Lists Day Twenty-two: Things I'm Saving For

- Renovation of bathrooms and kitchen - I have the HELOC available, but I'd like to pay cash for as much as possible. I'm hoping to start the full remodel process after Christmas this year. Meanwhile, I'm working on smaller projects.

- Retirement - I keep upping the percentage of my check going into the retirement plan. While I keep saying I have to work until I'm dead (and in some ways, that is true - I can't imagine not working at all), at some point, I do hope to retire from the full time grind.

That is pretty much it at the moment, as they are rather high-ticket items.

Lists Day Twenty-one:To-do list

Seems I did a good part of this with yesterday's prompt. I am apparently more geared to "get things done" than "relax and enjoy the season".

A sample, then, of things on the current to-do list:

- Make shepherd's pie for dinner from the left over chuck roast, with mushroom and onions
- Cook broccoli and green beans (separately, in the InstantPot) to have for dinners for the next week
- Hard boil eggs (also InstantPot)
- Sweep kitchen
- Take clean laundry to the loft; hang, fold and put away all
- Put away recent fabric order; add kits to project list
- Set up coffee timer for tomorrow; pack breakfast and lunch
- Straighten living room, do quick vacuum

It may or may not all get done. Better to aim high and miss than go home and be a slug.

Lists Day Twenty: Things To Do This Spring

You really don't want to see my to-do list for this season.

Too late. Here is part of it:

- Take both sewing machines in for cleaning

- Power wash patio

- Trim lilac bush

- Wash outside windows

- Wash inside windows

- Plant flowers in urns

- Bring up the grill, table umbrella, charcoal, hose reel and hose

- Fix the flag bracket

- Install the solar light for the flag

- Purchase and have installed new outdoor lights next to front door and on patio

- Put out R/W/B wreath and hanging

- Evaluate options for a CSA

- Road trip for strawberries

- Any kind of road trip, just to be out in the sunshine with the moonroof open and the tunes turned up.

- Dewey's Read-a-thon April 28th.

There is so much more...

Lists Day Nineteen: Places I've Been

- Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for the World's Fair in 1967

- St. Maarten/St. Martin, while on a cruise. Gorgeous island.

- St. Thomas, on the same cruise...tourist trap.

- Nogales, Mexico, visiting a huge flea market, while staying in...

- Tuscon, Arizona, visiting friends.

- Lawrence, Kansas, to take the same friends' kids from Milwaukee to Lawrence (they had been here with their grandparents...nothing like an early morning flight with three kids under five. Thank heaven for the kind, patient Japanese businessman in the row behind us!)

- Newark, New Jersey, visiting the same friends (they moved a lot).

- New York City, for one evening, to see an off-Broadway play (with the friend from the previous lines, who is my "theatre" friend, and the best friend mentioned in the previous post)(she and her family appear to be most of my reason for personal travel. They live in Maryland now...may be time to visit again.)

- Belton, Missouri, where my (different) best friend moved for several years to help take care of her grandkids while her son was in seminary. While in Belton, we drove to Kansas City for dinner, and drove past the KC home of the IRS. Thrilling times, folks.

- New Orleans, where I've been to conferences three different times. The first time, I took some extra days at the beginning and end, to have fun in the city.

- Baltimore, St. Louis, Orlando, Tampa all for conferences.

- A whole lot of places around the state. Truly, I prefer local travel. The one that sticks out is a weekend in a cabin on a lake near Wisconsin Dells with three friends. The cabin literally hung off a hillside over the lake. Peaceful, beautiful.

Lists Day Eighteen: Favorite Memories

Ah! Finally a list that I can sink my teeth into (provided I can remember anything...)

- Getting a 103 on a college math test (would have been 105 (100 + the 5 available bonus points), but I changed an answer on a definition - I've made it a policy not to change answers since then).

- A college English prof calling me to tell me the class grade she had told me (last day of class she actually let us know what our final grade would be) was the wrong one, and as a result, I did indeed have a straight-A semester (with 21 credits, no less)

- Maybe not favorite, but funniest...my first plane flight was a commuter hop from here to Chicago, the first leg of a trip to Tucson. The plane was delayed an hour or so, and then ended up filled with drunk Chicago White Sox fans (it was opening day for the Brewers, who played the White Sox...I guess flying was less of a hassle than sitting in traffic?)

