Um, what just happened to February? Seriously. Fastest February I've ever had in my life that I can remember. That could be because it's the first February that I haven't been freezing and praying for global warming.
There's been quite a bit going on around here that I'll get into later. This post is about books. These are a few of my favourite things. I'm actually slightly obsessed with books. When we were packed up on the Ottawa side of our move, our packer (one guy for our three level house, God bless him) said he never wanted to see any of my books again; there were so many. Or dishes ... but that's another post.
So far my life down here offers a bit more margin, also the name of a book. This has given me more time to read and study. The stack pictured above is already outdated and I've moved on to other books and have many still in the queue. I love them all so much I want to share.
Month by Month Gardening in Texas - because I'm a gardener now and I need something that tells me what to do.
Ruth - Living in God's Unfailing Faithfulness - I know there are a lot of Ruth Bible studies out there but I would bet this would be the best, most thorough, deep theologically and relevant look at the book of Ruth. It's amazing for personal study and is set up for group study. I'm blessed to know the author and have studied the first few chapters with her on a group chat. She has done all the work for her readers and uncovered many treasures that we get to glean from her!!! So good.
He Restores My Soul - I have NEVER read a book like this that is not only so open and honest by real people, but coupled with real comfort from God's Word and the richness of hymns that are imprinted on hearts from childhood. Life is messy. We are ALL broken and everyone has a story. These are just some that a handful of women were willing to share. Every chapter brought me such emotion and reaction that I can't even explain it myself. Every chapter brought an awareness of what those around me might be going through. Every chapter brought such amazing perspective in light of eternity. Amazing.
The Essential C.S. Lewis - So thrilled to have been gifted this one! It's the perfect complement to the free Hillsdale College course I'm taking on Lewis.
The Art of the Commonplace - a great book to pick up and put down due to the essay format. Makes me think. Hmmmmmm. Not a good one to read when I'm tired. I'm looking forward to reading the author's fiction too.
Eternal Treasures: Teaching Your Child at Home - I'm gifting this to my homeschool Lutheran mamas. I wish I had had this back in the early days!!! I'm retiring soon but there is so much good in this book, some of which I've done by the shear grace of God. What makes homeschooling so important? Even more ... what makes a homeschool Lutheran?! This book answers these questions and more.
Handbook for Ministers' Wives - I have always joked that there is no handbook for this pastor's wife gig - until a retired pastor's wife/member slipped this into my hands one Sunday with a wink! Now I have no excuse ;) This book was written in the 1950's and some content is either not applicable to today's times or our particular denomination. I'm getting a kick out of the chapter about the manners I'm supposed to have as a pastor's wife. Thankfully I don't usually entertain dignitaries or host weddings in my home. This has been a fun read and has offered little nuggets of wisdom that will never be outdated.
Educated: A Memoir - This was last month's neighborhood book club read. I like to have memoirs in my book queue regularly. I want to expose myself to real people's lives, diverse backgrounds that are different than mine, and hard stories so I can better serve my neighbor. I may not always be able to understand but I desire empathy and openness to meet others where they're at and where they've come from. I want to learn from their lives and I'm so grateful when they're bold enough to write it down and have it published and share it with people like me. This memoir was a little slow going in the beginning but suddenly had it's claim on me at least mid way. About 3/4's into it, it became hard for me to read with just the rawness and reality of this being someone's actual life. But it was worth it and encouraged lots of discussion once we met together to talk about it.
Magnolia Table - Yes, I read cookbooks too. Sometimes I even cook, haha! I'm making my way through this one and I have several recipes on the back burner to try this month. Since we're in the south I've made biscuits and gravy for breakfast several times for houseguests. I made Bobo's classic gravy but I'm too lazy to make homemade biscuits. Plus a neighbor down the street had a biscuit making party with her friends to see if they could make biscuits like grandma and in the end she said the frozen Mary B's that I can get at Walmart is just as good and a lot less work. I also made The Best-Ever Fluffy Pancakes for Z's birthday and my dad actually said they were the best pancakes he's ever had even without knowing the name. They weren't as fluffy as I was going for but that was due to still getting to know my stovetop and the griddle. I made a batch of Last-Minute Party Dip over Christmas time. It has cream cheese in it so I knew it would be a winner! And it was. My mom made Chicken Piccata with artichoke hearts for us a few days ago. It was REALLY good. Company good. Impress your friends good. For March when Will comes home I have plans to make: Chicken Pot Pie, Gaines Family Chili, Sunday Supper Beef Tips, Beckie's Mac and Cheese, and Curry Chicken Salad.
I'm still working on Walther's Law and Gospel using a very useful study guide I found here. I have to finally finish The Hammer of God already. I have the ebook and it just isn't working. I mean it technically works but I need an actual book to hold in my hands. So really I should just start over with the actual book I've borrowed from my mother. And our book club pick for March is Castle of Water.
Now I should probably wrap this up and start cracking open one of my cookbooks to figure out what I'm making for supper tonight. A girl can't lay around reading all the time!
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