Rainy days have been few and far between this year in Texas, but when the skies finally open, I enjoy the raindrops falling all around me.

For some reason, when I think of rain showers and delightfully overcast days, I think of Winnie the Pooh. Pooh Bear has always been one of my favorite book characters, along with the irrepressible Tigger and the humorously pessimistic Eeyore.

So today, as the liquid sunshine gently falls from the Texas sky, enjoy these bright and chipper quotes from the Hundred Acre Wood.

“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart. . . I’ll always be with you.”

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.”

“People who don’t Think probably don’t have Brains; rather, they have grey fluff that’s blown into their heads by mistake.”

“You can’t help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn’t spell it right; but spelling isn’t everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn’t count.” Rabbit

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”

“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”

“I think,” said Piglet, when he had licked the tip of his nose too, and found that it brought very little comfort, “I think that I have just remembered something. I have just remembered something that I forgot to do yesterday and shan’t be able to do tomorrow. So I suppose I really ought to go back and do it now.”

“What day is it?” “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.”

“You can’t always sit in your corner of the forest and wait for people to come to you… you have to go to them sometimes.”

“How do you spell ‘love’?” – Piglet
“You don’t spell it…you feel it.” – Pooh”

“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

“Just because an animal is large, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo.”

“Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.”

“I’m not asking anybody,” said Eeyore. “I’m just telling everybody. We can look for the North Pole, or we can play ‘Here we go gathering Nuts in May’ with the end part of an ants’ nest. It’s all the same to me.”

Eeyore walked all round Tigger one way, and then turned and walked round him the other way.
“What did you say it was?” he asked.
“Tigger.”
“Ah!” said Eeyore.
“He’s just come,” explained Piglet.
“Ah!” said Eeyore again.
He thought for a long time and then said: “When is he going?”

“Could you ask your friend to do his exercises somewhere else? I shall be having lunch directly, and don’t want it bounced on just before I begin. A trifling matter, and fussy of me, but we all have our little ways.” Eeyore

“When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry; you’re probably just a little eleven o’clockish.”

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

Lately, I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to learn more about the persecuted church overseas. So far this year, I’ve had the wonderful experience of volunteering with Voice of the Martyrs, and through my time there, my eyes have been opened to the plight of my brothers and sisters overseas.

Another eye-opening experience for me was reading Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. This story of the persecuted church in China will not only tug at your heart, but bring you to your knees in prayer for the believers who are sacrificing their lives for Christ. I was blessed by this book, challenged by the story of its two main protagonists, and hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Publisher’s Description

Is this the day I die? wonders Li Quan as he endures persecution for his faith. Half a world away, his college buddy – a businessman living in comfortable corporate America – steps on the plane to China. Reunited after 20 years, both men face decisions that will determine their destinies . . . as well as the fates of their nations and the world. This soul-stirring and challenging book will convict your heart to live in the light of eternity.

My Favorite Quotes from Safely Home

“Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.”

“There is an old proverb, `He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes.’”

“God’s work done in God’s way never lacks God’s supply.” Hudson Taylor

“Real gold fears no fire.”

“Church leader who does not believe in God is like barefoot shoe salesman.”

“The mountains are not so rugged when the Father’s bidding draws you forward, the Son walks beside you, and the Spirit empowers you to put one foot in front of the other.”

“Wang Mingdao was once asked if he had a message for Western Christians. He said, `Remember the most common cause of stumbling is the fear of man.’ It is God we must fear, not men. You must learn to stand boldly for your Lord, regardless of what men may think of you.”

Where to Buy Safely Home

Safely Home – Amazon – paperback
Safely Home – Amazon – kindle

I’ve been impressed by Tony Dungy ever since I watched the Indianapolis Colts win the Super Bowl four years ago in 2007. Needless to say, after reading his book Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, I have become an even bigger fan.

