Discouragement and Depression by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Even though I am no longer suffering from depression, I wanted to read Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend’s What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Discouragement and Depression because a great friend gave it to me for encouragement and insight.

The entire time I was reading the book, I thought back to how I felt when I was in the utter dark despair of my depression a few months ago. I tried to put myself back in that mindset as if I was reading the book for help. While I was doing this, I also tried to stay in the present and evaluate the book with a rationale, non-depressed, mind.

The book writes about eight principles to guide you out of depression, and then talks about depression and discouragement and beginning the journey to healing. I found all eight of the principles to be very valid and helpful to a person, but not particularly so if they are in the throes of horrific depression. Speaking from a standpoint of a person who has been depressed to the point of not being able to function in daily tasks, I would find doing any of these things in that kind of depression to be almost insurmountable. Looking at these guidelines from a non-depressed point of view, I do see though how they could be extremely helpful to someone who is mild to moderately depressed (and still able to function), and could certainly put a person on the path to recovery.

I did find an underlying theme of getting help for depression though, which I greatly appreciated. Cloud and Townsend understand the importance of getting help for depression, especially before it gets out of hand as well as the need for medication in a lot of circumstances.

I do absolutely agree that the healing of depression does begin with God, even if that beginning is a good friend being Jesus to you and helping with whatever you need help with.

I would recommend this book to people who are depressed and/or need encouragement. It certainly points them in the right direction and underlines the need to get professional help in a lot of situations.

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Divine by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingsbury’s Divine is an incredibly moving story. Divine is supposed to be a modern-day parable of Mary Magdalene, the woman whom Jesus cast seven demons out of. Because very little is known about Mary Magdalene, Karen Kingsbury was able to take great liberties in the writing of this parable. So much so that I completely lost sight that the book was supposed to be a parable.

That aside, this powerful book speaks of one woman’s story of horrific abuses that she endured and how she was saved from those abuses, ultimately by salvation in Jesus Christ. In one way, this is a story inside a story, as the character, Mary, is telling her story to the character Emma, who is another abuse victim in the hopes that she might save her and give her hope and a future through Jesus.

What is so tragic about this story is that even though it is fiction, stories like the characters’ have actually happened, and continue to happen every day. The book brings to light the tragic cry of people every day who have similar stories and want to know how they can get healing. Are they worthy and what help is there for them? The book brings to light the greatest help and healing: the Lord Jesus Christ.  

I would recommend this book for anyone, if anything, just to open people’s eyes to the horrific abuses and crimes that happen to people every day, especially to children. I do think that this book is an especially important read for people who have been through horrific abuse situations, so that they can get a glimpse of the hope and healing that can come through Jesus Christ. That there is more out there for them that the horrors they have endured.

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury

Reading Karen Kingsbury for the first time was really amazing. I read Shades of Blue by Kingsbury and I literally could not put the book down. Her writing is the kind of writing where one feels like they are literally devouring the book ravenously. A real “page-turner” if you will.

Shades of Blue is the story of two young people, Brad and Emma, as they grapple with a decision that they had made ten years earlier, when they were in a relationship. Life has gone on, but the pain of that decision grips them and haunts them daily, each in different ways. Now at a crossroads in his life, Brad, lead by the Lord, has searched for Emma to seek closure on the situation, make amends through apology and with the help of the Lord, try to find the strength to move on in a new chapter of his life and help Emma move on in her life.

It is a hauntingly beautiful story of forgiveness, love and peace that only the Lord can bring. The book will move you to tears or even weeping for the characters in the story and the pain that they endure, and then sing for joy as they find forgiveness and peace in the Lord, as only He can give.

I also think this story is important because even though it is fiction, I know thousands of stories just like it play out every day and this is the kind of story that needs to be heard. That there is healing for the hurting, forgiveness and peace, no matter what a person has been through or what decisions they have made. I would recommend this book for anyone, but most especially for those who suffer because of a decision they have made in the past.