- Being cast as the lead in the play my senior year of high school. Everyone (and I mean everyone) expected the lead to go to my best friend. Turns out she would rather be the student stage manager.

- A Christmas tree skirt I quilted taking first prize in its category at the State Fair.

- Meeting someone who would become a good friend on a 6 a.m. bus ride to the Chicago planetarium (college field trip...who on earth expects college students to make a 6 a.m. bus ride?)

- Watching the performance of the Sunday School musical - I'd directed the acting, a friend directed the choir.

- A women's Bible study I was part of after college.

- First night in my flat.

- Walking into the condo after the closing, realizing it was really mine (well, 6% mine and 94% the bank's).

- A weekend with friends in a cabin near Wisconsin Dells. It started with an unexpected dip in the lake by everyone but me (note to self: never say "If you fall in, I'm just going to stand here and laugh" when your friends are trying to get into a canoe). The entire weekend was laughter filled.

Lists Day Seventeen: Celebrities to Meet

Really? In no particular order, without thinking about it:

- Martha Grimes
- Larry Correia
- George RR Martin (just long enough to tell him to get back to writing)
- Adam Baldwin (not *that* one, the other one)
- Kevin Sorbo
- Zoe, Jonah Goldberg's dog (it just says "celebrities", doesn't specify species)
- Pippa, Jonah's other dog (fastest butt wiggle in canine history)
- Mario Andretti (wait, been there, done that)
- Condoleeza Rice

Eh, I hate this kind of thing. I'm not much into the whole celebrity culture thing.

Lists Day Sixteen: Worthwhile Risks

- Saying hello to that quiet person in the corner

- Being kind when it isn't going to get you any benefit

- Truly listening to someone rather than waiting for them to stop so you can talk

- Really stretching your own budget to help someone who needs it

- Trying that new food, new experience, new anything

- Finding your own way to do things, whether or not it is successful

Lists Day Fifteen: Life Goals

And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Matt-25-21

Really, is there anything else? To be faithful, day after day, moment after moment, in living out your faith?

List Day Fourteen: Bucket List

Though the phase dates back a few years before this, the idea of a "bucket list" hit the mainstream when the movie of the same name came out in 2007.

While it's a nice idea, if I were terminally ill, I'd rather spend my remaining time hanging out with friends and family, rather than trying to cross random stuff off a list. ::shrug::

So instead of a list of grandiose trips and experiences to try to finish before I die, here's a more realistic list of things I'd like to accomplish (and perhaps have a chance of actually doing):

- Catch up on all current quilt unfinished objects (aka UFOs...this alone will guarantee I'll never die, as I think I also have SABLE - stash accumulation beyond life expectancy)

- Completely finish all remodeling, repair and renewing projects in the condo (it would help if I could plant a money plant in the urns on the patio)

- Memorize the entire Gospel of John (preferably before, and hopefully as a deterrent, to Alzheimers)

- Spend two weeks in a cabin in the northwoods, in winter, out in the country, but not too far from a decent sized town (I keep my own company very well)

- Visit the girls I sponsor in El Salvador (before they age out of Compassion International's program)

- Have a quilt juried into one of the major shows

- Take a cruise on the Denis Sullivan, or better yet, a week-long cruise on a tall ship

- Take a professional cooking course

Eh, there are probably other things. This simply isn't anything I consciously track.

Lists Day Thirteen: Feel Good Songs

On my ipod, there is a playlist called "Happy". It's a listing of songs that either make me feel good, or that I just like, regardless of whether or not the lyrics are particularly uplifting. Here is a sample:

