Archive for the 'Books' Category

Hot bath + red wine + new book = A blissful end to my day.

Tell me about your favorite part of that equation…

Do you have a bedtime or bath routine?
What is your favorite wine or bedtime beverage?
What are you reading right now that you LOVE?

One of the best parts about settling down in one place is….

HAVING A LIBRARY CARD!

We love the library. I mean…c’mon! Who doesn’t love the library?! For me, it’s like retail therapy. Only it’s free. And Bella just loves picking out the books and DVDs and being able to check them all out on her own with her OWN card.

This week we met up with our friends…and it was so fun, I think it will become a weekly occurrence for all of us. The Longmont library is really set up nice for all ages and we feel so blessed.

We have found some really WONDERFUL books there lately, and I wanted to share them with you. These are books that Bella keeps asking to read again and again.

Old Henry: Oh my goodness. After checking this out, we knew we had to own it. It’s about accepting people for who they are and getting along.

All The Places To Love: This book has the most AMAZING illustrations. And there is a homebirth in it. I adore this book. Sometimes we just sit and stare at the paintings in silent awe.

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge: This one also has fabulous images…it’s about a little boy who lives next door to and “old folks home”. He helps one of the old women “find her memories again”. Super sweet.

What children’s books are you reading and loving right now?

Colorado has a little law against texting while driving. But what about taking photos while driving? I didn’t see any laws against that I just couldn’t help myself…it was breathtaking!

Tonight as we were driving to go meet Matt at Chipotle for dinner, I was greeted with this beautiful fiery sunset over the mountains. The thing is, as I was driving south, I had no idea that once I turned the corner to drive West, I would see this!

Isn’t this how life is too? We get so focused on the bumpy gray road we are currently on that we forget what beauty is all around us…just waiting to be seen. All we have to do is just turn and face it.

Yesterday, Ann Voskamp’s new book arrived at my door. I read the first chapter this morning and was a little shaken for the rest of the day. You’ll have to read it to see what I’m talking about. Let’s just say that it reminded me how fragile life is. I drank in everything that the girls did today with extra care. I smelled Lucy’s neck for longer than normal and squeezed Bella so tight.

Today was like every other day. But with eyes wide open, not wanting to forget these moments…I chose to see it differently.

• A newspaper magically arrived at my door for me to read while I sipped my mate.
• Steamy pancakes flipped by an excited 6 year old make life worth living.
• An ecstatic little Lucy leads me over to her most recent artwork (nevermind that she drew in a book instead of the paper).
• Sisters creating together. Such sweetness (and sometimes fighting, but mostly sweetness)

Oh these precious moments…I want to always have open eyes to see them for what they really are. They are little blessings in the every day of life. There is so much joy to be found if I just remember to face the sunset.

*you can (and should!) read Ann’s blog, A Holy Experience, here.

One of my favorite books ever is a book by Lloyd Khan called “Homework“. If you’re at all interested in alternative housing…you will love it too. It’s completely inspiring and beautiful. So…you can imagine I was thrilled to come across this lovely video about his work. Enjoy!

He has written several books about alternative housing…check them out below.

If you’ve read through my blog at all, you know that I’m a big fan of Shane Claiborne. Huge. His book, “Irresistible Revolution” was a major catalyst in our decision to sell our house, downsize, and spread the love. You can imagine my excitement when his second book came out. Oh yes. He’s back at it! This one is called “Jesus For President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals“. Here is a little amazon.com review snippet for ya:

Here is the must-read election-year book for Christian Americans. What should Christians do when allegiances to the state clash with personal faith? Haw and Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution) slice through politics as usual and well past the superficial layers of the culture wars with their lucid exploration of how Christians can and should relate to presidents and kings, empire and government. Their entertaining yet provocative tour of the Bible’s social and economic order makes even the most abstruse Levitical laws come alive for our era. They also provide a valuable political context for Christ’s life, reminding readers that Jesus did not preach the need to put God back into government—he urged his followers to live by a different set of rules altogether, to hold themselves apart as peculiar people. The compelling writing is enhanced by a lavish, eye-popping layout. The pages are a riot of textured callouts, colors, photos and fonts—the perfect packaging for a message that must compete in a world of sound bites. With this second book, Claiborne emerges as an affable, intelligent, humorous prophet of his generation, calling people out of business-as-usual in a corrupt world and back to the radically different social order of the biblical God.

You can read about the book tour here and read the main website here (the tour is over now…but they drove a veggie bus!). I haven’t read all of the book yet…but I am loving it so far. Even the formatting and layout is cool. I’ll be back to discuss my favorite parts Now go get yourself a great new book!

