Show and Tell Friday: Christmas presents

Posted on December 28, 2007 by Barbara Harper

Kelli at There’s No Place Like Home hosts “Show and Tell Friday” asking “Do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there’s a story behind your special something, that’s even better! If you would like to join in, all you have to do is post your “Show and Tell” on your blog, copy the post link, come over here and add it to Mr. Linky. Guidelines are here.“

I suspect most of us might be doing this, but I wanted to show some of the Christmas presents I received this year. These are most of the ones from my family.

Here is a close-up of some of the book titles.

One of the books, Sew Pretty Homestyle, was one I saw on Anita’s site. 🙂 I was so glad Anita mentioned the title of the English translation. This is an absolutely gorgeous book. Another is by one of my favorite crafters, Charlotte Lyons, titled Between Friends: Craft Projects to Share.

Missing from the pile is Sabrina by Lori Wick, sequel to Cassidy. I had already taken and started reading it before I took the picture. 🙂

I also wanted to highlight a couple of others from my husband. This would be the prettiest presentation.

A pretty heart necklace, pretty box, and chocolates. He knows me well. 🙂

This necklace was one I saw on someone else’s Christmas list online — but I can’t remember who! I thought it was so pretty, though, I added it to my list as well. But whoever mentioned it linked to it here. Lots of pretty stuff there!

This one is a Christmas gift to myself. 🙂

It’s a little tabletop tree, though I haven’t decided which table top to put it on yet. I had seen it at a little Christmas shop in the mall several days ago. Then it was $20, marked down from $25. I actually ventured to the mall on Christmas Eve, something I rarely do, but there was something I was thinking about for Jim that I decided to go ahead and get. I checked on this while I was there, and it was marked down to $12.50, and I couldn’t resist. It came with the ribbons and lights already on. Jim teased me that if I had waited til after Christmas, I could’ve got it for $5. 🙂

This was one of my favorite gifts to give:

I’m sorry I couldn’t get the photo any clearer than that. Here’s the story behind this picture: it was the picture they had on display at my mother’s funeral. I had never seen it before. I asked for a copy, and my sister tried to take it somewhere to be copied, but they wouldn’t touch it because it was a professional photo. She then tried to find the person who had taken it at my mom’s company Christmas party to see if we could order more copies. I don’t know if she couldn’t find the person or if they didn’t have the proofs any more, or what. But when my family came to visit last October, and my sister said they were bringing some old pictures for us all to go through, I asked them to bring that one so we could scan it. I mentioned the “historic” pictures on a previous Show and Tell. My oldest son, Jeremy, scanned the pictures in and edited them and then made a CD for everyone (he did a fantastic job. He wrote a post showing some of the before and after editing he did here). They all knew the CD was coming, but in addition for each of us siblings we printed out this photo of my mom and step-dad and framed it for them as a surprise. They loved it. It’s one of the best later pictures of my folks. It almost makes my mom feel a little closer to have it out where I can see it often. At some point I will put it on my family photo wall, but for now I like it here on the end table.

Although the emphasis of Christmas is the greatest gift of all, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, I am grateful for the loving gifts of my family, too. I’ve kept you long enough, so I won’t show you the rest of the family’s gifts, but I enjoyed giving to them, too.

Hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas!

Post-Christmas lethargy

Posted on December 27, 2007 by Barbara Harper

From Dictionary.com:

leth·ar·gy: [leth-er-jee]
–noun, plural -gies.
1. the quality or state of being drowsy and dull, listless and unenergetic, or indifferent and lazy; apathetic or sluggish inactivity.

Drowsy and unenergetic — that’s how I’ve felt ever since Christmas. Oh, I’ve gotten things done — a little laundry, the house in some order, next month’s ladies’ ministry newsletter begun. But I had a whole lot more I was going to do. I seem to be spending a lot of time vegging out playing Boggle against the computer. 🙂

We did have a nice Christmas — loving presents, good food, time together. Perhaps the marathon leading up to Christmas is taking its toll.

I’ve often said I don’t work best under pressure, but I do get more done under pressure. I guess having a deadline makes tasks come into focus and makes it easier to sort through what must be done and put aside other activities. With no deadline it’s harder to get in gear. I keep a master list of projects I want to get to and need to get going on a project: starting is the hardest. Some of the things require a trip to another town because I’ve exhausted my resources here (like finding trims for those curtains that have been on my list for months). I’ll probably try to do that when everyone gets back to school and work.

