2012 - Day 1

Happy New Year 2012!

It's another year and it's time to...time to...well...let's see...eat more healthy, try to exercise more, read more, and try to spend more quality time with the family. Seem's like I've heard or resolved all of this before. So, I try again!

Today, I started reading my first new book of the year. I am reading Inheritance by Christopher Paolini. I am also reading Bloom County Babylon: Five Years of Basic Naughtiness by Berke Breathed. I know Bloom County may not be considered literature by some people; however, it is classic reading.

My family and I tried a new place to eat today as well. We tried Babe's Chicken. We have been hearing for a while how great this place is; so, today we tried it. The food was good (I got Catfish, Jamie got Hickory Smoked Chicken, Caleb got a huge Chicken Fried Steak and Rachel got some Pork Ribs) and our waitress was fantastic. Overall the taste of the food couldn't outweigh the price of the food. Considering the price we paid, we would have expected our meal to be some of the best food we have ever eaten. Like I said, the food was good, but it was not great! It was a little disappointing.

So 2012 starts. I hope this year fairs better than 2011.

Books I've Read in 2011

Due to a heavy work load with my job as a teacher, moving and looking for full time work, the number of books I read this year, decreased slightly. Maybe I can get the numbers back up for next year.

Books I’ve Read in 2011

1. God Attachment: Why You Believe, Act, and Feel the Way You Do About God - - Dr. Tim Clinton & Dr. Joshua Straub

2. Scarlet (King Raven Trilogy - Book 2) - Stephen R. Lawhead

3. 10 Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage -- David & Claudia Arp

4. The Evolution of a Creationist -- Jobe Martin, PHD

5. Tuck (King Raven Trilogy - Book 3) -- Stephen R. Lawhead

6. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service -- Ian Fleming

7. Bridge to Terabithia -- Katherine Peterson

8. Love and Respect For a Lifetime -- Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

9. Pirate Latitudes -- Michael Crichton

10. Crocodile Tears -- Anthony Horowitz

11. You Only Live Twice -- Ian Fleming

12. The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living Life With a Grande Passion --

Leonard Sweet

13. The Man With the Golden Gun -- Ian Fleming

14. Inkheart -- Cornelia Funke

15. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM -- Robert C. O’Brien

16. A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-Yet Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished Christian -- Brian D. McLaren

17. Into the Wild -- Jon Krakauer

18. Alice in Wonderland -- Lewis Carroll

19. Onward: How Starbucks Fought For It’s Life Without Losing It’s Soul -- Howard Schultz

20. The Associate - John Grisham

21. Read, Think, Pray, Live: A Guide to Reading the Bible in a New Way - Tony Jones

22. A Treasure Deep - Alton Gansky

23. Beneath the Ice - Alton Gansky

24. Submerged - Alton Gansky

25. Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back -- Todd Burpo

26. Scorpia Rising -- Anthony Horowitz

27. A Stolen Life: A Memoir -- Jaycee Dugard

28. Bad Kitty Gets a Bath -- Nick Bruel

29. No More Cotton Candy: Energizing Your Spiritual Life with More of God’s Presence and Power -- Jim Hennesy

30. Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats -- T.S. Eliot

31. The Confession -- John Grisham

32. Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed -- Patricia Cornwell

33. Chasing Darkness -- Robert Crais

34. Contrary to Popular Belief - Joey Green

Paperback Swap

Just a quick post about a web-site my wife and I have been using to aquire books we wish to read and pass along books that we no longer have room for. It is called Paperback Swap.com.

We have already used this FREE site to find several books we have been looking for and to pass on several books we just didn't need anymore. The only cost to you is the postage required to mail a book you have posted to give away. All books you request are mailed to you, postage paid by the sender. How cool is that!

For every book you send out you get one credit to use to order a book you want. You also get one free credit for joining and posting the required number of books needed to get started. There is no monthly fee or any other charges.

Have fun and good reading!

