I haven't posted any pictures for a while and I owe the Grandparents...
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Books that changed my life
Insomnia is a great opportunity to catch up on things you’ve been meaning to do. I love the website: http://www.goodreads.com/. It’s fun to see what all my friends are reading and even better to have a record of what I’ve read for myself. I finally updated my bookshelves with the things I’ve read over the past few years – it was especially fun to rate them. Check out my list if you are curious. I included reviews of some of my favorites.
I used the rating system this way:
1 star – Not worth reading
2 stars – Ok but probably not worth the time
3 stars – I’m glad I read it, probably won’t or at least shouldn’t read it again
4 stars – Loved it, part of my personal classics lists, will read it again
5 stars – One of my very favorites, have read it many times and will keep reading it over and over
Within my 5-star category are a handful of books that have changed my life. I try to read these books every year. They are foundational to my family’s lifestyle and culture. They all support and compliment each other too. Each one calls for pretty intense and dramatic lifestyle changes. I consider it my life’s work to learn to live according to the principles in each of these books. When and if I do, I will be perfect. I’m trying to accomplish this with a small but consistent daily effort. I can measure the success of any given day, week or month by how well I followed the principles of these books. Here are my top 5 life-changing books:
1. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ
This is the central classic of my life. I try to read from it every day. I took Moroni’s challenge when I was 12 and my testimony of Christ has continued to grow throughout my life. Moroni wrote,
“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
2. The Bible
I confess I have not completely read this book. I am halfway through the Old Testament. I have referenced it my whole life and am very familiar with the stories and I love it. I believe it is divine. I am amazed at how many references there are to the Bible in classic literature. You can’t fully understand the classics if you haven’t read the Bible. I will have more to say on this book once I’ve finished it.
3. A Thomas Jefferson Education
My life is dramatically different because of this book. It was a major part of mine and my husband’s decision to homeschool our daughter. It is about much more than just education. It’s about leadership and the purpose of life.
4. Eat to Live
I don’t know how anyone can deny the author’s conclusions about the right way to eat after reading this book. This is not a theory or philosophy; its conclusions are based on scientific fact, proven over and over by more than one group of scientists or doctors. I believe it fits right in line with the Word of Wisdom guidelines taught by my Faith. I followed the Eat to Live plan perfectly for 6 weeks and the results were astounding. I lost 12 pounds in just a few weeks, my very severe acid reflux problem went away within a week, my painful shoulder tendonitis disappeared, frequent migraines vanished, I slept spectacularly, and my complexion rivaled Nicole Kidman’s. I know I’m enthusiastic by nature but this is not an exaggeration. Staying on the plan is difficult and I have not done it consistently. As I resumed my old ways, all my ailments resurfaced but they disappear whenever I follow the plan closely. It is empowering to realize how much you can control your health without drugs.
5. Money: It’s not just for Rich People
My family’s finances will never be the same. We’ve never been horrible with our finances but we’ve also never been great. We’ve struggled to achieve our financial goals. This is the first financial advice that has made a material difference in our lives. Here are some of results of our efforts to follow these principles over the last year:
· Eliminated all credit card debt
· Husband received a pay raise that was retroactive for the previous 8 months
· Husband received multiple bonuses
· Finally established a significant emergency savings fund that earns interest every month
· Increased our retirement savings rate
· Finally figured out how to control our daily spending habits
· Learned many new ways to spend less
· Have increased our charitable contributions
In addition to all of these fantastic results, we have clarity about our financial goals and are confident that we will be able to achieve them.
So what are the books that have changed your life?
I used the rating system this way:
1 star – Not worth reading
2 stars – Ok but probably not worth the time
3 stars – I’m glad I read it, probably won’t or at least shouldn’t read it again
4 stars – Loved it, part of my personal classics lists, will read it again
5 stars – One of my very favorites, have read it many times and will keep reading it over and over
Within my 5-star category are a handful of books that have changed my life. I try to read these books every year. They are foundational to my family’s lifestyle and culture. They all support and compliment each other too. Each one calls for pretty intense and dramatic lifestyle changes. I consider it my life’s work to learn to live according to the principles in each of these books. When and if I do, I will be perfect. I’m trying to accomplish this with a small but consistent daily effort. I can measure the success of any given day, week or month by how well I followed the principles of these books. Here are my top 5 life-changing books:
1. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ
This is the central classic of my life. I try to read from it every day. I took Moroni’s challenge when I was 12 and my testimony of Christ has continued to grow throughout my life. Moroni wrote,
“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
2. The Bible
I confess I have not completely read this book. I am halfway through the Old Testament. I have referenced it my whole life and am very familiar with the stories and I love it. I believe it is divine. I am amazed at how many references there are to the Bible in classic literature. You can’t fully understand the classics if you haven’t read the Bible. I will have more to say on this book once I’ve finished it.