I fall into a completely euphoric state of being when I have a huge stack of wonderful books next to me. Clearly, I am also one of those readers who can’t just stick with one book at a time. I must have TEN. Here is what I am reading right now:

Simple Living
The Good Life
Three Cups of Tea
Eat. Pray. Love.
Simple Food for the Good Life
Circle Houses: Yurts, Tipis, and Benders
The Excellent Wife
Living Artfully: Create the Life You Imagine
Scrapbook of a Taos Hippie
A Handmade Life: In Search of Simplicity

Every year, my dear Grandmother gets everyone a gift certificate from Barnes and Noble. We all went out the day after Christmas and I browsed for quite some time until I found the perfect selections. I had two books in my hand as I walked towards the registers. In one hand, I held “Eat, Pray, Love” and in the other, “Three Cups of Tea”. For some unknown reason, I felt like I should put “Three Cups of Tea” back and just get the one book…which is very unlike me! I usually use up my gift cards in one trip

Fast forward to that evening…I am squatting in front of the book section at the Goodwill, looking through all of the castaways. Most are from the 1970s…parenting books, cookbooks, novels. And then I see a very familiar cover…one that I had in my hand earlier that day! There is was…”Three Cups of Tea”! It was marked a whopping 59 cents. I caught my breath as I pulled it off of the shelf and quickly tucked it under my arm. I simply could not believe that it was the very book I had almost purchased at full retail price earlier that day.

Fast forward to the next day. I had been telling Rebecca about “Eat, Pray, Love” and that it would be the perfect book for her to read on their airplane ride to Brazil. I had prayed earlier about just giving her my new book, but I quickly (and selfishly) brushed that idea aside. I told God that if I was supposed to give it to her, then He better make it obvious. As we were sitting at the cafe drinking our coffee, Rebecca says, “could I just borrow that book from you for now”? And of course I said “NO! You can just have it!” I knew that God had spoken clearly and I heard Him.

The best part about all of this…was that because I didn’t buy “Three Cups of Tea” at Barnes, I still had enough money to go back and buy another copy of “Eat, Pray, Love” for myself. God prepared the way in advance for me to bless Rebecca that day over coffee.

I don’t believe in coincidence. I don’t believe in luck. I believe in a sovereign God that weaves together every strand…every circumstance in our life…for good. Sometimes it may not feel “good” at the time, but when we look back years later or even at the end of our life, we can see that it was all working towards a purpose.

When I am abiding in Christ (spending time reading the Bible every day and regular time in prayer), I am so much more able to hear His gentle voice. My eyes are open and eagerly awaiting the amazing things that God has planned for my day.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him” Matthew 7:11

My mind always comes back to this verse when God does something that delights and surprises me. My earthly father loves to go out for coffee…and he blesses his kids by taking them with and buying them coffee too. It’s a sweet time a fellowship together and we love doing it. I’m always especially blessed because a Grande Soy Caramel Macchiato doesn’t usually fit into a tight traveling budget! A few days ago, I was out running errands and I really wanted to stop and get a “fancy coffee”, but I didn’t want to spend the money on it. A few stops later, I was at the Co-op getting some groceries, and they were offering hot cups of fair trade, organic coffee for FREE! I was giddy with joy…and my mind went immediately to Christ, who I KNOW had a hand in that. Coffee with your Father is a good thing

Don’t get me wrong…I don’t believe that our prayers should be “you give me this, and I’ll give you that” kind of prayers. I just know that when you walk with Him in a constant intimate relationship, He WILL bless you. He loves to bless you. And because you are in that close relationship, you will immediately recognize his touch.

Thank you God for good gifts!

In my journey of downsizing and “letting go” of my stuff…I have often thought about what it would feel like if I truly had nothing. What if I was so poor and in need, that I didn’t have even ONE thing that I could get rid of? I’ve never been in that situation, so my mind can’t even fathom it, but so many people live with SO LITTLE, with no end in sight.

During this holiday season especially, I am reminded over and over of how much I do have. We are wealthy beyond measure. If I need something, I can go and buy it. If we need socks, shoes, food, bedding, or eyeglasses, we just go buy it. With that said, the following statistics are shocking…

• Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day. ¹
• “The combined wealth of the world’s 200 richest people hit $1 trillion in 1999; the combined incomes of the 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $146 billion.” ¹
  • Source: Poverty Facts and Stats
    

What would Jesus say to this? You don’t have to look far to find out. Jesus talks about the poor A LOT. He talks about giving your belongings to them… feeding them…caring for them. Basically, treat them as you would want to be treated…and most of all: SHARE your stuff! The second statistic above is just mind boggling to me. When Jesus looks down on us, he sees enough food, enough money, and enough shelter to keep everyone in the world from wanting. But not many will share.

“John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:11

 

If we take this scripture to heart/literally…how can we biblically own more than we need? This has been on my mind a lot as I go through my possessions. I ask myself…”Who could use this RIGHT NOW?”. Sure, I “might” need it “someday”…but I can give it to someone that needs it today. But what about those homeless/needy people who appear to have the means to get out of “their situation”? Doesn’t giving to them just enable them to remain homeless? I truly think that if we are giving abundantly to others, Jesus will take care of the rest. Of course, exercise due caution, and don’t give cash directly. There are so many other ways to help.

What was so different about the early Christian church? Why could they live this way and today we find it beyond impossible?

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:32

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Acts 2:44-46

Why does one neighborhood need a lawn mower in every garage? Why does each individual family spend money on things they will only use a few times a year? Why not have a common area where things can be “checked out” from? Part of the reason is that we have isolated ourselves and no one knows their neighbors anymore. We are an automated and isolated nation. I am fascinated by communal living and intentional communities with this type of possession “system”…but that’s a different blog post altogether!

I’m quite disturbed about the homeless situation in our country. Let me start by saying that I don’t know anything about being homeless. I have never volunteered at a homeless shelter, I have never housed anyone who was homeless, and I’ve never been without a place to sleep at night. But I just can’t stop thinking about it.

The majority of homeowners think that they “need” a guest bedroom that will be used a few times a year. These rooms sit empty when there are people living on the streets. Not that all of you who have guest bedrooms should go and find a homeless person and put them up…I’m just interested in this crazy trend.

Shane Claiborne, author of “The Irresistible Revolution” has a lot to say about the homeless and how Jesus would treat them. This book is hands down my favorite of the entire year. I jokingly call it “my second Bible”. It will forever change you. Here is a review…

If there is such a thing as a disarming radical, 30-year-old Claiborne is it. A former Tennessee Methodist and born-again, high school prom king, Claiborne is now a founding member of one of a growing number of radical faith communities. His is called the Simple Way, located in a destitute neighborhood of Philadelphia. It is a house of young believers, some single, some married, who live among the poor and homeless. They call themselves “ordinary radicals” because they attempt to live like Christ and the earliest converts to Christianity, ignoring social status and unencumbered by material comforts. Claiborne’s chatty and compelling narrative is magnetic—his stories (from galvanizing a student movement that saved a group of homeless families from eviction to reaching Mother Teresa herself from a dorm phone at 2 a.m.) draw the reader in with humor and intimacy, only to turn the most common ways of practicing religion upside down. He somehow skewers the insulation of suburban living and the hypocrisy of wealthy churches without any self-righteous finger pointing. “The world,” he says, “cannot afford the American dream.” Claiborne’s conviction, personal experience and description of others like him are a clarion call to rethink the meaning of church, conversion and Christianity; no reader will go away unshaken.

It’s my dream to go visit his community, The Simple Way. I would love to interact with that group for a month and learn to truly look beyond appearances and love beyond myself.

One of my favorite singers, Ani Difranco, wrote a song called Subdivision. You can hear it on this site. Her music and her message are beyond amazing. And although I don’t agree with all of her opinions…I think she is one of the most talented and brave voices out there. Here are some of the lyrics of Subdivision that have really stuck with me:

I remember the first time I saw someone lying on the cold street
I thought, “I can’t just walk past you, this can’t just be true.”
But I learned by example to just keep moving my feet.
It’s amazing the things that we all learn to do.
So we’re led by denial like lambs to the slaughter
Serving empires of style and carbonated sugar water
and the old farm road’s a four-lane that leads to the mall
and my dreams are all guillotines waiting to fall
And I wonder then what it will take for my country to rise.
First we admit our mistakes and then we open our eyes.

Whenever I have visited a large city…with homeless lying “on the cold street”…something churns within me. I wonder what circumstances led to them losing their home. Drugs? Losing a job? Some other addiction? Just a bad string of events with no family to help? I always want to ask. But like Ani says … I’ve “learned by example to just keep moving my feet”. So sad.

I went to see the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness ” a few weeks ago and it deeply moved me. I depicts the true story of a single dad and his son…fighting to make it…and they do end up on the streets for awhile. It was heartbreaking, but such a wonderful film. Not a feel good film, but one that will open your eyes.

