More Time Buried In Books

Hoping to do more reading this year than I did last year.

Less TV.
Less time browsing facebook.
More time buried in books.

Here's what I'm hoping to find time for this year:

The Irresistible Revolution

Follow Me

A Fault in Our Stars

Grace Based Parenting

I Am Malala

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? 

Daring Greatly

A Place at the Table

Freefall to Fly

Cold Tangerines
Restless
Anything
Team of Rivals
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy
Just Courage
Ketchup is a Vegetable

Used to shake my head at the people who read mostly nonfiction.
Now I'm the girl who reads mostly nonfiction.
Funny how things change.

What are YOU hoping to read this year?
Anything good you'd like to share?
Do tell, friends. Do tell. 

2013: What I Read and What I Wrote

I'm gonna be honest here for a second and confess something to you: I didn't really nearly as much last year as I have in years past. My reading time this year was instead used for adoption fundraising and Noonday (both of which happen to be great things that I love dearly). You can check out all that I'd hoped to read here. However, I did sneak in a few quality and a few not-as-quality books last year that I'd like to share with you.

Books that changed me: 

Forgotten God ****

Sparkly Green Earrings*****

Overextended...and Loving Most of It *****

Books that informed me: 

Adopted for Life****

The Connected Child****

Books that entertained me: 

A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet ****

Beautiful Creatures***

Beautiful Darkness**

Clockwork Princess****

Requiem*****

Shiver*

I'm also embarrassed to admit that I started several books this year and simply didn't finish them. My focus was elsewhere. I plead adoption. However, I am hoping to get to them in the days to come. That's the good thing about books: they'll always wait patiently for you to return. 

My favorite book from 2013: 

Now let's switch gears for a minute and talk about what I wrote in 2013. 

And can I just say that I look forward to writing this post every year because it gives me an excuse to reflect and think about all that 2013 was for me and my family? 

LOVE IT. 

MY FAVORITE POSTS FROM 2013: 

I Get It

Confessions 101

I Am That Mom: Take 3

Cooler than Being a Rockstar

My Opinion on Opinions

147 Million Minus One...Our Huge News

Have I Really Become THAT Mom? 

30 in my 30's: #27 and How I've Changed

We Aren't the Kind of People Who Adopt

The Real Me

And there you have it folks. 

What did YOU read in 2013 that you loved? 

And I'm working on my list for this year. 

Any books I need to read in 2014? 

Do tell. 

Home Sweet Houma

Sometimes you just have to get out of town, you know? 

Well, last week was that time. 

In the spirit of sharing the Noonday goodness, my girl and I loaded up and headed South.

We spent four amazingly amazing days in Louisiana. 

These four days were jam packed with hugging old friends, playing with our cousins, sharing Noonday, 

relishing in childhood memories, and eating. 

Oh, the food. 

I'd forgotten just how incredibly amazing the food is at home. 

Shrimp poboys, gumbo, and crawfish...oh my. 

We rested, we read, and we visited. 

It was just the break we needed. 

Libby and I came home yesterday ready for the business that is sure to be the holidays. 

Too bad the food couldn't come with us. 

This week will be filled with working on our Dossier, working on our Dossier, and working on our Dossier some more. And then, when we think we're done, we'll work on our Dossier some more. However, we're hoping to submit it by the end of the month. Can you say I CAN'T WAIT? I can. 

God gave me a gift. It's a book.

A few months ago, I agreed to write a review for Lisa Harper's book Overextended...and loving most of it!. 

Notice I said a few months ago. 

You see, I hadn't been able to read it yet because lately I've been....well...overextended. 

Lately I have literally felt like I'm being pulled in one too many directions. 

Between family life, Noonday life, and adoption life, there needs to be two of me...and some days really call for three. 

It's not so much that I'm busy. 

I'm always busy. 

I thrive on being busy. 

I haven't NOT been busy since I graduated high school.

But lately I'm busy AND my emotional plate is full. 

Adoption does that to a mom. 

I've been too busy lately to do a lot of the things I love, including reading, which happens to be one of my

 all-time favorite pass-times, right behind white water rafting and loving on babies in Africa. 

And last night I just needed a break. 

I needed to lose myself in a good book. 

Of course, I was too busy yesterday to go to the library, so I headed on over to ye grand ole' bookshelf. 

And what could be more appropriate for a girl in the busiest season of her life

 than a book about being busy? 

I had no idea the gift that God had waiting for me between those pages. 

First, the book was written while the author was in the midst of her own adoption.

I had no idea. 

I picked it and didn't put it down until I'd completely finished. 

It felt like it lasted about thirty minutes....and I wasn't ready for it to be over. 

It was just what I needed on so many levels. 

Every once in a while, the strangest thing happens. 

I get a book I've been waiting to read, yet I suddenly have no immediate desire to read it. 

When I finally get around to it, it just so happens that this book is 100% appropriate for the place I'm in at the moment. 

I like to think of these books as gifts God is giving to me. 

He knows what I need EXACTLY when I need it, and He always meets my needs, even if it's via the words on a written page.  And I'm pretty sure God had Lisa Harper write this book with me in mind. 

I learned from this book. 

It made me laugh. 

It made me cry. 

It drew me into God's word. 

It provided some practical tips to managing the busy times in life. 

It left me feeling refreshed, empowered, and longing for more. 

Lisa Harper, I want to hug you, sister friend.

Your words spoke straight to my heart and made me laugh out loud. 

It was the perfect combination of funny, insightful, and spiritual. 

What have I've got to do to get another chapter or two?

Five of my favorite quotes for those of you who don't read and to encourage you who do to run (don't walk) to grab a copy of this one for you and your favorite busy girlfriend: 

* Life isn't always orderly and relationships rarely fold neatly with hospital corners. Real life....abundant life....God-honoring life is about loving Jesus and the people He allows us to rub shoulders with well. Which means some days we'll be stretched emotionally and physically. We'll be taxed to the max. We'll be exhausted. We'll probably even embarrass ourselves in the process. Thankfully, God can expand our hearts, minds, bodies, and calendars to accommodate our calling.  (pg. 8)

*...God gives us specific directions--even when life is loud and chaotic. All we have to do is listen. (pg. 69)

*...often when we're feeling frazzled, the stress we're experiencing is less about what's taking place in that moment and more about baggage we're still lugging from the past. (pg. 72)

*If you live long enough, disappointment is inevitable. Drama, on the other hand, isn't. (pg. 73)

* I have grown to appreciate every single scar etched into my jar of clay because they prove I put myself out there. I've taken risks. I didn't sit idly on the curb while life passed me by. I'm learning to do the same thing with my heart. If it gets a little dinged in the overextension process, it just proves I trusted Jesus enough to put it out there. Besides, I think God digs chicks with scars. (pg. 193)

Seriously, if you're looking for a book during a busy season in life (emotionally, physically, or both), this is the book for you.

Buy it now, read it when God tells you to. 

*And while I did get a free copy of this book to review, I want to make sure you know that these words, thoughts, and ideas are mine. I was in no way paid to write this...although that would be awesome.*

And be sure to come back to this here blog tomorrow....great things are coming your way. :) 

Mother's Day: What I Want This Year

This Mother's Day I want to be informed. 

I want to know more about other mothers in this world. 

I want to know how I can best instill in my girls a desire to serve God and others. 

I want to teach them what it means to give selflessly. 

I want to know how I can best make a difference in the lives of others. 

I want to better understand what it means to be in need. 

I want to know how my marriage can be the best version of what it is. 

I want to learn how to best display grace for my kiddos. 

I want to be a better mother in every possible way. 

Here are some places I have started and hope to soon start in terms of getting and doing better: 

Half the Sky

A Framework for Understanding Poverty

When Helping Hurts

Teaching with Poverty in Mind

Grace Based Parenting 

Global Girlfriends

Beyond Ordinary 

No Greater Love

Rescueing Hope

One Million Arrows

The older I get, the more I realize that motherhood is the most important job I will ever do. 

And that's something worth taking seriously. 

What is one way YOU hope to grow as a mother this year? 

Are there any resources you'd recommend? 

Happy early Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there who are giving their all each and every day to raise up givers and doers and servers. 

So I Have a Confession....

So I have a confession. 

I love Harry Potter. 

I miss Harry Potter.

And ever sense I finished reading the last Harry Potter (about forty-eight hours after it arrived on my doorstep on the day it was released), I have been trying to find the NEXT Harry Potter.

By that I mean, I've been searching for a story that I would love as much as this one, a story that would challenge my imagination and make my inner child smile from ear to ear. 

In case you missed it, I have an English degree. 

I actually had the highest average in my major not once but TWICE in college. 

I can understand Shakespeare with no problem whatsoever. 

I've had eight years of experience teaching teenagers about Whitman and Poe and Shelley and Dickens. 

And yet, I love young adult fiction.

It's fun and easy and relaxing. 

The stories are interesting and funny and entertaining. 

I don't read them to challenge my mind and test my literary know how; 

I read them because I like them. 

Period. 

Here are some young adult series that I have enjoyed: 

The Divergent Series

The Matched Series

The Delirium Series

The Clockwork Prince Series

The Hunger Games Series

The Twilight Series

The Beautiful Creatures Series

And now you know. 

Give me a dystopian society and a couple hundred pages, and I'm a happy girl. 

Do YOU love young adult  fiction? 

Is there a series I'm missing out on? 

Do tell. 

And if you've read these, which one if your favorite? 

Mine is the Delirium Series, so if you're looking to read one of these, start there. 

You can thank me later. 

Words of Wisdom: A BOOK GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday!

What a better way to start the week with the opportunity to win one of my very favorite things? 

BOOKS!

I've teamed up with some of my favorite bloggers to bring you the WORDS OF WISDOM GIVEAWAY. 

Each of us will be giving a way a book that inspired us to be and do better. 

Friends, I'd like you to meet Lindsy, Ashley, Tiffany, and Wynne. 

I choose to give away a copy of 7 by Jen Hatmaker. 

I originally read it last spring and blogged about it here, and I liked it so much that I also just recently completed the new 7 Bible Study with a group of friends. In 7, Jen Hatmaker talks about our struggle with excess and takes us through an experiment she did to help cut back on the excess in seven different areas in her own life. 

Some of the lines that stuck out to me when I read it include: 

-Sometimes conviction is mistaken for guilt......

-"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

-I spend more just on clothes in one year than the average Ethiopian family earns in almost five.

-I'm tired of calling the suffering "brothers and sisters" when I'd NEVER allow my biological siblings to suffer likewise.

-There is something so marvelous about women comfortable in their own skin.

-We get one shot at living to expand the kingdom, fighting for justice.

-We like our stuff. We need our things. Usually the things we think we need become the very things we need a break from.

Seriously, get excited. 

This book rocked my perspective, and I'm sure the others are the list are equally amazing. 

ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL WIN ALL FIVE BOOKS!

Once you enter to win here, head over to Wynne (The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson),Lindsy Radical by David Platt), Ashley (Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne), and Tiffany (Dangerous Surrender by Kay Warren)  blogs to enter the giveaways!

If you do recall, Radical is one of my all-time FAVORITE books. And in case you're looking for some more good reads, here's a list that might help. 

The giveaway ends Friday at midnight. 

Happy entering to you and you and you! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2013: Hoping to Read

What can I say? I'm nerdy and enjoy making lists. Here's what I hope to read this year (aka an ever-changing list I keep in my phone so that whenever I hear about a new good read, I can make note of it before it flies out my head, as good thoughts so often do-- I am a mom, afterall.)

Books I hope to learn from:

Forgotten God
Erasing Hell
Get Out of That Pit
The Connected Child
Unglued
Grace Based Parenting
Love Does
Beyond Ordinary
No Greater Love
A Thousand Sisters
The Ragamuffin Gospel
Rescuing Hope
Dancing in the Glory of Monsters
One Million Arrows
There is No Me Without You
Same Kind of Different as Me
Cold Tangerines
Hole in the Gospel
The Life You Can Save
One in a Million

Books I hope will entertain me:

Requiem
Reached
Clockwork Princess
Divergent, part 3 (doesn't have an official title yet)
Unlocked
The Shack
Me Talk Pretty One Day
Sarah's Key
One Hundred Years of Solitude
The Fire

What are YOU hoping to read this year? Read any of these? Would love to hear your thoughts. And in case you missed what I read in 2012, you can find that here. 

And don't miss out on week three of the Noonday blog train!

2012: What I Read and What I Wrote

I read ALMOST everything on my 2012 reading list, and read almost twice as many books as I did last year. Apparently, my love for Karen Kingsbury hasn't gone anywhere, although this year I did make an effort to read more books with bigger meanings, books I could learn from and grow from. I also read several books that are parts of trilogies, making my 2013 reading list already filled with books that I am itching to get my hands on.

Here they are in no particular order, but I did rate them with the five stars system in case you're thinking about checking some of them out in the future.

Books that changed me:

Redeeming Love (Blogged about it here) *****

7 (Blogged about it here) *****

Crazy Love (Blogged about it here)*****

Bloom (Blogged about it here)*****

Radical*****

Thriving in Cross Cultural Ministry**

Interrupted****

When Helping Hurts (Blogged about it here)*****

Half the Sky*****

1000 Gifts***

Books that entertained me:

Matched (Blogged about it here)***

Crossed***

Longing (Blogged about it here)****

The Best of Me (Blogged about it here)*

Clockwork Angel (Blogged about it here) ****

Clockwork Prince****

Shades of Blue***

Loving****

The Baxter Family: Coming Home****

Insurgent****

Delirium*****

Pandemonium*****

My Top Favorites for the Year:

My top favorite posts from this year: 

The Girl with the Jazz Shoes

True Beauty: The Women of Malawi

My Little Libby

Cancer Doesn't Win

The Boy with the Finger

The Truth Is

The End of a Chapter

Defining Motherhood Moments

It's What Best Friends Do

Year 31: What I Learned

Happiest of Happy

While I didn't necessarily write MORE posts this year than I did last year, I do feel like I wrote more QUALITY posts this year than I did last year.
Yay for quality over quanity.

What did YOU read last year that you loved??? 
Still putting the finishing touches on my list for 2013.

And don't forget: my Noonday blog train giveaway is still up through Sunday.
Yesterday's scarf giveaway ends Saturday, and today's earring giveaway ends Saturday as well.
Hope you'll stop by and support my fellow ambassadors.

If you need me, I'll be busy trying to figure out how this little girl is possibly ready to turn three on Saturday. That can't be real life, right?

Loving Lately

God never ceases to absolutely amaze me. Here lately, I've been in awe of the people He has put into my life. Just over two years ago, Africa wasn't even on my radar. It didn't consume my thoughts. I knew very, very little about the people, their culture, and their hearts. I didn't know anyone who was especially interested in Africa or had ever been to Africa to serve and help. And I certainly had no desire to quit my job in an attempt to work full-time to better the lives and situations of those living there. 

And then God opened my eyes. 

And not only did He open my eyes, but He has brought several people into my life in the past two years whose hearts are also full with love for this land far, far away. He has gifted me with friends who share my passion. 

And one of them is this girl.

Laura Beth is truly one of the most AMAZING, INSPIRING people I have ever met. Why she wants to spend time with me blows my mind. She recently returned from spending two months in Uganda and Kenya, and there is so much I can learn from her about giving and serving. We had dinner last night, and in the midst of the week I've had with my grandmother (who is really, really not doing well), time with her was a breath of  fresh air. To me, Laura Beth is a big flashing sign that says, "McCall, God loves you." 

I am so overwhelming grateful for people like her who have come into my life. 

And in addition to loving laughing until I almost cry and catching up on all the amazing things God is doing in her life and what her next steps to serve will be, I am also loving these things this week:

-This post by my favorite blogging where she openly shares how being a mom may not always be the most fun thing, but it is oh so worth it.

-The talented lady who designed this here blog has had some big news as of late. So excited for all God is doing in her family.

-I have been praying hard for little Amon. Join me?

- I have started doing this Bible study with a group of ladies at my church. So excited to see how God will use it to teach and grow my heart.

- Did you get the chance to watch the Half the Sky mini-series this week on PBS? If you missed it, you can watch in online until October 9th. I'm reading the book behind the show now, and it's blowing my mind. Women can give so much to our world, and yet, so many cultures continue to view them as 'lesser' for whatever reason. I honestly believe that all women everywhere should take note and take action.

Here's hoping your agenda this week is filled with pumpkin patch visits, coffee dates with dear friends, and some time to cuddle up with a good book. 

Speaking of good book, I leave for Malawi two weeks from today, and I am STILL on the hunt for something good to read on my very long plane rides. Thoughts? 

7: A Review

While I was at Created for Care, I picked up a copy of this book. It was the last one on the shelf, and I heard it calling my name from across the room. And now, after finishing it in two days, I want to make sure you don't miss out on the goodness that is 7.

This book is about what I suppose is best called an experiment by Jen Hatmaker. Over the period of ten months, Jen (and her family and friends) took part in seven, four-week ventures, each of which focused on cutting back on the excess in our lives and focusing on drawing closer to God.

Her 7 categories?

Clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media, and stress.

The last one will be getting its own post later this week, but for now I want to share with you about why I loved this book. Do you ever feel like God sends you certain books at certain times in your life? This book came to me at THE PERFECT TIME, when cutting back on the fluff and focusing on the marrow is already at the fore-front of my mind. This book was great in that it not only encouraged me to cut back on the useless (or at least seemingly useless) excess that sometimes hoards all of our attention and focus on living a more Godly life.

Yes, please.

Some of the sentences I highlighted or underlined:

-Sometimes conviction is mistaken for guilt......

-"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

-I spend more just on clothes in one year than the average Ethiopian family earns in almost five.

-I'm tired of calling the suffering "brothers and sisters" when I'd NEVER allow my biological siblings to suffer likewise.

-There is something so marvelous about women comfortable in their own skin.

-We get one shot at living to expand the kingdom, fighting for justice.

-We like our stuff. We need our things. Usually the things we think we need become the very things we need a break from.

Curious yet? GO GET A COPY. ORDER ONE RIGHT NOW. RUN, DON'T WALK to the local library. The message Jen gives about the ways that LIVING is consuming our LIVES is undeniable; I am desperate for my life to be about more than the latest fashion trends, the popular new TV show, and keeping every restaurant in town in business. While the section on possessions literally had me debating leaving work early to hurry home and clean out every closet in my house, I was surprised by how much I learned from the section on waste. I certainly need to do more to take care the world in which I live. And like I said, the section on stress and my response to it, is getting its own post later this week.

This book confirmed the way I was already feeling. And to be honest, parts of it made me feel ashamed and even disgusted by where our (as a country) and my (as an individual) priorities are sometimes. It was a much-welcomed push in my life to make some much needed changes in my life.

If you read it or have read, please leave a comment letting me know what you thought. I'd love to hear how God used this experiment to broaden your horizon and draw you nearer to Him.

Next on my reading list? Crazy Love by Francis Chan. No, I haven't read it yet. Yes, I realize it's been out for quite a while. Again, I think God waited until NOW to put this book in my hands. We shall see.

Oh, and I officially paid a deposit today for my new blog design. Can't wait to get started on my new look! Any suggestions? What's the best looking blog you've ever seen? I would LOVE your ideas and thoughts on this.

Here's hoping your weekend was way less busy than mine; pretty sure I'll need to sleep until Tuesday to recover from this jam-packed weekend.

Chocolate Socks: An Interview with THE Holly Durst

Last week I had the honor of interviewing THE Holly Durst, and it turns out I was right:
she really IS best friend forever (aka the notorious bff) material.

 Need proof? This should take care of that.

This picture is being borrowed from Holly's website. It was too adorable to not use in this post.

1. She is SO nice. Like, we were only supposed to talk for fifteen minutes and we talked for more like thirty kind of nice. And I'm pretty sure we could have easily kept going. Love, love, love her.

2. She was at home doing laundry while we chatted it up, probably folding her socks while I went on and on about how we should be friends.

3. She is not only working a full-time job at her soon-to-be-hubby's dental office, but she's also promoting her book AND planning her upcoming wedding. Hats off to you, Holly; that's some serious multi-tasking.

4. After I tweeted the link, Holly read my blog post about her. She offered to answer all of my silly questions. While I didn't entirely take her up on this for fear of running out of time, I DID ask her where she shops. I couldn't help myself. Have you SEEN her? She's adorable all. the. time. Her answer? Forever 21. Girl makes magic things happen there, apparently. She may or may not be my reality star hero.

You love her already, don't you?

Yup, I thought that might do the trick.

Well, her book arrived in the mail the other day, and I couldn't get enough of it either...must be some of Holly that rubbed off on it.

After just one peek, Libby was smitten.

And in case the cover doesn't make you want to RUN to your nearest bookstore or hop on over to hollydurst.com to order your copy, maybe this will.

Here's what Holly had to say about her book:

ME: WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF THE PUBLISHING PROCESS?

Holly: Finding a publisher. Everybody tries to publish books. I sent several letters in to so many places. I was going to end up self-publishing it.It beats up your self-esteem. And I actually met with someone about how the self-publishing process works, and they picked it up to publish it.

ME: WHAT CHILDREN'S BOOK DID YOU LIKE MOST AS A CHILD?

Holly: My favorite was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

I got it for my birthday and memorized the whole thing.

ME:  WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE SOCKS?

Holly: The book is really to encourage children to follow their dreams. I really hope they don't stop because someone tells them it's a crazy dream.

ME: IS THERE ANOTHER PROJECT IN THE WORKS?

Holly: The wedding! Not a book project, but a huge project.

ME: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WANTING TO TAKE STEPS TOWARDS BEING A CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR?

Holly: Be patient! Patience is key. It took me six years to accomplish something I wanted to do.

ME: WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE ADULT AUTHORS?

Holly: Emily Giffin. She's written five, and I've read them all. I actually met her right before Bachelor Pad at a book signing. She looked at me and said, "There's something about you." She was right, I did have a big backstory. After the show, she wrote me on Twitter and follows me there, which is crazy. She has inspired me to write  a novel.

We also talked about crazy fans and the things they say, Dr. Seuss, and whether or not we'll be seeing more of Holly on The Bachelor or Bachelor Pad. She's not sure about that one, but I sure hope so. Needless to say, I think Holly is just wonderful, and her new book could not possibly be any cuter.

It's a sweet little story about a girl who combines her two favorite things and really encourages kids to follow their dreams and use their imaginations. The pictures are fun; the language is fun; the story is fun. I highly recommend giving it a looksie. AND, if you order it from Holly's website, she'll sign your copy for you. Can't beat that.

Here's hoping your Tuesday was the best of all Tuesdays.

 Only three days until I leave for my retreat.

 I CANNOT wait. Have I said that already?