Clear Off Your Shelves Wrap Up

I participated in a Clear Off Your Shelves Challenge started by www.skrishnasbooks.com from October 1-November 30, 2009. My goal was to make a dent in the 67 books on my to read bookshelf at home. Along with reading review books and my book club books. I needed to read something that had been on my shelf and been wanting to read for at least 6 months. I set my goal at 20% of the books I read would be for the challenge. Here is how I did:

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (for book club)

Seduce Me by Carly Phillips (for book club)

New Moon Twilight #2 by Stephanie Meyer (Challenge Book)

Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa (Review book)

So I read 1 book off my shelf out of 4.....25%. So, I met my goal, but am still disappointed that I have 66 more books on my shelf waiting to be read. I just wish life didn't get in the way of my reading. Oh well. The books are patient and loyal and will still be there, when I have some free time to read them. Thanks for creating the challenge!

Review: Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

Set in the slums of New Orleans, among clusters of crack houses and abandoned buildings, Dirty Little Angels is the story of sixteen year old Hailey Trosclair. When the Trosclair family suffers a string of financial hardships and a miscarriage, Hailey finds herself looking to God to save her family. When her prayers go unanswered, Hailey puts her faith in Moses Watkins, a failed preacher and ex-con. Fascinated by Moses's lopsided view of religion, Hailey, and her brother Cyrus, begin spending time down at an abandoned bank that Moses plans to convert into a drive-through church. Gradually, though, Moses's twisted religious beliefs become increasingly more violent, and Hailey and Cyrus soon find themselves trapped in a world of danger and fear from which there may be no escape.

I was contacted by Mr. Tusa who sent me an e-copy of his book. He contacted me through www.shelfari.com. If you would like to read more about Mr. Tusa, you can find his website at www.christophertusa.com. This book can be purchased on www.amazon.com for $12.44.

This book came out in March 2009 and is set in New Orleans. The story is told from the 16 year-old daughter, Hailey's perspective. There is a lot of dialogue in the story and is very character driven. This makes it a quick and easy read. But the dynamics of the story do not make it "easy" to read. The story revolves around Hailey's very dysfunctional family....a depressed mother, an out-of-work/alcoholic/cheating father, and a older brother who is a drug user and following the "wrong path". The story reminded me a lot of The Glass Castle or Change Me Into Zeus' Daughter, both being stories that have lots of struggles between family members. As a mom, it was frustrating for me to see how the mother in the story was ignoring her family and their needs, as was the father. Just when I thought Hailey was getting somewhere with her mom, there would be another setback. There was plenty of drama in the story to keep me reading and interested in what would happen next. I wish the writer would have taken the story further....I hated to leave Hailey where it ended. My heart ached for her. The writer was able to shock and surprise me. It was not a predictable story. I think Mr. Tusa has a great talent for writing and making the reader visualize his characters and scenes. I wish him luck in his future writings. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Mondays Matter: Week 48

Taken from the book Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways To Make A Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza

RESPECT THE DISABLED

-54 million or more people ages 5 and older have a non-institutionalizing disability.

-25 million disabled are of an employable age.

-78% want to be employed, but only 33% have a job.

-Disabilities are more often caused by accidents, illnesses, or late-emerging effects of genetics than by congenital disorders.

-Not all severe disabilities can be detected by the human eye.

-Over 15% of the cars parked in a handicapped parking space are parked illegally.

ACTION STEPS

1. Show respect to the disabled today.

2. Don't park in a handicapped parking space or use handicapped plates or placards illegally. Designated parking for the handicapped is a necessity.

3. Don't use handicapped bathroom stalls unless you're handicapped. A handicapped person's need to use the restroom may be just as urgent as yours, and the handicapped one is the only one they are able to use.

4. When you see a handicapped license plate, slow down and show consideration rather than tailgating or honking.

5. Open a door, roll a wheelchair up or down an incline, carry shopping bags, or offer an arm in challenging weather conditions or on uneven walkways.

The majority of people with disabilities want to be totally integrated into all aspects of society. No one plans to get a disability, it just happens, every day to someone. One day it could be you. With more awareness, respect and helpfulness, you can make someone's life a little bit easier.

"Blessed" On This Thanksgiving

I love Martina McBride and I heard her song "Blessed" again the other day and I realized how it says just what I am feeling at this time of year. So, I wanted to share the lyrics with you. May you be blessed this Thanksgiving and share your blessing with others as Christmas approaches!

Blessed

I get kissed by the sun each morning

Put my feet on a hardwood floor

I get to hear my children laughing

Down the hall through theBedroom door

Sometimes I sit on myFront porch swing

Just soaking up the day

I think to myself, I think to myself

This world is a beautiful place

I have been blessed

And I feel like I've found my way

I thank God for all I've been given

At the end of every day

I have been blessed

With so much more than I deserve

To be here with the ones that love me

To love them so much it hurts

I have been blessed

Across a crowded room,

I know you know what I'm thinking

By the way I look at you

And when we're lying in the quiet and

No words have to be said

I think to myself, I think to myself

This love is a beautiful gift

I have been blessed
And I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given
At the end of every day
I have been blessed
With so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

When I'm singing my kids to sleep

When I feel you holding me

I know

I have been blessed
And I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given
At the end of every day
I have been blessed
With so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

Mondays Matter: Week 47

Taken from the book Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways To Make A Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza.

MEDITATE OR PRAY

-Meditation and prayer shift brain activity from the stress-prone right frontal cortex to the calmer left frontal cortex.

-Slowing the breathing rate to 6 breaths per minute synchronizes breathing with cardiovascular rhythms resulting in enhanced cardiac health.

-Physiological benefits of prayer and meditation include anit-aging, deep rest, decreased blood pressure, high skin resistance, and easier breathing.

-Psychological benefits include increased brain-wave coherence, greater creativity, decreased anxiety and depression, improved learning and memory, and increased happiness and emotional stability.

ACTION STEPS

1. Fnd a quiet place to be still.

2. Take deep breaths to help you relax.

3. Meditate or pray.

4. With a clearer mind, journal your own thoughts and insights.

5. Make meditation or prayer a part of your daily life.

I have definately found that when I am anxious, stressed, depressed, nervous, or worried, when I begin to pray about it and give my worries and concerns to God, I can physically and emotionally feel the weight lifted off of me. I begin to feel a peace over me and I can let go. Are there some things that you need to "let go" of? Find a quiet spot (mine is usually in my bathroom) and let breathing and stillness begin.

Saying Grace

Nearly every Wednesday after school we offer a program at our church called "After School Jams". Children preschool-6th grade come after school and have a snack, sing songs and learn about Jesus and how much he loves each one of them. Yesterday I was responsible for the lesson and I decided to incorporate Thanksgiving with saying grace. I had the preschool-1st grade group and we talked about the kind of prayers we say before our meals and before bedtime. Then we talked about how before Jesus fed the 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, he said Thanks to God. Then each of the kids told the group something they were thankful that God gave to them. The kids completed the lesson with a foam craft that said "Let us thank the Lord for his many blessings". I reminded them that Thanksgiving is an excellent time to think about God and his many gifts that he has given us and to share that with our families. This lesson really got me thinking about my many, many blessings. The Lord has provided me with so much love throughout my life and I just don't thank Him enough for that. I am also sad to admit that we don't always thank God before each meal or even before we go to bed. It is usually one of the kids that reminds me. I get into the mechanics of getting the food on the table and getting everyone food on their plate and milk in their glass and usually by the time I sit down everyone is already eating. So, I am going to try to consciously stop and take a minute to thank God for our food and as I am laying in bed, thank God for the blessings he gave me this day.











At Bible Study Fellowship (http://www.bsfinternational.org/) they handed out a lesson talking about giving thanks at mealtimes with your children. So, if you haven't started saying grace with your children at mealtime, here are some examples to try:









Come Lord Jesus
Be our guest
Let these gifts
To us be blessed
Amen



For fruit and milk,
For bread and meat,
For all our food so good to eat
we thank you, God



Thank you, God
For food so good
Please help me do
The things I should.


Our children also like to throw in extra things like Thank you, God, for my brothers, or for my teachers, or for my mom and dad. I think the more personal you make it, the more likely your family will be to start this new tradition. If it just comes from memory it gets to the point where it is just words and has no meaning. But, the above prayers are a good place to start and a way to get comfortable praying if you haven't ever prayed before. Saying grace at the table acknowledges that all things come from God and gives God a seat at your table. What an excellent way to bring calm to your meal. If you haven't ever said "grace" please try it at your next meal. Fold your hands or hold hands around the table and thank God for all he has provided for your family.

Do you want this cute pillow?

My friend Wendy at http://www.aniowamom.com/ has an awesome giveaway. She makes these amazing pillows that you can put your child's name on. I think they are super cute and wanted to tell you all about them. You can win one by going to her blog and leaving a comment there...

http://www.aniowamom.com/an_iowa_mom/2009/11/lets-try-this-again.html#comment-6a00d83451f1c369e20120a6b481f7970b Check it out soon, as she is going to draw on Thanksgiving!