Books I Read in 2013

My time of unemployment was beneficial in that I spent more time reading books than I have for years. I got a library card soon after my move and while the Little Elm library is small I found a suitable variety to keep me motivated to read.

Sum It Up Pat Summit--a gift from my good friend Jayne, from Handbells, who knows I love all things Pat Summit.

Calico Joe John Grisham--an ok read but his legal books are much better

Killing Kennedy Bill O'Reilly--even more enjoyable to read after my move to Dallas. I really enjoyed a conservatives positive perspective on Kennedy and was surprised by it.

True Believer Nicholas Sparks--a fiction fluff book but good to read in the pool

Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand--a book I wanted to read for quite awhile but never did. Excellent, excellent, excellent, but difficult to take in as well. Another recommendation from Jayne, from handbells.

A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson--I checked this out based on a recommendation on our extended family blog by my cousin's daughter. My cousin is enamored with the Appalachian Trail and we discussed this book when she visited. An administrator from a previous school is planning a hike of the trail as a fundraiser for scholarships for this school. It has been interesting reading his blog to have read this book and have some knowledge of the Trail.

The Circle Maker Mark Batterson--an excellent read at a time when I need to make specific prayer petitions and hold to those. I was very encouraged by the thought that God had already had provided a job for me, but I needed to go through the steps to get to that job.

Angels Watching Over Me Michael Phillips--a free book on Kindle recommended by a friend on facebook. I read while at the lake this summer--a good book for vacation reading about a black and a white girl whose lives are brought together just after the Civil War.

1000 Gifts Ann Voskamp--call me a heretic but I had a difficult time getting into her writing style. Great concept but a difficult plod for me to get through. However, after a certain point I made myself finish it.

gods at war Kyle Idleman--another excellent book about how we put good things into a higher priority than they should be. Highly recommend. 

Sycamore Road John Grisham--yes, he is my favorite fiction writer. I listened to this on my Thanksgiving drive. I think it is one of my favorites of his.

Gifted Hands Ben Carson--very interesting autobiography of this surgeon whose illiterate mother forced her poor minority children to understand the importance of an education and built in them a strong work ethic.

During the year I tried to read David Copperfield and despite checking it out the maximum 3 times (9 weeks), I just couldn't get through it.
I also realize I read another fluff book with December in the title, but I didn't put it on my list.

My Take on Phil Robertson

Just over a year ago I started watching Duck Dynasty. I like it; I can’t take a marathon of it, but I like watching the new shows. One of my favorite parts of an episode that I would watch multiple times is when Phil’s grandson John Luke wants to take his girlfriend out on the river in Phil’s boat. Phil goes along as a very uninvited guest. On the boat ride he explains all to John Luke about proper dating and what to do and not to do on a date.

Phil has a great story—college football quarterback who decides he’d rather hunt than practice football so he gives up his starting spot to none other than Terry Bradshaw who goes on to win multiple Super Bowls in the NFL. He’s a man with a sinful past but found God’s love, grace, and redemption in salvation.

Here’s my problem with Phil. Phil is coarse and vulgar. I’ve tried to think of the men in my family, friends, and co-workers for the past 30 years, and I’ve worked with unbelievers in an athletic setting. I cannot think of any man who had any character about him who would have talked the way Phil did especially in such a public venue as a magazine with many subscribers. He didn’t have to say what he did. He could have made a statement of his beliefs without his crudeness. I think he violated Colossians 4:6—Let your speech be always with grace. . .”.

But he did say what he did.

A former student “liked” a blog post that a friend of hers posted on Facebook. I thought this person explained well why Phil said what he did.

The reason that Phil Robertson “equated” homosexuality with adultery, drunkenness, and beastiality is because to him it’s all the same. It’s all against what God teaches us in His Word…which is sin. It’s black and white…no room for gray. He drew a line in what his faith teaches…so is that bad? For those of you who feel like Christians are intolerant, take a look in the mirror first. Are you intolerant of Christianity? TRUE Christians love everyone. It doesn’t matter your race, sexual orientation, beliefs, or the family you are from…there is no justification of hate toward anyone!

