a house! Now, you get to think of a word."
• We have little house rules too - Player One must answer the question within a reasonable amount of time.  Maybe as long as it takes someone to sing the Jeopardy song?  

If I've missed anything or is these rules are unclear please let me know.  I hope you enjoy playing this game with your family.  Our favorite is to play the game around the fire or a road trip since you don't need any equipment to play.

The Instant Pot

Last Christmas my friend Betsy got a new kitchen work horse: the Instant Pot.  She told me how great it was and I was intrigued, but I really had no need for another kitchen appliance.  Then, after doing a deep clean on my crock-pot (and apparently getting water behind the electronic panel), it died on Easter Sunday with the ham already in it!  I was less than pleased.  Luckily I have the kind of Crockpot that has a removable stoneware crock and I was able to save Easter dinner in the oven.

Now I had my chance!  I had a genuine reason to shop for a new kitchen gadget and the Instant Pot was at the top of my list.  It wasn't cheap, but it was more than a slow cooker, it was a pressure cooker, rice cooker and yogurt maker.  Normally I say appliances that try to do many things can only do them poorly, but so far my Instant Pot 7-in-1 has yet to disappoint.  I have made many recipes with this appliance and I even removed my food processor from the counter top to make room for this pot to stay out all the time.

Here are just a few things I like about the Instant Pot.  It:

• allows me to make homemade yogurt and coconut yogurt cheaply and with minimal effort
• shortens cooking time for most dinner entrees by 50% or more
• as a nice display with self-explanatory buttons
• has wonderful side slots that hold the lid for you while you saute or for serving
• has an easy to clean, dishwasher safe stainless steel pot
• makes the perfect brown rice in less than 45 minutes
• turns two-pot slow cooker meals into 1-pot meals with the built-in saute feature 
• comes with a recipe book that helps to introduce you to pressure cooking as well as yogurt making
• cooks greens in a way that I actually like them! 

Drawbacks are few.  One of the drawbacks is that you have to be careful and not add any ingredients that might scorch before you use the pressure cooker.  Many recipes add flour to the pot before cooking, but the flour will scorch and prevent the cooker from functioning properly.  If this happens you will get a "Ovht" error and the pot will shut off.  Once, I had to remove an entire (still raw) chicken from the pot and clean the liner before returning the chicken and the pot to the cooker.  Now that I know I won't make that mistake again, and hopefully by reading this review you won't make it either!

Betsy has invited me to post recipe reviews for this pressure cooker over on her fulltummies page, so in the next few weeks or so you can look for full recipes there.  

Happy cooking!

Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches

At our church for the past six months we have been taking this amazing parenting class!  Amazing and challenging...some days I would walk out of class feeling like I was challenged and needed to change some things about my parenting, but most days I would walk away convicted of my sins and feeling somewhat like a failure.

One of the neat things about my Amazon wishlist is that when I hear about a good book I put it on my list.  Years (or just months) go by and I don't remember how I heard about the book or who recommended it to me, but I leave it on the list thinking, "It must have sounded good or else I wouldn't have put it on the list."  So it goes with this book.  I don't remember putting it on my wish list, much less who suggested it to me or how I found out about it, but I'm so glad it made it's way on there!!

My friend Rebecca bought me this book for my birthday last year and I had a chance to read it on our trip down to Louisiana for Christmas.  It is great!  It was just the encouragement I needed to balance out our parenting class at church.  The chapters average about 2-3 pages and take you 3-5 minutes to read.  Sounds like the author knew her audience!  Chapter Two was my favorite and lucky for you, if you download the sample Kindle book, you can read the whole chapter for yourself.  She compares motherhood to life in a rock tumbler.  We are always being rubbed by the (little) people around us and our sins are constantly being exposed.  Instead of it becoming overwhelming, we need to view it as an opportunity to become more like Jesus.

Whether or not you are the mother of little children I think the illustrations Rachel lays out will be an encouragement to you.  Relish this time you have with your littles and let God work in your life and theirs.

Remember the Milk

I may have just eliminated my need for a paper planner!  I have had a paper planner for as long as I can remember.  All through out middle school up through college my favorite part of August (other than my birthday) was picking out a new planner!!