Over the years, I have read several sports books and motivational/leadership books, but this was the first I have read that combines both these genres together in a Christ-centered way. I was inspired by Coach Dungy’s reflective story about his football journey and encouraged by his walk with the Lord. For football fans, this is a must-read of how a gentle giant helped lead one of the NFL’s strongest teams to the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Book Summary

Tony Dungy’s words and example have intrigued millions of people, particularly following his victory in Super Bowl XLI, the first for an African American coach. How is it possible for a coach—especially a football coach—to win the respect of his players and lead them to the Super Bowl without the screaming histrionics, the profanities, the demand that the sport come before anything else? How is it possible for anyone to be successful without compromising faith and family? In this inspiring and reflective memoir, Coach Dungy tells the story of a life lived for God and family—and challenges us all to redefine our ideas of what it means to succeed. Includes a foreword by Denzel Washington and a 16-page color photo insert.

About the Author

Tony Dungy led the Indianapolis Colts to Super Bowl victory on February 4, 2007, the first such win for an African American coach. Dungy had taken eight of his previous ten teams to the playoffs. With this victory, he joined Mike Ditka and Tom Flores as the only individuals to win the Super Bowl as a player and head coach.

My Favorite Quotes from Quiet Strength

“Champions don’t beat themselves,” he told us. “If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does—day in and day out. We’re not going to fool people or outscheme them. We’re just going to outplay them. Because we’ll know what we’re doing. When we get into a critical situation, we won’t have to think. We’ll play fast and fundamentally sound.”

“Champions are champions not because they do anything extraordinary but because they do the ordinary things better than anyone else.” Chuck Noll

“There’s no time during a game to look back; the play clock is running.”

“It’s always easier to do things the wrong way, but it’s always best to do them the right way.” CleoMae Dungy

“I think there are times when I believe God welcomes the circus into our lives to give us an opportunity to show that there’s another way to live and respond to things.”

Where to Buy Quiet Strength

Quiet Strength – Amazon – paperback
Quiet Strength – Amazon – kindle

Thanks to a recent television adaptation by British television, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell’s North and South has been rediscovered by literature aficionados. The protagonists in North and South hold striking similarities to those found in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but unlike Austen, Gaskell had a deeper agenda in mind than simply writing an entertaining novel.

Throughout Gaskell’s novels, she interspersed themes of social reform and improvement. A contemporary of the great novelist reformer Charles Dickens, Gaskell used her books as her platform. In many ways Gaskell was far ahead of her time as Victorian-era England did not readily discuss themes such as feminism, social reform, and the plight of the working laborer.

The heroine in the novel is Margaret Hale, the daughter of a British minister who resigned his position after a theological dissent. The character of Margaret Hale was a self-portrait of Gaskell. “The character of Margaret Hale is the finest piece of delineation of a pure-hearted and proud young English girl that I know,” wrote Thomas Seccombe in his introduction to Cousin Phillis, another of Gaskell’s books. “Margaret, with her lustrous eyes and regular curves of serene beauty, is a more or less unconscious portrait of Elizabeth Gaskell herself.”

Forced to move away from their beloved home at the parsonage in Helstone, the Hale family relocates to Milton, a town in the north of England. Not only is Margaret depressed by the dark industrial surroundings and uncomfortable in her reduced circumstances, she is disgusted by the attitude of the town’s leading citizen John Thornton.

One of the main premises in North and South is Margaret Hale’s prejudice against gentlemen in trade—or rather, the lack thereof. To the cultured and sophisticated Helstone resident, the words trade and gentlemen hardly belonged together in the same sentence. The working class existed, but solely for the benefit of others and was hardly deemed as an appropriate acquaintance. The Thornton family, namely John Thornton, ultimately changes Hale’s perception.

Like Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Margaret Hale is initially repulsed by her future lover after unjustly judging him cold and unfeeling. Pride is not as great an issue in North and South, but John Thornton is arguably a working man’s Mr. Darcy. “The developing relationship between Thornton and Margaret is representative of the process of synthesis between North and South. Her traditional Anglican paternalism, exhibited in her care for the rural poor in Helstone, which she shares with her mother, the daughter of Sir John Beresford, modifies Thornton’s simple laissez-faire views,” wrote Malcolm Pittock in The Dove Ascending: The Case for Elizabeth Gaskell.