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Essence of the Reformation by Kirsten Birkett

The Reformation of the Church in the 1500’s in Europe is a very broad topic, with a great many aspects to it. I found that Kirsten Birkett’s The Essence of the Reformation to be a very insightful book regarding the events that lead to the Reformation, what happened in which countries in Europe prior to and during the Reformation and then lastly, the issues of doctrine and how the Church responded to these issues and how the issues of doctrine fueled the movement of the Reformation.

The book was very good at laying the groundwork for the events that took place in the Church, including Church teaching, etc, leading up the Reformation and why these things that took place started to call for a change in the church. The book then wrote about the events simultaneously taking place across Europe; however these events were written about in a very organized fashion that helped one to separate what was going on and give foresight into how everything tied together. The book then concluded with the issues of doctrine, as brought up by Luther, Calvin, Cramner and others. I had never fully considered how the issues of doctrine affected the Church back then and the way people Believed, and even the impact that doctrine has now on the Church. At the end of the book are various writings by Luther, Calvin and Cranmer where the reader can read what they wrote themselves and see how it played into the picture of the Reformation and the basis for the formation of modern Protestantism.

I really liked how the book was laid out in its’ organized fashion. The book also made me think, and rethink, my views on the importance of doctrine, in the Church, and in one’s own belief system. That, in and of itself, makes this book a great book. I would recommend this book to any Christian and Catholic and any person interested in the history of the Church. I give it four out of five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Washington: A Legacy of Leadership by Paul Vickery

Being a person with a love of history, I have found Paul Vickery’s book Washington: a Legacy of Leadership, in “The Generals” series, to be a very insightful historical read. Though I have learned of Washington and some his legacy in school, I must admit that I did not know very much about his life. Vickery’s book, a biography on the life of George Washington, starting when he was twenty-one and appointed to the military position of Major in the Southern District of Virginia militia and ending with the conclusion of his second term as President of the newly formed United States, was incredibly insightful to the life of Washington and to the events that surrounded him and drove him in his leadership role.

The book brings to light the frustration Washington endured through the Continental Congress and their slowness in providing for the army they wanted him to lead, to the agonies that Washington and his men endured during the American Revolution and the wisdom and precedence’s that Washington brought as the first President. Washington, as it turns out, learned as he went throughout his career: an ingenuity and foresight that could only shed new light on ways to set up the foundations of a country.

I liked the book for two reasons primarily. The first, Vickery writes Washington’s story like a fictional story, for the most part. He gives insight into battles and marches and into Washington’s private life and thoughts. The second reason is because of the amount of source documentation that Vickery uses to write this book. I find that quotes and excerpts from actual letters, orders and firsthand accounts are vital to understanding what goes on behind the events in history. Every chapter has this kind of source documentation, and it is all provided in a bibliography at the conclusion of the book. Vickery didn’t make up the events that happened, as hard as it is to believe that some of these events are true. He proves this history as accurate; I find this to be the mark of a true historian.

I would recommend this book for history enthusiasts and for those who want to pursue a leadership position. Washington’s leadership during this time was absolutely amazing and very inspiring. Some of the book was a bit dry, but not terribly so. I would give this book three and a half out of five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Galileo by Mitch Stokes

I have always found the relationship between science (natural science specifically) and religion to be intertwined – to study natural science is to study God’s Creation and explore it in wonder. A statement like that in today’s world is shocking to most people, and this was apparently also true during European Renaissance times in the early 1600’s, as we see in Galileo, a biography of Galileo Galilei’s life. Mitch Stokes’ Galileo, from the Christian Encounters series, gives up a beautiful portrait of the life of Galileo, whom we find to be a devout Christian whose goal was never to undermine the authority of the church, but to try to determine the way the universe worked through mathematics, while refuting theories of the time of natural philosophy [science], mainly Aristotelian.

