Books

I never knew how hard it was to actually sit down and write a book. I am working on one about getting through cancer and what it means to find victory. I have been writing it since about August or so and it's tough to actually sit down and write it. I have to form my thoughts just right and make sure I get out what I want to say the way I want to say it. That can be so difficult sometimes. Then the editing of my goodness so much editing to do.

I think right now i have about 7 chapters or so, though I am having fun writing it, I'm still finding it hard. Makes me appreciate those who have written more than one novel like Hemingway or even Grisham. If it's taking me this long to write something I know about and dealt with, and stuff How long did it take them to write their books? Did they find as hard as I am to sit down and focus, or did they have writers block so much.

Writers block is sooo terrible lol. But throughout everything I appreciate all the novels and books that I read all the more. Literature is almost like a part of the author's soul, a part of who they are. It gives you an insight to many different things like what the culture was like and what not. Reading is fun...reading expands your knowledge and makes you a better conversationalist.

Facing Your Giants

We all know I love to read. I am always reading something new. Recently I started reading "Facing Your Giants" by Max Lucado and it is a very powerful and moving book. It really makes you think about your giants. He talks of David and Goliath, and then David and Saul. I haven't gotten very far in the book cause well I just started it. But it's a wonderful book, for both Christians and non-Christians alike.

He talks of facing your giants with confidence and not allowing them to infiltrate your joys. It talks of being strong and bold even if you don't feel like you are cause look at David a young boy, skinny, gangly, not what one would think when they think of a giant killer. We need to see ourselves as David facing the giants with all we have and not cowering.

Max has a wonderful way of portraying his ideas. It's easy to understand which can be hard when dealing with certain issues. Anyone would benefit from reading this book I highly suggest it.

OJ

Ok I just heard that OJ Simpson has written a book If I did do it what better way to keep saying he's innocent than to write a book about killing Goldman and Brown. I mean how insane can one person be to write about about how they would kill someone. I personally think he did do it, but that's neither here nor there. FOX is in turn doing a 2 hour special about the book and whatever else (what other authors get two hours come on now).

I personally think, either way it's morally wrong, and very distasteful. The book as well as the special are only bringing up all the bad feelings for the families. Why would anyone, let alone OJ, write a book about killing those two?

I'm not buying it nor am I watching FOX anymore.

Blue Like Jazz

I have been reading Blue Like Jazz for the past couple of days, and I'm not really sure what I think about it. It's one man's views on Christian Spirituality. He has some interesting ideas that I agree with while there are some that I don't agree with, but like I said they are his opinions. The chapters seem a little random and don't connect with other chapters, least I don't think they do.

Last night I read that he thinks the human soul needs other human interaction to survive. That a person cannot survive without being around people, and being alone can make you go crazy to the point where you talk to yourself. I think my soul survives on interaction with God, not so much of interaction with people. I need to talk with God, to walk with Him, to have Him there with...it's when I dont talk to him that I go crazyand feel empty.

I haven't fully figured out the basis of this novel, but I think the more I read the more I'll understand the author's thought process.

Monster

So I recently read this book called "Monster" written by Frank Peretti. It's a faith based novel, yet the faith isn't like in your face. Well anyway it's basically about finding faith in God through any situation, along with some side lessons, like creation vs evolution and one should not try to "play God." I highly enjoyed the bok I mean I read it within a day. Like I said the basic lesson is that one should find faith in God no matter what the situation is.

I've been thinking about the novel and how it could pertain to me and I realized one of my biggest troubles, is that I don't trust God through any situation. I mean I do trust and have faith in God, but there are times when I doubt and wonder if he hears my cries. I wonder if he knows that one of his children is in distress and needs him more than anything. Does that mean I don't have as much faith as I think? I mean no is perfect, but shouldn't our faith be?

I have a special verse that keeps me going through so much "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" I try to keep this in my mind nad heart, but sometimes...it seems like it isn't enough.

Banned Books

Every year the American Library Association bans a number of books for various reasons. Many of the books on this year's list, the reason is because of sexual content. Now it doesn't matter if books that have sex in them are banned from being taught in schools, kids will see/hear about sex in movies and television. Are we going to start banning those too? I mean I know there are ratings on movies and the such, but kids still manage to find a way to watch them.

The book on the top of the list: "It's Perfectly Normal” was banned for a number of reasons, some of them being "abortion", "religious viewpoint" among homosexuality, nudity and sexual education. I was somewhat surprised to see that abortion and religious viewpoint was among the reasons, because the ALA shouldn't ban books that have a certain viewpoint or discuss a certain topic.

"The Catcher in the Rye”: one of the best classic novels is on this list because of sexual content, offensive language and being unsuited to age group. How can we ban a classic such as "The Catcher in the Rye." I think by the time people read this novel, they are in their junior or senior years of high school, meaning they've seen/heard the offensive language and sexual content. Another classic that has been on the list and for once wasn't on it this year is "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" because of offensive language. Most of the language that is being objected to was appropriate for the time period it was written and the location it was set it in.


“It's So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families” by
Robie H. Harris for sex education and sexual content. This is a book I would think people would use to help educate their children, and I'm guessing that is what the intent was.

I can't believe that we cannot pick and choose what books get read (or taught) and what book don't, we need to have someone tell us what's appropriate or not.. If write a novel, I don't want to constantly wonder if I'll have a theme or references in it that will cause my book to be banned. I don't think any author wants their book banned, to me that's a slap in the face as if the ALA is saying "good you're published, but we're gonna ban it from schools and the such."

If there was a permission slip parents could sign saying it was alright if their kids read certain books that would solve some of the problems ALA may think these books are causing.