Around the House: August

In the middle of:

~One of the crazier weeks of my life. Spent one evening in the children's hospital an hour away visiting our niece who has meningitis and my best friend's 3-month old daughter who's got a terribly high fever. The rest have been filled with Vacation Bible School. It's been good, but exhausting.

~The demolition that just doesn't seem to be moving as fast as I want it to! After the tear-out, we found more damage than we originally expected. I'm grateful that R has the gifts to handle it.

Looking forward to:

~A long weekend at the beach with friends we don't see nearly enough.

~Getting off the treadmill for a while. Summer has not been as quiet as I had hoped. The next couple of weeks should offer a short-lived reprieve before school starts.

~Putting some organization back in my life. This demolition has given me the motivation to finally tackle some home projects that we've been avoiding. PLUS the amount of things I had to take to my attic when we hurriedly emptied the closet made me realize that I need to do a LOT more purging!

~How beautiful my new bathroom's going to look. We've decided to make some changes to the layout and put in a new type of flooring and shower.

~The Girl Talk Bookclub

~Teaching the Sr. High Girls' Sunday School class come September.

~Getting back into the choir. CJ is old enough to sit by herself now, so I'm joining R in the choir again.

~A new ministry opportunity that I can't share about quite yet (but I promise, I will!)

Enjoying:

~Vacation Bible School. Even though it's tiring, we have some amazing youth and it's my privilege to be on the teaching team for them.

~Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream.

~Some much-needed quality time with my man lately.

Hoping:

~To get back in the blogging groove sometime

~That middle school will be better than I expect it to be

~To finish the Seeking Him study soon

Classics Bookclub: Rebecca

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

And so Rebecca begins. I'm not sure how I, a voracious reader, ever missed reading this classic. Now that I have, I'm so pleased that it was the selection for the latest Classics Bookclub at 5 Minutes for Books.

My friend Lisa challenged us with many thoughtful discussion questions (this book is one of her favorites, after all!). I'll tackle a few.

Why do you think the heroine remains nameless? (did you notice she was never referred to by name?) Don’t you find it interesting that the novel is titled “Rebecca” yet our narrator is nameless? Why the contrast, do you think? Do you see her anonymity as indicative of some deeper meaning?

I have to say, it bothered me that we never learn the name of our heroine/narrator. I really don't like not knowing something. Still, I think the novel is aptly titled, since both the current Mrs. DeWinter and Maxim are haunted by Rebecca's memory (though for very different reasons). Our heroine is living within the confines of Rebecca's shadow, and so it suits that we are never told her name.

Rebecca has one of the more famous opening lines in literature. How do the opening lines set the tone of the novel?

From the opening line, I was hooked. Why does she want to return to Manderley? Why can't she return? I kept asking myself those questions through most of the novel. The answers weren't what I expected, which is the mark of a great story. I don't want to give away the ending, but I will say that I feel that one of the tragedies of Rebecca is that just as our heroine is in a position to claim Manderley, this place that she has grown to love, as her own...she cannot.

I would be remiss if I wrote about this book without mentioning the creepy Mrs. Danvers. Every scene with her made my skin crawl, and kept my eyes glued to the pages long after they should've been closed for the night.

Have you read Rebecca? If not, I highly recommend it. Even if you have, it's worth another look.

You can read what everyone else is saying about this classic over at 5 Minutes for Books.

Have I Really Forgotten?

I've been back from Peru for one month. When I left, I swore I'd never forget the people, the miracles, the full and complete reliance on God. I vowed to carry it with me always.

One measly month later, it's gone. And that makes me incredibly sad.

If I truly remembered, I wouldn't be so upset at walking into my bathroom and seeing just floor joists and duct work. I'd think about how others live, and count my blessings.



If I truly remembered, I wouldn't be so overwhelmed by the laundry. I'd think about the modern conveniences I have, and count my blessings all over again.




If I truly remembered, I wouldn't dread cooking dinner for my family. I'd think about the ladies in the soup kitchens who volunteer to provide meals for their neighbors, and I'd be counting my blessings one more time.








If I truly remembered, I wouldn't grouse about the appearance of my home.



Or our school systems.



Or going to Wal-Mart.



Instead, I'd be thanking the Lord for Lucy, who asked if I could bring her home with me. This beautiful woman is knit to my heart.


And Luis, who wanted everyone in the States to see the Bibles we were distributing.



And these girls, with their contagious enthusiasm and giggles.



And this precious girl, who pleaded with me to take her picture.


I'd think about the honor of becoming a sister in flight - and in Christ- with members of the Peruvian Special Forces.



I'd praise Him for the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, which I'd never seen before.



And I'd be praying that He calls me back to this place and the people who have left an indelible mark on my life.



I've come to accept that I'll never be able to articulate my trip. I've struggled with sharing, not just on the blog but also with friends and family. I've realized that mere words would cheapen His work. So, in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, That's all I have to say about that.