-Tennesse Flat-Top Box, Johnny Cash
- He Will Rejoice - Trevor Morgan (Glory Revealed compilation disc)
- Boot Scootin' Boogie, Brooks & Dunn
- Choices, George Jones
- Mansion Over the Hillop, Ricky Van Shelton
- Hello, I'm Gone, Trisha Yearwood
- I Want to Be Loved Like That, Shenandoah
- Glorious Day, Casting Crowns
- I'm Alright, Terri clark
- My Kind of Woman, My Kind of Man, Vince Gill
- Travelin' Soldier, Dixie Chicks
- Move, Third Day (in fact, the entire Move disc)
- Shine, Newsboys
- By Your Side, Tenth Avenue North
- Jacob's Well, Nicole Sponberg
- Sunday in the South, Shenandoah
- The Road Not Taken, Shenandoah
- One More Last Chance, Vince Gill
- The Love of God, MercyMe
- Turn Your Radio On, Randy Travis
- Where Your Road Leads, Trisha Yearwood with Garth Brooks
- Word of God Speak, MercyMe
- The Motions, Matthew West
- I Meant Every Word He Said, Ricky Van Shelton
- Sweet Georgia Girls, Mac Powell
- White Trash Wedding, Dixie Chicks
- There is Power in the Blood, Selah
- The One on  the Right is on the Left, Johnny Cash
- I Still Miss Someone, Johnny Cash
- Meet in the Middle, Diamond Rio
- I Feel Lucky, Mary Chapin Carpenter
- Christ is Risen, Matt Maher
- Who am I, Casting Crowns
- Trust in You, Jeremy Camp
- Mighty is the Power of the Cross, Chris Tomlin


As you can see, it's been a while since I've added much new music to the list. There are 177 songs on this playlist, pretty much all either country or some form of contemporary Christian. There are, in fact, several full discs on the list (most of what I have from Third Day, the excellent Glory Revealed and Glory Revealed II (every song is scripture, sung by artists from all over the Christian music spectrum), and most of Shenandoah's stuff (sadly, after a legal squabble over the band's name, they broke up)).

It's stuff that is very familiar, that I can sing along with without having to think much. And it makes me feel happy.

You can't ask for more than that.

Lists Day Twelve: My Favorite Supplies

In no particular order:

- InstantPot

- Bernina Viruousa 150 Quilter's Edition

- Conklin Nighthawk, titanium finish, medium nib

- Smooth, fountain pen-friendly paper and notebooks

- Victorinox 6" utility knife

- MasterCook recipe book software

- All cookbooks

 - My bullet journal

Lists Day Eleven: Things I'd Like to Learn

I'm a firm believer in being a lifelong learner. It doesn't matter if you are learning higher level physics or how to tie new knots as long as your mind is engaged in making new neural pathways as it works its way around a new subject or skill.

That said, there are a few things I'd like to take the time to learn.

- Languages. I pick up languages very, very quickly, but unless I have the chance to practice them, my interest tapes off. While I'm one of the few people who can actually stick to and learn from a program like Rosetta Stone, I really need to augment it with in-person sessions. Which languages? Review Spanish so I can regain the fluency I had in High School.  French. Italian. Maybe branch out into something like Arabic. Anything is possible.

- Entire books of the Bible. Memorization comes fairly easily for me (and is a big aid in learning languages). It's about time I started memorizing entire books of the Bible, instead of verses and shorter passages.

- Woodworking or something similar. Just because.

- Sketching/painting. My grandmother was a painter, and gave all the grandkids lessons of a sort when we were very young. I'm a very language/word oriented soul, and I'd like to try expressing myself more often in sketches.

Eh. The list really is too long for this page. I'll take almost any opportunity to learn something new. I'm a sucker for those "odd facts" type memes, which will often be a springboard for a deeper dive into a subject.

Keeping your mind active is suppposed to be one of the ways to stave off some of the afflictions common to older folk. My body may be falling apart, but my mind is sharp.

Lists Day Ten: Movies to Watch

Once again, my head exploded when I saw the prompt for today. There are so many movies out there, from excellent down to oh-so-teerible-but-a-guilty-pleasure, it is difficult to narrow down.

Rather, here are a few that are currently in my Netflix or other streaming service queues:

The African Queen - such a sweet, sweet love story. Not to mention Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.

The Sixth Sense - Truly creepy. It is extremely difficult to surprise me, given how old I am and how many books and movies I've been through, but the twist in this movie did. I think I figured it out half a second before it was revealed.

While You Were Sleeping - Guilty pleasure. This is my feel-good movie choice, even though the entire movie is built on one character lying (or rather letting a misconception stand).

Independence Day - I have a thing for Bill Pullman, so shoot me. Funny, scary, and a young Adam Baldwin: what's not to like?

Air Force One - Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman. A President who literally kicks ass. Not to mention a White House secretary who saves the day by realizing the fax machines would still work.

The Chronicles of Riddick - Yeah, Vin Diesel. Judi Dench. Lots of special effects. This falls in the "guilty pleasure" category.

Honestly, I promise I've seen more recent movies than these. But I tend to be doing other things while a movie is running, and often barely remember the plot, much less the actual title. I also almost never go to the movie theater (the upcoming release of Ready Player One may get me out of the house, though), but wait for things to come to streaming services. By the time that happens, I may well have forgotten what it was I wanted to see.

There are, of course, the series of movies...I own both the entire Lord of the Rings set (including the Hobbit movies) and all of the first six Star Wars films (come to think of it, I've only seen the first of the reboots...need to start moving on that). Harry Potter (minus the very last disk...it went walkabout and I've yet to find it) are also in my personal library.

What's your favorite movie?

Lists Day Nine: Favorite Recipes

Okay, so yes, I am a few days behind on posts. To be honest, I hit this particular prompt and my mind exploded. Just ONE recipe? One lonely recipe to serve as a stand-in for all the lovely concoctions out there?

Impossible.

I'll refer you to the "Recipes" category in the post tag listing in my sidebar. Take a walk through about ten years of recipe related posts.

But since it is getting close to grilling season (anytime the temperature is above forty degrees, Wisconsin breaks out the grills...it's going to hit fifty late this week), here is one for the grill. Note that there is a long marinade time (prepare one night before you go to bed, cook for dinner the next night) and it is fairly spicy. But oh so very good...

Jerk Chops

Serving size: 2

2        tablespoons  water
1/2     cup  lemon juice
1/2     cup  onion -- chopped
1/2     tablespoon  packed brown sugar
1/2     tablespoon  green onion -- chopped
1/2     tablespoon  vegetable oil
1/4     teaspoon  salt
1/4     teaspoon  ground allspice
1/4     teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1/4     teaspoon  pepper
1/8     teaspoon  ground thyme
1        pinch  cayenne pepper
2        each  pork chop (thick, boneless ones are my favorites)

Place all ingredients except chops in a blender and blend until smooth.  Place pork in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over it.  Marinate in refrigerator at least 12 hours, but not longer than 24 hours.

Preheat broiler or outside grill.  Pour off marinade; broil or grill chops until fully done.

List Day 8: Wish List

Oh boy. Not even sure where to start with this one. About the closest I can come is wishing for certain events/seasons of life to be done:

- For all the remodeling I want to do in the condo to be miraculously done, with little to no disruption of my life.

- To magically fast-forward to the time I'm able to retire with enough invested to live a reasonably comfortable life (defined as not having to worry about the everyday bills, and enough left over to fund a few quilts here and there).

- To have moved to a condo that is at that unicorn-like intersection of far enough from the city to be a peaceful "small town", but close enough to have all the conveniences I currently enjoy (easy, fast delivery from Amazon and various food places, reasonably priced coffeeshops close by, friends no further than a fifteen minute drive and a close by church that stands on sound Biblical principles).

Let's get real... somethings that would be on a wish list, whether or not there is any possibility of them ever coming to fruition:

- Twice a month maid service. I simply cannot now, and will never be able to, justify the cost. The real solution here is a smaller condo (mine is 1600 square feet...the giant loft that seemed like such a bonus is in reality just another room to clean).

- A long arm quilting setup of some sort. Here is where that loft might come in handy. But in addition to all the considerations that go in to choosing a set up, I need to add the noise and vibration factor. I'm fairly certain I can put it on the second floor with no issues, but if not, it would go in the first floor bedroom (currently my studio), which means flipping a lot around. Then there is the decision of whether I really want to make this a business, or use it only to finish my own stack of quilts. Just the myriad decisions related to this make it less than likely I'll ever actually get a long arm.

- Enough sleep, every night. You would think this is entirely within my control. As things stand now, on a typical night, I spend about 6 1/2 hours actually asleep. Ideally, I need about an hour more each night to really be rested. But it just doesn't work with my life right now. I've learned the hard way that sleeping later on weekends just disrupts my schedule and makes the rest of the week harder. Maybe after I retire?

Eh, I'm just no good at this kind of list.

