Support Banned Books...

Did you know that this week is Banned Books Week? It's a week that has been set aside for the last 30 years to promote reading. To stand up against those who would make our choices for us. It is for those who choose to proudly say I READ..

I grew up in a house where books were plentiful.. where more often than not when we were at sporting events, if you wanted to find my mom, you looked over to the nearest set of trees and there my mom would be in her chair, reading a book. Not watching the game, reading a book. The thought of not having a book on me at all times is inconceivable.

Consider this.. if we allow books to be banned, you can be sure one of those books will eventually be the Bible.You may think some of these books need to be removed but isn't it better to teach.. to instruct.. teach your children WHY you find such books inappropriate.. WHY, you feel they should not be read. And WHY if they have to read them, they should question what they read..Isn't that way stronger than banning them?

My mom always said, it didn't matter if your child would only read comic books, at least he is reading. Of course that didn't pertain to her children we read classics.. *rolls eyes* She still hasn't forgiven me for my love of romance books.. but that is another story. I do know, more often than not if she had heard that a book was banned and she felt it was age appropriate, we had to read it. I tried to raise my children in a similar manner. I can say with great pride, all four read.. they have unique and interesting tastes but read they do.

Sadly, not all people are afforded that right.. schools, governments, churches all for one reason or another choose to challenge or ban a book.. How can that possible be right? Sure some books are graphic, some books are extreme, some books are *gasp* bad.. but it is not the right of State to make that choice for us. Parents need to guide their children, encourage them to read and question what they are reading.. to make their own choices...in short to LEARN..

I found this list on Rebecca Ryals Russell's Website  and  thought it needed to be shared..

SOME of the 2011 challenged or banned books were:

    The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
    Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
    The Flamingo Rising, by Larry Baker
    The Notebook Girls: Four Friends, One Diary, Real Life, by Baskin, Newman, Pollitt-Cohen, Toombs
    Running with Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs
    My Mom’s Having a Baby, by Dori Hillestad Butler
    Betrayed, by P.C. and Kristin Cast
    Staying Far for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher
    Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
    The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
    Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
    Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
    The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
    The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
    Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer

In 2010 the top 10 most frequently challenged books were:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

3. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

4. Crank, by Ellen Hopkins

5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

6. Lush, by Natasha Friend

7. What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones

8. Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich

9. Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie

10. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

But it’s not just contemporary books that get banned, classics get banned and challenged, too.
    *The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    2. *The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
    3. *The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
    4. *To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
    6. Ulysses by James Joyce
    7. Beloved by Toni Morrison
    8. *The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
    9. *1984 by George Orwell  (This one is the most ironic as its theme is suppression of books and thoughts)
    10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
    11. Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov
    12. *Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
    13. *Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
    14. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
    15. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
    16. *Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
    17. *Animal Farm by George Orwell
    18. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
    19. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
    20. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
    21. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
    22. *Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
    23. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
    24. *Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
    25. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
    26. *Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
    27. Native Son by Richard Wright
    28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
    29. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
    30. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
    31. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
    32. *The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
    33. *The Call of the Wild by Jack London
    34. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
    35. Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
    36. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
    37. The World According to Garp by John Irving
    38. All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
    39. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
    40. *The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
    41. *Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally
    42. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
    43. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
    44. Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
    45. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
    46. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
    47. *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
    48. *Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence
    49. *A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
    50. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
    51. My Antonia by Willa Cather
    52. Howards End by E. M. Forster
    53. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
    54. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
    55. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
    56. Jazz by Toni Morrison
    57. Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
    58. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
    59. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
    60. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
    61. A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor
    62. Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    63. Orlando by Virginia Woolf
    64. Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence
    65. Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
    66. Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
    67. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
    68. Light in August by William Faulkner
    69. The Wings of the Dove by Henry James
    70. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
    71. *Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
    72. *A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
    73. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
    74. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
    75. Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence
    76. Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
    77. In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
    78. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
    79. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
    80. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
    81. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
    82. White Noise by Don DeLillo
    83. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
    84. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
    85. *The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
    86. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
    87. The Bostonians by Henry James
    88. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
    89. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
    90. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
    91. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    92. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
    93. The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles
    94. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
    95. *Kim by Rudyard Kipling
    96. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    97. Rabbit, Run by John Updike
    98. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster
    99. *Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
    100. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie



To read the entire article click HERE

You want to support banned books, share what books you have read that have been banned.. shout it loud and proud!!

