GIVEAWAY - "Welcome Baby Jesus"

Can you believe that Advent is literally right around the corner?!  I have been spending some time lately planning our family Advent activities and recently purchased the book "Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families" by Sarah A. Reinhard (Liguori Publications) at our local Catholic bookstore (for a mere $1.99) to aid in the celebration of Advent in our home.  What a neat little book!  Each day has a "Think", "Pray" and "Act" section with meditations, prayers and Advent actions literally geared towards the whole family.  Plus, not only does it go through the Advent season, but it has meditations, prayers and actions for the Octave of Christmas and the Epiphany as well.  One of the things that has me most excited about this book is the fact that the meditations are written at a level that I think even Gemma (almost 4) will mostly understand and benefit from.  But they definitely seem appropriate for grade-schoolers or even high-schoolers as well I'd think.  Mom and dad, too!!  It really is written for the whole family. 

I was so excited about this book - and about its great price - that I decided to purchase an extra one to give away here on the blog!!  SO, please leave a comment telling me about your favorite Advent activity or tradition, and this Thursday (after 12 noon) I will randomly select a winner to be announced here on the blog first thing Friday morning!!

I'll start by sharing a tradition we enjoyed last year and are looking forward to again this year and that is our paper chain to count down to Christmas.  The colors coordinate with the candles on the Advent Wreath (purple for weeks 1, 2 and 4, rose for week 3 and white for Christmas day), and each link has something special for Gemma/our family to do for the day.  This year I intend to mainly use the "Act" section from Welcome Baby Jesus on our links.

Now it's your turn!!!  Leave me a comment sharing a favorite Advent tradition in your home, and enter to win your own copy of Welcome Baby Jesus!!!

I received nothing in return for this review.  I wrote it because I thought it was a good book, and purchased my copy and the extra copy to give away myself.

Book Review: The Bible Compass

The Bible Compass: A Catholic's Guide to Navigating the Scriptures by Dr. Edward Sri was a very basic guide to Scripture as seen through the lens of the Church (namely Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium).  It was recommended to me by a friend in my Motherhood group and I'm really glad I read it.  While it doesn't delve too deeply into any one particular aspect of Scripture, it gives a great overview of Salvation History, where the Bible came from along with descriptions of various translations and interpretations (with a good discussion about dynamic equivalence), how archaeology, history and geography can play a part in our study of the Bible and other information along those lines.  One part I was particularly excited about was a chart that laid out the timeline of Salvation History in the first column, the Narrative book(s) that go along with each of the 12 major historical periods in the second column, and supplemental books in the third column.  I have recently started reading the Bible from the beginning (I just finished Genesis and have started on Exodus and Job) with the Collegeville Bible Commentary and this chart will be very helpful when it comes to navigating which books to read when.  While this book mainly focused on reading the Bible for intellectual/learning purposes, it did briefly touch on Lectio Divina at the end which I thought was very appropriate.  I would recommend this book to any Catholic looking to learn a little more about the history of the Bible. 

Book Review: What your doctor may not tell you about Children's Vaccinations

What your doctor may not tell you about Children's Vaccinations by Stephanie Cave, M.D. was an interesting read.  I will say up front that if you are looking for well-documented, unbiased information about vaccines and the diseases they are meant to prevent, this probably is not your book.  A better book for that in my opinion is Sears' Vaccine Book which is actually being re-released late this month with updated information on all the current mandated and recommended shots and the diseases they are meant to prevent.  But I digress.  

Cave's book was published 10 years ago, which makes a lot of the information pretty dated and somewhat non-applicable for a parent wanting to make a decision today about today's vaccines.  That aside, she seemed to really have an agenda for blaming vaccines on the plethora of brain and autoimmune conditions that plague so many of our children today.  I certainly don't disagree with her argument - I personally feel that there is a plausible link there, somewhere, between the increased number of vaccines given (often in multiple dosings) to very young children today and the steep rise in cases of autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, developmental delays, etc. that we are seeing currently. I just thought some of her evidence was anecdotal and a little questionable at times.  The book was well-cited from a number of "credible" sources like the Lancet, the World Health Organization, the CDC etc., but there were also many sources that could be considered "less credible" by a critic, and the book was interspersed with a lot of examples from her own practice as well that I just thought would have been better left out.  I think they undermined her credibility, even if they were true and valid.  Plus, as I read there were various things I thought just sounded odd or incorrect and ran them by my husband (who has a medical background) and they just didn't quite add up.  

