Ermahgerd, Berks!!! (aka Books I Read - The 2019 Edition)

Hey Sweet Readers! 

      Do you even remember me? 

***

Here we are at the end of another year!  Chances are good that if you are still here, then you were probably with me through most of 2018 as well. You may remember all the issues I battled with my eyes.  So, we know going INTO 2019 that reading all the things was not going to happen! You may remember the surprise I found when counting the books I read last year... even with months of bed rest and no eye strain, I managed to read nearly 20 books! I was hopeful that number would increase this year post-surgery if all went right!  I am happy (Blessed, fortunate, thrilled!) to report that all went right... and now we come to actually count the number of books read in 2019 to see if it increased or not!  Still,  --either way, you know how I love me some books... (or 'berks!' as in, "Ermahgerd! Berks!")

So this is the post where I take time to reflect back over the year and revisit some of my favorites! 

So, here's the deal: 

  I really didn't know how this year would go! 

I mean... I spent much of 2018 on bed rest and unable to read but still managed to read nearly 20 books... well, a handful were listened to instead, but still! 2019 started off with back to back eye surgeries and I'm not sure how much of that whole thing I actually blogged about but let's just say the first eye was miraculous and the second eye --not so much! (At least not right away... not for weeks and weeks and weeks!) But after all my recovery, I am now seeing better than I have my entire life --without the aid of contacts or glasses! (Well - this is real life and I am turning 50 in 2020, so I do use non-prescription Readers... but that's all!)

Still, I thought this list would be shorter because there were a couple of months I was most definitely NOT using my eyes... but it seemed as soon as I could, I was back to having a book in my hand...

Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker... A Book Review post.

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Two posts... in one day? I know... Honestly, I do! But our Colossians Series is on a set schedule, and this is Launch Day for Light from Distant Stars, so...

Here's the thing... I was not going to do anymore Book Launch Teams for awhile!  I had long been saying that I needed to add more fiction into my stacks of books and so I had already decided to pass on any invitations over the summer.  And then I saw this upcoming novel by Shawn Smucker and signed up right away!  

I know!? I can't help myself! Plus --bonus!-- I was reading his non-fiction book, Once We Were Strangers, and I was loving it! So I had some high expectations for this new release! I had heard a ton of great things about his other fiction works but haven't read them... however, (spoiler alert!) they are now on my list for summer reading!

I made it onto that Launch Team and I'm here today to encourage you to order a copy of Light from Distant Stars for yourself --or order a couple so you can give one away! You just may want to do that --so you can talk about it with a friend when you're done reading it! 

I had started reading Once We Were Strangers, also written by this author, before joining the launch team for Light from Distant Stars. So I already knew I would enjoy the book. I had been saying for months that I needed to add more fiction to my reading list so this was perfect timing!

I was hungry for a book that would draw me in and make me put off sleep for all the best reasons! So I had high hopes for this one, and Shawn Smucker did not disappoint!

Our Weekend Goal... A Five Minute Friday post.

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Oh, Friends!  I don't know about where you live, but here in my little corner of the PNW:

Summer is HERE big time and, let me tell you, I am so FOR it!

I'm talking forego the hot cuppa and go for the iced coffee in the morning instead because it's already sunny and warm but the patio is calling my name! You know how it is with me! #patiolife

Let's just get to it! This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: GOAL

{GO!}

Last week we nearly hit triple digits.

It's not that this is unusual, really!

After all - we live in a desert land...

where the sun beats hot and the heat is dry.

It's all I've ever really known. 

I grew up in this town and never left. 

I'm assured I would know the difference

between humid and dry heat and I'm sure it's true. 

Still... as long as I have access to my beloved A/C,

I'm good with long summer days that

start out warm and never fully cool off.

But again, it is desert land

so once the sun goes down,

it usually DOES cool off

--at least a bit!

Listen, while not all things are meant for the interwebs, 

and we have played many cards close to our hearts

over the past year or so, many of you have walked with

and prayed for us in this long, hard season

of living in the in-between! 

Many of you have traveled these

parched 'desert lands' with us...

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman... A Book Review post.

***
Here's the thing... 
I love pretty much everything
Emily P. Freeman does! 

I love her voice in every format. I fell in love with her words written first over on her blog back in the olden days... and ever since then, I've been a fan.  I read her first book, Grace for the Good Girl and realized part of why I love her so much is she writes so many pieces of my story within her own. 

Somehow I've been able to be a part of her launch teams for all of her other books so far: A Million Little Ways, Simply Tuesday, and now for The Next Right Thing!

I was able to interview Emily right here on the blog a few years ago and have met her in person once or twice. I've heard her speak a few times at writing events and semi-stalked her at venues. It's fine. She's not afraid. 

And then, of course, there is her Podcast! #Swoon

It took me a little while to figure out why I so adore her voice -whether it is live at a conference, on video, in print, or in audio form but I did... and this is why:

A Language Fluent in Hope... Glorious Weakness - A Book Review post.

***

I wrote a post last week, sharing two different visions I had during prayer that happened just days before I got an advanced copy of Glorious Weakness. 'Seeing' what I saw, and then reading the gift of words found in this book was such a confirmation! As I mentioned last week, this book was written and bled out by my friend, Alia Joy!  I highly recommend her book --but not just because she's a friend!

I recommend it because I think we all need it! 

Glorious Weakness - Discovering God In All We Lack by Alia Joy

This, from the Introduction:
“These days, when I am adrift on rough seas of life, and the tidal wave of my own limitations crashes against me, I need the X written down and mapped out so that I can believe in treasure again, to believe in beauty. I need to believe that lost things can be found if we only know where to look. My saltwater tears have mixed with the ash from the Refiner’s fire, and they form the ink to pen my story, a story that helps me find my way to the beauty that was always buried and waiting... So many people don’t have a way to talk about these kinds of struggles. The thing is, we all want to be able to tell the truth about ourselves and God. Some of us just didn’t know we were allowed... I hope this book gives you permission to illuminate the darkness in your own life, to skip the shortcut, to weather the storm, and to seek out the treasures along the way... There’s power in truth-telling, in resurrecting the sunken things and sifting them, a couple good shakes to get the sand out and let the light back in.”

Listen, Sweet Readers, it's no secret that I adore Alia!

I have long been a fan online and have been leaving '{insert gushing comment here!}' comments on posts throughout the blogosphere for years and years now. She is a friend in real life as well and when I heard she was writing a book I knew three things: 

When You Long for More... A Five Minute Friday post.

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Hello, Friends! I'm happy to report that I'm sitting in this chair, ready to tap out some words --but YOU GUYS!?!!??! THE SUN IS SHINING AND I SEE ZERO CLOUDS (read: NO IMPENDING SNOW!) in the sky!

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: MORE.

{GO!}

I see the word and I feel it down deep... 

the Longing for More... 

it's been a drawn-out season of waiting...

of hunkering down in the In Between.

For much of the past year or so, I've not really fought against the call to slow... to be silent... to give time and space to heal and to allow my soul room to breathe... as well as giving it room to re-focus, re-center, and re-emerge!

I've stated several times over the past couple of weeks that I feel as though I'm coming back to life again!

I see Hope around the Edges

and I hear the sing-songy-ness in my voice again

as I talk or speak or pray or laugh.  

I see a glimpse of myself and I think,

"Oh My! I have missed her!"

Over these days that turned to weeks,

and weeks that turned to months, 

(and months that turned to years!)

I've come to realize that an important part of the 

Waiting in the In-Between season

is meant to be a Gift!

A Year in Review... the Top Ten posts on the Blog.

 (according to stats, anyway!)

***

I hadn't really planned on doing a Year in Review post because --well, because I haven't really been as active on the blog as in years' past, and I'm allowing myself short sessions in front of a screen, pre-surgery!

And also because some of MY favorite posts didn't get much traffic or comments at all. Yet, it's always interesting for me to look back and see which posts created the most views or interaction.  I will say I miss the olden days of Blogging when the comment sections were full(er) and filled with community and back and forth conversation! I so value when you take the time to add a comment - short or long. It's such an encouraging reminder that these words we tap out here matter... and they make a difference!

So - without further ado, 
here are the TOP TEN posts of 2018:

When You Really Need a Do-Over... or more like a Do-Better! A OneWord365 post.

***
It's nearing the end of the year and if you've hung out around here in late December or early January, then you know that we do a few Annual posts...

* One is the post where I discuss All the Books... I already wrote that one and you can find it HERE.