50 Books I've Read in 2010

At the end of last year I found out I was one book shy of reading 50 books of 100 pages or more. This year I set a goal of reading at least 50! So far I have gone above and beyond. (Sadly it helps when you are only working part-time)

Books I’ve Read in 2010

1. Elyon (The Lost Books # 6) - Ted Dekker & Kaci Hill

2. Strange But True: Cats, 444 Weird Facts and Photos - Sweetwater Press

3. Green - Ted Dekker

4. Grand Theft Childhood: the Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do -- Lawrence Kutner + Cheryl K. Olson

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

6. Self-Coaching: the Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression - Joseph J. Luciani

7. Snakehead - Anthony Horowitz

8. A Ship Possessed - Alton Gansky

9. Leading With a Limp - Dan B. Allender

10. Seeking Spirits: the Lost Cases of the Atlantic Paranormal Society - Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson & Michael Jan Friedman

11. The Prisoner in the Third Cell - Gene Edwards

12. The Best Halloween Ever - Barbara Robinson

13. The Princess Bride - William Goldman

14. 90 Minutes in Heaven - Don Piper, w/ Cecil Murphy

15. Vanished - Alton Gansky

16. The Best School Year Ever - Barbara Robinson

17. Out of Time - Alton Gansky

18. The Tales of Beadle the Bard - J.K. Rowling

19. The Cat Whisperer: the Secret of How to Talk to Your Cat - Claire Bessant

20. Bone Man’s Daughters - Ted Dekker

21. 3 Seconds: The Power of Thinking Twice - Les Parrott

22. The Control Freak: Coping With Those Around You, Taming the One Within You - Dr. Les Parrott III

23. Dark Moon - Alton Gansky

24. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

25. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief - Rick Riordan

26. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan

27. The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing and Bench-Clearing Brawls; The Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime - Jason Turbow, w/Michael Duca

28. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH -- Robert C. O’Brien

29. The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck

30. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse -- Rick Riordan

31. The Love List: Eight Little Things That Make a Big Difference in Your Marriage -- Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott

32. Bleachers - John Grisham

33. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan

34. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan

35. The Mormon Mirage: a Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today -- Latayne C. Scott

36. I Never Had It Made: The Autobiography of Jackie Robinson -- Jackie Robinson

37. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules -- Jeff Kinney

38. Casino Royale -- Ian Fleming

39. The entire Junie B. Jones series (books 1-27) -- Barbara Park

40. The Hound of the Baskervilles -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

41. Live and Let Die -- Ian Fleming

42. Why You Do The Things You Do: The Secret to Healthy Relationships -- Dr. Tim Clinton & Dr. Gary Sibcy

43. A Year Down Yonder -- Richard Peck

44. Moonraker -- Ian Fleming

45. Compelled to Control: Recovering Intimacy in Broken Relationships -- J. Keith Miller

46. Diamonds Are Forever -- Ian Fleming

47. Praying Dangerously: Daring Prayers For Meaningful Faith -- Gary Holloway

48. Lost in Tibet: The Untold Story of Five American Airmen, a Doomed Plane, and the Will to Survive -- Richard Starks & Miriam Murcutt

49. Dr. No -- Ian Fleming

50. The Cases That Haunt Us -- Mark Olshaker & John Douglas

51. Hood (King Raven Trilogy: Book 1) -- Stephen R. Lawhead

52. The Godfather -- Mario Puzo

53. The Book of Useless Information: Thousands of Things You Didn’t Think You Needed to Know…And Probably Don’t -- Noel Botham

54. Bigfoot Casebook updated: Sightings And Encounters from 1818 to 2004 -- Janet & Colin Bord

55. Goldfinger -- Ian Fleming

56. For Your Eyes Only -- Ian Fleming

57. My Life -- Bill Clinton

50 Books in a Year (Update)

In my goal to read 50 books in one year hear is how I'm doing so far...

In January I read...
1. Elyon: The Lost Books #6 by Ted Dekker
2. Strange But True: Cats. 444 Weird Facts and Photos by Sweetwater Press
3. Green by Ted Dekker
4. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do by Lawrence Kutner & Cheryl K. Olson
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Self-Coaching: The Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression by Joseph J. Luciani
7. Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
8. A Ship Possessed by Alton Gansky
9. Leading With a Limp by Dan B. Allender
10. The Prisoner in the Third Cell by Gene Edwards
11. Seeking Spirits: The Lost Cases of the Atlantic Paranormal Society by Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson & Jan Friedman
12. The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson
13. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
14. 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, w/ Cecil Murphy

So Far in February I have read...

