Fiction I’m Looking Forward To

I used to read a lot of contemporary Christian fiction. I’ve stopped. To be honest, I find most of it shallow and poorly written. There are, however, a few notable exceptions, and I wanted to share three books whose release I am really looking forward to. These are three Christian authors who I find refreshing – they are good writers and the quality of their work, in my opinion, surpasses many others in their genre.

Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock

I loved her deep and moving books All the Way Home, I’ll Watch the Moon, and Every Secret Thing. I’m excited to read this new novel.

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

Bethany’s first book was Feeling for Bones, a portrait of a young girl struggling with anorexia. It was beautifully written and it’s been too long of a wait for this, her second novel.

While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin

Though her books don’t have quite the same sparkling prose as the first two authors I mentioned, I love how Lynn Austin weaves her stories and characters in rich historical settings.

(Side note: Don’t you just love the cover art on all of these books?)

I can’t finish this post without mentioning a couple other of my favorite Christian authors: Nicole Baart and Lisa McKay. Both are well worth your time.

And my disclaimer: I don’t endorse or agree with everything these authors write.

What have you been reading? Who are your favorite authors?

A new place with a few notes…

I wanted a place to keep track of the sometimes-tedious trivia of homemaking.

Go read the rest at my (maybe boring?) place to keep notes on my homemaking and help keep myself on track: Eight Rooms. My hope is that this will help me save more time and not waste it.

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Reading for Your Morning Cup

I haven’t shared any good links for awhile, so I’m taking this opportunity. Hope you have a beautiful Wednesday.

The Clothesline by Danielle at Dancing by the Light. “Hanging them outside is just another thing to do, an item on the list to be hurried through and crossed off.” I happened to read this post after I wrote yesterday’s, and it was such a gift.

Pizza with My Big Boy by Amy at Lavender *Sparkles*. “So often my focus is on the burdens of motherhood, and I fail to find or choose joy.” I loved her real-life perspective on this little “date” with her son.

Twinsanity by Elizabeth at ElizabethEsther.com. “The twins are 2.5 years old. To celebrate, they decided to dip my hairbrush into the toilet bowl the better to smooth each other’s curls.” Completely hilarious. I forwarded it to A.J.

Why Blog? by Susanna at Mommy, Inc. “But, sometimes I wish I could be the super mom who has a thriving blog, writes a titillating post each day and even makes money from blogging.” Such honest and inspiring thoughts on being a mother and blogging.

Watch That Reading Material by Callie at Through Clouded Glass. “The harmless treat of a sweet little romance story is not worth all the unprofitable ‘junk food’ I have to wade through to get to it.” And she’s talking about “Christian” fiction. I’ve never read another blog entry on this topic, surprisingly.

Enjoy!

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Book Review: Girls Gone Wise by Mary Kassian

Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild profiles the crafty seduct*ress of Proverbs 7. Written by Mary Kassian, professor of Women’s Studies at SBTS, the book highlights twenty points of contrast between the Proverbs 7 woman – the “girl gone wild” – and a godly woman, or “girl gone wise.”

I enjoyed this fresh take on the study of Christian womanhood. Mary Kassian writes in an easy-to-read, down-to-earth style. While she does speculate on some parts of the Proverbs 7 story to make her points, the book as a whole is well-grounded in the text and references Scriptures from all over the Bible.

I think this book is also widely applicable. It speaks strongly to a promiscuous S*ex and the City lifestyle – but it’s most focused on the heart and the motives that drive us; a few of the topics addressed are focus, body language, boundaries, possessions, entitlement, and speech.

The most helpful points of contrast for me were habits and neediness. On habits: “Just because a woman stays at home physically does not necessarily mean she is attending to her household. She could be procrastinating, self-indulging, and living an undisciplined life just as much as the woman who is always out and about” (p. 76).

On neediness: “(The girl gone wise) sends her roots deep into God’s stream to meet her emotional needs. She does not demand emotional satisfaction from people” (p. 186).

I must mention a feature of the book I didn’t like very well – its marketing. My husband and one of his friends both mentioned that the title was a little too reminiscent of the secular brand it is contrasting. And my husband and I both said that the cover seems more seduct*ive than godly.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed Girls Gone Wise. I think it would be great to study with a friend or small group. Mary Kassian is doing regular video blogs of each chapter at the Girls Gone Wise website; they’re a great addition to the book. It’s a real-life study with application to many areas of our lives as Christian women.

A Glimpse Into My Bookshelf

Back in the infant days of Hope Road, I had a “Currently Reading” page. I kept it updated with… as you might expect… everything I was reading at the time.

I have always been, as my husband puts it, a “voracious reader.” I think I read an average of 100-200 books a year when I was growing up. During college, I of course read less for leisure and entertainment, and more for academic reasons.

During my engagement and first year of marriage, I was pretty undisciplined and unsystematic with my reading. But since Christian was born, I’ve been reading intentionally again. Having less time has actually led me to read more (and blog more!) - because I have to fit it into my spare moments instead of thinking, “Oh, I have plenty of time” and never doing it.