…

So, let’s get REALLY real- I can bet we all make the list in 1 Corinthians as those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Let’s take a look at a few: Have you ever put something above God? You are an idolater. Have you ever stolen anything? You are a thief. Have you ever had a little too much to drink and gotten slammed? You are a drunkard. Ever had sex outside of the marriage covenant? You are sexually immoral. Like I said, let’s get REAL! I am guilty as guilty gets, but there is GREAT news: JESUS came and died for all of these things! THAT IS WHAT TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT!!! JESUS!!! Nothing else. If you try and take Christ out of Christianity and instead, insert your moral code you are fooling yourself. Take a look at what Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” WOW that’s good news!

So because of JESUS, I am no longer on the list. Apart from Him I am the epitome of the list– stuck in sin and shame. But because Jesus saves me from sin and death, I can rejoice that God the Father looks at me and sees Jesus instead of my broken, sinful self. All glory to Jesus!

http://chasegentes.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/is-phil-robertson-a-real-christian/

 I also thought this post by Perry Noble was quite good if you have time to read a longer post.
http://perrynoble.com/blog/duck-dynasty-homosexuality-and-political-correctness

I don’t have the answer, and I’m already tired of the discussion.

So why did I just add to it???

Cookie Nostalgia

Today I'm baking springerles for the men in my life at the LCKlopfenstein family Christmas. I always feel as if both my grandmothers would smile knowing I was carrying on their baking tradition for Lynny-Boy and Mark as well as Mike, Joey, and Andrew who never got to eat their wonderful springerles.

I tend to get rather nostalgic when it comes to Christmas baking.

Two years ago this weekend I was in Washington, IL learning how to make these cookies better than I ever had before with Betty Schumacher, my mom's long-time friend and maid of honor. From her I learned a few tips most importantly of which was I NEEDED a KitchenAid mixer. I actually got one in the process of losing my job a year ago. These are the cookies I made with her.

And this is my KitchenAid mixer. I like red.

One year ago I made springerles with my dear Mary Lee. She laughed at my quirks about cookie and especially springerle cookie baking. That's ok--I bake a lot of love into my cookies.

In 1986 my sister Mary came to visit me in IL just before Christmas. We were in a small kitchen store on the square in Washington and saw a springerle rolling pin. We knew Mom really wanted one, but the $17 or $18 price seemed pretty high for two pretty poor recent college grads. However, we splurged to give it to her. Just a few weeks later we were shopping in Boaz, AL and found springerle rolling pins at a kitchen outlet for $2.97!

For the next few years I would make the springerles with Mom's help always trying to recreate the springerles we remembered-mostly misses with an occasional hit.

In 1988 I moved into an apartment in Morton, IL. In another building of that complex my grandmother's first cousin lived. Anna Freidinger was also a springerle extraordinaire who taught me not to roll the dough too thin. She also taught me that it was much better to use a rolling pin that was three cookies wide instead of six.

About 2006 I read an article in the GR Press about a recently released book that told the story of springerle cookies. Many, many years ago a minister in Germany wanted his illiterate parishioners to have the story of the birth of Jesus in front of them. He and his family carefully carved various nativity scenes in blocks of wood and cut out cookies that told the Christmas story. My dear friend Jayne from Handbells saw my blog post about the book and the next year she had a very special gift for me.

Day 2 of Being Iced In

Well since I'm now on Day 2 of being iced in, I have time to post although rather late.

A few thoughts from my Thanksgiving trip:
1. The morning news on the day left said that I would be 1 of 39 million people who were travelling more than 50 miles from home for the holiday. Well they didn't say "I" would be, but they gave that statistic.
2. At times it seemed as if most of those 39 million were driving between Dallas and Little Rock.
3. I am much more brand aware of Motel 6. I drove the same route in July and never noticed that there is a Motel 6 at almost every exit between Dallas and Memphis apparently.
4. It was interesting driving through Memphis while listening to the new John Grisham book on CD since he focuses many of his stories in north Mississippi with many references to people from or going to Memphis.
5. It was incredible to see so many stars in the late evening sky on the drive.
6. It was strange driving through Decatur when that had been my destination for 40+ years.