Books:
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I started off the year with an old favorite: Anne of Green Gables. Anne's spunk and imagination never cease to inspire and make me laugh, and this time through was no exception.
"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."
The Shack was another re-read, but once again, it challenged the typical ways I think about God and reminded me of the power and personal love of my Savior.
"I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships, so will our healing. And I know that grace rarely makes sense from the outside."
Invitation to Biblical Preaching was a book I'd read in a class in college, but I remembered it being pretty solid, so I picked it up again. It's full of practical information about how to organize and outline a sermon in such a way that God's Truth is communicated clearly and effectively.
". . . the definition of a 'biblical preacher' [is] one who says, 'Look at what God is saying . . . to us.'"
I remember my mom and I reading one (ish) chapter per night of Every Living Thing together when I was little, and we laughed until we cried at the everyday stories of veterinary practice in rural England in the 1940s and 50s. As a kid, I always begged for "one more chapter!" and as an adult I could scarcely put it down either!
I was given Creating Magic as somewhat of a gag birthday gift, as my dislike for Disney and giant mice is fairly well known, but I always try to be a gracious gift recipient, so I went ahead and read it, honestly hoping that I could mock it a little once I finished.
I must admit though, this one was solid. I do have respect for Disney's outstanding attention to detail and exemplary customer service, so the leadership principles outlined in this book were simple, but totally on-point. I was able to apply quite a bit of good insight into my role as a supervisor.
People have been telling me for years that I would love The Mark of the Lion series, but I'd never picked them up. I noticed them on a friend's bookshelf during January though, and decided to give them a try.
The sleep I lost on Voice in the Wind and Echo in the Darkness was well worth it. I would argue that Francine Rivers is one of the best Christian fiction authors I have read; her ability to weave the ultimate redemption narrative into her work is exceptional. There are very few Christian fiction books I've read that I can say led me to fall more in love with Jesus, but her books have done so.
I read the first two in less than 48 hours, and now I'm desperately searching for the third one!
To be honest, I was a little disappointed in The Best Yes. I'd had high hopes for it when I got it as a birthday gift, but it wasn't what I was expecting in terms of teaching me how to simplify an over-committed life. Her examples and illustrations were heavily centered around marriage and motherhood which always turns me off a little, but while it wasn't terrible, I probably won't read it again.
I devoured the Divergent series last year and when I saw Four in the library, I snatched it up and read it in less than two hours. An easy read, but definitely a winner for fans of the series who want to know a bit more background on the character of Four.
I ran across The Dog Lived while my RAs and I were taking our staff pictures in the library and hey, it had a cute dog on the cover, so it has to be pretty good, right? It was an engaging story of a dog and his mistress both walking through their respective battles with cancer. Gosh, I'm such a sucker for dog stories.
I read 10 books this month, starting me off well on my yearly reading goal! Keep up with my reading throughout the month on my 50 Books in 2015 Pinterest board!
Music:
Everyone is all about the new T. Swift album, 1989, and while yes, "Blank Space" is my jam, I'm still irritated that I can't add her music to my Spotify playlist. C'mon Taylor, don't know you know that Spotify is where its at??
I'm usually leery of most Christian music, especially Christian "rap," but Lecrae is slowly making me a believer. The man has got talent, and some incredibly raw and real lyrics.
Still obsessed with Maroon 5 over here. I mean, you've got to love Adam Levine, and "Maps" is just so catchy!
Keep up with all my favorite jams on my Current Obsessions: Vol 2 Spotify playlist! I know I'm late to the party on this one, but Spotify may just be the best thing since sliced bread.
Podcasts:
John Mark Comer at Bridgetown Church in Portland has long been one of my favorite NW preachers, and his series on The Emotionally Healthy Church is incredible. I've been describing it as "a really good therapy session in every sermon."
The keynote speaker for The Alteration this year is Stephanie Husk. I met Stephanie when I lived in Oregon, as she was the counseling center director on my college campus. She was the one that helped create a safe space for me at the beginning of my journey with anxiety and is a huge part of why I'm such a big promoter of counseling services with my residents today. She's now the Director of Life Path recovery ministries at Salem Alliance Church and I'm so excited to have her come speak to our students! Her podcast on the brain is what helped me convince the planning committee that she was the perfect choice for our conference, and I've listened to it multiple times over the past weeks!
Netflix:
Friends. Need I say more? Yes, Spotify is great, but having Friends on Netflix is even better. It's one of the few shows that can make me consistently laugh out loud, like an obnoxious-belly-laugh-sort-of-laugh-out-loud. Goodbye, free time.
My friend Suzie introduced me to Cupcake Wars, and I'm loving it! I don't watch them in marathon sessions or anything, but it's a fun distraction at the end of the day! Or when I need a break from Friends. But really, does one ever need a break from Friends?
I'm currently obsessed with the idea of building a tiny house on a trailer and parking it somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. Tiny was an interesting documentary about a guy who did just that with a lot of interviews from other tiny house occupants around the country mixed in.
I'm planning on watching the Parenthood finale this weekend, but I don't know if I'm emotionally prepared for this. I hate it when good shows end!
I'm always looking for new books as I work on my yearly book reading challenge and new podcasts and Netflix shows as I finish certain series. Let me know what you recommend and I'll give it a try!
This month, I'm linking up with Leigh Kramer at What I'm Into so check out her January favorites as well! Now, let's see if I can pull of this Current Obsessions business two months in a row! :)