None of the little things I was going to do this week seem as attractive as curling up with a blanket and one of my new books. 🙂

(Photo is courtesy of ruperthenn at the stock.xchng)

Booking Through Thursday: Highlights

Posted on December 27, 2007 by Barbara Harper

The Booking Through Thursday question for this week is:

It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year?

List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007?

I had thought today’s question might concern what books we got for Christmas, and I was all ready to tell you!

I had been thinking about making a list of the books I read through the year, and this question gave me an excuse to do so since I was perusing through the book category of my blog anyway to remind myself what I had read to answer this question. I made a list for the year here. I was surprised and pleased at the variety since I tend to spend most of my time with Christian fiction.

The highlights for non-fiction would be Spirit of the Rainforest: A Yanomamo Shaman’s Story by Mark Ritchie, reviewed here, and One Candle To Burn by Kay Washer, reviewed here. I know Kay but only knew parts of her story, so it was a delight to read the book. But it would have been a good book anyway, with insights into the lives and ministries of pioneer missionaries. Spirit of the Rainforest was recommended by Jungle Mom, who I think knew the family of the author and worked with a neighborhood group. It’s a marvelous book and a must-read for anyone who thinks primitive peoples are happily frolicking in the jungle and should be left alone by the outside world.

The highlight of the classics that I read has to be Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, reviewed here. By the way, the PBS version on Masterpiece Theatre is supposed to air again in two parts Dec. 30 and Jan. 6. It was this version that made me move this book from my “someday” list to wanting to read it now.

Christian fiction is my favorite genre, and the best of it occurs when the stories are good, the characters real, the situations such that we can relate to them, and spiritual truth is conveyed in a way that is touching but not “preachy.” It’s hardest to narrow down highlights in this category, but it would have to be Sharon Hinck‘s books: Renovating Becky Miller, reviewed here, about the life and struggles of an average wife mom who is also taking on renovating a “fixer-upper” and taking in her mother-in-law, and The Restorer, reviewed here, about another average wife and mom who stumbles upon a portal into another world, and The Restorer’s Son, the sequel, reviewed here.

Don’t forget the grace

Posted on December 26, 2007 by Barbara Harper

A year or two ago some stores began forbidding their employees to say “Merry Christmas” lest it offend non-Christians. That led to a backlash by Christians toward those who would take Christ out of Christmas and transform it into a generic winter holiday.

While I do agree that that forbidding employees to say “Merry Christmas” is going ridiculously too far (that was one thing I hated about working in retail sales: everything from how you answered the phone to how you dealt with customers had to follow a prescribed script, though general conversation was also encouraged) and I do believe there is a general secularization of American society away from it Biblical roots, and I grieve that, on the other hand not every person who says “Happy Holidays” is a rabid politically correct anti-Christian.

Some might not mean anything amiss by it. I’ve said or written “Happy Holidays” for years. It started when I first began signing Christmas cards “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” got weary halfway through, and changed to “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings.”

Some just might want to include the other holidays, like Hanukkah, celebrated this time of year in their well-wishing.

And even if a “Happy Holiday” wisher is a rabid politically correct anti-Christian….what good does a snarky chip-on-the-shoulder response do? Unfortunately I have heard and read such responses this season. We need to remember to “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:5). Salt — truth — yes, but with grace.

He’s Emmanuel

Posted on December 24, 2007 by Barbara Harper

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:22-23.

He’s Emmanuel

By Jeanine Drylie

Who is this baby lying asleep where cattle feed
Who is this babe that merits not a bed?
As angel choirs proclaim the glory of His name
And wise men by the star to Him are led?

He’s Emmanuel,
The God of all the ages clothed in human flesh
To die in sinners’ stead.
Though He was God yet He was pleased to live on earth with men.
But why these swaddling clothes, this cattle stall,
And why this manger bed?

Who is this weary man sitting down upon a well
Too busy with the souls of men to eat?
Who is this man that’s sleeping in tempest-driven boat
Until aroused it’s glory to defeat?

He’s Emmanuel,
The God of all the ages clothed in human flesh
Salvation to complete.
Though He was God yet He was pleased to live on earth with men.
But why no palaces, no pillow soft,
And why these weary feet?

Who is this man they’re mocking with thorns upon His brow?
Who is this one deserves such cruelty?
Who is this man suspended on yonder rugged cross,
The object of such shame and blasphemy?

