Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (reading books)

When I was in 8th grade, I read 17 books.....

in one week.

I spent my spring break that year reading all of my mom's Harlequin Romance books.

I'd always considered myself a reader. As an elementary school child, I was always eager to earn my next Book It! coupon for my free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut and get that little start sticker for my Book It! pin.

The older I've gotten, the less time I have (made for myself) to read.  Nowadays, it seems as if the only reading I get done is what I read in the classroom with my fourth graders or with my boys for their homework.  The days of book reviews have gotten far and few in between.

Needless to say, when my friend Pattie started a group to read 52 books in 52 weeks, I jumped at the chance!  Today is January 10, and I am proud to say that I am on book 3!

We are using the list from popsugar.com.

Right now, my reading list looks like this....

Book one: A book you can read in a day......

Book two:  A book made into a movie.......

Book three:  A book based on a true story.....

I am in the middle of book three and would love to finish it this weekend (if I leave Frozen Free Fall alone, then it will be possible).  I've been thinking about the trilogy books.  Any ideas?  I'm not into Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings stuff, something lighter if you know what I mean.

What are you reading right now? I'd love to hear about it.

One Word

Quick tempered, irritable, hot head, easily provoked to anger.

Those aren't very good words, are they?  Unfortunately, they are words that can describe me.

When aggravated, I can become very harsh.  I don't like it. I don't like myself when I am like that.  It is something I have been working on, but recently, I found out I was working on it incorrectly.

I had always thought that lack of patience was my problem.  I prayed about my patience and everything. Nothing.

But then......
During a Sunday School lesson, we were in the middle of discussion when I discovered that my problem was my lack of gentleness.

BAM!  That's it! I lacked gentleness.

That explained the harsh reactions.   I realized after confessing this to my sisters in Christ that I needed to learn to respond instead of react.  When I reacted, I was harsh.  When I responded, I took time to reflect, consider, and then act.

Gentleness.

As 2014 began to come to a close and 2015 was knocking at the door, I began thinking about my One Word....I have worked at being a light to SHINE the love of Jesus to others.  I have worked at being INTENTIONAL in my time and talents. I have learned to better LIVE a life that brings honor and glory to God. With each of these chosen words, I have worked at meeting those expectations, I still do. I am not perfect, but I am trying to be the woman God created me to be.  I don't believe that God created me to be harsh and ill tempered.  That's not love.  But love is gentle.  And that is what I am going to work on this year.  My One Word for 2015.......

Already, 7 days into 2015, my One Word: Gentle, keeps ringing in my ears.  When my tween pushes my buttons or my fourth graders are disobedient, I will be gentle.When friends or coworkers do something I don't agree with, I will be gentle.  When family or strangers cross me in a unbecoming manner, I will be gentle.  When I am sleep deprived, aggravated, or just plan eggy, I will be gentle.

One Word: Gentle.

What about you, Friend, what is your One Word for 2015?

Military Family Gratitude Day 6: Sound

Sounds are unique to us all. There are sounds we love and sounds we don't.

One of my favorite sounds is laughter.....more specifically, the laughter of my children. Their laughter is contagious when those giggle boxes are turned on.

I also love the sounds of their unique voices. Carter still has his baby voice.  At four years old, he can't fish. It's tish.  Snake is nake.  I don't fret the mistakes. I know he will grow out of it all too soon.  It seems like only yesterday that Colin was four and saying "geen" instead of green.  Now, at 12, his voice is starting to deepen.  Its raspy one moment and high pitched the next.  My baby boy is growing into a young man.  And Carson....the way he repeats parts of his words.....treee eeee, mor orning.  He still has his little kid voice, but I know soon he will be changing as well.

I love the sound coming from the back seat as they are singing God's Not Dead or Until the Whole World Hears.  I love the sound of meal blessings and bedtime prayers.  I love the sound of sleep talking and laughing about it the next day because they truly believe they didn't say those things.

But the best of all

What I love the most

I love the sound of, "I love you, Mama" fifty times a day.

Wives of Faith Military Family Gratitude Day 5: Emotion

I am an emotional person.  Sometimes an emotional mess.  But I am thankful for emotions.  They remind me that I am human, I am real.  There's no faking it.

Emotion is good. Sometimes it doesn't feel that way, but it is.  I have learned not to be led by emotion, but the wisdom of God.  My emotions can mislead me, but God never does.

Wives of Faith Military Family Gratitude: Day 4 - Freedom

I am thankful for the freedom provided by our former military service members.

I am thankful for the freedom provided by our present military service members.

I am thankful for the freedom to be able to worship in the church of my choice.

I am thankful for the freedom to be able to come and go as I please.