Another social issue prominent in North and South was the working conditions of the lower classes. Cotton was the primary export in the town of Milton. Marlborough Mills, managed by John Thornton, was one of the most successful and had the most fair working conditions, yet Margaret still urged Thornton to make a difference in the circumstances of his employees.

“After a quiet life in a country parsonage for more than twenty years,” wrote Gaskell in the novel, “there was something dazzling to Mr. Hale in the energy which conquered immense difficulties with ease; the power of the machinery of Milton, the power of the men of Milton, impressed him with a sense of grandeur, which he yielded to without caring to inquire into the details of its exercise. But Margaret went less abroad, among machinery and men; saw less of power in its public effect, and, as it happened, she was thrown with one or two of those who, in all measures affecting masses of people, must be acute sufferers for the good of many. The question always is, has everything been done to make the sufferings of these exceptions as small as possible? Or, in the triumph of the crowded procession, have the helpless been trampled on, instead of being gently lifted aside out of the roadway of the conqueror, whom they have no power to accompany on his march?”

Throughout the novel, Gaskell effectively weaves a tale filled with at the time revolutionary new ideas for social reform. The Industrial Revolution was stirring in England, but the mill owners were slow to equate this sweeping change with a need to improve the lives of their slave laborers. Labor strikes, such as the one in North and South, were common as the unions attempted to achieve fair wages and working conditions.

Education is exalted as a means to improve one’s fate, while Gaskell even goes so far to promote mutual respect between laborer and master, something foreign to the time period. Change was slow to reach England, but partly due to the tireless efforts of authors such as Elizabeth Gaskell, public sympathy and influence finally produced a change in the lives and working conditions of the labor force.

Editorial Note: This piece was originally written as a college paper and republished at Heiress in Training.

When it comes to reading fiction, I’m a big fan of novels written by Michael Phillips. Walk into my room and you’ll find a bookcase dedicated just to my collection. I have not managed to read or collect all of his books, but I currently have twenty-three of my favorites!

For about three years, I’ve been encouraged, fascinated, and even spiritually edified by many of his works. If you enjoy historical fiction, be sure to check out his books!

One of his series (and he’s written several), the Journals of Corrie Belle Hollister, I particularly enjoyed. The plot centers on a young woman, Corrie Belle, who discovers more about life and her Lord through her work as a journalist. Needless to say, I found a few parallels between my life and Corrie’s story.

While it is no secret that Phillips packs a hefty dose of theology in most of his books, the Journals of Corrie Belle Hollister tackles several different topics, including an extensive look at preparing for marriage.

A wonderfully encouraging quote about the subject comes from the book Into the Long Dark Night, book six of the Corrie Belle Hollister saga:

“Our bodies get old and slow and wrinkly and fat and sick, while our souls—some people’s I should say, but not everybody’s—get bigger and wiser and more full of live and love the older they get.

It seemed logical that women should be looking for a wise and growing soul to fall in love with rather than just an attractive body and strong personality.”

- Michael Phillips, Into the Long Dark Night (The Journals of Corrie Belle Hollister #6)

Quite the challenge—-and quite contrary to the advice we tend to get from romantic comedies, chick-lit, or women’s magazines in the grocery check-out line.

I love chick flicks. Spending an evening on the couch with my mom and sister, or my close friends for a night of Jane Austen or a romantic comedy is one of my favorite ways to unwind and relax.

Emma is one of my favorites. I’ve watched both the recent adaptations, but the Jeremy Northam and Gwyneth Paltrow remains the best.

At least for the moment.

BBC Drama announced today that it will revisit Jane Austen’s classic comedy tale this autumn in a four-hour miniseries. The period drama will be scripted by Sandy Welch, the talented screenwriter who also adapted North and South for the British network.

