The Gospel Of Ideas

The following is an excerpt from a book I recently read “Searching for God Knows What” by author Donald Miller. I enjoy Miller’s conversational style writing and this particular passage reminded me of many conversations that I’ve had with fellow Christ-followers. Read the passage and see if you know the answer to the question he asked the group of students in class. I would love to know your thoughts regarding this; feel free to leave a comment. My comments are moderated, so if your response is of a personal nature, I won’t publish it. Some things need to remain private.

“So removed is our understanding of the gospel as a relational invitation that recently, while teaching a class of Bible college students, I presented a form of the gospel but left out a key element, to see if they would notice. I told them in advance that I was going to leave out a critical element of the gospel, and I asked them to listen carefully to figure out the missing piece.

I told them man was sinful, and this was obvious when we looked at the culture we lived in. I pointed out specific examples of depravity including homosexuality, abortion, drug use, song lyrics on the radio, newspaper headlines, and so on. Then I told the class that man must repent, and showed them Scriptures that spoke firmly of this idea. I used the true-life example I heard from a preacher about a man in Missouri who, warning people of a bridge that had collapsed, shot a flare gun directly at oncoming cars so they would stop before they drove over the bridge to their deaths. I said I was like that man, shooting flares at cars, and they could be mad at me and frustrated, but I was saving their lives, because the wages of sin is death, and they had to repent in order to see heaven. I then pointed to Scripture about the wages of sin being death, and talked at length about how sin separates us from God.

Then I spoke of the beauty of morality, and told a story of a friend who chose not to cheat on his wife and so now enjoy the fruits of his marriage, committed in love to his wife, grateful that he never betrayed the purity and beauty of their relationship. I talked about heaven and how great it will be to walk on streets of gold and how there will probably be millions of miles of mountains and rivers and how great it will be to fish those rivers and sit with our friends around a fire beneath a mountain peak that reaches up into stars so thick we could barely imagine the beauty of the expanse. I gave the class statistics regarding teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, going into detail about what it is they would be saved from if they would only repent, and how their lives could be God-honoring and God-centered and this would give them a sense of purity and a feeling of fulfillment on earth, and that God would provide for them in relationships and in finances and in comfort.

When I was done, I rested my case and asked the class if they could tell me, “What did I leave out of the gospel presentation?” I waited as a class of Bible college students - who that year, had read several textbooks about Christian theology, who had read the majority of the Bible, all of whom had taken an evangelism class only weeks before in which they went door-to-door to hundreds of homes and shared their faith using pamphlets that explained the gospel, who had grown up in Christian homes attending strong evangelical churches, who had taken both New Testament Introduction and Old Testament Introduction - sat there for several minutes in uncomfortable silence. None of the forty-five students in the class knew the answer.”

Do you? What did Mr. Miller leave out? I’ll conclude this in a few days, but I would love to hear your response.

Francine Rivers Has Published A New Book...Finally!

Francine Rivers, probably the best Christian Fiction author on the market today (IMHO), FINALLY has a new book on shelves.   Her first Christian Fiction book, Redeeming Love, changed my opinion of the CF market simply because she addresses tough topics.  Maybe her books are so good because she doesn't publish frequently; therefore, spending more time developing her characters and focusing on the story she wants to beautifully illustrate.  Whatever the reason, I am thankful her latest book, Her Mother's Hope,  now sets impatiently on my nightstand waiting for me to savor the magic each evening.   If I go missing for the next few days, you'll know where I am. 

By the way, It is National Library Week!  

Do you have a library card?  

Do you visit your local library? 

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

From Boys to Men

As a mother, I am always looking for quality reading material for myself and my sons.   I look for material that will encourage me to guide my sons, as well as engaging material that will inspire my sons to become strong, capable, and responsible men.   When I ran across these books by Bob Schultz, I knew I had struck GOLD!

