#24in48 – July 2016

Here I go again. #24in48

So… I’ve realized that these things never go as expected. I would love to be the girl who can gather a bunch of books and blast through them in true read-a-thon form. Well, it’s just not going to happen, and I’m finally accepting the fact that it’s not a bad thing. I am setting my sights *much* lower this time around.

My usual move is to select a bunch of books, take pics, plan snacks, etc… Then I end up totally disappointed by the end result (low page count, books finished, amount of time spent, well, *not* reading). Most importantly though, through it all, I just end up realizing that it’s really nice to carve out time just to read.

So this weekend I am focusing on the most important end goal – just to enjoy ALL the time I’ve spent reading, no matter how much I’ve done. Of course, I always keep a mental TBR list, but this time I’ll focus on a nice, lofty goal of “finish what I’ve started.” According to Goodreads, I’m “currently reading” 13 books. I have justifications for every book on there, but it would be nice to knock a few off this list prior to starting anything new. Additional goals this weekend: a lot of couch reading (hey, it’s going to be a hot weekend here in New England!), a little beach reading, a little audio book listening, some napping and of course a healthy coffee/snacking effort.

First up, hopefully finishing Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland. Currently at 43%/page 146 on Kindle.

Here we go! Happy reading 🙂

 

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon

First – I’ll start this off by saying that I plan to make this a “mostly read-lightly post/read postings” day. I’m excited to have an excuse to really dig into my TBR pile – but I know myself enough to know how distracted I get by headlines and shiny things on the internet – so I will read much and post as little as possible to make the most of the day.

I started reading at exactly 8:01am and it took me about 1.5 hours to read the last 51 pages of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I have a few quick reads lined up next because that was a rough way to start the day!

Happy reading!

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon – http://www.24hourreadathon.com/

#24in48 – January 2016

A day late but late is better than never, right? #24in48

So it was totally my intention to have a stack of books lined up, blog posts drafted, snacks ready for… but adult life got in the way and pointed me in other directions. Well except for snacks, I always have those ready 🙂

In hindsight, I did have moments here and there throughout the day to read a few pages but I enjoy reading with big chunks of time. I find myself constantly re-reading pages when I wasn’t totally focused.

I probably won’t make the full 24 hours at this point (although I do have Monday off, so BONUS!) I’m still all in. My goal is to finish at least one book of the 4 I’m currently reading. It will likely be Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte because I’m 47% thru according to Kindle (note to future self: possibly the first book finished on my new Kindle Paperwhite). Additionally, I’d also like to start (or at least choose, what a procrastinator I am) this month’s book selection for the Modern Mrs Darcy 2016 Reading Challenge, which I’m thinking will be Julia Child’s My Life in France.

Picture proof that I’m properly (strike that) overly sugared and caffeinated.

#24in48 Wrap-Up (Way Late)

So I did the #24in48 … last weekend 🙂 I’m way late in posting but I wanted to post my updates because I really want to participate if this goes down again!

The one issue I had throughout the weekend, my stopwatch kept resetting to zero for some reason. While these minutes certainly wouldn’t get me anywhere near the 24-hour goal, the competitor in me was upset that I don’t have a totally accurate count. Once I realized that this wasn’t a fluke, I started to take screenshots of my phone’s stopwatch. I’ll definitely need a better solution next time though.

Here goes:

Books finished: 1. The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst (audiobook). While I did finish a second book (Eating Heaven by Jennie Shortridge) that weekend, it wasn’t until about 4am Monday morning when I woke up randomly and couldn’t get back to sleep right away.

Time spent reading: 7 hrs, 43 mins (clocked & not including anything after 11:59pm Sunday night).

Lessons learned: 1) That was my first and last audiobook for a long, long time. I am definitely a visual person, so having a print copy of the book came in handy, which is not really feasible all the time. 2) Next time I’ll count the number of pages I read, as that will be interesting to know, especially if I’ve already started a book before the challenge starts. 3) This showed me just how much reading I can get done in a weekend if I put my mind to it 4) Get a more reliable stopwatch!!!

See you all for the next challenge! Hopefully it will be in fall/winter so I can really hunker down and get a better shot at that 24-hour mark.

~Jackie

#24in48 Preparations

So I will start post this with – I doubt I will finish all these books, as I am naturally a slow reader. But I’m so excited to try! #24in48

Currently reading/attempting to finish: Eating Heaven by Jennie Shortridge.

Attempting to read (books): Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist, Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin, and A Dozen Ways to Sunday by Montel Williams. All books sitting on my TBR list, mocking me endlessly for being a sucker for library sales and used bookstores.

Attempting to re-read (e-book): To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.. because there’s no better weekend to re-read a classic.

Attempting to listen to (audiobook): The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst. This was the first audiobook I tried to listen to and it didn’t go too far past Chapter 1. For one thing, I felt like I had to concentrate just as hard – if not harder, than if I was actually reading. Also, I was sadly disappointed to that it’s rare for authors to read for their own audiobooks. Not sure why either reason matters much, but I definitely pushed this book to the way bottom of my TBR list until this weekend.

Attempting to read (periodicals) – (totally counting these, as they’ve somehow slowly become dusty trinkets in our living room): Everyday with Rachael Ray December 2014-July/August 2015.

Normally I only read a chapter or two of any given book right before bed, so I’m looking forward to finding spare minutes and places to fit in more reading through this challenge.

I’ll update on my progress as much as I can through the weekend – until then – good luck & happy reading everyone!!!

~Jackie

Verse Mapping – Psalm 36:7

Week 2 verse mapping. Please forgive my poor attempt at sketching music notes 🙂

When-Then

I’m linking up today with Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies, finally!

When-Then: Statements inspired by “A Confident Heart” by Renee Swope, pg. 60.

I wish these were all “if” rather then “when” statements, but ultimately life sometimes gets the better of me. Hopefully the “then” portion will remind me that God always provides an alternative plan of action!

“You will seek me and find when you seek me with all your heart.” ~ Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV).

~When I start to become undisciplined in my Christian practices (such as church attendance, daily Bible & prayer time, tithing, etc.), then I will thank God that I have the opportunity to worship him freely, while refusing to be drawn into guilt and defeat. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV).

~When I have bitter thoughts or jealousy over another’s blessings, then I will humble myself and thank God for the blessings He has given me. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” ~ Galatians 5:25-26 (NIV).

~When I question or become discouraged with my place in life (troubles with family, health, career, etc.), then I will place my hope and trust in God’s hands, for he has my best interests in mind. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).

~When I am heavy-hearted from the dark and depressing events in this world, then I will trust that Jesus is our way, our light to peace. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33 (NIV).

~When I start to slip up as a woman, wife, or friend, then I will thank God for the gift of my roles and for the opportunity to grow from my mistakes and receive His unconditional love that determines my worth. “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” ~ Proverbs 31:27 (NIV). I reference this verse as a reminder that although I’m not the perfect “Proverbs 31 Woman”, that there are always opportunities for learning and growth. Certainly there is value in both work and pleasure (or rest), but it’s when we become undisciplined and idle that we invite temptation into our lives.

And one more just so I can include a reference to my favorite go-to verse:

~When I start to become anxious about anything, then I will turn my worrisome thoughts to God and thank Him for all He has done and will continue to do. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” ~ Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Verse Mapping – Isaiah 49:23b

Although I might not link all my verse mapping posts to the weekly blog hop, I still feel the need to post them anyway. Writing – to-do lists, shopping lists, notes in school, Bible verses, anything really – allows my mind to really focus on the task at hand.

“A Confident Heart” by Renee Swope

I’m excited for this study. For me, it’s some combination of the positive energy from the last OBS, the turning of the seasons, the fact that I LOVE fall (hoodie and jeans weather, fresh picked apples, apple cider, comfort foods… I could go on and on), and the responsibility of having an accountability partner for this study that makes me really looking forward to getting into this book.

I hope all my P31 girls are able to take some time for themselves and make this study a priority. Good luck!

Been There, Kinda Did That, Loved It!

I meant to write this post in time to link up for the 10/10/13 blog hop but I missed the deadline. I hope you take a minute to read through this post anyway. Thanks!

So, I previously posted about how I’ve been struggling to make these studies a priority. I’m not going to rehash all that now. But I will say that I have loved the (parts of ) books I read.  So much that I plan to go back and restart the study…eventually? I guess I mean to say that I’ll go back when the next study doesn’t look as equally amazing as the past studies (which looks like never!). Anyway, I also loved the facebook parties and the sense of community they provided.

The most amazing decision I made during the “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God” by Lysa TerKeurst study was to purchase the conference call series. I probably entered more than half of the calls with one (or several) of the following negative thoughts or excuses: “I don’t have time in my schedule for this today.” “I’m behind in the book, what’s the point of calling in?” And probably most frequently, “I have a headache, I don’t feel like doing this right now.”

Let me tell you this: I never left a call with the same attitude. Sure, maybe I left with the headache I had before the call started. But EVERYTIME the call was definitely worth the effort. All the calls were awesome, but hands down, the Mandisa call was my favorite. Her story and her positive attitude were amazing to hear firsthand. It was just like being on the phone with a close friend.

If you’re debating purchasing the calls for this study, and you are financially able to, I urge you to do it. I’m sending up a prayer for those who are wanting to but are struggling financially.

Special thanks to Melissa and the P31 OBS team who all make these calls possible, They are an amazing part of these studies.