B is for the Book of Mormon

So continuing with my theme of catching up, I need to talk about this because I need to follow up from my post here. I am actually a little nervous to do this blog post for the possibility of a wider A to Z audience. But part of my blogging attitude has been I have to get over what people think of my writing and just go for it. So here we go!

In the post I linked above, I told you about a 40 Days and Nights Challenge to read the Book of Mormon.  As a member of the LDS community, this was exciting to me.  And I definitely tried, but as often happens I quickly got off track.   But I just kept reading, I hadn't read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover straight.  I had done a lot more individualized topic study recently.  This was a nice start for me.  I had the goal to read all four standard works in 2013....which never happened.  But I suppose I have started the process if I start with my Book of Mormon beginning if I can do it in a year.

I finished about a month ago, give or take. And it was a great experience as I tried to make sure I read everyday before I went to work.  As I mention a lot, work has been really hard--and this has helped to keep my perspective.  Work is not my whole life--though it feels like it.  And it really doesn't matter in the big scheme of things.  This is SUPER hard to remember--and what I really felt like I learned this time through the Book of Mormon.  Each time I read the Book of Mormon, I learn something new.  That is the great thing about this wonderful book, and I want to spend the last little bit of my post testifying of its truthfulness.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that the prophets in this book saw our time, and knew what we needed to hear during this dispensation.  I know that by reading and studying the Book of Mormon we will come closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Savior of the World, and by improving our relationship with Him we become better people.  We are here to learn and grow to prepare for the next life, and this book will help us do that. It brings so much peace to each of us, and I am grateful that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If you want to know more, check this out and other links from this page. And if you'd like to read this book for yourself, request a free copy at this link.

Courtesy of the free copy site :)

A is for Allegiant: Book Review

So in my theme of catching up, there will be quite a few book reviews on this A to Z Challenge.  I have been trying to keep up with my reading, but I haven't kept up with blogging about them.  And a lot of these book reviews are books that I finished end of 2013 too, so yeah--when I stopped blogging, I also stopped writing about the books.  Sad day...but I am trying to fix that with this challenge (though I will admit...today it is tricky to get motivated to write).

So I actually finally finished Allegiant this past weekend after reading it for months--I started reading it when everything at work changed and it is really hard to find time to read a book.

Title: Allegiant

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: Dystopian/YA Fiction

Rating: 4 out of 5

Why Did I Read? Well I read Divergent (see review here) and I read Insurgent (review to come on Day "I"). I really wanted to know how it ends. And I had heard interesting things about the ending. 

Summary: (Note if you haven't read the other two books, this might contain spoilers of those...they have become one long story to me.) We follow Tris and Tobias outside the fence to figure out what is out there and what they are suppose to do.  They are surprised when they learn the truth about their own existence.  Tris feels like she has walked into another world just like hers--will she change it or just let the status quo remain? 

What Did I Love: I loved how everything was explained in this book--that's why I have got all three of them in my head now.  She takes all of the loose ends from the first two books and really ties it all in a bow.  I actually really did like the big ending.  I won't say it here to avoid spoiling it for others--but I accidentally came across the ending to the story right before I finished the book.  And I actually wasn't too surprised, I kind of saw it coming.  I loved the theme of the book that really came out through the end and she had some great quotes and writing at the end. 

What Did I Hate: I really didn't like the perspective changes with the chapter changes.  I get why she did that now that I've read the whole book, I don't think she could have done it any other way.  But it was very disorienting and it took me awhile to get use to it.  Towards the end I would still see the character name at the chapter heading...read a few pages and then go back to the chapter heading to make sure I had the first person right.  I wonder if a third person would have made it better....I doubt it but that would have helped the confusion.

What did you think of Alleigant? I haven't seen the new movie yet, what did you think of that?

Thank you Wikipedia 

A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal: Catch-up!

Ugh....I still don't have a great idea as to what to do for my theme.  But I want to get in on Yidya Sury's blog hop to reveal....so by the end of this post we should have a reveal! (At least I hope!)

Oh it is totally great and powerful!
http://vidyasury.com/2014/02/a-to-z-challenge-theme-reveal-blogfest.html

So I got one suggestion on Facebook, one suggestion in the comments of my post, and one vote on Twitter.  So in terms of voting you guys weren't a whole lot of help :P My brain has been doing a lot of A to Z because I am doing two other blogs in addition to this! Yes I am crazy.  My students are doing the writing but it is still a bit of work on my end to get them motivated and moving.  So go check out the main blog to learn about the theme of Cedar Ridge Academy and the revamped and new learning blog for Cedar Ridge Academy and their theme of Social Studies.

As a result of the brain in other A to Z things it has been hard to focus on my own blog.  So today on the drive home, I had just posted and gotten all of the stuff done for the school blogs--I kind of took a breathe and was like what should I do with my blog??

I had a lot of great suggestions and votes.  But I was thinking it needs to be something realistic--especially if I don't get all of the student ones scheduled in advanced like I would want!  And what I got suggestion wise seemed tricky and the vote I got was actually the two I had posted with the most work--and I might save those for another year. But they just don't seem like they fit this year. 

The other thing with realistic is lets be honest, since I finished the #365 project and work invaded my life more (which I didn't think was possible) I have been a HORRIBLE blogger! I had all of these grand visions when I was done that I would keep up with a regular schedule and update things and network more etc. etc. etc.  So that thought process led me to the idea of a CATCH-UP THEME! 

I had the idea on the other post about doing a week of each thing that my blog focuses on. And I kind of went with that idea for a little bit, but then I was thinking about how it would be a bit of planning to figure out which theme to do with which week and what if I want to change my mind.  So...the catch-up theme gives me the flexibility to do a book thing one day and a knitting thing the next day. I have a lot of book reviews I want to do and lesson plans I want to tell you about.  So, I am going to map out what letters I can use with catch-up things and then probably fill in the rest.  We'll see...like I said at the beginning I hope to have a reveal....I'm not super committed but I'm trying to be.  I think it would have helped if I had all of my letters mapped out already but I'm tired, its late and time for bed!

Thanks for reading the rambling! Feel free to follow on the side and follow my school blogs too--the students are excited to see what is said to their ideas!

Go to the link above to hop on yourself!

Ideas Needed!!!

So it is St. Patrick's Day which tells me that March is more than half over.  As March starts to end, I am beginning to realize that I am NOT ready for the April A to Z Blogging Challenge.  And I need to be!!

This year, I want to pick a theme--last year I just kind of did whatever came to me.  I have come up with a couple of ideas but I don't know what people would most be interested in.  Or if there is another idea that people have.

The biggest trick is I would like it to have something to do with the purposes of Inspirefly.  Inspirefly is a random blog sometimes. I do posts mostly about reading, knitting, my faith, and teaching. Sometimes you'll see other random stuff--but this is where I'm pulling my theme ideas from.  So in the comments please tell me which idea you like or if you have another idea for me.

1. Book Titles
2. Book Authors
3. All about the LDS faith
4. Education from A to Z
5. The Civil War from A to Z
6. I have also thought of doing a little bit of all of it on each week--do a week of reading themes, a week of knitting themes, a week of faith, and a week of teaching 

That's all I have thought of....so if you have suggestions or a vote I would LOVE to hear from you!!

TBR Pile Challenge Checkpoint 3

I have gotten started on my first book for this challenge.  I am currently listening to Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen on my drives.  I am glad about the progress that I have made on it.  It is seven discs, and I am on disc four--so I'm pretty proud.  I wish I had started earlier so it could be done by this checkpoint, but hey progress is good! Hopefully March is a better month.

Overall, Northanger Abbey isn't a bad book for me. It isn't one of my favorites of Jane Austen, but not the worst.  That at the moment is still Mansfield Park which I have yet to get through.  I think it is funny that there is the regular triangle drama though. But it moves a bit slow.  So we will see what the end gives me.

#TBRChallengeRBR Checkpoint 2

My first checkpoint was establishing my to-read list....and now that it is February it is time for the second check-in. I had planned to read Northanger Abbey first, and even got it on audio and Kindle so that I could read when and where I could.....but I haven't gotten it out :(  I am hoping that in March I can report finishing this one and another book on my list so that I can get caught up!

It is nice to have some motivation with this challenge for sure.

My Poor Little Neglected Blog!

So....it has been a month--an absolutely crazy month.  I have been trying to write this post in my head for the better part of a couple weeks. I have been really glad that I didn't decide to restart my 365 project...or everything didn't happen like this during that, because I really might have just failed right away.  So let me do my best to try to update you.

Physical Health: My health has not improved--my most recent meds haven't seemed to have helped.  But I suppose on the upside, I decided this week that it is time to go see somebody else, and try another route.  I am hoping that this works--but I feel like I have been saying that a lot.  I am trying to have faith that I will get better. LDS people believe that the priesthood is God's power on this Earth.  I had the opportunity to get a blessing about a month ago, and God promised me that I would be better in 2014.  This is a big relief to know that the end is near....but it is also one of those moments where I bet that it will be like the end of the year so I can keep learning this patience thing.

Joys of Home Ownership: The furnace broke in January, water heater broke in December...trying to fix up the basement and finish the unpacking....sometimes I wonder why we moved, but other times it is nice to know that this whole place is ours.....well and the bank's.

Work: This has been the real reason for my absence...a lot of the stress in my life has stemmed from this...due to some re-structuring at the company my scheduled hours have changed a lot.  I work a few evenings now, and still some mornings like I did before.  It has been a hard adjustment and a lot of days I feel like all I do is go to work and sleep....like yesterday I only had 4 waking hours at home.

That is also the biggest reason why I haven't written....this and other changes in my life has really taken a toll on me mentally and emotionally.  My regular readers know that I don't like to complain on this blog...I don't want to be a whiner on here.

My hopes for my blog going here on out:

• I want to do some catch-up on reviews
• Share more about my reading books--I really want to do better with this 
• Establish some challenges to participate in
• Do some more networking
• Do more about knitting and teaching....knitting has been a nice thing to get me through all of this!

I hope to write again soon! Thanks for hanging out with me as I got this month back together.  

As a picture today my motto for this week:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/128915608057242718/