* Another one is usually posted on January 1st or 2nd, and that is a Prophetic post revealing a Word (or phrase) and a Book in the Bible that I feel the Lord is highlighting for the year to come! This post comes after spending the first few hours of the New Year alone and cuddled in close, asking Him for His heart for what is to come. (So that will come soon!)

* And then there is this OneWord365 project that we have done for several years and counting now! (This is that post!)

Listen,  here's the deal:
2018 has been so full of Heavy and Hard (even more so than 2017... which was pretty terrible, if you recall!) and somehow I completely forgot about my OneWord... 

Well, it seems it forgot about me, too!
Or at least that is how I felt
when I went back to look it up!

Ermagherd, Berks!!! (Books I Read - The 2018 Edition)

Hey Sweet Readers! 

Here we are at the end of another year!  Many of you know that 2018 was full of unexpected twists and turns for our little family and as much as we enjoy reading those in a Story... we don't always love living them so much in our own story, right?  Between all the changes and challenges, I also found myself grounded at home without the ability to strain (read: use!) my eyes for months at a time -- so these things all kept me off my reading game! Still,  you also know how I love me some books... (or 'berks!' as in, "Ermagherd! Berks!")
























So this is the post where I take time to reflect back over the year and revisit some of my favorites! 

Honestly, I thought this list would be shorter but I did seem to up my reading during the months I was able to! And after a couple of surgeries in January, I hope to get back on track on reading all the things!

Here is a random list of books I read and loved this year! 

***

Be Still and Know... A Five Minute Friday post.

***
I see the word and think of something we just chatted about for our latest episode, "The Christmas Story - Gospel Edition" on The Changing Our Minds Podcast... and I also think about how I keep wishing all of this Stillness and Waiting would move along already!

Here we go:

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer
and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: STILL

{GO!}


When I see the one-word prompt,
my mind goes to an all familiar phrase...
one that we say often and one that has
felt oh so bossy as of late: 

"Be Still and Know that I am God." (~Psalm 46:10)

I mean... I used to love this verse!  
I used to relish in entering in a bit of
Stillness and Silence.  

I'm sure I will come to love it once again,
but over the past month or so
I have grown weary of waiting.

I've been pondering the 400+ years of silence
and it is not lost on me
--how my impatience is so silly
in light of my (relatively 'short') wait.  

And also there is this: 
I know deep down in my bones and my soul
that --always!-- He is worth that waiting...
He is worth the wait!

When You Need a Break from all the Heavy Burdens... A Five Minute Friday post.

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When You Need a Break
from all the Heavy Burdens... 
You head for the sea! 
(Well, if you are like us, anyway!)

This is a Five Minute Friday post, which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one word prompt: BURDEN

{GO!}

As I am tapping these words out, I am ever so thankful that I don't really need my eyes to see where the keys are... I've been at this long enough to be able to type with my eyes closed - which is basically what I am doing right now.

I haven't been super quiet about this long(er than we thought, hoped for, or desired) In Between season and I've hinted at some of the Heavy and Hard that we have endured over the last few years.  

My natural bent towards counting gifts and focusing on the blessings... on the positive and not the negative... on the abundance and not the lack... can make it seem like our life is charmed (it is) and that everything goes our way (it doesn't... but we trust that somehow it goes HIS way and we know He tells us again and again that His ways are higher and better anyway, right?)

But you guys... 

This is a hard season packed full with heavy burdens and if we are not careful, we can forget that those --well, those are not ours to carry!

We're Just Never Really Done, Are We? - A Five Minute Friday post.

***

Last Thursday was the one year anniversary of the tragic death of our brother-in-law.  We spent it with family and friends, celebrating a year of him being with Jesus and a year of Jesus being so tangibly with Heather and the boys. I got home and saw this word prompt and honestly, I just couldn't (even) yet. And then last weekend threw us another curveball and while we would like to be done... we just never really are, right?

Our One Word Prompt is DONE. This is Five Minute Friday! 
Let's go...

{GO}

I keep saying it, and I know it to be true down deep in my bones... I know it more in this season, that just seems to be dragging on, of hard and holy mixed together:

Peace is a Person... 
and He's a GIFT that is available to us at all times.

This season that has lasted for over a year now...
This season that has resulted in loss after loss...
This season of holy and hard... 
--of wanting to be done, 
but realizing that we just never are done, right?

Not that it's all, "The hits just keep coming!" 

It's more like, "We are living eternally right now... and there is just no end..."

