Seven on Saturday

1. We're having some odd weather here today, bloggy friends. Sun shining with temps in the 40's one minute then ominously dark clouds, strong wind, and SNOW the next! Weird.

2. Reading in Jeremiah today gave me pause and food for thought:

"Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but, in the stubbornness of their evil will, they walked in their own counsels, and looked backward rather than forward." 7:24

Now this is from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) which I'm reading because it's the version published with readings from C.S. Lewis. I don't particularly like this version (ESV is my favorite) but I found the translation of this verse interesting. Other versions I've looked at say "walked backward" instead of "looked backward." The idea of looking backward is what made me stop and copy down the verse in my daybook. Where am I looking backward and not forward? Where do Christians in general tend to look backward? Just something to chew on....

3. Thanks to Tim at his blog for posting this short video from National Geographic about the world's population soon reaching 7 billion. The video is very intriguing and I loved the use of typography and graphics. And if you're a mission-oriented Christian (shouldn't we all be?), it's mind blowing.

4. I am reading What is Left the Daughter on my Kindle right now. I'm not super impressed so far, but maybe there's some amazing ending on the horizon. Since the Kindle doesn't do pages, all I know is percentage, and I'm at about 80% complete. Ho-Hum.

5. Christian Audio gives away a free audio book a month. This month it's The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. I've never listened to a Christian non-fiction book before but think I'll give this one a go. I like Bridges.

6. It's time to update my TBR lists. I'm starting with General Non-Fiction (All books I own, by the way!). Here's my 2011 list in no certain order:

1. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg*Because everyone who wants to write has read this one!

2. In the Neighborhood by Peter Lovenheim*Because I skimmed it in a bookstore months ago but didn't want to pay full price. I couldn't get it out of my mind and finally purchased used!

3. Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks*Because music is a gap in my life and I love Oliver Sacks.

4. Warm and Snug by Lawrence Wright*As research for something I'd like to write one day.

5. The Soul of the Night by Chet Raymo* Ditto #4. And I like Raymo's writing but not life philosophy.

6. At Day's Close by A. Roger Ekirch* Ditto #4.

7. Apollo's Fire by Michael Sims* Ditto #4.

8. Chapter After Chapter by Heather Sellers*Because it looks really good.

9. Spineless Wonders by Richard Connif* Because who wouldn't want to read about insects? Duh.

10. Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields*Because Harper Lee had to be incredibly interesting, don't you think?

11. Sleep Thieves by Stanley Coren* Ditto #4. Curious?

12. The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp Because it's been so popular and talked about.

13. Home by Bill Bryson Because I love him. This book by him is one of my all-time favorite books.

14. The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante Because it's huge, seems full of super good exercises, and I would be quite impressed with myself if I got through it!

15. Couldn't Keep It to Myself by Wally Lamb Women, writing, and prison. Who wouldn't want to read it?

16. A Geography of Time by Rober Levine Ok, I just bought this one for my Kindle. I'd read a reference about it in another book and then a friend told me she was reading it on her Kindle.... so, how could I *not* get it?

7. Picture of the Week: Today Matt and I made a run to the dump to get rid of a trailer full of (mostly) construction trash from The Boy's house. Now I can park in the garage again! Hooray!! I snapped the picture below while Matt was throwing out our "metal-containing" trash. Amazing isn't it? All this stuff!! And this is just a single pile in one small county landfill in N.C. Boggles the mind when you stop to think about how much trash we generate as a nation.