Figuring Life Out - One Thousand Gifts

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp will impact the way you approach life and how you live every moment.

See my side bar for a link to the book on Amazon.

{I'll write a full review when I'm done with the book.}
Enjoy!

Work, not just a 4-letter word

What's a camp without chores? In most vocabularies, "work" is a bad, 4-letter word, but not at the Bell house!

Work is good and it has nice rewards!

Like getting to go on the roof...

Gathering nails and trash

Or finding a baby slug (that you just studied about)!

With the adoption paperwork complete, Mountain Man and I have been reading a few parenting books. One of my favorites has been Created for Work: Practical Insights for Young Men by Bob Schultz. It's not just for young men; in fact, it has impacted my life! I've always had a very negative view of work, which has resulted in laziness! This book has changed my perception of work, which has given me a new attitude and hopefully a brand new work ethic. Parenting is more about modeling than speaking, so it's important that I change now! I've really been convicted of this sin in my life, and praise God He has been kind to show it to me so I can repent and change. Bookworms: add this to your book list - you won't regret it!

Now, I'm off to work! {Smile}

Review of The Shack

Book: The Shack
Author: William P. Young

The Shack is stirring quite a controversy, which I hadn't paid any attention to until my mom asked me to write a little more on it. While I will not spend much time on it, according to James B. DeYoung's review, author William P. Young used a fictional book to serve his universalism theology.

I originally said that this book changed my life, and it did. Although I do not agree with the theology of Universalism , I was challenged to look at my own life and confront a sin that I did not realize I had. No matter how many times I've read, memorized, or heard Matthew 7:3-5, I did not realize that I judge people so harshly and unjustly. This is one of my many sins, but the Holy Spirit revealed this to me as I read it.

(Matthew 7:3-5 NIV)
(3) "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (4) How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? (5) You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Although many disagree, I found this a positive read and because God used this to reveal my sin to me, I see it in a positive light. I viewed this book as fictional, just as it was marketed.

If you read it for yourself, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

With love,
Bellawhoop!

The Shack

Wow. This book has changed my life.

A Thousand Tomorrows and Just Beyond the Clouds

Both of these books are by one of my favorite authors, Karen Kingsbury. A Thousand Tomorrows is a love story of a bull rider (Cody Gunner) and a barrel racer (Ali). Ali helps Cody to forgive family that has wronged him and Cody helps Ali to live a life worth meaning. A great story with great meaning, but be prepared to grab the tissue box. Just Beyond the Clouds is the sequel to A Thousand Tomorrows and continues on with Cody's brother's life and living with down syndrome. Another excellent read and very touching. Just keep the tissue box next to you for this one too.

I love Karen's books because I think she addresses real issues that people face everyday. She makes me think of what I might do in that situation and sometimes even relates to something I'm facing. These two books in particular helped me to think on bitterness, forgiveness, and the struggles that physically handicapped people face. So if you have a moment, these are pretty quick reads and you won't regret reading them!

Karen Kingsbury

**EDIT** WHOOPS! Apparently, Ever After is the sequel to Even Now.
If there was ever a book series that I was completely absorbed in, it's the series by Karen Kingsbury about the Baxter family. I loaned the Redemption series out but I have the Firstborn series and Sunrise. I'm reading her newest book, Summer, right now, which I'm finding hard to put down! You'll want to read these in order of the way I've listed them below.

The whole story starts with the Redemption Series:
Redemption
Remember
Return
Rejoice
Reunion

Then goes to the Firstborn Series:
Fame
Forgiven
Found
Family
Forever

And finishes up with the Sunrise Series:
Sunrise
Summer
Someday (Spring 2008)
Sunset (Spring 2008)

Other books I have of hers include:
Forever Faithful Series (Waiting for Morning, A Moment of Weakness, and Halfway to Forever)
Like Dandelion Dust (stand-alone title, meaning not part of any series)
Ever After (stand-alone)

If you would like to borrow any of them, please let me know. I bet you could find most of these in your library, too. :)

Visit her website for more info.
http://www.karenkingsbury.com/

Happy reading!