Books, books, books.

I set my goal of reading 12 books this year and that seems easy enough to reach. But now that the month is more than 1/2 way over, I'm begining to think. Oooowww... I may not reach that goal. I don't have one book done yet.

Setting goals can sometimes cause anxiety in me. That's crazy! Ü

So I'm going to remind myself of all the books I'm reading right now, so I can show myself -- that I'm still on track.

I've joined a Charlotte Mason e-mail loop and am going to read Vol 3., School Education, by Charlotte M. Mason. That will really be a challenge for me. It's the old language... not mondern dumbed down stuff (like I'm writing in currently). BUT... we are going to read only 1 chapter a week. That ought to take 6 months. So I'll get one book read... but not until 6 months from now. This is probably going to be my most challenging. I need to read it. I need to know how Charlotte Mason thought, if I'm going to be using her methods to teach my children.

In addition to that I'm currently reading Rewards of Being Reviled, a booklet by Bill Gothard. I probably shouldn't even count that -- it's so small -- but I'm going to becuase it is FULL of imformation that I need to know. Really teaching me how to apply scripture to my life. Practical tips.

Oh I'm also reading, upstairs, The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis. That is in interesting one... I just got to the chapter last night where the Lion is singing.

I've been brining home books on tape from the library. I'm letting the kiddos use those to bulster their Pizza Hut Book It minutes -- earning free pizza. I brought home The Mgician's Nephew and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I'm not going to count those for my reading, because I am usually listening to those while doing something else (folding laundry, baking bread), so my full concentration isn't on the book. So that's cheating. Not really reading for me. I count it for the kids, because they are usually laying on the floor, only listening to the books.

I'm also reading With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray. Slow by sure. I don't want to skim through this one and miss anything.

So see... that's 3 books right there. But I won't be finished by the end of January. I'll not meet this goal by doing something "once a month". It will be 4 in 3 months or something like that.

That's a CM thing. Reading good books nice and slow. Letting them sink in. Letting them become part of my life. Reflecting on them as I'm doing dishes. Really absorbing the material. I've read that I should probably be narrating what I'm reading to make sure I'm catching what I'm reading. That's what a book journal would be good for. ;)

OK -- so now I feel better... I'll probably meet that goal. If I keep up at this pace... LORD willing!