I get books from inter-library loan (love it!), and I plan out how many chapters I need to read every day in order to return the books on time. I’ve been reading 2-4 books simultaneously – 1 or 2 chapters a day in each. That may sound like a lot, but I read quickly, and I do it between chores and taking care of Christian. (One of my favorite things to do while he is napping is to read 2 pages, do a chore, read 2 pages, do a chore, etc. I used to do that kind of thing all the time when I was growing up. It breaks up the work. I know, I’m a dork.)

Whew, that turned into a really long-winded explanation. My point is that I don’t want to keep my blog updated with what I’m reading all the time, but I did want to give you a glimpse into the books I’m reading at the moment.

Susannah Spurgeon: Free Grace and Dying Love by Susannah Spurgeon

I mentioned this book in yesterday’s post. It is a collection of devotionals written by the wife of Charles Spurgeon, along with a brief biography of her life. Before my mom gave me this book, I had no idea Susannah had any published writings, but they are gems. They are humble, prayerful meditations on God and the gospel and Susannah’s religious struggles and triumphs. They have been such an encouragement to me. (This is my devotional reading right now.)

The Home at Greylock by Elizabeth Prentiss

This novel was written in the 19th century by the author of the ever-popular Stepping Heavenward. It is a thinly veiled treatise on child-rearing. I find it amusing to read that parents in the 1800s had the same problems as parents do today. Some of Mrs. Prentiss’s ideas were quaint, some were theologically suspect (e.g., children can be regenerated before they are born?), but many of them are encouraging and challenging. I have been inspired by her emphasis on the fact that parents must be living holy lives themselves if they want to train their children rightly.

In Trouble and in Joy: Four Women Who Lived for God by Sharon James

I love Sharon James’ biography of Ann Judson, and I recently finished her biography of Elizabeth Prentiss. This book is four biographies in one. She profiles Margaret Baxter (wife of Puritan minister Richard Baxter), Sarah Edwards (wife of another Puritan minister, the well-known Jonathan Edwards), Anne Steele (author of two volumes of hymns and poems), and Frances Ridley Havergal (writer of the hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be”). So far I have only read the section about Margaret Baxter. I like how Sharon James gives a clear portrait of the women she is writing about, including their admirable qualities and their failings. She gives interesting glimpses into the lives of women from the past.

Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary Kassian

I wrote about this book previously, based on excerpts I read online before it was released. Mary Kassian (professor of Women’s Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) provides a compelling look at the difference between being “wise” and “wild,” by contrasting God’s wisdom with the woman profiled in Proverbs 7. She really gets to the heart of the matter, pointing out sinful attitudes and behaviors that may characterize us whether we are publicly promiscuous or not. I was given this book as a review copy, and am going to post a full review when I finish it.

So there is a brief glimpse into the books I’m reading and enjoying now! What are you reading?

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When do you blog?

Let’s be all nerdy and talk blogging.

(Pardon the cigarette that woman is holding; I just liked her old-fashioned clothes. And the fact that she’s holding a laptop. Moving right along…)

Do you remember Amy, who wrote a guest post for me last week? She just posted a poignant article, Calling It Beautiful. This excerpt hit home with me:

“The time I spent at the computer is time I no longer have to complete today’s necessary tasks. Later this afternoon or evening, I’ll feel discouraged, frazzled, guilty or stressed because I don’t have time to finish my work. Inevitably, those emotions will tempt me to escape again.”

I’ve given thought to this before, for sure. Wasting time on the computer was especially tempting for me when I was a stay-at-home pregnant woman, working minimal part-time hours. But having a baby forced me into more of a schedule, and I really enjoy having less discretionary time. I’ve made it a point not to be on the computer while he’s awake.

But it’s easy to slip. I love blogging and writing and being part of an online community, and it can be so tempting to let that get in the way of more important things. “Just five minutes” here or there can mean neglected housework, or simply time that could have been better spent.

This doesn’t mean I think blogging is wrong – obviously! As I said, I love it. But I have to keep it in balance! I’ve been pondering the idea of some sort of online accountability for that – a badge of commitment to put on my blog, perhaps. Something along the lines of blogging responsibly – keep me accountable! – and a link to a post with my personal guidelines for the time I spend blogging. Then other bloggers could use that badge as well, linking to their own post (because your time constraints and goals will of course be different than mine).

It’s just an idea… what do you think? And, per the title of this post, I’m interested in knowing – when do you blog? I blog in moments I catch during the day. I read blogs while feeding Christian. And I like to schedule the posts I write for the next day. So let me know your bloggy routine!

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Redesign and Refocus

Lately I’ve been feeling as though my blog is a little “me-centered.” I want it to be more of a ministry than it is. Don’t get me wrong; I like personal blogging and making friends thereby. And I think that especially as women, we really connect to a blog with a face and a personality.

But I still need to be a little more intentional and purposeful, although I’ve done better with my goal of writing more often. So along with a little layout update, I’ve rewritten my About page and will be continuing to work on being more thoughtful about what I write.

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Good and Beautiful :: the simple woman’s daybook

Outside my window…
yet again it’s sunny and beautiful. And our lawn is getting trimmed.

I am thinking…
about my husband coming home from work soon!