These thoughts have been on my mind for so long…it’s such a hard topic to talk about because if we truly LIVE out what Jesus has shown us…it requires us to ACT. It requires us to take care of others unselfishly. I know that there are many who can debate this topic more eloquently than I can…arguing that the wealthy need their large homes and toys to minister to those people who will only respond that way to Christ. I’m still thinking through all of that…and I know that God uses everyone where they are at right now, and with the possessions they have right now. But how much is too much? Where do we draw the line between having excess possessions to “minister to others” and living as Christ commands us? Where is the line between being too radical in your lack of possessions (if there is such a thing) and having too much?

I’ve been thinking about trash.

Moving to a small apartment with a small garbage can has made me very aware of what I throw away. Having to walk the garbage bag down 3 flights of stairs, then down another to the basement, out the back door…and a short walk to the ally makes me not want to make much trash! We usually fill up one small garbage bag a week…but even that seems like so much! I’m still trying to figure out where I could take my food scraps to reduce that even further. One of my goals during The Compact is to buy groceries/food with little to no packaging. This drastically reduces the amount of trash one produces. I’m amazed by how much trash we can throw away just by ordering take-out one night! Wow.

A movie that is closely related to this topic is “The Gleaners and I” (thanks Ali!). I just finished watching this quirky little French film about modern day gleaners and urban scavengers. It was incredibly interesting to me…I’ve always been curious about the lives of experienced dumpster divers and people who live completely off of the trash that others create. The movie goes far beyond that and delves into the world of found object art and into the lives of those making a difference in their neighborhoods. I can’t say enough about this movie…I think everyone should see it.

The Compact has me on the lookout for items that I can re-use or use in a different way. In my research about these things, I came across some fun Flickr groups dealing with this topic:
ReUSE Project
Tips for Recycling and Reusing
Junkin’
Trashion Nation

There are also some great sites dealing specifically with re-fashioning items of clothing:
Wardrobe Refashion
Wardrobe Refashion (Flickr)
Little Brown Dress ::: Recycling Project

And more sites discussing found object (trash) art:
Metroactive
Art from Trash

Books to check out:
Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash
Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things

Today, when you throw something away…ask yourself if it could be recycled, re-used, or given to someone who needs it (Freecycle!). In a disposable culture…it may feel weird at first, but it does the earth GOOD!

Photo credit: D’Arcy Norman

Books. Aren’t they wonderful? So much knowledge. So much excitement. I love them. It’s no surprise then, that I love the library. We are within walking distance of the brand new Central Library in Des Moines. It’s huge and fabulous. It even has one of my favorite local bakery/cafes located inside…and a Starbucks right outside the doors. It also has a great selection of new releases and other DVD’s that you can rent for $1/week. Kids DVD’s are 50 cents. And that’s not all. They have a really cool kids section with all kinds of goodies. Almost the entire building is glass…so there is lots of light and you can watch all the happenings of downtown as you browse the titles.

Right outside, there is a small “stream” that Bella loves to play in. We spent many days there this summer…going to the library, grabbing lunch and a coffee and enjoying life. I get giddy walking in the doors…just thinking of the things I could learn. I love leaving the library with 10 books in my arms. In my mind, I’m thinking…

“LOOK everyone! I got these for FREE!
They are letting me take them home for 2 weeks…isn’t that GREAT?”

It’s even better now that we’re Compacting…I kind of “feel” like I’m shopping. But I don’t have to spend money! I’ve also been taking full advantage of the ability to “hold” items by ordering them online (they will go pull the books and have them waiting for you) and ordering from interlibrary loan.

Here is my current list:

Books Checked Out From the Library Right Now:
Learning All the Time
How Children Fail
Playful Parenting
Loving Your Child Is Not Enough: Positive Discipline That Works
The Successful Child

Books I Want to Read:
Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
Photocraft: Cool Things To Do With the Pictures You Love
What Kids Really Want That Money Can’t Buy
Small Urban Interiors: 500 Solutions for Living
Living Large in Small Spaces: Expressing Personal Style in 100 to 1,000 Square Feet
Small Spaces: Making the Most of the Space You Have
Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women
Voices From the Farm: Adventures in Community Living
Memoirs of an Ex-Hippie: Seven Years in the Counterculture
Superbia: 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods
Healthy at 100

Favorites:
The Bible
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
Blue Like Jazz: Non-Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
The Power of a Praying Wife
Material World
Women in the Material World
Through Painted Deserts
Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right
Hungry Planet
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
Your Money or Your Life
The Total Money Makeover
Diet for a New America
Food Revolution
How To Go Further: A Guide to Simple, Organic Living
The Better World Handbook
A Woman’s High Calling
How to Survive Without a Salary: Learning How to Live the Conserver Lifestyle
Back From the Land
Culture Jam
Radical Simplicity
Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith