The Second Opinion and Second Chance

The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer was read for the Medical Mystery Madness challenge as well as Palmer being one of my favorite authors.

This follows the story of an adult physician with Asperger's Syndrome whose father is in a coma. Things begin to point to the accident causing her father's coma to having not been an accident but a deliberate attempt on her father's life. She begins to investigate what could be the cause of the attempt on her father's life.

Second Chance by Jane Green was read for the Chick Lit Challenge.

After the accident of one of their friends from high school, the remainder of the group reconnects with each other and become a support system for each other as they move through their grief over the death of their friend. Various things happen to cause some major life changes. Yet the loss of one of their friends has brought them all back together again and they are able to help each other through some different struggles.

Lent and Focusing on Christ's Sacrifice for Me

I'm not a Catholic but I do like the idea of Lent and giving something up to help focus more on Christ during the weeks leading up to Easter. As Christ sacrificed His life for me, why can't I sacrifice some small part of my life to help me remember how much He has given for me? I want the giving up to be meaningful and I want it to remind me the purpose behind Easter and what it represents for me.
But I also don't want it to turn into something legalistic or feel like I'm a bad person if I don't measure up or if I fail. There's a balance in something like this. Motive means a lot.
I have a lot going on in my life right now. There are certain things that provide comfort and relaxation for me. Things that I lean on to help me get through stress and rough days. Can I let go of some of these and learn instead to rely on God for the strength I need to make it through?
I'm challenging myself to give up my weekly Starbucks drink during Lent. I want to remind myself of all that Christ sacrificed for me as I sacrifice this treat that I look forward to each week. I also want to take the money that I would have spent each week and put it towards a need in my community. I already have an idea in mind to give the money to, but am waiting to see how this pans out.

Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight by Karen Scalf Linamen

Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight: Fifty-Two Amazing Ways to Master the Art of Personal Change by Karen Scalf Linamen


My rating: 4 of 5 stars





This was an uplifting, positive book about making changes in your life. Even small changes can be an impetus to making bigger change and progress toward a better life. Throughout the book are various tips, for 52 total, on ways to make small changes that lead to bigger changes.

Uncompromised Faith by S. Michael Craven

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The church in America is in crisis, and this crisis cannot be dismissed or simply explained away under some end-times rationale. This crisis is quite clearly the natural consequence of biblical illiteracy, theological ignorance, doctrinal apathy, and our subsequent conformity to the spirit of this age."

This was a great book about the cultural crisis going on in American Christianity. We are not impacting our world as we should. We are becoming too much like the culture around us.

"God may be ignored in the secular culture, but He is largely irrelevant among too many in the so-called Christian culture."

"Our reliance on the tools and resources of modernity can and often does encourage and maintain our dependence upon the things of this world, those things we have trusted in all along."

Never the Bride by Rene Gutteridge

Never the Bride: A Novel by Rene Gutteridge


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an interesting, rather quirky read. A bit of a different approach to the woman can't find the right man story. Told in the first person, Jessie is dreaming of the day when she will finally meet Mr. Right. When God shows up in the flesh, she discovers that her way is not necessarily the best way.

Thrilled to Death by Archibald Hart

The premise of this book is the increasing instances of anhedonia occurring in today's society. Anhedonia is described as the inability to experience pleasure. The author's contention is that with the constant influx of newer technologies coming at us rapidly our brain is overloaded with stimulants and we end up becoming numb and apathetic to the things that used to give us pleasure. Interesting book. He referenced studies that a particular area of the brain is what causes us to feel pleasure. We live in such a fast-paced culture these days that it is easy to no longer feel excited at things that used to excite us. Getting a new computer loses its thrill quickly when the newest and greatest comes out. The author gives suggestions for how to once again experience the simple pleasures in life. There are tests throughout the book to see how addicted to pleasure we are and how apathetic we have become to new experiences, always needing something more thrilling than the last experience.

Top 15 Books - Grown Up Literature Only

This was a note posted by one of my friends on Facebook and I thought it would make a great blog post.

Please list the the top 15 books you have read in your adult life along w/the author). No pre-adult stuff Like Anne of Green Gables, etc., just the grown-up stuff. List books that really represent you, your ideals, your thoughts, your likes and dislikes and then give one honorable mention. Go search through your bookshelves (or your book boxes!) and make a list. I am very interested to know what books you think define YOU. Following are mine (in no particular order).

We actually did a book challenge a few years ago (Something About Me Challenge) to list books that represented us and other bloggers picked books to read based on our lists. Here were my choices:
1. The Happy Room by Catherine Palmer - this was a book about growing up as a missionary kid in Kenya; the author grew up as an MK in the 2 countries that I grew up in so I felt like there was that connection. Plus the book being set in Kenya.
2. The Childless Revolution: What it Means to be Childless Today by Madelyn Cain - probably could have used numerous books about not having children to represent this part of my life. Being married without children seems to be a minority that is highly misunderstood.
3. Making Work Work for the Highly Sensitive Person by Barrie Jaeger - this book opened my eyes to why I act and react in the ways that I do. A personality trait called being "highly sensitive" or HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) has been studied and I definitely fall into that particular category. This book defines those traits and helps people who fall into this category to learn to cope better in their work environment.
4. The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers - the thing that impacted me most about this book in relation to myself was the reaction of the conservative Christian college to a girl that was raped and became pregnant. I could totally see the college I went to responding in the same way.
5. Biblioholism by Tom Raabe - not sure this needs much explanation for how it relates to me :-). Yep, I'm addicted to books!

Other books to add to my top 15:
6. Quality Friendship by Gary Inrig - relationships and deep friendships is something that interests me and this book is the best book that I've read on true friendship and what it means.
7. Cross-Cultural Re-entry edited by Clyde Austin - a bunch of articles and readings about returning to the land that is your place of citizenship but where you haven't lived in a while. Very applicable to my life.
8. Ice by Shane Johnson - this book is probably my all-time favorite of all books. Set in the past on the moon it brings out some interesting speculations that really get you thinking. This was an amazing book to me.
9. Trusting God by Jerry Bridges - a great reminder that God is in control of it all. This is the thing I struggle much with in my Christian walk and this book is a great reminder to put my focus on God and trust that He will work out the details. I can't control everything (or even much at all).
10. Scamps, Scholars, and Saints edited by Roger & Jill Dyer - an anthology of writings (essays and poetry) by third culture kids. Resonated greatly with me. I used several of these to do a project in college for my oral interpretation class.
11. When God's People Let You Down by Jeff VanVonderen - this was a healing book for me in dealing with legalism from my past
12. The Elf-Queen of Shannara by Terry Brooks - love the Shannara books but this particular book I really related to the main character. My favorite of all of them (that I've read).
13. A Woman's Journey to the Heart of God by Cynthia Heald - full of incredible quotes, loved this book, great book on growing in relationship to God
14. Religiously Transmitted Diseases by Ed Gungor - a look at some of the ways Christians practice that isn't what God intended, for example: trying to make everyone alike
15. Real Church by Larry Crabb - church is another issue dear to my heart and what exactly is church supposed to be. This book hit the nail on the head for me.

Honorable Mention:
How People Grow by Henry Cloud/John Townsend - really enjoyed this look at how people grow.