Monday, January 10, 2011

Reading & More Reading

In 2010, I decided to read the books that had been on my shelves collecting dust. I had either gotten them as a gift or picked them up randomly. It was either read them or give them away. I took them out and put them in a basket (I mean baskets) so I could easily see them. Many of them were nonfiction, which I really like, so I had to throw in a fiction from a friend or the library just to lighten up my reading every once in a while. So here's list of the 2010 books I read! 1. Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury - this is a fiction book about abortion and finding forgivesness. It's an easy read and has strong emphasis in scripture and prayer. 2. Unveiled by Francene Rivers - this is the a historial fiction on the real life of Tamar from the Bible. She is such a great writer and it brings this sad story alive. 3. The Beginner's Guide to Fasting by Elmer Towns - this was a wonderful book and it really stirred my faith. This is one of the books God used to move my heart to Praise Him and to seek His Presence and Power (the 3P's) in a new way in 2010. I'd like to read more book by him. 4. Called & Accountable by Henry Blackaby - this was my son's book and it was fun to read because he had written in it and highlighted. I also highlighted so this book is marked up. It is full of scripture and wisdom and I loved it. It is the 2nd book that God gave me with the 3P's in for 2010. 5. If I Gained the World by Linda Nichols - was a wonderful fiction book with scriptures and God's hand in the characters, with the rejected and desolute turning to Christ to transform their lives. A great read and I recommend to everyone. I finished this book on the airplane and gave it to another woman who was reading. 6. Triving Despite a Difficult Marraige by Michael & Chuck Misja - this is a very good book on marriage and how to live (thrive) God's way (I read and have alot of book on marriage because God has given me a passion for marriage His way.) 7. Shaped by Faith by Theresa L.Rowe - tells 10 secrets to strengthening the body and soul. Good information on whole body wellness, combining exercises, physically and spiritually. Wonderful prayers at the end of each chapter. (This book came with a DVD of pilates exercises with soft music, great instruction and the words of God being read during exercises.) 8. Living the Lord's Prayer by David Timms - this is a fantastic book. Eleven chapters that take phrases of the Lord's prayer and go deep to really know the Lord. Not a quick easy read. I really should read it again to grasp more. The ideal thing would be to read this with others and dicussion as a study. (David Timms writes a weekly devotional that is worthy looking up.) 9. Victory over Darkness by Neil Anderson - a great book on knowing your identity in Christ. 10. Come Thirsty by Max Lucado - an easy to read book, faith strengthening stories and scripture. 11. All That Glitters by Gilbert Morris. I really did not like this book and just wanted to get through with it. The end was my favorite party and a few other spots where faith was brought in. 12. The Hidden Power of a Believer's Touch by Mahesh Chavda is on healing and the power of the Holy Spirit. This was another book on my road to know the Lord more initmately. 13. Then Comes Marraige by Angela Hunt & Bill Myers is a novella about marraige and doubt and your vows to God. It's a cute book and good for newlyweds. 14. Forgotten God by Francis Chan. My husband (who doesn't read many books) bought this book and read it first. It is a fantastic book on learning and living with the Holy Spirit in our lives. Great examples that will WOW you. 15. Cast the Wind before me by Brandlynn Collins is an easy to read fiction book that I read when I was visiting my grandkids. It's a fast read because you have to find out what happens. It's an okay book but not my favorite. 16. Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas is a great book on marriage from a male author. Biblical perspective and sound teaching and real life examples. I highly recommend this book. 17. Take 3 by Karen Kingsbury. I was not going to read this because Take 1 and Take 2 were not my favorites but our bookmobile sent it to me. It's an easy read and better than the first two but still not my favorite. It is too much back and forth with the thoughts of college age kids and not enough scripture. 18. Total Forgiveness by RT Kendall was recommended to me by one of my prayer partners. I related more to the last half of the book. It has great tools and increased my awareness to forgive God's way. 19. Faith Like Potatoes by Angus Buchan. A friend gave Jerry this post to read. I wasn't going to read it since I'd seen the movie but it was a small book and I knew it would only take me a couple days so I read it. What a huge blessing! It's a story of someone who falls in love with God and commits his life to get to know and listen and act and obey and follow Him. I loved this book. It is about common sense and God and if you step out He does miracles. 20. Oswald Chambers Abandoned to God by David McCasland. Wow, what a man and what a wife, people really and truly abandoned to God. This book left me wanting to leave more of myself and want more of Him. 21. A Love Worth Giving by Max Lucado. Max is s great storyteller and went through 1 Corinthians 13. Chapter 12 was my favorite. 22. Turn by Max Lucado - a great book on 1 Chonicles. 23. Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. An excellent book that ALL women should read. God has alot to say through this author. 24. The Secret's of Dr. Kildare by Max Brand. I picked this 1939 fiction up off my friend's shelf of antic book. It was fun easy reading but I missed the "more" that I find in Christian fictionl 25. The Power of Praying Together by Stormie Omartian & Jack Hayford. This book really confirms and teaches my beliefs in prayer and taught me alot more of what an intercessor is and drives me to want to pray and be in prayer groups. 26. Loneliness by Elizabeth Elliott. One of my favorite books. She is a great writer. It's about losing our lives for the Lord and laying our lives down. 27. At the Scent of Water by Linda Nichols. She is my favorite fiction author right now. This book is based on the book of Job - suffering, pride, blame, repenance and forgiveness. 28. Take Four by Karen Kingsbury. As in Take Three, not my favorite fiction. Too much college girl drama for me. 29. Mark of the Lion Series Book 1 - Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers 30. Book 2 - Echo in the Darkness 31. Book 3 - Sure of the Dawn
  • My friend gave my these books and told me to read them. They are at least 500 pages each and I thought "maybe sometime", but once I started I was captivated. Rivers has written life-changing fiction that stirs you to become an empty vessel so Christ can fill you to serve Him and others in radial ways. If you like to read, these are a MUST.

32. God's Missionary People by Charles VanEngen. I read this for our Wednesday night study at church. It was a hard read, dry but lots of Biblical points.

33. Crazy Love by Francis Chan was one of those books that challenged me to love the Lord and love others and to step out of my comfort zone into the world to be a disciple of Jesus. I loved it and should read it again. This book should not be on the shelf. I would love to discuss it slowly with others and be held accountable to live as crazy in love with Jesus.

34. THE BIBLE -- All year I was reading through the Bible -- the living words of God. They are always life changing. I had to read it quickly and there were so many times I wanted to study and know more. I do not consider it an accomplishment, I consider it a privledge and an honor. May God give me the mind and heart to remember His words, to live them out daily, and share them with others.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

It's December Already

Yes - it's December already. Many times I've come to stare at this blog, thinking I should write something, with thoughts swirling in my head, only to click the "x" at the top of the page - because I somehow thought I had to write something long and profound.

Today I'll just put down some little tidbits.

Today --
  • I decorated my house for the birthday of my King - playing "O Come Let Us Adore Him".
  • Talked to my son on the phone -- it was a blessing
  • Prayed for my best friend over a phone call before she went to the doc for a test
  • Talked to my daughters on the phone -- was a blessing.

I guess you could say the telephone was a blessing today.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Top "10" books

I was challenged to put down my top "10" books. This is a challenge because I LOVE to read and read almost 4 books per month. I started writing down everybook I read with comments a few years ago because I suspected I was re-reading a book half way into it and I was also facilitating a bookclub so wanted to remember what we had read.

It might be easier to make my top 10 books I didn't like, and this list may change next year - but here goes. Actually I think I'm going to re-read these in 2011 - so that should help me make my list.

1. The Politically Incorrect Wife by Nancy Cobb and Connie Grisby
2. The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Ormartian
(God used these books to change my marriage and show me how wonderfully He designed a woman's role. I now have a passion for helping other women and have a top 10 list of marriage books.)
3. What Happens When Women Walk in Faith by Lisa Terkeurst
(God challenged me and changed my direction as I listened to His promptings and quit my job, spent time with my dad, and He directed my path.)
4. Making Jesus Lord by Loren Cunningham
5. Holiness by Henry Blackaby
(These books started showing me the importance of surrender and living by the power of the Holy Spirit.)
6. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala. (I love books on prayer - it's another of my passions.)
7. Calvary Road by Roy Hession (radial living)
8. Victory Over Darkness by Neil Anderson (know our identity in Christ - who we really are)
9. Emma's Journal by Ed Rowell (a fiction makes the list - I should have a top 10 fiction - this is about living for Him and learning and growing no matter what our age)
10. Experiencing His Presence by Tommy Tenney (challenged me - I read it slowly)

  • If I had to give One Book to someone to read - it would be the Bible. Without God's life giving words I would be lost.
  • If I could have only One Book - it would be the Bible - the Only Truth we have in this world.
  • I would give up reading All books - to have one copy of the Book written by the lover of my soul - the Book that shines light and life into me.
  • I don't care if you ever read any of the books on my top 10 list - but I have a burning passion for all to read the Bible and let it's power change their lives.





Thursday, July 29, 2010

Farm visits

The lazy days of summer go fast ... although on the farm there are very few lazy days.

My days are "full" when the kids and grandkids come home and we make memories, messes, roasted marshmellows -- and many miracles!

Nate the Great - our one and only son, came home in June bringing alot of Joy with him - that is Mariah Joy, someone special God has put in his life. I loved seeing the farm through her eyes - as she loves the Creator and all He has given us. She's a night-owl and a risk taker -- climbing to the top of the quonset and doing a little barn raiding.

July 4th we celebrated with the Jensen's, everything being a thrill through Miracle's eyes and Matthias just smiling through it all. We put our son-in-law to work making haybales for the 1st time and it was quickly noted - as we drove along the countryside and saw other bales that they were the best bales ever made! Prayers with Miracle on my prayer chair where she makes sure I say A-men instead of Ah-men (like my gramma Evenrud) are instilled in me forever.

Being honest - I like it that Link - our 18 month old grandson - really likes me and doesn't take much to grandpa -- or even seem to like him. He's very interesting to watch as he has to figure out how the toy works more than he plays with it. Kora, his 4 month old sister, is cuter than cute -- and smiles as much as she spits at this point - but we don't care! Everyone who sees her is taken with her big brown eyes and all her brown hair sticking up from the latest trendy headband.

All 6 Breker's descended and filled the house. The energy, enthusiasm and never-ending creativy were obvious. Grandpa is definitely #1 and fishing, fieldwork, and the 4-wheeler found 2 little boys at his side. The entire house became a library as little Miss Reader went to the bookmobile and read every book we brought home. I loved taking a sneak peak when she was playing in her "own space" - making cards for her mom or lining up the prayer bears for a special service. My little soft hearted Noah blessed me with "The 3 Bears" puppet show and loved the weater balloons - 75 balloons were not enough, I'll have more next t ime. Little Gideon keeps up with it all whether at the zoo or on the clue hunt - and is so smart you forget he's only 3. Benaiah's likes to have his mom in view - but I did sneak in some special "just the 2 of us" moments.


Then to top it off 4 more of our favorite kids came out to visit (with their parents minus one dad) - Ryland, Collin, Kera, and Braden - now Texans - yelled and squealed with delight at running through the thick bush of weeds and jumping in the canola -- bringing what seems like half the field with them back to the house. We are indeed blessed and consider them part of our family, having a strong bond glued together by the love of Christ.

It was a week full of fun and fantastic moments which we've finally (maybe) recovered from!

Looking forward.......waiting in a clean and organized and quiet house.......for the sound of little voices and little fingerprints to come once again.


Sunday, May 16, 2010

Blow your socks off miracles

A prayer

~~ May I hear your voice above all others
~~ May I following the Spirit's promptings
~~ May I DO Your Word Lord. (yes it's WORD = not a typo)
~~ Take me to a higher level of obedience.


When I prayed this prayer on April 30th - I had no idea what God was up to. He's always up to something -- and it's always miraculous and blows my socks off.

I also prayed for God to give me "supernatural ability and strength" when I traveled to Minneapolis for I could "use my gifts for Him". And HE did.

Blow your socks off miracles:

~~My "connected thru the heart" daughter from India called me the 1st night I was there (she didn't know I was in the cities), and I led her in a prayer to receive Jesus as her Lord and Savior. There are no words to describe this than to say "Our God is An Awesome God!"
~~My 7 year old grand-daughter Emma was sitting beside me on the couch and listening to me pray with Rushe. How special is that! I'm sure God had His reasons for this -- so this is .... to be continued as God writes the story....
~~Praying with and for Miracle - my 2 year old granddaughter - and every time I said AH-men - she would say A-men -- this also, will be continued ....
~~Taking care of Miracle and Matthias and my shoulders and back DID NOT hurt! I had claimed Zechariah 10:12, "You WILL strengthen me and I WILL walk up and down in Your name."

~~Sharing and talking with my sister about things dear and near to our hearts, promising to pray.
~~Meeting with a woman I had never met - a God connection thru my friend, Lisa, who ministers to her. I had been praying for her and God gave me specific verses to give her. I had nothing to give - but God did through me. May God strength and mold her through this encounter.
~~Meeting and praying with another woman I had never met - a God connection through her sister (whom I barely know). This was very encouraging and strengthening for both of us. I consider her a gift from God to me.
~~Buying a Bible with Rushe - a new daughter IN Christ and becoming her mentor.

When I think about it -- all of these are going to be continued ......
I wrote in my journal upon my return from this trip, "No words, not even thoughts or emotion can even come close to Who You are Lord." In Psalm 145 it says, "Your Greatness NO ONE can fathom." I thank the Lord He has let me glance - how favored I am to see :

~~His Mighty Acts
~~His Glorious Splendor
~~His Wonderful Works
~~His Great Deeds
~~His Abundant Goodness