Created For Work: Practical Insights for Young Men - This book is chocked full of  real life stories to teach young men what it means to become hard workers.   Witty and applicable in today's culture, this book offers tools and insight into giving a honest day's work.  Recommended for ages 9-13 but applicable for any age;  I read this one aloud to my sons.  We laughed and talked our way through every chapter and learned so much about work ethics.

Boyhood and Beyond: Practical Wisdom for Becoming a Man  - The author shares personal anecdotes and practical stories dealing with different issues boys will encounter as they move into manhood.   Topics discussed include: honesty, forgiveness, being "manly," leadership, worship, and respecting girls in preparation for loving their future wife.  Boys can read the book alone and record their responses in a journal. Ideal to read and discuss each chapter with a father, grandfather, or mentor. For ages 9-13.  This book set the foundation for some great conversations in our home.

Practical Happiness:  A Young Mans Guide to a Contented Life - Again, a timely applicable book that gives advice to young men on how true happiness comes from their attitude and response to life's situations rather than seeking the materialistic.   Don't we all need that information?!

For pricing, ordering and more details regarding each book....go here.   In my opinion, you will not find better information available for young men.  If you've read these books I would enjoy hearing your opinion.   What books for young men have you read and recommend?   I would love to know.

I have been blessed with amazing sons.  It has been and continues to be a honor to watch them grow from boys to men.  Love you guys!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Guest Blog Book Review - Do Hard Things

I realize it has been nearly three weeks since I have posted, but since Memorial Day weekend, I've been busy, busy, busy. I have not forgotten you and I have some funny things to share regarding my last give away (Ruby, I got the pictures), and general life topics (I've been told my children are abnormal) happening around me. Please hang with me and I promise to be back on some type of schedule next week.

Sometimes a book comes across my path that impacts me in a huge way. The book Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris is one. Because I feel so strongly regarding the topic this books covers and because I did not think I could do it justice, I invited a friend to guest blog for me. Actually, we have a common interest in this particular book and he wrote a post on his blog regarding it. I begged him to please allow me to use his post and give him all the credit. He graciously said yes. I've copied and pasted it, but you will also want to visit his blog at: http://tonyctoday.blogspot.com/

Monday, June 8, 2009
The world might make it after all...

From time to time, I do a little teenager bashing on here. Much of it can be easily justified by something stup...excuse me...ridiculous my own teenager has said or done (I can no longer use the stupid word by decree of Mrs. Tony C). Having a teenage girl coupled with an approaching terrible two's toddler gives me greater understanding of the plight of Job. As a matter of fact, there are days I'd rather sit around and scrape scabs to open wounds than listen to one more lame excuse trying to justify the funky smell emitting from a certain person's room or the lack of appropriate attire that coincides with current weather patterns. UGGGHHHH!But that's not my direction today...as a matter of fact, I'm going a completely different way...hopefully for good.

While on vacation last week, I managed to get in some long overdue casual reading. Oh, I read a lot daily, but keeping up with the world today requires reading or watching or listening to a plethora of daily scoop....so casual/leisure reading often takes a back seat...or would toilet seat be more accurate. I digress...One of the books I was determined to work through was Do Hard Things by Alex and Brent Harris. I had heard and read good reviews about the book and the premise that teenagers are tired of the low expectation placed on them as a group from society. Interesting....but I needed more information. Wow! Starting with the Forward by none other than Chuck Norris, this book grabbed and convicted me. The book is not complex, yet it challenges the core belief in most adults today that teenagers are a lazy bunch looking for the path of least resistance in life. You find yourself quickly on the battlefields of WW II where the fate of the world often was in the hands of 17 or 18 years old on both sides of the fight. There are examples from Biblical times up to present day of teenagers making major impact in the world. Also, Do Hard Things is a book on faith. The authors proudly testify about the impact Christ has made in their own lives. The book won't keep your teenagers out of trouble. Instead, it challenges both them and you to put God at the center and strive to achieve your fullest potential by...well...doing hard things.

