Literary Meme

It may have taken weeks, but here, finally, is my answer to the literary meme. It may not be as intellectual as some where hoping, but hey, my life just isn't very intellectual these days. =)

1) One book that changed your life. At first, I thought I could not answer this question. After all, if a book changed my life I ought to be able to remember it without gazing over my bookshelves, right? But, I scanned over the shelves anyway.

My eyes stopped on my Bodie Thoene shelf, and I remembered that these books changed my life. Reading Thoene’s Zion Chronicles and Zion Covenant series awakened in my a love for Jewish history and Old Testament. This love has shaped my life as it caused me to choose Bible as my major at Biola, and then go on to pursue a Masters of Theology in Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary. Now, I ended up with Th.M. in Women’s Ministry rather than OT, but that is a different story.

2) One book that you have read more than once. I realize that this may reveal my inner geek, but I have read Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series twice, and will probably read the entire thing again and again. When a friend suggested I read this series, he told me that each time the next book comes out, he rereads the entire series. I thought he was a little outside sanity. When I began the series, the first eight books were already published. It was the summer of 2000, I had graduated from college and was waiting for seminary to begin. I sat in my first apartment and read from the time I awoke until my eyes could take no more in the wee hours of the morning. I anxiously awaited the arrival of book 9 that fall, and then forsook all homework to devour its entire 766 pages one weekend. Two years later, I excitedly took up book 10, but soon realized that I didn’t remember who half the characters were. I plugged along thinking it would soon come back to me. Some of it did. However, when I heard that book eleven would soon be available, I started back at book one and indulged my way through ten pure dessert books.

Jordan is a master story-teller. He literally has 100s of characters, each with his or her own personality. The second time through was almost like reading it the first time. There is so much there there, that I think it will always be like reading it fresh. One of my favorite things about Jordan is that his female characters think and act like we girls do. He is the only male author I have ever read who truly captures the mind of a woman. I find that most male authors write females who are really men in the role of women. Also, Jordan believes in a world of right and wrong, which is reflected in his work. Though heroes have flaws and villains may occasionally do the right thing for the right reason, evil is evil and good is good. There is no wishy-washy morality.

Sadly, Jordan, who’s real name is James Oliver Rigney, Jr., passed away in September from a rare blood disease. The twelfth and final book of the series is now set to be finished by Brandon Sanderson. I await its arrival in Dec 09 with mixed feelings.

3) One book you would want on a desert island. Okay, at the risk of sounding cliché and artificially holy, I am going to give my truthful answer – the Bible. I am afraid I would get bored with anything else. I also think that perhaps a deserted island would be an excellent chance to have the time to delve into the depths of Scripture. What can I say? I’m a seminarian. My favorite literature is the written Word.

4) Two books that made you laugh. See How They Run: An Energizing Guide to Keeping up with Your Turbo-Toddler by Lorilee Craker. Adam’s Aunt Joan gave me this one for Christmas. I think I laugh at least once a chapter. I don’t know if it is truly funny, or if I laugh out of sheer gratitude that other mommies are going through the same things I am. In the midst of great story telling, Craker also gives great advice on how to handle toddlerhood and insight into the quirky mind of toddlers.

And…well…do Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic books count? Joss Whedon has been doing season 8 of Buffy in comic book form. Each month, my sweet husband picks up the next issue for me. Whedon’s humor makes me laugh. He is anti-Christian, though, so be forewarned.

5) One book that made you cry. Mister God, This Is Anna by Fynn. Lisa Jones gave me this book and it is eye-opening. It is the true story of a man who adopts a little girl off the street and their friendship. Anna is full of spirit and thinks outside the box. I have learned so much, my mind has been opened by the mind of this child.

6) One book you wish you'd written. This may be cheating, but the truthful answer to this question is the book in my mind. Someday it may be written, but today I wish I had written it.

7) One book you wish had never been written. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Okay, so I don’t really wish it had never been written. I just wish I was not made to read it in 7th grade. I found it very traumatizing as a young girl. I did reread it a couple years ago and it wasn’t so bad, but I still have a bit o’ bitterness towards it.

8) Two books you are currently reading. Okay, this one makes me laugh, because I could probably fill a page with the titles of books I am currently reading. The combination of a shortage of reading time and an attention span that is increasingly becoming more and more like my toddlers has lead to many book casualties – meaning, I read the first hundred pages or so, sit it down somewhere, and then get excited about something else which I start. So, here is a brief list of books in progress: See How They Run by Lorilee Craker, Mister God, This is Anna by Finn (I realize I have included these in other questions. They are nearly finished.), Moses by Charles Swindoll, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, A Jane Austen biography that I can’t even locate currently to tell you the actual title and author, and The Normal Christian Life, by Watchmen Nee. And, do Cooking Light magazines count?

9) One book you've been meaning to read. See above list. And, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I have heard so many good things about this book. I even picked it up when I found it on sale about a year ago. It is definitely on my to do list.

Please Pray

I am sitting in a waiting room in Methodist Hospital in Houston. My mother and I drove down here on Friday when we learned that my 22-year old cousin, Connie, had suffered a stroke. She was already in the hospital when the stroke happened, talking to one of her doctors (what Godly timing!). She was emitted due to bloodclots in her lungs.

On Friday, they removed a clot the size of a walnut from her brain, it was what had caused the stroke. Friday afternoon, a three-hour MRI revealed clots in her lungs and a dangerous clot in her heart.

Saturday morning, due to Connie's brain swelling, the neurosurgeon removed her left skull flap to allow room for her swollen brain. She was then moved to the Neurological ICU.

They are keeping her heavily sedated, but we are encouraged because she will tighly squeeze with her left hand when we talk to her, and this morning she opened her eyes. Several times today she has opened her eyes and looked for the person talking.

Please pray for Connie. Pray that she will recover quickly and completely. Also, please pray for her mom and dad. You can imagine what they are going through. Also, please remember my cousin Carrie in your prayers. She is seventeen and being brave through all this.

Also, please pray for her boyfriend, Travis. He has been here by her side through the whole thing. It is so obvious that he loves her deeply. Both her family and his think they are planning on getting married. He is so devoted to her and having a tough time.

Also, her friends have started a group page on Facebook for her called Prayers for Connie. If you are on Facebook, please check out and join the group. It is such an encouragement to her family to see how many people are praying for her.

Thank you.

Snoozing

I was looking back through the pictures I have taken lately of Luke, and I noticed a theme. We have waking moments, too, but lately his sleeping moments have made me laugh.

Luke has clearly become to tall to sleep sideways in his bed, which explains the bent legs, but if you look closely, he is doing a back bend over a pillow, and there is a cup under his knees. Comfy.

Lately there has been a string of incidents involving things sticking to Luke's face while he sleeps. Here, the pacifier is hanging from behind his ear.

And here, the pacifier is sticking off the side of his face like a cute little horn.
I must confess that there have also been some incidents of fruit chews being stuck to Luke's face, or in his hair. I realize that putting my child in bed with fruit chews is not the wisest parenting move. But, at 4:30a when he is awake and insisting he is hungry, fruit chews mean Mommy can go back to bed for a couple hours.

This one, I just thought was cute. I keep hoping that maybe we can replace the pacifiers with the lamb as Luke's lovey.

And, my favorite. These two are from last night. From birth, Luke has shown himself to be Daddy's boy. It always makes me smile when I look up to find that Luke and Daddy are doing the same thing, sitting the same way, sharing the same expression. Now, they even sleep the same. I only wish you could hear their synchronized snoring.
It was all the better when I walked out of the bathroom to find that they had even turned over together.

I love my boys!