The book starts with Galileo’s early life, during which we learn that he was accomplished at many musical instruments, had a love for literature and writing and when he did go to school, to study medicine, he secretly eavesdropped on mathematical lecturers and studied math in secret. The book goes on to cover the remainder of his life, and even into the legacy he left behind in such a way that it feels as if you are reading a novel about a fictional character. Stokes, however, does not make up his information, which he validates with numerous references throughout the novel (one can immediately tell that Stokes is an academic writer who knows how to document his thorough research).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Galileo and enjoyed Stokes’ writing style. I also loved how different philosophies, specifically Aristotelian, and mathematical theories were explained in order to understand where Galileo was coming from. The direct quotes from letters written by or about Galileo were also very intriguing – one can tell that he was either well loved or well disliked. I also found the peak into the socio-cultural and political aspects of the Renaissance and Catholic Italy extremely interesting. Finally, it is always inspiring to me to read how people know Scripture so well they can reference any particular verse or passage, and this is not strictly speaking in regards to Galileo – many of his counterparts really knew their Scriptures. Though this is only subtly mentioned on a few scattered occurrences in the novel, I found it to be motivating to try to learn the Scripture so thoroughly so as to defend or refute a theory by recalling what I have read and studied and applying that knowledge to the argument, as Galileo and so many of his counterparts did.

I would recommend this book for those who have an interest and/or love in science, Renaissance history and/or exploration. I plan on saving this book for my children to study when they are of an appropriate age to understand the material (not recommended for toddlers).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

I had never read any of Kristin Hannah’s books before, and a friend gave this book to me as a going away gift when she moved. I found Winter Garden, overall, to be a very compelling story. Winter Garden is the story of three women and their relationship to each other in the modern day. Anya, the mother, made a promise to her dying husband that she would finish the fairy tale she began many years ago for her daughters. As she tells the story, her life and the lives of her daughters are changed forever. I found myself trying to hurry through the main parts of the “current day” drama of the outer story to get back to the “past” drama of the inner story, it was so enthralling and fascinating.

The first third or so of the book was a bit hard to get through; the story just didn’t hold my attention the way I like a novel to. I pressed on instead of setting aside the book and I was rewarded with a very rich middle and even richer ending indeed. I smiled, I cried, I tried to imagine myself in the characters’ place and wondering if I would have made the same decisions or done the same things if I were in that situation. I found the ending to be a bit unbelievable, but I feel that the author was striving for a happy ending to the story, which has some very tragic elements and themes.  After I finished the book, I was inspired to do my own research into the time period that the story was written in. I love books that inspire me to go beyond and learn more. If you can make it through the first third of the book, you are in for a real treat by a solid author who can really weave a story together using imagination mixed with historical facts.

I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 15 or 16. I think some of the elements of the story might be a bit much for a younger reader, although the younger reader certainly isn’t the intended audience. The book will make you cry, so if you’re not up for a good tear-jerker, you might want to wait a bit. It is definitely a very good book. As an added bonus, the author included recipes that are included in the stories.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html

Sabbath by Dan B. Allender

We have all read in the Bible that we are to keep the Sabbath holy. However, in today’s busy and often consumer driven world, it is hard to practice that commandment. At least for me it is. What is acceptable to do on the Sabbath (can we buy gas or eat at a restaurant?), what is not acceptable? I decided to pick up Dan B. Allender’s Sabbath in The Ancient Practices Series to learn a little bit more.

Sabbath took a very spiritually philosophic view of the practice of the Sabbath. Allender didn’t say what specifically we should or shouldn’t do, as long as we were celebrating the holiness of the day that the Lord gave us to celebrate in Him. Allender talks about the Sabbath as being a day the Lord gave us to marvel in His gift of Creation to us, to play, to glory in Him, and that it is a holy time. Allender suggested that going to church shouldn’t be our only celebration of worship on the Sabbath, but that we should use the Sabbath to fellowship, to learn, to be creative, to play with the Lord. His expansion of all of these points and more was very philosophical, although he did give practical examples: such as holding a feast or a exquisitely prepared meal that is much higher in quality (and perhaps price to the point of sacrifice) from what you might normally serve during the week.

