Recommended Reading List

I've been wanting to post with some amazing books I've been reading in the last year or so.  Last summer our public library started an Adult's Summer Reading Program and the girls challenged me to do it.  I really love to read, but taking the time to do that is not something I have been good about.  Add on television and internet surfing and I really hadn't read much before that.  SO, I found some books to start reading, and each book seemed to lead to another book and now I've compiled a list of some great books!

Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo-This book is really great!  It's not too long and it's the story of a family's unlikely encounter with Heaven written in a really beautiful way.

7 An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker-I love reading the way Jen writes.  She is so funny, but she definitely challenges you to look at your life and why we do what we do along the way.  I seriously laughed out loud throughout this book and then decided to read Interrupted by Jen too and it was great to see what happened in her life before she wrote 7.

Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis-Wow!  This book is so amazing, as well as Katie's story.  Her whole life is just open to wherever God leads her, and he has already led her on an amazing journey.  I would recommend this inspiring story to anyone!!  You can also look into Amazima Ministries which is her foundation.

So, this started a whole set of Africa books (gee, I wonder why!):

It's Not Okay With Me by Janine Maxwell-This is a hard book to read.  It is one woman's amazing journey of falling in love with Africa, but it is very difficult to read the conditions of many of these children's lives.  It's truly unimaginable, but we all need to have awareness and step (or jump) out of our  comfort zone to truly care for others.

Father To The Fatherless: The Charles Mulli Story by Paul H. Boge and Bruce Wilkinson-The story of Charles Mulli was brought up quite a bit in Janine Maxwell's book, and it is an amazing story!  He was abandoned as a child by his family, gave his life to God as a teenager and made a wonderful life for himself and then ended up giving it all up to devote his life to helping street children in the same situation that he was in.  Our family is even planning to use the Charles Mulli House as our Advent Conspiracy project this year!

So, there's a start if you need a new book to pick up!  I have many more that I'm working on (Grace Based Parenting, Simplicity Parenting, A Place At The Table, Crazy Love and of course all of the Feingold information) and even more that I have on my want to read list (Too Small To Ignore, GRACE, The Connected Child, Barefoot Church, etc.).

As an update to my job quitting, as of early this week, it looked like I was going to be staying on for a few more months, but then as of this afternoon, I may already have replacements for one job!  It will all happen in God's perfect timing.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Leap Of Faith

I have been praying for a long time to be better at hearing God's word and understanding what he wants from me.  A few weeks ago, I just knew that we were going to see M's occupational therapist at church the next day.  It was a feeling, a sureness and a peace about it.  I certainly doubted this sureness, but as we were going to pick up A at Sunday School, we sure did see her.  We knew that she went to our church, but we had never seen her before now.

 I think God was preparing me to know what it was like to hear His voice.  Last Saturday night, I just knew that I was supposed to quit my job.  I really enjoy my job (I work part time as a tutor for kids with special needs), but we are trying very hard this year to simplify our life.  We have tried to make our house simpler, our schedule less cluttered, our homeschooling simpler and just focus on what is important and what works.  So, I know that the time we are spending with me preparing for my job, doing paperwork, having meetings and then attending work is not part of the plan right now.

It was sad to email my boss and tell her, and I know she was surprised-the school year just started a month ago.  I am staying on until they find people to replace both of my positions (I am actually at two different schools with two sets of kids), but I have complete faith that the right people will step forward when the time is right.  I have second guessed myself on this, but I know that it is the right decision and I know that God knows what is ahead and how to best prepare us for it.  That makes it exciting!

The other big change we are trying around here is that we (mostly M) are going on the feingold diet.  This is a diet for ADHD which removes all artificial colors, flavors, fragrances, and some other big words that I am unsure of right now.  :)  At this point we have been doing it almost a week and she may be getting sick of eating the same foods since I'm not sure of a lot of ingredients and recipes yet, but we are noticing differences.  So, this is of course another reason that having more time at home to prepare food and learn all about this will be great!

I'm sure our future adopted child(ren) will be grateful to be entering a home that is less chaotic and hopefully cleaner and more organized.  :)  Maybe I can even start seeing what kind of Ethiopian foods are feingold-friendly!  LOL

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4