I am thankful for…
two good naps in a row for Christian! (One was thanks to a grocery store trip, because he loves his carseat, but still.)

From the kitchen…
oh, this is not impressive… it’s hot dogs in macaroni and cheese for dinner. And strawberries. A.J. showed me the hot dog “recipe” and while it’s not gourmet I think it’s really yummy. It’s turkey dogs and macaroni shells, if that makes any difference. A.J. is good at getting me hooked on his favorite foods, as he was observing last night… graham crackers, peanut butter sandwiches, etc. Wow, we sound like preschoolers.

I am wearing…
a red shirt and brown skirt. I just changed out of jeans. They are so hot and I don’t fit into my pre-pregnancy capris yet. Skirts are much better.

I am creating…
tension between my shoulder blades. What a weird answer. It’s the only thing I could think of.

I am going…
to read, feed Christian, make dinner, and make my to-do list for tomorrow since I hardly finished anything on it today.

I am reading…
Ephesians 3:16-19, Psalm 127, and Exodus. Also, the same books I mentioned a couple weeks ago: a biography of Abigail Adams, writings from Katherine Parr, and a fiction book titled Home by Marilynne Robinson. The GirlTalkers mentioned her other book, Gilead, on their blog, and John Piper also wrote about it. I tried it and surprisingly didn’t like it, but I’m liking this one a lot, except for a couple disappointing instances of profanity. It’s so hard to find good (moral) and beautiful fiction.

I am hoping…
to sleep well tonight.

I am hearing…
silence.

Around the house…
the windows are open! I love spring!

One of my favorite things…
little baby clothes… they’re multiple things, but they’re so fun. I have my own live baby doll!

A few plans for the rest of the week…
not many! Hoping to spend time with friends.

A picture thought I am sharing…
Christian yesterday afternoon.

(The Simple Woman’s Daybook)

Going somewhere on Hope Road?

Naturally, my blog has been very happenstance as of late. Mothering a newborn doesn’t lend itself to blogging – sleep deprivation confuses me so much that I am a much slower writer than normal. I have to backspace, pause, and rewrite constantly.

Also, I don’t really like to be on the computer when Christian is awake. I don’t feel that I have to spend his every waking moment solely focused on him, but I do want to spend a lot of time with him, and I want to set a pattern right from the beginning of not being distracted by technology. I don’t want to stare at a screen when his beautiful baby face is right next to me. Once in awhile it’s okay, but I want to make sure that it’s not a constant habit.

That baby face does sleep quite a few hours of the day, so I do have time for other things. Like blogging. It’s been two years since I moved my blog to this domain, and almost three years since I started Hope Road. (Before that, I had a Xanga for a couple of years, and previously a Blogspot blog for a few months.)

So back to my original point – I haven’t been blogging much of substance lately. I’ve always enjoyed writing about my own life and thoughts, but I also miss writing purposefully about things that matter, topics that are broader than just my own life and experience. Having more experience in life, though, has given me more of a perspective on those very topics – hopefully I can write in a humbler and more personal way.

I have some ideas, but I don’t want to share because I don’t want to make any promises. I’m kind of in survival mode right now, so this is more of a hope (get it?) than anything else. I would, though, like to hear your ideas for what I should write about. (I’ve done that before.) What do you like reading on my blog – or what would you like to read?

On a side note, I’m so jittery from coffee right now. Half a cup doesn’t seem to have that effect, but a full cup does. Will I never learn?

Also, if you have any questions for me, seemingly random or not, this would be the time to ask them! I will (try to) answer them in future posts.

In summary - topic suggestions and/or questions for me are welcomed!

Really, I want to make this blog about the Lord, not about me. Personal blogging can be so narcissistic. I’m not sure if I have a good balance or not.  Hopefully you can see Him through my very imperfect life.

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Blogs I Read: Girls Gone Wise

One of my favorite blogs is written by Mary Kassian, who is a professor of Women’s Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is about to publish a new book, Girls Gone Wise… In a World Gone Wild, which she says “revolves around the story of the typical Girl-Gone-Wild as recorded for us in the Bible, in Proverbs chapter seven.”

For the past couple of months, Mary has been posting excerpts from the book that contrast the “girl gone wise” with the “girl gone wild.” I’ve really enjoyed them because they speak to issues of the heart, revealing character traits from the Proverbs chapter seven woman that can be present even in a girl who outwardly portrays herself as someone better. I’ve found her posts applicable to me as a young married woman, and I think a teenage girl, a single woman, or an older woman would also be benefited by them.

I look forward to reading the book after it’s released, hopefully. Here is an index of Mary’s posts on this topic. (Read with discretion – some are definitely not for younger readers.)

Girls Gone Wise
Wild Thing
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #1: Heart
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #2: Counsel
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #3: Approach
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #4: Attitude
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #5: Habits
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #6: Focus
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #7: Appearance
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #8: Body Language
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #9: Roles
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #10: Sexual Conduct
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #11: Boundaries
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #12: Authenticity
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #13: Neediness
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #14: Possessions
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #15: Entitlement
Wise vs. Wild Contrast #16: Reliability