Stuff That Matters in Life

I, along with a few from my church, went to a family conference at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills a couple of weeks ago. I learned a lot plus got this free book!

The book is not theological and it’s not theoretical. It’s meant to be very practical by laying out some very specifics things parents can do to pass on a spiritual legacy. And because it is so specific with check off lists, this can be very useful or it might not be useful at all, depending on your family situation.

I did find it helpful that they linked social and emotional growth with spiritual. While the primary focus is passing on a spiritual legacy, the three are intertwined in the development of a person’s faith. It is also interesting to get to know Jack and Lisa’s background that they shared openly in the book.

I remember reading Joni’s life story when I was in high school. She was an inspiration to me to be more committed in pursuing God.

I saw Joni & Ken live in person last year when she spoke at Mandarin Baptist Church. She was amazing and continues to inspire.

After reading the new book about her marriage, I am once again inspired. Marriage is not about what I want out of it but it’s a gift from God and a stewardship to care for one another: in sickness and in health. That’s true love.

I like to read biographies of famous people from the children section of the library. The easy reading highlights interesting facts about well-known people that are not so well-known to me.

At dinner one day, while my family was talking about games to play in the swimming pool, we asked the question, “Why is that game called ‘Marco Polo’?” Then I wonder why he is so well-known. I know he’s an explorer to China, but didn’t know much beyond that.

So I checked out Marco Polo, To China and Back by Steven Otfinoski from the children section of the library.

I now know why he’s so famous.

But the book did not explain about the pool game.

A quick Google search gave a couple of explanations which are probably just guesses. My guess is that some kid learned about Marco Polo at school, thought the name has a nice ring to it and started blabbing that while playing in the pool one day. Next thing you know, it became a game.

Anyway, now I want to read Marco Polo’s own book, The Travels of Marco Polo, that made him famous.

Whenever we go to the library, I look for a mystery book. I picked up Mistletoe and Mayhem because the setting is the 1800s in the UK. The cover drew my attention; it says, “Never Before Published!” Aren’t most books never before published? Is it a good thing to be never before published?

The book had a couple of romantic subplots, the murders were unexpected, the resolution was intriguing, but the motive for the murders was lacking. A good mystery has to make sense, the crimes cannot be random, and the character must be consistent. I give it 2.5 stars for entertainment, 1.5 stars for mystery. I don’t think I’ll read this author again.