Just when so many people are ready to give up on their New Year's resolutions*, I figure it is a good time to share mine. It is a fairly well known fact that writing down one's goals greatly increases the likelihood of achieving those goals. In 2011, I wrote down three resolutions and kept two of them. For 2012, I figured I would not only write them down but also share them with you in the hopes of increasing my success rate to 100%. Last year's goals were all health and fitness related, but this year I wanted to expand into other areas of my life as well. After some thought, I came up with the following four resolutions:
1. Memorize 26 verses of scripture
The psalmist says, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11). Memorizing God's Word is not only helpful in battling sin, but as Chuck Swindoll wrote, “No other single exercise pays greater spiritual
dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will
be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will
begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your
confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be
solidified” (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], p. 61). At first I wanted to memorize one scripture verse a week, but I thought that was an unrealistic goal for myself (knowing me). I decided on one every other week instead. This may not seem like much, but it is a big step from the zero verses I have memorized in the last several years.
2. Run 500 miles
Last year's running goal was to complete a half marathon in 2:15, and I ran the Cap City half in May in 2:04. Because of the pregnancy, I did not think focusing on time would be a good idea this year, so I made a distance goal instead. Five hundred miles averages out to 9.6 miles per week. I have decided that during the later stages of pregnancy and in the first few weeks after giving birth, I will count miles walked as a way to stay motivated and moving even if I can't keep up a running pace. I also hope to train for the Columbus half marathon in October, which will help get my mileage back up, but I will only be concerned with finishing not time.
3. Lose the baby weight
I don't know how much weight I will end up gaining by the time the baby comes, but I hope to keep it to the recommended 25-35 pounds. I will have seven months then to work off whatever is left after the little guy is born. I think this seems a reasonable goal and time frame.
4. Read 40 books
Last year I read 49 books (without a goal in mind), but I don't know how having a newborn in the house and being a new mom will affect how much time I have to read. I also really, really hope to be in a full-time teaching position in the fall, which would naturally take up quite a bit of my time. With those things in mind, I figure I will not read as much as I did last year, but I would still like to keep my goal high and push myself to find the time for myself and one of my favorite pastimes.
*actually, January 17th is apparently the time to give up on resolutions as it is Ditch New Year's Resolutions Day
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
November and December Book Reviews
Title: The Son of Neptune
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: ****
I'm hooked on Riordan's mythology-based series. First, there was Percy Jackson & the Olympians now there is The Heroes of Olympus. The Son of Neptune is the second book in the series, and I was lucky enough to borrow it from a 6th grade teacher's classroom library. A light and easy read full of the same mythological references as his other books, The Son of Neptune was enjoyable from beginning to end. I am already looking forward to the next one.
Amazon Book Description: Percy is confused. When he awoke after his long sleep, he didn’t know much more than his name. His brain-fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight. Somehow Percy managed to make it to the camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he had to continually kill monsters that, annoyingly, would not stay dead. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him.
Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn’t do a very good job of it. When the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her “gift” for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn’t say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk.
Frank is a klutz. His grandmother claims he is descended from ancient heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery—although not good enough to help the Fifth Cohort win at war games. His big and bulky physique makes him feel like a clumsy ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely—enough, even, to share the secret he holds close to his heart.
Beginning at the “other” camp for half-bloods and extending as far north as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment in the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all of whom are destined to play a part in the most important quest of all: the Prophecy of Seven.
Amazon Book Description: Percy is confused. When he awoke after his long sleep, he didn’t know much more than his name. His brain-fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight. Somehow Percy managed to make it to the camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he had to continually kill monsters that, annoyingly, would not stay dead. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him.
Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn’t do a very good job of it. When the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her “gift” for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn’t say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk.
Frank is a klutz. His grandmother claims he is descended from ancient heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery—although not good enough to help the Fifth Cohort win at war games. His big and bulky physique makes him feel like a clumsy ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely—enough, even, to share the secret he holds close to his heart.
Beginning at the “other” camp for half-bloods and extending as far north as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment in the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all of whom are destined to play a part in the most important quest of all: the Prophecy of Seven.
Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: ***
Yet another young adult series that I feel compelled to finish. I read Matched over the summer, and Crossed is its sequel. Yet another young adult dystopian series, this one is not as good as Hunger Games, but it is still entertaining. I'd recommend it if you really like the genre.
Amazon Book Description: The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.
Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
For most of her life, Lauren Mahdian has been certain of two things: that her mother is dead, and that her father is a murderer.
Before the horrific tragedy, Lauren led a sheltered life in a wealthy corner of America, in a town outside Manhattan on the banks of Long Island Sound, a haven of luxurious homes, manicured lawns, and seemingly perfect families. Here Lauren and her older brother, Alex, thought they were safe.
But one morning, six-year-old Lauren and eight-year-old Alex awoke after a night spent in their tree house to discover their mother’s body and their beloved father arrested for the murder.
Years later, Lauren is surrounded by uncertainty. Her one constant is Alex, always her protector, still trying to understand the unraveling of his idyllic childhood. But Lauren feels even more alone when Alex reveals that he’s been in contact over the years with their imprisoned father—and that he believes he and his sister have yet to learn the full story of their mother’s death.
Then Alex disappears.
As Lauren is forced to peek under the floorboards of her carefully constructed memories, she comes to question the version of her history that she has clung to so fiercely. Lauren’s search for the truth about what happened on that fateful night so many years ago is a riveting tale that will keep readers feverishly turning pages.
Amazon Book Description: The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.
Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
Title: The House of the Scorpion
Author: Nancy Farmer
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: ****
This book is one of the freshman choice novels, and I would like to eventually read all the books on their list. House of the Scorpion deserves its accolades, including National Book Award. Not only is the story compelling and interesting, but the characters are dynamic and well-written and the opportunities for discussion abound.
Amazon Book Description: From the unique combination of the timelessness of an old and seemingly forgotten world deftly mixed with the futuristic reality of a brave new world comes a chilling tale of ethics and mortality that is thought provoking and macabre, and yet strangly fascinating...Is this the way of the future? Matt is six years old when he discovers that he is different from other children, from other people. To most people Matt isn't a boy, but a beast, dirty and disgusting. But to El Patron, lord of a country called Opium, Matt is the guarantee of eternal life. El Patron loves Matt as he loves himself - for Matt is himself. They share the same DNA. As Matt struggles to understand his existence and what that existence trully means, he is threatened by a host of sinister and manipulating characters, from El Patron's power-hungry family to the brain-deadened eejits and mindless slaves that toil Opium's poppy fields. Surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards, Matt longs for escape. But even escape is no guarantee of freedom because Matt is marked but his difference in ways that he doesn't even suspect.
Title: Close Your Eyes
Author: Amanda Eyre Ward
Genre: Fiction
Rating: ***
I cannot remember why I put this book on reserve at the library, but when it came in, I went ahead and read it. Though it was well-endorsed by many popular authors, I found it merely a satisfactory read. It was interesting but not a page-turner.
Amazon Book Description: In Close Your Eyes, the author of the bestselling How to Be Lost spins another mesmerizing tale of buried family secrets.
For most of her life, Lauren Mahdian has been certain of two things: that her mother is dead, and that her father is a murderer.
Before the horrific tragedy, Lauren led a sheltered life in a wealthy corner of America, in a town outside Manhattan on the banks of Long Island Sound, a haven of luxurious homes, manicured lawns, and seemingly perfect families. Here Lauren and her older brother, Alex, thought they were safe.
But one morning, six-year-old Lauren and eight-year-old Alex awoke after a night spent in their tree house to discover their mother’s body and their beloved father arrested for the murder.
Years later, Lauren is surrounded by uncertainty. Her one constant is Alex, always her protector, still trying to understand the unraveling of his idyllic childhood. But Lauren feels even more alone when Alex reveals that he’s been in contact over the years with their imprisoned father—and that he believes he and his sister have yet to learn the full story of their mother’s death.
Then Alex disappears.
As Lauren is forced to peek under the floorboards of her carefully constructed memories, she comes to question the version of her history that she has clung to so fiercely. Lauren’s search for the truth about what happened on that fateful night so many years ago is a riveting tale that will keep readers feverishly turning pages.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Not All About the Baby
I have been wanting to blog for a couple weeks now, but I just could not seem to get my creative juices flowing. You see, I feel challenged. I do not want my blog, or my Facebook wall, or my life to be all-consumed with baby stuff just because I am pregnant. However, the thing about being pregnant is that it does tend to become the center of attention in your life. It tends to be the first thing people ask about when they see me or talk to me. It takes up a substantial amount of conversation time with my husband, friends, family, and co-workers. I don't really mind, but I also feel like I don't want it to be the only thing I talk about. I imagine it is not the most exciting thing in everyone's life just because it is in mine. In spite of the fact that it is the most exciting thing in my life, it is by no means the only thing going on. I am still reading (and not all baby books!), running, working, watching movies, playing games, going to church, traveling, leading a Lifegroup, etc. So why can't I seem to find anything to write about? I would love to write a post about our Christmas vacation in Arizona. I would love to write a post about the books I read in November and December. I would love to write a post about my New Year's resolutions. I just have not done it. Yet... I suppose it's never too late, so perhaps I will get to that this week. Then maybe I can tell you something else baby or pregnancy related and not feel too guilty about it.
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