The Best Advice I Received in 2011

The best advice I received in 2011? “The goal is Christ”; it’s easy to get wrapped up in the work or plan He has for us, but that isn’t the goal. If we focus on the path, the way, the plan, we’ll lose it, but if we focus on Him, we’ll be right where we should be, right where He wants us.

My motto for this year was drawn from that advice and a comment from Pastor:

Destination: Christ.

Reading list I Just Finished

I thought I’d share my reading list for the past 4 months, as the new year begins. I’m really glad that I was able to meet my goals, and then some! So I’m ready to begin fresh and new in 2012!

Under the history/ more “serious” (that which takes more concentration for me) reading:

· The Swamp Fox: the life and campaigns of General Francis Marion by Robert Bass

· Mad Anthony: the story of Anthony Wayne by Rupert Sargent Holland

· The Hoosier Schoolmaster

· Jeb Stuart by John W. Thomason, Jr.

· For Name and Fame by G. A. Henty

Under the “lighter” (that which I enjoy, though it tends to be more character building and “religious” in nature, plus classics) reading:

· Sunshine Country by Kristina Roy

· The Three Comrades by Kristina Roy

· The Two Wealthy Farmers by Hannah More

· Sense and Sensibility (Not necessarily recommended to everyone, and to no one without Wite Out in hand.)

· Three People by Isabella Alden (Pansy) (found my own copy of this at Goodwill for $0.99!)

· The Sun Is Shining on the Other Side by Margaret Jenson (Loaned from a friend)

· Probable Sons by Amy LeFevre

· Peace Child (Loaned from a friend, I forget the author)

· My Desire by Susan Warner

· Hidden Rainbow by Christmas Carol Kauffman (An old favorite I needed to re-visit)

· My Little Corner by Mrs. O.F. Walton

· Nobody by Susan Warner (ebook; one of my favorites)

· The White Dove by Christoph von Schmid

· Wych Hazel by Susan Warner (ebook)

· The Gold of Chickaree by Susan Warner (ebook)

· The Courage of Nikolai by Mary Ropes

· The Betrothed by Sir Walter Scott (Glad it was a free ebook, for I threw it out all the more cheaply for that! J)

· Nothing Daunted: the story of Isabel Kuhn by Gloria Repp (church library loan)

· By Searching by Isobel Kuhn (I really enjoyed this one) (church library loan)

· Toys of Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Actually didn’t finish this one; I threw it away before I finished. Not recommended!)

· Crown of Success by A.L.O.E. (ebook)

· Rambles of a Rat by A.L.O.E. (ebook; I was rather disappointed in this one, feeling like it didn’t live up to her other works. Probably there was something there and I missed it.)

And still on my shelf for my Sunday reading, is “John Ploughman’s Talk or Plain Advice for Plain People” by C. H. Spurgeon.

I also listened to a few books thanks to librovox.org:

· The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth (Okay but not excellent.)

· The Missing Bride by E.D.E.N.Southworth (Not recommended unless you want a novel with nothing to it.)

· Little Fishers and Their Nets by Pansy (Isabella Alden)

And on the list for January thru April, thus far:

· General Douglas MacArthur

· To Herat and Cabul by Henty

· Guadalcanal Diary

· And I want to get more Henty through the library

Second part:

· Clean Hands and Circulating Decimals (KOF – maybe Alden)

· Princess in Calico (R&S)

· Thrilling Escapes by Night (R&S)

· An Old-Fashioned Girl by L. M. Alcott

· For One Moment by C. Carol Kauffman

· My Mates and I by O.F. Walton

And to finish John Ploughman.

I’m also looking forward to again following the Bible reading schedule that Pastor has brought to us, reading the OT through once, the NT through twice, and Psalms twice and Proverbs 12 times in a year.

No Man Cared for My Soul

by Leah S. Carpenter

“…no man cared for my soul. Ps. 142:4

Let it never be said of us, that we cared not for another’s soul! Could thy co-worker, thy employer, thy neighbor say, that you cared not for their soul? Worse yet, could thy unsaved family member say so? Have you told them of the Man who so cared for their souls that he left his glory, his Father, his throne, to bear the punishment of their sins for them, that they might be freed?

Have you shared with them the blessed comfort you have had when you looked on your right hand and beheld, and there was no man that would know you, refuge failed you, and no man cared for your soul, then you looked up and beheld the Man hanging on the cross for you? The Man with arms of love opened wide, proving a sure refuge? Have you shared that that refuge may be theirs also? That this Man cares for their souls?

Christian, have you been – are you – in a situation where your fellow believers have cut you off? You have searched, but your familiar friends would not know you; they have left off caring for your soul. There is still One who cares, One Who will never fail to be a refuge for you. Look unto Jesus; fix your eyes on him. His love never fails, nor his care for your soul.

~Jesus cares for men’s souls through us~

8/29/10