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Weekend Bookend: Special Edition

In honor of my husband's birthday last week, Kurtis is sharing some of reading list. While we both share a love of reading, we have pretty different tastes when it comes to what books we pick up. He loves economical and political readings; I on the other hand enjoy a good novel, especially historical fiction. I also find a lot of gems among young adult authors. Where we do crossover is in Christian living and history. Enjoy these picks from K-man!

Currently reading:

"The Millionaire Mind" by Thomas Stanley

 

This is a book on those millionaires you wouldn't suspect. How can you be rich? It's all about living within your means. Not living above your ability and investing smartly. I've always said (and seen said) that you do what's important to you. 
"I don't have time" just means that it's not high enough on the priority list to "have time" for. If we want to be rich, no matter what your income level, it's about saving, living under your means, and thus not living paycheck to paycheck. The first book (The Millionaire Next Door) was better as this one repeats itself, but both help you understand how to be a wealth accumulator. And wealth isn't a big house and nice cars, but financial security.

Next Up:
"Michael Jordan: The Life" by Roland Lazenby 

I got this book as a Christmas present and have put off reading it because of the length and school. But I'm ready to dive in. I think it's all the more appropriate with talk of Lebron approaching Jordan heights, though I doubt it. It's possible with the physical skills, but we've gotta see those rings. 

Happy Birthday Kurtis!

Happy 29th Birthday to my best friend, my champion, my love! I hope you have a wonderful day!

 

 

Weekend Bookend: Children's Edition

As I mentioned in last week's post, I find a lot of gems among young adult authors. In the words of C.S. Lewis,“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.”
I heartily agree.
Below are some of my favorite books growing up. Enjoy!



I've read this book many times. It's about two best friends, very different from each other, growing up in New York City in the 60s. They go off to summer camp and naturally experience different things. This tests and forges a stronger friendship.



Hitty follows the doll of the same name and her first hundred years of existence. She changes owners many times, travels the country, gets lost in furniture for decades, and is reinvented multiple times. Very delightful story.



I was a weird child. I checked this book out from the library...uh, multiple times. I loved the wordplay and quirky pictures, even at a young age.



See above...this one was cute as well.



This and Mrs. Estes' other works are staples of elementary reading lists. Charming, slice of life stories are what I lean toward. While my tastes have expanded, there is a special place in my heart for these stories.

Of course I also devoured familiar series like "Little House on the Prairie," "The Boxcar Children," "Encyclopedia Brown," and the following series that was a staple of mine for many years...



I was a 90s kid with the same name as an American Girl. Yes, my childhood was golden.


What children's books are your favorites? I would love to see your comments below!

Letter to Your Pre-Teen Self

If you could send a note to your pre-teen self, what would you say? What would you warn against, or how would you encourage your younger self? So much has changed in our culture since even I was that in that awkward tween stage, and the struggles today's pre-teens face are even more intense. Comment below!

                                       

Weekend Bookend

Here's whats on my bookshelf this week:

Currently Reading:
"The Beekeeper's Apprentice" by Laurie R. King

Already in love with this book. It's the first in a series about a young woman who becomes Sherlock Holmes' apprentice/partner. King does an amazing job of painting a backdrop that's believable; believable that these 2 opposites connect so well together. Perfect summer reading - and it's a series! Yay! It's even available via the Overdrive app so you can start reading this book for free right now. 

Want to Read:

"A Wind in the Door" by Madeleine L'Engle

I decided why not read the whole series? This is the next book in the "Time" quartet and I am excited to start this book this weekend!



Bonus:
Listening to:
Hillsong United "Empires" album


What books do you remember being your favorite as a kid? Comment below!

Changes Coming Soon

As I continue to pursue the writing path God has laid before me, I feel the constant urging to create and curate content on the blog, even if I don't see the end game yet. I am working to learn and improve what appears here and one of the ways I'll be doing that is switching platforms in the near future from Blogger to Wordpress.

More options, more professional, more better. You get the idea.

Also in the works is a name change for the blog.

Note to Self was initially inspired by this sticky note and the picture below:

I was experimenting with some pictures one day, and stuck these notes on a mirror. They're nothing spectacular, but later on when I started my blog, I remembered this phrase and realized a lot of times that's why I would write. I would need to remind myself of God's truth. If anyone else benefited, then it was a bonus!

Not too long after that, the Lord led me to these words in Isaiah 50:

“The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear..." Isaiah 50:4

Let me be clear. I don't say this to pat myself on the back. But in these verses I do recognize the spiritual gifts of teaching and encouragement, my stronger gifts. Here it is put into beautiful words. In order to share any words of worth with anyone, I first need to hear from God. My ear needs to be open to him.

Fast forward to last week. I read these verses in the version above (NKJV), which I don't normally, and my spirit latched onto the phrase "a word in season."

A word in season.

Even if not everyone comments directly on the blog, I often hear that a post was "just what they needed." That's God, not me. He knew you needed to read something, and I am only a vessel to get that word to you.

It's not ready to launch, but in the next few weeks "Note to Self" will become "A Word in Season" and the permanent address will be mrshanni.com.

I'm still working on transferring content, but I'm excited for the updates. I'll keep you posted, and keep an eye out for the new site!