Book #3: The Aviator’s Wife (Goal 50)

The Aviator’s Wife

by: Melanie Benjamin

Last year the teachers at my school put together a small book group to read a book every semester. This would be an adult fiction or nonfiction book that would be “fun” reading instead of reading school material. I read the books the group picked a couple of times but for this book I decided not to participate in the group. I had a teacher friend that owned the book and highly recommended the book so after having the book on my night stand for about a year I decided to pick it up. This book was a good informative book about the life of Charles Lindbergh and more importantly his wife Anne. This book explains how the two meet and had children. It also explains the trails that they faced through out their life time because they were such a well know power couple. I really enjoyed reading this book and painting the image of how life was back then. I felt at times that the book dragged on a bit. I would recommend this book to adults that enjoy historical fiction.

Summary from Amazon:

When Anne Morrow, a shy college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family, she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. In the years that follow, Anne becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States. But despite this and other major achievements, she is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness.

Love and Peace

Book #2: Benediction (Goal 50)

Benediction

by: Kent Haruf

“Benediction- the utterance of a blessing, an invocation of blessedness.”

I joined a book group with my mom at our church a few years ago. I love to read and I figured this would stretch my views and genres that I would pick up to read. I know as a group we did one of this authors other books but I cant remember if it was one that I read with the group or not. I always try to read with the group and finish the book but sometimes that is a hard task for me to complete. I set 2 goals for myself this year, one was to not buy any new books and the other was to complete 50 book. I went to my local library and checked out this book so that I could participate in the group. When I read the summary of the book I knew from that start that it would be a book that I would like. I was RIGHT! The book was amazing it was the thoughts, feelings and doings of the people and town around the main character as he said his final good byes. The line quoted is from the beginning of the book. I read this line before starting the book and just felt a sense of peace. In a church service you say/do a benediction at the end of the service so to me it is the final goodbye and go out to serve the Lord. With this book to me it was the closing of his life. The sending out into the heavens for the years or his life. I thought this book was beautifully written and I would recommend it to others.

Synopsis from Amazon:

When Dad Lewis is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he and his wife, Mary, must work together to make his final days as comfortable as possible. Their daughter, Lorraine, hastens back from Denver to help look after him; her devotion softens the bitter absence of their estranged son, Frank, but this cannot be willed away and remains a palpable presence for all three of them. Next door, a young girl named Alice moves in with her grandmother and contends with the painful memories that Dad’s condition stirs up of her own mother’s death. Meanwhile, the town’s newly arrived preacher attempts to mend his strained relationships with his wife and teenaged son, a task that proves all the more challenging when he faces the disdain of his congregation after offering more than they are accustomed to getting on a Sunday morning. And throughout, an elderly widow and her middle-aged daughter do everything they can to ease the pain of their friends and neighbors.

Despite the travails that each of these families faces, together they form bonds strong enough to carry them through the most difficult of times.  Bracing, sad and deeply illuminating, Benediction captures the fullness of life by representing every stage of it, including its extinction, as well as the hopes and dreams that sustain us along the way. Here Kent Haruf gives us his most indelible portrait yet of this small town and reveals, with grace and insight, the compassion, the suffering and, above all, the humanity of its inhabitants.

Love and Peace

One Word, One Prayer #7

Dinner at the Food Trucks

This weekend as I thought about my word I was really stuck. I didn’t have a clue what I should be praying about or thinking about for the week. I was invited to a women’s “conference” of sorts at a local church with a friend for Monday night. I knew that I would be worshiping and hearing the word with other Christian women for the night so I thought what better place to come up with my word for the week. As I was sitting listening to several testimonies and a skit the words that struck me were “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” That got me thinking we are all made in HIS image and even thought WE sometimes want our own plans we have to remember he has a greater plan that we dont even know about at the time. It is so hard sometimes to feel like you are enough and to remind yourself that you are created in his image and more importantly he MADE you. My word this week is MADE. I want to be reminded throughout the week that HE MADE ME. There are no flaws or imperfections with me. Even though I look at myself sometimes through rose colored glasses I need to remember that God’s are always clear and see no imperfections with me.

Peace and Love

One Word, One Prayer #6

TADA! It is now Wednesday again! I had Monday off and had planned to get this post up on my day off. Instead I helped rejuvenate my spirit. I am so excited for this week and the word I have been thinking about constantly.  Here is the background on how my word for the week came about. I am planning to participate in the “Daniel Plan” for the up coming Lent season at my church. This will be a small group that will meet and talk about the bible, friends, and food. (For more info: THE DANIEL PLAN!) I went to church on Sunday and signed up to participate in the Daniel Plan. I planned to do the small group after the Lent services. When I signed up to join this group I figured I would just become one of many in the group. After signing up the leader of the program at our church asked me if I would be interested in leading this group. I have had this pull on my heart in the past few years to lead a book group. I feel like this is the door that God has opened and I need to just walk through it. This week I have been praying about LEADERSHIP. I feel as though I am not qualified enough to be a leader to others but at times I need to just trust in the Lord. Half way through the week I feel like this would be something I would be good at. I LOVE to cook! I LOVE to think of new healthy recipes! This sounds like something I will enjoy. As I go through this process I will be posting updates about how the process is going and any new and exciting information we as a group discover!

Peace and Love

One Word, One Prayer #5

I am LATE to posting! What’s new? I had great intentions of writing this blog post on Sunday night but instead I was enjoying a wonderful dinner with the man and cleaning the house. The word I picked for this week is a word that I think about often. I feel like this is a word that I live by and am reminded of often. The word this week is LIGHT! My parents and I attended a quinceanera this weekend, which I have never attended one before. It is basically a birthday for the young girl to come into womanhood and in the church to reaffirm their faith. My favorite part of the entire ceremony at the church was when the pastor asked the parents of the student to pass the light from baptism to their daughter. When I think about the word light I tend to reference myself in the sense of I want to be the light of the world. I want to shine Gods light through me in my everyday tasks. On Sunday at church a wonderful verse was read for the lesson which has to do with light.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Peace and Love

Book #1 (Goal 50)

I made a goal for 2014 to read 50 books. I cheated a bit and started this book before the first of the year. I was just SOOOOO excited to read it. I finished this book in no time and found that I was looking forward to the time I spent in Uganda nightly. Ever since I started doing mission work when I was a young girl I have had a dream to travel and serve in Africa. I think the country has such great poverty but so rich in values and traditions. As I was reading this book I just kept thinking how can I help. I have decided that I would like to sponsor a child through the nonprofit ministry this young lady Katie has set up (Amazima.) One of the other reasons this book pulled so greatly on my heart strings is that she is close to my age. I cant imagine living in another country not knowing the language and taking children under your wing. She is doing GOD’s work in such a poor country. She is trying to get the children to attend school with good Christian values, clean clothes, and food.

I would highly recommend this book to any woman that has a heart for service. This will be a book that I keep in my library and lend out to those that I think will be moved or enjoy the book.

As I was finishing this book I was moved by the Holy Spirit to start my “One Word, One Week” posts. I felt that eve though we make up a small portion of this big thing we call Earth that one voice could start the change and the change can be so profound that we can help and serve many.

If you do read this book please comment back what you thought and how you felt after reading it.

Peace and Love

One Word, One Prayer #3 and #4

Sorry I missed last week telling the blogging world my word. I had a crazy busy schedule at school last week. As I prayed about the word I would think on for the week I heard a great song in my car. It was on the Christian radio station. Just what I needed at the moment. I heard a great song talking about how we all are broken and want to be broken to be made whole in Him. We are all broken people but know that we are made whole through Jesus Christ. This song really moved me and I decided to pray over and think about the word  WHOLE for the week. We all crave to be made whole in every thought and deed that we do. I also thought the the word whole would serve the purpose of seeing the whole person, situation, and act of service. Sometimes we are so quick to speak and judge that we don’t see the whole in the world. Through out the week as I thought and prayed on this word I had a sense of peace in my being.

This weekend I was at a Pampered Chef conference in California. I had an awesome time with a friend and the person I signed up under, Ashley. We stayed at her aunt and uncles house which was such a cute and beautiful house. They cooked us several WONDERFUL meals throughout our stay. I even got to do a little blind wine tasting. I had a great time. As I was coming home on Sunday I was thinking and praying on the word in which I would focus on this week. (WEEK #4) On my flight home there was an older man about 4 rows ahead of me that just before take off seemed as through he passed out. The flight attendant rushed over to help him. He then some how started to throw up. So she ran back to get a bag. While she was getting and holding the bag for the man she instructed another flight attendant to get her the oxygen. I then thought man this is a serious thing. It seemed as though it calmed down a bit and they escorted the man off the flight. I got to thinking say a quick prayer. So i did! During the flight and throughout the day I had the word Elderly on my heart. So this week I am praying for the ELDERLY in my life and around the world in general. My grandparents are so near and dear to me and  I know they are getting older. I also have grown to love my boyfriends mom and she has been going through some medical things recently. I pray that our Lord keeps them safe and knowing that one day I will be blessed to see them in Heaven and live with them forever.

 

Peace and Love