I've got to admit, the book has had a profound impact on the way I view and deal with my own teenager. Even though I hold her to high expectations (or so I thought), I still place limits on her ability to make a major impact for God and for herself in the world....and it's not just her. Working with youth at church can often be frustrating and painful, but now I see that I create a lot of the negative feelings I have because my own actions and words project low expectations from the get-go. Read this book. If you have children, work with youth or if you've ever been a teenager...read this book! I'm very glad it was suggested to me (thanks Rosie), and I did. Be warned that your toes might get stepped on like mine did...but in the end...it's well worth the self-reflection and renewed faith that everything will be okay when the kids of today get their chance to run things. We should expect that from them.

Serious.Life Magazine

I wanted you to know about this publication I’m a part of called Serious.Life Magazine. They just published the March issue today, and I am in their Blog Directory. They also published a photo of my boys, so I am very excited. It’s a very high quality magazine… you’ll really like it. The magazine includes a lot of great content from bloggers you’ll appreciate, as well as great features, photos and other content. The magazine is owned and published by a family who have seven kids, three adopted and one who has Leukemia (http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/). The magazine gives away a bunch of ads to charities and ministries. Besides great articles on interesting people, there is a lot about family, adoption, personal finance, spiritual life, humor… all sorts of “life” topics. Again, the subscription is FREE, and I know you’ll enjoy the magazine, so take a minute to check it out and sign up to get future issues. http://www.seriouslifemagazine.com/

Read Any Good Books Lately?

Read any good books lately? Well, actually, YES! I cannot always say that from week to week, but I have been on a “Boy Howdy, that was a mighty good book,” reading spree lately. Being sick for a week had its advantages because it gave me time to catch up on the stack of books piled on my nightstand. Moreover, one kind-hearted soul sent me a book to read while my flu-ridden body fought the germ battle. It was hand to nose combat for a few days but my immune system conquered. Badum-ching!

The Fisherman by Larry Huntsperger was a delightful hidden find on the bookshelf from the library where I work, no less. How this book flew in under my radar and sat on the shelf without my knowledge is beyond me! I stumbled across this story one day while shelf reading (that’s glamorous library lingo for making sure books are alphabetized). Disguised as “historical fiction”, this well written first person narrative of Simon Barjona, better known as Peter, tells his story from a fresh perspective. Staying true to the Gospel stories and in chronological order of events, Peter tells the reader about his first encounter with Jesus, shares his doubts, worries, hopes and fears, demonstrates his love, loyalty, denial, then finally exposing his pain and realization of forgiveness. I found myself identifying with Peter in many areas, especially the outspoken buffoon and denial parts. What touched me most was Peter slowly seeing Jesus first as a man, then friend and later God. “For, if we cannot see him correctly as man, we have no hope of understanding him correctly as our God." This book will not disappoint and I can guarantee you will want to hand it to a friend and say, “You must read this!”

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani is also a great read. She has been one of my favorite secular authors since she wrote Big Stone Gap, and since this little town is “down the road apiece” from my little town; it made us small town sisters. We even wear the same Cherries in the Snow Lipstick by Revlon. Have I ever met this author? Well, no. However, I just know we would BBFF! A total chick read, women would especially enjoy this story. In this luscious, contemporary family saga, the Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes since 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. The company is on the verge of financial collapse. It falls to thirty-three-year-old Valentine Roncalli, the talented and determined apprentice to her grandmother, the master artisan Teodora Angelini, to bring the family's old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century and save the company from ruin. Can she do it? Well, laugh yourself through this book to find out. Beware, her work is addicting! I think this book is first in a trilogy – Hallelujah!

