Reading Cram Read-a-thon Day 6: Seasonal Challenge

Well, it's Day 6 of the #ReadingCram Read-a-thon - hard to believe! I've only completed 2 books so far (my reviews: Barefoot Summer and Elusive Hope), but I've started a third and will keep chugging along.

While I haven't participated in all of the challenges, you can find some of my responses on Twitter, and I'll keep posting a few here, as well. Today's challenge is a seasonal one, and you know I can't miss that! ;) The goal is to share four book recommendations from books read in 2013:

Recommend a Book for a Snow Day

The Ryn by Serena Chase

The book begins in winter and involves a heart-warming, colorful fairytale perfect for a snowy day curled up by the fire. (For those of you who actually get much snow, of course!) You can read my full review HERE.

Recommend a Book for a Rainy Day

 Mistaken by Karen Barnett

What's better for a rainy day than a historical romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest? (Lots and lots of rain in this part of the country.) You can read my full review HERE. And another book I can recommend that's in a similar vein and setting (albeit contemporary) is Love's Refuge by one of my editing/publicity clients, Sandra Leesmith. 

Recommend a Book for a Beach Day

Songstone by Lena Goldfinch

My favorite of Lena's books so far, and one I had the pleasure of editing and promoting this past summer! This is a fantasy romance set on a fictional island in the Pacific, complete with descriptive beach and jungle scenes.

Recommend a Book for a Spooky Night

Recalled by Cambria Hebert

This book is for sure one of my faves of 2013. While it's not chills-running-up-your-spine spooky, it does involve G.R. (the Grim Reaper) and a mission to send someone to their death. So...yeah! (It's surprisingly touching and sweet, though, and I absolutely loved the story! Note that there is a bit of language.) You can read more of my thoughts on the book HERE. I can also recommend Paranormalcy (a fun paranormal read) and The Memory Game (a tragic but intriguing ghost story, albeit with some more language).

What would be your seasonal recommendations from 2013?

Beauty in This Season

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."

"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 ~

(I took these photos yesterday on the Corban University nature trail. Yes, we had snow in my neck of the woods, and it was beautiful while it lasted!)

New Season = New Design and New Schedule!

Today I'm heading back to school for the fall semester of my senior year at college. (Classes start on Wednesday!) In the meantime, there's lots of "new" going on around here!

New Design

As many of you have already noticed, I've changed the blog design to fit the upcoming season. I was browsing the Scrappin' Blogs website, and I came across this template in their Autumn/Fall Layouts. It's called "Festival of Fall Template 1." I fell in love after I tried it out, so I didn't have to browse long! And how fitting to celebrate a new seasons with a "Festival of Fall!"

Some of you may recognize the main picture from our hiking trip during Camp Humility 2011. This was a picture my mom took at Prairie Creek State Park in California. I believe it was either part of or near to the short Revelation Trail.

What I love about the template combined with the picture is the contrast. In the Seasons of Humility (click HERE to read the poem that inspired my blog title), fall is a time of letting go. It's the beginning of a new cycle of humility, as it's a time when we realize that we have to humbly let go of having to have our own way and timing, and trust that God's plans are best and right. The template shows the autumn leaves, beautiful and yet still sad in their dying state. But the main picture shows the redwoods - constant, firm, and lasting - just like God's love and Presence.

New Schedule

Along with the new blog design, I have a new schedule for the fall, one that will hopefully keep me posting regularly, but also not too stressful to maintain (since I'll be back at college). Here's the plan:

• Mondays for the Military - I'd like to keep this feature going for now. My hope is that it encourages those who are in the military or are part of a military family, and that it inspires all of us to live a sacrificial and loving life. I have some book reviews, author interviews, and giveaways scheduled for the rest of September. Hopefully there will be more to come!

• Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays - These days will mostly include book reviews and college news, but be prepared for anything in-between, as well!
  

• Moved by a Movie (Fridays) - I love contemplating movies and finding something meaningful and inspiring to take away from my time watching them. Sometimes these posts will be like a movie review (discussing the whole movie) and sometimes I'll just take one aspect of the movie and expound on that. Mostly, though, these posts will be more devotional than review. I hope these posts will encourage you and help you to critically think about the movies you love and what they have to share. (My semi-recent posts, It Will Be All Right (Emma) and The Polar Express: A Journey of Faith are a couple of examples of what this feature will be like to some degree.)
  

Don't worry! I also have a couple of events up my sleeve...

• October: "Heartsong Presents" Tribute - A week of reviews, interviews, discussions, and giveaways pertaining to the "Heartsong Presents" books. This line will be discontinued soon, so this is our chance to celebrate the great books in this series and thank the authors!

• December: "Love Finds You" Blog Party - This is another celebration of a special line of books from Summerside Press. More themed author interviews, giveaways, and fun awaits - just in time for Christmas merriment!

• Plus, we still have our monthly Contentment Reading Challenge posts for the rest of 2011!

Final Thoughts

Of course, these plans are subject to change off and on, but I hope you like the overall schedule! I like to think of the weekly schedule as the season of M&Ms - "Mondays for the Military" and "Moved by a Movie" posts, that is! ;) I think I'm going to include my "Moved by a Movie" posts on my Movie Reviews page, but I'll denote them by adding an "MM" after the link.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions!

Happy Spring!

As you can probably tell by the new background, color scheme, and banner picture, a new season has come to "Seasons of Humility!" It's always fun redecorating the blog for each new season and thinking about the seasons of humility in conjunction with the seasons of nature.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the poem I wrote that inspired the title of this blog, feel free to click HERE if you're interested in reading it. The "spring" of the seasons of humility is a time when "new trust blooms forth"--a time when we have gone through the painful process of letting go of our own dreams/plans and waited to see God's plan, and now we can catch glimpses of His work in our lives. The "rain and tears" have given way to new blossoms, and growth is starting to become evident in our lives. Through God's grace may we come once again to the "spring" season of humility!

I think the banner picture captures this season of humility well. It shows the barren trees leftover from the time of waiting and faith in the "winter," but it also shows green grass and bright yellow daffodils--reminders of "spring" and new life. There is a joyous sense of expectation and hope. (The picture is one I took on my field trip last weekend to Fort Vancouver; that is the garden right outside the front of the fort. Doesn't it look inviting?)

As for the background, one of my favorite children's books is one my mom used to read to me (and one we quote off and on!) called A Picnic in the Woods. In the book Mickey, Minnie, and their nephews see a lot of plants and wildlife while they're in the woods, and one of the plants they see is the Black-eyed Susan flower. Now, I'm not completely positive (as I'm not a horticulturist) but I think that's what these flowers to the left (in the background) are. I mostly picked the picture because it matches with the banner picture and it goes well with spring, but I do also like that it reminds me of that cute book! ;)

Anyway, happy spring to you all, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new design if you'd like to share!

A Change in Seasons and Blog Awards!

First of all, I'm sure you have all seen the new blog design. I love being able to change backgrounds and color schemes, as well as the header picture. (Thank you once again to Ashley for the suggestion of changing my blog design each new season!) Which leads me to a question: do you like the new blog design? Is there too much empty space, making it hard to read?

On Wednesday (which I believe is the first day of fall!) I'll do a full post to welcome the new season. In that post, I'll give you an explanation of the connections between the header picture and the new season (like I did with the summer mountain picture). I'll also tell you more about an addition to the blog schedule and some upcoming events. Be sure and stop by!

Now, I was pleasantly surprised when Gina from Hott Books passed on two blog awards to me yesterday! Gina is my newest follower, and I'm so touched by her interest in and support of my blog. Thank you so much, Gina!

Here are the two blog awards:


I guess the "rules" now are to tell you five things about myself. ;) So here they are:

1. I am a night owl. Hence, the reason I'm working on my blog design and posting in the wee hours of the morning. ;)
2. I just started helping out at the AWANA program at a local church. I never did AWANA when I was younger, but I really loved helping the "Sparks" (kindergarten through 2nd grade) this past Sunday, and I'm excited about this next year! To think that I get to do something like this for church service credit at Corban University--fun stuff!
3. I hate mashed potatoes. Really. True, I haven't tried them in a long time, but I won't go near them anymore.
4. I'm really enjoying my Petrine Epistles class this semester! This class is devoted to studying First and Second Peter in the Bible. I had the same professor last fall for Bible Study Methods, and he's very knowledgeable. I think many of my classes are opening my mind a lot this semester, which can be difficult but rewarding.
5. I have a rather large TBR stack just waiting for me right now! ;) Oh boy, do I have a lot of reading to do--which is wonderful, even if it is a bit time-consuming!

I'm going to pass the Versatile Blogger award on to:

• Carman at A Sequence of Continuous Delights
• Ashley at After All....... Tomorrow is Another Day

I'm going to pass the Honest Scrap award on to:

• Bluerose at Bluerose's Heart
• Katy and Kait at Book Ponderings
• Julia at Dark Glass Ponderings

Ladies, you all have such beautiful, creative blogs! Thank you for encouraging, entertaining, giving to, and inspiring your readers!

Readers, be sure and check out these blogs if you haven't already!

P.S. I apologize for skipping "True Love Tuesday" this week. I got a little carried away with blog designs, blog awards, etc. ;)

A Season for Learning

Fall marks the beginning of a new school year, a time of learning from books and teachers. But fall also marks an important time of learning in the "Seasons of Humility." That is to say, "fall" is the season of life I speak of in my poem (in the sidebar) when we feel the most confused, the most selfish. It is the time when we really need to be reminded to look to God and trust in His will--to be humble before Him.

