Tuesday, July 8, 2008

reading meme

I swiped this meme from Mocha With Linda because it is right up my alley.  It floats my boat, or as I accidentally typed the first time - floats my goat.

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
No.  I don't.  I have memories of reading as far back as I have memories.  A Big book with Puss N Boots and Aladdin and the Lamp in it is one of my first book memories.  Although I didn't like the Aladdin story; it didn't have a cat in it.  Also a book called Never Tease a Weasel and a book about The Cookie Tree.  I know I was no older than first grade because of where we lived.

2. What are some of the books you read as a child?
When I was older I read a lot of horse books.  I especially liked King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry.  I also liked spooky stories, magical stories and stories about any kind of animal.  Of course there were the I Can Read books that included Dr. Seuss and P. D. Eastman. And the Little Golden books. 

3. What is your favorite genre?
When I was a young unmarried lady I loved gothic romance the best.  I still like the originals by the Brontes.  I'm not such a fan of romance in general anymore, though.  I like probably historic and Biblical fiction the best.  I also like fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary.  I like really about anything except I'm not into supernatural thriller type of stuff or horror.  Suspense and Crime type I only read occasionally, although I love mysteries.

4. Do you have a favorite novel.
No.   That would be impossible.  I have many favorites, too many to list.

5. Where do you usually read?
On the couch.  Or outside.

6. When do you usually read?
When I'm awake.  When I should be cleaning.  When I should be writing.  

7. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
Yes.  I always have a novel going and I usually have at least one non-fiction going at the same time.  Lately I have a Christian non-fiction and a writing craft book going.

8. Do you read non-fiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
Yes.  I read non-fiction much more slowly.  I also tend to mark the books up with highlighter or pen.

9. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?
I used to use the library pretty much exclusively, except for non-fiction.  But now that I realize that these authors want to SELL books, I buy a lot more of them.  I'd say it's about 50-50 now.  I could never afford to support my habit if I bought them all.

10. Do you keep most of the books you buy?  If not, what do you do with them?
I keep any book that I will want to read again.  Otherwise, I usually give them away.  

11. If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them?  Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?
My kids have not liked the books I liked as a child.  But some of our favorites have been Barnyard Dance, Owl Babies, Geronimo Stilton books, Junie B. Jones books, City of Ember, and they both like the Animal Ark books.

12. What are you reading now?
I am reading my first Dean Koontz book, Odd Thomas.  I am also reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, and a writing book called Description by Monica Wood.

13. Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list? 
No.  I just have books that need to be read.  I choose based on my mood at the moment.  I also have a list of authors that I've heard of that I'd like to try.

14. What's next?
Living with Fred by Brad Whittington and The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, probably.

15. What books would you like to re-read?
The Ragamuffin Gospel.  I frequently re-read books.  I would like to re-read The Dragon Keeper Series sometime and The Mark of the Lion series.

16. Who are your favorite authors?
Angela Hunt, Nancy Rue, Athol Dickson, Lisa Samson, Francine Rivers to name a few.  I will get a book based on the fact one of these people wrote it.

Monday, July 7, 2008

New posts on Books and Starbucks!

what is love, anyway?


One of the things I've learned about love is that it is an action, not a feeling.  Oh sure, sometimes we feel it.   Sometimes it almost hurts because we feel it so strongly.  But those feelings are very inconsistent.  Fleeting.  

Love doesn't mean we go down to the homeless shelter and feel our hearts swell and our eyes well up at the sight of these people we love so much.  That might happen, in time.  But love is being at the shelter in Jesus' name to care for people as He would if He still wore flesh.

Love is washing your husband's underwear and socks even though you are tired of hunting them out like easter eggs.

Love is hugging your kids even though they've just shredded your last nerve.

Love is babysitting for your neighbor when she is too sick to stand up.  Even though she is abrasive and nosey.

Love is bending down to pick up something that someone dropped at the grocery store.  Even if she just criticized your parenting the minute before.

When my mom goes to the nursing home every week - that is love.  

Motives and attitudes are important.  We need to do these love-actions out of a heart that wants to honor God.  The Bible says when we do something kind to someone, we are doing it to Jesus.  We can't do the love-actions and have a hate-attitude.  But we can do the love- actions with a love-attitude and have an "I don't like you" feeling.  Because our actions and our attitudes are what we have control over.

So, we don't have to like the people we love.  We don't have to feel good about them.  We just love them.  

I also think love is a perspective.  It's how we view people.  I'll write about that on Wednesday.


Sunday, July 6, 2008

i love you


The Bible says people will know we are Christians by our love.  Not by what we do, or don't do.  Not because we go to church every week.  Not because we don't drink or because we don't use bad language.  Not because we teach Sunday School.

The world will recognize us as Christian if we love one another.  And beyond that, if we love people who aren't Christians, too.

It isn't uncommon for us to walk right, dress right and avoid all the wrong places but criticize and condemn our brothers and sisters.  We can lead a Bible study but turn our noses up at our neighbor who has a couple of tattoos and yells at her kids.  

God has been teaching me a lot lately about love.  And I feel like its just a drop in the bucket.  Love is HUGE.  His love for us is incomprehensible and the love He demands from us is beyond our ability.  

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Then -- only then-- will people recognize you as a Christian.  All the rest is posing unless it is fueled by love.

Read 1 Corinthians 13 again.  I'm going to.  Also read The Mark of a Christian by Francis Schaeffer.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

writing help


I have something really cool to tell you about.  But you'll only be interested if you are a writer.  And it will only be useful if you are lucky enough to use a Mac. (If you have a PC, there is a note for you at the end of this post.)

Angie Hunt mentioned this cool program at the Glen Eyrie conference and I only just got around to downloading the free trial.  It's called Scrivener and it is designed specifically for writers.  It would work for any  kind of writing, I suppose, even a big term paper or something.  It will definitely work for either fiction or non-fiction and even has applications specific to screenwriting.

I'm still figuring it all out, even though it has a very nice tutorial.  But here are some things I can do.  
I have broken my draft into scenes and each scene also has a notecard that has a synopsis on it.  That notecard goes on a little cork-board where I can switch them around and see what order I want my story to be.
Also, because it is broken into scenes, it is much less intimidating to me.  I can open one scene and work on it and not feel overwhelmed by all those pages and words that I don't know what to do with or where to start and its just too much so I'll just play a game instead.
Breaking it into scenes is completely easy.

 Before I do anything with it at all, I can take a "snapshot" and that saves the original and I can always go back to the original if I feel like I have completely messed something up.  Security.  That's what that is.

I can - so they tell me - type in a characters name and get all the parts that pertain to them so that I can be sure their individual story line makes sense.
I can keep track of all of my research and can open more than one pane, so that I can see my text and my research and my synopsis all at the same time.

Cool, huh?  I'm getting it.  Its only $40 and my hubby, who is a programmer, is very impressed with the program and says its a great deal at that price.

For those with PCs, if you are still reading, they recommend this program as a comparable option.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

thursday thirteen


Thirteen of my favorite groups from the eighties.

Journey

Air Supply

Huey Lewis and the News

Styx

Chicago

The Little River Band

Foreigner

The Cars

REO Speedwagon

Culture Club

Hall and Oates

The Commodores

Eurythmics