Shauni

A Love Surrendered, A Review

What a beautiful love story. A Love Surrendered is the the story of the remaining O'Conner in Julie Lessman's The Daughter's of Boston and The Winds of Change Series'. Julie offers romance in a way that touches not only our hearts but also offers us a choice. Her stories are based not just on man's love but on God's as well. She reminds us that being a Christian does not mean being boring or without love but rather that if we do it God's way there is just so much more to any relationship.

Set in the last months of Prohibition Steven O'Connor a fed.. is determined to be the best he can be. The best son, the best brother, the best friend, the best fed and he is going to do it all on his own. After making mistakes in his life that almost destroyed his family while in college, Steven is not about to mess up his life again. He wants to hold up his honor and not embarrass his family again.

Orphaned and left to live with her standoffish aunt, Annie Kennedy wants to start again. She is determined to ignore the God who took both of her parents, the God her father had been committed to. Instead she is determined to follow in her wilder sisters footsteps and live a little. Only problem is, she is just not that girl. While she values her friends she is missing something in her life. In a moments weakness, her aunt hears her cries and gives her a letter left for her from her father, to be read on her 18th birthday. In it he reminds her to trust in God and she will never be alone.

When Steven and Annie meet is is instantly attracted but she is keeping a secret from him. Her sister is the girl who Steven was madly in love with in College and betrayed his family with. While Steven and Annie slowly fall in love we watch them struggle with themselves and their refusal to live God's plan. It is a struggle that they must deal with every moment of the story and yet slowly they come to the realization that once you make the choice and live it, it isn't really that difficult at all.

Another intriguing aspect of this book is we get to see peaks into the lives of the siblings whose stories have been told in previous books. Sometimes it seems a bit heavy handed and confusing but we watch the lives or ordinary people coping with choices, making mistakes and working through their problems. As I got into this story I found myself truly enjoying these asides.

In a world that is so often filled with fifty shades of something.. it is refreshing to read a story about love that expounds waiting not jumping into sex the moment a character meets. Ms Lessman tells a sweet story and we should truly treasure her work.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of A Love Surrendered provided by netgalley

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss

Over at Speculative Fiction they are doing celebrating Dr Seuss' birthday by doing Seuss style blog

Here's my attempt

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss
you'd be here if I choose
you'd be here to write a book
you'd be here to meet a zook

If I had my way
You'd be here to stay
writing writing every day
maybe even writing a play

If you were here
I would stand up and cheer
wishing you well
with my silly spell

but you are not
things aren't so hot
you've been gone a while
But I still smile

when I hear about ham
and someone named sam
whenever a hoo let's out a shout
or a screech is out and about

I miss you today
All of the way
But at least we know
what you tried to show

that you were you,
that is truer than true
and there is no one alive, who is Youer than You!!

@Shauni

hey don't laugh it's a poem

A Reminder

I was very fortunate that my parents allowed me to attend a High School of my choosing.. Back way before magnet schools.. I asked to be transferred when I was a Sophomore and my parents graciously allowed me to attend Whittier Christian High School. Especially amazing as they were not and are not Christians.. and yet they allowed God's plans for me to happen..

One of the perks of attending WCHS is the fellowship I still recieve and since the advent of the internet and facebook we can be in as much contact as we choose. One of my friends posted this verse today.. and it spoke to me.. reminded me.. so I thought I would share with you all.

Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "

Too often, we as Christians get caught up in the daily grind of keeping up with the Joneses.. and frankly we should ignore that desire and instead focus our goals on keeping up with God. Yes we can get all sorts of fancy stuff and show off to all our friends and neighbors but in the end what will that get us? Absolutely NOTHING.. no we obtain true treasures by serving God.. doing His work and sharing His word.. and God being great and all.. stores those treasures for us.. where no man can take them.

You know that is amazing.. when you think about it.. not only are we storing up treasures by serving God.. we are securing them. There will be no chance of them getting lost, or stolen or... letting go of the things of this earth is a hard struggle but one if learned a great relief..

Not too long ago I lost ALL my things.. and I mean everything.. pictures, baby books, kids artwork, EVERYTHING... it was horrid and sometimes I still grieve but if I truly listened to God and let go of wordly treasures I would understand that these things are just that things.. not of any true value or worth.. While I lost all my things.. God has cradled me and my children in His hands over and over again.. and that my friends is the true treasure..

Shauni

A Moment of Peace

Something happened today that hurt me very deeply, well last night, and me being me I automatically started to lash out. I was quite pleased that I able to refrain from snarking at the people who had hurt me and was able to take joy, honest hoy in their accomplishment. BUT, it was hard! 