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn is a Novel In Letters. Wickedly creative and well written, this book serves two purposes. The first being to make you laugh. It is charming and funny and if you love language and word games, you will find this delightful. The author’s second purpose is to make you ponder freedom of speech. This cautionary and satirical tale is set on the fictional island of Nollop, which lies off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop, named after Nevine Nollop who coined the phrase “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog,” the phrase that uses all the letter of the alphabet. Because of this accomplishment, Mr. Nollop is raised to a god-like town figure. After his death, the Island Council builds a memorial with his famous phrase etched onto tiles around his memorial. Everything is nearly utopia on this island until the letter “Z” tile falls from the memorial. What happens next in this rollicking funny, sometimes troubling account of how one small country tries to ban free speech? Well, let me just say watching your “p’s” and “q’s” has never been so relevant.

Three good books in a row are rare but a surprising joy when you find them. Good books remind me to trudge on in the writing game. Maybe one day, one day, one day, someone will say, “Rosie wrote a good book and you should read it.”

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

1958 Through Golden Windows

Working at a public library has some advantages especially since I homeschool. Resources for teaching are at my disposal. I am always on the lookout for books to supplement the curriculum we use. One great advantage are the used books that come through our library doors any given day. Most of this material is unusable for a public library; therefore, what cannot be cataloged is sold. The staff gets first dibs on what they want to purchase before the public. When this set of books came through the door, I was on them like a "chicken on a June bug" as we say here in Tennessee.

To say these books are great is an understatement. Published in 1958 by Grolier when moral values for children's books were still politically correct, this set of anthologies is chocked full of stories to encourage reading and learning. Taken together, these books represent five large areas of interest: fun and humor, adventure, children everywhere, the story of America and science. For each area there are two volumes, one for children of pre-school and primary age, and the other for intermediate grade readers. As a child grows in reading power, he may move from Mostly Magic to Fun and Fantasy or for the adventurer Wonderful Things Happen to Adventures Here and There. For the history buff: Stories of Early America eventually to American Backgrounds and for the science enthusiasts, Wide Wonderful World to Man and His World.

You will find fairy tales in their original version before it was offensive to toss the witch from Hansel in Gretel into the oven. Just being honest here folks. Creation is referenced in the science books, patriotism is still the main theme in history and cultural differences are viewed in a positive way. These gems are all over E-Bay for different prices depending on the condition. I paid $10.00 for the 10 volume set in good condition but now that I have used them, I would willingly pay five times that amount. They are worth every penny!

Plus, for the completely shallow part of me, they are beautiful and look great on my bookshelf.

These books have worked-for-me and I plan on keeping them and reading them to my grand babies in a land far, far away from now. Visit Shannon at Rocks-In-My-Dryer for more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas. Take time to look at her blog while you are there, she is great!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Same or Different? That is the Question

This has just been a crappy week for me health wise. I am so thankful to have been healthy all spring and summer, not even a cold, but I guess it was about time for me to remember the, “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything” rule. After wrestling a panic attack last Monday, and finally feeling “normal” on Wednesday, my back decided to teach me a lesson in humility and put me flat out on Saturday. I have never experienced the kind of pain I experienced on Saturday, not even during childbirth. A heating pad and strong painkillers were my best friends although they did very little good. I missed Church on Sunday which I dislike doing especially since I am responsible for teaching a great group of Middle School girls. I prepared my lesson, had it all ready to go for Sunday morning, but couldn’t stand up. I am feeling some better this evening and hope with another nights sleep and rest, I will once again speak without moaning or slurring my words in a drug induced stupor. So there you go, enough about my ailments. Don’t you just want to say, “shut up” to those people who talk about their aches and pains all the time? For you youngsters under forty – just wait, your time is coming!

I’ve read three books in the past two weeks and am working on a forth. I get in a Non-Fiction kick occasionally and want to read what is really happening in the world rather than what is imagined. To feed my curious appetite for world events, Joel Rosenberg’s Epicenter closed some gaps I had in my understanding of the happenings in Israel, Iraq, and Iran. Although this author has written mostly fiction material, some of his theories in his fiction work have eerily come true. His book Epicenter explains his conclusions of these theories and I believe it is because he is truly tuned in to the happenings in the Middle East. I become very tired of the bias national news so it is refreshing to read a different perspective from someone who has a heart for the nation of Israel. I think he is worth reading, so I also read his blog. You might check him out if you are interested in this topic.

I also read Mistaken Identity, which is the true story of the look-alike girls who were switched after a tragic accident a couple of years ago. This is an incredible story of two families who rejoiced and grieved over the loss of a daughter. If you missed this story in the headlines when it happened, then you are especially in for a real shocker if you read the book. Without giving the story away, let me just say, it is totally unthinkable that this could happen. God has a plan; only through Him can great good be brought from such tragedy. Have some tissue handy.

Occasionally an amazing book will slip under the radar from me, thus is the case of Same Kind of Different As Me. This was recommended to me by a childhood friend who had read my review of The Shack. Since I work in a library, I don’t usually purchase books. If our library does not have a book, I can usually do an Inter Library Loan (ILL) from across the state and find any book I am interested in reading. However, since this book was recommended from a friend whom I highly regard, I bought the book for our library collection. Thanks “A” for the tip.

My goal here is not to tell you all about the book, but to inspire you to read the book. With that in mind, I can honestly say Same Kind of Different As Me is one of the best Non-Fiction books I’ve read in a long time. Of course that is my humble little opinion and everyone has a different idea of “best”, so when I use this term, I use it in the context of what makes a book “best” to me.

First, setup is an important structure to me, especially in a non-fiction work. To pull a reader into a story, the book should have a good setup. The authors of the book alternate chapters in their own voice in an open and candid way. Since the authors are a homeless black man (Denver Moore) and a wealthy white art dealer (Ron Hall), the books tone is different from chapter to chapter.

Secondly, how relevant is the story and why should it be read? If the author can persuade me in the first few pages the importance of the book, then he has me hooked. Since the story is about racism, a controversial topic in this country at the very least, the bait had to be tasty to catch me. The bait turned out to be Ron Hall’s feisty wife Debbie. There is no “catch and release” in this story.

Thirdly, will the story cause me to think outside my comfort zone? It is a comfortable place indeed to read a book that confirms all my traditional ideas, but truthfully, I do not like to read books where I always agree with everything the author writes. I like the challenge of critically thinking about a subject and developing my own ideas and then I like my ideas to be challenged by an author to the point where I begin to think differently about the topic. I find that in my safe little conservative world my ideas need to be challenged occasionally to remind me how to relate to broken, lonely, confused and searching people. Believe me when I say I run into these broken, lonely, confused folks often and sometimes it is easy to brush them off and ignore their need. Calluses around my heart and their heart are easily formed from the continual brush-off received from others and myself.

This book reminded me that this world is all about relationships. How does my relationship with Jesus Christ change the way I develop relationships with the discarded people in our world? Am I forming relationships with the people God wants me to or am I playing it safe by keeping my relationships with people in my comfort zone?

I sometimes read a very liberal blog I’ve found. Even though I do not agree with the bloggers ideas, her thoughts keep me relevant as to what a large majority of our world thinks. Recently she wrote:

“Any time I engage with one of my conservative friends or family members, or sometimes the conservative commenters on this website, it usually devolves into them screaming about WELFARE! and TAXES! and THE GOVERNMENT IS TAKING MY MONEY AND GIVING IT TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T WORK! And what they don't understand is that this is not the issue at all. What I and many of my more liberal friends want is to HELP people, not give them a free ride, but also not to ignore those who would benefit from us tossing them a life jacket……..But what about the family who cannot afford insurance for their child? The family who can barely make rent, and if they stretch the budget they can eat three meals a day all week, let's hope nothing bad happens to their kids because then they're screwed. Kids, go hug your father, he's off to one of his three jobs, none of which provide him insurance. And it's not because he's lazy or unwilling to work, it's that his family couldn't afford to send him to college, or he came from a family that didn't know they should encourage him to go to college because they were busy trying to survive. If giving up more of my paycheck could help get this family adequate healthcare, then PLEASE. TAKE MY @#$&* MONEY.”