He’s Emmanuel,
The God of all the ages clothed in human flesh
To bleed and die for me.
Though He was God yet He was pleased to live on earth with men,
But why these cruel nails, this mocking crowd,
And why this fallen tree?

He’s Emmanuel.

May we rejoice in Emmanuel, God with us, and if you don’t know Him in that way, I pray that you would even this day.

Christmas traditions

Posted on December 24, 2007 by Barbara Harper

Earlier in the month someone, I can’t remember who, was hosting a meme about Christmas traditions. I didn’t have time to write then, and didn’t think we had all that many, but as we have gone through the month I’ve noted several things that we almost always do, and I guess that’s what traditions are made of. 🙂

Jim doesn’t like to put the Christmas tree up after Thanksgiving, especially years like this one when we have an extra week in November. So we try to aim for the first Saturday in December. We all go out and pick the tree, always a real one. When we lived in GA we found a place where you could cut your own, and that was fun. Then we bring it home and the boys get the Christmas boxes from the attic while Jim gets the tree into its holder. We put on a Christmas CD (this year a new one of piano renditions of both sacred and “fun” carols called “It’s Christmas” by Kenon Renfrow); Jim and the boys figure out the lights while I put out some of the decorations, and then we all put ornaments on the tree. The boys enjoy putting out the ones they’ve been given over the years and of course we all enjoy commenting or exclaiming over various ones each year.

Through the month there are various programs and recitals in connection with school and church. It got to be a bit much when we had kids in high school and elementary school and therefore double the things to go to. They were always enjoyable once we got there, but just the number of evenings taken up with such things got to be kind of stressful. One year we had church Sunday night, the elementary piano recital Monday night, secondary piano recital Tuesday night, prayer meeting Wednesday, elementary Christmas program Thursday night, and secondary Friday night. That about did this homebody in. 🙂 Now I do kind of miss the elementary ones — but not enough to go to without having a child of my own in them. Our kid’s choirs at church do usually do a Christmas program one Sunday night in December that we enjoy, and the adult choir does a cantata every year. Our adult Sunday school class has a party and the kids’ classes usually have some kind of party of Christmas event as well.

The last few years we’ve gone to Hollywild Animal Park’s Holiday Lights Safari and seen all the neat light displays and fed animals.

I like to watch some Christmas movie every year, but not always the same one. We’ve varied between A Christmas Carol (the George C. Scott version), It’s a Wonderful Life, and White Christmas.

I make Harvest Loaf cake every year, but usually a couple of weeks before Christmas. Often I give away extra loaves of it. I don’t know how it got started, but Jim loves Chicken in a Biscuit crackers around Christmas time, and I get the canned spray cheese for them. My mom used to send those sausage, cheese, and cracker packages, so we’ve gotten into the habit of having something like that around for munchies during December, along with store-bought eggnog (I can’t stand the stuff, but Jim, Jason, and Jesse like it). We used to make Christmas butter cookies every year — we had gotten away from it just due to busy-ness, and now the boys are probably too old for it. I don’t know — they might still enjoy it. I also have a recipe for gingerbread teddy bears that I make sometimes and wanted to this year, but haven’t yet.

No one here wants a big sit-down breakfast on Christmas morning, and since we like to take time opening presents and I have low blood sugar, I can’t wait til afterward. My solution the past few years has been to get one package of Sister Schubert’s sausage rolls and one package of the same brand of cinnamon rolls, warm them up in the morning and set them out with some fruit, and everyone wanders in the kitchen and gets some whenever they feel the urge.

Christmas morning we gather in the living room and Jim reads the Christmas story and prays. Then we open gifts usually one by one or each person working on one at a time, and we show each other as we go along. We like to take our time and enjoy it along the way rather than just having an opening frenzy. The Christmas tree and presents are in the living room while the stockings are downstairs in the family room (there’s a mantle and fireplace there), so ate some point when all the gifts are open we go down to investigate the stockings.

When the boys were little I used to make a birthday cake for Jesus to help them remember in a way they could relate to whose birthday we were celebrating. We haven’t done that in a number of years. Usually on Christmas day we have ham, either mashed potatoes and gravy or some kind of cheesy potato casserole, either a salad or steamed broccoli or a vegetable mix, rolls, apple and pumpkin pies. We eat around noon or 1:00, then fix a plate of leftovers or sandwiches in the evening.

