Reflection

I personally liked reading every day for a certain amount of time and then blogging about it. It was much easier for me to blog about what I had read rather than writing it down on a piece of paper. It was also easier this way, that way if we wanted to read everyone elses in the class to see what they read and get ideas for the next book we want to read, we can read their blog. Doing it in blog form also, helped you stay accountable because, it would keep track of the time and date you would blog each time. It also made it easier to keep track of each blog that you blogged to see how many more you needed too, to get the required amount. I think it was also fun and enjoyable this way because, we could learn a lot about one another and read what others said and how they enjoyed the book they were reading. Some of the ones that I read from people in our class would crack me up. Especially, if they didn't enjoy the book or they did and just the way they talked about the book and what happened in it made me chuckle. Doing it this way has made me really enjoy reading more and more. I know I will do a lot reading this summer because, it's really enjoyable to do and sometimes I get so wrapped up in my reading that I act like I am in the location they are and then I quit reading and come back to reality that I am actually not there, and that I am just in Kansas :)! I read a lot of chick books, I guess is what you could call them. Most of them were, by Nicholas Sparks. I really enjoy his books. Even though most of them always end up sad, there still good too me. I am striving to finish Lady in Waiting this summer. It's a good book and has taught me a lot and it'll be a good bible study book for me this summer, to grow in love and my strengthen my relationship with God :)! This will be good to read during the summer because, I'll get to read whatever I want and I don't have to worry about at thing :)! CHEERS TO READING :D! It's been fun and great, I am sure you'll hear from me this summer, maybe some stuff on books or life in general :)!

the decisions we make..

I just started reading The Choice, by Nicholas Sparks. It's ok so far, I bet it'll get better it's just because, I just started the book and it's starting out kind of slow, but it'll pick up. Travis is the main character is this book and he is pretty interesting to read about. When I read the back of the book to see what this one was about, I became fairly interested because he leaves it kind of questionable and makes you want to read the book to see what happens. Since, the book is called, The Choice, my first assumptions were that he has to make a choice on something that happens in his life. Seems like we makes decisions all the time in our lives. Our first decision is when we wake up in the morning, if we choose to wake up when our alarm goes off or if we choose to push snooze and sleep a little bit more. It could even be about the food we eat, what we decide to eat for lunch if it'll be a healthy choice or not as healthy for us. We are constantly making decisions and choices every day. Most of them can make an impact or effect our lives. There are the good ones we make that will have a good outcome or the ones that we choose that aren't so wise. And then we end up dealing with the consequences of our action from that. I am anxious to see how this book turns up and what the choice is he had to make.

Read for an hour and half

It's over!

Well, I finished Dear John, and I must say I agree with everyone else. I liked the ending of the BOOK over the movie. The ending of the movie made me so disappointed and thought it had a horrible ending. In the book was a completely different story. I thoguht it was very cute too, how it ended. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone to say what happened incase you all read it. This book was really good, I recommend it to anyone :)! I really enjoy Nicholas Sparks books, so next on my list is "The Choice". I heard it's really good as well so I want to read it. His books always seem to surprise me so, I want to see what this one has to offer. Until next time, when you hear from me :)!

read for about an hour.

What would you do if this happened to you?!?!

I am about to finish Dear John and I had some thoughts in my head after I finished the third to last chapters, before the last chapter of the book. What would you do if you were in this situation, you're in the army for a couple years and then a tragedy makes you come home for a while, and while your home you try to decide if you should go see the love of your life or not? Would you go see them after a couple years? Despite, what happened over those lost years, I think I would at least try and make an effort and go see them, to see how they were doing, and what they've been up too lately. I know, it'd be really hard but if I hadn't seen him for that long of time, I think I'd try and make an effort to go see them despite all what has happened. I don't want to ruin the book, but I will tell you that John goes and visits Savannah! He still loves her, so of course he made the choice to go visit her. During these chapters of the book John, talked about how hard it was to see her because, while she was standing in the barn feeding her horses, it reminded him of how it use to be when they were together. All his feelings for her all started to come back. Man, if I was her when I seen him, I would just run up to him and give him a huge hug and maybe a kiss, ha-ha. I am glad Savannah, wasn't rude she was nice and invited him for dinner and they caught each other up on the lost years. He discovered some new things about her that didn't happen while they were together, that takes place now. I find this a very hard thing to do, that all of a sudden the love of your life comes back into your life, do you drop everything you have going on and go back with them or do you just carry on like natural? Either way, would be tough, I think. I guess, you could say if it's meant to be it'll happen it always finds a way to work itself out. If it does, you know it's true love. stayed tuned for more on the last chapter coming up soon!! It's getting really good, and can't wait to see how it ends to compare it to the ending from the movie. I hope I like the books ending better :)!

