Not Easily Broken & The Barbarian Way

Mia made her first construction paper jack o'lantern today in preschool. She did a great job on it too. Her drawing skills have been improving in just the two weeks she's been at school. It's definitely worth the investment.

Here's a recommendation to earning free stuff online. Check out www.mypoints.com and www.mysurvey.com Neither one of them bombards with you with tons of emails, but I've gotten close to $100 in gift certificates from earning points on them in the last year, and on Monday I received 90 dishwasher detergent tabs in the mail to try as a new product and then take a survey with my opinions. I don't make purchases I wouldn't normally make, but I do tend to patronize the online stores where I can gain points. Check out the websites and sign up for membership, it doesn't take much effort on your part to get free stuff, and I'm a huge believer in free stuff!

Not Easily Broken by T.D. Jakes is the first book I’ve read by the bishop, but I’ll definitely be returning for more! Dave and Clarice Johnson’s marriage is shaky to begin, but after an accident shatters Clarice’s leg, it appears that their relationship may also be destroyed. Dave is drawn to Clarice’s physical therapist, Julie, and things begin to spiral out of control. I was moved by the in depth look Jakes gives to both spouses’ sides of the story without excusing either of them. One of the strongest elements of the book is the realistic dialogue. Jakes captures conversations, flirtations, and fights with equal strength, and it really brings the characters to life. He also incorporates God into the story without being preachy or forcing the characters to act in ways that seem unrealistic.

The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within by Erwin Raphael McManus is a quick-reading devotional with enormous power. McManus looks at faith in a way I never have before. His faith is not a restrained, quiet faith, but an in-your-face strength that wants to change the world. He uses Scripture often to reinforce his views, as well as personal anecdotes both amusing and on occasion disturbing. I’m not sure that I’m ready to embrace the barbarian within me, but this book would make an excellent Bible study for youth. It encourages believers to break out of the box churches have imposed upon belief and truly live as Jesus meant us to. Enthralling reading.

I'm reading Revolutionary Mothers by Carol Berkin. Somehow I ended up with a stack of books about colonial America all in a row. Today a bunch of mysteries came in, so I'll have to shuffle the stack to keep it interesting!