I am thankful for the freedom to vote.

I am thankful for the freedom to be able to be the woman God has planned for me.

I am thankful for the freedom that comes from my faith in Jesus Christ.

Wives of Faith Military Family Gratitude Day 3: Health

What a blessing it is to be healthy!  I think sometimes we take it for granted.  There is so much that could happen with our health.

About 5 years ago, I had a lot of tenderness in my breast. I was scared. I didn't want to hear the C word.  But finally I went to the doctor. At 32, I had my first mammogram.  I heard a different C word: caffeine.  Yes, folks. My caffeine intake was too high and that's what caused the tenderness.

While my husband was deployed, I came down with Fifth's disease after my oldest son got it.  I was so miserable, but I know it could have been so much worse. Fever and swelling. I had myself self-diagnosed with a blood clot in the leg.  My advice: Don't self diagnose on WebMD. Ever.

My children and husband remain healthy as well.  We've had many scares along the way from asthma to food allergy reactions and from growing pains to a minor knee surgery.  I am thankful each day for our health.

Wives of Faith: Military Family Gratitude Day 2: Light

I am thankful for the light of a new day. I have learned through the storms of life that "joy comes in the morning.

Military Family Gratitude Challenge Day 1: Friendship

I am thankful for friends both old and new. I am thankful for friends during the changing seasons of life.

I am thankful for those who love my children as their own and allow me to love theirs as my own. Those that our children share friendship as well.

I am thankful for the women I share my life with.

We've laughed together.

We've cried together.

I know we will be through so much more together.

I am thankful for those friends who walked through my first deployment with me. Those who took care of me in ways that others wouldn't.  They may not have understood what it was like, but they stood beside me nonetheless.

I am thankful for friends who share their faith, who face unimaginable battles, but yet, find their strength in Christ and share the story of His love and mercy.

I am thankful for the friends that get your weird sense of humor, those that you share inside jokes with. You know the ones: you can look at each other and tell what the other is thinking.

But yet,when there is no laughter, only tears, they are there to hold your hand. In the messiness of life, they love you anyway.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Book Review: How Can I Possibly Forgive?

I have had the opportunity to join Sara Horn's launch team for her new book How Can I Possibly Forgive? Rescuing Your Heart from Resentment and Regret.  I was excited about this opportunity because I have read other books written by Sara such as My So-Called Life as a Submissive Wife and GodStrong. In those books, I appreciated Sara's use of humor and honesty in her writing.  I felt a connection with her through her personal stories. Therefore, I looked forward to reading her newest book which is available on October 1.

After reading How Can I Possibly Forgive?, I have to say that Sara did not disappointment me.  She used wit and honesty to tell her personal experience with forgiveness.  In her book, Sara did not sugar coat things that she isn't so proud of.  Instead, she told what she did that she wasn't proud of and what a better choice in offering forgiveness should have been.

Throughout the book, Sara Horn also connected her life's experiences with the Bible.  She gave examples from Joseph and Naomi to Jonah. In each example, we can see a correlation to that experience with things that have happened in our own lives. Sara always has a way of showing her readers they are not alone in valleys of life.  This book, like her others, offers hope and shows how we can make better choices to become the people God wants us to be.

One of the things I like about this book is the mini sections I like to call "Five Ways." In each section, Sara offers some suggestions for working through forgiveness.  Such topics include forgiving yourself, letting go of your anger with God, and asking for forgiveness.  Another thing I like about the book is the discussion questions found in the back. These could be used for small groups or for independent reflection and journaling.

We have all had to deal with the issue of forgiveness in our lives and will continue to do so.  This book is a great tool in helping us deal with the hurts that can cause resentment and regret.  I have already begun to talk to others about things I have read in this book to help them with the healing process that comes through forgiveness. This book is also a good tool for helping us have a stronger relationship with Christ and live more like Him, the ultimate example of offering forgiveness.

I highly recommend this book for those looking to learn more about healing through forgiveness.  Sara Horn's books are always insightful and thought provoking.


*****

I received a free copy of this book as part of Sara Horn's launch team for the purpose of an honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, only to give my honest opinion of the book.

For more information about Sara Horn and her books, visit www.sarahorn.com.

Missing this space

Seriously, I am.

I am missing being here....writing....sharing....hopefully making a difference.

Life has a way of happening.

Mine happens a lot!

We are smack dab in the middle of soccer.

We are smack dab in the middle of the first quarter of school.

We are living life and loving it.

So, could you forgive me for neglecting this space for the last few weeks?

Forgiveness.....


Do you consider that the "F" word?  Why is it such a difficult word?

I am reading a book right now....

Are you ready????

