Books...

Okay, so this is stemming from the song list... Here are some of my favorite books and why they make the list of favorite and what makes them special and how the term "you can't judge a book by it's cover" is wrong ;) And once again there is no Numerical significance of 'best to worst'.

1) The Visitation - Frank Peretti
*"Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many." Mark 13:6. That is this book. AMAZING*

2) Hangman's Curse & Nightmare Academy - Frank Peretti
*First Peretti books that I read, and re-read, and re-read again....*

3) The Mandie Books - Lois Gladys Leppard
*The first books that I really got into. I would just sit and read them for hours on end. These were the first books that I remember staying up late to finish because I couldn't wait till the nest morning*

4) Monster - Frank Peretti
*Amazing book that just tests your feelings on evolution and how God and creation work. I mean... What are your feelings on BigFoot?? *

5) The Circle Trilogy & Green - Ted Dekker
*I think that these may be the best books I have ever read... Ted Dekker takes imagery and symbolism to an entirely new level. I honestly think that he gives C.S.Lewis a run for his money. These books made me cry like a baby, laugh like a lunatic, and just gave me peace and hope. *

6) One Shenandoah Winter - T. Davis Bunn
*This was one of the last books that my Gamma Cushman gave to me. I read it every Christmas season but the story never gets old. Chokes my up every single time*

7) The Oath - Frank Peretti
*I love the way Peretti relates to sin in our lives. The way that he writes is so creative and unique. The way he portrays how sin in our lives can completely destroy not only ourselves, but those around us as well in genius.

8) Piercing the Darkness & This Present Darkness - Frank Peretti
*First books that I read that seriously dealt with Spiritual Warfare. They really are amazing. I don't know if this is really what's going on and we just can't see it, but it really did put a whole new perspective on things for me and how no matter what, I am not alone.*

9) The Patric Bowers Thriller (The Pawn, The Rook, The Knight)- Steven James
*I really like this guy. He does not shove Christianity down your throat, if anything he avoids that. The main character was married to a woman of faith until she passed away from cancer, so now faith to him is crazy. He is left with his step daughter so this is a story of their relationship and how they cope with life. Faith stumbles in every once in a while, but it ever plays a huge role... at least not yet...*

10) The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
*I really enjoyed this book, even more that the LOTR Trilogy. It's a great story of where life can take you and where you can end up when you had no intention of ever leaving your safe little bubble of a world.*

11) The Guardian - Nicolas Sparks
*I loved this book... Of course it's got a bitter sweet ending but that is just how he writes, But I love a good love story. And yes. I cried.*

12) The Shack - William P. Young
*Okay. Super controversial book in the Christian community. You have your opinion and I have mine. I loved it. This book made me cry/laugh it was great. I love it not because of it's Theological soundness/unsoundness, but because of the hope/perspective that it presents. There are things written in it that I have thought myself, things that I (maybe foolishly) hope for myself. *

13) Twilight Books - Stephanie Myers
*Okay... BEGGING you not to dis me... Yes. I know. Stupid and about vampires. Heard all the jokes and even cracked a few myself. But it's really no different from any other 'love story' except the main characters are vampires (which honestly is cool)
I mean seriously? What love story aimed at young girls does not portray the guy as the epitome of perfection (and as something that can never be attained by any 'mere mortal' man ;) so why not make him a vampire and make it that much more unattainable? ingenious if you ask me)?

14) Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers
*Beautiful rendition of the book or Hosea. A prostitute wining the undying love of Michael Hosea. This story is BEAUTIFUL and is a great example of Gods love for humanity. We don't deserve it. At all. And yet He bestows in upon us un-grudgingly and extravagantly.



There are many more books... But these are some of the best...

Songs...

So Will and I were talking today about favorite songs, and what they meant to us, why they make it to a position of 'favorite'. So here are my songs and why they are important (or were important) to me. They are numbered but not in any particular order, just to keep a count... Here goes...

1) Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle
*This song was really one of my first favorites. I remember first hearing it and actually understanding the words and what they meant. I cried at the thought of a daddy saying goodbye to his daughter and giving her away to another man to take care of.*

2) Your Guardian Angel - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
* I was going through a time at Lee when I was scared to move forward but not wanting to go back. I felt alone and at the time it felt like my best friend was 1,500 miles away and with a whole life of their own. This song just made me feel so much better just to sing at the top of my lungs.*

3) I'll Be - Edwin McCain
* Yeah... Cheesy I know, But kind of the same reason as above. *

4) Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show.
* This was the first 'real country' song that I fell in love with. I was also in the midst of trying to impress Will and show him that I could like his music too, not just my stuff that he didn't feel was worth anything.*

5) Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
* Important cause I was in the middle of figuring out where I stood in everything. Am I a daughter? Am I an adult? What am I going to do with my life? This song kinda expressed the frustration of wanting to pull away and just do my own thing.*

6) When Did You Fall In Love With Me - Chris Rice
* Amazing song. Super cheesy, But so cute. I was probably 15 when I first heard this song and oh gosh did I want someone to fall in love with me so that we could fall in love together. Yes. Cheesy, silly, really funny, But totally me.*

7) Walking Her Home - Mark Schultz
* Okay, Another love song that made me cry the first few times i heard it and still chokes me up. *

8) Give Until There's Nothing Left - Relient K
* yeah... Totally the story of my life. GAH *

9) Bad Day - Daniel Powter
* Gosh.. I think I was depressed Sophomore Year Fall semester... *



OKay.. I may add some more later but i'm out of time for right now.. =]

Faith...

Have you ever felt like your faith was put to the test but it didn't come out on top? have you ever felt like you were in a pivotal moment in your life and the thing you thought the 'needed' to happen didn't happen? have you ever doubted something that you believed was suppose to be crucial to your faith?

I have.

I don't think I really, truly, way down deep, believe in healing... on the surface I do. On the surface I know that God can do anything. But when it comes down to the moment, and I am praying for someone to be healed, for a cancer to leave, for a life to be spared, for a back to be touched... There is a voice that gets stronger in my head... a voice that tells me that it hasn't happened yet and that it never will.
And so I pray, I prayed a simple prayer today... "You know (whoever I'm praying over) and you know me, show us your love, and heal them." seems easy enough... Maybe God would listen this time...
Negatory. Not today. Today was not that day that God would show us and prove his love to me.
Why the confusion? Why do I feel so confused? Why can't I just accept that sometimes people don't get healed? Is it because I always pray and nothing happens? Is it because I only ever hear about it but have never seen it?

I don't know... I only know what it feels like.