Her statistics about vaccine injury though were very sobering (and all of these were well-sourced, VAERS documented cases) and the reiteration of the shady dealings and conflict of interest that goes on between big pharma and the government to put vaccine mandates in place angered me, as it has for some time now (but not always, mind you...)  I learned a lot about why people blame conditions - namely autism - on vaccines and I definitely feel more informed having read this.  It is a terrible injustice to us and our children that drug companies and the government are so willing and eager to completely write the idea off without doing adequate research on the matter. And I could rant longer about that but won't.  Bottom line, if you are looking for a book to aid you in becoming better informed to make the right vaccine choices for your children, I would look elsewhere.  If you feel sufficiently informed on the subject and would like more information on some of the more "controversial" aspects of the vaccine debate, this book provides some very interesting insights.

And on a related note, I recently requested from inter-library loan and began reading Vaccine Epidemic: How Corporate Greed, Biased Science, and Coercive Government Threaten Our Human Rights, Our Health, and Our Children (published in 2011) and it has already proven to be absolutely riveting - approaching the vaccine debate from a refreshingly logical, no-nonsense point of view through numerous well-sourced essays, studies and reports written by a number of authors with varying backgrounds.  It focuses namely on legality, parental rights and human rights issues when it comes to strictly enforced vaccine mandates without the opportunity for (true) free and informed consent.  After reading the introduction and bouncing around to several chapters I decided to purchase this book for myself.  It is that poignant.  And it boasts recommendations and praise from people like the former director of the National Institutes of Health and current health editor of U.S. News and World Report; the former vice chair for the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines; retired military personnel; and a practicing M.D. and former U.S. Congressman.  It presents information in a way that even the staunchest advocate for the current AAP recommended vaccine schedule (read: state mandates) would have trouble refuting intelligently due to its pragmatic approach.  But that's all I'm going to say for now.  I do need to actually read the rest of the book...  You can read more customer reviews of this book by clicking here.

Recent reads (Summer 2011)

Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard

This book is the sequel to Hinds' Feet on High Places, which I read (and loved) back around the first of the year.  I am reviewing it now and it's been several months since I finished it, but I found it to be a very touching story and even cried at the end (sorry if you think that is lame).  But I won't tell you why because I don't want to spoil it.  If you want to read this book, I would definitely recommend reading Hinds' Feet first or it really won't make much sense at all.  Both allegories were great reads though, I enjoyed this deviation from my usual fare immensely.

Conversing with God in Scripture: A Contemporary Approach to Lectio Divina by Stephen J. Binz

This book was a great introduction to praying with Holy Scripture.  Several months ago I couldn't have told you a thing about Lectio, and then it just kept coming up.  Totally a Holy Spirit thing.  I don't have a whole lot to which I can compare this book, since this was really the first I read about Lectio Divina, but it seemed very sound theologically and I learned a lot.  It was recommended in The Word Among Us, which is a publication that I like.  If anyone else out there has some good recommendations for books on Lectio I am definitely open to suggestions!

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

This book was pure candy, I absolutely devoured it.  Voskamp is not a Catholic author, but absolutely Christian, and some of her ideas were very Catholic probably without her even realizing.  In fact, at the end I was honestly left shaking my head as to how someone could write a book like this, and experience what she experienced and not convert.  But that's neither here nor there I suppose.  I took a lot of good away from this book and am very grateful I stumbled upon it.

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

I really liked this book, as I mentioned in this post about poetry.  It reaffirmed to me just how important books are in our home and family, and gave some fabulous book recommendations from infant all the way up through the teen years and beyond.  This book made me nerd-out about reading even more than I normally do.  I also liked the fact that while discussing/recommending mainly secular books, it looked at them from more of a Christian perspective, but without seeming too overboard when it came to things like syndication and controversial books like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (does that make sense?).  It all seemed very reasonable and balanced.  Hunt also addressed Santa Claus in one of her chapters, and I really appreciated her perspective on that whole "debate".  There was a good section on book recommendations for holidays towards the end of the book, which I found extremely helpful.  I sat down with this book and added lots of new titles to my lists on the library website.  Because I am just weird like that.  If you have young children and appreciate reading, this is a good book to help you further that appreciation while instilling a love for the written word in your children.

