Wednesday's Words: Girl Meets God

Hello, my name is Sarah, and  I... have a book problem. My problem is that I can't stop acquiring and trying to read all the books.

I recently (a few hours ago) got a(nother) new book, Girl Meets God. Girl Meets God is a memoir by Lauren F. Winner, who converted from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity. I bought it kind of on a whim after I saw it mentioned a few times recently by Jenn Giles Kemper, creator of the Sacred Ordinary Days planner.

I've only read the first two chapters but I'm enjoying it so far. In the first chapter she talks a lot about how hard it is to separate her Jewish self from her new Christian self. I know very little about Judaism and gleaning a bit of information from someone's personal viewpoint is interesting and fun.

She said something early on that I really liked, though (emphasis is mine):

"My story doesn't fit very well with this conversion archetype. A literature scholar would say there are too many "ruptures" in the "narrative." But she might also say that ruptures are the most interesting part of any text, that in the ruptures we learn something new."

To rupture means to break or burst suddenly, synonymous with sever, break, breach, disrupt. It also brings to mind interrupt. We do the most learning when our lives and the plans we have made for ourselves get disrupted, sometimes completely thrown out the window.

I married a man 9+ years ago whose feelings about God were almost the complete opposite of mine. We were babies! Sometimes I wonder what we even really knew about each other. I look back and I'm utterly amazed at how far we have come, but we were just following our hearts and maybe he was following God.

I could never in a million years have even guessed that we would be where we are now. There have been countless disruptions along the way. Although I can count 5 off the top of my head. Yes, I'm talking about my kids, but before you get all Judgey McJudgerson on me, let me ask you this: does anything turn your life upside down - in the best, craziest, most unpredictable ways - more than having children?

I'm sure there will be many more. Disruptions, that is. Not sure about the kids.

I'm going to bed counting my blessings tonight and thanking God for not turning his back on me and letting one of the ruptures swallow me whole.





What else is on my nightstand:

• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
• No Bad Kids, Janet Lansbury
• Chicken's Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids About Sex, Leman & Bell
• Welcome to Sunday, Christopher L. Webber
• The Heart of Anger, Lou Priolo
• Anne of Ingleside, L.M. Montgomery

See what others are reading at ladydusk

What I'm Reading, July

I always have a pretty big stack of books to read. I sometimes have a problem finishing books because in the middle of one book, I will get a new book that I'm so excited about I have to start reading it rightnow. Usually, I'm reading several things at a time, though.

Last month I went on a twaddle binge and read a bunch of YA sci-fi books. We homeschool here at Casa de Johnson and I was just plum ready for summer break. I just needed something that didn't require brain power to read but was kind of entertaining. Enter: The 5th Wave series, three books about an alien invasion and a bunch of kids just trying to survive.

But I digress. This month, I am reading several books that I am really enjoying and I wanted to share them.

First up, Janet Lansbury's Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting. I discovered her blog several months ago and I read her other book, No Bad Kids. (For those who may not know: I read a lot of parenting books. Like, a lot.) I'm reading about a chapter a day of Elevating Child Care and it has quickly risen to the top of my list of parenting books I'd recommend to other parents and come back to time and again myself. Janet is all about respecting children, especially babies and toddlers, as people. Now that is something I can get behind. Kind of reminds me of someone else...

"Children are born persons." - Charlotte Mason

Speaking of Charlotte Mason, I am currently on a 3 Year Tour with a group of ladies on the Ambleside forums. (Ambleside Online is an awesome curriculum we use in our homeschool.) Right now we are studying CM's 20 Principles, and later we will be reading through her 6 volumes on education. I am a little behind in the study, but as I read, I am constantly awed by Charlotte's wisdom. I find myself highlighting and underling and saying "Yes! This!" to myself as I read. So, I am reading chapters from her 6 volumes, as well as some extra articles and related blog posts online, sprinkled throughout the week.

Ok, next up, Every Bitter Thing is Sweet by Sara Hagerty. This book is much different than the kinds of things I normally read. What originally caught my eye was the title. I love it. I think it's an amazing title. What made me kind of want to read it was hearing that the author has adopted four children from Ethiopia and Uganda. It took me a while to decide to buy it. It's written like a memoir and tells the story of Sara's growing relationship with God. I have to say that I am having trouble comprehending her relationship with God, as I have never experienced anything like what she describes and have never met anyone who seems connected to God that way. Still, I'm enjoying it.

Finally, the one I am enjoying most, No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene. Another great title! This is a book about the author's family and tells the story of how they came to adopt 5 children (added to their biological 4 = 9!). I am really loving it. It is touching and funny and relatable. Not to mention, I basically just eat up stories about people expanding their family through adoption. I love to read personal accounts.

So there it is. I think that's all of them. Happy 4th of July, internet! (Since I am pretty sure no one is reading this yet.)