The Last 10 Books I Have Read

1. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
I listened to this book on Audible while driving to Tampa, Florida and back. This book is based on true events that occurred in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1930s and 1940s. I was horrified as I learned the story of Georgia Tann and her stealing and selling babies and young children. This book was sad and fascinating at the same time, and it had an element of mystery which I always enjoy.

2.  Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan
I read Glitter and Glue a couple of years ago, and for whatever reason, at the time I did not care for it. Then Leanna read it and liked it, so I decided to read it again.  Kelly shares her experience as a nanny for a widower in Australia. She was in her early twenties, and she learns how much she values her own mother as the takes care of the two young children who recently lost their mother. I did like the book the second time I read it. In fact, I liked it so much, I bought Kelly's other three books.
Warning: This book (and all of Kelly's books) has way, way more profanity than I am comfortable with. I really have a hard time believing that people actually talk this way. I guess I live in a bubble. I usually will not read a book with such profanity, but her writing is so compelling, I just kept a pen handy and marked out each and every curse word. (Good for my friends who I loan the books to!)

3.  Tell Me More The Twelve Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan
In this book Kelly writes twelve essays explaining the lessons she has learned from her life. She includes stories about her battle with breast cancer and her every day life--complete with all its ups and downs.

4.  The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
Kelly shares the struggle she faces as she and her father both have cancer at the same time. She has breast cancer, and he has bladder cancer. She shares and compares their treatments, their journey, and how each of them handle it.

5.  Lift by Kelly Corrigan
I read this last book by Kelly on the airplane while traveling to Romania. It was not my favorite.....it was just ho hum....not as funny or compelling as her other three books. It is short. It's a collection of things she wishes to tell her daughters. After Leanna reads it and we discuss it while run, I may like it after all! But for now....not the best.

6.  Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors
This is the second book by Katie Davis Majors. Her first book, Kisses From Katie, recounted her move to Uganda as a young woman. This book is set about ten years later. She shares her ongoing challenges with ministering to her community while taking care of her own 13 adopted children.

7.  Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
This is another book that I started a couple of years ago, did not finish because I could "not get into it", gave it to Leanna to read, and then reread it after she returned it with a good report! I absolutely liked it on the second try. I have already bought two other books by Robinson.

8.  The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
I listened to this on Audible either on the treadmill or in the car. It is definitely not a favorite. In fact, I really did not like this latest Grisham book. I usually love his books.....but this one had more profanity than usual (his earlier books have only an occasional curse word), and there were no "good guys". Just bad guys and worse guys. The protagonists were involved in criminal activity, and they never suffered consequences from that. Sure they had to live a life on the run in the end, but they broke the law without paying for it. I like for the good guys to win in the end. There were no good guys in this book. Thumbs down.

9.  Church of the Small Things by Melanie Shankle
Funny book by a relatable author. I love all her books.

10.  David Livingstone Africa's Trailblazer by Janet and Geoff Benge
I read this aloud to Leah and Sam. It is hard to comprehend what men like David Livingstone endured physically, spiritually, and emotionally in their lifetimes.

10 Favorite Beauty Products

I don't consider myself high maintenance in the beauty department, but there are a few products that I use. Some have been favorites for years, and some are recent finds.

Here they are:  (I'll include links, but actually most of these items I buy at Walmart, my local beauty shop, or Ulta.

1.  Redkin shampoo and conditioner.  I use either the Color Extend, High Rise Volume, or Extreme in both the shampoo or conditioner. I really can't tell a difference between these on my hair, but I can tell that my hair gets dry and brittle if I use any other brand. I buy this at either my beauty shop, The Hair Tailors or at Ulta. The large bottles last me at least six months.

2.  Mary Kay eye make-up remover. I have used this for about 12 years. It is not oily, and mascara comes off easily with cotton balls. I will say that I am not faithful to even remove my eye makeup at night, but when I do, or if I have to remove it in the morning before I put in my contacts, this is my favorite product to use. I am out of this right now, so I bought Simply Clean brand eye makeup remover, and it is not a favorite. It does remove the eye makeup easily, but it burns my eyes! I order Mary Kay products only once a year, and 3 bottles of this usually lasts me the whole year.

3.  Mary Kay Timewise 3 in 1 Cleanser.  If I take my make-up off at night, (I don't even wear make-up every day, and sometimes I am just too tired to wash my face! I know, I know, that is terrible! The next product on my list has somewhat solved that problem for me.) this is the cleanser I use. It does not burn my eyes, and it easily removes the makeup.

4.  Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes.  My friend Jessica told me about these a few months ago, and they have changed my skin care routine! About half the time I wear makeup I just wash off my face with these wipes and I'm all done! They are perfect for traveling.

5.  Teddy's Organic Rosehip Seed Oil. I kept hearing Melanie and Sophie talk about this rosehip oil on the Big Boo Cast, so I finally ordered some. I love that stuff! I really believe it has helped the wrinkles around my eyes. I apply a several drops (all over my face) both morning and night.

6.  Avon Moisture Therapy Intensive Healing Repair Body Lotion. This is my favorite all body lotion. I apply it head to toe--even on my face. It is thin, rubs in well, and has no odor. And it's very economical.

7.  Mary Kay CC Cream Sunscreen. This is what I wear as my foundation. It is light, not too thick, and has sunscreen, which is important because none of the moisturizers I use have sunscreen.

8.  Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation.  If I want a little more coverage, I apply this powder on top of the CC cream.

9.  Maybelline Pinkalicious Lipstick.  When I checked on this lipstick to create a link, I saw that the price is now $10 per tube. I am not going to pay that much for lipstick that is sold at Walmart! When I first began using this shade, it was available at Walmart for less than $5. Then of course after a period of time Walmart stopped carrying this shade, so I began ordering it from Amazon.  However, when I run out again, either I will find a new shade of lipstick I like at Walmart, or I will search for this color somewhere else. I also like Clinique lipstick, I just can't find the perfect color. And I know that Clinique lipstick costs more than $10 a tube, but it's a better quality than Walmart lipstick.

10.  OPI nail polish. Some of my favorite colors include: Berlin There Done That, Coconuts Over OPI, You're Blushing Again, and Cajun Shrimp.

Well, there you have it! 10 beauty products.

What are some of your favorites?

10 Ways to Study God's Word

Here it is....my first list of 10 Things to celebrate 10 years of blogging.

I have studied my Bible several different ways in my life. Different stages of life lend themselves to different methods of Bible study. The important thing is that you spend time in God's Word. Spiritual food is as important for our sustenance as physical food is.

"...that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord."

Deuteronomy 8:3

Choosing when to study God's Word is not always easy, but it needs to be top priority. I prefer mornings, after I have prepared Jimmy's lunch for the day. I sometimes read my Bible on my iPad at night, and when I had nursing babies, I kept a Bible handy to read while feeding them. 

So once you have figured out when is the best time for you to study your Bible and pray, here are 10 ideas for you. 

1. Just read the Word. Have a plan for covering a specific portion or all of the Bible. You can find a plan for just about any Bible reading online. I have done the B90 a few times. This is when you read through the entire Bible in 90 days. Reading through the entire Bible in one year is a popular plan, and that I what I am currently doing using The Daily Bible. You may plan to read through one of the Gospels repeatedly in one month, or an Old Testament book, or really anything you choose. But reading large portions of Scripture to get an overview of a time period or topic is beneficial. 

2.  Take notes while reading the Word. Some ideas include making an outline of each chapter you read, listing things you learn while reading, writing down questions you have about a passage, or recording items to apply to your daily life.

3. Copy Scripture. This is something I began doing a few years ago. I really like doing this. I began with one of the Epistles, Colossians, I think. I have copied over half of the New Testament, and I am currently copying John because our preacher is teaching a series of lessons from the book of John this year. I typically set my timer for 10 minutes while copying, and that usually allows me to complete one page of copying in my journal. I sometimes combine copying Scripture with #2--I will outline the chapter after I have finished copying it. I used to use erasable pens while copying so I could correct any mistakes I made, but now I am using a fine point Sharpie pen.

4.  Topical Study.  Using a concordance, you can read and study verses pertaining to a particular topic. While this is a good method, you need to be careful that you don't pull verses completely out of context and somehow misconstrue their meaning. It is helpful to read the verses before and after the ones your concordance references so you can make sure you understand how the verse applies to the topic you are studying. 

5.  Study using a workbook. When I am preparing for an adult Bible class or our Ladies' Bible class we usually use some type of workbook. 

6. Study to prepare for a class you are teaching. If you have ever taught any kind of Bible class, whether for adults, teens, or children, you know that lots of Bible study is required in order to adequately prepare. This totally counts as Bible study! 

7. Read Scripture to your children. Whether you home school your children and Bible reading and study is part of your school, or not, reading Scripture and studying God's Word is important. Choose a reading plan that fits with your family's schedule and be consistent with it. Bedtime Bible reading (stories for younger children and reading from the Bible itself for older ones), mealtime Bible reading, beginning the day reading, or anytime you choose, all work great! While reading to your children, they will inevitable have questions, and this allows all of you to search for answers and grow spiritually.

8. Devotional type books. While I would not let a devotional book alone be my only spiritual food for the day, every single day, many of them offer short, encouraging messages that when supplemented with further Bible reading, studying, or copying can provide a timely message for you to ponder. 

9.  Study a particular person in the Bible. Many lessons can be learned from the real people of the Bible--the good ones and the bad ones.

10. Choosing a group of Scriptures to pray. The Psalms lend themselves to this. Really many passages can be read and offered as a prayer to God. 

I hope this list of 10 Ways to Study God's Word as been beneficial to you.