Compassion

I love Compassion. The organization, not just the idea of compassion (although I like that, too). I've been following a few bloggers who were called Compassion Bloggers. I figured they worked for Compassion or had a special arrangement with them. But it turns out, the only major qualification to be a Compassion Blogger is to have a blog! So I signed up about two weeks ago, and have been patiently awaiting my first assignment. Well, I just got an email declaring September Compassion Blog Month, so this is going to be exciting!

So what is a Compassion Blogger?

A Compassion Blogger is someone who has a heart for the children of the world and for the work Compassion is doing. Their job is to spread the word and raise excitement to end poverty and hunger around the world. They help get sponsors for children in need. Sometimes they even travel with Compassion to witness firsthand what goes on in these countries and to write about it for the rest of us! I'm so excited for this opportunity to write about something I'm passionate about, for an organization I'm passionate about!

I'm also looking forward to this for a personal reason. I have sponsored a few children since I was in high school, but I've always been really bad about writing to them. Especially lately with automatic payments, I barely think about it. I'm hoping that with this reminder to write about Compassion, it will be a reminder and motivation to write to my child and get to know him better.

So what is Blog Month?
Blog month is a month long celebration and challenge. Celebrating the power of many individuals coming together for a cause, and the challenge of getting more than three thousand children sponsors by September 30th. Every week, bloggers will be given a new assignment. So every week you can expect a new post from me about Compassion, poverty, children, puppies.... honestly, I don't know what the assignments are going to be, I just know they will be used to bring knowledge, empowerment, and hope to a dark world. To learn more about Compassion's Blog Month or to sign up, click here.

I'm very excited about this for so many reasons, and I hope you'll join me for the adventure!

"Shrewd"

Usually the only books I review here on the blog are only ones I receive from publishing companies (not sure why that's been my "rule". Hmm...would anyone want to read reviews for all the books I read?) This book I bought at a book sale, then realized it was an ARC for a book coming out this month, so I am reviewing it here. Let's take a look!

With lines like, "Daring to live the startling command of Jesus" and "The one Bible story you won't hear in church" written on the cover, I expected more from this book.  The premise of this book is that God calls us to be shrewd, just as the devil is shrewd, using the Biblical phrase "shrewd as serpents yet innocent as doves" with the story of the shrewd manager in Luke 16.  Lawrence explores the passage and unpacks what it means and could look like in a Christ-follower's life. 

But, to use the unpacking metaphor, the valuable message was hidden in a box full of paper and packing peanuts. It felt like Lawrence would present his thesis for the chapter, get distracted by all the things he wanted to say, then remember his message in time for the last paragraph. There were good points, but they were overwhelmed by extraneous stories and metaphors, some of which were used but never explained, expecting the reader to know what he was referencing. 

I liked the basic idea of this book. It has started me  thinking about being shrewd in my life and ministry. And yes, it is definitely a story that I have not heard in church, or even remembered reading in my own quiet time! I had to go check my Bible to make sure we were reading the same one! The little rabbit trails throughout the book, while they were mostly enjoyable and had a point, were overkill. They distracted from the main message of the book. 

Finally, I had a small pet peeve with this book. I know the book is called Shrewd, and is about being shrewd, but seriously, how many times can you use the word shrewd?? It seemed like sometimes he was using the word to describe what shrewd was! Or like he was getting paid by the use of the word! That's really my only critique on the actual writing of this book.

Overall, this book is average. If you don't mind a little rambling, you can find some small nuggets of value. 

3/5 stars.

"Short-Straw Bride"

Through a series of rather painful-and embarrassing- events, Meredith finds herself walking down the aisle towards her childhood hero, rancher Travis Archer. Despite marrying the man of her dreams, it is decidedly not her dream wedding! With her uncle forcing the wedding to a man she hasn't seen in twelve years,  and men trying to take the Archer land by force, it's certainly an awkward time, to say the least. After the vows are said, Travis battles his distrust of the world, while Meri is sure she falls after his land and brothers on his list of priorities. Will Travis and Meredith be able to put their faith in God, and each other, to find the love they each crave?

