2011 Book List

I work so hard to read a book a week. I've accomplished it once. It happened last year and need I say that I was over the moon that I reached my goal.  It was a huge Goal Achieved!

I have however learned what holds me back. My real struggle is I don't like speed reading. Even technical books I find whole passages that inspire me and I want to write them down. That's my second problem, to really get something I find I have to write it down, so I do. I will copy, with pen and paper, entire passages that speak to me. Yeah, this really holds me back from reading that one book week. It's a constant tug of war over finishing a book a week and letting myself get absorbed in the read.

Here's what I meandered through this 2011. Check out 2010 Book list here.

1. Boys of Grit Who Became Men of Honor ~Archer Wallace
2. Pride & Prejudice ~Jane Austen
3. Real Citizenship ~Tim Echols
4. What he Must be if he wants to Marry my Daughter ~Voddie Baucham
5. Made to Crave ~Lysa Terkeurst
6. Florence Young ~Janet & Geoff Benge
7. Radical ~David Platt
8. The Cat of Bubastes ~G.A. Henty
9. One Thousand Gifts ~Ann Voskamp
10. George Muller ~Janey & Geoff Benge
11. How God used a Snowdrift ~Diane Kleyn
12. Becoming a Woman of Simplicity ~Cynthia Heald
13. Unshaken ~Dan Wooley
14. Choosing to See ~Marybeth Chapman
15. The Hidden Hand ~E.D.E.N. Sothworth
16. Weird ~Craig Groeschel
17. Letters from the Land of Cancer ~Walter Wangerin Jr.
18. Foreign to Familiar ~Sarah A. Lanier
19. The Way of the Heart ~Henri J.M. Nouwen
20. Modern Parents Vintage Values ~Trevathan & Goff
21. Weapons of Mass Instruction ~John Taylor Gatto
22. Preparing for Jesus ~Walter Wangerin Jr.
23. Already Compromised ~Ken Hamm
24. Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild ~Mary Kassian

It's tough to pick a favorite because all these reads run in different directions. I love "The Hidden Hand". I've read it twice myself and then out loud to the kids. Recently they asked if I could read it to them again. It's just that good.

I'm excited to see what's on your books. Thanks Nesting Place for Hosting us!

Goal Achieved

I feel speechless discussing this, this goal achieved. I kinda feel lost without it. It's hard to believe it was four years ago that launched me on my journey to achieve this behemoth goal.

Yes, it was four years ago I attended a meeting offered every January to the women in the community, 'New Year, NEW YOU!'. I needed to attend. The speaker, an inspiring, visionary woman named Linda Werner, gave many insights, but when she spoke of her goal to read 50 books each year I really perked up. I read a lot. I enjoy reading, but up to then, it had been a sporadic activity in my life, causing sporadic growth. I liked the dynamic, steady growth she spoke of as a result of her steady reading.

Break down 50 books a year and it's pretty much a book a week. That means I go on vacation with a book,  I'm making dinner with a book, the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas, yep, that's me with a book.

So, I've been silent about hurdling this goal because I just don't know what to think of it. For 2011 I'm on target but I struggle with this sort of dazed and confused feeling. A kind of what do I do? I thought It might be helpful to take a look at the BIG picture, take it in from the beginning of my journey.

Like I said all began in 2007, the same year I wrapped up my B.A. (I completed 72 semester hours in 12 months but that's a tale for another day).

I read....

39 books in '07,
42 in '08,
30 in '09
and finally (drum roll please)
50 in '10

That's a grand total of 161 books in 4 years. I have laughed, cried, followed The Man around reading aloud passages (to which he responds, "don't read it to me I WILL read it someday") and I have grown.

By leaps and bounds I've grown.

I am in love with Jane Eyre,

I have read and  re-read The White Knights 

 

and the Chronicles of Narnia (I only counted them once). 

 
My efforts have booster rocketed my kids. The Girlies have each read 20 hearty, thick books since August of 2010.

This has been a grand Goal Achieved and I'm going keep going. Maybe I can get in 52 reads this year. You can track my progress with my sidebar reading list. Check in with me for my Reading Reflections as I post thoughts from my various books.

What about you? Do you track your reads in a year? Maybe my goal is small to yours....I'd love to hear your reading plans for this new year (yes, I know it's already February but it still feels new to me).

Hello 2011

Here I stand at the foot of a New Year and the 360 some odd days lay ahead of me. My pulse quickens, maybe from fear? Another year, can I do another year?

No, It's adventure! Where will I go? Who will I meet? What will I read and how will it all change me?

I am excited to push onward into this 2011. I have in hand a list of goals I've jotted down for myself. I don't like resolutions, there nothing resolute about them. But, goals....

God Ordained Actions for my Life 

These motivate me. 

God and I, well we sat down to discuss some key issues; husbands, kids, education and friendship and this mortal soul named Kelly. It seems He's got a plan and I'm working to walk in it. He inspired me anew with His words from 2 Peter 1:5-8

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you posses these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ

And, isn't that my primary purpose, the point of all these Goals, to develop a deeper knowledge of that Creator so that I can be more like Him, used by Him.... and this beautiful list acts like a compass pointing me in His direction.

Hello 2011! It's gonna be great getting to know you.

New Gratitude in the New Year:

562.
New Year's Day on a Saturday. Perfect for packing it all up and putting the house to right.

563.
Kids staying up til midnight watching silly Marx brothers movies.

564.
Celebrating our New Year's Eve babies twelfth birthday.

571.
That amazing man who calls me wife and makes me laugh, holds me when I cry. So grateful God put him on this earth. Happy Birthday!

572.
Riding her bike home from the Grands wearing the new Camo with blace orange beanie.

575.
Quiet evening with the man writing and discussing Goals for the New Year.

576.
Candy Kanes hung in my office, the last vestige of Christmas in the house.

577.
My parents right around the corner and always up for an adventure, cup of coffee or visit.

578.
New shelves in the garage.

579.
A church so full it's tough to find a seat.