But praise God, there are promises and there is Hope (--There is ALWAYS hope!) and there is Light all around and Peace within... 

(wait for it...) 
  --It's just that sometimes we forget!

A Vacation In Your Mind... A Five Minute Friday post.

***

Let's not even pretend... I simply forgot what day it was because: Summer + a mid-week Holiday = Who Can know what day it is this week?! 

Our One Word Prompt is VACATION. This is Five Minute Friday! 
Let's go...

{GO}

I see the word and I think immediately, "Yes, Please!"

I mean, who doesn't want/need a vacation from time to time?

When I think of that word, visions of sand and sea come to mind... or memories of changing planes and booking hotels and exploring someplace new... 

I can reflect back to trips taken as newlyweds and as a new and growing family. I think back to traditions kept and remember when new ones were created... 
and I am oh so thankful!

We love to travel, but let's be real:
We don't have the budget for that.

At least not as often as we'd like! 

We always say it's just time and money... 
But when we are short on both, 
I've learned that we can still
take a vacation in our mind.

When the Ocean Beckons You Out... a Five Minute Friday post.

***

I had a friend stop by last night and --well, I'm pretty sure you and I both are getting tired of the excuses of why I keep missing out on the gathering on Twitter! My best explanation right now is: Summer! One day soon, I will make it back! 

Our One Word Prompt this week is OCEAN,  which just so happens to be one of my very favorite destinations and that friend I mentioned above? Yeah - we talked about the ocean and how we can't wait to get back there together! This is Five Minute Friday! Let's go...

{GO}

I have long had this love affair with the ocean.

I just can't get over it... how it beckons me to come closer... to sit and listen... to watch the mesmerizing rhythm of the tide pushing and pulling and how it reminds me that I am oh so small... and yet, oh so loved and held and protected!

It's so romantic... when it's warm and sunny and the kites are flying and the kids are playing in the waves... and when it's stormy and windy and the rains are coming at you sideways and threaten to blow you off course. 

Either way... 
I will take to the ocean
and lean into the Lord... 

When It's Not Just Your Weary Body That Is Tired... a Five Minute Friday post.

***

It just figures that after a three week hiatus... after three weeks of being grounded and of battling sickness and believing for healing and of enforced 'rest'... well - Tired still somehow applies and that is our One Word Prompt today.

The Five Minute Friday community is the best gathering of Flashmob writers around!  We wait for the one word prompt and we throw caution and hesitation and editing to the wind, and we let our fingers fly and our feelings feel and we just wait and see what flows out in five minutes (or so! Because, grace!) and we hit Publish without second guessing or backspacing! Our one word prompt is:TIRED! 

{GO}

I have been grounded for three weeks... but I had been tired for much, much longer than that!

While I was given a doctors' order to simply (ha!) stop all the things and rest my eyes, the Lord gave me His order to stop all the things and rest... my eyes, yes --but also my mind and my bossy lists and my pouring out and my restless, relentless want for clarity.  

Yes, He asked me to simply stop every little thing and sit and wait... to sit and trust... to sit (or nap, thank you Jesus) and realize that it wasn't just my physical body that hit a brick wall... it was not just my body that was tired, but my soul that was a little busted up and bruised... my heart a little weary and worn out. 

So He asked me to cancel all the plans (which is normally like Christmas morning for an introvert) and just sit and wait... and He asked me to learn to be comfortable in being uncomfortable. 

Great! Super! Fun!
  (only exactly the opposite of that!)

When You Just Can't See...

(...as in, quite literally!)

***

So, I was just humming along
trying to keep my goal of posting
twice a week here and showing up
at the #fmfparty Twitter party to
reconnect with my tribe
and finding my flow
and then... 

Well... then I finally went to the eye doctor
because these headaches and migraines
were getting worse and more frequent
and as much as I thought they were stress related,
I wanted to know one way or the other!

You should know that I have
a history of battles with/for my eyes.
I was born with cataracts
and had them removed as a teenager
as I was quickly losing my sight.  

I have warred and declared
and prayed for healing in
big (read: miraculous) 
and small (read: no more floaters!) 
ways for all of my days. 

I don't often take
the gift of sight
for granted!

Anyway - the eye doctor ran some tests
and while all the biggies are good...
(retinas healthy and intact, 
no new cataracts trying to grow back,
no glaucoma, etc.) 
she took a good look at my corneas
and sent me home.