“Read it!”

When my now 18-year-old son was about 2 years old, he loved it when my husband and I read to him. He was relentless then and he is a voracious reader now. Sometimes I would be reading to him and then get distracted and stop. He would say very sternly, “Read it!” And if I remained distracted, he would hit me with a cubby hand and say more slowly – reeaad it! (This was during the time of Jerry Seinfeld’s popular TV show, and thus we occasionally called our son, the book Nazi.)

As I think about the arrival of 2015, I want to do more reading this year. I have a number of books already identified (and started). Some of the books on my plan are items that I am reading again. I think this is a mark of a great book. You can read it over and over and get something out of it every time.

My daily Bible is one such book. I came across the “One Year” version in 1999 at a Women of Faith conference. Author and speaker Becky Tirabassi introduced the audience to this product, which allows readers to go through the entire Bible in a year.

There is a set of readings for each day that has a portion of Scripture from the Old Testament, New Testament, a Psalm and verses from Proverbs. This simple layout has been so beneficial to me, allowing me to see connections that I never saw before and giving me a simple process to read. I just brew my coffee and read while enjoying that time with God. My life is immeasurably better.

Another book I am planning to re-read, is called “The Hidden Art of Home Making” by Edith Schaeffer. It is a book that teaches readers the value of running a home and how we can use our homes to serve God and extend His kingdom.

A few weekends ago, I attended an open house CHRISTmas party. While there, I ran into a lady who had read the book that I wrote. She was very kind and said, “I loved the book and have reread portions of it often.” I was surprised… but totally delighted and honored to receive such a gracious compliment.

It is giving me the boldness to throw my own book into the ring for your reading consideration this year. Should you take this challenge, I believe you will be inspired to try a number of the tips and most importantly you will have a framework for managing your life. You will be positioned to have an even better life than you have right now.

May you do phenomenal things in 2015!

Kelly

You can purchase copies of “A Better Day, A Better Life: How to Thrive, One Day at a Time” at www.betterdaybetterlife.com. Copies of the “One Year Bible” and “The Art of Homemaking” can be secured at www.amazon.com and other booksellers.

In 2004 my husband bought me a puppy as a surprise. He thought she would be a helpful distraction to ease my sorrow during the first Mothers Day that followed the death of our infant daughter, Kennedy. We named our puppy “Kondilisa” in honor of then Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. Our version starts with the letter K because all of the names of the members of my nuclear family start with the letter K. Only my sister-in-law, Kathy, calls our dog by her full name; the rest of us called her “Kondi.”

Kondi has always been a smart, determined and optimistic doggie. When we moved into the house we live in now, we would put Kondi into the basement when we’d leave the house and when we returned she was always out. Hmm… “Kenny, you didn’t close that door tightly because Kondi keeps getting out.”

One day, I put her down in the basement and waited quietly. From the bottom of the stairs, I saw Kondi stand on her hind legs and then use her paws to push down the universal door knob, to escape 1-2-3. (For those who haven’t seen them, a universal doorknob often has a handle rather than a round ball. It is designed to be easier for all human beings to use, especially those who might have physical challenges.) Clearly, these knobs work well, especially for smart doggies.

One of the best things about Kondi is that she has great expectations. She is always looking for something good to happen. This morning when I was getting ready to leave the house, I opened the pantry where I keep my soy bars and her doggie treats. She ran over looking like – “I sure hope I get a treat!” So I gave her one. The morning before, I was slicing an apple into pieces for my daughter to eat on the way to school. Kondi smells the aroma and sees me at the counter and she gives a quick happy wag of her tail. To me, it was like she was thinking, “wow, I might get a piece of apple.” And so I give her one.

Later it dawns on me – that I – am rarely like Kondi in this regard. And this is extra sad, because my “Master” is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and He is waaay more generous that I could ever hope to be. I wonder how much stuff I miss out on, because I am not expecting anything “good” to happen. I am often not expecting anything or if I am brutally honest I am worried that something bad is about to happen.

I am praying for God’s help to enable me to have a more expectant heart for His goodness.  Psalm 27:13 says “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.” (NASB)

Kelly

Here's a tip to make your life a little better...

I recently discovered that I have fallen arches or what most people call very flat feet. 

They literally hurt when I don't have proper arch supports. Dr. Scholl's has come up with an excellent product. They are soft gel hidden arch support designed for women's shoes.

The soft clear silicone adheres inside of the shoe. 

They can be placed in sandals or flats and not be seen.

They work great when a regular orthotic doesn't work with your shoe's design. 

The price range is $4.50-$6.00 dollars. 

"Hidden Arches" can be found at your usual grocery, drug or mass merchandise store. 

If you have arch pain they are definitely worth a try. 

I suspect you will be quite pleased. 

Kelly