Right now I really need this lesson. Some of you may remember the "Treasure Challenge" that I set up for myself this summer. Well, I followed it for the most part, although I know I could have done better, spending less on food, games at the fair, etc. I did also get a book at Borders this summer, although it was mostly part of a gift (long story with that one!).

Anyway, the point is that I know I have a problem with greed, which the "Treasure Challenge" was supposed to help with. I still want to buy more and I keep seeing more that I want. But it isn't just that. My selfishness has extended to impatience, as well. Not only do I want more, but I want it now. And that's a big problem!

From my comments on Goodreads to the thoughts within my mind, I keep desiring the "next" thing--the next book, etc.--and I keep missing out on what I already have. God has so richly blessed me, yet I haven't been content or shown my gratefulness nearly as much as I ought to. God has His own perfect timing for everything, and I know that His will is what I should seek.

Thanks to a post on author Tamera Alexander's blog, I started getting a "Verse of the Day" sent to my e-mail from CLASH entertainment every day. This is one of the recent ones I received, and it really was a verse I needed to read:


The verse is Ecclesiastes 5:10. What a fitting description of greed, and unfortunately, what a fitting description of my own poor attitude. I have had the wonderful opportunity to read so many new books this summer, many of them from blogging friends and publishing companies. I still have a great TBR stack, so why do I have to be thinking of what books will be coming next all the time? I really need to be able to appreciate what I have!

So with that in mind, I hope to have something similar to the "Treasure Challenge" going for the school year, or at least some way to remind myself to stop buying so much! I confess to buying something for myself today, though, since summer is pretty much over. I used an Amazon.com gift card to pay for part of the package: Courting Morrow Little and a DVD copy of North & South. For those of you who follow Laura Frantz' blog, you know why I'm calling this my "Laura Frantz" package. ;) I hope to find much enjoyment and encouragement from these items, but I hope that I will not let myself get carried away with buying more and more.

After reading this I'm sure you can see why I said I have a lot to learn! May the Lord help all of us to use the resources He has given us wisely and to exercise moderation. May the Lord help us to learn the beauty of contentment and the joy of gratefulness. And may the Lord help us to trust in His timing and in His plan, that we might rest in the hope of the coming springtime season of humility.

Seasons of Humility

Following is the inspiration for the title of this blog: a poem I wrote called "Seasons of Humility." This poem is near and dear to my heart, one that I wrote the fall semester of my first year of college. May the Lord use it to encourage you and remind you of His Presence throughout all of our seasons of humility.

Seasons of Humility
By Amber Stokes

All that remains of a broken dream:
Shattered leaves strewn on the ground.
Once so whole, so vibrant, so green,
Faintly glowing without a sound
As darkness surrounds.

Just dead gold and red left on the tracks
And flying by the window in the wind.
Words that say, "No more lookin' back,"
But turn around and it's there again:
A plea to send.

Oh! The autumn ends so painfully;
Winter months last so very long.
Yet through it all, a Presence beside me:
Comforting, enduring, and strong,
Above the wrong.

Spring comes again; new trust blooms forth.
Bright blossoms grow from rain and tears:
A reminder of the journey's worth.
In the humble cycle of holy fear,
God is near.

Seasons

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Change is expressed so well in the seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each season has its own unique characteristics, and while some may not be our favorites, they all have their hardships and their own unique beauty. Each season of our life is a reminder that God is at work, and that their is hope when we trust in God. After winter comes spring. After summer comes fall. While we are in this world marked by time, seasons will continue on in their cycle. But someday, we will no longer be living in this world, and (if we believe in Jesus and are saved by grace) we will live with God forever--eternal life, beyond the constraints of time!

The question I asked in the poll was: "What is your favorite season?" Of the nine who gave their answers, here's how the breakdown went:

Spring--3
Summer--4
Fall--2

Winter--0

While this is only based off of nine people's responses, I believe it's interesting (but not surprising!) that many people favor spring and summer over fall and winter. We enjoy those warm, hopeful, blossoming months. And isn't it interesting that my rating scale for reviewing (see the sidebar) follows the same pattern? Fancy that! Hopefully this poll helps you see how my rating scale works!

I'll be posting a new poll soon (in the sidebar), and I'll try to connect what the poll is about to a post that I write, so take a look if you're interested!

Also, exciting news!!! I have been communicating with several different authors, and because of their kindness I plan on having two author interviews for you in the next couple of weeks! And the summer should offer some excitement, as well! I'll let you know more later, but I thought I would give you a taste of some fun coming up soon!