books make me cry

[Spoiler alert: I give away some details of these books, but I'm just trying to entice you to try them! :)]

These are the two most recent novels I've read. Both made me cry. Both impressed me. One I bought from the Christian section of Barnes and Noble, one I bought from the fiction section of Recycled Books in Denton, which is seriously the coolest used books store ever - it's like a wonderful, dusty maze! (Garret was there with me that time, and he tried to play hide-and-go-seek with me, but I found him ridiculously quickly - our minds are starting to work really similarly, it's weird.)

House Lights by Leah Hager Cohen

When I first started this book, the prose was like WOAH. Like, stop you in your tracks, woah. Like, I haven't read a really quality novel just for fun in a stinkin' long time! The words were too much! They made me stop, read them over and over again, encircle them with pencil, and then ask myself WHY are they so affecting? And how can I learn to write like that one day!? In the first few chapters, I had to look up a few words in the dictionary, and that was so fun! (And yes, this made me realize that I should probably pick up more intellectual books more often. maybe. how 'bout once a year?)

The basic premise of the book is that 18-year-old Bea learns that she no longer want her psychiatrist parents' seemingly controlled, porcelain world - just as it simultaneously crumbles - and she instead ventures out into the world of her Grandmother, a renowned actress.

I really really enjoyed most of the book, but at certain points did not appreciate some of the choices the main character made. I know that doesn't make it bad, it just... yeah, just read it. And there are some mildly shady parts. Needless to say, I think it's bound to make you think.

I wanted to find an excerpt, but it's hard to find one that does it justice, without giving anything away... so here's two....

"My dream is to act, I had written, and I believed I meant acting as in theater. The words sound different to me now, as I look back at who I was then, fast approaching my twentieth birthday, still living at home, playing the same role I had performed all my life, and all the while so critically unable to act." (p. 78)
"The next morning my dismay grew. It was June 21st, my birthday, and although I had looked forward to this day, to all the promise contained in the notion of officially entering my twenties, becoming an adult, I awoke out of sorts, not for any reason I could put my finger on, but as if in premonition of a sinking heart. The air hung muggy and dirtyish, like rinse water for paintbrushes." (p.103)


The Moment Between by Nicole Baart
Depth. This novel had depth - emotional depth, spiritual depth, literary depth.

One thing that really drew me in about it was that although it was a Christian novel, it was very very genuine - not that all Christian books are fake, but they do sometimes do edge on overly-processed corn. But here, Christian themes of grace and redemption were not forced, but naturally and powerfully built-up to.

For most of the book, in the back of my mind I was like "okay... when is the Jesus going to come in?" It was worth the wait: I read the last fourth of this novel in my pinkandgreen bed, in the earlyearly a.m., covered in tears, and not giving a lick that I had to go to work in hours.

(I had bought it in the first place for 3 reasons: the pretty cover design, and the recommendation of it by Francine Rivers on the cover, and the theme of sisters. So, I was thankful that, just as I'd hoped, the book had so much more to offer than just a persuasive cover!)

I don't know if I can give a plot summary for this one without giving it away. Maybe just read the back cover on Amazon. Yes, I'm lazy :)

To summarize, here are some more things I enjoyed about this book: showing the complexities and layers of relationships b/w sisters, the character Eli and his name (my affinity for that name also comes from here), the word pictures abounding in a vineyard, and the messy-ness of learning to hope and believe.

Okay... excerpt, excerpt, find an excerpt...

I loved this part a whole lot. Yes, it's where the Jesus part starts to come in. Eli is talking about taking communion outside of a church service:
"Whatever. I do this for those times in between, those long stretches of waiting when i start to forget about the miracle. The mystery. The power of God for those who believe." The corner of Eli's mouth was still upturned mischievously, but his voice was tinged with awe. "It's a mighty thing, girl." (p. 313)

....

"She didn't know if she deserved it, if she had the right to sit at this table to eat and drink, to partake of something that she felt she had no part in. But for this one moment in time, with the candle glowing and the bread and wine before her, inside of her, it didn't matter. She was drowning, but she didn't struggle for air; she opened her mouth and took it in. It washed over her, in her. She felt it fold against every hidden place, every secreted thought and hope. It felt absolute, unconditional.
It felt like home." (p. 320)

Okay, sorry this was a little lengthy. I have a passion for stories and books that are powerful and meaningful and purposeful. And... writing the teasers on the back of said books is definitely on my list of dream jobs...