Then usually in the evenings we’ll call grandparents. This is when I miss my mom the most.

Jim usually has vacation days enough left to take the whole week off.

We’ve never done Santa Claus. I was originally going to write a whole separate post on this, but wanted to do it before Christmas, and time’s running out. I used to be militantly against Santa, but I have known some godly people who do incorporate him into Christmas in good conscience and still feel they keep the main focus on Christ, so I have softened up a bit. It’s one of those things that each family should consider and do as they feel led before the Lord. But for our family we felt that a strong emphasis on Santa put the wrong perspective on the holiday. We do look forward to gifts, but when the kids were little I hated that they were met everywhere with, “What’s Santa bringing you for Christmas?” Plus, though rewards aren’t in themselves wrong and every parents has used them, the whole idea of being good so you can get presents felt wrong to me: I wanted to teach my children to be good as unto the Lord. Though gifts are a big part of Christmas, we wanted the main focus to be on God’s gift to us of His Son ad the salvation He freely offers.

I do have problems with trying to get children to believe this whole false mythology about Santa (and some put an awful lot of effort into getting their kids to believe) only to have their kids find out it all wasn’t true. I don’t know if any kids have been seriously traumatized enough by that to disbelieve everything else their parents taught them, but, still, it just doesn’t seem right to me.

And besides, I don’t want to give Santa the credit for bringing those gifts! I want my kids to know they came from us because we love them.

I think it is good to teach about the original real St. Nicholas, but I do think young children have problems connecting that to the Santa figure of today.

Over the years we’ve regulated Santa to a fairy tale character. We’ve watched Rudolph and other specials and tried to keep our kids from spoiling it for other kids. I think when children are young they want to believe in something like that. I remember when the boys used to watch Superman cartoons, once Jesse said longingly that he wished there really was a Superman. I was startled and tried to explain that God is so much better in so many ways than any made-up superhero, and I do think he agreed and understood, but he was still a little reluctant to let go of that wish. I don’t want my children so enamored of a made-up character that the real wonder of the real God — who loves us and has done so much for us and is ready to hear and answer every prayer according to His will and meet every need — loses its luster.

Well, those are our traditions. We kind of hold loosely to most — I think traditions help family cohesiveness, but I never want to become enslaved to them or to the thought that it just won’t be a “perfect” Christmas if this or that isn’t done. Whatever we do we try to keep the main focus on love — God’s for us, ours for Him, and ours for each other.

May you have a wonderful Christmas celebrating God’s love for you.

Christmas crafts

Posted on December 22, 2007 by Barbara Harper

We had an…interesting anniversary. Jim was going to try to get home at 5 and we were going to go eat at Steak and Ale, which is one of those places we usually only go for anniversaries. But he didn’t get home til after 7. When we got to Steak and Ale, they couldn’t get us in til 8:15. We drove to Outback — and the parking lot was overflowing so we didn’t even go in. We tried a new nice restaurant — and they couldn’t get us in for 45 minutes to an hour. Being both a Friday night and close to Christmas, a lot of people were eating out! At one point Jim jokingly said, “We could go to Wendy’s,” but I was seriously thinking of suggesting it! I hadn’t eaten much during the day and was starting to get a headache: my desire to eat something soon won out over my desire to eat at a nicer restaurant. So we ended up at Ryan’s, a buffet place that serves steak. Not that Ryan’s isn’t a good restaurant — it’s just not where people would normally got to celebrate anniversaries, I don’t think. 🙂 But I had been wanting to try this one out as it was new, and the food was good, and we had time to spend with each other, which was the main point.

I have been bookmarking some really neat crafty posts from various blogs. I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually have time during December to do anything crafty. A couple of my favorite ornaments and decorations were made last year after Christmas. So I am going to do the same this year: it might just become a tradition. 🙂 The week or two after Christmas everyone’s usually off and our regular schedule (school, homework, etc.) is still pared down, and I am still feeling Christmasy, and many of the supplies are still available (and even marked down!)

These are some things that caught my eye. I hope to do some of them in the weeks ahead.

Sew, Mama, Sew! has been hosting a Handmade Holiday series for many weeks with tutorials from different bloggers featured every day. You can peruse the various craft items by topic.

Melissa Goodsell at One Crafty Mumma or Day to Day (not sure which is the actual blog name. I think I discovered it from Sew, Mama, Sew! but I can’t remember) posted some tutorials for cute denim Christmas tree ornaments, table setting mini bags, and Christmas mittens (tutorial for the last at disdressed.)