3. A Thomas Jefferson Education
My life is dramatically different because of this book. It was a major part of mine and my husband’s decision to homeschool our daughter. It is about much more than just education. It’s about leadership and the purpose of life.
4. Eat to Live
I don’t know how anyone can deny the author’s conclusions about the right way to eat after reading this book. This is not a theory or philosophy; its conclusions are based on scientific fact, proven over and over by more than one group of scientists or doctors. I believe it fits right in line with the Word of Wisdom guidelines taught by my Faith. I followed the Eat to Live plan perfectly for 6 weeks and the results were astounding. I lost 12 pounds in just a few weeks, my very severe acid reflux problem went away within a week, my painful shoulder tendonitis disappeared, frequent migraines vanished, I slept spectacularly, and my complexion rivaled Nicole Kidman’s. I know I’m enthusiastic by nature but this is not an exaggeration. Staying on the plan is difficult and I have not done it consistently. As I resumed my old ways, all my ailments resurfaced but they disappear whenever I follow the plan closely. It is empowering to realize how much you can control your health without drugs.
5. Money: It’s not just for Rich People
My family’s finances will never be the same. We’ve never been horrible with our finances but we’ve also never been great. We’ve struggled to achieve our financial goals. This is the first financial advice that has made a material difference in our lives. Here are some of results of our efforts to follow these principles over the last year:
· Eliminated all credit card debt
· Husband received a pay raise that was retroactive for the previous 8 months
· Husband received multiple bonuses
· Finally established a significant emergency savings fund that earns interest every month
· Increased our retirement savings rate
· Finally figured out how to control our daily spending habits
· Learned many new ways to spend less
· Have increased our charitable contributions
In addition to all of these fantastic results, we have clarity about our financial goals and are confident that we will be able to achieve them.
So what are the books that have changed your life?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Roman Art
There's too many wonderful things to learn about and do! My latest obsession is Roman Art. I was very excited when I saw that an exhibit of Roman Art from the Louvre was coming to the Seattle Art Museum.
A few years ago I had the amazing experience of visiting some friends in England. It was a wonderful trip but I learned later what an opportunity I missed. I didn't spend any time learning about the art, history, architecture or other things I would be seeing in England before my trip. I was perfectly content with my experience at the time. It wasn't until I began to study art and history several months later that I realized how much art and history I had stood in front of without the ability to appreciate it. I was like a pig wallowing in creme brulee who couldn't tell the difference between it and Jello. I vowed to never make that mistake again.
So begins my study of Roman Art. I will be prepared when I come face to face with these treasures from the Louvre.
I started with a bunch of children's picture books on Roman Art, History, and Civilization. I've read through those and feel like I've got a basic understanding of things. Now I'm going to study the great Roman Classics. I'm getting my book titles from the list in the back of Mortimer J. Adler's classic work, How to Read a Book. The list is organized chronologically and includes what Adler considers to be the greatest books of the western world. He makes a compelling argument for reading and studying the books on this list. I hope to read them all. Right now I'm going to focus on the books written during and about the Roman Age. I'm beginning with Plutarch's Lives. I'll let you know how it goes...
A few years ago I had the amazing experience of visiting some friends in England. It was a wonderful trip but I learned later what an opportunity I missed. I didn't spend any time learning about the art, history, architecture or other things I would be seeing in England before my trip. I was perfectly content with my experience at the time. It wasn't until I began to study art and history several months later that I realized how much art and history I had stood in front of without the ability to appreciate it. I was like a pig wallowing in creme brulee who couldn't tell the difference between it and Jello. I vowed to never make that mistake again.
So begins my study of Roman Art. I will be prepared when I come face to face with these treasures from the Louvre.
I started with a bunch of children's picture books on Roman Art, History, and Civilization. I've read through those and feel like I've got a basic understanding of things. Now I'm going to study the great Roman Classics. I'm getting my book titles from the list in the back of Mortimer J. Adler's classic work, How to Read a Book. The list is organized chronologically and includes what Adler considers to be the greatest books of the western world. He makes a compelling argument for reading and studying the books on this list. I hope to read them all. Right now I'm going to focus on the books written during and about the Roman Age. I'm beginning with Plutarch's Lives. I'll let you know how it goes...
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