Terribly Interesting

Y'all. I loved it. The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace by Erwin Raphael McManus My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is one of those books that really makes you think about what you are doing with your calling. I think most of us try to learn and attain knowledge. We want to grow. The problem is that we know so much and train ourselves so little. In the Way of the Warrior, we see why the inner man is so important. That man has the true power. If he is without self-control or vision, such will be your life. In The Way of the Warrior, we are told what is needed to train and fight for the people around us. You will see how pain can make us stronger and how to take charge of the the life you’ve been given. We see more power in intimate knowledge than brute force. We must fight to free our mind. This is a book written with authority. It’s powerful and convicting. I wrote out something from almost every page in my journal. The words here have become a prayer....

Ten and a half years ago, I decided to start reading a book a week. In ten years, I had read five hundred books. Right now, I'm on book five hundred and twenty-two. Reading books changes you. It creates empathy and gives purpose. It helps you see those in your own life more clearly. I'll share more about all of that in a follow up post. In this post, I want to answer a simple question I get asked constantly. How do you read so many books? People also want to know how to read any book at all. Step One: Find a good book. This seems simple. Sometimes we choose poorly in this area. It isn't to say we are poor at making choices. We simply have no idea what we actually enjoy. Think about it. What sorts of stories or ideas make you feel alive? Learning what you are most interested in and passionate about can not only shape your reading, but give you better quality of life. You won't be running around pursuing everything. You'll gravitate to the the things tha...

This title grabbed at me. It's what we moms of girls long for. We want to give them the skill set to become great women who cultivate what is good, beautiful, and true in their grown up lives. I yearn for them to give life to the world around them. As with most mothers, I internalize all of the ways they are not living up to this potential. Their unkind choices must reflect on me personally, right? Darlene reminded me that we are on a journey of becoming and I am mentoring my girls to greater good. They come to us in a sinful state and we must constantly show them the good God calls them too. She has many brilliant points about standing up against culture for the hearts of our girls. Culture is calling our girls toward death and we must call them back to life. Boundaries are good and purposeful no matter who speaks against it. Darlene offers such wisdom that lines up with biblical principles. She encourages us to raise competent adults instead of craving to a society that te...

Maya Angelou said that there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. There’s a lot to unpack there. Most of us have no idea what the truth of our story is. We have not plumbed the depths of our lives. Learning to tell our story is much greater than sharing the bullet point moments of our existence. We must search our heart and allow feelings to surface. We must face those feelings through fear. First, we present the story to ourselves in an unedited, unabridged format and we must work through it. We must pour salve and healing balm on every part so that it heals us and heals others. Often, I leave out parts of what needs to be told as to not dishonor others. That’s where this starts.  I am an empath. I feel and carry other people’s emotions. Good and bad. It has taken me years to learn how to hand the things I pick up to the faithful hands of God. Sometimes, I will catch myself carrying hurts that I do not need to. The actions of a perpetrator often have...