15. Vanished by Alton Gansky
16. The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson
17. Out of Time by Alton Gansky
18. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
19. The Cat Whisperer: The Secret of How to Talk to Your Cat by Claire Bessant
20. BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker

Currently Reading...

21. 3 Seconds: The Power of Thinking Twice by Dr. Les Parrott

My bride, Jamie, and I just went to see Dr. Les Parrott this past weekend. We bought several of his books at a discount; so expect to see several of his, and his wife's, books on the list soon. I also have a copy of Fireproof by Eric Wilson coming my way.

Happy New Year = Happy Reading

So far I have read 11 books this year (my goal is to reach 50+). I am currently reading two others that I may finish before the end of the month. Here are the books I have read so far...

1. Elyon: The Lost Books #6 by Ted Dekker
2. Strange But True: Cats. 444 Weird Facts and Photos by Sweetwater Press
3. Green by Ted Dekker
4. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do by Lawrence Kutner & Cheryl K. Olson
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Self-Coaching: The Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression by Joseph J. Luciani
7. Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
8. A Ship Possessed by Alton Gansky
9. Leading With a Limp by Dan B. Allender
10. The Prisoner in the Third Cell by Gene Edwards
11. Seeking Spirits: The Lost Cases of the Atlantic Paranormal Society by Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson & Jan Friedman

I am currently reading

12. The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson
13. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

I love reading!

Reading is Fundamental

I was talking with some of the students at school today and the topic of reading came up. Some of the students were talking about what kind of books they read, while others were saying they haven't read a entire book in over 2 years. Wow! You mean there are people who don't read books; not even little ones. When I asked about "not reading an entire book", they said that other than a couple of children's books, they actually haven't read a book over 50 pages in over 2 years. I was stunned. I thought even those who claim to not read, at least read 1 book a year. I guess I was wrong.

It is interesting to note that the few students who admitted to not reading a book in over 2 years, had the lowest averages (not necessarily failing) of their classes.

As a reading addict, I am closing in on 50 books (at least 100 pages or more) in 2009 alone. (This is not counting children's books) I am reading one now and have one more I plan to read before the end of the year, (If time allows). It just shocked me about the number of students who hate to read.

Here is a list of books I have read in 2009 (in no particular order)

1. The English Standard Version of the Bible
2. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Frances Chan
3. Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado
4. Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado
5. The Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot by Max Lucado
6. Dracula by Bram Stoker
7. Chosen (The Lost Books # 1) by Ted Dekker
8. Infidel (The Lost Books # 2) by Ted Dekker
9. Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
10. Point Blanc by Anthony Horowitz
11. Sinner by Ted Dekker
12. Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz
13. Eagle Strike by Anothony Horowitz
14. Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz
15. Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz
16. The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller
17. The Pawn (The Patrick Bowers Files: Book 1) by Steven James
18. The Rook (The Patrick Bowers Files: Book 2) by Steven James
19. The Knight (The Patrick Bowers Files: Book 3) by Steven James
20. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
21. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
22. The Appeal by John Grisham
23. Brisinger by Christopher Paolini
24. Deadfall (The McAllister Files) by Patricia H. Rushford and Harrison James
25. Twilight by Stephanie Myer (Started in 2008)
26. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
27. Anchor Man: How a Father Can Anchor His Family in Christ for the Next 100 Years by Steve Farrar
28. Eat Mor Chikin', Inspire More People by S. Truitt Cathey
29. John 3:16, The Numbers of Hope by Max Lucado
30. Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy
31. The Chronicles of Narnia: the Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
32. The Chronicles of Narnia: the Final Battle by C.S. Lewis
33. Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back by Josh Hamilton
34. 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Weis
35. The Apocalypse Code: Find Out What the Bible Really Says About the End Times...and Why it Matters Today
36. The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ by Lee Strobel
37. Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo
38. Enjoy the Silence: A 30 Day Experiment in Listening to God by Maggie Robbins
39. A Family Guide to Narnia: Biblical Truths in C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia by Christin Ditchfield
40. Germ by Robert Liparulo
41. Get Out of That Pit: Straight Talk About God's Deliverance by Beth Moore
42. The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other True Stories of the Southwest by Tony Hillerman
43. Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality by Rob Bell
44. Deadfall (A John Hutchinson Novel) by Robert Liparulo
45. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
46. Renegade (The Lost Books # 3) by Ted Dekker (Currently Reading - should be finshed by end of the week)
47. Becoming One: Emotionally, Spiritually, Sexually by Joe Beam (Currently Reading -- May not finish until early 2010)
48. Chaos (The Lost Books # 4) by Ted Dekker (Next on my list -- should finish by end of the year)

