Recent Reads, Journal Snippets, + Highlights of March 2021

April… it’s here.

Hooowwwww???

March 2021 was an epic month for me. Some pretty exciting and awesome stuff happened… plus some not so awesome but still exciting stuff. Here ’tis.

Highlights of the Month

• Watching medieval sword fights in the name of research
• Reading and writing outside!
• Trying to contain ridiculous amounts of laughter while alpha reading a slice of life/comedy/romance story
• Reading with my little sisters
• Going on a date with my dad
• Trying my hand at blackout poetry
• Discovering an artichoke painting at Hobby Lobby… if you’re a YDubber, you might understand.:)
• Gaining firsthand experience for future writing projects by smashing my toe against a bed frame. On accident.
• Finding a brutal editor in my youngest sister. Case in point: “Yuck. Why rosy face? … you should delete his third biscuit. … how does that help? Delete that.” Ooookay???
• In spite of aforementioned editor, completing the first draft of a novel for the very first time!!!
• Thoroughly enjoying a weekend brimming with cousin craziness

What I’ve Been Reading

Frindle – Andrew Clements

“Who says dog means dog? You do, Nicholas.”

I’m rediscovering my appreciation of good MG fiction with this book. I hadn’t read Frindle in years, so it’s been super fun to read it to my youngest sisters this month!

From the Grave – A.W. Tozer

“Whatever a man wants badly and persistently enough will determine the man’s character.”

I shared about this book in last month’s post, but it’s definitely worth recommending again. It’s written as a devotional for Lent, but honestly it would be amazing to read at any time of the year. I’m really appreciating A.W. Tozer’s no-nonsense way of writing about the hard truth. It’s very easy to understand, and very convicting, as well.

The Bear That Heard Crying – Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Helen Kinsey

I enjoy reading books that I really enjoyed as a child to my little sisters! This is based on a true story, and I really enjoy the illustrations, too.

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear – Audrey Wood

I loved this book as a little kid, and so it was really fun to read it again to my sister the other day. The illustrations are so adorable!

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch – Jean Lee Latham

Elizabeth rolled her eyes gravely from one to the other. “It’s his brain, don’t you think? I mean – it’s awfully restless. He probably reads Latin to keep it quiet. The way girls stitch samplers, you know.”

I remembered really enjoying this book several years ago when I was assigned to read it for school… and when I dug it out of the bookshelf again the other day, I had a hard time putting it down! It’s extremely well-written, and following Nat Bowditch and his ever-present troubles and love of arithmetic is fascinating and enjoyable.

Journal Snippets

Convicted on Sunday that oftentimes when I feel super “Christian” when I’m drawing near to God, I don’t deserve the title. I’m just doing what anyone else in my circumstance would do. But when I seek God when my flesh doesn’t feel needy… that’s truly seeking God.

Christianity has been twisted and melted into this safe, feel-good cure-all. That’s not what it is. It’s a radical, life-defining commitment to God and God alone, and if we don’t treat it as such, we can’t call it Christianity.

What were some of the highlights of your March?

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