Shnniiippits of life

Okay so this is actually a pretty random assortment - not really of my life per-se (sp? per say? hmm - help, the English major is floundering!) but maybe more-so just an assortment of things that I have had in or around my brain in the last few days/hours. There really is some interesting stuff in there I promise! ;)

• This wedding video is magic. Garret works with 8mm film a lot at work, so maybe he could somehow both marry me and film our ceremony at the same time... hmmm! Jk, I want his FULL attention, I promise! (I'm not really worried about that, either.)After watching that video, I'm definitely putting visit Aspen in the summer and ride in a ski lift through the mountains on my life to-do list. Oh wait, we're hopefully going to get to do that on our honeymoon, except it will be the Smokey Mountains - whoop!
  
• I looove this sign, and that song. :)
• Today I went to a lunch workshop held by an organization of university/local communications peeps - ProComm, held in The Zone. I felt like a grownup, the food was really yummy, the view was great, I enjoyed getting out of the office a little, and the speaker, Jackie Huba, was really engaging. It's interesting figuring out how we could use social media well in our office.
• If you ever have a craving for awesome, random dance mixes (that one contains Dolly Parton's "9-5"!), check out this DJ's blog! He's got lots of free downloads and it makes good background or dancing music! A few of the songs are shady, sorry, but most of it's just plain random - a really unpredictable, fun mix of old and new.
  
• This post about "telling time" on Girl Talk was really good. As I seek to get ready for marriage, this balance of being both a strong and submissive wife, definitely comes up. I want to learn how to "tell time" in a godly way! I've been reading about the book Womanly Dominion and I def want to pick it up soon. I think we studied similar stuff in the first aspect ("Mistress of your Domain" - mistress as in in-charge, not as in adultary - just clarifying) of the Five Aspects study we are doing in D-ship. It's packaging/presentation isn't especially trendy, but I HIGHLY reccommend that study!
• Some more Etsy favorites (that I won't be buying this month bc I'm trying to be good): Fruits of the Spirit print, Love Defined art, and this is SUCH a cute print!
• Yes, I am fairly addicted to looking at wedding blogs. There, I admit it. Me and my Google Reader are, like, almost-bffs. Anyhoo, this was one of the most attention-holding posts that I found today - so many things in these photos that make me smile and giggle - that happy-go-lucky blue sky, those yellow shoes, and... llamas!?!

Alright already, I'm out.

Restoration

This past weekend i got to escape to the country. Our family's farm doesn't boast many luxuries, but I thoroughly enjoy the quiet. the loose schedule. the sleeping in. The space. And... the quiet.

And of course, the people. This is my beautiful sister Melissa (Flo) - the best sister ever - and Rocky - the best dog in the whole world. Have I told you about him before? If so, sorry. He is the best dog in the world because he is even-tempered and tough, gentle and wise. Good with kids, and never snarls - except at coyotes. And he has three legs. And he still runs really fast. And my sister loves him a whole lot. Best dog ever.

This is my momma. She likes to go for walks and look for fossils - we actually find a lot out there. She gets pretty excited about interesting rocks. I love my momma!

That's our lake, or at least that's what we call it. A creek flows into it, and the dam that I was standing on to take this photo creates this huge tank. In the bottom of the photo is the valve for the draw-down - turn the wheel to release some of the water out the other side of the dam - but we only use that if the water is way up and... it hasn't been way up in a while.
One time last spring Garret and I were riding on the 4-wheeler and got to watch a gorgeous sunset from the top of the dam. That was a really peaceful moment.

Speaking of Garret, here he is fishing with my dad (while I play paparazzi).
If you asked me what was the most exciting part of this weekend, I would probably tell you that it was taking engagement pictures with Garret in town and out on the farm. We got to be cuddly and sentimental and goofy, and had a blast - despite the drizzly rain! Our photographers are a lot of fun, and we really enjoyed getting to take photos in neat places like inside the old barn (surrounded by hay, old wood beams, and the occasional hornets' nest) and by the "snake house" chimney. We'll get the pictures back in a couple of weeks, so we're looking forward to that!

All that said, if you asked Garret about this weekend, he would at some point definitely, and excitedly, tell you about all the fish he and my dad caught, which was about 20 each. See, last summer our lake turned over because of a process called eutrofication - which I now better understand because of my job - and that caused a fish kill. All this ironically happened right around the time my dad's mother passed away.
Today, the lake has been restocked, the fish have grown, and Dad and Garret caught some that were more than 2 lb.s - which is way exciting compared to zero fish last fall.
A little glimpse of restoration, I guess.

This is our grandmother, with baby cousin Hannah a few years ago. I was in China when Grandmother died. This picture is how I choose to remember her; she had a sweet spirit, loved the Lord, always had a kind answer, and loved to say the 23rd Psalm. I really enjoy remembering stories about her, both nostalgic and poignantly funny ones. ("Who's that walkin' heavy?")