Read for at least an hour and half!

choices we make..

John the main character from Dear John, is in the army and he has been serving for couple of years now. In one of the chapters he discusses what army life is like, and how the soldiers in the book reacted to September 11th and the years after that with the war in Iraq. I must admit our soldiers are pretty brave for fighting for our country and freedom. I would be really scared and terrified of doing that, although I know I'd be doing something good for our country. John decides to stay in the army longer and the crew he first started out with, all get to leave. John gets sent a new crew and he talks about how there not the same as his last one and he can't talk these ones as much as he did the other ones. John gets sent home for leave to visit his dad. I am glad that him and his father have gotten a lot closer, and that made me happy that he was was there for him. John had one of the neighbors look after his dad and the house but when John came home the house was a disaster, that upset him and he was wanting to hurt the neighbor lady for not doing her job. He then found out her daughter was sick, and that is why she wasn't helping around as much. I am really proud of John looking after his dad after all they've been through together. His dad wasn't in the best health and shape at all. If my relationship with my father wasn't good, I'd do my best to fix it before it'd be too late. John ended up sending his dad to a nursing home and the best one the town had. I got teary when John had to leave because he told his dad he loved him, and it took a lot of energy out of his father but he said it back. It made me smile too. John is the hero of this book in my eyes :)! He did a wonderful thing for his dad, despite if he liked it or not. He had to do what was best for him, because John had to get back. That was the last time he saw his dad alive :(. I bet that would be really hard to lose a parent. I am not ready for that yet, I love my parents so much, but I know I'll see them again in another life :)!
Read for an 1 hour and half

a different kind of reaction..

As my mom drove out to good o’l Western, Kansas, in six hours we’d be homeward bound. As my mom drove majority of the time. It was nice for my mom to ride home with me, I had someone to talk to, the trip home wasn't so boring, and of course enjoyed one another's company. I took my book out and read, Dear John some more to make the trip go by faster. I've really enjoyed reading this book so far, and I like to pick out the similarities and the differences the book from the movie. I am starting to like the book more, and I love the details, Nicholas Sparks uses. It makes it so real, that you're actually there with them, and I can always get an image of my head of what's being said. John isn't really so close to his dad and his mom is really out of the picture because, she left them. His father is a coin collector, and has collected coins from all over. That facinates me, because I can just imagine going into his den and seeing all this piles of coins every where. I guess, I am just thankful I have a good relationship with both of my parents, and get along with them. I would stop every once in a while when there was a good part and would share it with my mom and tell her how funny, cute or that part was. I read for 2 hours on the way home.

We went to Colorado on Tuesday and Wednesday. I usually get car sick from reading in the car when we're in the mountains, but I actually was doing good and didn't get sick at all. Funny thing was that following Sunday at home they were showing, Dear John and although, I've already seen it, I told my mom we have to go so she can see it. Of course, she hated the ending as well, and now she wants to read the book too, :)! I must admit on the way up there I slept but after we picked up my sister, on Tuesday I stayed awake and decided to read soem in my book because, it was getting good and I couldn't seem to put it down. Everytime, we stopped though I'd put it down until we got back in the car again and I'd be back to reading again. I just couldn't put it down it just kept getting better and better. I do must admit I was super jealous of where the book is located, it's based in North Carolina and there are BEACHES!!!!!!! It makes me want to go :)! John was teaching her how to surf, and now it makes me want to learn to do that someday, it'd be a lot of fun! I was doing a lot of awwing throughout the book because, of how John and Savannah's (love) relationship was described. It made me sad in a way because, I am still waiting for that right one in my life to show up, but I know he will it's all about timing, patience, and when God thinks its the right time. I was just jealous of their relationship because, I think it was something I wanted and the way they treated each other it was just really cute :)! I was really mad at John at one time and wanted to slap him. Savannah wants to work with special education kids and when she met John's father she picked up on some things about him and told John what she noticed, and that upset him. He got upset with her that she did that, and walked off, and in the process hurt two people, and she witnessed it and got very upset with him. And of course he didn't care he was angry himself. I don't want to ruin what happens next but I just want to say right now I am really mad and upset with Savannah!! I don't want to spoil anythign for anyone who still wants to read this so, I am not going to say why. I was really mad at her and wanted to stop reading but of course I wanted to keep going and find out what happened some more. I read on and off for about two and half hours.

Disappointed Ending...

So this will be the third time that I've watched the movie before I read the book. I saw Dear John in theatres, in late February and decided that I wanted to read the book because everyone said the movie had a horrible ending compared to the book. So, now I want to see for myself what the ending is like in the book and just to compare the two. I agree though I honestly didn't like the ending at all in the movie. I really love Nicholas Spark's books. This will be my third book that I've read of his. He is a really great author. They always seem to have some sort of twist in them, and that makes them really interesting. I am reading about John's life right now and how his life was then and now before he met Savannah. It's really good so far, I can't seem to put it down. I am really enjoy reading it because, I like comparing the two from the book to the movie, it's funny to spot some of the differences in the two. If I do must say so myself in the movie the guy that played John is really cute, and he's on the cover of the book so I always have a smile on myself when I start to read, and sometimes I even like to pretend that I am Savannah. I am the one he falls in love with. A girl can dream right ;)! I would recommend this book though, it is really good :)! I think you girls, maybe you boys, I don't know would really enjoy this. That is it for now, I'll keep you posted with more later on :)!

Read for an hour and half

Rock Chalk!

I went home just this past weekend, and did some reading. I read some in my Lady in Waiting in the car, as my aunt and I drove six hours towards Western, Kansas. I am still working on becoming the lady, God has made me. In the last chapter I read it talked about wearing a necklace that had these signicant pearls that represented, the things God wants us to be, rather than the negative ones. If we are displaying any of these negative pearls, we are to take them off and add the positive ones to become the one God has made us to be. I am really liking this book a lot, I am learning and getting taught so much by it. It's really making me think about a lot, and making me want to change my ways in certain aspects. I do wish I would've read this either my Freshman year in college or even my Freshman year in HS. I could've done somethings that I've done so much differently. Ohh well, can't change that now. It's still good to read now because, I can still be challenged by the concepts in the book and become the lady, God wants me to be. when I was at home I also stumbled across this book my dad had by his chair and it was called, BILL SELF: At Home in the Phog. I wasn't sure what it was about, but then I started flipping through the pages and noticed it was all about Bill Self, talked about his childhood, college years, and when he took the job at KU! For those of you who don't know this I am a die hard KU fan, as well as my family. I was just sitting on the couch while my sister and I watched a movie and started to read some of this book. I found some interesting facts about Bill Self that I didn't know about. I didn't get to far in it but it was still a fun short read about KU's head basketball coach.

Read for a total of an 1 Hour

Lady of Virtue & Lady of Devotion

I just completed two more chapters in the book, Lady in Waiting. Chapter 4 was about being a Lady of Virtue. This chapter talked about being a woman mostly full of God. That God is using the sands of singleness to make you perfect and complete, and that he is developing pearls of character in your life. It brings up the story of Isaac and Rebekah and how they became about. Rebekah had worked extremely hard for her father, always waited for the right one to come along, and gave all this kindness to everyone around her. Their story is like a perfect ending to a love story, he lifted his eyes, she lifted hers, and when she seen him she was dismounted and was taken off to meet his mother and they were married. With all in God’s timing he’ll send the right one to come along. We just need to give our whole self to him and devote ourselves to him, with all in great timing it’ll happen just as he has planned. We shouldn’t have our hearts set on all these negative things in life, but with good things such as patience, and kindness, other than jealousy, and impurity. I just need to work on being these God expects rather than what he doesn’t like and become a Lady of Virtue.
Chapter 5 was on Lady of Devotion. Just imagine if you have your one and only sister, was getting married and some random lady came up to you and asked when will it be your turn? What do you say? I’m still waiting for the right one to come along? In the book, the author says, “Much too often people view single woman as though she should be pitied rather than envied.” This first half of the chapter reminded me of the movie, 27 Dresses and this is because in the movie Jane’s sister, Tess get’s engaged to her boss who Jane has been in love with ever since she started the job she has, and she has always been a bride’s maid and not a bride. She ends up meeting this guy Kevin, who then does a secretly does a story on her that is read as always a brides maid NEVER a bride. I remember in the movie at her sister’s rehearsal dinner, an elderly lady came up to Jane, and asked her what it was like not being married or engaged yet. When I saw this movie, I totally knew how she felt because, I felt as though my sister was going to be engaged way before I was. But, anything is possible and it is all dealt with the timing of the Lord. I loved this quote that was stated in this chapter,”A lady in waiting has the advantage of being able to develop her love relationship with Christ without the distractions that a husband or families inherently bring to one’s heart.” Our hearts are the key holder to the devotion with God. It’ll all happen and take place when it is supposed to. Read for an 1 hour and 30 minutes.

"Lady in Waiting"--Lady of Diligence & Lady of Faith

The second chapter talks about how to become a lady of diligence. How we single women should use our “single” time more wisely and how we have more control over that time as well as, the choices we can make more than we will be able too. This chapter also talks about how we can get so busy and wrapped up into things that we don’t make time for God. We schedule to make MORE time for him in our busy lives. Of if we have too many commitments, we should learn how to say NO to things, and instead read more into his word or do things that involve around him. Chapter two also discussed how there could be no better time to serve him and the kingdom of heaven, and to take advantage of being single. This is because; once we are married and start a family we won’t have some of the same freedoms as we did when we were single. We should also be good listeners to those around us. Towards the end of the chapter it wanted us to identify with these four characters who we relate to the most, it was between, Jealous Jenny, Prima Donna Paula, Fearful Frances, and Doubting Doris. I went with Doubting Doris is because, I do have faith in believing in what God says about me, and this is because, God has told a few of my friends things about me that they were to share with me and I believe them. I just get shocked and always end up getting teary after they do a certain prayer with me to hear what it was God told them to share with me. JMK states this in the book, “Free Hours, Not wasted by me, using my free time, to serve only Thee, Realizing how temporary free will be never to regret a missed opportunity, for others to be belst, through yielded me

Chapter three was about becoming a “Lady of Faith”. This chapter was very interesting to me because, in the book it said that you should give your whole life to the Lord and then he will reward you when you least expect it. The chapter also had a section in it where it talked about how Ruth met her other husband, Boaz. The significance of his name meant pillar of strength. Ruth had been married before to her first husband, Mahlon which means weak and sickly, which oddly enough he did pass away and then she became a lady of faith and went to the town of Moab and met Boaz. This chapter also says in order to have the eyes of faith, that you must have that spiritual eye wash to remove all the debris that a certain enemy has left in our eyes. If us women that want to become Lady of faith and spend more quality time in the word it is the best eye wash to have “eyes for faith”. I just realized that I need become a lady of faith and deepen my relationship with God more and then with time and patience it will all fall into place. And that I shouldn’t fear during the waiting periods of my life because they are the seeds that are going to be blossoming in the garden of faith. I really liked this quote that was said in the book, “I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts.”
Read for: Hour and half

Lady in Waiting

I am also reading the book, Lady in Waiting. And it’s basically about being becoming the best for God while waiting for Mr. Right to come along. It is based on the book of Ruth from the Bible.

Liz recommended this book to me and she that I would love this book just as much as she has. And she’s right, I have, I have really started to enjoy it. I did just start it but, I am really starting to like it. It has some really good quotes in the book and I love how you can journal and has a study guide included in the book. The first chapter is on Reckless Abandonment. Basically, talks about how to move your relationship with God on a closer level. By how we can transform into the woman that Ruth was. A good quote that I highlighted while reading says, “A committed single woman must be sensitive to the inevitable challenges she will meet in her attempt to her unselfishly in such a self-serving society.”

I can’t wait to read more into this book, and expand on being God’s best and to become a woman just like Ruth. Who needs a man now when I get to become God’s best. Time will only tell. I am hoping this will take my mind off certain things and becomes more focus and determined in this book. Until next time!