Book List

I compiled a list of some of my favorite books for a friend and thought I would share it with you. (Makes lots of lists is Rule # 9 of the 8 Steps to Successful blogging, dont-cha-know.)

• Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliott (I'm re-reading it now. VERY challenging and good. Short chapters, fun easy to read)
• Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge (excellent for understanding women, I learned a few things from it myself...)
• The Shack by William Young (WOW. WOW. Just WOW. A must read.)
• Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die by David Crowder (Excellent book about life and grief. The most creatively written book I have ever read. It's just interesting to look at. :))
• Blessed Child by Ted Dekker (Woah. Amazing book. Fast paced, easy read, VERY powerful. About the Kingdom of God, purity of heart and the power of love and faith.)
• Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller (I <3>
• Searching for God Knows What by Don Miller (again, excellent writer. First couple of chapters are a bit dry but it picks up.)
• Through Painted Deserts by Don Miller (So basically anything by Miller I would suggest. He has a new book coming out soon! I can't wait! And he has a book about growing up as a boy, which I haven't read but would look into if I were a guy... lol This one (TPD) is very fun and powerful to read. It's about leaving home and the adventures that follow)
• The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis (Wonderful analogy about heaven and earth and the hell that is in between. This book contains Lewis' famous 'devil/dragon on your shoulder' scene. Also, George MacDonald is a character in heaven. :P)
• Lilith by George MacDonald (One of my favorite books of all time. A beautiful novel about life and truth and what happens to Adam [yeah, like Adam and Eve]. There are so many twists and turns in this book I won't even try to give you the story line. Just read it. It's worth it. :))
• The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (a little extreme, ok very extreme, at some points, but overall the message of this book is "Go and live boldly like Jesus and discard the chains of 'religion' that tie you down". Good book, full of life stories that is fun to read.)
• A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren (This book really impacted me. It talks about the different main denominations, where they came from and what they believe. The stories in this book are powerful and really changed the way I look at different parts of faith.)
• How to be a Christian in a Brave New World by Dr. Nigel Cameron and Joni Ereckson Tada (This book is about bio-ethics. Very, very powerful book. If you want to be in any sort of public area of influence, this is a must read)
• Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis (Very strange, very interesting book based on a myth. The end is really heroic and is the reason I like the verse 2 Corinthians 3:18, which is the verse for my women's group.)
• Also, anything by Eric and or Leslie Ludy. Some of my fav authors too. I've read When God Writes Your Love Story and When Dreams Come True. I want to read more of their stuff. Such good authors with great and powerful stories. :)

The books on my reading list that I haven't read yet are

• This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Perettii (Both about spiritual warfare. Both of them together are like 400-500 pages :/ )
• Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell (about art and suffering. I'm super excited about this one.)
• Sex God by Rob Bell (hmm guess what that's about... sex and God. lol)
• Jesus Wants to Save the Christians by Rob Bell (Kinda based on what Ghandi said "I like your Jesus but I hate your christians, they look nothing like their Jesus".)

What have your read?

8 Steps to a successful blog

There are a few things I have noticed about successful blogging, and a list I have complied.

1. Write stuff in said blog
2. Update said blog often
3. Have a topic to write about in said blog
4. Have a topic to write about in said blog that is other than your boring life
5. Understanding that your life IS boring and no one wants to know what you had for dinner or where you are going on Saturday
6. Be funny
7. If the author of said blog cannot be funny, said author of said blog should NOT *try* to be funny but should stick with serious thought provoking posts
8. If said author of said blog cannot be funny or thought provoking, said author should buy a journal and delete said blog

Unfortunately, although I wish to be a successful blogger, I have slack in many of the steps that are required to achieve this. Bear with me as I attempt, a second time, to blog with the best of them.

For the first time in years I miss Xanga. Remember that? We used it when we were awkward teens to post about how independently creative and cool we were. I miss that you could show your "currently listening to" to "currently reading". Well I am currently listening to Owl City's myspace [I heart] and currently reading Matthew chapter 7. But by blogging that I just violated rule # 4. Ah, well... life moves on.

Tune in next time - same time, same channel - for another astounding update.

Genuinely,

Anna Elizabeth :]