I did enjoy the book, although I often felt as if I was reading philosophy rooted in Christian spirituality than anything else. The author did make me think about how I celebrate the Sabbath, which usually entails a lack of housework and not much else, and how I would like to celebrate the Holy Day that the Lord gave us. The idea of rest in my mind was broadened to mean more than just the literal sense of the word – that rest can be taken in doing something that we enjoy, that gives rest to our mind or soothes our soul. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to think outside the box about what the Sabbath means and how we can enjoy and celebrate the Sabbath.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide" by Michael Weeks

I really do love history, and always have. I think that the love of history that I have was instilled in me from a young age by my Dad, who also loves history, but also by where I grew up (mostly), in Fredericksburg, Virginia. You cannot escape history in Virginia unless you are totally isolated in yourself. It's everywhere. It did help that we lived in Historic Fredericksburg, down the street from Kenmore, the mansion that George Washington's sister lived in, and across the street from Mary Washington Monument, where George Washington's mother, Mary Ball (whom our street was named after) is buried, along with other family members in a tiny cemetery at the top of a hill. It also helps that I have several famous historical figures in my family tree such as Patrick Henry (fifth great grandfather -direct descendant), Gen JEB Stuart (a x-th great uncle) and families members who fought in the Civil War - including one who is Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg and another who was captured at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee and was taken to Rock Island Prison Camp, IL and walked home (to Virginia) after the war.

So it was not unusual for me to be perusing the history section of Borders Books one day and pick up Michael Weeks "The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide". I was browsing through it, but then I had to leave, so I decided to buy it because I wanted to read more. It was definitely worth it, in my opinion!

Michael Weeks wrote a road trip guide that takes you (if you so choose to travel all ten of his routes) to over 400 Civil War sites across the US. As a road trip guide, he covers different sections of the country and gives a brief overview of famous figures involved in the battle (usually generals), a brief overview of the battle itself and then he has site details about where you can visit the battlefields and other sites. He includes web address and sometimes tid-bits of information that the traveler might find helpful.

There are a few things that make this road trip guide really good. It is definitely a complete guide - he covers not only the major "Class A" battlefields, but also some of the smaller, lesser-known sites. He personally visited every site that he wrote about - and he has pictures. If you're going to visit somewhere, it helps that you're using a guide written by someone who has recently been there. And he covers the highlights of the history - just to give you an idea of what was going on. He also writes as if he is talking directly to you, which is really nice. It gives the guide a personal appeal.

That being said, I would not use this book as a "history" book - it does not cover enough information, although it does include quite a bit, to become a buff about the Civil War. The author admits to this though in the introduction, and he refers to other reading if you are interested in learning more about the Civil War in detail. I really liked that about him.The other thing I didn't particularly like was that the book doesn't cover the battles in chronological order, it jumps around quite a bit throughout the war. But again, it's not a history book, it a road trip book and battles happened at the same places sometimes numerous times during the war. So you can't have it both ways in this case. The books covers the war geographically, not chronologically, so be prepared for that if you're going to pick it up.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in visiting any number of Civil War sites. It is a lengthy book, 449 pages plus indexes, but it is very easy to read and I was able to read through it very quickly. I also learned a lot about the Civil War, especially about battles that took place outside of Virginia (and there were a lot!). For example, I didn't know that there was battle at Glorietta Pass in NM that has been designated a Class A battle site! I'm definitely going to be heading up there for a visit!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This Is Your Brain In Love by Dr. Earl Henslin

As soon as I saw the title of this book, This Is Your Brain In Love by Dr. Earl Henslin, I was intrigued. Having always been interested in psychology and matters of the brain and how the brain affects our daily lives, I couldn’t wait to dive right into this book. This Is Your Brain In Love goes into five areas of the brain that can affect our marriages, and lives, if they are not working right. Including stories from real people  (names changed of course), images of brain scans of the part of the brain in question compared with normal brain scans and antidotes to increase that part of the brains productivity, Dr Henslin brings all these pieces together to show how a problem in one part of the brain can affect the way we love and receive love. Furthermore, all of this to say that the two people in every marriage should “bring their best brain to the table” to increase the level of love in their marriage and become “master-level lovers”.

                The five areas of the brain that Dr. Henslin talks about are the Prefontal Cortex (or the Scattered Lover), the Cingulate Gyrus (the Overfocused Lover), the Deep Limbic System (the Blue Mood Lover), the Temporal Lobes (the Agitated Lover) and the Basal Ganglia (the Anxious Lover). Did you know that an injury the Temporal Lobes (such a fall on the playground as a child) can turn you into an angry, agitated person which in turn can make you an angry, agitated lover? This and so much more is covered in this book.

