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Celebrating Women’s History Month My Way…and Grace and Truth Link Up.

March 20, 2020 by Lauren 31 Comments

Photo by Austrian National Library on Unsplash

If you look up womenshistorymonth.gov, you will find the following statement:

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.

 

That sounds very cool, but I’m celebrating in not quite so cerebral a way – by sharing with you some of my favorite books, movies and podcasts about women, by women and for women.  Consume with me, won’t you?

 

Books

My first love, reading, produced my longest list.

  1. The Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery.  The favorite of many.  But I didn’t love it as much as…
  2. The Emily Starr trilogy by L.M. Montgomery.  I fell in love with Emily Climbs as a 15 year old.  She was an aspiring writer just like me.  I was in my 30’s before I realized it was the SECOND in a series and ordered the other two.  As of this writing you can get all three on Kindle for only $2.49!  Don’t sleep on it.
  3. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.  Even though Anne Frank’s story shares similarities and is much more popular, I think this woman’s book is even more compelling.
  4. The Little House on the Prairie Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  These books felt like a classic rite of passage for girls of my generation.  And piling onto a two person loveseat as a family of 5 to watch the TV show is a treasured childhood memory.
  5. That a woman wrote about racial prejudice and tensions in 1960 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize makes To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee a must read for everyone.
  6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett, although written in 2012, deals with similar themes.  The movies for both of these are worth a watch as well.
  7. Wally Funk’s Race for Space:  The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer by Sue Nelson might not interest you as much as me.  I happen to know Wally as she is a regular patron of the REC center where I work.  But if the history of flight and space travel gets your juices flowing, check out this story of one of the members of the Mercury 13 (Women in Space Program) of 1961.
  8. I know the next one too.  Sort-of.  I have worked with Anna LeBaron, author and subject of The Polygamist’s Daughter, virtually and I greatly admire her story.  It’s a fascinating tale of life in and escape from a dangerous cult.
  9. America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kemole builds a somewhat fictional retelling of the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his oldest daughter by reading between the lines of their actual letters to each other.
  10. The Magnolia Story gives us the background on superstar decorator Joanna Gaines and her husband – taking you from their college days to the dawn of an empire.
  11. Did you know famous chef Julia Child worked as a government spy?  I had no idea until my sister told me about A Covert Affair:  Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS by Jennet Conant.
  12. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert:  An English Professor’s Journey into Christian Faith by Rosario Butterfield traces the way God turned one woman’s life completely on end.  Riveting.
  13. The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian leads us into the next few selections on bible study.  This book opened my eyes to the power of praying scripture for others – a skill I am still learning much about today.
  14. Is the Bible Good for Women?:  Seeking Clarity and Confidence Through a Jesus-Centered Understanding of Scripture by Wendy Alsup explores and answers questions about the true meaning of some biblical edicts about women.
  15. When it comes to this author, I have to fight back the urge to jump up and down and scream, “I know her, I know her”.  You know, Elf style.  But I’ll just say that Women of the Word:  How to Study the Bible with Both our Hearts and our Minds by Jen Wilkin is a fantastic resource by one of the best women bible teachers of our generation.

I could list so many more but you only have so much time to read – books and this post.  So we move on to…

 

Movies

  1. Wonder Woman.  She’s beautiful, smart, strong and BA.  What more could you want?
  2. A League of Their Own.  As long as you remember that there’s no crying in baseball!
  3. Hidden Figures tells the true story of three brainy broads who were instrumental in launching John Glenn into space.  And with a PG rating it’s great for the whole family.
  4. Million Dollar Baby draws you into the tough and vulnerable world of a female boxer.
  5. The Blind Side shows the true representation of a strong southern mama who takes in a down and out teen and helps him reach his potential as a football superstar.  I’m kind of a sucker for sports movies.
  6. Sandra Bullock does it again as an astronaut who survives disaster on her own when her partner is lost in space.  Gravity feels heavy and light at the same time.
  7. On a much lighter side, Pitch Perfect crowns a girls’ acapella group the champs.  If you love music, sing along.
  8. Frozen gives us Disney princesses who aren’t all about the guy.
  9. And last, we can find a lot wrong with a movie as old as Gone With the Wind.  But if you can forgive the indiscretions of a 1939 film, you just might get behind the iron will of heroine Scarlett O’Hara.  Keep your finger on the pause button for potty breaks and have lots of snacks on hand for this 3 hour and 40 minute spectacle.

TV Shows

  1.  Lots of laughs and great characters as a woman adjusts to 3 male roommates in New Girl.
  2. Downton Abbey rocks as an ensemble drama, but *spoiler* Mary Crawley emerges as a matriarch extraordinaire during a much more traditional time.
  3. Lucille Ball broke barriers and funny bones when she landed her own show, I Love Lucy.
  4. As a former ditsy model turned hot shot lawyer, Brooke Elliott charms everyone and gives a boost to all of us little chubby girls in Drop Dead Diva.
  5. Don’t come at me, but Carol Burnett may be funnier than Lucille Ball.  Check out The Carol Burnett Show before you decide.
  6. Designing Women delivered southern sass in a successful and well-decorated package.

And I’ll finish up with a couple of…

 

Podcasts

  1.  That Sounds Fun with Annie F Downs is one of the deepest, most vulnerable and funniest podcasts I subscribe to.  And the topics and guests are so interesting.  Get into it.  And check out any of her books while you are at it.
  2. The Big Boo Cast with Melanie Shankle and Sophie Hudson is the listening equivalent of a bowl of homemade soup on a cold day.  It’s warm, comforting and quickly becomes familiar.  It’s just right.  And these ladies are funny – on the podcast and in their books.

 

There are so many more treats I could list, but this might get you started on your coronavirus quarantine.  If you were putting together this list, what would you add?

 

One more thing!  I am excited and honored to be a contributing author for Prayer:  Approaching the Throne of Grace  – a 26 week devotional and journal now in pre-orders!  This beautiful hardback resource is only $15.98 right now.  Go to devotableapp.com right now to order. 

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

The Everyday Grace of a Burden Bearer by Michele Morin of Living Our Days is a perfect Lenten season read.  I’m so thankful for a Savior with shoulders big and strong enough for all we lay on Him.  Hop over to Michele’s blog and read the post!  

 

Now for this week’s link-up! Let’s bless and encourage one another in our walk with the Lord.Grace & Truth : A Weekly Christian Link Up

Grace & Truth exists to point people to Jesus! We hope this link-up will be a source of encouragement every week. If you’re a blogger, we hope you’ll use this space as a way to meet new friends within the Christian blogging community. If you’re a reader, we hope that you’ll encounter new bloggers that love Jesus as much as you do! Most of all, we hope you’ll meet Jesus here.

Join us each Friday for the Grace and Truth Link-Up!

To receive a weekly reminder of when the link-up goes live subscribe to laurensparks.net in the right hand column of this page.

Maree Dee

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Lauren Sparks

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Heather Hart & Valerie Riese

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Lisa Burgess

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1.)  Following your hosts via their blog and social media channels is not mandatory, but appreciated!

To receive a weekly reminder of when the link-up goes live subscribe to laurensparks.net in the right hand column of this page.

2.) Leave 1-2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. Please do not link DIY, Crafts, Recipes, etc. We will delete these links. We also reserve the right to remove articles that don’t align with the theme or are deemed by the hostesses to be inappropriate.

3.) Visit 1-2 other links and leave a meaningful comment! We want to encourage community among us, so please don’t link and run!

4.) We sort all links randomly – feel free to link as early or as late as you’d like. The playing field is even!

Featured Post Requirements

5.) Grab a button or link back to encourage new linkers. It is not mandatory, but it is required to be featured.

6.) Each host will choose one link to emphasize and promote via their social media channels next week.

Grab a Badge and Link Back to this Post.

And now, let’s link up!

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Monthly Muster for November

November 29, 2019 by Lauren 34 Comments

As I sit here listening to Shelby’s music therapy session and know that within a few hours I will have a houseful of guests, my mind is not much for writing.  This may not be my best attempt, but I have failed to set aside time as I’ve cooked and cleaned and made preparations for Thanksgiving.  So it’s now or never (for this week anyway).

 

We observed the time change to usher in this month and we see the leaves changing and falling as we escort it out.  And ready or not, the holidays are here.  I want to go on record as saying that the first thing I give thanks for is Allie’s release from concussion protocol.  The process stressed us all and taught us a lot.  And I am not sad to see it go.  A sweet friend of our family invited us to her wedding shower and Shelby and I gladly accepted and went.  Of all people I know, this young lady is worth celebrating.

 

Our kids’ school district hosted a viewing of the documentary film Angst and my husband and I thought it important to attend since our youngest struggles with anxiety.  A counselor friend of mine insists that most teens today probably suffer as well.  The NIH says 1 out of every 3.  I recommend looking at this website and seeking out a screening if you know or suspect that a teen you love is affected.

 

My sweet Mama invited me to a fall luncheon at her church where we heard Rachel Anne Ridge speak.  She owns a donkey named Flash and wrote a book by the same name as well as Walking with Henry (another donkey), Made to Belong, and Flash the Donkey Makes New Friends (a children’s book).  I squeezed in another lunch with a couple of cherished high school friends and loved catching up.  We went to a dinner fundraiser for Allie’s choir as well as one for Hope Squad – a suicide prevention group Allie helps with at school.  Whew.  All this eating and as I’m writing Thanksgiving is still a day away.

 

I feel privileged to have added to my yoga teaching schedule two groups of special needs adults.  Pretty challenging to instruct, but so near and dear to my heart.  I also got to take a dear one to a big doctor’s appointment and provide meals for two others dealing with health issues.  God is so very kind to allow me these opportunities.

 

One of the biggest highlights of the month has been Baylor football.  I fall more and more in love with it every fall and getting to go to the game against the University of Texas with my best friend of 25 years was a treat.  So much fun to get to see this team, who have fought back from so much, earn their spot in the Big 12 Championship game.  Getting to spend the better part of the weekend with my favorite family (other than my own) iced the cake.  I even blew up an air mattress on the floor of Patsy’s family’s hotel room for a night.  I’m so grateful they let me share in their vacation time.

 

We took Shelby to see Frozen II and we all loved it.  Then the girls and I took in Playing with Fire with my sister and two nieces.  It was a weird movie, but I’m still laughing about parts of it.  There are so many good movies out right now that I’m not sure how we can possibly fit them in, but I would love to try.  But now, I must close and finish preparations for my husband’s family.  As always, I love you, I thank you and I hope December treats you well.

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!

 

And look up these great writers I link up with every week:

InstaEncouragements, Literacy Musing Mondays, Hello…Monday,

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

BloggerClubUK, Tea and Word Tuesday, Purposeful Faith,

GraceFull Tuesday Link-Up, Hearth and Soul Link Party,

Let’s Have Coffee, Welcome Wednesday, Recharge Wednesday,

Worth Beyond Rubies, #TellHisStory Link Up, Porch Stories,

Encouraging Word Wednesday, Tune In Thursday,

Stories of Hope, Moments of Hope, IHeart Verse Link Party,

Legacy Link Up, Fresh Market Friday, Feature Friday Time,

Friendship Friday Blog Hop, Faith on Fire, Traffic Jam Weekend,

Faith ‘n Friends, Dancing with Jesus, Grace & Truth, Booknificent

 

Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

 

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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