Books I’ve Read 2020 -2022

Books – 2020 -2022

Much of my childhood was spent lost in a book. I read the library of my elementary school, worked in my high school library, and participated in summer reading programs after Mrs. Thompson opened the library world to me. As I grew older visits to the Birmingham Public Library were a treat. The architecture was beautiful and the books excited me!

I learned a lot in college but it did nothing for my love of reading. After I married and had my first child, Micah. I realized how much I missed reading. Winford Claiborne came to West Virginia to do a marriage workshop. He ignited my love for reading one again. Having a new born I knew finding reading time would be hard, I decided I could read one book a month.

This week I came across some reading lists of mine. I am sure I did not include all of the books I read. Still this was fun to find. My plan is to keep a list of the books I read and listen to this year. I have started the year off with a biography of George MacDonald my favorite author.

Here are some lists from years past.

2020

Ina May Gaskin’s book on Childbirth

The Doula Book

Captive in Iran

Kisses from Katie

The Historian

Glass Castle

Educated

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World

2021

A Long Way Gone

The Fountainhead

A Moveable Feast

A Hero of France

Fascism: A Warning

12 Rules for Life

A Woman Makes a Plan

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Beyond Order

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Younger Next Year

Fish Out of Water

Permanent Record

Alexander Campbell children’s book  – The Disciple from Bethany

Discovering Your Roots

Personal Librarian

2022

Where the Crawdads Sing

You Belong Here Now

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk

You, Inc.

The Butterfly and the Violin

Mans Search for Meaning Viktor Frankl

The Crows Caw

Maverick: Thomas Sowell

Joni Mitchell In Her Own Words

Outside Kids in an Inside World

Station Eleven

Home Boy

The Carousel

The Butterfly and the Violin

The Husband’s Secret

Treasures of the North

Rivers of Gold

Ashes and Ice

Yukon Quest

The Librarian of Basra

 

Having A Gratitude Attitude During Down Times

Gratitude Attitude

Let’s have a gratitude attitude. Can we? Yes! How do I cultivate an attitude of gratitude even when things are not going so well? Or during what I call downtimes? We have had a lot of downtimes with Covid these last two years but there is still lots of room for gratitude.

Count Your Blessings Even When You Don’t Feel Grateful

I need to acknowledge the innumerable things I have to be grateful for each day. Count them, write them down or at least mention them out loud. It lifts my spirits when I confirm the goodness of God. My head knows God’s daily goodness to me but sometimes I may not feel so grateful. So remembering these blessings  in a tangible way makes me feel better.

Gratitude Attitude
Count Your Blessings

Read Your Bible

Keep this one routine. Read your Bible! If you think you don’t feel like it, deciding to read one verse and thinking about it will help. This one routine will help you stay on track and lead to additional benefits. I just pick a book of the Bible I haven’t read in a while and start working my way through it whether by one verse or several. When I complete a book of the Bible I write the month and year on the title page. I am always glad I did!

Read Good Books

Reading good books helps me insert something positive into my day. When  I may not be very motivated to do a lot whether it’s from sickness or the blues I can feed my mind on learning something beneficial. I love to read non-fiction and memoirs as they share the struggles and the best of times. This helps me find perspective in my day when I realize we all have them!

A couple of books I have read recently that have helped me during the gray days of winter, quarantine and illness are Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl and Donald Miller’s Hero On a Mission. These are great life impacting books.

Gratitude Attitude
Read Good Books

Helping Others

Helping others is great therapy when I am feeling down or struggling with the blues. Get moving! Having a plan for the day instead of sitting helps me to adjust my attitude, I feel better when I am moving. If I can’t bring myself to do much or I am unable to do a lot physically I can give an elderly person, a shut-in, or an old friend a short call just to say hi. I guarantee you will feel better.

Examples of Gratitude

I have two great examples from ladies I have known. One was Eva Lee Smith. She was in her 90s and couldn’t get out much. One day I went to visit the hospital and the lady I was visiting was on the phone with Eva Lee. She couldn’t leave her home but she was checking on others and you know she brightened their day. The second lady, Mrs. Renfro was 86 when I met her at a yard sale. She told me a Bible verse that became one of my favorites, Nehemiah 8:10 “the joy of the Lord is my strength”. She also told me she helped little old ladies and that sure made me smile. What a joy she was, it was obvious she was enjoying life!

What are some things that keep us from having a gratitude attitude? Focusing on our problems. Forgetting to notice the little blessings. Thinking only of myself. Feeding my mind on the wrong things. Having no goals or plans for the day. All of these can steal our joy and keep us from having an attitude of gratitude. 

Have a beautiful day full of gratitude! It’s up to you today!