Now that I am a home manager the need for a planner is even bigger.  So far I have depended on Google Calendar, my iPad, and a paper planner to stay organized.  I've tried to use larger planner systems, but it never quite worked out.  The problem has been I don't always have my iPad and I don't always have my paper planner to write things down in.  Enter the iPhone!  Verizon recently changed their data plan and I was able to finally buy an iPhone with some left over Christmas money that was collecting dust.  Now my Google Calendar is ALWAYS with me :)

Last week my sister was telling me about a list app that she was enjoying and I remembered that Simple Mom had suggested Remember the Milk years ago.  I decided to try it again since it now has an iPhone and iPad app.  It has been wonderful!  I decided to splurge and get a pro account so that my lists would always be synced across my devices, but this is definitely not necessary.

I love this task manager for a couple of reasons:

• you can organize tasks by lists.  So far I have: Blog posts to write, Evening Routine, Gift Ideas, Home Management, Kids, Money Matters, Morning Routine, School, Study, and Tidy Up Tuesday.  There are also two default lists of "Inbox" for routines you email yourself (or Siri sets up for you) and "Sent" which I think is used for tasks you share with others.
• you can use shortcuts to set up when a list is due, priority, when it repeats, where it takes place, and to add tags.  Tags help you to sort your task based on subject.  I have a tag for computer tasks that I use to help me get things done while I'm at the computer.  You can also use tags to sort by tasks that you have for different children.  Here is the list of shortcuts:

          If you wanted to use these shortcuts it would type this in the "add a new task" section of the website:  "Call Betsy ^tomorrow !2 *weekly"  Then a new task will be created with all of the parameters you have specified.  You can also email this to your RTM account and it will set up the task for you.

• you can also set a task to repeat based on when it was last done instead of just when it was last due.  This is helpful for things like taking your vitamins.  You want to take them once a day, but if you forget them today you don't want to take two tomorrow.
• you can associate notes or a URL with each task.  I do my grocery shopping on Monday, so I have a reminder on Sunday night to do my meal planning.    I use the note feature to keep track of meals that I see during the week that I think would be interesting.   

Even if you don't have a smart phone remember the milk can send you text messages or email reminders when tasks are due.  I choose to do most of my household cleaning on Tuesday hence the list "Tidy up Tuesday" I have a morning and evening routine based on Tsh's book 52 projects to a simpler life.  She encouraged readers to choose 3 to 5 things you do every morning and every evening. this helps bring structure to an otherwise unstructured day.
 Here is a view of my current account:

I have just started using Tsh's suggestion of identifying three things a day that are your most important tasks and marking them priority 1 (orange in color).  I do not mark anything else with that priority so that each day I can choose three new things.

Please ask any other questions you have in the comments section.  I hope I've given a quick overview and have helped you get started with this great website!

RSS Reader

Sometime last year my friend Meg introduced me to a beautiful thing....an RSS reader.  Now, I consider myself a technical gal.  I like pretty much all things technology and I had heard of an RSS feed before.  I had seen the little RSS icon:

But what is it?  How do you use it?  Well, that my friends is what I'm about to tell you.  RSS stands for RDF site summary, but really it means updates from a website sent straight to your feed (we'll get to what a feed is in a minute).  I love to read multiple blogs.  I have friends who have blogs, but I also love blogs of people I don't know, but that have really interesting content.  An RSS feed allows you to receive all of the updates from all of the blogs that you like to read in one place.  Think of it like a subscription to all of your favorite blogs or websites.  Instead of having to search out new content from the places you like, all of the new updates are sent directly to you!

Where is this "place" that the updates are sent?  Most blogs will allow you to receive email updates, but what is neat about readers is that they do not clog up your email inbox.  Instead the updates are stored in a second location and you can read them at your leisure.  I am currently registered with Google Reader.  Google Reader is where I subscribe to all the different blogs that I like.  Anytime any of my favorite blogs posts something new the updates come straight to my reader.  Now, I can read these updates on any computer (since Google is internet based), but I choose to read them on my iPad using a free app called Mobile RSS.  This app downloads my recent updates to my iPad and allows me to read items in my feed even when I am not connected to the internet (score!).

If you like to read multiple blogs I really think using a reader can simply your life and cut down on the amount of time you just "poke" on the internet.  Once you are signed up with a reader service add the blogs you like by typing in the web addresses or just look for the RSS symbol above and subscribe!  Here is what the icon for Google reader looks like:
 
Do you use an RSS reader that isn't Mobile RSS or Google Reader?  I'd love to hear about the different readers that are out there.

Learning Scripture

These are two great CDs that our family just loves:
     

These CDs have scripture set to music in a way that is fun for all members of the family.  It is one of those CDs that I don't mind listening to over and over.  And besides teaching your children scripture, you will memorize it too!  On Amazon you can either order the actual CD or download the MP3 albums.  They are worth every penny!