Saturday, December 25, 2021

Merry Christmas

Jeremiah 23:1-6
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

For unto us a child was born - unto us a Son was given.  
He is Wonderful Counselor
He is Mighty God
He is Everlasting Father
He is Prince of Peace                                                                                                He is my Righteousness

Saturday, December 18, 2021

52 books in 52 weeks

52 books in 52 weeks (I am still waiting to see if Tim Challies releases his Christian reading challenge for 2022).  

Here is a post that explains the rules, and then I am supposed to have finished my first book and write my first post, if I am reading it correctly, on Saturday January 9th.  I cannot wait, this looks like so much fun!!  💖

PS - The blog hosting this challenge is read52booksin52weeks.com.  (click on the title to go to the blog to check it out!)  Oh and I just saw that other readers are making a list on their first post to fill in as they go and I thought that was a SPECTACULAR idea!

1) The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart and How to Study the Bible by DL Moody
2) The Great Passage by Shion Miura and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
3) Flight of the Dragon Kyn by Susan Fletcher and Greenglass House by Kate Milford
4) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Tramp for the LORD by Corrie Ten Boom and A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus 
5) The Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah and Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson and The Bravest Princess by E.D. Baker
6) Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge and Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
7) F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton and 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff 
8) Brighter Winter Wrap up - many titles were re-reads so I didn't list them each week - but this week I read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson and almost finished Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge (spilled over into week nine)
9) Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and I'll Start Again on Monday by Lysa Terkeurst
10) The Kremlin Conspiracy by Joel Rosenberg
11) The Snow Queen (Heart of Ice) by K.M. Shea and Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
12) The Princess Bride by William Goldman and Catching Fire (audio) by Suzanne Collins 
13) A Catered St. Patrick's Day by Isis Crawford and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
14) The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew #1) and The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (Trixie Belden #1)
15) Humbled by David Mathis and Divergent by Veronica Roth and the disastrous I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon attempt (HORRIBLE book))
16) Eyes of Justice by Lis Wiehl and April Henry
17) Mia Quinn trilogy books 1, 2, and 3 by Lis Wiehl and April Henry
18) Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent and Mother's Day Mayhem by Lynn Cahoon (novella)
19) Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl and April Henry and Mother's Day, Muffins, and Murder by Sara Rosett
20) Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl and April Henry
21) The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton and Teaching to Change Lives by Dr. Howard Hendricks (and we finally, FINALLY, finished City Spies *great book btw)
22) The Maze Runner by James Dashner and Clean Mama's Guide to a Peaceful Home by Becky Rapinchuk
23) Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke
24) Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke and The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
25) The Autobiography of George Mueller by George Mueller
26) Journal Keeping for Spiritual Growth by Luann Budd
27) The Snow Queen book two (Sacrifice) by K.M. Shea and Christ in the Classroom by Jared Dees
28) The Snow Queen book three (Snowflakes) by K.M. Shea and Half-Magic by Edgar Eager
29) Sense and Second Degree Murder by Tirzah Price and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 
30) Beauty and the Beast by K.M. Shea and Let Prayer Change your Life by Becky Tirabassi
31) Wild Swans by K.M. Shea
32) The Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter and Murder Past Due by Miranda James
33) The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
34) The Runaway King and The Shadow Throne by Jennifer Nielsen
35) Person of Interest by J. Warner Wallace
36) Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer and Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat and Best Family Ever (re-read) by Karen Kingsbury
37) Created for Commitment by Audrey Wetherell Johnson (read over several weeks, just finished this week), Winterbourne Home for Mayhem and Mystery by Ally Carter, and Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy
38) Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and What is the Panama Canal by Janet B. Pascal and I Survived the Great Molasses Flood by Lauren Tarshis and The Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla (the last three were read-alouds - two of them were completed over several weeks)
39) The Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
40) The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White
41) Plot Twist by Bethany Turner, Rescue by Jennifer Nielsen, The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer, 47 Days by Annette Oppenlander.
42) Cinderella and the Colonel by K.M. Shea and 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel / 1 Dog = Chaos by Vivian Vande Velde (FAVORITE FAVORITE book!!!!)
43) Spark by Sarah Beth Durst and Finding Home and Never Grow Up by Karen Kingsbury and Tyler Russel and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
44) The Candymakers by Wendy Mass and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
45) Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price and The Christmas Pig by JK Rowling
46) Save the Date by Jenny B Jones (re-read) and Forgotten God by Francis Chan
47) Rumpelstilskin by K.M. Shea MY GOAL REACHED!!!  104 books! 💖
48) Pilgrim's Inn by Elizabeth Goudge
49) The Father's Tale (part one) by Michael O'Brien 
50) The Father's Tale (part two) by Michael O'Brien and A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig
51) The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber and The 40-Day Feast by Wendy Speake and skimmed/fast read 60 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds by Robert Lesslie
52) Reading wrap up 💕💖🎄⛄

Thursday, December 16, 2021

WOW!!!!

Have you seen this?  It is a HUMONGOUS list of reading challenges for 2022.  I am anxiously awaiting Tim Challies to release his Christian Reading Challenge (I LOVE this challenge) but just in case he doesn't do one for this year, I will either use a past challenge list (adding new titles for 2022) or I will choose one from this master list:

https://www.girlxoxo.com/the-2022-master-list-of-reading-challenges/

How did I NOT know about this blog?  Anyway - in case you are wanting to read more in 2022, I wanted to share this with you.  

I hope your Christmas season has been beautiful thus far.  My husband just got over a nasty cold and miraculously the girls and I did NOT get it.  We normally get everything.  I am so thankful.  We have had a great Advent season thus far.  This year has been such a reprieve for us - beyond anything I could have asked or dreamed for.  I am so incredibly thankful.  💖