Finish Line -- March Reading Challenge

Okay, fellow bibliophiles, how did you fare? If you were a participant in the March Reading Challenge, and you were able to meet your goal, please leave me a comment below and let me know. I will be drawing for prizes on Friday, so please be prompt in responding!

I enjoyed my reading this month very much! I completed Basbanes' A Gentle Madness, and read chunks of Books that Changed the World. Initially, I'd intended to skim How to Read a Book, but only got through the first few chapters before I ran out of time. I don't think it's possible to begin to read a book like that, and then decide to gloss over the content! Even if it means not quite making my goal, I am happy to finish reading Mortimer Adler's classic work in the future so I can really enjoy it. I'm glad I challenged myself anyway!

For your viewing and pondering pleasure, I've put up a woodcut by Albrecht Durer that I've come to love called "The Book Fool" (from the religious work, The Ship of Fools). It is also on the cover of the gorgeous 600-page book I just finished. Happy April Fool's Day to you all!

Check back soon for a new installment in my series on the Benzing Family!

The Booklover's Collection

Here are a couple of gift items we recently pulled in at the bookstore where I work. I am trying to put together some great items for those of us who just love books! I call it "The Booklover's Collection" (go ahead and snicker, Stuart!). I think I need a bit of a tutorial on photographing objects. Who does this all the time? (Sara!!!)

This is the first in a series (hopefully) of mugs with quotes from author's about their love of books and reading. It says "You can't get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." ~C.S. Lewis. This is a prize in the great March Reading Challenge, so press on! We also have a lengthier quote from Spurgeon on a blue mug. The mugs are really terrific, chunky and earthy.



Next is the amazing Booklover's Borrow Book found by Manda. We now carry them in our bookstore, and I was one of the first owners (while I wait for my cute kit from Lennis!). This little book is really quite lovely. Each page inside has 2 stubs to tear out with different little pictures and quotes from authors on the "bookmark" portion you put in the borrower's book. What a nice little reminder! Doesn't seem at all like you are implying they would steal your book when you give them such a pretty little bookmark. Here is a picture of the inside -- which you can tell I've already put to work.



Whether or not you are participating in the March Reading Challenge, these little beauties can be yours, if you wish! Simply let me know, and I'd be happy to connect you with the retailer. :) If you are a contestant, than read, read, read! You have 5 days left to meet your goal and be entered for the chance to win.

Love Lustres at Calvary

Here's a Good Friday prayer taken from The Valley of Vision:

"My Father,
Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips,
supply words that proclaim 'Love lustres at Calvary.'
There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son,
made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow.

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy
that I might be welcomed as a friend
stripped that I might be clothed
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

My Saviour wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorned crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness.
expired that I might ever live.

Can you help me find . . .

I have been looking all over for something, and I cannot find it. This thing exists, I know it, I just have not happened upon it, I guess. I am not a good online shopper for anything besides books, and I'm sure some of you out there do quite well at it.

Here's what I am looking for, in case you have ideas of where to look: some sort of personal library record keeper. I have heard such things be called "a booklover's log" or journal, and that is something I am interested in, but besides just the journal part to record what I'm reading, I want something to record my book lending. Mrs. Mohler has these fabulous "book checks" over which I am extremely envious. She lets her students borrow her books and tear out a check to use as a bookmark, all the while keeping the stub in the original binding so that she will know who has what book. She got hers on clearance at Borders, so that is no help there! I examined them closely one night after class.

Is it possible that this is one thing I simply cannot buy online?? Must I *gasp* go shopping the old fashioned way to try and track down what I am looking for?? I am willing to pay a moderately decent amount for something like this. Who has time to kill clicking away on line??

Who will take the challenge?? (inquiries concerning a stipend will likely be disregarded).

My Book Collection

Except for a brief stint when I was 10 or so, and I thought collecting clowns was a great idea (until I figured out that I actually thought clowns were creepy, not cute at all), I have never really been a collector. My sister collected cats. My dad collected -- still does -- Coke Houses. My mom collected Hummels and Precious Moments and teapots and silverware and most especially quilts. I had some baseball cards, but not really a respectable collection. I had an American Girl Doll and a couple of her accessories, but an actual collection.

I've been thinking about collections because of one of the books I'm reading, A Gentle Madness by Basbanes. It has been outlining some of the most fantastic collections of books through history around the world, and this idea of a book collection -- especially a very selective, very narrow and excellent book collection -- really appeals to me.

