Author Archives: t
bookworm wednesday – the book that changed reading for me
today’s bookworm wednesday is not so much a book review as it is a piece of my reading history. i’d like to share the book that was a game-changer for me: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle (5 of 5 stars).
it seems as if i’ve always loved reading. i can’t remember not craving books — both old familiar stories and new engrossing tales. but the motivation behind that desire wasn’t always the same.
i don’t know if other readaholics out there can relate, but in my history as a reader, there is a distinct moment that stands out to me — the moment when i realized that this reading thing was so much more than mere entertainment.
A Wrinkle in Time was the first fantasy book i ever read. i was in sixth grade, and up to then my reading was centered on tearing through each new title in Ann Martin’s The Babysitter’s Club series, Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High collection, and the Saddle Club books by Bonnie Bryant. i had (inexplicably) not even discovered C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.
when the school librarian suggested Madeleine L’Engle‘s Time Quintet, i was intrigued, and started reading immediately. A Wrinkle in Time fascinated and thrilled me in a way i had never experienced through books. meg’s intergalactic travels, the profound and thought-provoking themes, the impossible time-travel and bizarre space creatures, the inspiring heroics…i wanted more.
after quickly finishing all of the books in that series, i moved on to books by similar authors, then broadened my tastes to other genres like allegory and history and nonfiction.
i feel like A Wrinkle in Time was a gateway to a whole new world of reading for me. a world in which books serve to inspire, teach, and make you think, as well as entertain. now i read many more academic and life-application books than in my pre-teen years, but i still love to lose myself in a fantastic story.
the A Wrinkle in Time cover above is more pleasant, in my opinion (it’s the edition on my shelf now), but the cover art to the right is what was on the library book that i read, and it scared the bajeezes out of me. i don’t think i would’ve dived in if it weren’t for my intense curiosity, and my admiration for and trust in my librarian. (every reading nerd’s childhood hero — the school librarian.)
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if you have been a lifelong reader, do you remember a moment that changed the game for you? if you more recently discovered the joy of reading, what book hooked you? (if you don’t like to read…i don’t know what to say. 
)
LOL – t-bar’d
another installment of the Love Of Laughter list is way overdue. i’ve found, unfortunately, that the majority of the laugh-out-loud-moments on The List are truly of the “you had to be there” nature. i’ve got a few more that i’ll share here, though, and new moments are being added to The List all the time. hopefully this short story will being you a laugh.
i was engaged in one of my most favorite activities: riding the snowy slopes of colorado. it was later in the day and we had worked our way to one of the higher peaks on the far side of the resort, where the only lift to the the top is something called a “t-bar.” for those unfamiliar, this is basically a series of bars shaped like an upside down “T” hanging from the moving cable, rather than chairs. The bar pulls you along the surface of the snow on your skis or snowboard.
the ideal method is simple: grab the next approaching bar when you reach the front of the line, nestle it between your legs with the arms of the “T” in place under your butt cheeks, and hang on. the bars have a retractable feature that allows them to stretch to accommodate the appropriate height for the individual using it, then recede back into place so it won’t drag the ground when unoccupied. as soon as there is no longer weight on the bar, it draws back to it’s initial position.
now that we all understand the rough mechanics of a t-bar lift, on to the funny-ness. as my group waited our turn in line, we couldn’t help but notice a boisterous group of 20-something guys just behind us who were doing what guys do: ribbing each other mercilessly and laughing hysterically. they actually kept us quite entertained, and the wait went by quickly. when it was almost our turn, i happened to overhear the couple in front of us discussing the proper way to mount the lift…in increasingly urgent tones.
now, we’ve just learned that using a t-bar is as simple as taking a seat in a chairlift, but because most people haven’t used a surface lift since ski school when they were seven (if that), the unfamiliarity can be intimidating. and the non-chair lifts in the less-trafficked areas don’t always have lifties to coach you through the process.
the man moved forward first, cautiously grasped the bar, and tucked it under his backside. only, i think he must’ve put it to one side instead of between his legs, because he got turned sideways. once his skis were perpendicular to the direction the lift was moving, he got jerked right off! he toppled forward forcefully and face-planted in the snow a few feet above the start of the lift.
