2014 Book List--Part 1

1) Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight--Karl Rove
2) The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House--Barbara Olson
3) The Kennedy Wit--Bill Adler
4) Mugged: Racial Demagoguery from the Seventies to Obama--Ann Coulter
5) Relax-You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left: Using the Power of Humor to Overcome Stress in Your Life and Work--Loretta LaRoche
6) You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life--Eleanor Roosevelt
7) American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom--Rick Santorum
8) Raylan--Elmore Leonard
9) The Barbarian Way: Unleash the the Untamed Faith Within--Erwin Raphael McManus
10) Fatal Vows: The Tragic Wives of Sergeant Drew Peterson--Joseph Hosey
11) The Everything Organize Your Home Book--Jason R. Rich
12) Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer--David Reichert
13) Drinking and Dating: P.S. Social Media is Ruining Romance--Brandi Glanville
14) Willoughby's Return: A Tale of Almost Irresistable Temptation--Jane Odiwe
15) Eat That Cookie--Liz Jazwiec  

Previously:
2013 Book List
2012 Book List
2011 Book List
2010 Book List
2008 Book List

Justice for These Missing Women!

I am reading Fatal Vows by Joseph Hosey about Drew Peterson's wives.  He was convicted of killing his 3rd wife Kathleen Savio and sentenced to 38 years in prison, but his 4th wife, Stacy Peterson is still missing from Bolingbrook, Illinois in Will county. 

While reading the book, Hosey mentioned several other women that have gone missing in the same area, under similar circumstances, with their husbands (soon to be ex-husbands) as the prime suspects.

Lisa Stebic went missing on April 30, 2007, six months before Stacy Peterson's disappearance in the same place, Will county.  Her soon to be ex-husband, Craig Stebic, is considered a person of interest in her disappearance.  She has never been found.  There is a facebook group dedicated to finding justice for both Lisa Stebic and Stacy Peterson.

Joan Bernal went missing on December 9, 1988 in Downer's Grove, IL.  Charges were filed against her husband Gilbert Bernal, but dropped 11 months later because no body was found.  Joan told a relative before she disappeared that "her husband allegedly said he could kill her and put her in a barrel and make sure nobody would find her."  There were 2 barrels purchased by Gilbert Bernal, but only one was found after her disappearance.  There is a facebook page dedicated to finding Joan Bernal.

Jeri Lynn Duvall went missing on June 8, 1990 in Will county.  Her husband, Bob Duvall is the only suspect in her disappearance.  Their oldest daughter witnessed many violent acts committed by Bob against Jeri Lynn.

Links:
Mothers are Vanishing

A Review of Lone Survivor!

I had high expectations for the film, Lone Survivor.  It not only met them, but exceeded them.  The above video illustrates why.  Everyone that worked on the film, wanted to honor the real soldiers who died that day.  It's not often that you see loved ones of men that have died, be happy with a film that is done about their lives.

Mark Wahlberg was phenomenal and Taylor Kitsch did an amazing job.  Kitsch is best known for his role on Friday Night Lights as Riggins.  It's not often that a mother and daughter have a crush on the same guy, but that's what happened to my daughter and I when we watched Friday Night Lights.  Yet, Kitsch proved in Lone Survivor that he was a great actor, and could do more than play a hunky football player.

The film was very inspirational, and anyone that watches it without tearing up, doesn't have a heart.  It was a story of how dedicated American soldiers are to not only their country, but to each other.  Seeing what all of them persevered through and kept going, was amazing.  It inspired me in my own life, that when things get rough, I need to keep on going.

Mark Wahlberg played Marcus Luttrell who was the lone survivor.  Luttrell wrote the book about the true story that the film was based on.  I put the book on hold at the library, and can't wait to read it.

I give the movie 5 stars, I highly recommend it, and will be buying it as soon as it comes out on DVD.

Links:
Seeing My Friend Depicted in 'Lone Survivor' 
Lone Survivor: A Review
Two of My Favorite Men--Wahlberg and Hannity

Previous Movie Reviews:
World Trade Center
Obsession
We Are Marshall
Amazing Grace
The Help
Lincoln
Valkyrie
Iron Jawed Angels
Taking Chance
The True Story of Black Hawk Down
The Path to 911
Argo
Won't Back Down
Attack on Darfur

My "48 Days to the Work I Love" Journey--Days 5 & 6

Three words are used interchangeably and shouldn't be: vocation, career and job.  The distinctions are significant.

Vocation is the most profound of the three, incorporating calling, purpose, mission and destiny.

Remembering the happiest times in your life and the times when you felt most fulfilled are better indicators of your calling than just knowing what you can do.--Dan Miller

Day 5
--Read Chapter 3
--Are you making deposits of success in the other important life areas?

Day 6
--Talk to 2 people about your new understanding of vocation, career and job.
--Answer questions from Chapter 3

Ultimately, money is never enough compensation for investing our time and energy.  We need a sense of meaning, purpose and accomplishment.  Anything that does not blend our values, dreams, and passions will cause us, on some level, to choke.  A life well lived must go beyond just making a paycheck--even if it's a very large one.

If money is the only reward of your job, you will begin to see deterioration in your life physically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally.--Dan Miller

One of the most significant things I learned from this chapter is that it will help my job search if I am making deposits of success in other areas of my life.  These other areas are: family, recreation, community, church and personal development.  They should all be in balance with my work, instead of work being the most important thing.

My "48 Days to the Work I Love" Journey--Days 3 & 4

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need.  If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.  We would not be as strong and we could never fly!--Dan Miller

Change, even if unwelcome, forces us to reevaluate what our best options are.--Dan Miller

Day 3
--Read Chapter 2
--Recap your own work history 

Day 4
--Answer the questions at the end of Chapter 2

The secret of success is focus of purpose.--Thomas Edison

When you get to heaven, God is not going to ask you why you weren't more like Mother Theresa.  He's likely to ask you why you weren't more like you.--Dan Miller

I finally reflected on the question from Day 2,
"What was I born to do?"
--I realized how to combine all of my interests.
--I was born to write and/or talk about issues that I'm passionate about.

In reflecting on my work history, I realized I have had a lot more jobs than I realized.  Since, I've been a Homeschool Mom for so long, I hadn't really taken into account how many jobs I've actually worked at.

Christi Paul, Christians and Divorce

"Think about it - hasn't every good thing that's happened in your life happened because something 'changed'? So why do we fear it?"--Christi Paul

"If you live off a man's compliments, you'll die from his criticism". - Cornelius Lindsey

Earlier this year, I did a post reviewing Christi Paul's book, Love Isn't Supposed to Hurt.  It is an excellent book, because it shows how difficult it is to leave an abusive marriage as a Christian when it's verbal abuse.

I think the Christian world has done a disservice to women, in that they want marriage to be saved at all costs.  It is a reaction to the high divorce rate, even among Christians.  I understand the reaction, but many women are trampled upon in the process.  The Christian world doesn't want people to come up with "excuses" to get a divorce.  Yet, abuse of any kind is not an excuse.

The other thing that bothers me, and many other divorcees mention this as well, is that often used quote in Christendom and other places, "divorce is the easy way out."  Divorce is many things, but an easy way out, it is not.

I didn't initiate the divorce, and I didn't want my kids to go through the repercussions of divorce, but in reflecting on my marriage, I put up with things that I never should have.  And why did I do that?  It was because Christians aren't supposed to get divorced.

But after four years of a marriage like that, I knew I was either going to have a breakdown or a breakout.  I chose to breakout.  I finally realized I'd rather live authentically than live a lie.--Christi Paul 

Recently, Paul wrote a great article entitled, The Benefits of Verbal Abuse.  Despite it being on the Huffington Post website, it's worth reading.

"The first step to getting what you want is having the courage to get rid of what you don't."--Christi Paul

Paul empowers all women to learn from their difficult situations and change their lives.  She has encouraged and inspired me in my life.  She was hesitant to speak out for many years, but now that she has, she has been a source of great encouragement.  A lesson to all of us to be open to sharing the difficult areas of our life, we never know who we might uplift.    

My "48 Days to the Work I Love" Journey--Day 2

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.--Confucius

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.  He hardly knows which is which.  He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.  To him he is always doing both.--James Michener

Day 2
--Read Chapter 1 and answer the questions at the end
--Ask yourself what you were "born to do"

The frustration of that go beyond those even at high-income levels reminds me again and again that money is ultimately never enough compensation for unhappily investing one's time and energy.  There must be a sense of purpose, meaning, and accomplishment.--Dan Miller

When we are not true to ourselves, to our unique God-given characteristics, we lose the power of authenticity, creativity, imagination, and innovation.  Our life becomes performance-based, setting the stage for compromise in all other areas of our lives.--Dan Miller

This was an inspirational and encouraging chapter to read.  The questions at the end of the chapter really made me think about what I've done in the past as an indicator for what will work in the future.  I am still thinking through what my answer will be for what I was born to do.

2013 Book List--Part 3

2013 is biography year for me. I have read 19 biographies so far.