I loved this book by one of my new favorite authors! I may have teared up once....or twice...or half a dozen times...anyways...There was so much drama in this book! And so many different kinds of drama: physical danger, spiritual loss, emotions on the brink, relational uncertainty...in short, all the makings of a great book. Even though it was on the long side (page-wise, to some people, anyways), I didn't find it dragging or boring at any points. I loved getting to know these characters and I sincerely hope we'll get to see the other Archer boys find love, too! 

Check out this trailer for the book to get you even more excited! 

Highly Recommended for fans of historical fiction! 

4/5 Stars

*I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

Sparkling Teeth

Note to self:
If you decide to turn the knob of your toothpaste tube squeezer, even though it doesn't seem to be ready to turn, it WILL teach you a lesson by spitting 42 times the recommended amount of toothpaste at you the moment you take off the cap. Now, if you've got good reflexes (or just innate habits that have everything lined up at the precise moment for silly accidents), approximately half of it actually landed on your toothbrush. The other half is divided between the sink and the cap (good luck cleaning that sucker out!). Since you don't want to waste any of that toothpaste, you may be tempted to brush with that massive mound of tooth polish. Resist the urge! If you actually DO use it, aside from the large amount of foam you will produce, your tongue will go slightly numb from all that peppermint oil in your fancy organic product. Also, your entire mouth will feel oddly slippery. Like that time you sampled your homemade buttercream and realized you forgot to add the powdered sugar, so it was just flavored shortening that you were eating. It's not pleasant. And brushing your teeth will take 5 times longer than usual.

On the bright side, you are definitely not at risk for any mouth disease now....unless toothpaste can CAUSE mouth disease. In which case you're in big trouble. But also, why are they selling toothpaste if it causes mouth disease?? Shouldn't there be a warning on the box about that or something? I smell a lawsuit!


Note to readers:
Tonight's post is definitely not related to nor inspired by any real life events. Absolutely, positively, 100%.....okay, yeah it is. It totally is. Moral of the story: don't be in a rush to use your fancy toothpaste tube squeezer or it will punish you in hilarious, blog-worthy ways.

Dreams are Weird

You know how most of the time you wake up trying to remember your dreams? Clinging to that one little piece that was so wonderful, but the moment you open your eyes, it disappears forever? Well, this isn't one of those times. A few days ago I had a simple, average, but mildly weird dream and it won't leave my head. So I'm going to share.

I was at a lake swimming with, apparently, my new husband. In a bikini. I mean, I was in the bikini, not my new husband. (If you know me, you know that whole bikini thing is weird. I can't imagine ever wearing a bikini.) This husband was someone from my childhood, someone I may or may not have had a real-life crush on in high school.

Anyways, we were swimming in this lake, kinda awkward but romantic. I had the impression we had just had a sudden, quickie, elopement-style wedding, and this was our honeymoon of sorts. My parents came into the lake, too. Hubby and I went up on the deck/cliff at the edge of the lake (oh, did I mention it was an indoor lake? It was a completely normal lake, with sand and a beach and fish, but there was a roof and a giant cinder block wall in the middle of the lake, and on the sides). When we got up onto the deck thing, it was revealed that I was pregnant, just enough to start showing...in a bikini...on my wedding day...and my parents were fine with it. At this point we were hugging, being awkward-romantic, when I said to him, "Well, I guess since we're married now we should probably be Facebook friends." We laughed and kissed, then I woke up.

Simple, fairly average, but considering it's me, it was weird on many levels. So, subconsciousness, what are you trying to tell me? Are you in on the conspiracy, too?!

Oh, well. Side note: If dreams are supposed to be our subconsciousness, and the people/things in them are things we've seen in regular life, then what do babies dream about? Life in the womb?