at this point the raucous group of guys is hooting and pointing at the poor embarrassed man lying face-down with his skis in the air, and my group is trying in vain to suppress our laughter. the commotion didn’t register for the fallen man’s partner, though. she was concentrating so intently on her own execution of the t-bar technique that she didn’t notice his misfortune until she was nearly on top of him, at which point she abandoned her bar and jammed her poles this way and that in an attempt to avoid crashing into him.
this is where it gets good. to add insult to injury, the woman’s released bar, which was loaded with tension from being pulled out to it’s fullest extent while she sat on it, sprang back into place via the man’s location on the ground. he lay there, prone, while the bar shot forward and smacked him hard on the backside! the roar from the group behind us drew the attention of everyone in line. they were freely razzing the humiliated skier as if her were one of their own, now.
“oh! you just got spanked!”
“hope that snow numbed your pride, dude.”
“um, the idea is to plant your a** on the bar, not the other way around.”
“don’t just lie there like a moron, man!”
(in response to his friend) “what would you do, dimwit? the worm?!”
if we weren’t already in fits of giggles from the scene unfolding in front of us, we certainly were doubled over from the peanut gallery behind us. by the time the shamed pair collected themselves and retreated to the bottom of the hill, we were breathless from the high altitude hilarity.
i don’t usually enjoy laughing at someone else’s expense if they’re not joining in the glee, but sometimes the situation makes it nearly impossible to keep a straight face.
image via teara.govt.nz
figment friday – you don’t know me
well, better late than never. the day is almost over, but it’s still figment friday, and i’m sticking to my commitment. today’s installment is delayed because once i read this morning’s prompt, i knew this was the one from this week i wanted to share, but i didn’t have time to write it until now. (it’s easier when i can post a daily theme from earlier in the week.)
PROMPT: Choose a person you encounter on a regular basis but don’t know well. Ideally this should be a person who, for whatever your reason, has caught your interest or piqued your curiosity. Now, in second person write about a brief moment in that person’s day.
you always pick up your worn leather bag by grasping a handful of material rather than by the handles. i know this because i see you do it every day as you leave your cozy corner of the coffeehouse.
it’s the same routine every time: stuff the assorted books, pens, and notebooks into the seemingly bottomless satchel. re-don an array of accessories from scarves to sunglasses. pay your tab at the counter and shove a generous bill into the tip jar. call out a friendly, and often funny, farewell to each of the patrons at the surrounding tables. grab a fistful of soft leather and nestle your carryall under your arm as you whistle your way out the door.
what are you working on so intensely every day? do you arrive pre-dawn to set up camp in your regular spot? no matter how early i show up, you seem as if you’ve been sipping lattes and creating for hours on end. if i weren’t hunched over my computer with my hat pulled down low in an obvious attempt to remain anonymous, would you know my name, too?
i thank you, enigmatic leather bag guy. you may not know me, but you inspire me to start earlier, be fully immersed in my efforts, and whistle while i work.
bookworm wednesday – love your God with all your mind
since it is valentine’s week, i thought i’d share my thoughts about a book on love. and because many have had their fill of sappy romance for awhile after v-day, i chose a book with a decidedly un-sentimental approach to love. this week’s bookworm wednesday review looks at a book that was a life- and truth-saver for me after suffering emotional and spiritual wounds: Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland. (4.5 of 5 stars).
sometimes, when life happens, and you begin to question all you’ve always held true…sometimes you just need to approach your area of uncertainty in a new way. my relationship with God has always been more emotional, more a matter of the heart. my relationship with His Word was surely intellectual, but i always based my faith and convictions more on what i had known since childhood to be true in my heart. i didn’t even realize where i had built my foundation until my heart was torn and my faith had to find new footing.
moreland presents a methodical, logical case for the role of the mind in spiritual transformation, challenging us to develop a Christian mind and to use our intellect to explore theology, doctrine, and spiritual growth. the analytical, academic style in which moreland presents the information was just what i needed when i read his book, and reminded me of nancy pearcy’s total truth (another life-changing book that i read a few years ago and hold as one of my top five favorite books).
i read this book while taking a theology course at the credo house, and between the two i gratefully found a more solid foundation for my beliefs and a new home for my love for God. if you need some traction in your faith, check out this book as a starting point, and fill in the gaps with a course or two in the theology program—they offer online options.
have you ever needed to change your angle in order to gain some spiritual perspective? what helped you re-focus?
love is layered
love is not simple, this much is obvious. it is multifaceted, multidimensional, layered. it is at once an involuntary emotion and a deliberate decision. it’s oh so natural, yet at the same time very hard work. it’s comfortable familiarity and giddy heart-flutters. it’s a steady security and fiery passion all in one.
genuine love is fulfilling and soul-warming, but also selflessly sacrificial.
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. — 1 John 3:17-18
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. — 1 Thessalonians 3:12, NIV
when we allow God’s love to reach through us to others, it’s layered nature manifests itself in many ways, as well. kindness. generosity. compassion.
for fourteen years i have been involved with compassion international as a sponsor, advocate, and volunteer. my first sponsored child graduated the program several years ago and i now have a new child to send support, letters, and love to. my husband also sponsors a child that he has supported since before we were married. i wish we could sponsor more.
i’ve never questioned this organization’s dedication to excellence, integrity, and stewardship in their work. their care is genuine and comprehensive—each child’s physical, intellectual, and spiritual well-being is considered. compassion‘s layered approach to showing God’s love acknowledges the multifaceted needs of children in poverty.
there are more than 2,000 references to children and poverty in the Bible. it is clear that these things are very close to God’s heart.
it’s valentine’s day, the day that represents demonstrations of love…won’t you open your heart to a child in need and make an eternal difference in his or her life?
figment friday – a good one
it’s figment friday around here, and i’m still enjoying writing in response to the daily themes from figment. sharing one theme each week is still scary and uncomfortable, though. posting for this weekly commitment is the first time in 3 1/2 years of blogging that i’ve published bits of fiction. i’ve always stuck to real life, and it took me awhile to get comfortable with even that. offering something that was created in my imagination feels more vulnerable, somehow. but that’s the kind of challenge that i’m determined to meet in this year of sharing more.
the topic of the week on okieOLIO has been the story of my running transformation, so i decided to keep that theme as i wrote each day this week. i’m going to put the prompt for the piece i’m sharing today at the end so that it won’t influence the way you read it. if you’ve ever taken a class on creative writing, there’s a possibility that you’ve done a similar exercise, because it’s not uncommon among writing teachers. i chose it from this week’s themes because i know that my normal writing style works in opposition to these guidelines. here it is:
my dogs lie on the floor and watch me lace up my shoes. can we come with you? their big eyes plead. “not this time,” i say out loud as i reach for my shades. i know that this will be a good run. i can feel it. i don’t want a hard tug at the leash or pee pit stops to break up my pace.
as soon as i crack the front door, i am met with the warm, damp wind of june. it seems too warm for such a wee hour. i turn to the dogs and warn them, “we have quite a hot day in store for us, guys.” oh, i can’t wait for the cool temps this fall! i think as i close and lock the door. but the heat does not mean a thing. my legs yearn to move and i have steam to blow off. both good signs that i can beat my goal for this run.
the path by the pond is all mine. i take the loop twice, then turn on the main road when three young boys show up on their bikes. the sun starts to rise, the wind picks up, and i turn it up a notch as a strong song plays in my ears. my feet move as if part of a wheel that rolls by it’s own force—i am just on a ride. i feel at ease as i breathe in time with my steps and the beat of the tune, and soon my mind is lost in thought.
i’m shocked when i see that i’ve made it back to my house, and i check the app on my phone to make sure i ran as far as i planned. cheered by what i see, i walk in the door and tell the ones who wait for me each day, “yeah, it was a good one.”
PROMPT: This is a prompt I love to use when I first meet a new class. I tell them to take out their pens and write me a piece–the theme is up to them. It need not be long. But it needs to be a real scene. And the sole rule that frames what they write is this: You may not use a word with more than one syllable. It sounds hard, but “syllable” is the lone word used here that has more than one.