List Day Seven: Things That Are Overrated

Call me a cynic, but I find very little that truly lives up the hype surrounding it. In fact, the greater the noise, the further short the reality falls. In no particular order:

- Anything trending on Twitter

- Most nutritional fads (moderation in all things, folks)

- Anything that claims to cure cancer/promote world peace/give you a good night's sleep

- Apple cider vinegar

- Any specialty/single purpose quilting gadget

- Rowenta irons

- 99% of cell phones

- The idea that more gun laws will make criminals more inclined to obey them

List Day Six: Master Grocery List

Not everything every trip, but all of these on a regular basis (generally when they are on sale):

Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Skin on salmon fillets
Cod fillets
Boneless pork chops
Ground turkey
Ground pork
Eggs

Not my actual refrigerator.
Much too neat.

Lots and lots of fresh mushrooms, of all types (typically 4 - 8 oz containers per week)
Broccoli crowns
Baby carrots
Onions
Sweet potatoes
Squash of some sort, in season
Green peppers (or red or orange or yellow, dependent on sales)
Lemons and/or limes
Potatoes (about once every six weeks)

Apples, always apples (I eat one a day during the week, and use them in my breakfast hash as well)
Mandarin oranges or tangerines (in season)
Cantaloupe or pineapple (in season)

Canned diced tomatoes
Tomato paste
Canned mushrooms
Canned peaches, pineapple or mandarin oranges (when fresh is not in season or expensive)

That's the ongoing grocery list. It looks like a lot, but honestly, only about 1/3 of these things are on the actual list from week to week. The meat purchases depend on what is currently in the freezer, and are heavily dependent on what is on sale. Still, most of these things are in the house at any given time.

There are, of course, the oddball and pantry items that are always around. Almond flour, apple cider, five or six types of vinegar, two different types of olive oil. The kitchen is pretty heavily skewed toward Whole30 compliant items - in  other words, to cooking from scratch and avoiding added sugar and preservatives.

Whatever, it works for me.

List Day Five: Places to Go

I'm not exactly Miss Travel Queen. I like spending my vacations sewing, or reading, or simply sleeping late in the comfort of my own bed. That said, I do think my hometown and the State of Wisconsin generally have quite a few places worth visiting.

1. The Milwaukee Lakefront. Beaches, restaurants and park line the shores of Lake Michigan for miles. The beaches and parks are free to the public (though there is a nasty, nasty plan by Milwaukee County to start charging for parking at these places...so far, public opinion is winning, but the county's need for cash to squander use is great). Lake Michigan is really only warm enough for swimming after the 4th of July, but there is still much to do along the lakefront.

2. Milwaukee County Park System. In spite of the politician's determined attempts to destroy them, the parks in the county are among the best in the country. As you can see from the listing, the park system ranges from tiny, neighborhood parks to monster, golf-course included, 350-acre-plus wildernesses.  It includes river parkways, beaches, center city squares, hiking trails, ball fields and formal botanical gardens. Given the length of our winters, Wisconsinites are prone to taking advantage of every moment the weather is clement by spending it outdoors. Our park system supports those activities.

3. The Milwaukee Arts community. When the weather is cold, we take our activity indoors. Whether you are one for art museums, live theater, concerts or specialty museums, we have something for you. For a community our size, we have a wonderful symphony and smaller instrumental groups, as well as several fine choral groups. Why yes, the Midwest is home to some culture.

4. The festivals. Good heavens, the festivals. Summerfest is the granddaddy of them all, an eleven-day riot of musical groups from internationally known supergroups (why yes, the Rolling Stones were here a few years ago) to local bands. All performances are free except for the daily headliners at the main stage, for which there are additional tickets needed. Summerfest runs around the 4th of July, and features massive fireworks over the lake on opening day and July 3rd. This is the 51st year for the festival.

5. The food. Perhaps the best way to sample the great variety of food available in the city is to spend the weekends grazing through the offerings at the various ethnic festivals. We are home to a large Hispanic population, and there are many restaurants in the area offering authentic Mexican cuisine. Honestly, if you name a cuisine, there is a good possibility you can find it in Milwaukee. The possibilities are too numerous to link.

6. The custard. No, not the pudding-like dessert much of the world calls "custard", but egg-enriched ice cream. The addition of egg yolk to the cream and milk gives the finished product a creamier, richer texture. Try Kopps, Oscars, Gilles, or Culvers, or go back in time with a visit to Leons. Note that the custard stands, at least the ones listed, stay open year around. That way, on a forty degree day in early March (like today), we can enjoy a cone before the snow comes barreling back tomorrow.

There is so much more. In the greater state, there are places like Lambeau Field, with its rich gridiron history, Old World Wisconsin, where history comes to life, American Player's Theater in a gorgeous natural ampitheater, Devil's Lake with gorgeous scenery and challenging trails, Bay Beach Park with old fashioned kiddie rides (tickets only 25 cents; most rides take 2 tickets)...and so much more. The bluffs along the Mississippi River near LaCrosse are gorgeous. A sizeable breeding crowd of bald eagles also make their home along that shore, as well as some along the Wisconsin River. There are some incredible wineries in the state (Wollersheim is my favorite).

And, of course, cheese and beer. My linky finger is tired, so I will refer you to Mr. Google. But we produce incredible cheeses, and while only Miller-Coors has a big brewery in the state, our supply of talented microbreweries is impressive.

That's enough bragging. Come visit us in late June, when everything is bright and blooming. Wander through a few festivals. Take in a few parks (did I mention the world-class golf courses at Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run?). Relax with some wine on a terrace overlooking a river. Enjoy our state's unofficial summer sport ("You don't know how to water ski? Come along with us, we'll have you up in no time!").

List Day Four: Books to Read

In the interest of not publishing a book myself, I'm just going to list recent reads, and a few authors. I tend to skew heavily toward mystery, science fiction and fantasy, while staying far, far away from best sellers.

1. The Bible. Well, duh. Each rereading teaches you more.

2. Anything by Agatha Christie. Yes, by now the books are definitely dated, but Christie not only wrote well, she masterfully broke all the "rules" of mystery writing (see: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Murder on the Orient Express for starters). In the same vein, check out Ngaio Marsh (New Zealander who was a contemporary of Christie), Dorothy Sayers (who doesn't love Peter Wimsey?) and Margary Allingham.

3. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. The first book in the series is Cinder, a retelling of the classic Cinderella story, with several twists. Cinder, you see, is part cyborg. There are five main books in the series, each bringing in another fairytale character. These are technically young adult novels, but are written well enough to be enjoyed by all ages.

4. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I'm reading this for the third time to refresh my memory before the movie comes out next week. The book is a love letter to all things 1980s, and if you lived through that decade, the book is bound to bring a smile to your face. I've young friends who are already expressing disappointment in the movie, just based on the trailers. ::Sniff:: Their opinions don't hold much water, given they were barely toddlers in the '80s. The book is well worth the read.

5. Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia. Vampires, werewolves, things that go bump in the night and much worse are real, and could be your neighbor. Good things MHI has a secret government contract to hunt down and take care of the dangerous ones. If you are a gun control nut, stay away from this series; Correia is a gun nut who shoots competitively and describes the arsenal in loving detail. The books are a well-written hoot. Bonus points because the main character is an accountant (well, until he stays late to do some work and ends up having to kill his boss, who has gone all werewolf on him).

6. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. There are three books in this loose series, all centered around food, though really about relationships. If it tells you anything, I see I read all three in under a week two summers ago. It should tell you something, as these are outside my usual mystery/scifi/fantasy zone.

So, so many more...

Cleo Coyle - actually a writing team, putting out mysteries revolving around a Greenwich Village coffeehouse. Bonus, books include an appendix with fun coffee facts and beverage and dessert recipes

Jennifer Chiaverini - Sylvia opens her home as a quilting retreat, and the books tell the stories of the women who attend. Bonus, Ms. Chiaverini is a Wisconsin resident.

Jim C. Hines - the Magic ex Libris series. Libriomancers are able to pull items from books into reality, using them to fight those bent on destruction. Bonus, the arguements between Gutenberg and Ponce De Leon. Really.

These are just the things that popped out at me as I looked down the list of titles in my kindle library. I'm close to 500 titles there; truly, there is quite a bit of nonfiction as well.

If nothing else, I'm hoping this list might inspire you to say, "Ugh! Horrible titles! I beat I can read better books than that!" That won't bother me, as long as you are reading.

List Day Three: Words to Live By

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 3:23

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:12-13

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35 - 39