Best Books in 2011 (that I read)

I had a brilliant idea! I love recommending books to people, and last year was a year full of wonderful books! So here goes...

1) The Help by Katherine Stockett
~ I don't even think I need to elaborate on this considering most people have read it and/or watched the movie by now! All I have to say is, READ IT! I don't care if you've seen the movie. The book is phenomenal and still well worth your time.

2) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
~ I couldn't get enough of this creative genius of a book! It is truly the most imaginative book I have ever read. Morgenstern creates a whole world that exists in a traveling circus that only opens once night has fallen. In this atmosphere two magicians, Celia and Marco, must compete in a battle challenge that one of them will not survive. They are unaware of who their opponent is, and know very little about the actual challenge. After a series of innocent meetings, the pair falls in love. I know you're rolling your eyes right? Give it a chance! It is an absolutely mesmerizing novel. You won't want to leave the world she immerses you in.

3) The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
~ The beautiful and moving story of young girl who has spent her whole life moving from one foster home to the next. The one thing Victoria is truly passionate about is the Victorian Language of Flowers. Once she is emancipated from the system she becomes homeless in a park where she plants her first garden. Her gifts are discovered by a local florist and soon she is given a job. She uses her talent to help people convey messages with flowers. Not only will you learn a ton about flowers, you will be moved by Victoria's story as she struggles with a tumultuous past and tries to create a future free of the baggage.

4) One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
~ The most life changing, beautiful book I have ever read! Ann has a way of using language to its fullest, everything comes alive and everything is so beautiful. My life felt so different while I was reading this book and I am starting it again because I loved the way it changed me. 

5) Unplanned by Abby Johnson
~ This book will probably get its own blog post... It is the story of a woman who was the Director of a Planned Parenthood in Texas. After being called into a room to watch an ultrasound guided abortion she left the clinic to join the Coalition for Life. Her story is unbelievable, and long story short, it brought me to where I am today.

6) Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
~ This was just a really well written and fascinating book. It takes place during WW2 in California. A Chinese boy becomes friends with a Japanese girl and their friendship is challenged and ultimately torn apart when Keiko is taken to a Japanese Internment Camp. This book highlights a side of WW2 that we don't pay attention to often enough. SO GOOD!

7) The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
~ Just a flat out amazing story! She endured so many hardships and turned out okay! Walls writes about a childhood that was downright pitiful, without an ounce of self pity.

8) The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden both by Kate Morton
 ~I am totally hooked on Kate Morton. Her 3rd book is accompanying me to Mexico :) She is just so imaginative and draws on history and romance and mystery. Her books are so whimsical!

This list really has only just begun! But being as I have no internet at home, it's proving to be very difficult to finish these posts! So here's a partial post!

A New Year

I don't know if I've ever felt this energized about a new year. Although according to a bunch of crazies, it's the last year :) So I better make it the best ever right? I have a feeling it's going to be a big year in the Spinniken household.

Fabulous Things I Already Know Are Happening in 2012:

• I become Auntie Rach! Baby Girl Swinger, our first niece is due to arrive in 17 short days!
• A trip to Cozumel with my wonderful hubs, and brother & sister-in-law
• A Spinniken family fun weekend in Muskegon!
• Baby Boy Penninga, our first nephew, due to arrive in 3 1/2 months!
• A cruise on the Nauticat this summer with my family
• Our 2nd anniversary?! What?!

Hopes & Dreams for 2012:

• Drink more water!
• Spend more time in prayer
• Read a C.S. Lewis book, other than Screwtape Letters & Narnia
• Read at least one book a month
• Keep my house clean more often
• Figure out how to keep up on laundry and keep Pete's laundry from ruining mine!
• Be happier outside this winter
• Actually exercise
• Crochet an ENTIRE afghan
• Use our dang Juicer
• Visit my Grandparents more often
• Become pregnant :)
• MOVE INTO OUR HOUSE! high hopes here, but there's a better chance this year than ever before!
• Visit the cottage more than once
• Cuddle with my niece and nephew as much as possible!
• Explore creativity
• Cross Country Ski
• Make use of this blog 
• Freeze fresh fruit when it's in season, sounds easy enough, but we fail at this every year :(
• Make jam
• Garden? And keep some potted plants ALIVE for a change
• Make more relationships within our church
• Watch lots of sunsets!
• And most of all, find MOTIVATION

Keeping it Together

I guess this is the reason I'm keeping my blog fairly private, I need a place to unload a bit. When I need to write something out to better understand it, I do it here.

I don't understand how some people do it all. I can juggle an awful lot of things, but I can't do them all well. If I'm to be honest I would say I don't think I do my best at any of them. A woman I work with told me something her dad used to say to her, which perfectly suits my situation right now "Jack of all trades, Master of none". Just two weeks ago I had a perfectly clean house, that I kept that way. I baked and cooked often. I was creating things to possibly sell or give as gifts. I was studying the Word daily, praying and worshiping often. Then I got a job. A job that isn't even super demanding of my time, and I've lost control. I was master of my house, now I'm master of none. I feel like I'm lost. It scares me that it only took that much. Just a part time job, and I feel too lazy to focus on anything else.