Sing like a Catholic by Jeffrey A. Tucker

I wasn't able to read this entire book.  I was late picking it up from ILL due to a misunderstanding on my part so I didn't have it for long, and at the same time was wading my way through several other titles that kept distracting me.  I sped-read the parts that really piqued my interest though (the book is basically made up of about 40 or so "essays" on liturgical music) and can see requesting this book again to read it in a bit more depth  I. LIKED. what it had to say.  I will be completely up front here, 10 years ago I was all for guitar Masses, praise and worship music, you name it.  The jazzier and schnazzier and more contemporary, the better.  I don't know what has happened to me other than to say the older I get the more I tend towards the orthodox/traditional.  It would not hurt my feelings one bit if most of the Mass parts were in Latin, Gregorian Chant was used on a regular basis and the main instrument to aid worship was the organ.  Bring on the incense.  And please, stop the random applause (but that's a whole different rant).  This article really sums up my thoughts on the matter quite well.  Anyways, back to the book...Tucker's style of writing is incredibly witty, even a bit snarky at times, which makes it all the more an enjoyable read in my opinion.  He is spot-on and you can tell he knows his stuff.  I am amazed (and annoyed) - after the small amount that I read - at the huge liberties the American (western) Church has taken with the Liturgy.  It's sad really.  Sometimes I think I would feel more at home in a more Eastern (Catholic) environment.  But who knows.  We have nothing like that in our area so I am certainly happy where I am, but I do often wonder...  Anyways this book would be great required reading (if not as a whole at least in parts) for Church musicians or really anyone involved in the liturgy.

I'm currently reading another Jacques Philippe book, and waiting on Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible from inter-library loan.  Any other recommendations?

Poetry

I recently read Honey for a Child's Heart and really enjoyed it.  It gave me all kinds of wonderful tips and ideas when it comes to the use of the written word in our home.  One of the genres of children's literature of which this book spoke very highly was poetry.  We read a lot around here, but have never read much poetry aside from Nursery Rhymes.  I, for one, have never been a huge poetry fan.  I have very distinct memories of memorizing it in the first and second grade, and I always thought that was fun; and then there was Shakespeare in high school, and I didn't think that was quite as much fun.  ;-D  I do enjoy the poems of Jessica Powers occasionally, but for the most part a book of poems is not going to be the first or second thing I am inclined to pick up.  Even so, I know it's important to instill a love for - or at least an awareness and appreciation of - all types of literature in my children.  So I checked out When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne from the library and have been pleasantly surprised at how well it has gone over.  I decided to pull it out at lunchtime and read a few selections each day.  Gemma really likes this (and I've even caught Kolbe signing "more" when I finish a peom), and she already has certain poems she will request to hear.  I even forgot one day and she went and got the book out of the drawer and brought it to me.  It's been a good tool to use as well...Gemma isn't always the best eater, and I've found myself saying, "take another bite and then we'll read another poem," and she happily acquiesces.  (YAY!)  I also purchased Eloise Wilkin's Poems to Read to the Very Young from Thriftbooks (THANKS DEBI!!!!!!) and this is just a lovely little book.  It is a board-book, so very sturdy, but much larger than most of the board books we own.  The illustrations are (of course) Wilkin at her very best...each one more pleasant to look at than the last.  Definitely a good buy for $3.95 shipped!  So all in all, the incorporation of poetry into our day has been an easy and positive one!!  I love it when things work out the way I picture they might in my head, because heaven knows for every one idea that works out splendidly, there were a dozen or so that fell flat on their face.  ;-D  What are some of your favorite poetry collections for children?

Lectio Divina

As I mentioned in my May book report, I have been reading some about Lectio Divina (thanks entirely to the Holy Spirit's promptings) and wow.  What a blessing.  Good, good stuff.  Why am I just discovering this now instead of 10-15 years ago??  But alas, here I am.  I am currently reading Conversing with God in Scripture by Stephen J. Binz and wanted to takes the opportunity to share some of the treasures from this book on my blog.

We should always keep in mind that lectio is not just ordinary reading.  It might best be described as listening deeply - what Benedict (sixth century) described in his community rule as hearing "with the ear of our hearts."  In lectio, God speaks and I listen.

