Friday, April 29, 2011

To Age or not to Age?

Today I received a piece of mail that caused me to remember a statement I once made to my young nephew.  I told him that he had to stay little, because by the time he turned 12, I would be the old age of 27.  I'm not really certain where the turning point in this whole aging process happened.  I can vividly remember a time in my youth when I reveled in the reality that many people thought I was much older than my actual age.  Now I hope that they will presume I am younger than my actual age.  I find myself staring in the mirror trying to convince myself that I have not left the ripe years of my twenty-somethings. Despite my efforts, the constant recurrence of the stubborn gray hairs, the fine wrinkles around my eyes, the "baby" marks and the occasional aches and pains remind me that those days have passed.


So what was the piece of mail I received that sent me spiraling into this aging realization...it was an invitation.  It was an invitation to my nephew's high school graduation.  Yes, he eventually turned 12...and I turned 27 (and lived to tell about it)...now he'll graduate and soon be 18 and come December I will be...(you do the math but please don't tell me).  For years my mother, through her attitudes and actions, has taught me to never let age hinder your mind and your activities.  She is an inspiration to me at her soon-to-be 71 years young.  I think I will continue on my journey to remaining twenty-something in spirit...I figure at this rate, my nephew will soon be older than me!


"You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." 1 Peter 3:4

Friday, April 15, 2011

I'm hooked!

Many of you may know that I am now blogging for books.  I just completed my 2nd book and am so excited to write about it.  For several years now, I have been a fan of Nicholas Sparks.  So much so that I didn't even know of another fiction author I would enjoy reading.  In my blogging for books quest, I took a leap and requested Kristen Heitzmann's book Indivisible. This book did not disappoint!  I began reading it much like I do with my others, a couple chapters before bed and then I set it aside until the next night.  On about the third night or so, I began reading around page 80...and didn't put it down until page 236, leaving me another 90 pages which I was anxious to finish the following morning.  This book had so many elements of suspense and romance, I found myself trying to predict what would happen next.  The first few chapters set the scene with a variety of characters and glimpses of their history together.  The history continued to unfold throughout the book, leading me deeper into the lives and struggles of each character.  The back cover of this book accurately refers to it as "a spell-binding tale of severed connections and the consequences of life lived alone." Indivisible is well written by a Christian author and a pleasure to read and recommend to friends and family.


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.