There are so many things I want to do better. I know I can only do all those things through Christ who strengthens me. But when I get so caught up in the one thing, I don't leave time to let Him strengthen me. He is the first thing I toss aside, and its absolutely shameful. So here's to taking it one day at a time, rearranging my priorities, and making time for the more important things in life. I hope that this time next week, I feel a little more focused, and a little more energized.

Trust

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Trust, -noun: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

~I trust God. If someone were to ask me if I believe in the integrity, strength and ability of God, I would answer with certainty that yes I surely do. At least I do a great job of convincing myself of it. However, when I make a decision, I don’t very often stop to run it by God. I almost always take the time to run it by people though; my husband, my best friend, my mom. When something upsets me, yes I do pray, or consider praying. In most cases though, I pick up my phone, I call my husband, or my mom or my dear friend Katie or Amber. Instantly, I feel better by their love and strength. Their advice means everything to me. Whoa. How scary is that? It sounds an awful lot like I trust people more than God. Is it because people have proved to be a better source of strength, trustworthiness, and advice? Certainly not. Is it because of instant gratification, (such a scary phenomenon in our culture) the tangible, unmistakable and immediate comfort? Yes, I believe it is.

It is so hard to follow through on a trust that we can’t always clearly see the results of. We are asked to rely on and trust in Jesus above all else. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1 NIV. The very act of believing in God involves trust. To believe is to trust, to have confidence in. He is so worthy of it. He wants the very best for us, and we truly cannot change what he has planned for us in this life. It isn’t instant though. There are seasons of complete confusion, a transition with nothing to transition to. We are asked to lie in wait, to wait upon the Lord for His perfect answer. When the Israelites were led out of slavery in Egypt they surely thought the Promised Land was right around the corner. They were being saved! But no, they had to wander the desert for 40 years before they could enter the land the Lord had promised them. If we wait upon the Lord, we will never lose out, He follows through on every promise He makes. “The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time.” Psalm 145: 13b-15 Deep down I think we all know this, but Satan has a horrible way of planting a seed in our mind that takes root in the part of our brain that demands things to happen instantly. I would love to patiently wait and trust on God, but I often find myself panic stricken. I feel as if I am sitting idly by watching opportunities disappear, and if I took matters into my own hands I would be all set. I would have that job that just happens to be hiring, I would know I am taking care of myself. No one could call me lazy. Plus, how do I know that the little voice in my mind isn’t just me trying out different theories, or even worse, or maybe the same, is Satan trying to control my fate? I believe that this is one of the devils most deceiving and terrifying lies; that maybe that inkling isn’t the Holy Spirit, and you never really will know. I brought this subject up with a wise friend of mine, who very insightfully said “I just find that I have to ask Him to open and close doors for me”. How simple. I have been testing this theory in my own life since she offered the advice only a week ago. I have never felt more at peace. The worry that I may not get the memo from God is almost all but gone. I have seen at least one door close, and the fact that the door closing didn’t sadden me shows that He does have a greater plan. A few doors have opened, one just barely a crack and I’m still waiting for the invitation to step through it. The other was only a seed planted in my heart almost a year ago, that grew even more 8 months ago, and became a door pushed open by His doing in early August. Through a sad and difficult decision, an unexpected door slamming shut, I was given the chance to finally walk through that new door. I entered the Pregnancy Care Center on Tuesday for the very first time, and as the volunteer coordinator spoke to me about how she came to be at the center, I felt such a sense of certainty wash over me that I almost couldn’t hear her words. Events from the whole span of my life were flashing through my mind like God was saying to me “Rachel, remember this? And this? And this thing that happened before you were even born? This is why. I have wanted you here since I created you”. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” Jeremiah 1:5a NIV. In light of this I ask myself, how could I not trust? He knows me better than anyone else, and His integrity is perfect. When I don’t trust it causes Him pain, and I am constantly guilty of that. I will admit that I may hold a grudge when I am not trusted, and at the very least, I will never forget it. Jesus does though. He forgives, and as if that isn’t enough, He forgets. And we are given the chance over and over again to say we trust in Him, only to obliterate that statement with a phone call to a friend that takes precedence over calling out to Him.

Today I am challenging myself and you to call Him first, to trust Him, and to wait PATIENTLY. If I call you, you are welcome to gently ask me first if I have called on Him yet. Encouragement from people is a beautiful thing and it has its place. But it comes last, and He comes first. Only He knows what is best for me. There is a reward for our trust in Him, and it is joy.

“Oh, the joys of those who trust in the Lord” Psalm 40:4a NLT

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLT

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

When I was in High School I read a book by Jennifer Donnelly called A Northern Light. It was brand new at the time, and it was her only book. It was one of the very first historical novels I read, and it may even be the very book that sparked my love of historical fiction. I was so bummed it was her only book. Since then she has written two historical novels Tea Rose and Winter Rose, but I had no idea until now. (I can't wait to read them!)