Sara Horn's new book How Can I Possibly Forgive?

Haven't heard of it?  That's OK, It will be released on October 1.  And can I just say.....It is awesome. I am blessed to be a part of Sara's Launch Team for this amazing book! I can't wait to tell you more about it after I actually finish reading it.

I love Sara's writing.  She's honest, funny, and well, honest.  I appreciate that so much.  When I read her books, it's like having a conversation with a best friend.

And a book on forgiveness.....

Well, isn't that what so many of us need?

For some people, forgiveness is easy.  For others, well, not so much.

Looking at my personal experience with forgiveness, I know of instances when it has been easy to forgive and instances when it hasn't been so easy.  Sometimes it is a pride thing. Sometimes we feel that the act was too unforgivable.  Whatever the reason, it isn't good enough.

I have forgiven family.
I have forgiven friends.
I have forgiven strangers.

Most importantly, I have been forgiven.

When I decided to live my life for Christ, I asked God for forgiveness.  You know that Amazing Grace song?  Well, I'm that wretch it is about.  God saved me and forgave me through amazing grace.  How can I, therefore, deny forgiveness to someone???

Resentment is too hard on the soul.  It isn't worth it.

No, I know life isn't fair. I know we want people to get what they deserve. I see a lot of things on Facebook about Karma.  But payback and heartache are not the answer.  God is our ultimate judge. Let Him deal with it.

I can choose to let go, to forgive the hurt, to move on, and to be free from the burden of a hardened heart, or I can choose to harbor the hurt, to let pride stand in the way, to miss out on the amazing joy that comes from letting go and letting God.

Forgiveness is a God thing.

Unforgiveness is a Satan thing.

Why would we ever let Satan have a stronghold on us like that?

Oh, and I know what you are saying, "But Natasha, you don't know!  You don't have any idea what happened. You don't know my story!"

But I don't have to know your story. I have my own.  And regardless of our stories, I have seen first hand what unforgiveness does to people, to family, to friends.

I know people that have missed out on years of the lives of people they love, all because they chose not to forgive.  They thought it was a punishment to that one person, but unforgiveness affects many people.

Look at it this way.....

I get mad at my brother (Hi, Doug! I'm seriously not mad at you.) because he was careless with our parents' estate.  Now, I don't get my share of the inheritance.  There goes that vacation I wanted. There goes my sons' college funds. There goes.....our relationship. I avoid him. I don't go to family functions because he is going to be there.  I miss out on his children (those innocent bystanders).  I miss out on other family members (more innocent bystanders) because I simply cannot show up somewhere my brother might be.  This goes on for years. A ripple effect of missed opportunities, missed relationships, missed memories.  All because I chose to hold a grudge. I was slighted. I haven't mentioned the fact that I swell up each time his name is mentioned.  The resentment continues when I see those vacation commercials on TV or my kids start talking about college.  Dang it, brother!  It's all your fault.

But forgiving can allow me to move forward. It can help me communicate.  It can help me be aware of people and their intentions. Had I forgiven my brother in this hypothetical example, I could have extended grace to him.  He could have been embarrassed about what had happened and needed my help.  Had I forgiven him, I wouldn't have missed out on sharing life with him and his family.

I think sometimes we feel like if we forgive we are saying to the other person, "It's OK."

I've heard kids say this in the classroom, and it bothers me.  Calling another student "stupid" is not OK.  I realize a child says this because it seems to be the right thing to say.  But we need to have the appropriate response.  We can say, "I forgive you." We can say, "Thank you for the apology." I don't think we should say, "Oh, its OK."

Some people may not realize they have hurt us.  We have the choice to let them know that we were hurt and have forgiven them, or we can just forgive and move on without mentioning it.  I think somethings we definitely need to talk about, but others....just move on.  

Just because I choose to forgive, doesn't make me naive.  I believe that forgiving and moving on doesn't mean that I am going to allow that behavior to happen again.  I may forgive someone for a wrongdoing, but at the same time realize that we do not have a healthy relationship.  I may forgive you for stabbing me in the back, but I am choosing not to keep my relationship with you because I know your heart has not changed and you will probably do it again.  I will continue to pray for you so that you can be the person God intends you to be.

And in all of this....prayer is the key.  Go to God in prayer. Ask him to help you forgive....forgive others....forgive yourself.....seek forgiveness.  Don't deny forgiveness, God didn't deny it when it came to us.

This week, I challenge you to offer grace, the grace found in forgiveness. Can you say this with me....."I forgive you."  Those are life altering words. Try it and see what happens.




Are you interested in Sara's new book?  Find out more information at her webpage.  You can even pre-order an autographed copy.

www.sarahorn.com