                I would recommend this book to any couple that is married or considering marriage. Sometimes the problems that we bring to our marriage may be caused by a chemical problem in the brain that we have no control over. Dr. Henslin’s book goes over ways to balance out that problem, and it doesn’t always have to include medication – he includes herbal supplements, brain activities and sometimes physical activities to help a person overcome a problem so that they can “bring their best brain to the table” and be the best partner for their spouse.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Voices of the Faithful with Beth Moore and others

What can I say about Voices of the Faithful with Beth Moore and others except wow! This yearly devotional was an idea that Beth Moore had after hearing so many stories from missionary friends. She, with Kim P. Davis, compiled a year’s worth of stories from the mission field around the world, along with specific prayers. The stories, or devotions, are organized by specific aspects of the Christian Life or the Lord by month. For example, April is stories relating to God’s grace, October is stories relating to Spiritual Warfare. Each story is short, just one page long, and there is one story for every day of the year.

I knew when I went to open this book to start reading that I would be blown away by what I was about to read. And I was not disappointed. Some stories made me laugh, some made me cry, some made me stop and put the book down and just ponder the awesomeness of God and His incredible faithfulness, even in the most impossible situations. Time and time again I would think about who was writing these stories (many are unnamed) and realized that they are real people, like you and me, who are just out there living their life. Except, as Beth Moore writes in her introduction, they gave everything for Christ. That alone makes this book inspiring and encouraging that if you are a believer of Christ, than you can live like that. You too can live by faith and give everything you have and everything you do for Christ.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone. I especially recommend it to those believers who might be questioning where they are at in their faith or what they are doing. It will lift your spirit and encourage you to press on in the faith.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Year With God by R.P.Nettelhorst

Even though A Year With God: Daily Readings and Reflections on God’s Own Words by R.P. Nettelhorst is an Old Testament yearly devotional, I took it with me on my vacation to Florida and read passage after passage with my husband as we enjoyed a getaway together.

I really enjoyed how Nettelhorst wove together daily Scripture passages with history, insight, questions and tidbits of trivia from a variety of sources, including quotes from persons such as Abraham Lincoln. I find this devotional to be easy to read while at the same time making you think. Nettelhorst  also used different versions of the Bible throughout the devotional, which was very refreshing. I find that reading a different version than the one used in daily quiet time can sometimes give new insights and a fresh breath into a well-known passage of Scripture. Another neat feature of this devotional is that it is divided up into sections such as “hope and fear” and “perseverance and quitting ” as opposed to day by day (i.e. Jan 1, etc).  A person who might be going through a particular season in life could turn to a needed section and read through the daily readings, which are one page in length, and receive encouragement for their situation.

I would recommend this book to others, especially those interested in the Old Testament and its’ rich tapestry of history.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com &lt;http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Your Money God's Way by Amie Streater

What happens when you budget and you give and you’re still out of money at the end of the month? Maybe you have a Counterfeit Conviction about your finances.

  Your Money God’s Way by Amie Streater is a really excellent, eye opening Biblical approach to why people do the things they do with their finances. It is a book on finances, but not the kind of book I was initially expecting (something like a financial plan). The book was, in some ways, even better – it uncovered counterfeit convictions (half-truths or sometimes just plain lies we tell ourselves) about our finances and why we do what we do.  Streater battled these counterfeit convictions with Timeless Truths: principles from the Bible applied to the situation, backed up by Scripture.

An added bonus for me was that a lot of the Timeless Truths can be applied to other areas of your life – say self esteem issues. Of course we are talking about Biblical principles here and the Bible applies to every area of your life, including finances. I was challenged by the book and as soon as I finished it I went over to my computer to review our budget and get to work on our finances. I will definitely be applying some of the Timeless Truths to my own life as I work to get rid of my own Counterfeit Convictions.

