A Hopeful Ambition

Only 8 days left until the premiere of The Hobbit! 

The excitement is building, midnight tickets are bought, and the book is being read! I am a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings movies but am sad to say I never read the books for that trilogy nor for The Hobbit. I am changing that now though! I have only a week to finish the book and I have just started it but I have great motivation to read it before the movie comes out so I think I will be successful. 

The Beauty of This Morning

Sometimes you have to take advantage of those mornings on the days where you have no classes until 1 in the afternoon! Today I did that.

After pleasure reading for a bit last night I went to bed at the lovely hour of 11:30 then proceeded to sleep for 9 hours until my alarm went off at 8:30. I just laid in bed and prayed for some time to prepare myself for the day. After choosing the perfect "throw back thursday" picture (that's always a good time) I warmed a couple of homemade muffins (those yummy Apple Butter ones I mentioned in my previous post), made a nice cup of coffee, and cracked open my pleasure book again. I read for over an hour! Reading is one of my favorite past times and I rarely have time to dive into a book for that long. I then finished a report for lab and read the chapters for my lab quiz this afternoon! I even had time to curl my hair - this makes for a lovely day! For lunch I don't even have to leave my room. I get to eat the yummy soup Morgan made because she was so kind to send some back with me! :) Today has been quite wonderful! Not to mention, having time to write on my blog always makes me happy! 

Here is a little excerpt from the book I have been reading,

"But the issue is to accept who you are and revel in that... You have to find what's good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now." 

(Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom)

I am about to finish this book and I am so excited that I actually have had the time to do this. Now I have two weeks to start and finish The Hobbit before the movie premieres! 

In college day like these are rare so I make the most of them when I can! This is especially refreshing as classes come to an end and there are projects due and much studying to do for finals.  

Enjoy today!

What I've Been Reading

1) "Meditating on the promises of God will strengthen you." Isn't that encouraging? That is the sixth chapter in a book I am reading called "Strengthening yourself in the Lord" by Bill Johnson. First of all, Bill Johnson is just cool. Secondly, I really recommend reading this book or any of his books. After I finish this one, I think I am going to read a Kris Vallotton book. We have a whole shelf of their books so I will have plenty of books to read. Here is a excerpt from the book I am reading that spoke to me today:

"Defining ourselves by the Word of God requires that we constantly train our minds to think in agreement with that Word. This means we have to remind ourselves of His promises often. But don't stop there! Learn to meditate on them. Like Mary, we must treasure them up and ponder them in our hearts (see Luke 2:19). While Eastern meditation tries to get people to empty their minds, biblical meditation focuses on our filling our minds-and our mouths-with the truth. Joshua 1:8 says, 'This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make you way prosperous , and then you will have good success.' One of the definitions for the Hebrew word "meditate" is "to mutter." Meditating involves repeating the words God has said out loud. As Joshua was told, this regular repetition of what God has said is the key to our ability to do the Word."

I know this is a long excerpt, but read it. It holds a lot of truth. I like how he compares eastern meditation, and how that is clearing your mind. But meditating, like the Word says, is filling your mind. If we repeat the Word and have our mind full of the Truth, we will be strengthened. Also, the last line where it says "to do the Word" made me smile because in my previous post I had been talking about that being a Christian is an action, not a noun. We need to do. Well, that's all about that book.

2) In the Word I am all over the place. My whole family is reading a proverbs every day for the month of July. I keep calling it 31 days of Proverbs. Today would be Day 14 or Proverbs 14. My mom suggested we pick out one verse from each chapter every day and meditate on that throughout the day. I am also writing that one verse down in a notebook. Then I am reading it, writing it, saying it, and thinking about it.

I also am reading through the gospels still. I am in Luke and it is taking me a while to get through it...

Sometimes I will just start reading in other random places too. It really is all good. =)

3) Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - an extremely incredible book. It is a lot to take in. I cannot rush when I am reading it, so I make sure I have plenty of time. I think I am halfway through it.

4) There are actually two other books I am reading, but they are kind of on hold. Generation Change by Zach Hunter. It is great, but I am more captivated by these other books. Also, I am still reading the Lost books by Ted Dekker. I am not liking it is a much as his other books but it is another piece to the puzzle that needs to be read. I am on Lunatic-the fifth of six, so only those two left then I can read the Paradise novels, which I think will be really interesting!

Slowly I am slipping out of the fiction/story literature and more into inspirational non-fiction books. The fiction books don't hold my attention as much because I want to be fed. I'm looking for food. I am hungry for more and you just don't find it in fiction as much. Don't get me wrong...I have read Ted Dekker and other fiction books that have taught me a lot. I love literature. Just right now, I am into spiritual growth books. =)

What I've Been Reading

I love to read...anything from scripture to fantasy fiction books.

1) I'm always trying to concentrate somewhere in scripture. Right now I am in Matthew. I love the Gospels because it is Jesus in action! It is exactly what we can be doing too.

John 14:12-14

¹²I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.¹³And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (very powerful scripture)

When I get to a new book in the Bible I chew(read over and over-trying to find deeper meaning) and digest(taking it in then applying) it.

2) Jesus Speaks To Teens - a book I got for Christmas. I really like it. It is simple which is good right now with me being so busy. It is divided into "sections of lessons". The first one started out with humility-something I have really been working on. I focused on that for a long time and am about to move onto the next. The first part of it gives examples in the Bible and explains Jesus walking it out then it has lots of quotes and scriptures. It is really neat!

3) White by Ted Dekker...the third in the Circle trilogy. I have already read Black and Red. It really isn't a trilogy anymore because he added Green. I have loved them so far. It is taking me a long time to get through White just because of time. I know if I sit down and read I will want to for a couple of hours. =) I am halfway through it and the suspense is killing me! I really recommend these books...this specific series is kind of a Christian fantasy. I know lots of people who have read his other books and said they are really good...I haven't gotten to them...yet. :)

4) Tim Echols' book, Real Citizenship. This book is for Teen Pact, a Christian government camp I am going to in April. I am so excited! I have only read the introduction, but so far it is good.

5) Any other books I am reading right now are for school, but it's literature so I love it. We just finished Antigone...a really interesting play, but I think I am liking these Greek tragedies. We are moving onto Hamlet next...I'm excited and also wondering what it is going to be like!

If I could read all the time, I definitely would. I have been trying to space it all out so I can actually read all of it! :)