So here's my collection: Autographed books.

Not just any books, of course. Only excellent books written by people I really admire, and books that I actually intend to read (or already have read). Most of the titles in my collection come from book signings I have been to, which means, I also met the author (or illustrator) who signed my book. It is not a huge collection, of course, but I am very happy for the few I have. Here is a list of titles (perhaps if they are someday auctioned off, you might refer to this as the initial catalog):

A Chance to Die, the Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot
The Journals of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot
Culture Shift by R. Albert Mohler
Humility, True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney (okay, actually not signed, but I kept something he wrote his name on and put it in my book, so I think it counts)
Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick
Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick
Meet Addy by Melodie Benson Rosales (the original illustrator who modeled Addy after her daughter, whom I also met!)
The Felicity Collection by Valerie Tripp
Jessica by Kevin Henkes (my former boss had him sign a bookplate for me so I could put it in my favorite book of his -- I chose Jessica).

Hmm. On this end, my collection seems pretty small. I see why it is an impulse for those slightly touched collectors to nearly go mad getting the books they want. It is not merely a matter of money, or else the very richest people of all would have only the best collections. It is a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and knowing what to look for. Like anything else, this hunger for MORE books, is fueled by our base passions -- namely greed.


***Contest update: Good news, we got in the special prize designed and sent to the manufacturers by yours truly. If you are still in the running, this unique little baby could be yours! If not, I will be letting you know in a later post how you can buy your own. :) Stay tuned.

Elyse Fitzpatrick

What a late post! As you noticed in my last post, I am attempting to be more efficient at home. The honest truth is that leaves a bit less time for other things -- including blogging. :)

Last Thursday, I attending the Elyse Fitzpatrick event I promoted here, and it was outstanding. She urged us to not overlook the gospel even as we search the scripture for the "to-do" lists. She asked "In seeking to pursue godliness, have you left Jesus behind?" and reminded us that we're "more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe". One of her scriptural examples were Ephesians 4:31-32 -- "Be ye kind . . . forgiving one another". Often I focus on the part that is my job, and forget the rest of the verse "even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you." There it is -- the GOSPEL! That is what enables me to forgive -- because I am forgiven! She urged us not to be bored with the gospel, because it is so familiar, and not to think of it only as the "door" into the Christian life, but instead as the WHOLE of the Christian life, our means of accomplishing any of those divine "to-dos".

I left, reeling.

The next day was supposed to be the book signing. But it snowed and snowed more than it has in 14 years, so Elyse took an early flight out of here. She did kindly stop by and sign the books we had on hand, though. As a bonus to my readers, if you post in my comment field that you are interested, I will send you a gorgeous 35% off pre-order coupon for her up and coming book that deals with this whole idea of how the gospel DOES apply to my life. Even if you don't preorder the book, you may want the coupon for a bookplate or bookmark -- they are really really pretty.

On the Gospel and Clutter

I am taking a life-changing class right now. I say "life-changing" because this class has practically impacted my life and lifestyle more than any other thus far. It is "Redeeming the Time" -- basically a class on time management, or rather, a class on self management within the amount of time I have.

Among other things, I have had to track my every move for 4 days (including weekends), write out goals for this season of life, submit my day planner to be scrutinized by Mrs. Mohler (yes, it was just a year ago that dear woman inspired me to go purchase such a thing), write an ideal week schedule based on my priorities and declutter the worst areas of my home (see photos below).











The living room closet BEFORE pictures -- a mess of outerwear, art supplies, tools, videos, games, etc. Scroll down to see the delightful after!

This week our assignment was to make a housekeeping schedule. I have had a rather ragged schedule in the past, but ironing it out a bit has helped tremendously. Most of the weekly jobs I do I can fit in to the early morning time slot before I go to work (that was the depressing part of keeping track of every day -- so much was covered by being gone to work!). With the help of my housekeeping schedule, I can keep things fairly tidy and clean, just leaving minimum maintenance for the weekend (for instance, the neighbors might get frowny if I vacuum at 5:00am). I do all the laundry on Mondays, and focus on our bedroom that day. All clothes, shoes, jackets and bags get put back in their proper place (especially helpful if we've been gone over the weekend, or just running around alot). Tuesdays I clean the bathroom. Sometimes this means scrubbing down the tub and shower, sometimes bleaching the floor, sometimes just the basics. Wednesday is grocery, and once a month cleaning out the fridge (entirely). Thursday is general household straightening (mainly living room), and Friday and Saturday are dusting, vacuuming and special projects (those are the nights Josh works, and I can put in at least an hour or two while he's gone).

This has been so helpful to me! Instead of feeling like "ooooooooh, more chores!", (which is what I was afraid of), I instead feel relief! I simply do not stress about the chore that does not go with that day. I know it is planned for another day, so I do not need to consider it now. It actually takes a mental burden away.

Another thing that has been utterly helpful, and ultimately freeing is to recognize what is causing my disorganization. Is it overcommitment? Procrastination? Perfectionism? Maybe you can identify with those. What are the roots underneath those failures? Usually pride, selfishness, laziness, etc. Call that sin what it is! That is good news! That means the gospel applies to my disorganization! Christ died for my sin of pride and laziness, so I have grace to repent of those sins, and walk in newness of life. I do not have to flounder in despair, trying time and again to pull myself up by my bootstraps to "get it together". I can't save myself from sin. Christ saves me. I must repent and ask for his aid.

Some people are more naturally inclined to organization -- my sister Anna, for instance. But being a messy person naturally is no excuse. We are all sinners naturally. We must fight the sin of laziness and pride, and cling to the gospel as our solution! Okay, if you care about this sort of thing, here is the after of my closet. I put the hats and scarves in a basket, my paints and crafty stuff in a shoebox, combined the tool boxes so the little one can be used for lightbulbs (they were always dangerously teetering on the edges of shelves), and organized the videos and game baskets so they are accessible in the front of the closet, not under the coats.

March Reading Challenge

It's your last chance to jump on the bus, folks! The March Reading Challenge is pulling out of the station beginning tomorrow, and here are the riders:

Grace: Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick and When I Don't Desire God by John Piper

Sarah C: Knowing God by J.I. Packer and Teach Them Diligently by Lou Priolo

Mark: The Odyssey by Homer and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand and War and Peace (just kidding on those last 2!)

Karen: Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

Christen: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Staci: The 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman

Rebecca: The 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell

Donette: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis and Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

Morning Rose: Sold! by Patricia McCormick and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Gretchen: A Gentle Madness by Nicholas A. Basbanes, How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler and Books that Changed the World by Robert B. Downs

J. Ingold (representing the underrepresented men): Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards and The Work of Christ by Robert Letham

Amelia: The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman (late addition totally welcome!)

If there are any changes, please note them in a comment, and I will fix your goal. This challenge is for YOU, so it's okay if everyone has different lengths and numbers of books. If you accomplish your goal, you just might win a prize fit for a booklover! Possible prizes include vintage book plates, book tickets and a special booklover's gift item designed by yours truly (to be unveiled in a later post). Please do not begin your books until tomorrow. That said, buckle up and let's head out!

More books for Sharon

Thanks, guys, for all the input on my list for Sharon. This list is shorter and even harder to define, so I am calling it "Just for you". Basically they are books to read for enjoyment, and do not necessarily fit in Marriage, Parenting and Ministry. This list is based entirely on my opinion, but then again, Sharon did ask for my opinion. :) I'm linking them all to Amazon so you can click and see what they look like. But please buy them from your local bookstore!

Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House -- I love this beautiful book. It makes simple things like making beds seem beautiful and important.

Moleskin Notebook -- this "legendary notebook of Hemingway" has become my new obsession. I love their clean lines and perfect sizes. Great for staying organized!

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens -- My favorite fiction story of all time.

Boxed Set Chronicles of Narnia -- This one really is the best. The collectors edition is worth the small increase in price because all the illustrations are in color, the bindings are made to last, and the pages are thicker and glossy. This is the set you must read to Gabriel (et. al.)

Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper -- Great ideas on how to make holidays about treasuring God, not just purposeless activities.

The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit -- I know I mention her over and over, but I'm simply over the moon about her! Nesbit does to my funny bone what Elisabeth Elliot does to my soul -- they hit the very core.

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook -- I have no idea if this would be helpful to you in Brazil, but I can't tell you how much I love this book. It is more than a cookbook, it is a handbook on all the subtleties of the art of baking.

I hope some of these suggestions were helpful to you. I certainly enjoyed formulating the lists. Happy reading, friend!

Essential Reading for Ministry Wives

My sweet friend Sharon asked me for some book recommendations to take to the field. She and her husband David, are preparing to leave this spring, and she left me this comment on a past post:

"I'm mainly writing to ask you for some book recommendations. Several missionaries have told me to make sure I take plenty of reading material because resources are limited once you're on the mission field. I would like to go buy some books and just put them in one of the boxes we're shipping down and it will be like a little Christmas for me throughout the year."

I am doing my recommended reading in two parts -- "Essential Reading for Ministry Wives", and "Just for You". This list is specifically designed for women, wives and moms to be applicable to their lives as they minister in a church in the US or abroad. There is no way this list is exhaustive, but I do want to give you enough options in case I list things you've already read. I'm focusing, for the most part, on books specifically designed for women. There are many others, that I would encourage you to check out, but I know your husband most likely has those! Most of the parenting books I am recommending based upon hearsay -- I've read very few of those. :) But good people have told me how wonderful they are, so I'll pass them on to you.

This list is for Sharon, but I know my dear readers have been wondering when I would write about books and reading again! So here you are, a true post in Gret Reads 24/7 fashion:

For All Women:

1. A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Charmichael by Elisabeth Elliot
2. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
3. Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
4. Discipline, the Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot
5. How People Change by Tim S. Lane
6. Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney
7. A Path Through Suffering: Discovering the Relationship Between God's Mercy and Our Pain by Elisabeth Elliot
8. Idols of the Heart by Elise Fitzpatrick
11. Secure in the Everlasting Arms by Elisabeth Elliot
12. Seeing with New Eyes by David Powlison
13. Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul Tripp
14. The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
15. Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
16. Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
17. Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes

Books on Marriage:

1. Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney
2. The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
3. Sacred Marriage by Gary L. Thomas
4. Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson
5. Fearlessly Feminine by Jani Ortland

Books on Parenting:

1. Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp (I'm reading it right now with Christen!)
2. Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman
3. Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay Clarkson
4. The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson (I've had this recommended by several friends)
5. Parenting by the Book by John Rosemond (a woman I really admire tells me this is very practical and helpful. She buys it for all baby showers!)
6. Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas
7. The Shaping of a Christian Family: How My Parents Nurtured My Faith by Elisabeth Elliot
8. In My Father's House by Corrie Ten Boom

Books for Your Ministry in the Church and to Women:

1. Free Grace and Dying Love by Susannah Spurgeon
2. Ordinary Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper
3. Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot
4. Girl Talk by Carolyn Mahaney
5. Women's Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan III
6. The Path Through Suffering: Discovering the Relationship Between God's Mercy and Our Pain by Elisabeth Elliot
7. Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart by John Ensor
8. Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick

Merry Christmas, Sharon! :) To save time and space, I simply listed the titles, but if you want more info on any of these, leave me a comment, and I'll let you know why I recommend it!

Indelible Grace Concert

Last night, Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace had a free concert at our church, Clifton Baptist. What a source of Christian encouragement! In case you're not familiar with IG, they take old hymns that are beginning to be forgotten and write new melodies to them. The words of their songs are so rich! I really admire their dedication to these old songs, and the desire not to let them fall by the wayside, but to sing them on to another generation. Some songs have been changed around quite a bit, but others, like "Nothing but the Blood" and "Come Thou Fount" are totally unchanged. You can hear samples on their website.

Here's what it looks like when a row of Seminarians show up an hour early for good seats. That's Josh and our friends Kevin, Micah and Carrie.

Here's me and my friend Canaan. Can you believe we forgot books? We didn't show as early as the others, so we just chatted it up for a half hour or so. What I loved about this concert was how "church-family" it was. How gracious of IG to make the concert totally free so that everyone can come, even with their kids and babies!

Because He Loves Me: How God's Love Transforms Our Identity and Life

I'm here with the facts about the Elyse Fitzpatrick conference! Wow! I had no idea it was actually going to be compatible with my work schedule. . . I am going to do everything I can to make it!

In case you are interested in coming, here are the details:

When: March 6, 2008 5:00pm-8:00pm
Cost: $10 (includes dinner)
Where: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary of course! (which means you get to stay with Gretchen).
Contact: Lilly Park lpark@sbts.edu (502)897-4608
Deadline: March 1st (or else you get no dinner)

Please stay until the next day when you can get your books signed by Elyse at the bookstore where I work.

Now, who wants to come?