 I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Product Review - Click Clack Canisters

I finally bought some storage containers for my flours and sugars yesterday at Target (after waiting and searching for just the right ones). These are from Click-Clack, a company in New Zealand. They are supposed to be airtight and you actually have to squeeze the blue butterfly-like tabs to take the lids on and off. You can actually see the air being squeezed out of the canister. I originally was looking for something with a pretty design made of porcelain or some like substance, but those are all priced at hundreds of dollars (at least the ones I looked at). These are utilitarian and they'll do the job, and they are priced at $13.99 for the large ones and down. The only thing I don't like about them is when you wash the lids (which aren't dishwasher safe - the canisters are though) is that they retain water on the inside of the white-opaque disc on the inside. It did dry out over time, but that was a surprise in the morning (after leaving them out all night to dry). They also come with a manufacturer five year warranty. A company that takes the kind of pride in their product where they back it for that long (nowadays) is a company that knows its' product must be a good one! :D I'm looking forward to many years of use from them.

Old and New

This used to be a blog that I used for my English Lit class . . . that was quite a while ago. I have decided to use it for something else, although indirectly related, and so here it is: Tegan's Musings 2. Tegan's Thoughts was taken as a name . . . (There is another Tegan around in the blogging world!). Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :)

Fare Thee Well :(

As I stated in my opening sentence for my advanced comp class blog, this is the last blog that I "have" to post for this class. However, I may continue to write about different books that I read, as sort of a running commentary for myself. I have such a long "to-read" book list, I'm sure I'll not be short of material to comment on. :)

I have really enjoyed this class. Some of the texts were hard for me to grasp, and consequently I found myself re-reading quite often. I am a fan of Charles Dickens and of Virginia Woolf, so it was nice to have an "excuse" to have read some of their work, which I hadn't previously read. I had started Great Expectations when I was 15, after reading A Tale of Two Cities, but for whatever reason, I never finished it, and it has been on my "to-read" list since then (that's over 10 years!! I know, I know, that's really terrible!)

English is not my major and though I have always wanted to take English classes, they never held precedence on my college courses list (science usually won out). I have read many classics on my own, simply because I was interested in the author or the book; I suppose that interest in literature comes from my Mom, being an English teacher herself. The same goes for writing. She taught my brother and I Shakespeare to memorize when we were kids. My brother was always much better at that than I was, and he had whole scenes memorized when he was only 8 or 9 year old! Needless to say, my brother is a very adept and capable reader and writer and is actually quite well read. When he does write, his writing is some of the best I've seen. You can't tell him that though . . . perhaps while he is in Iraq for the next few months, he'll start writing a bit . . .

Anyway, I have digressed from where I was originally going with this post. I have also really enjoyed reading everyone's discussion responses and was actually rather pleasantly suprised to find people who agreed with my interpretation of a certain text! I also like that everyone had a chance to say what they wanted, whereas in the classroom setting, there are always those intraverts who prefer to remain silent and absorb everything and not return their own feedback.

I may look into taking more lit classes in the future and at the very least getting a hold of some syllabi so I can do some reading on my own. . . . :)

Stream of Consciousness

In class, we are reading Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf. This novel is extremely interesting in that there is a constant stream of consciousness that flows through each character, especially the main character of Clarissa.

I was laying in bed this morning reading the novel, and I realized that it was the kind of novel that inspire one to think consciously about their own stream of consciousness and to have their awareness of it heightened. Basically, it makes me feel inspired to write.

For example, this morning was such a delicious morning, with the windows opened and the cool Oklahoma wind by turns gently blowing the blinds into the room and then sucking them out against the screen as if the wind were taking giant breaths of life in the world and then only to violently bang the blinds against the screen, as if the wind were trying to force them outside to join it. The air was light and not too bright - perfect for morning reading in bed. The kind of lightness where you feel that perhaps time has stopped, and will stay stopped. The sage green blanket on the bed and the soft gold sheets against my skin set the light off just right. I felt as though I was wrapped up and nestled in the wind and the air and the feeling of the morning, not just in the blankets and pillows as I curled up with my book. There was a stillness, a peace in the morning; a calmness that calms the soul and refreshes and revives the body. I wondered how many mornings like it I had missed because I was caught up in my business or the business of the day and the hustle and bustle of time and appointments and commitments that push me through the day, often as I resist, longing for the moment I was so enjoying - that quiet stillness. Time wins out though with its pushiness and pushes the morning out to be taken over by the lunchtime hour, whose start was signaled by my growling stomach as it thought about the food in the kitchen, just waiting for me to prepare it. Then the lunchtime hour hurries and rolls into the afternoon hour, which is taken up with commitments of various kinds - writing thank you notes, making necessary phone calls and other obligations. I find myself torn between longing to have a busy, "professional" life and the stillness of the day at home, being a simple housewife. It seems no matter which I have obtained for myself, I long for the other. Such juxtaposition of the soul is such a torment! And so I try for both, which is almost worse because I am in perpetual state of "looking forward" and unable to relax and enjoy the now. The now, like this morning, the soft, light white air of the calm morning: cool, quiet, undemanding, relaxing, wanting nothing but company, which I was only too happy to give it. Alas, but not all mornings can be of such!

I used to write like this quite often - I was always carrying around a small notebook to write an important thought or a poem that came to mind. That was when I was a teenager and the world was new and fresh and I was in love with it. Before I was wounded by circumstance, by time, by uncompassionate selfishness of people, of a person. That was when my writing stopped. When the pain of my life was too much to bear, to even pen, when I wanted simply to get through the day and had no hope of a better tomorrow. That is all behind me now - I have hope of a better tomorrow and yesterdays' better tomorrow was in fact, today. And life is great, life is enjoyable, life is content. Perhaps I shall pick up my pen again and begin to think like I used to . . . but with a new, fresh outlook on life.

"When Love is Old"

I really enjoyed reading "When Love is Old" by W.B. Yeats. Personally, I like to put myself sometimes (not always) in a character's place in a story (or especially a movie). I can see Mike and I being married forty years or so down the line, still in love, having reared our children and seen them out, having gone through careers and houses and cities and bases and life events and hard times and good times and births and deaths, all the while still loving each other and still there for each other. This stems from the commitment that we have made to each other: indeed we made a covenant with the Lord in front of family and friends to be committed to each other until death do us part. I know that Mike's love for me is not the passing love for my youthful looks and I think that he has certainly proved that throughout the length of our first pregnancy. My body underwent some major changes, and his love for me has not changed. And his desire for me has not dwindled in the least either - in some ways, it has increased, perhaps because I am bearing his child, a fact that he quite proud of. (Men glow too when their wives are pregnant.) I can see how the speaker in Yeats poem has that kind of love for his wife - how he has stayed with her through it all, until the very end. I find this to be very romantic.

Joe's story

In class we are reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I'm not through it yet, but it has been very hard to put down. This afternoon one of the parts that I read about was the story of Joe's childhood. I won't describe it here, in case you haven't read it yet. I was completely shocked at the story and my heart really went out to his poor mother. I can't believe that Joe, to that day (in the story) defended his father saying he had a heart.

I think of similar stories in today's world, about women who try to get away and can't. And then people are afraid to house them for fear of their own lives, or making a scene, and that's how women in domestic violence end of dead.

Last week I read a story of a local woman who was beaten to disfigurement by her husband. It is a miracle that she escaped alive. From the pictures, it was hard to tell if she still had her left eye or not. I don't understand how men can resort to such violence. I mean, intellectually, I've read papers, textbooks, seen movies in class and I still don't get it. Even after being in a relationship with an extremely controlling and verbally, mentally and sexually abusive man, I don't understand how they can do that. Except that they are heartless, confused victims themselves. That is no excuse though.

And my heart goes out to Joe, for he has married someone just like his father. And he won't leave. And his wife won't change. And poor Pip has to bear the brunt of it.

On another level, I can't understand how Mrs. Joe can do that to her husband. She is supposedly a Christian in the novel. Hasn't she read 1 Peter and Titus???? How can she do that to her husband? How can he take it? How can he allow it to happen to Pip, except perhaps with the understanding that her wrath will come his way if he sticks up for Pip.

I realize all my questions are big, and probably without answers. Frustrating. Of course, I think the answers are in the Bible - but not every person is a Christian, and not even every Christian understands certain Godly principles such as love and respect, especially for one's spouse. And you can't force beliefs on anyone. They have to chose for themselves who they will serve.