Gentle Art Of Learning

This is the print we gave dh for his b-day. It was a very good day too. You can read more here.

Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you all had a marvelous and peaceful time w/your families and friends. We did. I have been prayerfully considering what I would share today, since I hadn't written in a while. I actually took time off from "cyberspace" to just be. After talking w/my best friend on Mon, I decided to update my blogs so that my dear cyber-buddies would know that all is well w/me and my house. ; )

I have spent time finishing the reading on Lewis, though I don't think I will ever be finished. I am finding that there is more to this man than a month will allow to be read. I borrowed a biography that has captivated my attention and I intend to continue my Lewis study until I have had my fill. I have begun my new study for December which appears to be moving into January, but that's okay. This new study is interesting as well. My best friend asked me what I was reading and I had to stop and think for a moment. You see, I am reading several books at once, so to just name one was not as easy as I thought. I'll update my reading list in my sidebar later.

My current monthly reading is as follows:

The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer
Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen
~ actually reading excepts from Seeds of Hope

I received several new books and cds this year. My dh ordered books from my booklist at CBD and I'm so excited ~ can't wait to read them, yes all of them! ; ) I had a wonderful day, lots of chocolate, scented candles and family fun. Our Lord and Savior was the best part, He filled our hearts and home w/everlasting peace.

I've been reflecting on my walk w/Him and I realize that I have come a long way from where I was this time last year, yet there is so much more to learn and do. So, I shall "Carry On," and go wherever and do whatever my Lord wants me to do. There are new things on the horizon in 2006 and I am patiently waiting for the Lord to reveal Himself and all His glory to me. What about you?, Are you waiting to see what the Lord has in store for you? Are you preparing your heart to receive His absolute best in the new year? Are you making plans to follow His resolutions or are you making your own? Tough ?s I know, for I too have to answer these myself. However, I believe I am ready to yield and turn this whole thing over to Him and let Him lead. Its definitely a much more peaceful journey and there are always beautiful things to see along the way.

I leave you w/these challenging ?s and my list that I can't wait to thoroughly enjoy. Hope you enjoy it and if you own any of them, let me know what you think of them. I'd love to hear from you about your Christmas and your answers to my ?s.

My recent additions to our library:
Mere Christianity Journal ~ absolutely awesome
101 More Devotions for Homeschool Moms ~ love it, now I don't have to borrow the library's
God's Generals II ~ we own the first one and have borrowed this from the library ~ awesome church history. We use this as our Bible History read aloud.
Book Lover's Guide to Great Reading ~ you all know what I think of this one ~ my very own now!
Walking Through the Wardrobe ~ a devotional ~ special pick of dh's
Watermark by Watermark ~ wonderful, especially the track "Gloria"
Arriving by Chris Tomlin ~ you know I love this one very much
Chris Tomlin Live From Austin Music Hall ~ too good to be true
Live Uplugged by Jeremy Camp ~ love it, its a cd/dvd combo
A Classical Christmas ~ beautiful
What I Was Made For by Big Daddy Weave ~ nice one
Repeat the Sounding Joy by Phillips Craig & Dean ~ listening now, very beautiful and uplifting

~ Take care and have a blessed week rejoicing in the New Year! ~

Today, my oldest dd and I went to her work's Christmas luncheon. The luncheon took place at Le Villa in the Philbrook Museum. It was delightful and the food was excellent. The best part of the day was walking though the museum w/my dd. I think we had the most fun in the gift shop but we didn't spend any money, this time. We plan to go back and purchase a copy of the above painting. It is very beautiful in person. I am not sure if the one the Philbrook has is the original, but it doesn't matter ~ it is exquisite. My dd loves it. I think we own an art book w/more of his paintings, I'll have to look.

The Song of Mary

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

And holy is His name.

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our Fathers,

Did you know that the Chronicles of Narnia can be read in more than one order? Do you remember what order they were in when you first read or heard of them?

My originial set places "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" as book 1, but the newer publications list it as book 2. Ever wondered why it was changed or why you would want it changed? I have thought about this for the past 3 yrs, ever since I saw a newer copy at my local library. I was puzzled by the change in the order, but until recently hadn't given it much thought. In the "Soul of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" Veith talks about this in his introduction under "Where Does Narnia Begin?" In this section you learn about choosing a reading sequence, whereby Veith indicates that the Chronicles of Narnia are sometimes read in different orders. The order in which I am most familiar is the order of publication, which I happen to own a couple copies of. You could also read the series in chronological order, which is the way the new publications have ordered the books. Some imply this is better for the children to read. Another option still, is to read them in the order they were written by Lewis. I believe I will be doing the third option and you can read a discussion by Andrew Rilstone here which helped me to make this decision. I've listed all three options below, in case any of you are interested. Happy reading!

Option #1 ~ Order of Publication
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2. Prince Caspian
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4. The Silver Chair
5. The Horse and His Boy
6. The Magician's Nephew
7. The Last Battle

Option #2 ~ Chronological Order
1. The Magician's Nephew
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. The Horse and His Boy
4. Prince Caspian
5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Last Battle

Option #3 ~ Author's Writing Order
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2. Prince Caspain
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4. The Horse and His Boy
5. The Silver Chair
6. The Magician's Nephew
7. The Last Battle

It has been an interesting week. I have had the opportunity to preview a new ebook, you can read my review here. We are also doing exams this week. In the midst of this all, I have not read any of my books. Not good, I'm sure. Therefore, I will be continuing my study of C.S. Lewis for one more week. I am really enjoying this study and the new movie comes out this week. We are planning to attend, and I think it will be at the IMAX, so we can see it in 3D. I missed the chance to see Polar Express in 3D today, because I wasn't doing very well, but I'm sure I'll get the opportunity again later in the week.

Cultivating Mothers Heart and Mind also encompasses learning new things and spending time w/your loved ones. We will be experiencing some culture this week by going to the Oklahoma Historical Society Museum. I'll continue to develop and grow, as I wait on the Lord for He knows best what I need and when.

Have an awesome week!