This made me so mad (actually I fumed for a few hours) especially since I had just finished Same Kind Of Different As Me only hours before. After I calmed down, I realized that the majority of people think the very same way. Let’s just toss some money in the offering plate, or hand them a few bucks on the street corner or give them some good advice about getting their lives straightened out or hand them a Bible and walk away. Truly, I find that is what most ministries do. It is safe and it doesn’t really cost us anything personal. Not until we begin to form relationships with those of a different race or economic class will this world be different. “Relationship” means more than saying hello at the grocery story or inviting someone to church. A relationship means becoming emotionally involved with someone. That is an easy challenge when the person looks, thinks, smells, lives, eats, and sleeps as I do. But what if they do not?

So now what do I do? I’ve been handed a challenge and so I hand one to you as well. I challenge you to read “Same Kind Of Different Than Me” and not be changed. Then your challenge, along with mine, will be to take what you learned and apply it to your world.

Thanks for reading Rosie.

The Shack

I never read book reviews before I read a popular book. I like to read without preconceived notions or prior expectations Therefore, I had no idea of the controversy I was getting involved in when I decided to read The Shack by William P. Young.

I was born and raised in a Southern Baptist Church, discipled by godly men and women, and taught sound doctrine and theology through the years. However, studying God’s Holy Word on my own, having a personal relationship with Jesus and lead by the Holy Spirit, I hold my own convictions and beliefs that does not necessarily match my SB upbringing. This sometimes makes me unpopular with the masses. That is okay. I have learned to embrace my difference. I am just being completely honest here so please do not tune me out before you hear the whole song. After a lot of studying, praying and discussion with my Heavenly Father, He helped me concluded that my personal relationship with His Son Jesus was the most important aspect of my belief and anything outside of that, including church involvement, which interferes in my relationship with His Son, is not the best way. This is not to say I am not involved in a local Bible teaching church, because I am. I teach a Middle School Girls Sunday School class and attend a weekly worship service. I just happen not to agree with the philosophy that you need to be in a building seven days a week to experience God nor do I agree with the guilt trips church leaders lay on members to participate in every activity God lays on someone’s heart to organize. The Church dwells within people, not the confines of a building. Unless I am sure that the Holy Spirit directs my participation in an activity, I am not involved in every Bible Study, ministry outreach, committee, or worthy event. If I were, I would never have time to nourish the personal relationship I believe God desires for every man, woman and child, not to mention the time to nurture the relationship with my husband and children. I have learned that I cannot live my life constantly doing things. I need to be still. This is also not to say I never reach out to doubters or unbelievers. God is always putting someone in my path to share His Love.

With all that said, I am very surprised at some of the reviews I have read since reading The Shack. Just to give you a little background about the author you can read this. It will give you an idea of where he is coming from. In addition, the fact that this is a work of FICTION and a product of the author’s imagination should cause the reader from the start not to take the book literally. It is an allegory and should not be taken as a Biblical record.

The story is about a man named Mack who loses his five-year-old daughter in a horrible kidnapping and murder, then becomes angry with God, and asks the age-old question, “Why?” What human has never asked this question? God (or Papa in this story) invites Mack to meet him in the shack where the murder occurred. The story that develops is Mack’s encounter with the Trinity and eventual personal healing from his little girl’s death. Papa appears to Mack as a large African woman, Jesus as a Middle Eastern Jewish man who is a carpenter and the Holy Spirit as an Asian woman named Sarayu (meaning wind and relating to Pentecost). While I believe in God as a Father, some popular leaders are taking great issue with God being a woman in this story. The author makes it clear that Mack had a bad relationship with his abusive earthly father and could not relate to a loving Heavenly Father. This story line eventually teaches that God can become all things to help people come to the saving knowledge of His Son Jesus. It is not teaching that God is a woman. Nor is it teaching all religions lead to God, which is the other issue rearing its head. On the contrary, I believe the author is trying to say that Jesus will “travel any road to find you.” Jesus is the only road to God the Father. The hierarchy of the Trinity is also in question and being called heresy. The Bible clearly teaches that God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit are equal although Jesus said many times, “I do only what the Father tells me to do,” and thus, He also does in this story.