From the official press release:

Jane Austen’s masterpiece Emma is to be adapted by award-winning writer Sandy Welch (Our Mutual Friend, Jane Eyre, North And South) into a fresh, humorous and perceptive 4 x 60-minute serial for BBC Drama Production, for transmission on BBC One in autumn 2009.

Austen’s classic comic novel follows the story of the “handsome, clever and rich” Emma Woodhouse.

Dominating the small provincial world of Highbury, Emma believes she is a skilled matchmaker and repeatedly attempts to pair up her friends and acquaintances.

Brought up sharply against the folly of her own immaturity, the consequent crisis and her bitter regrets are brought to a happy resolution in a sharp and sparkling comedy of self-deceit and self-discovery.

BAFTA-winning Welch will unfold Austen’s witty and compassionate story over four hour-long episodes, providing a rich insight into one of the author’s most complex characters.

Emma was first published in 1815. Set in Regency England it was the last Jane Austen novel to be published before the author’s death in 1817, and is one of her most popular and best-loved books.

The 4 x 60-minute serial is produced by BBC Drama Production and will be filmed late spring/early summer 2009. Full casting will be announced at a later date.

Austen’s Emma was last adapted for television in the 1996 ITV single drama, starring Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong. Gwyneth Paltrow starred as Emma in an Oscar-nominated film version by Miramax in the same year.

The Kate Beckinsale version was more faithful to the book, and likely more of what Jane Austen originally intended. Still, the Paltrow/Jeremy Northam version was undoubtedly the more charming, romantic and comedic of the duo.

One only hopes that BBC can take the best of both worlds and transform Jane Austen’s beloved tale into a classic miniseries for all time.

Hat-tip: AustenBlog

      

Amanda Rutherford leads an idealistic life. The daughter of a wealthy, aristocratic family in Devonshire, England, Amanda has been taught from an early age that she can make a difference in the world, despite her status as a female during the turn of the twentieth century.

Her father, Sir Charles Rutherford, Lord of Heathersleigh, is a man of the times, rearing his children to be active participants in a society of intellectualism. Christianity is a crutch to this self-made man, something that he cannot imagine embracing until a chance encounter with a minister changes his life—and his family’s destiny—forever.

As time passes, young Amanda quickly blossoms into an opinionated thinker, ready to challenge the very existence of the faith now adopted by her family. But winds of change are swirling on the horizon as England heads for World War I.

Before she realizes it, Amanda is swept into a turbulent tide of danger and intrigue as a mysterious stranger vies for her loyalty and love. A long-buried secret surfaces, only to threaten her childhood home at Heathersleigh. War and treason engulfs those around her, forcing Amanda to flee for her life. But most importantly, a loving Saviour continues to knock on the door of her heart.

This modern retelling of the Prodigal Son captured my attention from the opening pages. From the pen of author, historian, and Christian apologist Michael Phillips comes this epic drama. The plot is superb, but the real gem is the Christian doctrines prevalent throughout the books. Phillips tackles many heavy subject matters, such as the sovereignty of God, the mysteries of God’s will, gender equality, forgiveness, and most importantly, the depth of Christ’s love.

I am usually hesitant to label a book as life-changing, but this series is some of the best fiction I have ever read. It challenged my beliefs (in a very good way) and helped me gain a clearer picture of God’s everlasting love. Like all books, you might not agree with each one of Phillips’ beliefs, but overall I can truthfully say I have never read fiction that moved me more than the Secrets of Heathersleigh Hall. I laughed, I cried, and I prayed my way through these books.

This series is not for those looking for lite fare or a quick read. The opening book Wild Grows the Heather in Devon is 448 pages—very similar to the length of each of the other three. But this journey is well worth the time and effort as you uncover the Secrets of Heathersleigh Hall.

The Secrets of Heathersleigh Hall series is available at Amazon.

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” (Atwood H. Townsend)

One of the great travesties of living in the technological age is that children have lost their love for the written word. Computer games, MySpace, Facebook, Instant Messaging, video gaming consoles, television, and the internet have helped contribute to the delinquencies of minors.