My Inner Voices kept popping up with malice wanting me to think unkind thoughts to feed the hurt and anger. Every time this happened I stopped and spoke with God. I told Him "I don't want to be this person. I don't want to think these thoughts. Please help me with my struggles." I will admit, I stopped often.


About mid morning, I found myself sitting in a waiting room at the Doctor's office (for a friend) and I pulled out my kindle. Now normally this means I will shortly be engrossed in some book or other. NOT TODAY!! Today I was compelled to open my Bible ap and did a search for forgiveness.. tangent, do you know the word forgive is only mentioned 89 times in the Bible.. at least the NASB version... Now, back on track.


The important part was as I was thumming through the selections that had the word forgiveness in it looking for something.. not sure what I was moved to stop at Ephesians 4: 11-32. I must have read verses 17-31 twenty times over and over again and most especially... vs 31-32

Ephesians 4:31-32

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. 

WOW.. just think.. 2000 years ago when St Paul wrote this letter, God knew I would need to read it today! Praise God! What a wonderful reason to rejoice.. God knew I would struggle with this for all of my life and today would finally come to Him with it.. I am so very blessed!

Shauni 

God Never Gives you more than you can handle.. how often in life have you heard that particular phrase? I have heard it more times than I can count and believe me I hate that particular expression.. I can hear you gasping from here..

To me the nature of Christianity is that you offer your burdens to God and He bears them for you.. I have this visualization and yes it is my wonky imagination NOT reality.. I see God sitting on a cloud watching me.. laughing.. waiting.. you know like a kid with a water balloon... anyway.. there sits God, on his cloud and here I come.. all I can do it myself.. I can handle it.. No you caused this.. don't go to God now.. you never go during the good times why do you think He wants to hear from you now... when what should happen but a lightening bold slams into me.. I look up and there is God laughing.. saying you can do it all yourself? Well BAM bad marriage, still on your own.. BAM single mom of four.. still on your own? BAM.. homeless.. there God sits just tossing bolts at me waiting.. yes waiting..

I know this is almost blasphemy.. but to me it says.. God WANTS me to lift my burdens up to Him.. God WANTS to bear my burdens..

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it."

Isn't it interesting? The most famous verse on God helping us to bear our burdens is not on our struggles and day to day life but rather on dealing with temptations..  It's sort of like that whole separation of church and state thing.. you know the one that isn't in the constitution..  oops tangent..

I still think this verse applies to many walks of life.. Yes we will be given burdens, we will be tempted we are not expected to bear these burdens alone.. we are not expected to resist temptation on our own.. we are encouraged to go to God and share.. to offer up to Him all our supplications.. all our hopes and fears.. our struggles and yes even our triumphs.. because in the end we did not triumph, God did.. and when we fail.. we have to ask ourselves did we fail? If by failing we serve God then we triumphed...

I struggle.. I am a needy creature.. I want accolades.. glory... triumph.. so often I do not offer my worries up to God.. stupid me.. I suffer needlessly.. all because I am a "strong" individual.. yeah.. total whack job.. I should be prostrating myself before God and offering it all up to Him.. I am working on it.. Pray with me.. for me..

Shauni 

Freedom From Religion

There is actually an organization of that name.. Freedom From Religion.. wow.. In a country that was founded on the right to worship God, I just don't understand this need to be Free of it.. I don't understand why a small select group of individuals get to demand that we, as a nation cease and desist.

Are you aware that the phrase separation of Church and State is never once used in the Constitution? The phrase "wall of separation between the church and the state" was originally coined by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists on January 1, 1802. His purpose in this letter was to assuage the fears of the Danbury, Connecticut Baptists, and so he told them that this wall had been erected to protect them. The metaphor was used exclusively to keep the state out of the church's business, not to keep the church out of the state's business. Interesting isn't it? That over the years people have insidiously twisted something stated by Jefferson to PROTECT a church into something that destroys it?

It bothers me, because what our constitution actually says is.. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

What does that mean? It means that we will not have a National Church, like the Church of England.. we chose not to have a National Airline.. doesn't mean people are trying to separate the airlines and the government.. Officials still fly, some even fly commercial! You don't see a bunch of people running around demanding that no elected official uses an airline.. so what's the difference? We can fund and airline but not a church?

I understand that we, as Christians are under attack. That Satan is thrilled by the constant undermining of the minority and the silence of the majority.. Speak up.. Demand your rights to your faith before a select few have them all taken away..