There are other issues, but I am not going to go through all of them. It sure makes me think that the leaders who are speaking so loudly against the book might have books of their own, which are not selling. They are the same leaders who ranted against The Di Vinci Code being so heretical and painted a dark picture of Jesus and the Catholic church. Now someone publishes a book that tells the opposite story and the critics still can not be pleased. Few and far between are well written Christian fiction books that portrays God as Love who created us to have a personal relationship with Him and sent His son to die and close the gap that sin caused between God and man. I am not sure I understand their thought process.

Anyway, I liked the story. It made me think outside the box. It confirmed that I am not alone in my convictions. It is a story that God can use to draw hurting people into a relationship with His Son Jesus where He can then do a mighty work in their lives. God reveals himself through others, nature, and ultimately in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ whose true story is found only in the Bible. Occasionally, a fiction book appears on the scene that God uses to draw men/women to Jesus. I think The Shack might be one of those books. I encourage you to read it and draw your own conclusion and I would love to hear your opinion.

Papa if I am wrong, then let your Holy Spirit move my heart in a different direction and prevent me from becoming a stumbling block to any person looking for you. Amen.

Tattoos, Appalachia, and a Little Lipstick

I just finished the book The Coal Tattoo by Silas House. Mr. House is a local regional fiction author from Kite, Kentucky. For clarity, “regional fiction” deals with issues of the area, in this case, strip mining; and “local” means residing within a two hour drive of Northeast Tennessee. Folks in my neck of the woods consider you local so long as you live in the Appalachian Mountain range and understand our history. Anyway, a coal tattoo is the bluish tint of skin that coal miners get from working years in the mines. The coal dust seeps under the skin and leaves a permanent discoloration. The phrase “coal tattoo” can also be a metaphor and in this particular story represents the love of a region when it seeps into your soul, never leaves your heart and always draws you back. Therefore, metaphorically speaking, I have a tattoo! This story is about sisters who were born and raised in a small coal mining community, their love for each other and their land. What makes this book special is Mr. House’s beautiful writing. I love Appalachian stories and Silas House captures the heart of Appalachia respectfully which is important to anyone living in this area. His other two books, Clay’s Quilt and Parchment of Leaves, are worth the time to read especially if “you’re lookin to learn yourself somethin” about the Appalachia region. For other really great reads with roots in the rural areas of Appalachia check out David Baldacci’s Wish You Well, Sharyn McCrumb’s The Songcatcher, Robert Morgan’s Gap Creek, and to make you laugh out loud, Adriana Trigiani’s Big Stone Gap series (BTW, her main character and I both wear Revlon's Cherries in the Snow lipstick), and for heavens sake if you want to amount to anything when you grow up, read all of Jan Karon's Mitford Series at least twice!

What's That I Smell?