1) Eleven On Top--Janet Evanovich
2) Love Isn't Supposed to Hurt--Christi Paul
3) The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression--Amity Shlaes
4) A Journey Through the Life of William Wilberforce: The Abolitionist Who Changed the Face of a Nation--Kevin Belmonte
5) Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family--Condoleezza Rice
6) Frances Perkins: First Woman Cabinet Member--Emily Keller
7) Raging Heart--Sheila Weller
8) Silent Partner--Dina Matos McGreevey
9) 60 Days to Self-Love for Moms--Nicole Burns
10) The Cold War--Andrew Heritage
11) Staying True--Jenny Sanford
12) A Stolen Life--Jaycee Dugard
13) Broken on the Back Row--Sandi Patty
14) Columbine--Dave Cullen
15) Pol Pot--John Allen
16) Twelve Sharp--Janet Evanovich
17) I Beat the Odds--Michael Oher
18) The Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian Genocide--Sean Bergin
19) Taking Heat--Ari Fleischer
20) Out of Captivity--Tom Howes, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell & Gary Brozek
21) The Favored Daughter--Fawzia Koofi
22) How to Pray--R.A. Torrey
23) Drinking and Tweeting and Other Brandi Blunders--Brandi Glanville
24) Rinnavation--Lisa Rinna
25) Ali Was Here--James Kirkpatrick Davis
26) Kinsey and Me--Sue Grafton
27) Remembering Jackie--Life Books
28) Not my Turn to Die: Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia--Savo Heleta
29) Prairie Tale: A Memoir--Melissa Gilbert

Previously:
2013 Book List--Part 2
2013 Book List--Part 1
2012 Book List
2011 Book List
2010 Book List
2008 Book List

My "48 Days to the Work I Love" Journey!--Day 1

So, my life has been turned upside down in the last 2 years.  I have been through a divorce, several job changes and a move.  I have been reluctant to blog about it, but I have missed blogging tremendously, and I decided that I needed to blog for myself and for those that my story might help as well.

I home schooled my kids for 13 years, and was a stay-at-home Mom primarily for 18 years.  Now, I have 2 kids in College and 2 in public school, they are all doing very well academically.

I now find myself in the work force, trying to find a job I love.  I really enjoyed a temporary job that I had working for a freight company, but it didn't pay enough.  I am now working at an assembly line job which pays well, but is sucking the life out of me.

A friend had bought me 2 of Dan Miller's books, 48 Days to the Work You Love and No More Dreaded Mondays.  I figured now is the time to read them and see what where they lead me.  I figured I would blog about my journey to help keep me accountable.

Below is the description for day 1, which I have completed.

Day 1
--Review the 48 day schedule
--Read the Intro and sign and date the commitment

Additional Links:
48 Days Success Stories
Funnyrat's 48 Days Journey

The Favored Daughter! (A Book Review)

Politics was in my blood and I believe it was my destiny. God wanted me to live for a purpose and what greater purpose can there be but to improve the lot of the poor and bring pride to a nation torn apart by war?--Fawzia Koofi

Fawzia Koofi is truly an amazing and courageous woman.  I can't remember how I heard about her book, but I am so glad I did.  I not only learned a lot about Afghanistan, but about the taliban, the mujahideen, the roles of women in society, etc...

Even at that early age I had a sense of the injustice of the position of women in our culture.  I remember the quiet despair of the wives who weren't loved or noticed by my father, and the trials of those who were.--Fawzia Koofi

Koofi was born into a family where her father had 7 wives, she was the nineteenth child and her mother was her father's favorite wife.  Her father was a respected politician, but was murdered when she was only 4.  She survived abuse and death all her life, including the murders of her brother and husband.

Marriage is an important rite in a woman's life, but I truly believe marriage should not prevent her from living her dreams.  Rather, her dreams should become those of her husband's and her husband's dreams should become part of hers.  This new couple should stand together and make the world theirs.--Fawzia Koofi

Out of all of this she was the only daughter in her family to go to school and even started medical school.  She surely would've graduated, had the taliban not taken over while she was in the middle of her education.  When the taliban took over, women lost the few rights they had.

After the United States freed Afghanistan from the taliban, Koofi took hold of her future and ran for parliament in the first free elections in many years.  Her life is constantly in danger, but she knows the cause she serves is too important to quit.  She also ran for the Speaker position in parliament and won as a virtual unknown at the time, and is the first woman to have the role.

She now wants to run for President in 2014.  I can't imagine a better champion or leader for Afghanistan.  I wish her godspeed.