Although July flew by too quickly, we enjoyed it while it lasted. It's been hot, but not as much as it can be this time of year. A few showers the last week have cooled things off a bit and relieved my husband of daily watering plants.
The guys went on a camping trip right at the end of last month, and Jason, Mittu, and Timothy went to see Mittu's family in OK. Jim helped someone from church move, but I've stayed pretty much indoors except for church, lunch with a friend, and dinner out with the family one night. The flowers we planted last May are blooming profusely, and we've harvested and even given away some of Jim's squash and zucchini.
We enjoyed celebrating the fourth of July and Jason's birthday this month.
Creating
This was for Jason's birthday:
Watching
I read Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber a few years ago. It's her story of going to Oxford to study and being surprised at running into people of faith there. She had no desire to become a Christian, but couldn't escape being confronted with it. I had seen that a film was made of the book, but forgot about it til recently, when Jim and I watched it. Although the movie focuses more on the romance than her faith journey, the latter is still there.
We were surprised in may ways. I had thought of Oxford as a hotbed of leftist and "woke" thought, like many colleges. But that didn't appear to be the case when this book was written (at least, if it was there, it hadn't snuffed out conservative or religious thought completely).
There were a couple of bad words and "off" comments, but otherwise we enjoyed this movie quite a lot.
We also enjoyed Belle and Sebastian, a French film dubbed with English voices. It was based on a book, I think by the same name. A boy finds a stray dog which villagers thinks has attacked their sheep. But the boy, Sebastian, makes friend with the dog and names it Belle. They end up helping members of the French resistance fighters escape across the mountains.
I didn't turn on the opening ceremony of the Olympics until about the last hour or so. I didn't know until the next day about the controversial content. Part of me is shocked. Part of me feels like, "Well, yes, the world hates the truth of Christianity, and they are getting more blatant about it." I'm still processing it, but I don't know that I'll say any more about it. I'm sure just about everything that could be said has been.
I've seen several Christians call for a boycott of the Olympics. Of course, each should follow their own conscience in the matter. Personally, I don't know how much good that would do. But more than that, I feel the athletes are not at fault for what the program directors did. I may not watch the closing ceremony, in case it's more of the same stuff as the opening ceremony---I haven't decided yet.
Reading
Since last time I finished:
- Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens (audiobook). A father pins all his hopes and dreams on his young son following him into business, but the son dies as a child. The father has little use for his daughter, who is the one person who truly loves him. The father's pride brings him low, but the story is ultimately redemptive.
- The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, the family of The Sound of Music fame. Not surprisingly, real life was different from the movie.
- Read This First: A Simple Guide to Getting the Most from the Bible by Gary Millar. Good resource for those new to reading the Bible or those who have struggled with reading it.
- A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate (audio). Novel about a woman who has not seen her father for thirty years, but now needs to see to him, her developmentally-delayed step-brother, and her step-mother who has just had a stroke. Very good.
- When We Were Young and Brave by Hazel Gaynor, a fictitious account of a true situation where a school for missionary children in China was taken over by the Japanese during WWII. As a story, it was good, but I struggled with how some facets were handled compared to what I had read in missionary biographies.
I'm currently reading:
- Be Decisive (Jeremiah): Taking a Stand for the Truth by Warren W. Wiersbe
- Help for the Hungry Soul by Kristen Wetherell
- Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own by A. J. Harper
- Shadowed Loyalty by Roseanna M. White, audiobook
- Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance
- A Boy's War by David Michell
Blogging
Besides the weekly Friday Fave Fives, Saturday Laudable Linkage, and book reviews, I've posted these since last time:
- Are You Thirsty? Those who trust in the Lord have a continual source of refreshment and nourishment.
- "All Sunshine Makes a Desert." As much as we would like all our days yo be sunny and bright, we'd dry up without rain. The same is true spiritually.
- Assorted Stray Thoughts, some serious and some silly.
- Be Careful of Your Strengths. We run to God for help in our weakness. But we can easily fall when trusting in our own strength as Uzziah did. He was "was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction."
- Fading with Age. Hair color and some abilities fade out as we age. But as long as we're breathing, God can use us.
- One Book That Can Speak to Everyone. Writers are instructed that their books can't be for "everyone." Publishers want them to narrow their focus to a specific audience. But there is one book that truly can speak to everyone.
I didn't remember my eighteenth blogging anniversary was this month until WordPress sent me a notice about it. Out or curiosity, I looked at my stats to see what my most- viewed post was: Coping When Husband is Away. The most-viewed in the last year was Mary's Three Encounters with Jesus' Feet.
I've been so blessed to get to know many of you virtually (and a few in person). Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments! And thank you for reading. I pray you've been blessed here.
Writing
I'm in the phase of revising my first draft, which is much slower work than initial writing. I got a big chunk done this month, which felt really good.
As we turn toward August, the calendar is pretty full. My oldest son will be coming to visit soon, and we'll celebrate both his and my birthdays.
How was your July? Are you looking forward to anything in August?
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