I haven't touched on how much I love to read yet and therefore as, "Reading Rosie," I should probably tell you a bit about this topic. Working at a library, of course, is my ideal job because I love everything about books. Since I am on staff, my co-workers and I get first choice of the books before they are released to the public. There is nothing like a brand new book hot off the press. From the clean cover, crisp pages and new ink smell, every book is magic and reeks with the potential to change your life, make you think or take you on a memorable journey. Some books with great reviews turn out to be disappointing while others books with little known authors might become a favorite. Actually, I prefer the lesser known authors most of the time because the best sellers tend to get more hype and usually never equals the build up. I read a lot of Christian Fiction. Christian fiction used to be cheesy but over the years newer authors realized the potential for this venue and began writing more in depth plots and broader story lines. While I don't completely limit my reading to the Christian Fiction market, I find the more I read books without bad language, gory death details, or sexual escapades, the less I tolerate books with that garbage. I also decided when my boys where younger if I wouldn't want my them reading it, then it wasn't worth having around. Lead by example is my motto! When I was much younger, energetic, thinner and better looking, I could read five or six books per week, but I am slowing down. I only manage to get maybe two books read per week and sometimes only one. I don't understand this phenomena since I am still relatively young, energetic and aging, for the most part (or parts because some areas are questionable), gracefully. Forget the thin part!
Last week I read Refuge, an Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest Williams. This book was given to me by my reading buddy Ruthetta and she has me pegged very well as to what I like. From the Great Salt Lake and the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to a daughter dealing with her mother dying of cancer, this book is educational, reflective and spiritual. It was a ten tissue read at least.
This week's book was the complete opposite which shows my diversity in what I read.
Ted Dekker is a Christian Fiction/Thriller author. Adam is his latest creation and it has nothing to do with what you are thinking about the name. Dekker, for lack of a better word, is bizarreo! His books are comparable to Stephen King, but without the bad language or morbidness. You can expect the unexpected, unusual plot twists and usually a spiritual side, although, I find I really have to dig for the spiritual part sometimes. If you have never read anything by him, give him a try and expect a chill to run up your spine.
Usually I have at least five books stacked up on my nightstand but tonight I have zero, zilch, nada. Luckily, I work tomorrow and hopefully will have a minute to look for something or better still, a new box of books might arrive at our door! I can smell them now.
Thanks for reading and look for Part III of our trip slide show coming soon.

Unemployment is Up

It has been over a week since I posted anything personal and I am getting harassed by friends to update. What I find funny about this is my friends know what is going on in my world yet they still want to hear all the random thoughts I have skittering around in my mind. My everyday life is so routine I find it amusing anyone cares. My excuse for my slothfulness is I've been working extra hours at the library since returning from vacation because several of my co-workers are now on vacation. I am filling in for them just as they did for me. This has made me extra busy along with the fourteen loads of laundry I have washed, dried and ironed the past two weeks.

I do have a few tidbits to share from the public library world. First, a guy comes into the library to apply for a job application on-line. He knows nothing about using a computer so I end up filling out the application for him. He then proceeds to belch in my face. I am fairly sure he will not get a job. Second, a young man comes into the library to take an on-line test to get his boaters license and wants to pay me under the counter to let him cheat. He fails the test the seven times he takes it and then sneaks and uses his cell phone to text a buddy for the answers. I throw him out. I am fairly sure he will not hold a job in his lifetime. Thirdly, all teenagers are now reading vampire books. I can't sleep at night knowing the teenagers in this town are into vampires. This fact compels me to consume large quantities of garlic, which makes me stink and gives me indigestion and causes MDH and Oscar to sleep with their noses covered, which causes them to snore and keeps me awake and so on. It is a vicious cycle. I am also fairly certain knowing everything about vampires will not be a job requirement and these kids will never enter the work force. Unemployment is up - not because jobs are lacking but because ignorance is abundant! That is my political soapbox stand for the evening.

MDH used the word “exponential” this week in a conversation! In the 20 plus years we have been married I’ve never heard him use this word. It surprised me so much I asked him if he actually knew what the word meant. He made Little I go look it up to prove he knew what it meant and that he had used it correctly in a sentence. I was so impressed, plus it kind of turned me on. Whisper “exponential” in my ear the next time around would you hon!

I have a leaky, drippy shower. It is driving me crazy. All I hear is drip, drip, drip. All I think about is the water being wasted. Waste, waste, waste. Drip, drip, drip. What is ironic about this is MDH is a maintenance mechanic and Big C is working for the water department this summer. Need I say more on this topic?

I have Part II of our vacation slide show ready and I will post it tomorrow evening sometime.

Thanks for reading!