So close to 50!

Spaghetti-Tacos and Other News

Thanks to the Nickelodeon television show iCarly, my family tried a dish called Spaghetti-Tacos last night for dinner. They were actually pretty good. You just make spaghetti, like normal, then put in some taco shells. Yummy and crunchy.

It seems my Texas Rangers are working hard to make the playoffs. Thanks to some great pitching and (cough, couch...gag....) the New York Yankees, the Rangers are tied for the wild-card spot. They are even making a race out of the Western Division by being just 3.5 games out of first place. If we could just keep beating those dang Angels.

My son Caleb, just got back from High School band camp last week. I can't believe he is a Freshman in High School this year. Just to drive the point home, he picked up his schedule for his Freshman year, along with his textbooks and school ID.

My search for a full-time job has yet to bear much fruit. All of the local schools filled their staff positions for the upcoming school year; and I have yet to get an interview with any other place I have applied for. I sent in an resume today to work with the Texas Department for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Abuse today. Keep praying that something comes up soon.

Also I have two books to recommend for reading. The first is called Crazy Love by Frances Chan, the second is called Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. Both books will challenge your thoughts about how you view Christianity in today's world.

Another Web-Site to Occupy My Time

A few weeks ago my wife introduced me to a web-site called Goodreads.com. This web-site allows you to enter any books you have read in the past, are currently reading, or wish to read in the future, onto a list to share with other readers. By listing you reading interest, other readers can suggest new books for you to read, (like I need more books to read!) or chat with you about the books they have read.

Of course my OCD kicked in big time with this one, and I started entering books. I have entered over 3oo books I have read, 3 I am currently reading, and at over 10 books I wish to read. HELP ME!

Just in case you want to see my profile and list of books I have read...click here. I hope you enjoy the site and "Good Reading!"

...But the Cat

Our family has decided to write and illustrate a book together. It is a children's book, called "...But the Cat!"

It will have several little things that we would love to do but cannot because we own a cat; for example:

"I used to own a pretty fern...but the cat!" -- picture of the fern before and after the cat attacked it.

"I used to sleep until 7:00a.m. ... but the cat!" -- picture of the cat walking all over your face at 4:30a.m.

"I tried to finish my school art project early...but the cat!" -- picture of the cat playing with the art supplies and kitty paw-prints on the poster board.

"I used to have matching socks...but the cat!" -- picture of the cat sleeping under the couch with several non-matched socks.

You get the idea. We hope to have our book finished before Christmas, so we can give "unedited" and "raw" copies to relatives and friends. Maybe we can find a publisher and get the book in stores for you guys to read and enjoy yourself.

Fighting Our Way Through the Red-Zone

Comparing Spritual Warfare to a football game is seemingly becoming a manly theme. My Wednesday night men's Bible classes is currently reading a book called, Every Man, God's Man by Stephen Arterburn and Kenny Luck. One of the first chapters compares the struggles men have to being bogged down in the "Red Zone".

For those not familiar with football, the "Red Zone" is the part of the playing field between an opponent's 20 yard line and the End-Zone. It is at this point where some of the most dramatic moments in football take place. The Defense is now protecting their end-zone. They are focused on preventing their opponents from gaining even one more inch. They play tougher here than on any other part of the field. They seem to do even better than their best to keep their oppenents out of their end-zone and scoring points.

The offensive strategy also changes from looking for large gains in yardage to focusing on short yard gains to push past the hardened defense to reach their desired goal, which is their opponent's end-zone. They often resort to trick plays or the use of brut force to push their opponents backwards.

I guess you could compare a man's struggle to become a man of God to playing football. The Bible tells us to put on the armor of God, much like putting on a playing uniform. The Bible gives us strategies and moral guidelines in which to live our lives and guide our families, much like a playbook. It is our manly responsiblity to study the "playbook" and put on our "armor" before we attempt to take on our enemy. Believe me, the enemy has studied our playbook and he knows our battle plans better than we do.

The enemy, however; has convinced us that since he knows God's strategy for us, that we must switch strategies in order to try and trick him. This is just what the enemy wants us to do. What we fail to realize is, that even if Satan does know our playbook, that the playbook will still work against him. Satan has no defense against the Truth, and the Will of God for our lives. It's when we switch to our understanding of the game, that we get bogged down.

The closer we follow the game plan of God, the closer we get to our goal of an eternal life with God. This is our Goal. This is the Red-Zone. Satan's defense and attacks against us get stronger and he will do anything to distract us from following the gameplan set forth by God. It seems we can get no closer to our goal despite everything we try. We get bogged down and many times collapse under the pressure of a battle toughened Satan.

We must stay focused!! We must not give up!! We must remember, we already know the outcome of the game. WE WIN!! God will get us trough the Red-Zone, if we just rely on Him.

As you can tell football is not my sport of choice, so my thoughts may wonder a bit. I still hope you understood my message though. Maybe next time I can use a baseball reference.

13 Books I Have Recently Read # 3

Welcome Thursday Thirteen

These are the latest thirteen books I have read, with # 1 being the first and # 13 being the most recent. (Everything below the dotted line, I haven't read yet, but they are on my reading list. I will probably have them read by the end of Feb. I plan to stop listing my books for a while, it is stressing me out to try and remember which books I read.)

# 1. Ghost Hunting by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson (these are the Ghost Hunters from the T.V. show on Sci-Fi Channel)

# 2. Buddy (a book from The Puppy Place series) by Ellen Miles

# 3. When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker

# 4. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

# 5. An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood by Jimmy Carter

# 6. Dominion by Randy Alcorn

# 7. The books of Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggi, Zechariah and Malachi (from The Bible) by God

# 8. The Ragged Rebel: A Common Soldier in W.H. Parson's Texas Cavalry, 1861-1865 by B.P. "Benny" Gallaway (He was one of my college professors, he autographed the book.)

# 9. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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#10. Skin by Ted Dekker

#11. Saint by Ted Dekker

# 12. Every Man, God's Man by Stephen Arterbun

# 13. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

As you can tell I still read with my kids from time to time and I count those books just like I do my other reading. Let me know of any good books you think I should read!

As a special treat for movie fans, here are my two posts of movie quotes trivia: Name That Movie and Name That Movie 2. Have fun!

13 Books I Have Recently Read # 2

I have just finished another 13 books. Here they are, with 13 being the most recent!

1. Red Hot Monogamy by Bill and Pam Farrel

2. Calvin & Hobbes: The Days Are Just Packed by Bill Watterson

3. Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola

4. Alice Nizzy Nazzy: The Witch of Santa Fe by Tony Johnson

5. A Skeleton In God's Closet by Paul L. Maier

6. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

7. Haunted Texas Vacations: The Complete Ghostly Guide by Lisa Farwell

8. Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey

9. The books of Ezekial, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah & Jonah from the Bible

10. Heaven by Randy Alcorn

11. Pokemon Sinnoh Handbook -- ? author

12. 12 Steps to a Closer Walk With God by Don Umphrey

13. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Some of these books I read with my children as part of our night-time reading routine. Others I was reading when my last list was posted. I really don't read books that fast. Let me know what you have been reading too. Reading is so much fun! I can't wait to read some books I know I'm getting for Christmas.!