By the way, I'm still taking names and books for the March Reading Challenge. You can enter all the way until March. And I seriously am cooking up some sort of prizes!

Who's In?

I found this vintage poster which gave me a great idea to promote in March. If you can narrow it down, choose one or two books that you've always meant to read. I think I'm going to go for my books about books: How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler and A Gentle Madness by Nicholas A. Basbanes.

If you need a suggestion, how about reading the Puritans? Timmy Brister, blogger extraordinare, and one of the best customers at my bookstore (after Dr. Mohler, of course) has developed a Puritan Reading Challenge. Complete with prizes and discussion, you read one Puritan Paperback a month. I'm a little late in the game to post about it, but I'm sure you can still hop on the moving train. I'll ask him next time he comes in for an enormous stack of books. Building that theological library.

Whether you decide to take up my March reading challenge -- to read something you've been meaning to read -- or to take up the Puritan reading challenge, please give me a halla back to let me know you are in on it!

Now let me see if I can cook up some sort of prize. . .

Nearest Book

Steph tagged me to write 3 sentences from page 123 of the nearest book to me. I think Shepherding a Child's Heart is about 3 inches closer than Josh's Greek New Testament, so I will go with that (not to mention, I'd be hard pressed to figure out sentences in that guy). Page 123 just happens to be the last page I read in this book, earlier today! Crazy!

Well here it is. Kind of a strange set of sentences. "These methods must be woven together in your practice. Your children need to be known and understood. Thus, rich communication is necessary."

I will tag Karen, Grace and my cousin Rebecca to do this next if they are interested.

Speaking of reading, I am working at that list of suggestions that you all gave me. My class reading and the books that I am reading with friends have slowed my personal time reading down quite a bit, but I did polish off The Fisherman's Lady by George MacDonald today (waiting to post a review until after I read the sequel -- The Marquis Secret.) Most of the others are either on their way or sitting on my BookMooch wishlist. I will do some real blogging in a few days.

Book signing!

*** EDIT: I was confused. Thanks, Heather, for pointing out that the 9th is a Sunday. The signing will be March 7th.

I am so excited! I am running a book signing with Elyse Fitzpatrick on March 9th at the bookstore! She has written several great counseling books as well as the very popular book Idols of the Heart and Love to Eat, Hate to Eat.

Let me know if you want a book signed that day. I'd be happy to add it to my stack!

The Beauty of Adoption

Today I joined a throng of people waiting to welcome the Murray Family home from Vietnam, where they have been for the past 2 weeks, adopting two precious baby boys. The Murrays are an amazing family here at Clifton, our beloved church. They have 4 bright, adorable daughters who are mature, respectful and full of character. I just love how the Murrays saw that there was more room and love to give to more children, and embarked on this exciting adventure. It was an amazing moment when they walked toward the crowd, and their 3 youngest daughters ran to meet them (their eldest, Caitlyn, who is in our Jr. High SS class went on the trip with them). Everyone cheered, and I am sure I'm not the only one who shed a few tears. It was beautiful.

Why is adoption so beautiful? I think it is because our hearts are so drawn to the beauty of redemption -- our adoption in Christ. We, like these 2 little boys, were adopted by the Father from a world of darkness, sin, and spiritual poverty into the marvelous family of God -- made joint-heirs with Christ. What could be more beautiful?

These boys have been "rescued" from a world that was unloving, cruel, dirty and poor and welcomed into a family that will heap buckets of love on them -- those guys have absolutely NO idea. For one thing, they went from having no mother to having 5 mommies! Watching the process that the Murrays went through has deepened my appreciation for my own adoption in Christ. We cannot begin to imagine all that it will mean to us!

Coffee Talk

I am so thankful for a blessing this season of life affords me: coffee dates with the girls I know and love. I have been especially blessed with a plethora of those lately -- and the sweet, encouraging, rich times they have been.

My friend Annie Meade has been a model to me of making coffee dates with the girls in her life. She willingly gets up at any hour, or stays up until all hours, to meet with the girls who want to talk over a steamy hot latte. Annie's flexibility is probably why she is so marketable in the coffee-date business -- she'll meet me early before work (thus forcing her to be up and ready for work much earlier), or late at night at the end of a long, exhausting week to lend a sympathetic ear to a single girl from small group. She has regular meetings with other girls, where they discuss books they are reading together. One thing I loved about Annie the minute I met her was how she "buys up" all the best bargains for this season of life. Since she and her husband John don't have kids yet, she knows this is the season of life she can be so flexible to meet girls wherever -- and whenever -- they're at!