Have you had any weird dreams lately?

"Life, In Spite of Me"

Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson

Undiagnosed depression and a series of painful events led to 17-year-old Kristen Anderson laying on the train tracks near her home, waiting to die. As she watched and felt 30 train cars roll over her body, a miracle took place, though she wouldn't fully realize it for some time. Kristen takes the reader into her life- the events that led to that dark night, her adjusting to life without legs, and her struggle with depression to discover what she was put on this earth to do. She steps back at key moments to speak hope and love to the reader, as she wishes someone had spoken to her.

This book is hope and encouragement to those struggling, and inspiration to the rest of us. Her faith journey will encourage those just starting their own journey and refresh those who are a little further down the road. This is a great and easy read; I finished it in less than a day.

As someone who works with teens, the part that most jumped out at me and inspired me was something Kristen wrote on page 76:

Their intentions were good, but I wondered why people had waited so long to tell me. If they really believe I'm special- and that God has a special plan for my life- why didn't they tell me before? Why duid they wait until I'm lying in a hospital bed to tell me how myuch they love me, how much God loves me? I needed to hear that just as much in the past as I did now.

It was an excellent reminder that people need our love and support just as much-if not more- when they're hard to love and pushing everyone away. By being loving and supporting and caring to the people around us everyday, we may unknowingly save a life. While this story has a happy ending, I never want it to be in that position of wondering, "What could I have done to stop this tragedy?" I want to know that I've poured my life into others, that I have been there when they needed me and helped them fight their battles.

I recommend this book, especially if you are struggling with depression or have a loved one who is. You can read the first chapter, buuy the book, and more by clicking here.

 4/5 Stars

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Only Me

Only me.

Sunday I was in worship, as usual, with my kiddos. A favorite song started, an upbeat song, so I started dancing(ish). We're Charasmatic. We dance. So I was doing my patented worship dance: a hop-kick mix (since I'm white and really can't dance). It's not a complex move. My feet barely leave the ground. Yet, somehow, after a few seconds I felt a pop in my calf. An excruciating snap that made me hop on just the other foot, grabbing my calf and holding my breath.

Now, like I said, I was with my kiddos. So I didn't want to show my pain to them. Also, I was worshiping. I felt like I shouldn't have that kind of pain from worship! So, I tried to ignore it. I put my weight on the other leg, rubbed it every so often when I couldn't ignore it, and went about my morning with a limp.

Only me.

Later that day when Sunday life calmed down a bit, I really examined my leg. The pain was made worse by touch, flexing, and bearing weight. I could point my toes without pain, and there was no swelling, but that was where the positives ended. So I did what any girl would do: put ice on it and went shopping (I needed things...and my friends wanted to go to Target...).

Only me.

I attempted to go to work the next day (silly me). I clocked out 45 minutes later and called my doctor, who miraculously had an early appointment. She didn't think it was too serious, but possibly a muscle tear, so she sent me for an ultrasound. After digging out my moms crutches, and a little runaround from the insurance company, I hobbled my way through the hospital to radiology (which, can I say, was super confusing?! They had three different names!).

Then, the fun part. I get into the room, and the technician says she's going to check for blood clots. Which was odd, since at 25 and active, I'm pretty sure no one thought that was the issue. I told her that's not what my doctor had said, and that wasn't what the order said. Her response: "Well, I'm just gonna do my test." Ooookaaaaayy.

Only me.

I left a message at the doctors on my way home, but didn't hear back until the end of the day, when she couldn't find out anything. Today I got the call saying I obviously don't have any blood clots, and that was, in fact, the wrong test. But, since my leg does feel a little bit better, she felt it was more likely a strain, and wasn't going to make me do that whole mess again, unless it doesn't improve by next week.

Only me. Only during pre-VBS week, which is only my busiest week of the entire year.

I guess this is what I get for asking God last week for some time off....I'll have to be more specific next time!