Seaside

Last week was a bit nuts-o.
Super early mornings in the kitchen (ah-hem, 6am).
Late night dinners (7pm).

But this view on Wednesday (Tues, Thursday? can't remember) kinda made it totally worth the early morning.
We had a tiny bit of snow and arctic temperatures.
Didn't so much like the single digit temps in the morning.
But let's focus on that view shall we?

I don't think I will ever get tired of living on the water.
I just won't.
Just being beside it, seeing it, hearing it, is like balm to my soul.
We were meant for each other, the seaside and me.

Love adventure

I've been reading like crazy lately.
Had to talk about this one...

I read Love Does before Christmas, but forgot to post about it.
It was a perfect book for me to read at the end of the year.
Right before it was time to start a brand new year.
I also love when you read a book at the exact right time.

By that I mean this...
There are times when I pick up a book, and it's good, but it just doesn't hit me at the right time.  I will usually end up abandoning it before I finish reading the whole thing.
Then there are times when it's like the author is speaking what has been resonating in my soul, but I didn't have the words to articulate it.  I feel at one with the intentions and direction they are taking me.  It's like whispers from the Lord.  Gives me chills.

Anyway, Love Does is a fantastic book.  I read it just 3 short days, which is incredible for me because I read very little non-fiction.  I have a hard time reading non-fiction and sticking with it to the end of the book.
Goff's style is very similar to Donald Miller (who just so happens to write the forward and is a friend of the author).  Easy going, simple statements packed with truth.

I knew I was going to love it the moment I read the first sentence...

"I do all of my best thinking on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland."

It is a book full of adventure.  Full of love.  Full of doing instead of just thinking about it.  It's a book about loving like Jesus did and letting Him lead us where He needs us.  It's about letting go of our own little plans and ideas and being open to what He has.

Truthfully, it was a breath of fresh air to my soul.  I needed it.  I craved those words.  It was like God whispering to my heart the entire time.

Give it a try.  I bet you will love it too.

*Bob Goff (@bobgoff) on Twitter is one of my favorites.  His words always prompt me to reflect.

music obsession

I'm incredibly OCD (that's pretty much a verb and adjective now, right?).

I obsess over things I like until I'm basically sick to death of them.  

At this moment, these two songs are pretty much "it". 

I put them on repeat for a ridiculous amount of time.

An hour, maybe?  

Over and over and over.

Each time I find a new note or section I love more and more.

They are my go-to when I'm working on Bible Study, especially.  

*side note: in college, I was one of those weird people who couldn't study in the library because I would get so distracted people-watching.  Instead, I would hide in my room and blast instrumental movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans got me through most of those years).  That was my study help. 

You know Jack Black's character, Miles, from The Holiday?

That part when they are in the video store and he is playing the soundtrack game with Kate Winslet's Iris? 

That is so me.

Soundtrack nerd.

ps: my niece loves silly face photos.  She will do them for a long, long time.  And this photo-loving-Auntie is in heaven the whole time.  This is my new favorite, favorite, favorite of her.  Just a snap with the iPhone in a perfectly sunny lit room with the snow outside as the perfect white reflector.  Needs to go on the wall, don't you think?

Read this one

I finished The Age of Miracles last night.

It had one of the most original ideas I've read in a long time.

It reminded me so much of Another Earth in its tone and the feel of it.

The story is about a girl who lives in a time when the Earth begins to slow.  The days become longer and life changes in a thousand different ways because of this.  I haven't been able to stop thinking about the whole concept of "the slowing" as it was called in the book. I won't go into too much detail because that was such an interesting part of the book.  Finding out what changed when the Earth's rotation began to slow.

As for the story itself, well, I wasn't sure how to describe it.  I went to get a link to write this post and I saw that someone had reviewed in on Amazon and called it "hollow".  Yes, that's the word that I would use.

First of all, this should have been a young adult novel, yet it is found in the regular fiction section.  The story centers around an 11 year old girl (she always seemed a bit older to me).  It is told in her voice.

Second, while the whole concept is incredibly interesting and creates the desire to continually turn the page to find out what happens, the actual story is very shallow.  The ending was just strange.  Hollow.  So much on the outside and yet, not much substance when you look a little deeper.

Third, the title seems out of place to me.  A little deceiving.  

However, I did enjoy it.  It did keep me turning the pages and wanting to know what happened.  There are ideas in it that will stick with me for a long, long time.  Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy a good sci fi twist in your story.  

A whole new year

(sledding at my sister's during the holidays)

It's a whole new year.
Whew.
2012 was rather uneventful in this little corner of the internet.
Kinda makes me sad inside.

On a happier note...
it's a whole NEW year!
I love new beginnings.
Starting all over with a clean slate.
Brand new.

Here are a few things that have been on my radar lately:

Downton Abbey.  It's back.  And it's better than ever.  Won't say any more because no one likes a spoiler.

ESV Study Bible in a Year Plan on YouVersion.  I haven't done the whole Bible in one year since college.  Randomly at the end of 2012, the Lord told me it was time to do it again.  I'm really loving this plan.  Loving how easy it is on my phone too.

365.  I'm less than a week away from finishing my Instgram 365.  I can't even believe it.  A whole year of photos.

The Impossible.  I loved this 200% more than I loved Les Mis (so disappointing).  It was hauntingly mesmerizing.  Seriously.  Go see it.  One the big screen.  And try your hardest not to cry, but I bet you will.

Divergent.  One of the most fun books I've read in a while. I could not put this down on my long road trip over the holidays.  I have the second book waiting on my shelf right after I finish The Age of Miracles, which I am completely engrossed in.