Saturday afternoon, rambunctious Hannah was playing with my grandmother's walker, which for whatever reason still sits in her old bedroom. Hannah's mom, Jen, explained to her that yes, that used to be Grandmother's, but now she doesn't need it anymore because she's in heaven with Jesus and she can walk just fine. Just fine. My sister and I were in the bathroom working on getting my hair ready for pictures when we overheard this conversation, and I'm really glad we did, because I treasured that reminder.
Thank you Jesus for beautiful hope to rest in now, and for the sure promise of ultimate rest, restoration, and glory.

IT'S ON

So, tonight my friend Sydney and I decided that we're going to have a "blog-off."

For the month of October, whoever posts the most entries wins. (Wins what? Haven't figured that out yet. Syd - we should also probably make some rules for this, like what qualifies as a truly legit post. Don't try nothin' shady!)

This is us in happy, less-competitive days ;)

It all started bc she was in town and hangin' out at the shalom shack, chattin'. When the subject of blogs came up, I accused her of not blogging recently, and then she put that evil back on me and the truth came out that I hadn't posted anything since... Aug. 17. Her last one was Sept. 11.

So we declared a it contest: The Blog-off. Me & this blog vs. Sydney & The Vault.


BRING IT, SYD!

lunch break

Just chilling in my office for lunch today, and trying to read/watch/listen to things that are life-giving or at least thought-provoking while I eat my yogurt...

• This video on missions was really moving.
• I love listening to Lindsey Kane.
  
• This article on the Michael Vick controversy and what it says about American culture was thought provoking.
• This short, cute story was funny.

(This was def better than my usual routine of looking at wedding stuff on Etsy. It's addicting.)

His love does not ebb...

needed to hear this today.


had to post it asap.
made me cry in my office. with the door open, no less.


I'm not a big "The Message" girl, but this is good stuff - Romans 8:38-39 -
"I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."

So...I have a new favorite shiny thing...

So, I'm pretty sure anyone who reads my blog already knows this, but yes, Garret and I are engaged! Praise Jesus! I'm veryveryveryvery thankful to have completed the awkward in-between-time b/w commitment and engagement! It's finally sinking in that we really are engaged and really are going to get married in less than a year!!! We're working on a wedding website, and I'll post it here when it's done. For now, here's the proposal story, via some tag-team story telling, and a few photos. More to come later! (This photo where he's on one knee was a reenactment, the day after - just fyi!)

Our Engagement Story

Leslie: The weekend of July 24, I had planned on going home for my Dad’s birthday, but Garret asked if we could stay in town Friday night so that we could have a date night. At first I was a little stubborn about it, but I finally changed my mind, and we planned on going out to eat and then taking a walk around campus. I thought it was just a normal, fun, relaxed date night – I had no idea what he had up his sleeve!

Garret: First, a little back story. For the two weeks previous to the 24th, I had been driving all over the place, sneaking out of town to have the official, “Can I marry your daughter talk” with her dad, buying the ring and taking care of all sorts of other things. I had to figure out a way to get her to stay in town, and it was really stressing me out. Finally, with the help of our close friends she agreed to stay for a supposed date night. Friday night came up and I was so excited. I had never been more confident and nervous about something in my life. We went out to dinner after work and had some good Mexican food and an ice cold Shiner. After dinner we took a walk along our favorite areas of campus, and we ended up at Rudder Tower on our favorite balcony. We sat there for a few minutes before I said, “I need to ask you something.” I pointed to her True Love Waits rings, and said “I’m going to need those.” I hit one knee and said “Will you marry me?” and she said…

Leslie: “SHUT UP! REALLY!?!” – and then “YES!!!!”
I was COMPLETELY SURPRISED! I knew it was for real, and I was SO excited! But also, I was totally in shock! Garret did a great job at surprising me and I really had no idea it was going to happen so soon! After he slid a beautiful diamond ring on my finger, we enjoyed the moment for a while, and I tried to let it sink in that we really were engaged! Before we left the balcony, we prayed together, and that’s when it began to solidify in my mind – I’m really going to marry Garret Lee! God is good.

After that, Garret told me that both of our families, Kristi and Derek, and many of our friends were all waiting at my house for an engagement party. I was really excited about that, because I’d specifically asked Garret to orchestrate that if he could – and he did SO good! (And my wonderful roomies helped him out a lot!)

Everyone was waiting in the yard when we pulled up, and that was so much fun! We told everyone the story, took lots of pictures, and celebrated! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend.