Love Deeply

For Responsibilities class we were to write a paper over on of the books we read in class. I chose The Giver because I love this book. During my paper, I was trying to describe a perfect world and I struggled and struggled to find the words. It was at this point that I realized that my perfect world is one that I am reunited with God. Without Him, my world would be far from perfect. That night I read more in Crazy Love and it discussed this fact. "The critical question for our generation--and for every generation--is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, an with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?" For the longest time I know that I would have answered truthfully that I would love all those things even if it came without God. Now, I definitely can say NO. I cannot wait for the day that I get to be with Him. in fact, I crave to be with Him. The rest of the book that I read talked about having an astounding love for God. One that radiates to the world, so that we love other people with God's love as well. By loving God we will learn to love other people. God's love does not come from our works but our heart-felt works will come from loving God. Works that we want to do, not works that we feel obligated to do because we are Christians. Something I need a reminder of as I have trouble saying no to things and making myself way too busy at times.

Read for 1 hour 45 mins

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Reading Blog Reflection

I love reading and I've always loved reading. Yet, it always takes a back burner in my life. So, I consider myself a "seasonal reader." I read lots during the summer, Christmas break, etc. but during the school year, there's just no time. This assignment has made me take the time to read. It also made me see that I can fit reading into my busy schedule if I really want to take the time. I also found that reading is a stress-reliever for me (which I greatly need). When I read (a good book) I forget about the long to-do-list I have to complete, the laundry piling up in my closet, and the typical drama in my life. Once I start reading, it becomes incredibly hard for me to stop...I would be perfectly content reading all day long. Unfortunately, the real world calls me back and the to-do-list is waiting there for me when I get back. I know that I will be reading lots this summer. Infact, I already have a list of books started that I want to read over the summer. As far as next school year, unless I have to keep another reading blog up for class, I probably won't consistantly read. In years to come, once again it probably will depend on my busy schedule. Hopefully, I will be able to have the time to read more in the coming years. If not, I know that it will always be there when I need it.

The End

From my previous experience with Nicholas Sparks books, two things can be determined before even reading the book: 1) someone always dies and 2) a sad ending. I was completely surprised by the Bend in the Road. Someone does die but the ending...happy--despite circumstances.

This was a really good book but with my preconceptions with Nicholas Sparks books, I was dreading getting to the end because I don't like sad endings...I don't know a person who does. This book gives the underlying concept of nothing can change the past. Nothing. Not even revenge. It will always be there. The book also shows that love conquers all. That is all that I am going to say about this book because I don't want to ruin the ending.

Overall, great book and I would recommend this to everyone--especially education majors. Now, I have to find a new book to read...it's going to be hard to pick.

Read for 1 hour 30 mins

A Different Story Every Time

I focused my time reading the Bible. I love reading scripture. It gives insight, it encourages, and reminds me of how great and loving God is. One of my favorite parts of reading the Bible is that you can read the same verse at one time and then read it again later, and have a completely different meaning than the first. As my mom has always said,"the Bible is one book that you can read over and over again and still get a different meaning/story each time you read it." Scripture though, can be incredibly confusing as well. You can also read the same scripture over and over again and still have no idea what it means. That is when I seek out my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and see if they have an interpretation that make sense. That is what I love about my small group. The people in my group come from many different backgrounds, denominations, and beliefs. They give insight and opinions about the scripture that I would have never seen. The Bible to this day is my favorite book and I enjoy reading it every night.

2 hours

Imperfection is Best

We had another assignment in Responsibilities to read a book. After the last book that was assigned to read, I would usually be hesitant on the next reading assignment. I've read this book before in the 2nd grade and remember loving it. So I pick up this book (The Giver) and started reading it. I finished it in two days, so it was a pretty easy read. I loved the book. I loved it because it made me realize how great it is to live it this world. Sure, it has it minuses but, we have a lot to be thankful for! The world that the main character (Jonas) lives in is a world that is completely controlled. They have no decisions to make: their jobs are determined for them, their spouse, their children. They have no feelings: love, anger, hate, pain. They can't even see color. While this world allows for perfection and no hurt, they miss out on also so many good things that come with imperfection and pain. I cannot imagine living in a world where I couldn't feel anything or know the love of a family. Jonas is able to receive these memories from the Giver and he realizes too that the people need to be involved with both the joys and hurts in this life. I am glad I read it again, because in second grade I didn't understand a lot of the meaning/ moral of the story that came with it.
Read for 4 hours

Literacy Trip and Family

I became very dismayed when I learned heading back to Kansas meant leaving the 70 degree weather in New York and coming back to SNOW! Despite this, I notice really how much my family loves to read. Every single trip we go on...reading takes place in the down moments and the transporting time. When packing my carry-on bag I always fill it with books. Eventually, I realize that all the books I have chosen to take on the trip will not fit, I go though the difficult process of deciding which ones to take. My mom has the same problem.

My sister, Michelle, has always hated reading. I was blown away on this trip by the fact that she was glued to a book the entire time (and well texting..haha). Every moment that we were in the airport waiting, on the plane, or in our hotel room she had her nose in this book! I was even more blown away when we were flying back and I looked over to see tears streaming down her face as she read on. This author HAD to be good if my sister was enticed and even moved by this book. The book she was reading was written by Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song. I plan on reading this book after both my mom and Michelle finishes it (I'm third on the list! haha).

My mom was reading another book...some book about a dog (mom loves animals). She was also glued to her book the entire time. We were all sitting in the hotel room one night relaxing before our big performance and my mom suddenly lets out this huge gasp and starts crying. My dad immediately asks what's wrong and she said that the dog has just died. She continues reading, and then about fifteen minutes later she lets out an angry grrr. We ask what was wrong and she said that it was a different dog that had died. This author continued to take her though an emotional rollercoaster...the best books do this! She finished that book that night and picked up another one.

My dad on the other had...doesn't read your typical books. He is one of those incredibly intelligent men that enjoys reading the technical books that I look at for five minutes and throw to the side. He brought two books to read...one was a book about a Microsoft computer program and the other about research on running barefoot (something that you really should check out Michelle...sounds pretty interesting when he told me about it). My dad doesn't show much emotion when reading but he is always reading something when every night when watching t.v.

I started reading another book that my mom loaned to me. I couldn't put it down from the moment I picked it up. I forgot what it was like to read a book that really enticed me. I had the book almost completely finished the same day I started reading it, but I haven't been able to finish it due to the fact I came back to responsibility in Kansas. The book is about a teacher and a murder mystery--something I can relate to and something that interests me. I hope to have this book finished by the end of the week...we shall see though with my busy schedule. But this trip has been fun to see just how much my family loves to read.
Read for 8 hours.

I am currently touring New York City and amidst all those crazy New Yorkers. It amazes me in how different life is here. I mean, I did expect it to be different but not on this level. Everyone is very materialistic: it's all about the Parda bags, the leather jacket and boots, the chic hair, and the perfectly painted nails. New Yorkers push the limits: they walk as far out into the street as possible with out getting hit by a taxi cab; they squeeze as many people as possible into a elevator or subway car; and they crunch time so closely that they have three seconds to catch their next transit...thus they run to get there...pushing and shoving along the way. A New Yorker can tell 100 yards away that you are a tourist: you aren't wearing all black, you are carrying a backpack and wearing tennis shoes (hardly a soul in sight wears tennis shoes!)...you stop at crosswalks when the red hand comes up instead of running into the intersection before the cars come racing down the street.
This kind of lifestyle reminds me much of what Francis Chan talks about in the next chapter of Crazy Love....having too much going on in our lives. When this happens, we are not able to grow in a relationship with God because there are too many distractions keeping us from him...especially when we want so many things in life (money, activities, etc.) David Gotez wrote that, "Too much of a good life ends up being toxic, deforming us spiritually." I wonder how many of these New Yorkers have a lifestyle that is toxic and deforming and not just spiritually but for their own well-being.
The second part of the chapter describes different situations that many of us exhibit in being lukewarm Christians. This chapter really changed my perception on what the bible means by being lukewarm. I thought it was just not being hot or cold on a subject but the book says that lukewarm can be halfhearted, distracted, or partiallycommitted for God. This chapter also helped me examine what areas I am lukewarm in and gave bible verses to help counter act these situations.

Read for 2 hours 45 mins

How Deep is Your Love?

This past summer I ventured out of the church I was raised in just because I wasn't getting spiritually fed. It had been this way for a LONG time and my relationship with God was suffering. So, a very good friend of mine and I started driving 45 mins to attend a nondenominational church. This caused a HUGE uproar at our home church but despite this, we kept going. I had one of the best summers of my life because of this church. Every sermon hit me like a rock and got me thinking until I came back the next week. But the sermon I remember the most was the one that questioned our motives in being a follower in Christ. One of the chapters I read in Crazy Love also questioned this.

God has this amazing and unrelenting love for us that we cannot even imagine. We can turn away from Him and He will always take us back...always. God doesn't need us but He wants us...He longs for us. So how deep is our love for Christ?? I really examined this when the pastor asked us in his sermon, "If there was no heaven and you received nothing for being a follower of God, would you still seek to know Him, live your life for Him, and love Him?" Wow. Never really thought of that before. The book says that so many people seek a relationship with God just because of what comes from it: eternal life, plans backed from the most powerful, etc.

I would like to say that, "yes! I would seek Him and receive nothing in return." Most of the time I can say that, but there are days that I am selfish. There are days that I go through a lot of suffering because I have taken up the cross and I just think what good is going to come from me being faithful. But mostly, I have realized that I need to learn to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul. Something that isn't going to happen over night, but is going to take a lifetime walking with Him.

Read: 1 hour 30 mins