By Quiet Waters

Embracing the Full, Hard and Good Life, While Pausing Often by Quiet Waters

The Power of a Half Hour, Good Reads

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The Power of a Half Hour

amazon description

“Turn your fleeting minutes into defining moments.

What can you do in 30 minutes? Have lunch? Watch television? Check Facebook?

 How about change your life?

 Why do some people achieve far more than others? We all get the same 24 hours in a day, yet a special few seem to have superhuman abilities when it comes to accomplishing great things in life.” (amazon book description)

power of a half hourThe Power Of A Half Hour, Take Back Your Life Thirty Minutes at a Time, by Tommy Barnett

This book is chock full of wise and helpful advice, information and encouragement.  Interwoven in all those wonderful words is the admonition to learn to use all of life, right down to every half hour, in service and devotion to the Lord.  It is interesting to me how the idea of “thirty minutes at a time” was already present in my life.  As I have read this book, I found myself looking for those half hours, sometimes just a quarter of an hour to be more intentional to use them purposefully.

If this book had been more focused on the half hour principle I would have quickly lost interest, but the abundance of wise encouragement throughout kept me reading.

The one issue I had with this title is that I have it in kindle format.  There is just too much in the book that I want to mark, reread and quote.  The kindle format has been frustrating to me.  Probably what I have discovered is that I am a book in hand gal.  So if you are like me in that respect, make sure you get the book, not the kindle version!

This book was supplied to me by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers via their Blogging for Books program, in exchange for my honest opinion.  Affiliate Disclosure

Reading in January

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My first audiobook listen of the year, Man of the Family begins shortly after Charlie Moody, Ralph’s father, has died.  There are many struggles and surprises for the family as they learn to survive and thrive without husband and father.  Ralph, being the oldest son, assumes the role of “man of the family”.  With his sister, Grace, Ralph finds many creative ways to help support the family.  One could be very inspired by the determination and creativity of this family!

It is enjoyable as a long time Colorado resident to listen to the story and recognize the many of the locations mentioned in the story, to be able to close my eyes and see it.

Ralph Moody’s book, The Man of the Family is the second in his Little Britches Series, and like the first, is a wonderful story.   Last year I read Little Britches and encouraged my husband to read it too.  With his work schedule, he prefers to listen to audiobooks.  We purchased both books 1 & 2 from iTunes, narrated by Cameron Beierle and what a treat they have been!

Early in the month I asked Petal Rose for a book recommendation.  It was fun to see her dash away and then, come back with a stack or 5 or 6 books.  Twice Freed by Patricia St John was the book I chose from her stack as Petal Rose has been seen reading this book several times in the last few years.  A fantastic book, I now recommend it highly.  Even though this is a children’s or young teen read, the author does a wonderful job describing the setting and bringing the early church to life in the imagination.

Torches of Joy is a book we started as a read aloud, but in a busy season it was set aside.  I recently requested it from the library and finished reading it on my own.  Here are some of my thoughts from the book.

And lastly, prompted by this article we requested several books from the library.  So far the only one I have received and made time for reading is The Giver by Lois Lowry.  This is a heartbreaking, haunting story that my daughters and I are talking about.  I doubt we will go see the movie, as the word pictures were strong enough.

What have you been reading this month?  While I really want to focus on the books waiting on the bookshelves around our home, I do love to hear what others are reading.  And I usually, get delightfully distracted reading a few of those titles.

linking with Life as Mom

Hope, You Have a Tree

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“The mattering part is never what isn’t.  The mattering part is never the chopped-off stump.  It isn’t what dream has been cut down, what hope has been cut off, what part of the heart has been cut out.  The tender mattering part is– you have a Tree.”  Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

Reading Update ~ A Worthwhile Endeavor

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Any Worthwhile Endeavor

As with any worthwhile endeavor, one must be purposeful to make time to read good books.  Several years ago I began to realize this and have tried to make sure time to read is built into my days.  This month I am excited to reflect on the books that have passed time with me the first half of 2013.

The Books

Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick

The Mine by Henry McIntosh

Freefall to Fly by Rebekah Lyons

Sweet Sanctuary by Kim Vogel Sawyer

In the Presence of My Enemies ~ by Gracia Burnham and Dean Merrill

Tales of the Defended Ones by Beth Guckenberger.

Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic

Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

Jessica’s First Prayer by Hesba

The Promise Box by

The Cat that God Sent by Jim Kraus

Cleaning House, A Mom’s 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Wills Wyma, my response here

The BARE NAKED TRUTH, Dating, Waiting, and God’s Purity Plan by Bekah Hamrick Martin, my review here

Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn ~ Melanie Shankle

Children’s books

Rock You Tonight by Emily Roussell ~ a sweet story that seems to be written more for the Momma than the little one she may be reading to.

The Three Little Rabbits and the Bake Sale Pie by Nancy Nuce ~ a story that had Mae and I laughing hard at bedtime.  Delightful

Only the Mountains do not Move by Jan Reynolds

Jessica’s First Prayer by Hesba Stretton

Audiobooks

Because He Loves Me (I listened while driving and reread the chapters on my kindle app)

Letters from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr

The BARE NAKED TRUTH

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About The Bare Naked Truth:“The Truth About Sex and Waiting . . . Uncovered Purity.

“Sex. Boys. Waiting. There’s something about those words that makes everything complex in a heartbeat, and raises more questions than answers.  Bekah Hamrick Martin knows the waiting game isn’t easy or straight-forward. In The Bare Naked Truth, she lays everything on the table—including some embarrassing moments—as she explores the honest, naked truth behind what God means by purity. With additional entries from popular authors, you’ll see the bare naked approach to waiting isn’t always easy, but it’s worth the risk.”

As a mom with a whole lot of daughters, purity is a topic that is often discussed.  While I appreciate the message Bekah Hamrick Martin shares in The Bare Naked Truth, the difference in personality between the author and myself is pretty extreme and I struggled with the book tremendously.

That said, I believe that Bekah Hamrick Martin has a wonderful love for young women and desires to reach them with the truth and hope, and with tools to maintain purity of body, mind and spirit.  I’m not sure that I will recommend this book to my younger daughters, but one of my older daughters is going to read it soon, and give me a younger woman’s perspective.

This book was provided to me in exchange for my honest opinion by Litfuse Publicity.

Tales of the Defended Ones, A Review

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Tales of the Defended Ones by Beth Guckenberger is a “collection of fictionalized stories based on the real lives of 5 children around the world.  Each of these children intersect with Christians who have been called by the Storyweaver to help.”
After reading Tales of the Defended Ones I knew that it is a book for my family.   Considering the painful realities of these stories, I found it best to read them aloud, and to discuss the issues with my daughters as part of our morning devotions.
The message of the book is clear, but the layout of the information makes the book challenging as a read aloud.  Finally I decided to read the “child’s story” and leave the book with green and orange bookmarks so the children could look at the pictures and read the additional information.
Since beginning the book with my daughters, we have become aware of children in our community with common storylines to one or more of the children featured in Tales of the Defended Ones. This has opened the door for deeper conversations, and sweet times of prayer as we grow in deeper understanding of the issues behind actions and words.
As we read the stories of the children, I prayed often about Jorani’s story.  There is more information in that story than I wanted to read with my children.  On the day we read it, I found it best to read the beginning, and then switch to Scripture to describe the horrors Jorani faced.  My daughters were instructed to open their Bibles to Romans 1 and I asked them, what are the common sins in the different New Testament lists of sins?  Their answers, sexual immorality, greed, dishonesty.  From there we read verses 21-24 and briefly discussed how refusing to acknowledge God as God and give thanks to him, hearts are darkened and sin take over.  Most individual “sin” is always followed by or closely tied to other “sin”.
From there we read the part of the story where the rescuers come in.  As we wrapped up the story we read Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29:11 and Zephaniah 3:16, 17.  I encouraged my daughters with the reminder that through our sponsorship of children through Compassion International, we are defending children from the heart ache of Jorani.  And through our letters, we can share the hope we find in the above passages.
Tales of the Defended Ones is classified as Juvenile Fiction and is part of the Storyweaver Series.  Recently I found Tales of the Forgotten Ones, also by Beth Guckenberger, in Mardel with a DVD leader’s guide.  In the same area was the Vacation Bible School packages that her ministry created.  I am very blessed to have been able to review this book and read about Beth’s ministry.  I hope you will check it out!
 This book was sent to me by Litfuse Publicity group in exchange for my written review.  You can find more information about Litfuse and Beth Guckenberger by clicking these links.

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