Over a month ago we received the fall Kids Indie Next Picks List at work. The top book happens to be a brand new Young Adult novel by Jennifer Donnelly, and I had to wait weeks to get my hands on it. So naturally, I finished it in 4 days!

Revolution is about Andi, a 17 year old senior at a prestigious art academy in Brooklyn. She is a rebellious, wounded person because of her younger brothers death which sparked a series of events that completely unraveled her family. Her brother died, her dad left, and her artist mother couldn't cope so she went numb to the world. Andi deals with her pain through her music and drugs.

When her father receives a call from her school informing him that she is neglecting her senior thesis, and failing school, he decides to take her with him to Paris for her 3 week Christmas break so she can work on her thesis. Once in Paris, Andi learns that her geneticist father is there to help his historian friend  identify whether a preserved heart believed to belong to the son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette really did belong to the lost prince of France. Andi becomes emotionally involved in the research when she learns that Prince Louis-Charles was trapped in a tower during the Revolution and basically starved to death. He was the same age as her brother when he died.

Andi stumbles across an old diary that belonged to a young girl, Alexandrine, who was hired by Marie Antoinette to be a companion for young Louis-Charles during the Revolution. Alex wrote the diary in the last few months that she and Louis-Charles were alive. At the time, Louis-Charles was imprisoned in a tower and she was doing everything she could to try to save him. As Andi reads the diary she becomes increasingly attached to it and to the young prince.

Donnelly has written another fabulous historical novel. She weaves plenty of fictional characters and events into it, while at the same time immersing her audience in Revolution period France. She also writes a lot about music because Andi is a guitar player. I found it very entertaining and educational. Andi was not a character I felt like I could relate to, and the book did feel a little young at times. But it's perfect for High School. And still a very good read for anyone.

Buy a Jennifer Donnelly novel

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

A few days ago I finished reading Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, a memoir written by Rhoda Janzen. It's nothing like the books I normally choose to read. However, it sucked me in, entertained me, made me think, and introduced me to a whole new genre that I think I'm going to love. Long story short, I'm so glad I picked it up.

I first noticed this book because the cover draws your eye with it's bright turquoise color and oxymoron-esque title :) Then I started to notice a lot of people looking at it and talking about it. I became curious, so I did what anyone would do and read the back. Rhoda, a professor of Literature at Hope college here in Michigan, was left by her husband at the age of 43. Here's the kicker... he left her for a man named Bob whom he met on Gay.com. And in the days following she was involved in a bad car accident that left her in very rough shape. Broken-hearted and broken-boned, she takes a sabbatical and travels back to her Mennonite family to recover.

I decided I would buy it for my mom for Christmas. Then I decided I couldn't wait that long and I would just buy it for her for the heck of it. Then I picked it up to scan the first few pages. Next thing I knew I was 2 chapters in and dying to read some more. Rhoda is hilarious. The spin she manages to put on the horrible events in her life is admirable and extremely entertaining. The way she describes her matter-of-fact, straight-laced Mennonite mother makes you want to be a part of the family. And her raw vulnerability and honesty trick you into feeling like her closest friend at times.

While the book was entertaining and very funny, I did find that it was hard for me at times. But maybe that is the reason why I liked it so much. I felt challenged by Rhoda.I often say that learning from the people and things you disagree with is healthy and necessary to developing your own views and opinions; but I find that I don't take the time to challenge myself as much as I should. I did not read this book expecting to be challenged, but I was, and I appreciate that. Rhoda was raised in such an extremely conservative environment that once she was on her own she completely rebelled. She is a very liberal and very skeptical person. She is very intellectual, career minded, and maybe a bit feminist. There were times I found myself annoyed with her, along with times that I admired her. I was able to agree wholeheartedly with her in one paragraph, and totally disagree in the next. But at the end of the book I found that I really respect this woman. Instead of hating her ex-husband and blaming him for what he "did to her", she reflects on what she did and what she can do to improve herself and her future relationships. She casts out negativity and clings to her optimism. Way to go Rhoda!

On top of all that, she gives her audience a history lesson on Mennonites and an intimate peek into their personal lives, and their recipes!

Read it, its very good.

Buy Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

Banned Books Week 2010

I would guess that not many people know that this week is Banned Book Week. I had the fun job of looking up banned books and creating a window display with the most fascinating books on the list. Here are a few I'm sure you are familiar with...

Huckleberry Finn by Twain
The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger
Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Here's another list that you may not have thought of...    

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Anne Frank the Diary of a Young Girl
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

And my top 3 favorite banned books (because of the odd reasons they were banned):

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
"Not easy to figure out why this one was banned, but it may have been that the strongest woman character marries a boring and much older man--counter to feminism."

The Merriam Webster Dictionary!!
"Banned in a California elementary school in January 2010 for its definition of oral sex. "It's just not age appropriate," a district representative said."

And finally,
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See
"This beloved children's book was banned in January 2010 by the Texas Board of Education because the author has the same name as an obscure Marxist theorist, and no one bothered to check if they were actually the same person."

I hope this list has been as interesting to you as it was to me :)