Some of My Family's Christmas Traditions

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is the annual reading of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! by Barbara Robinson. Every time I read the book, I come to tears in the end. It is both serious and funny, much like the Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park. (I wonder if your name has to be Barbara to write great intermediate level books?) My wife and I read this book to our children every Christmas. This year I read it to my Adult Education Class. They also loved the story. I wish I could find it on DVD or on tape.

Other Christmas traditions include:

(1) Reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess (and of course watching the television version with Boris Karloff doing the voices.

(2) Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas on TV. Even though we own it own tape, we love to gather around and eat popcorn and support the showing of this timeless classic.

(3) Watching the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV Special). The songs get stuck in your head and you can't help but sing along with them. Plus who doesn't love "The Bumble."

(4) Doing the "12 Days of Christmas" gift exchange with my wife. We will each buy each other 12 gifts for Christmas (not counting the stocking). All gifts, except one, must be $5.00 dollars and under. One can be $10.00 or under. This helps us to think about each other more during the Christmas season, and we get to torture our kids by opening the presents, one day at a time, starting 12 days before Christmas. I have been trying to get my dear bride to adjust the amounts to spend to adjust for inflation, but so far she has not budged. She said if I want to get her something that costs more, that is what the stockings are for!

(5) Spending time at home with the kids. It's a great chance to get some extra loving on them before the year ends and it's back to school.

(6 & 7) Putting up the Christmas Tree. I am almost always the one who wants to put up the tree. I am ready to have it up the day after Thanksgiving. It helps we have another tradition that goes along with the tree. Each Family Member picks a new ornament for the tree. Some times the ornament can mean something special about the past year, or it can just be an ornament that they like. Most of the time Mom & Dad pick a "couples" ornament together. (You know, ones that have two mice sipping a soda, or two penguins dancing, or something like that.) But sometimes we do pick individual ornaments. The ornaments the kids pick we will send with them when they move off to college or start their own families.

(8) Watching -- Frank Capra's, It's a Wonderful Life either on television or on DVD. It's a great movie that ranks as one of my favorite films.

(9) Driving Around on Christmas Eve to look at Christmas Lights and Displays, while wearing a new set of matching P.J.'s! Driving around looking at Christmas lights has been a tradition for the past couple of years, but the new P.J.'s will be a new tradition starting this year. My wife has purchased a set of matching P.J.'s for the family that we will open of Christmas Eve. She plans to buy some new P.J.'s for us every year so we can wear them to ride around in. Cool!

We start these traditions shortly after Thanksgiving in order to get them all in before Christmas. We are currently reading "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!" at night. We have already seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on television. I think we own the Rudolph Special on tape and we may wait to watch it a little later. The tree, of course, is up. We have our new ornaments on the tree. (My wife and My's ornament this year is a Penguin giving a Polar Bear a Coca-Cola. My son's ornament is a mouse sitting on a video game controller. He sure loves the video games. My daughter's ornament is a dog in a dog-house. It has a bone above the dog house that you were supposed to write the name of your family pet in. But she wanted her own name written in, because she loves dogs so much.) I have finished my "12 Days of Christmas" shopping, I just need one more good stocking stuffer. I think my wife has one more to get for me. We have even finished our shopping from "Santa" for the kids. I think. Now we just need school to get out so we can enjoy the Christmas Break!

The Last 13 Books I Have Read

Just to let you know what types of books I read; here is a list of the last 13 books I have read.

1. Lilly's Ghosts by Laura Ruby
2. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
3. FAMILY Rules: Positive Parenting with a Plan (Grades K-12) by: Matthew A. Johnson
4. The Silent Witness by: Sir Lionel Luckoo
5. Saddam's Secrets: How an Iraqi General Defied & Survived Saddam Hussein by General Georges Sada and Jim Nelson Black
6. The 10 Best Decisions Every Parent Can Make by Bill and Pam Farrel
7. The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker
8. Obsessed by Ted Dekker
9. Deadline by Randy Alcorn
10. House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker
11. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
12. Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny by Barbara Park
13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling