30 Books for my 30th Year

Here's my reading list for the next year, as soon as I finish a few evangelism books I have to read for a class I'm helping lead this fall I will be diving in to this list. I should clarify, someone pointed out to me recently that since I am turning 29, I am about to enter my 30th year of life, not my 29th. Hence, we're skipping a list of 29 books...which makes me feel a little like I lost a year of my life, but accuracy is important, I guess :) I'm excited about the variety, here's to a new year of books!

Classics:
1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
2. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
3. East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Theology:
4. The Circle of Seasons: Meeting God in the Church Year by Kimberlee Conway Ireton
5. Amazing Grace by Kathleen Norris
6. The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith
7. Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology by Eugene Peterson
8. Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading by Eugene Peterson
9. The Good and Beautiful Community by James Bryan Smith
10. Made for Goodness by Desmond Tutu

Relationship Books:
11. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray
12. Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

Plays:
13. St. Joan by George Bernard Shaw
14. Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

Contemporary Fiction:
15. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
16. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
17. My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveria
18. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
19. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
20. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult (releasing March 2011)
21. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
22. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
23. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Children's Novels/Newberry Awards:
24. The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
25. Peter and Wendy by JM Barrie
26. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
27. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
28. Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Non-Fiction:
29. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
30. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

The Recap

Exactly 1 year ago today I posted my list of 28 Books I was going to read for my 28th year of life. Today you get The Recap of my adventures in reading this past year. I know that as I read through these books I would occasionally mention them on the blog in random posts, but here's a more thorough recap of what I thought about each of the 28 books on my list, what were my favorites, what I would never read again etc...some of you avid readers may enjoy this, but partly this is for me so I know for the future what books to recommend when people ask what they should read next! So if you like books, read on. If you don't, you won't appreciate this post :) Stay tuned tomorrow for my list of 30 books I'll be reading in my 30th year!

1. Hands down best book I read all year: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I loved this book in a way that I haven't loved a book in a long time. I laughed, I cried, I found myself so vehemently angry at fictional characters it was almost disturbing, and I had my eyes opened to a part of the world I often don't think much about. The first time I was introduced to this book I was in high school, on a road trip from Sacramento to Denver and back again. Our family liked listening to books on tape as we traveled to make the time go faster, so my mom got this at the recommendation of a friend. Lets just say this is not a book to be listened to as you travel through the unbelievably monotonous landscape of Nevada and Utah. It put me to sleep so many times and did nothing to make the drive go faster. So I was apprehensive to pick it up. But I fell in love. I wrote a lot more about this book when I read it back in January, which you can read here if you want a synopsis or further thoughts, but out of everything I read this year, this is my absolute #1 recommendation.

2. Wouldn't Read This Again Unless I Got A Million Dollars: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. Oh this one is going to make some of you mad...but I have to be honest. I hated New Moon, the 2nd book in the Twilight saga. It was several hundred pages of agony that did nothing for me. I didn't want to wait for the vampires to get Bella...I wanted to take her out myself by about the 5th chapter. The only reason I read books 3 and 4 after this one is because my sister promised me they got better (book 3 did, marginally, but by book 4 I was relatively enjoying myself). What I really wanted to do was shake the girl and say "your life is NOT over just because a guy walked out on you! He did it for your own good, you're only 17, you have a whole life ahead of you, GET OVER IT!" Which is not all that pastoral or compassionate, and if I actually had a kid who felt this way I'd respond differently, but come on!! I know a billion little girls are being named Bella in the past few years in honor of this er...heroine? Definitely not going on our list of baby names, even if I do like the name! Sorry, Twilight fans, give me Harry Potter any day!

3. The "And she's done it again!" award goes to: House Rules by Jodi Picoult. One of my very favorite fiction writers, hands down. I love everything Jodi writes. I love the way she crafts a story that takes you deep inside a family and helps us see that things are never as black and white or as simple as they seem on the outside. My favorite feature of her writing is that each chapter in all her books is told by a different character in the story, so you don't get just one perspective, you get a story layered in emotion and complexity. House Rules is her new book that arrived this past year, and once again, I fell in love with her writing. It's the story of an 18 year old high functioning boy with aspergers who is accused of murdering his tutor. His obsessive fascination with crime scenes and detectives only makes it worse, as it further raises suspicion that he knows too much and really could have pulled this off. Picoult gives us a rare glimpse into the incredibly complicated and difficult life of a family with a special needs child.

4. The book that really had potential...but definitely fell short: The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton. This book really did nothing for me, which was disappointing because it sounded exactly the kind of book I would have normally loved! Five women in the 1960s/early 70s meet at the park, discover a common love of reading and writing, and vow to support one another as they all aim to get something published somewhere. It's a story about writing, books, friendship, motherhood, marriage, and the ups and downs along the road. But it was boring. There was nothing unpredictable about it, you know all along there has to be a happy ending, it's just that kind of book, but it just wasn't real. You know all along that of course the woman struggling with infertility will have a baby, there is no other option with Clayton's writing style. Of course the woman with cancer...she'll be fine. There was nothing that kept me wanting to know more. So sad...there was so much potential in this plot line.

5. Great New Young Adult Fiction: The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecelia Galante. A new book for about early high school age (maybe late junior high, but there are some issues of abuse dealt with that might be better handled in high school). I was drawn to this book because I love butterflies, and well the cover was cute (I know, I'm failing in obedience to not judge a book by its cover). I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It actually followed along with a theme I ended up having with many books I chose for the year--that being religious fanaticism, and spiritual abuse (trust me I didn't expect that but SO many books I read had this as part of their plot line!) Two girls are raised in Mount Blessing, a religious commune fully controlled by Emmanuel, their "prophet" whom they regard as only 1 small step below Christ himself. Emmanuel is in charge of everything, including the disciplining of children. Honey & Agnes are essentially kidnapped by Agnes' grandmother who has always believed life in this commune to be horrific, and it's a story about a journey to freedom, both physical, but also spiritual and emotional--the undoing of past lies the girls have been fed, and the dealing with their pasts. It's definitely worth it if you want a quick read that will make you think.

6. The "Yay I Did It!" Award: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I don't think I have ever been this proud to actually finish a book before! I have tried multiple times in years past to read Jane Austen, and have never made it all the way through one of her books, in spite of me having many friends obsessed with her writing. I just never got it. Why is she so popular?? So I was determined to get through a book of hers this year. And I did. And it was a little painful in the process. I didn't love it, I hated parts of it, I laughed at and enjoyed parts of it. I don't know that I'm going to be running out to read the next Austen book (there aren't any on my list for next year!) but I'm glad to finally have a clue what people are referring to when Mr. Darcy comes up in conversation.

7. The best book for animal lovers: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. An absolutely delightful, heart-wrenching, but very funny story told through the eyes of the family dog, Enzo, who has incredible insight into the human condition. On the eve of his death he recounts to the reader the story of his life lived with his family, mostly his best friend and master Denny, a professional race car driver. I read this book in just several hours, flying from Los Angeles to Providence one weekend, definitely a book worth picking up if you love dogs...or just a great story!

8. Best mystery: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. I know he's controversial, especially among Christians, but I really love Dan Brown's novels, and especially since they are so popular I think Christians should read them and be able to engage in intelligent conversation about the books with non-Christians. I liked The DaVinci Code, and I really liked Angels & Demons...The Lost Symbol was not a disappointment at all. With his usual page-turning writing style full of clues involving theology, art, history and travel Dan Brown tells another story involving symbolist Robert Langdon (who will forever look like Tom Hanks in my mind). If you enjoyed his other books, you'll like this one. If you hated his other books...then probably don't bother.

9. The "Don't Bother" Award: (unfortunately) goes to You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohen. Well, I take that back. If you're a teenager struggling with depression, addiction, or suicide, then perhaps this book might bring you some hope. I'm currently not at that place, therefore this book wasn't all that inspiring to me. I didn't find myself really attached to any of the characters, I didn't connect with the plot line, basically, it was an easy read but definitely is not one I would recommend to too many people.

10. Best non-fiction: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. The inspiring, disturbing, and captivating memoir of Walls, that really does live up to all the hype that this book has received. Her story of growing up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity will both inspire and horrify the reader. According to one online review: "What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms. For two decades Jeannette Walls hid her roots, now she tells her own story." Definitely worth picking up one of these weekends!

11. Best Theology: Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell. I feel like I wrote a lot about this book while I was reading it, so I won't belabor this one here. I will say that this is one book I think all Christians should read. It addresses the difficult, but crucial issue of justice (or rather the lack thereof) in our world, and how that grieves God because God is a God of justice. God longs for ALL his children to live in perfect Shalom, and when a quarter of the world's population is using way more than its fair share of the world's resources, well that's a problem. Seriously, read this book, then let me know what you think so we can talk about it!

12. Because Civil Rights still matter: The Help by Kathryn Stockett. One of the year's best novels, and a stable on the New York Times best seller list, The Help will allow you to take a look into the stories and lives of the courageous black women who spent their lives raising white babies instead of their own. Set in the south in the early 60s, The Help is the story of a black community and the white community that employs them. It never occurs to any of the whites that perhaps there is something wrong with this social arrangement until one of their own starts quietly convincing the black nannies/housekeepers to begin telling their stories anonymously. It's a powerful story of justice, social hierarchy, and life in a very tumultuous time. It's a fast read, and definitely worth it.

13. My re-read of the year: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. This made my list last year because it was a book club selection with my (short-lived) book club, and I loved the chance to re-read this for probably the 4th or 5th time. I don't know what it is, but I never get tired of reading the story of Angel, the prostitute, and Michael Hosea, the man of God who pursues her relentlessly because God told him to take her home and marry her. (If you didn't catch that already the story follows the prophet Hosea's story). A fast paced, yet powerful work of religious fiction, Redeeming Love is a great book for anyone high school or up to help them come to terms with the never ending grace of God.

14 & 15. Most unique poetry: Nine Horses and Sailing Alone Around My Room by Billy Collins. About a year ago I was commenting to my friend Ashley (a devout lover of poetry and words) that I just was not into poetry. I never seemed to "get" it, but there's a part of me that really wishes I did. She told me I needed to read Billy Collins. She was right. I loved his work. Unique, written about normal, every day activities and events, Collins has this incredible gift of words that paint the most beautiful images in the reader's mind. If you're not so sure you like poetry, or you wish you liked it more, start here. You won't be disappointed! I laughed the other day when my friend Courtney posted one of his poems on her blog. I've "borrowed" it to give you a taste of his work :)

"Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House"
Billy Collins

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark

that he barks every time they leave the house.
They must switch him on on their way out.

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
I close all the windows in the house
and put on a Beethoven symphony full blast
but I can still hear him muffled under the music,
barking, barking, barking

and now I can see him sitting in the orchestra,
his head raised confidently as if Beethoven
had included a part for barking dog.

When the record finally ends he is still barking,
sitting there in the oboe section barking,
his eyes fixed on the conductor who is
entreating him with his baton

while the other musicians listen in respectful
silence to the famous barking dog solo,
that endless coda that first established
Beethoven as an innovative genius.

16. Most Improved Story from It's Predecessor Award: Eclipse (Twilight book 3) by Stephanie Meyer. What started a bit painfully turned into a relatively entertaining third installment of an otherwise not so entertaining series. I didn't really like Bella a whole lot more, but the vampires grew on me, and I ended up respecting some of Edward's choices (to not sleep with Bella until they were married, for one). I still don't totally get the hype, and I am still very much a "Team Jacob" person (what can I say the warm-blooded wolves did more for me than the ice-cold granite-like vampires) :) Definitely a mindless read easy to get lost in, and nowhere near as painful as New Moon was.

17. About the time it got good, it ended: Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer (Twilight #4). I can admit it, I actually enjoyed book 4 and thought Meyer did a pretty good job of wrapping this series up. I liked seeing some plot twists that I wasn't expecting, I enjoyed seeing the begrudging relationships between the wolves and the vampires form, and well Bell still annoyed me. This book is LONG (rivaling the longer Harry Potter books) but it kept my attention and I found that I read through it really quickly. If you haven't read Twilight, I don't know that I'd tell you to start, but if you have started and aren't so sure, keep going, it does get better (you were right, Megs!)

18. I will never be too old for Newberry Award books: The Witch on Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. Someday, it's my goal to read all the Newberry Award winning books, there are several on my list for next year, but this is one I somehow hadn't read before. It's a terrific book involving a sea voyage from Barbados to the New England puritan colonies, a young girls' struggle to adjust to life in cold, gray, strict New England, a witch hunt, and love, friendship and family. It really has it all, and I would highly recommend it!

19. One of the two most repetitive books I read: Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. I know, I wrote about this one already, and I really did learn quite a bit, but oh my word! What is it with Christian authors who feel the need to beat the horse to death?? And then keep going?? The two Christian "relationship" books I read this year had the exact same problem--neither one communicated their message succinctly. If you haven't read Boundaries, I'd recommend it. The lack of boundaries is a big problem in our society today, and in our families and with friends, but just be prepared after you read the first few chapters closely, skimming is a perfectly viable option!

20. The second most repetitive book I read: Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. My husband and I have this joke, pastors are pros at taking a concept that is really simple and could be well explained in about 20 minutes and turning it into a two hour sermon. The same is true for pastors who write books I think, as is the case with this one. This is a book given to me as a wedding gift by a dear friend, who has a marriage that I really respect. I know she and her husband have both read this book and are putting into practice, and they have a great marriage, so I know there is truth to what Eggerichs is saying! I learned several new things about what men need from women that were really helpful, so I would especially recommend the chapters for women about men to newly weds or dating couples. I just wish he hadn't repeated himself quite so many times or used quite so many letters/stories from couples--they are interesting but I think made the book a lot longer than necessary!

21. My venture into the fantasy world: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline l'Engle. I know so many people who grew up with the "time" books by L'Engle, and who are appalled I haven't read them yet. So I picked up the first one, which is super easy to read since it's written for 4th graders, and flew through it. It was pretty good! Confusing, especially for a really concrete thinker like a 4th grader, I would imagine, but I enjoyed it. It's about three kids who are sent through time and space to another universe or something to rescue their father who is a time traveler/scientist. There are some good theological themes, and just since it's so famous I'd say give it a whirl. I'm not sure I feel the need to read the rest of the series at this point though.

22. Best WWII book since Number the Stars: Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay. Okay, Number the Stars is a kid's book, this definitely isn't, but it has always been one of my favorite books ever, so it seemed like a good comparison, because Sarah's Key is an excellent book! Definitely worth reading! My mom, sister and I all read this this past year and all of us really enjoyed it. It's intense, it's not a "fluffy" book because it does center around a family and a child during the Nazi occupation of France and the eviction of all the French Jews from Paris. Every other chapter moves you from WWII era to present day, following two paralleling story lines that eventually intersect in a beautiful way. If you're looking for a good read, this is definitely one!

23. Most interesting religious historical fiction: The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. This was a fascinating book for me to read, as it deals with a period of time and a group of people I'm really interested in. This book tells the story of Brigham Young and his many wives, and parallels a modern day story of another religious sect in the same part of the country where the Bishop has multiple wives as well. It's a unique look at a part of history told through voices of individuals who probably didn't have much of a voice for themselves, the women in these polygamist families. The very real picture of jealousy, marital relationships, having to share a house with other women and raise children together etc was fascinating, and Ebershoff writes a very compelling novel that was easy to read. It's been one of the top sellers this year, and for good reason. Definitely gets a recommendation from me!

24. Most delightful and endearing characters: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Another book my mom and sister told me I needed to read, and another excellent recommendation. What is cool is that this entire book is nothing but letters that went back and forth during WWII from a small town to an author describing life for them during the war and in the post-war era. There is nothing dull, boring, or dry about these letters though! They describe the town of Guernsey's colorful characters and how they helped one another survive the war with creativity, humor, the occasional prank, romance and of course, their literary society they created one night to save them from being arrested. A literary society made of some individuals who hate reading. You will laugh multiple times while reading this, I promise!

25. My second favorite book of the year: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I loved this book. Really really loved it. But I know others who didn't at all, so maybe you should get multiple opinions before deciding if you should read it or not. Recommended to me by my favorite literary critic (my former high school English teacher who has very similar taste in books to me), she said this book matched To Kill a Mockingbird for her new favorite (which has always been my favorite book). The Book Thief is a different sort of book. It's told through the eyes of Death, set in WWII Germany, and is the story of a young girl's relationship with her foster parents, her neighborhood, and a Jewish fist-fighter hiding from the Germans in her basement. Death finds this girl's life fascinating, and watches as she lives through hell during the war, her stolen books and love of learning to read a big part of what sustains her. This book haunted me, made me think, and had me standing in awe of Zusak's literary abilities to craft such a story.

26. An all-around great read: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. I'm not sure there's anything exceptionally unique about this book that sets is apart from the rest of the list, but I did really enjoy this story. It caught my attention because it was described by one of the quotes on the back as "a classic coming of age story in this To Kill a Mockingbird-like reminiscence..." In many ways, that's accurate. Told through the eyes of the midwife's pre-teen daughter, Midwives is the story of a midwife who took desperate measures to save a baby's life by performing an emergency c-section in a patient's bedroom. She believes the mother has already died from a stroke, but accusations arise that perhaps the mother wasn't already gone, that it was Sybil's drastic actions that killed her. One reviewer describes this book's unfolding drama in this way: "As Sibyl faces the antagonism of the law, the hostility of traditional doctors, and the accusations of her own conscience, Midwives engages, moves, and transfixes us as only the very best novels ever do." The reviewer is right, this book will grip you and keep you turning pages to find out what happens.

27. You'll appreciate this more as an adult: The Giver by Lois Lowry. The Giver is on many elementary school's reading lists for 4th or 5th graders, but somehow I never read this as a kid. I read it a while ago, maybe early in college, when someone told me how good it was, and I thought it was decent, but I'm not sure I loved it. Last September when I was deciding what to read this year, someone from church was using this book as a discussion starter with our youth, and my interest was piqued. I re-read it, and fell in love. It's the futuristic story of a community where everything in a person's life is carefully planned. People don't make choices for themselves, everything is decided for them by the community. There is no snow, or sunshine, or colors, or music or pain. People work hard to blend in, to avoid standing out or being different. When a child becomes twelve, they receive their "Assignments" for a career, and begin training. Jonas is selected for the most honored and respected Assignment in the community, he will become the Receiver of Memories. There is 1 person in the community who has access to all the memories of the past--good ones, bad ones, painful ones, and he keeps them to himself until he can train a new Receiver. Thus Jonas gains knowledge no one else in the community has access to, but also has the burden to bear the sorrow and pain the memories bring all alone. A beautiful story of feelings, memories, emotion, and life--definitely pick this up and read it with your family aloud one day!

28. The Allegory: Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. I chose to add this book to my list this year because I have heard so many people talk about how it is the most famous Christian fiction book of all time. As a future pastor I felt a bit like a failure for having not read it, so I decided to go for it. I think I'm okay having made it this far in life without reading it. I agree, it's message is important, but the bottom line is that I just don't like allegories. I read Hind's Feet on High Places (another very famous Christian allegory by Hannah Hurnard) in college because this girl on my floor was obsessed with it, but I'm not sure it did a whole lot for me either. If you like allegories, then this book is for you. If for some reason they annoy you, then read something else, you won't enjoy this!

Ten on Tuesday--Back to School Edition!

I'm not starting school this year (although I am a teaching assistant so I do still have a bit of a school schedule to follow), but all the high school students I hang out with regularly started school this week (or next), so in honor of their whining and moaning about summer being over, here's a Ten on Tuesday list dedicated to Back to School.

1. Did you love the first day of school, or did you dread it?

I loved it. I was one of those nerdy kids who had all her school supplies organized weeks in advance and her outfit laid out the night before and couldn't sleep with excitement--I loved the first day of school!

2. What was your favorite year in elementary school and why?

I might have to say 3rd grade. I had a great teacher (Ms. Hansen), my best friend Katie was in my class, I remember doing a lot of fun projects like writing our autobiographies, learning cursive, and taking lots of timed tests to learn our multiplication tables. I don't really have many negative memories from 3rd grade.

3. When you remember your first day of high school, what comes to mind now?

I remember being jumpy and scared that I was going to get lost, run over in the halls by a football player, or never be able to find anyone to eat lunch with. But then I remember it not being too bad. I think that was the day I met my friend Miranda who would later become a bridesmaid in my wedding (freshman algebra, quite a lot of memories in that class!), I had my first class with Mrs. Givens (who I would have every year after that for english and yearbook), and I remember being proud that I survived.

4. If you could share one piece of advice with today's high school students, what would it be?

Relax just a little! Life does not end if you do not get an A in every single class. I promise, I even came home with 1 C (Spanish 3...ick!) during my high school years and did it end my life? No, I got accepted to every school I applied for and was offered merit scholarships at each of them. It's okay to not be perfect--and I'd love to remind parents of this as well--the pressure I see our poor kids at church under sometimes breaks my heart.

5. What was the best part of the beginning of a school year?

The school supplies. I am a nerd, I loved shopping for our yearly school supplies, coming home and organizing them. It was a great part of the year :)

6. Top 3 favorite teachers in your life and why?

Tamara Givens--high school English and yearbook. She invested a lot in me, inside and outside the classroom, and gave me a love for literature that I am forever grateful for (especially Shakespeare!)

Donna Bengle--6th grade. I don't know what it was, but I loved Mrs. Bengle, she was the perfect balance between professional and cool, I learned a ton in her class but never felt like she didn't care or wasn't interested in me personally.

Mr. Gillespie--8th grade history. I don't even know his first name, but he made history come alive, he did all kinds of crazy things to help us experience the civil war, the american revolution, memorize the preamble to the declaration of independence etc. I loved his classes.

7. Favorite high school social event that you remember?

I think senior ball really sticks out in my mind. It was a really fun evening, all my good friends got to go together, most of us took sophomore guys as our dates (they were great guys to tag along with us!). Post-prom found us at Mels Diner at 3 AM celebrating Jenn's 18th birthday with a surprise middle of the night party :)

8. Favorite high school hang out?

We spent a lot of time at Mel's Diner that's for sure, after football games, dances, even at 3 AM post-senior prom! Ahh french fries with melted cheese dipped in ranch....yup we were healthy :)

9. What are you most proud of as you look back on your school days?

That I surrounded myself with friends who constantly lifted me up and kept me heading in the right direction. I don't know that this was my doing, I'm pretty sure God just plopped me into the midst of this group of Christians and said "okay, here's who you're going to do life with now" and for that, I am eternally grateful.

10. What do you wish you would have done differently as a student?

Not worried so much about what teachers thought of me. I was such a people-pleaser, and so much of my motivation in school was because I didn't want a teacher to look down on me, or be disappointed in me for not turning in a homework assignment on time etc. I wish I had been more focused on doing my best and letting that be good enough, I wish I'd realized people liked me for who I was, not how I performed in the classroom.

7 Quick Takes Friday

I know it's been quite awhile since I've done a weekly update, but here goes, here's the latest & greatest from Pasadena!

**1**

August is almost behind us now, but with it brought two fantastic vacations! I already wrote about our Houseboat trip on here, and a few days later we found ourselves in Colorado with 40 of my extended family members celebrating my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. It was a blast seeing everyone again, playing games, eating, relaxing, and of course sharing hysterical trips down memory lane and we rolled with laughter over the silly things that have happened over the years in the Hanson family. I love that we are so close and get along so well, that is definitely a gift our parents have given all of us cousins.

**2**

Of course a family reunion meant I got to see my baby niece again! I loved getting 4 days with Lily, watching her learn, grow, and charm everyone with her delightful smiles and giggles that are almost always present. She LOVES being the center of attention, and she most certainly was for the weekend!

**3**

We have a CRAZY fall when it comes to traveling, and it's funny because we weren't really expecting that! But just in the last two weeks our September/October have become packed with trips, events, and interviews! People keep asking what's coming up, so here's the run down of what I think our fall looks like. At some point (hopefully in the next two weeks actually) we'll be taking a quick trip to Seattle for a weekend for a job interview for my husband. In mid-September we're going to Florida for 5 days for another interview for my husband, and to see friends who live there, which we're very excited about! My 29th birthday is at the end of the month, and that weekned we're hoping to head up to Reno to visit my aunt and uncle, and so I can show my husband around the part of Northern California I call home (he's never seen where I grew up, went to school, church etc, so we're going to try to stop in Sacramento on the way up and back even if just for a couple hours). I want to take him to Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake, and of course enjoy time relaxing with my family in Reno :) The first weekend of October finds me in the Northwest again, flying into Portland for my best friend's bachelorette party and then hoping up to Seattle for my final assessment with my Presbytery. The second weekend in October we're hoping to meet some friends in Yosemite, a place I haven't been since I was 10, and a place my husband has to see before we move out of California. The 3rd week of October I'll be back in Portland for 5 days for my best friend's wedding. Is anyone else as tired as I am now that I've read all that?? Yikes! Good thing I like reading on airplanes! November should be relatively quiet, my parents are going to come out here for 5 days which I am VERY excited about, but otherwise we should be around before heading to JAPAN for Christmas! (My passport came yesterday & we have our tickets, it's official!)

**4**

One of the things I've really enjoyed this past year is working my way through my list of 28 books to read in my 28th year (I always see birthdays as good times for new resolutions instead of January!). I love to read but if left to my own devices I'm a bit of an ADD reader--I bounce from one book to another, often not finishing them first. This list was awesome because it kept me focused, I actually read them all (okay I have about 1.5 books to go in the next 3 weeks), and I had made myself read a bit of a variety that I normally wouldn't choose. I am almost done creating my list for this next year, which will be posted as soon as I'm done with this past list! Any last minute suggestions? And it was pointed out to me that since I'll be turning 29 soon, I really will be working on my 30th year of life--which means I'll be doing 30 books for my 30th year...and it looks like a fun mixture of non-fiction, theology, fiction, classics, a couple plays, and some young adult/childrens classics I've never read. Stay tuned!

**5**

Work is going pretty well, although there will be some big changes to my schedule when school starts. I had the potential to have 6...yes 6 different part time jobs with Fuller, and well...that sounded a bit nuts to me. And not exactly legal since I can't ever go over 40 hours a week total, and with all 6 jobs that just wasn't going to be possible to avoid. So in mid September I'll have my last day at the Office of Development where I've been working since May. This fall I'll be working 15-20 hours a week for the Ogilvie Institute for Preaching here on campus, and will be a teaching assistant for a beginning preaching class, a distance learning youth ministry class, a youth outreach class that's being taught here on campus, and a youth outreach class that is being taught in Seattle. Our youth ministry prof who I've worked with for years now is moving to Seattle and will be teaching the class from Seattle, with a live feed to the Pasadena classroom. He needs me to be here in Pasadena to facilitate all the classroom stuff here but also to be prepared to teach in the event that the technology goes down. He laughed when I told him I'd pray every day that the technology works. He thinks I'm kidding. So I'll be getting paid both as the teaching assistant to do all the grading like normal but an additional several hours a week as a faculty assistant/class coordinator (whatever that means). I'm looking forward to the opportunity, but am a little nervous about this one!

**6**

The possibility that we'll be leaving Los Angeles relatively soon is starting to sink in a bit, although not completely since we don't know yet if or where we will be going quite yet. But having these job interviews set up far away from here is a reality check for us. Thus, we're working on doing and seeing all those LA things we've always said we'd do someday but haven't yet. Last Sunday night we random decided to go out to UCLA and wander around Westwood a bit which was a very fun evening. We did dinner in a local cafe and dessert at the famous Diddy Riese

This UCLA landmark often has a line around the block. And no wonder! For $1.50 you get a homemade, personalized ice cream sandwich, with two homemade cookies of your choice and a large scoop of ice cream (again your choice of flavor). This is a random image I found on line, but ours was a delicious combination of 1 peanut butter cookie on bottom, a scoop of espresso chip ice cream, and a chocolate chip cookie on top. Talk about a perfect business to have 1 block away from the largest California college!Other suggestions? What else needs to go on our Los Angeles "Bucket List?"

**7**

Last weekend I also planned a date night for my husband with an Italian/travel theme. I really wanted to see Eat, Pray, Love, and well my husband likes Italian food :) So we did dinner at a great Italian place in Pasadena, then saw the movie. Gotta be honest, I wasn't super impressed. I like Julia Roberts, and the travel scenes were cool and made me want to go to Bali, but it was a SLOW movie! We both were a little bored!

Dreaming Dreams

We all have them. From the time we are little most of us are asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Some of us didn't have parents that asked us this question or encouraged us to dream, but perhaps we had a teacher who stepped in and allowed us this freedom. My own parents made it clear that we could be absolutely anything we wanted to be when we grew up, that they would do what they could to support us in achieving whatever dreams we had--something I am incredibly grateful for. (Even if we choose careers that girls didn't typically pursue...like...um I don't know, a pastor? My dad says nothing converts a man to being a feminist quite like having a daughter that you want to see attain any thing her little heart desires to pursue!) Over the years I've had a lot of ideas and plans, things I thought I might want to pursue some day--from being an elementary school teacher, to a journalist, an English teacher, a brief stint of thinking I would be a social worker or a speech pathologist, to finally realizing I wanted to be in the ministry. It was the best fit, it actually perfectly allows me to combine all of these past career goals--as a pastor you have to teach, write, read, help with good communication, and often step in as a social worker. It's crazy how all these things that I am passionate about come together--I think God knew what He was doing when I began this journey.

I've always had another dream too, though. I've always dreamed of being a mom like my own incredible mom, of having a family of two or three little ones around, of getting to stay home with them in their early years like my mom did--shaping their early childhood development and laying a solid foundation for them. I've never really known how all these dreams would fit together, and I suppose I still don't exactly. But I do know that my husband and I are entering into a season of life where some answers might begin appearing. We both dream of doing ministry, and we're having many conversations these days of what that might mean for the two of us. Is it realistic to both be involved in full time ministry as our first jobs? Probably not, but possibly. Where do kids fit in? Do we both need pay checks from a church to "do" ministry? We're coming to the conclusion that no, we don't. Ministry for us isn't about receiving a paycheck, it's about a passion, and we realize that may mean one of us receives a paycheck from a church to "do" ministry and the other may act more as a professional volunteer. That's a humbling reality when we both have worked so hard for degrees that we'll be paying off for awhile!

We still don't know how everything is going to work out--but we have come to a few conclusions that we both firmly believe when it comes to seeing our dreams come true. First, we believe strongly that God cares more about who we are as a couple (and someday as a family) than what we do for a living. Our character, our obedience, submission to Him and one another, the way we shape and disciple our kids is so much more important to Him than who pays us to work. If we end up working at Starbucks but have a family that loves and serves deeply those around us, well, as I read scripture, I am convinced that's more important. And the second thing we are walking into this season of interviews and discernment fully grounded upon is the reality that no matter where we end up, no matter whose name is on a paycheck, both of us will do ministry wherever we go. It's who we are. God has called us, trained us, equipped us, and given us a passion for His people and His church and no matter where we end up, we'll be serving. Even after beginning a family we are committed to both of us serving our local church in some capacity. I don't say that to sound self-righteous in any way, I say that because we've been receiving so many questions of "what's next?" "how are you both going to use your degrees?" "will a church hire two of you?" "what about kids?" and it's been a struggle to answer people at times.

We still don't know where we will be. We don't know when we will move, or what positions we'll be moving into. And that's a little stressful, we like answers. But this past year and a half of uncertainty, of planning and dreaming and brainstorming and having the occasional tear-filled conversation with one another has been rich and fruitful. We feel confident that God does have something for us, that God does have a place in store for us to both use our gifts and our talents, and that God does desire for us to begin a family in the relatively near future--and in the mean time, we're going to keep dreaming, because my experience is that God loves it when his children think big about how they want to live in His world.

Houseboats!!

It's Wednesday, I missed my 10 on Tuesday post this week, but today's is kind of going to be a version of that. It has been a crazy week! We returned Saturday night, had houseguests beginning Sunday morning until Monday afternoon, I had 3 days at work to catch up, and we leave again early tomorrow morning for another 5 days--this time to Colorado to be with my whole extended family. I at least wanted to share the basic highlights of our houseboat trip before we leave again, so I have 2 different top 10 lists to share (these aren't really in any particular order though)--The Top Ten Moments of Houseboats (in my opinion) and The Top Ten Lessons I Learned Being a Youth Leader. Enjoy!

Top Ten Moments (that I hope to never forget!)

10. Watching a sophomore girl try inner-tubing for the first time, only to hear her start SCREAMING something halfway through the ride. I had the boat driver slow down so we could hear her and she's out on the inner tube screaming at the top of her lungs, "MY BUTT!!! MY BUTT!!! MY BUTT!!!" "Honey, what's wrong with your butt??" "IT'S NAKED!!! AND IT FEELS WIERD!!!" Yes, her bathing suit bottoms were around her knees...and the other 7 girls in the boat and I tried not to fall overboard laughing (she was cracking up herself).

9. That same boat ride found us at the marina so we could all use the bathroom (the bathroom situation is a little complicated on houseboats, we begged ski boat drivers to take us to the marina a lot!) and Bob, our awesome driver bought all of us ice cream (shown below with all my girls), which was incredible since it was 95 degrees and we'd been in the sun all day...best ice cream I think I've ever eaten!

8. DANCING! These girls dance a LOT which is so fun! On the deck, inside the cabin, in the water...they are always dancing, it was very fun to join them :) I heard a LOT of Shakira, Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Rhianna, and Lady Gaga this week...I loved it :) Most played song this week: Waka Waka (the world cup theme song) by Shakira, followed in at a close second "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga

7. The fly trap. Being on a lake, there are a lot of flies. So each boat hangs those sticky fly paper traps from the ceiling over the table. Ours had collected a fair number of flies by the last night. Which is when dear Caroline got the thing stuck in her hair. Yes, she climbed onto the table to do something and it got stuck. And came off the ceiling and she was shrieking and jumping around so much none of us could get it out of her hair. I don't think any dead flies ended up in her hair, thankfully, and eventually we got it unstuck. All 20 of us were rolling on the floor laughing and screaming it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen (she was fine, and thought it was funny later)

6. Girl floats! It's a houseboats tradition. Every day the girls gather as many floatation devices they can find to share and float together in a large pack (no boys are allowed!). These turned out to be some of my favorite moments, because conversations out here in the water went really deep, we talked about all sorts of things, some silly, but many meaningful. It's amazing what kind of walls will start to go down floating in a lake together.

5. Spider hunting. Our boat had a lot of spiders and webs on the upper deck (where almost all of us sleep), and the last night we were there one of our freshman decided she'd had it. She found a can of raid, grabbed a friend to hold a flash light and at 11:30 PM was spraying raid all over the top of our boat (not where we were sleeping, don't worry!) When she came back downstairs I asked her how spider killing went and she said "oh great! I used the whole can of raid!" (It had been full....) Of course our boat now stunk...but don't worry! She had a solution! I turn around and she's heading back out the door with a can of french vanilla febreeze. Which she proceeded to spray all over the top deck. Yes...the combination of the two smelled as lovely as you are imagining...She finally stopped when someone managed to convince her that the sweet smelling febreeze was probably going to attract more bugs...the boys on the boat next to us couldn't stop laughing...note to self--don't let the freshmen girls go spider hunting by themselves.

4. Explaining grace. In our small group time the last night one of our girls raised her hand and said "I've been in the church my entire life, and people keep talking about grace. I have no idea what that is or what that means." I got the chance to explain grace to her using a high school cafeteria as an illustration in a way that made sense (which I just kind of made up on the spot but apparently it made a lot of sense to her). I watched the light bulb go on, and it was beautiful.

3. Watching a foreign exchange student from Germany connect, fit in, and try both wake boarding and inner tubing for the first time--she lit up, saying "they do not do such things in Germany!"

2. Conversations about everything under the sun--from boys, to sex, to our bodies, and modesty, food, clothes, music, God, sweet 16 party plans, plans for college...you name it, we probably covered it.

1. Watching a few of our non-Christian kids start to put some pieces together--nothing super concrete, but at least seeing them start to wonder what this whole faith thing might be about.

Top Ten Things I Learned

10. Just being is tough for me. Last year I was on the food crew--I was busy and had a schedule to follow from 6 AM til about 10 PM. This year, on day one, I quickly learned that being a youth leader is a very different job! My job literally was to just be there, to talk, laugh, dance, ask questions, apply lots of sunscreen, and be aware of what was going on. Once I got rid of my watch and settled into this routine, I loved it. But not "doing" anything was tough for me at first!

9. Sometimes it's my job to be strong so a girl can let her guard down. One of our freshman dislocated her pinky finger doing a back flip on the water trampoline. She hates crying, and hates letting people see her vulnerable (I knew this before this happened). But she was in a lot of pain. My job was to let her squeeze my hand and convince her it was okay to cry as our on site doctor taped her fingers up. Eventually she let me.

8. Watching a light bulb go on for a student is one of the most beautiful sights, especially when that lightbulb is connected to them coming to understand how much God loves them just as they are.

7. So much bonding can happen over hair braiding, leg shaving (in a lake!), fake tattoo applying and getting ready for bed. When I'm willing to join in all this fun with them they respond AMAZINGLY well and love it--which means I had tattoos, smooth legs, braided hair, and dance parties as we brushed our teeth :)

6. As a youth leader on a trip like this, you NEVER know what is going to be your job description! Or what you are going to hear next. All of the following are sentences directed at me from our 17 girls: "Sarah, if I sleep in a wet bathing suit, will I REALLY get an infection?" (Uh yes, honey, you should really not sleep in your wet bathing suit...). "Why is our carbon monoxide detector beeping LOUDLY at 1 AM??" "Sarah, the toilet won't flush..." "Will you go to the nurse for me, I'm too embarassed." "Do we HAVE to go to bed?? Can't we just go skinny dipping?? We'll be quiet, I promise!" (uh no, 20 girls jumping into the water naked right below the boys boat is NOT a good idea ladies!) "Is having sex before you're married REALLY that big of a deal?" "But why can't we stay up all night?" "Does God still love me even if I do ____" "But i don't LIKE what's for lunch!" It was definitely a week of variety for me!

5. It doesn't matter at all what a speaker talks about, when girls get into their small groups they are going to talk about whatever is on their minds, even if it has nothing to do with the topic for the night, and honestly, I think that's beautiful.

4. Waking up a 6 AM before the kids get up to drink a cup of coffee (a perk of being a leader!) while dangling your feet off the back of the boat into the glassy, still water is the best way to star the day. Houseboats is the only trip of the year I get super excited to get out of bed after only 5-6 hours of sleep.

3. One of the best spots to have a conversation with just one or two girls is at the very front of a ski boat as it's flying across a lake. I had some fantastic moments in the bow of the boats.

2. Friendship bracelet making is just as much fun as when we were 14. And entertains VERY tired (and semi-cranky) girls in the vans on the drive home quite well.

1. I never imagined it would be possible to love these girls as much as I do. I never imagined I would find myself praying for them during quiet time and start to cry, thinking about how much they are hurting inside under the smiles--realizing how many questions they are asking, how desperately they want to feel God's love.

Ten on Tuesday (Take 2)

It's summer, which means it's travel time! This week's Ten on Tuesday is travel themed...enjoy the random thoughts!

1. What book, movie or song has made you want to travel to a particular place? Eat, Pray, Love--it definitely made me want to go back to Italy to do nothing but eat--pastas, pizzas, gelato...seriously one of the best food places I've ever been to!

2. Aside from your significant other, who would you want to take with you on a dream trip?
I could travel with any number of friends, so I hope this doesn't offend anyone! But I have to say that my answer would be Ms. Jennifer Gunther because the two of us have had more random adventures/fiascos together which would for sure make for an interesting trip!

3. Where would said dream trip be to?
Oh I think we could have some fun anywhere, but lets say an African Safari just for the heck of it :) Or France :)

4. If you were hosting guests or providing tips, what three things would you show visitors to your hometown? (be it where you live now or where you grew up)
For my 3 various homes:
Granite Bay, CA: they have to eat at Beach House Deli (the best sandwiches ever), people would need to ride bikes around Maidu Park, and see a show at the Music Circus.
Seattle, WA: Visitors would grab a cup of non-Starbucks coffee and walk around Greenlake to people watch, take a ferry to Whidbey Island, and buy flowers at Pikes Place Market
Los Angeles, CA: Frozen yogurt at Pinkberry, a picnic at The Getty Museum, and maybe a concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

5. If you had a long weekend ahead of you, where do you head – beach, city or country/mountains?
Depends on who is choosing :) If my husband is involved, the beach. I'd prefer a place in Northern Cal that has both beach and green forresty mountains.

6. Do you have a passport? If so, did you get it for a particular trip or just to have, in case?
Yes, but it needs to be renewed soon because we're going to Japan in December! I got it for a trip to Europe when I graduated from high school. I think it just has stamps in there from England and America though, they didn't stamp our passports when we went in and out of each country unfortunately.

7. Are there any travel souvenirs you collect? If not, is there something else you collect?
Not really, I always get a few post cards from wherever I go and then usually throw them out eventually.

8. Have you ever traveled anywhere that you'd never want to return to?
I'm not sure I have a huge desire to return to Amsterdam.

9. If you were heading away for a weekend break solo, where would you go? (forget about practicality here and flight times, assume you can get to any city in the world for the weekend)
I'd go to London for a weekend, get lost in wandering :)

10. Is there a song that you strongly associate with a particular trip such that it always takes you back?
"What if I Stumble" by DC Talk takes me to a village 14 hours south of the Mexico/El Paso border. I was there on a mission trip my freshman year of high school, sitting on a rock in the middle of a river listening to that song. It was amazing.