And not just children. I’m baffled each time I run into a mature, intelligent individual who states that they just are not “much of a reader.”

Perhaps I have a faulty outlook on life. I consider it a journey of continual education, regardless of your stints in elementary school, high school, or college. You should endeavor to continue learning until the day you take your last breath.

Mark Twain summed up his opinion far more bluntly. “The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.”

One of the best ways to learn is by developing a habit of reading, and not just light reading. Granted, fiction certainly has its place, but when was the last time you picked up a paperback of so-called chick-lit expecting to learn something new? English author Augustus Hare once remarked that “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. It is wholesome and bracing for the mind to have its faculties kept on the stretch.”

Cultivating a love for reading is a habit that keeps on giving back for the rest of your life.

Life is full of simple pleasures, and I must confess that one of mine is browsing the latest nonfiction shelves at my local library.

When I was younger, I adored fiction. But over the last ten years or so, I have gravitated to biographies and treatises on a variety of subjects.

In fact, I do not limit myself to a particular field of interest. Unless I am doing research, I rarely head into the library with a particular book in mind. Instead, I head straight for the new nonfiction section and browse. Rarely will I walk away without a fascinating volume to enjoy. I cannot tell you how many wonderful books I have discovered. My latest find is Cokie Robert’s Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation.

As with all things, choosing books does require discernment. Paxton Hood said, “Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep, for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter.”

Reading will undoubtedly change your life, either for better or worse. The best standard for reading—and everything in life—is the words of Philippians 4:8: “Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.”

Now that I’ve had a chance to catch my breath after the US Open, I’m headed back to my school books.

Fortunately, the Literature class I’m doing is fun and challenging. I was allowed to pick the books and authors I wanted to study, and being a loyal Janeite, I had no trouble selecting Jane Austen and Persuasion first. What better way to spend the next few weeks than pondering the world of Austen, reading some of the finest examples of classic literature, and enjoying popcorn and late-night chick flicks? All in the name of higher education, of course.

In all seriousness, studying Jane Austen has been a bit more difficult that I expected. The depth and parallels present in her books have intrigued literary readers for nearly two hundred years, not to mention her complex characters.

Obviously, all work and no play makes me a very dull girl, so I took a few moments to have some fun with a few of those Jane Austen quizzes you find on the internet.

I was not surprised by my results, but I think Jane might disapprove with the conjecture that maybe Elinor Dashwood should have married Colonel Brandon after all?

“You are: Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility!
You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.”

As for my favorite Austen hero, that was simple: Colonel Brandon.

Have any of you ever taken the Austen hero/heroine quizzes? Who did you score?

Photo by aloshbennett

While I enjoy reading, there are many days that I don’t have time to sit down and focus solely on one task. Nine times out of ten, I’m multi-tasking during the day as I attempt to run two websites, finish college, and maintain some semblance of a normal life.

During these times, I’ve found audiobooks to be an invaluable asset. This way, I’m able tackle my reading list while still getting work done at the same time.

One of my favorite websites is LibriVox, a catalog of free audiobooks from the public domain. I’ve listed below some of my favorite classics which are available in their entirety for downloading or streaming over the internet.

Little Woman
Louisa May Alcott

Little Men
Louisa May Alcott

Eight Cousins
Louisa May Alcott

Emma
Jane Austen

Persuasion
Jane Austen

Pilgrim’s Progress
John Bunyan

Cranford
Elizabeth Gaskell

North and South
Elizabeth Gaskell

Wives and Daughters
Elizabeth Gaskell

Anne of Green Gables
Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne of Avonlea
Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne of the Island
Lucy Maud Montgomery

Rainbow Valley
Lucy Maud Montgomery

Rilla of Ingleside
Lucy Maud Montgomery

These are all amateur recordings, but if you don’t like the reader of a particular book, search to see if a second or third alternate version is available. To find more audiobooks for free, check out www.librivox.org.