April: From the Latin verb aperire "to open".

So, what’s new in the life?

Well, I’m back from Peru! Which is another story for another blog...

Also, I’m officially another year older. And this time it’s also a new decade milestone. This year I decided to not take off work my actual birthday because, let’s face it, it’s no fun to spend the day alone while all one’s family is out of state and all one’s friends are gainfully employed and at work. The weekend prior to the big day, I went home to spend time with my parents celebrating. After all, they are the reason we are able to celebrate the day anyway. Birthday festivities included going to the movies to see God’s Not Dead: A Light in the Darkness, lunch at El Jimador eating delicious Mexican food and consuming amazing chips and salsa, and making the traditional Baston chocolate cake. (The day after my birthday two friends and I celebrated by getting sushi for dinner!)

The entire weekend was not roses and butterflies though. Our sweet, faithful golden retriever Molly lived her last days. It is incredibly hard to have to part with a pet who has become so entwined with the life of the family she is practically one of us. She was nearly 15 years old, which is quite the life for a purebred. We miss her immensely, but I am glad I was able to be there for her last days and to support my parents with their loss.

I’m still chipping away at two books I’m reading relating to how technology, specifically our phone, is influencing our personal and sociological lives. The first is called 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke and written from a Christian worldview. The second is an audiobook called Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle. I first heard about this book from Jefferson Benthke, a christian author and speaker who reads voraciously and recommended this title. It’s research is complementary and presented from a more “nonreligious” point-of-view.

What am I listening to? My most recent fave is from the new Hillsong album, Wonder. The song is “So Will I (100 Billion X)” and the lyrics are profound in a poetic way. Check it out:

Work has finally gotten over the peak of the awful winter season of crazy flu. We’re starting to settle into the spring season of allergies and injuries although it has snowed twice this week, so it’s still a little premature to use the term “spring.” Speaking of weather, here are a few fun/painful pics I came across in my social media feed earlier this week. So accurate.

Getting to the end of the “school year” of both my BSF Bible study in Romans and the Sunday afternoon Perspectives course at Grace. Still slowly, but surely, advancing with cello lessons, and the Hebrews Bible study.

A few exciting upcoming events in the next few weeks on my calendar!

• Secret Church Simulcast at Parkview Church 
• Tulip Time in Pella, Iowa 
• Crescent Project: Without Borders in Sioux Falls, SD
• Visit to North Carolina  see my sister, brother in law, and niece!

And with that, consider yourself updated for now.

A Week (or more like a month or two?) in the Life

Long time, no blog.

Just like most, I was celebrating with family and friends throughout the holiday season. And work never stops. So, now that we've made it to what I typically dub the slowest time of the year, it's time to catch up and refocus.

Spent Thankgiving day with my parents and mom's side of the family for two days. It's been the first Thanksgiving in three years I've been off work long enough to make the trip and it was fantastic!

Two weeks later, I headed south again, joining the parents for the trek down to Branson for an early Christmas gift to them from my sister and me - a day at Silver Dollar City during the Christmas season. We also we able to experience the Sight and Sound Nativity production and eat at Lambert's, which were both super fun.

Although I worked Christmas Eve, I was able to make it to 22 minutes of our 30-minute Christmas Eve service in Jefferson City, MO. Had the most relaxing Christmas Day I can remember in the longest time, just staying home and enjoying each other's company.

New Year's Eve was spent with a few girls playing games, snacking, talking, and watching the ball drop in NYC.

Traveled back to Jefferson City, MO the first week of January to spend time with the family while my sister, brother-in-law, and niece were visiting. It was wonderful spending time with them since we hadn't seen each other for about 7 months.

Thought about putting a more dignified pic in, but this is legit happiness. My shirt says, " I NEVER DREAMED, I WOULD BE A SUPER COOL AUNT BUT HERE I AM KILLING IT." Josie's says, "My Aunt Loves Me."

Please note the baby drool all over my pants.

Modern-day chess. Who needs a board when you have a phone?

Having a baby in the house makes things pretty interesting.

Updated auntie/niece selfie. Last one was taken when she was 1 month old.

So, what's up with life now? Pretty much back in the normal routine. Still taking cello lessons once a week, attending two Bible studies (Hebrews and Romans), the occasional trivia night, and social gatherings.

Our work schedule has changed in the past week from two early/two late shifts a week to four late shifts a week, which has been an adjustment. Honestly, not sure I could say I'm completely adjusted yet.

Signed up for a gym for the next several months. There's just something non-motivational about subzero weather and exercising outside. So, I took the plunge of commitment and now have a warm place to be active. Planning to start training for a duathlon this year, but for now, enjoying group classes.

What have I been:

Reading? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (audio), Of Mess and Moxie (audio), Wonder, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, daily Bible reading and Bible study passages

Listening to? The Greatest Showman soundtrack, Jackie Evancho, Wicked soundtrack

 Watching? The Night Shift (Netflix), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Celebrating? My roomie's birthday! Not missing some critical diagnoses with patients in clinic this past week.

Learning? When a car won't start at 9:30 PM during a Walgreen's run, it's not always the fault of the battery or alternator but the starter. (True story, thank you road side assistance.)

Book List 2017

“Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” 
― Francis Bacon

“Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.” 
― George R.R. Martin

“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.” 

― Jane Smiley, Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel

1. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
2. Love Does - Bob Goff
3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
4. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
5. Heart of Fire - Voice of the Martyrs
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
7. Blubber - Judy Blume
8. Forever - Judy Blume
9. Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys
10. Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys
11. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
12. When Helping Hurts: Alleviating the Poverty Without Hurting the Poor..and Ourselves - Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
13. Paradise Lost - John Milton
14. CliffNotes on Milton's Paradise Lost
15. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
16. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
17. Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between - Lauren Graham
18. Bold Women of Medicine: 21 Stories of Astounding Discoveries, Daring Surgiers, and Healing Breakthroughs - Susan Latta
19. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War - Max Brooks

Red = audio books

My book life this year was different from previous years for a few reasons:

1. Signed up for Netflix ('nuff said).
2. Both books clubs took a hiatus (cutting my total number of reads for the year roughly in half).
3. Participated in Banned Book Week. Read Forever and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which sparked a couple Judy Blume reads and a goal to read through the Harry Potter series for the first time (causing me to focus less on my typical non-fiction and theologically-relevant reads and more on youth fiction).

So, without further ado, my picks for recommended reads from 2017: 

Youth - Ruta Sepetys novels, Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray. These youth historical fiction books helped me understand WWII history from the viewpoint of the eastern European front (East Prussia; Lithuanians in Siberia). 

Faith - Hearts of Fire. A book published by VOM (Voice of the Martyrs) with several short bios of women from different countries at different historical times and their faithful response to Jesus when persecuted.

Helpful and thought-provoking - When Helping Hurts. Read this book prior to my trip to Haiti as it had been recommended years ago to read if involved in ministry (local or global). It changed my view of poverty in many ways and was instructional in how to reach out to the hurting without making things worse. 

Interesting - The Poisonwood Bible. This may have been the most interesting read to me because of my experience in Africa and the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class I took last year. It serves less as a how-to do global interactions and more as a warning of what not to do. Although fiction, it reads as non-fiction since the author grew up in Africa; realistically reflecting situations easily encountered in cross-cultural experiences.