On our part, this listening requires that we do our best to receive God's word with as little prejudgment as possible, as if we were hearing it for the first time.  Though we may find it difficult to step out of our "comfort zone," we cannot listen fully to God if we think we already know what the text is going to tell us.  We don't want to reduce divine communication to the narrow confines of our own ideas and expectations.  Rather, lectio requires that we create a space within us for for the new wisdom and understanding God wants to give us through the sacred page.

I thought that second paragraph was so great.  I can't tell you how many times I am reading the daily readings or some other Scripture-containing item, and see that it is a verse/passage with which I am very familiar so I just gloss over it because "heaven knows I've heard this before."  So that part really hit home.  Continuing...

This kind of hearing requires fully attentive reading.  However, one of the consequences of this information age is that our culture is drowned in written words.  We tend to read in a hurry, curious to learn more and more. But lectio cannot be hasty.  We must read for understanding and assimilation.  Ambrose (fourth century) reached out to our modern era when he wrote, "We should read not in agitation, but in calm; not hurriedly, but slowly, a few words at a time, pausing in attentive reflection....Then the reader will experience their ability to enkindle the ardor of prayer."

This was really great for me as well.  Again, I can totally identify with the whole "read with haste" bit as often, when it comes to articles, blogs etc., I am of the mindset that I need to consume as much as I can in as little time possible.  It's almost like some kind of race or contest or something.  And of course, this has inevitably carried over into my Spiritual reading.  This was a nice reminder to just. slow. down.  Across the board.  Moving on... 

In order to instill in ourselves the sense that reading Scripture is a deep listening, we might consider returning to the practice of reading it aloud.  In the ancient world, where books were precious and rare, people listened to their sacred texts by hearing them read aloud.  This type of hearing required full attention and careful listening.  But even when reading was done in private, reading aloud was the usual practice.  The words were always pronounced vocally; thus, the text was seen with the eyes and heard with the ear.  Both the sight and the sound of the words allowed for easier comprehension and memorization.  This traditional practice is continued in synagogues today, as Jewish believers not only read their Scriptures but pronounce them aloud and often move their bodies rhythmically as they take them to heart.

I loved the idea of reading Scripture aloud.  So simple, yet very profound.  I think I read that previous paragraph 2-3 times to really let it sink in.  There is something about the senses...the more of them we engage the easier it is to internalize, to assimilate. 

For us as well as for our ancestors in the faith, the eyes and ears and even the mind are not the word's final destination.  We listen to the sacred text so that the words of Scripture might finally reside in our hearts.  There we are capable of reflecting on their insights, messages, and inspirations in a way that can radically transform our lives.

I'll end there.  I'm probably bordering on plagiarizing, but I just had to share.  I linked the book on Amazon, but I picked it up at our local Catholic bookstore (I like to support them when I can).  It has been a real insight and a huge blessing to me.  I always wanted to read the Bible, but never really knew how or where to start.  So I just didn't.  Lame, I know.  I used the excuse that I read the daily readings and the canticles and Psalms and such in Christian Prayer, so that was enough.  And while that is certainly good, don't get me wrong, there is so much more out there and I am just now slowly discovering that.  Faith is such a journey, that's for sure, and I have found Conversing with God in Scripture to be incredibly helpful for me on this leg of my journey.  I pray that the profound beauty of God's Word in the Scriptures may radically transform all our lives as we journey towards our one Eternal Goal.

Recent reads (May 2011)

Time for God by Jacques Philippe

This was a good book on making time for prayer.  It was not the most practical in application for a mother with young children, but I still gleaned from it some really good information and knowledge in regards to cultivating a life of prayer.  Definitely worthwhile.

Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe

This book was very good.  It discussed the interior freedom we all possess, reflected on the fact that no one can take this away, all in light of the theological virtues faith, hope and love.  This book was down to earth, practical and inspiring for me.  I really like Jacques Philippe and would highly recommend any of his books (Searching For and Maintaining Peace was the first one I read) to someone looking for a relatively short (and easy!), spiritually edifying read.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein

I will first off admit I did not finish this book.  I didn't even read most of it.  That being said, I really do agree with Orenstein's conclusions regarding today's girlie-girl culture (princesses, make-up and spa parties for seven-year-olds, rampant commercialism and materialism, sexiness vs. healthy sexuality, licensed items and the like...basically it's a quite comprehensive analysis of what we're teaching our young girls as a society these days and the long-term repercussions thereof).  The topics she addresses really run the gamut, and I like and agree with much of what she has to say.  I just fundamentally disagree with the way she reaches her conclusions.  I like to think I view feminism in light of appropriate, God-given femininity, where-as Orenstein's (who I believe is actually Jewish) feminist views seem much more secular, for lack of a better term.  I was discussing my thoughts on the whole thing with my husband one evening, and a few days later ran across this article on Oprah by Rachel Balducci.  Her assessment of Oprah really echoes mine of Orenstein.  While a lot of what she says is true, she's missing that Absolute Truth.  The lens through which she looks at things is not the God-given lens through which I have learned to (strive to) filter my life.  This book (what I read of it) was good in that it challenged me to look deeper into why I feel the way I do about all things girl, especially as a mother of a daughter.  If you're looking for something faith-filled that offers a more Christ-like perspective on the topic, this is definitely not your book.  Still, it provided some interesting food for thought.  And now you know.  (You can check out Peggy's blog here if you'd like to find out a little more.)

A Catholic Woman's Book of Days by Amy Welborn

I've been trying to read this book daily since I got it around the first of the year.  That doesn't always happen, but it's on my end-table and lately I've been picking it up more days than not.  I really like it.  It is nothing incredibly "deep" or earth-shattering, but sometimes that's OK.  Sometimes that's nice.  Each day has a verse or two of Scripture (sometimes correlating to a feast or saint, other times the scriptures appear to be selected at random) and then a brief paragraph or two meditation/reflection on the selected Scripture.  Very short.  But nice.  I can pick it up here or there, meditate on the Word a bit, and read a Catholic mother's perspective on the particular passage.  Anymore I am trying to really focus on Scripture as part of my reading and prayer time, and this helps with that immensely.  I've also been reading a bit about Lectio Divina, and Welborn's book has been helpful in giving me good passages of Scripture on which to mediate, pray and talk with God.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I mentioned last month that I was going to give some JPII a try.  Well, I failed.  Miserably.  I read the first 3-4 chapters of Crossing the Threshold of Hope, and am currently skimming through Love and Responsibility.  Right now though, I just can't do it.  I do not have the brain power to read JPII.  I love what he has to say, and I have love LOVED anything I've read about his writings (by another author).  I feel incredibly grateful for the number of years he was our Holy Father, and am immensely humbled by and in awe of his intellect.  Right now though, my poor mommy-brain just can't handle the real deal.  Maybe someday... 

Currently I am reading Mountains of Spices and Conversing with God in Scripture.  Hopefully I'll be back to review those and others here in a month or so!  Happy reading, everyone!

Recent reads (April 2011)

Inspired by my friend Kansas Mom, I've decided to keep closer track of what I'm reading here on the blog, for my own sake as well as for the purpose of recommending good reads to others.  SO, my most recent reads along with a brief review of each have been: 

Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa
by Immaculee Ilibagiza

I will be completely honest here, this book did not do a lot for me.  And I absolutely LOVED Immaculee's other two books (Left to Tell and Led by Faith).  There is just something about Marian apparitions...it's not that I don't believe, it's just that I guess I view them as something that is private revelation (which they certainly are) and while some of the messages are timeless and apply to all, I think it is a very gray line and in my opinion some private information is just best left private.  I'm probably not being incredibly articulate, but that's how I feel in a nutshell.  I think I would have done better either not reading this book at all or simply putting it down after getting into it. The book was however interesting, informative and well-written, so if you enjoy stories on Marian apparitions then I would definitely recommend this book.

They Just Don't Get It: Changing Resistance into Understanding by Leslie Yerkes

This was a FAST read.  Like, 45 minutes to an hour and I was done.  It gave some really good insight into relationships and how to deal with people, especially those who may not be of the same opinion as myself.  Definitely a worthwhile read.

The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

This book was good.  Very good.  It got better the more I read, I found myself wanting to pick it up every chance I got.  The style in which it was written was definitely different than what I'm used to, so it took awhile to really feel like I was getting into it, but once I did, WOW.  Just gem after gem of wonderful, beautiful wisdom.  A must read for any Catholic.

Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Jacques Philippe

This short (a 1-2 hour read) treatise on internal peace/peace of heart was just amazing.  I actually got this book about a year ago, read the first 20 pages or so...then it sat on my end-table, and in the book basket, and made its way down the basement to my bookshelf.  I'm not sure why I didn't finish it then.  I guess I was just somewhere else spiritually, or maybe God knew how good it would be for me just now.  At any rate, I re-stumbled upon it the other day as I was putting some books up and literally devoured it.  Its message of peace and hope left my heart feeling, well, peaceful and hopeful.  ;-D  It was truly beautiful.  I'd like to quote a bit from the end (don't worry, it's not a 'spoiler').

"If I am still not able to remain at peace when faced with difficult situations, then it is better that I should begin to strive to keep this peace in the easier situations of everyday life: to quietly and without irritability do my daily chores, to commit myself to doing each thing well in the present moment without preoccupying myself with what follows, to speak peacefully and with gentleness to those around me, to avoid excessive hurry in my gestures and in the way I climb stairs! (this really struck me) The first steps on the ladder of sanctity could very well be those of my own apartment!  The soul often is reeducated by the body!  Small things done with love and to please God are extremely beneficial in making us grow."

The whole thing is really just that good. It addresses ways to maintain spiritual peace through all different circumstances and situations.  It heavily quoted St. Francis de Sales, of whom I  found myself quickly becoming a huge fan.  Anyways, I'm definitely intrigued enough to read more Jacques Philippe.

Next up on my bookshelf:

Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard

Crossing the Threshold of Hope by BLESSED John Paul II

I've decided (as you can see) that it's time to give JPII a try. I know I will LOVE what he has to say, his works have just seemed a bit daunting in the past.  I will certainly report back.

Small successes XXXIII

1.  Made it to Holy Thursday and Easter Vigil Masses...by myself!  And it was glorious.  I love attending Mass with my family, and definitely benefit from the graces that the adventure of going to Mass as a family with young children presents.  But for one or two evenings of the year I adore those moments alone in worship.  Plus, the Holy Thursday and Vigil liturgies are just so rich, it was nice to really be able to savor them.  (As a side-note, thank you to my dear hubby for staying home with the children both evenings, and to Kolbe for staying asleep after being put to bed on Saturday evening.)

2.  Finished The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux.  Wow.  This book was absolutely chock-full of wonderful gems of wisdom.  Next up, Mountains of Spices.

3.  Cleaned out, lined and reorganized our silverware drawer. I know, I know; it doesn't get much more exciting than that.

As moms it's important to recognize our successes, big and small.  Share yours and read about others' each Thursday over at Faith and Family Live!

March reads

I kind of failed at reading in February.  Epically.  Part of it was another project I had going on, but most of it was just plain laziness.  No excuses.  I intend to remedy that this coming month.  I have several reads on my bookshelf that I hope to have (mostly) tackled by the end of March.  I'll report back.

First off, I'm about 30 pages into The Story of a Soul, the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux.  This is on some "top ten books every Catholic should read" list, plus my mother-in-law has spoken about it a lot.  I think it will be very spiritually edifying.  There is such a treasury of lessons to be learned from the saints, I know I should take advantage of that fact more often.

Secondly, I went ahead and started Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary speaks to the world from the heart of Africa.  I bought this one around Christmas, but have been waiting to read it.  I loved Immaculee's other two books, Left to Tell and Led by Faith, which detail her personal experience with the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and I know Kibeho will be no exception.   I'll actually be kind of sad to finish this one (hence waiting to read it) as she doesn't currently have any other books. But anyways, Marian apparitions kind of intrigue me.  I'm glad Kibeho has been investigated and is approved by the Church, sometimes I have trouble reading about the ones that are not.

And lastly, after a good friend's recommendation (and willingness to loan me her copy) I decided I'm going to try and tackle (at least partially) Sarah Palin's Going Rogue.  I realize Palin tends to polarize people, but I like her.  I'm not sure how I feel about her being president, but I know that the media and others have been incredibly uncharitable towards her, and I'm looking forward to "getting to know" her a little better.

Gemma's current favorites include One Frog Sang and Click Clack, Splish Splash.  She still seems to be on her numbers/counting kick, so these play right into that.  And there you have it.  Happy reading everyone!

Book review: The Temperament God Gave You

Even though Sophia's Books for Bloggers program is currently on hiatus (bummer), I still wanted to review my last read from them, The Temperament God Gave You; partially because I felt the need to keep my word and review the free book they sent me, but also because it was really a fantastic read and I wanted the opportunity to recommend it to others.

This isn't "just another book on personality", rather it goes much deeper into studying the human person. As the cover states, it is "the classic key to knowing yourself, getting along with others, and growing closer to the Lord." I found all of these assertions to be true as I read this book. I will admit it was not as easy a read as I would have liked (don't get me wrong, I really wouldn't change a thing); it just probably read more like a textbook than a novel (heaven forbid), and I kept getting interrupted by other titles (and my children) that were clamoring for my attention. But, with one final oomph of perseverance, I finally decided to sit down and finish this one. No more distractions. And I'm so glad I did. I learned a lot about myself, why I am the way I am, why others are the way they are, AND how to mesh that all together in order to form good relationships and healthy communication with people like my spouse, my children and my extended family and friends. Really, anyone who ever deals with people should read this book. The information is just that good.

The book centers around the explanation and understanding of the four classic temperaments: choleric, melancholic, sanguine and phlegmatic. I'm not going to give an in-depth explanation of each one in this review (if you're really curious you could google it I'm sure) because I think it's important to understand them in the context of the way they're presented in the book. Once you have somewhat of a grasp on the four temperaments (I found myself flipping back to that section frequently), the book takes you through eight more sections that I will tell you (because I'm hoping they will intrigue you enough that you'll pick up this book):

1. Which temperament is mine?
2. Understanding your spouse's temperament
3. Temperament combinations in marriage
4. Understanding your child's temerament
5. Parenting and parent/child combinations
6. How to motivate yourself and others
7. Discovering your secondary temperament
8. Temperament and the spiritual life

There is also a "temperament indicator" test at the end of the book which is pretty interesting.

As I said before, I liked this book a lot. The presentation was kind of dry, but the topic was quite fascinating in my opinion and that made up for any perceived dryness. It taught me so much about relationships, I could just go on and on. Not only did it help me more effectively understand myself and the way I'm wired, but it has opened my eyes to really analyze the way I relate with my spouse and the way I parent. What works for me, motivates me, speaks to me, may not work for my hubby or children (although I also learned along the way what I had already suspected, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and my oldest daughter and I are a looooot alike). We each have a God-given temperament infused in our souls, and while this isn't a "cop out" or easy excuse to rationalize our actions, it does give a good amount of insight into why people of various temperaments act and react the way they do in any given situation.

This book succinctly flies in the face of the many "one-size fits all" parenting approaches out there by reiterating the fact that we all have temperaments, not just adults. Things such as behavior, motivators and reactions are all based upon a child's God-given temperament, and these must be recognized and respected as we parent each individual child. It reaffirms that while many "one size" approaches may seem wonderful on the surface and look good on the cover of a book, they just aren't going to work long-term for every child. Parenting, like any relationship, is about learning and relating with people. Putting yourself in others' shoes. Knowing yourself, knowing others, and learning how to seamlessly transfer this knowledge into the ability to relate well with our children and all those whom we come in contact.

If you are interested in reading this book, you can pick it up from Sophia, Amazon.com or check your local library. Or, if you live around and see me on a regular basis, holler! I'd be happy to loan out my copy. Whatever the case, it comes with high recommendations.

Quotable

I am currently reading the allegory Hinds' Feet on High Places. It is remarkable, really. I feel so uplifted every time I pick it up. Anyways, I keep coming back to this one quote (on page 91 in my edition). Seriously, it is totally changing the way I approach life in general. And I'm not just saying that. Like, wow, really. Amazing stuff.

"When you wear the weed of impatience in your heart instead of the flower Acceptance-with-Joy, you will always find your enemies get an advantage over you."

My patience lately has been totally lacking. Especially with my children and husband (imagine, the people I spend most of my time around). And not that I'm 'cured' by any stretch. But so often now, when I want to huff around and gripe and whine and do the "oh poor me, my life is so rough, everything is going terribly routine" I think of this. And it is amazing, when I don't let my impatience get the best of me, everything seems better. If I patiently accept-with-joy whatever comes my way, things are so much more pleasant. For me and those around me. (Because, as a dear relative reminded me in her sweet Christmas card, "the mother sets the tone in the family." So true). Anyways, I think this quote will be my mantra for the year.

That being said, I'd highly recommend the book. Allegory isn't a writing-style I had delved into too deeply before, but I like it. This book would definitely come with my highest recommendations, and I'm only not quite half-way through.