I've started making coffee dates of my own -- frequently. In fact, the idea of "going to coffee" has come to symbolize to me the very act of sharing in female Christian encouragement (similar to going to lunch, which is a close second). The Lord has been gracious to give me wonderful coffee dates with girls who are ready to share, or open up, or who are so kind to listen to me explain what I learned from a book or my sin of discontentment, and then patiently encourage one another, pointing to Christ and the Gospel. What a beautiful picture of living out the "One Anothers" of Scripture!

I don't say all this to brag. I know there are many things in life that are more easily enjoyed in different seasons. If you are a stay-at-home mom, getting coffee with another girl might pose some challenges right now. You savor that girl time when you can get it! Or, if you are low on cash, you may not be able to afford a whole bunch of trips to Starbucks, so you have to be creative. Regardless of your current season of life, let me challenge you to make the most of it -- don't waste it shooting the breeze, discussing television shows or analyzing the minutiae of your child's everyday life. Instead, engage your girlfriends with deep questions, share time in prayer, confess sin to one another and then build one another up by reminding each other of the gospel and the glory of sin forgiven! Imagine if that were our template for spending time with our Christian sisters! Is this not true fellowship?

That said, who wants a coffee date? I'll put you in my planner.

Thanks guys, I love you, too!

Look at this fun apron I got from the kids at Calvary (my old church). It says "We Love you, Ms. Gretchen" and all the kids signed it. I love it!

Johanna, Miss Janice, I know you guys are behind this! You are too kind. I miss you guys so much. :)

Benzing Drama

The large, widespread Benzing family has known a number of successes on the stage. I guess you could say most of us share a bit of flare for the dramatic. From my dad in his frequently repeating "narrator" roles, to my uncle Matt as Harold Hill back in the day, to the current generation of Benzing actors and actresses (myself just a blip on the screen among them), we must have something in our genes that makes us unafraid to don those costumes and take on the role with abandon (side story -- the speech teacher at my college once used me as an example of someone who had "abandon" in her drama class. I was not in this class. I'm pretty sure it was a compliment.)

None of us have the experience that my cousin Elise Benzing has. She has been in "countless" shows from age 4 to 20, including Annie in Annie, Louisa in the Sound of Music, and her favorite, Alice in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Elise auditioned to be a part of the theatre program at the University of Central Florida when she was 18, and was one of only 12 students accepted. But after 3 semesters and several challenges to her faith, she decided to walk away. It was, as she said, a "Very hard time in life while considering that maybe God didn't want me in the secular theatre world (it is, I've come to realize, a sinful sinful sinful world. Surely not what God intended for it... and God, who used so many parables, must have had wonderful plans for 'storytelling' (theatre)... but it would take a stronger person than me to live for the Lord in that sector of the world). All things work together for good though and this was no exception."

These days, Elise lives with her mom and younger siblings -- playing a great role as an outstanding big sis! She is hoping and saving to go back to school, perhaps to BJU and study in a different field. I just love Elise's transparency and openness! She has a vibrant walk with Christ that is a huge encouragement to me. When I asked her to tell me unique ways God has blessed her, she answered "He has sought me: Luke 15: 4-7. Over and over again, I rebelled against God but he never stopped burdening my heart. I am so thankful that he asks us to know him and believe on him by faith. I am so glad he strengthens us in our afflictions. I am so awed by his mercy and his promises."

Elise also frankly and openly shared with me about her struggle with eating disorders. Her fight has come through counting the words of Scripture as true, dependence on God's grace and attacking the sin (she was pointed in telling me that it was not a sickness!). I think Elise is a beautiful girl who has an amazing story to tell, and will continue to bless those in her path her whole life long. She will make an amazing wife for some lucky guy, as well as a mentor for girls who are walking the same path she has walked.

Don't you love my gorgeous cousin?? My life is richer because of her!

He's BAAAAaaaaaaaaack!

Check out what the Fullers sent me in the mail! Now I have a lovely new water bottle AND I get to live close to Paul and Audrea! WOW. Sounds like a great deal to me! Check out their most recent post to hear about their plans to pack it up in Minnesota and come to the sunny warm climate of Louisville (yeah, right! It's freezing here, too!).

I guess the other one is for Josh. Not sure how he feels about that. :)