Book of the Week: The Miner's Lady

Aaaaaaand this week finished up the third book of the series by Tracie Peterson, The Miner's Lady. I liked this one quite a bit, as well. One thing I really enjoy about this series, is that while the stories are similar in one big, vague aspect, there are no other similarities, whatsoever. Each book stands on it's own, with it's own characters, backstories, professions, issues, sidekicks, et cetera. Many book series', even when each book has a different main character, have interconnecting supporting characters, locations, and the like. Not so here! I really appreciated that in this series.

Book of the Week: The Quarryman's Bride

This week's book!

I enjoyed book two of the Tracie Peterson series I'm reading right now, The Quarryman's Bride. Recommend this one for chicks, as always. :)

About Character..

“Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing.” ― Abraham Lincoln

I have been thinking a lot about character and reputation lately. Abe Lincoln was a smart guy! His quote easily sums up what I believe about a person's character and their reputation, but I struggle with explaining my thoughts to others. (Thanks, Honest Abe!)

Throughout my short marriage, my long divorce, and my current happily ever after, I have worked hard to maintain my good character, to show Magoo by example the kind of person that I'd like him to grow to become. While it would have been easy to lose my temper (and I have) and tell off everyone wronging me (and I did a couple times), it is better to let those things roll off my back and continue to only do the best that I can for me and my little guy.

Who wouldn't want to do their best for that sweet little face??

I have (first world) very little right now, but what I do have is very valuable to me. My child, myself, my family, and my good friends (who have become family to me during everything that has happened in the last several years). I have an education and an opportunity to provide a home, education, and future for my son. We have a roof over our heads, food for our bellies, and clothes on our backs. I have a vehicle to get us where we need to go, and we even have the opportunity to do some fun mommy and son things together. While my life is "hard", I can easily recognize that I have it much, much, much, much easier than many others do, especially other single parents. I don't have to worry about food or shelter. If my funds run out, my son and I will be cared for while I continue to work towards my final degree and our own home. We are loved and we are safe.

Thanks to the best parents/grandparents out there for helping me make ends meet and caring for Magoo while I'm in class/internship!

This makes it even more important to me to focus on being the best version of myself that I can possibly be for Magoo. My character is of great value to me, as Magoo will eventually grow and will know me as a human, and not just his mama. I want to make sure that my character is good and beautiful. Solid and strong. Rooted, and yet growing and changing as things around me grow and change. My reputation as a loving, caring, intelligent, motivated, and thoughtful person will merely be a shadow of my true character, the real thing.

This little guy deserves my best.

This is my hope for my future and my son's future. That we would "put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and...forgiving each other...and above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts, to which indeed [we] were called in one body. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:12-15)  That we would "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of [our] mind[s], that by testing [we] may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)  And "more than that, [that] we [would] rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5: 3-5)

I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to care for, teach, and help this happy little boy grow to be a man of great character who loves the Lord and who reflects that love on all those he encounters.

Book of the Week: The Icecutter's Daughter

You can tell by the title what kind of book I chose again this week- The Icecutter's Daughter, by Tracie Peterson, a woman I feel is a pretty good author. (This is, however, another Christian romance, so not exactly appreciated in the same way as Sara Gruen's At the Water's Edge.) I did enjoy this book though, and grabbed the next two books of the series to read over the next two weeks!

All of the characters in this book were either Svedish, ja, or German, and it was set in Minnesota in the late 1800s. I enjoyed all of the unique names that came about as a result of the setting! Rurik Jorgenson, Merrill Krause, Nils Olsson, and the like! Those were a lot of fun. The next book in the series is similar - The Miner's Daughter, or The Quarryman's Wife, or something like that.

Book of the Week: Sophie's Heart

Sophie's Heart, by Lori Wick, is exactly the kind of book I just complained about two weeks ago. In fact, it is the same author. However, it's what was within my reach, and it's what I read this week. Also, the heroine was actually from Czechoslovakia this time, so that's a new one. Good choice for that, at least, Lori.

Two Down, One to Go!

I'm officially on summer vacation! For one week. And I'm too tired to say anything else about it. Fingers crossed that grades turn out okay this semester, but there was at least one class that I'm pretty sure got me where it hurts...

Not thinking about it again for a week and a half.