Through Kisses of Sunshine’s Homemade With Love event I saw these cute gingerbread man ornaments at I Have to Say.

One of the things I made after Christmas last year was the button wreath shaped like a heart and a button ornament that I’ve shown many times: shimandsons posted a tutorial of how to make button wreaths here. Hers is in a square shape, but you can make it any shape you want. I found a heart shaped template last year just by searching for “heart shape” in Google images.

While we’re talking about buttons, there are some adorable button trees here at inspire.com and Gingham World showed another tree covered in felt and buttons.

There is another set of adorable mitten oranments at A Feathered Nest.

Kelli at There’s No Place Like Home showed ways to make beautiful tags out of old Christmas cards.

Artsy-crafty babe showed how to make a neat potholder from a dishtowel — nice for gifts — or for yourself. 🙂

And, these are more for fall, but whip up has some cute multimedia leaves.

Such inspiration — I love to see what people come up with! This ought to feed that creative urge for a little while.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Light

Posted on December 21, 2007 by Barbara Harper

PhotoHunt

Theme: Light | Become a Photo Hunter

I spent much of the afternoon and evening thinking the theme was “Red” and pondering what to do and finally come up with an idea I was really excited about…only to realize this evening the theme for today is “Light.” “Red” was three weeks ago — and I even did that one. Yep, those brain cells are serving me well…

So, on to Light! I borrowed these picture from my son (with his permission) of our downtown area decorated for Christmas.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Posted on December 21, 2007 by Barbara Harper

Today is our 28th wedding anniversary!

For my “Show and Tell” today I wanted to show the necklace I wore at my wedding. I was thinking my husband gave it to me, but the more I think about it, the more I am not sure. I may have bought it myself.

A similar symbol was on our invitations.

I’m sorry, I couldn’t get that picture any clearer after several attempts. Here is a close-up of the symbol.

That symbol was also on our napkins at the reception, along with our names and the date, but for some reason I don’t have one of the napkins in my wedding album.

We chose the symbol of the two wedding rings on the cross because we wanted to symbolize several things: that our love was based on God’s love for us shown in many ways but most of all on the cross, that we wanted our lives centered on Christ and the gospel, that the strength to have a good, godly, edifying Christian marriage would come from Him.

We were delighted to find the same symbol on the necklace.

Here is a wedding picture where you can see the necklace…

…although it’s crooked and my eyes are closed and Jim looks a little tipsy though neither of us drinks. 🙂 I have to say my wedding photos were my one disappointment. In most of them my eyes are closed. Double exposure was “the” big special effect then…

…but this one places the candles in our noses.

I like this one..

…though a background besides a brick wall would have been a little more romantic. 🙂

Photography has come a long way since then. 🙂 I’m sure digital cameras help a lot. But — though lovely pictures are nice, having everything “picture perfect” is not the most important thing. When I see young brides stressing out over wedding details, I wish I could encourage them to just relax: the important business will get done whether all the little details do or not, and a good marriage can survive without all the fuss around the wedding ceremony itself.

Happy anniversary to my one and only. Thanks for 28 wonderful years!

Fall Into Reading Wrap-Up and Reviews

Posted on December 21, 2007 by Barbara Harper

Katrina at Callapidder Days hosted another Fall Into Reading challenge these last few months, and since today is the last day of autumn, it’s time to wrap up the challenge.

Here is my list with links to my reviews of the ones I finished. I’ll answer Katrina’s questions at the end.

Spirit of the Rainforest: A Yanomamo Shaman’s Story by Mark Ritchie, recommended by Jungle Mom, reviewed here.

In the Best Possible Light by Beneth Peters Jones, about Biblical femininity. I started this one but didn’t finish it. I could tell after a chapter or so into it that I wouldn’t get as much out of it from my usual piecemeal style of reading. Usually with Christian non-fiction I incorporate them into my devotional time. I want to do that with this one after Christmas. With everyone on a break from work and school, I have a little more time in the mornings without having to keep one eye on the clock. It’s a timely and important subject that I’ve been wanting to explore.

Return to Me by Robin Lee Hatcher, about a prodigal daughter, reviewed here.

Simple Gifts by Lori Copeland, read but not reviewed yet. Maybe in a few days. 🙂

The Parting, the first in a new series by Beverly Lewis, who is always good, reviewed here. Most, if not all of her stories are stem from her grandmother’s Amish heritage.

Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury, a sequel to A Thousand Tomorrows, continuing the story of Cody Gunner, dealing in this book with the care of his brother who has Down Syndrome, reviewed here.

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon, a new novel about Father Tim of the Mitford series, reviewed here.

I also like to include at least one classic, and this time it was supposed to be The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas pere, but I never made it to the library to check it out. So I’ll look forward to doing that in the next few weeks.

I included my daily/weekly reads this time:

Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically Challenged or Just Plain Tired Homemaker by Lynn Bowen Walker. I finished it a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t formally reviewed it — I might after Christmas — but I have mentioned it many times. Love it! Lots of good stuff. I will probably read it again week by week this year, too. My interview with Lynn is here.

Daily Light on the Daily Path compiled by the Samuel Bagster family. I use this to begin my devotional times and help me get my mind in gear. I’ve used it for years and have mentioned it many times. On Sundays and occasional busy or sick days this might be all I do, but it gives much food for thought.

Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer. It is another daily devotional with a different word for each day and various verses containing that word. It’s interesting and the Lord has used it to speak to me, but I think it would be better if the verses weren’t listed in the order they appear in the Bible but were rather connected by meaning.

The Bible: Finished Psalms, which I was partway into when the challenge started, and went on to complete Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. I’m now about 30 chapters into Isaiah.

Books I read that weren’t on my list:

Shopping For Time was written by the authors of the girltalk blog, mom Carolyn Mahaney and daughters Nicole Mahaney Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore, and Janelle Bradshaw, reviewed here.

The Restorer’s Son wasn’t originally on my Fall Reading List simply because I forgot it was coming out in that time frame. How could I have forgotten? Sharon Hinck is one author whose books I eagerly anticipate. The Restorer’s Son is a sequel to The Restorer (previously reviewed here), second in The Sword of Lyric trilogy. My review is here.

I also read When Crickets Cry after I won it from Deena’s (thank you, Deena!) I haven’t reviewed it yet — I am still pondering it. The writing is excellent, the story is good, but there are a couple of odd situations or people that seemed out of sync to me.

Currently I am mostly through A Victorian Christmas Keepsake, a book of three short novellas. It was part of a set of book all with “Victorian Christmas” in the title that caught my eye at a yard sale because the lead writer in the set was Catherine Palmer, whose other novels I had very much enjoyed. Plus I am also reading Never Say Can’t by Jerry Ballard about Tom Willey. I had first read it maybe 20 years ago from a lending library kept by the ladies’ group of the church we attended then and it made a major impact on me. Mr. Willey didn’t have a lot of confidence and didn’t feel he was very gifted, nor was he very educated (he only had a third grade education when he applied for college: when asked how many credits he had, he told about how much money he had in the bank), but he determined that by God’s grace he would never say “I can’t” do something God wants done, and he was marvelously used of the Lord. The book is out of print, but I just recently found used copies at Amazon.com.

Katrina asks:

* Tell us how you did. Did you finish all the books you had on your original list? If not, why not? Did you get distracted by other books? Were you too busy to read as much as you would have liked? And if you did finish them all, did you read more?

Most of that is answered above book by book.

* Tell us what you thought. What book did you like most? Least? Did you try a new author that you now love? Have you written off an author as “I’ll never read anything by him/her again!”?

I enjoyed Return to Me and The Parting a lot, but I think I benefited most (aside from Scripture directly, of course) from Spirit of the Rainforest. It touched me and instructed me in so many ways.

I don’t think I had read Lori Copland before, but I want to read more of her books.

* Tell us what you learned. Maybe you learned something about yourself, your interests, your reading patterns. Maybe you learned that you love/hate a particular genre. Maybe you learned some fabulous little nugget of truth from one of the books you read. Whatever it is — please share!

I don’t think I learned anything new about my interests and reading patterns that I didn’t already know — I love Christian fiction and missionary stories and read every chance I get. I think I learn something — maybe not something new, but sometimes spiritual truths are reinforced — by most of the books I read. Probably out of this list, though, I was impacted again by the power of the gospel to change lives in Spirit of the Rainforest and by the people’s dismay at learning that some think they should be left alone in the jungles.

By the way, many participants posted reviews of the books they read for the challenge on a post of Katrina’s site here if you’d like some good book recommendations.