I hope you’ll find this video as fascinating as I do! It’s only 8 and a half minutes — just think how easily you waste that much time on Facebook, and then click this link.
Deep Ocean Mysteries and Wonders
bottom of the ocean
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compulsions become monsters
“Compulsions are a lousy solution to the problem of having obsessions.” Fred Penzel
Some of you don’t know just how true this quote is! I was explaining OCD to a group of student workers in my office the other day, and here’s what I had to say about compulsions:
They start as a way to provide temporary relief to the stress/terror/anxiety/disturbing nature of obsessions, but after a while, the compulsions get out of control and become monsters themselves.
For example, maybe an OC will worry that a room is contaminated and therefore, she is going to get sick herself and die. So she washes her hands to forestall any illness, and for a moment, it relieves that anxiety. But after awhile, she is washing her hands all the time to try to keep that anxiety at bay, and now her hands are bleached, raw, bleeding and she can’t stop.
Which is worse– the obsession or the compulsion? I know different OCs have different answers. I’d like to hear yours!
adult fiction
So, last week, I posted about my favorite YA lit titles, and it was fun to see others’ reactions and suggestions, both in the comments and on Facebook. This week, I thought I’d post my top ten fiction books that fall outside of YA.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle
C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy, but especially That Hideous Strength
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Rosie by Anne Lamott
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Which ones have you read and enjoyed? Which of your all-time favorites did I miss?
my friend erica
Today I’d like you to meet my best friend Erica. I call her “Eir.”
In 2001, I met Eir at summer camp when she was a camper and I was a counselor. A couple months later, we ended up talking at another retreat, and this time I got her email address. What followed was this incredibly fun adventure of getting to know this bright, young high school student whose faith defined her identity.
It’s hard to say when I realized she had transitioned from being one of my campers to being my best friend. There are so many memories packed into the last eleven years that it’s difficult to choose a moment of definitive realization.
Here are some of my favorite memories with Eir:
* our picnic with dear friends at the Plummer House gardens
* taking her to a college Bible study while she was still in high school
* crying and praying together that night at Moody Bible Institute
* ringing in so many new years together, but especially these last two
* creating and playing our own camp version of Apples to Apples
* developing a DYNAMIC long-distance friendship while she lived in Chicago and the Czech Republic
* years and years of camp memories, including when Eir threatened to kiss Sir William and all the time spent on the dock
* White Ribbon Day … huh?
Erica has such a beautiful heart for at-risk youth and for families in hard situations and for missions and for the gospel. She is lovely, and she does things that matter. At the same time, we love to spread a blanket over our knees and watch ridiculous shows on cable; we love looking at pictures of babies online; our jokes never seem to get old. We pray for each other andwitheach other. Just like Jonathan and David, our hearts are knit together.
medicated
How many times does this have to happen before I realize that I cannot skip my medication? Last week I was running late to work, and I decided to skip my morning meds (Prozac and Effexor XR), thinking how– since CBT– I have been in control of obsessions.
Bad idea.
I was pretty depressed that evening, had ridden the rollercoaster down to the very bottom, had no idea what to do with the story I’m working on, felt pretty confident I will never be published, and had very little energy for anything. I fell asleep that night feeling like a failure at life.
I realized later that my lack of meds was probably the culprit for the low.
When will I learn?
How about you: do ever skip your meds? How long before it affects you?
falling in love with fictional characters
Those of us who consider books to be among our best friends often find ourselves in this … situation … where we fall in love with people who don’t exist.
How many of us have wished to be bosom friends with Anne Shirley or to play Himmel Street soccer with Liesel Meminger and Rudy Steiner? How many finished that epilogue in Deathly Hallows and then cried because our adventures with the Hogwarts trio were over? And I know that I discover “my perfect boyfriend” from time to time– someone who exists only in the ink on pages– Gilbert Blythe, Jonah Griggs, Augustus Waters.
When I think of all the friends I’ve made through literature, I’m reminded of the power of books. I hope I can create characters whom people consider friends someday.
Molly Grue, Stargirl Carraway, Leslie Burke and Jess Aarons, the Pevensie siblings, Dickon, Winnie Foster and Jesse Tuck, Swede Land, Cal Trask, Pi Patel, Diana Barry, Prince Caspian, Richard Parker, Max Vandenburg … who are your best literary friends?
LOL cats (that look like hitler) in sinks
Did you know that the internet is full of cat humor? It’s true.
http://lolcats.icanhascheezburger.com
http://catsthatlooklikehitler.com
http://catsinsinks.com
Warning: these sites may steal your time like bandits.
is the book always better?
I’m a reader and a writer, so it naturally follows that I would be more in favor of a book instead of its movie companion. There are few exceptions to this rule for me, but they do exist. Here are a few where the movie versions really held their own!!
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
Book: 870 pages of Harry being a moody 15-year-old.
Movie: a lovely condensed version of that angst, along with incredible cinematography.
Meet the Robinsons
Book: a silly but wonderful little children’s book
Movie: a brilliant expansion of the book, along with a clever twist
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Book: perfection.
Movie: almost perfect– a very well-done interpretation!
What are some stories of which you’ve both read the book and seen the movie? Which one was better?
YA literature
Young adult literature is probably my favorite kind of book to read. It’s fun, accessible, and– if you’re a picky reader like I am– it’s incredibly well written. Here’s a list of some of my all-time favorite YA lit.
1) Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
2) Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
3) The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
4) Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
5) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
6) Ordinary People by Judith Guest
7) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
8) Bridge to Terabithia by Kathleen Patterson
9) Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
10) The Pigman by Paul Zindel
… and so many more (Saving Francesca, Finnikin of the Rock, The Sky is Everywhere, Tuck Everlasting, The Secret Garden …)! Do you like YA lit? What are your favorites? Have you tried writing YA lit before? What are the critical elements to include in any YA story?
Happy 32nd anniversary to my parents!
After reading this post, some of you will be envious of me. And perhaps you should be.
You see, I happen to have the most wonderful parents in the whole world.
Tom Sommers: my crazy, sometimes spacey dad who loves Jesus, my mom, his kids, Disney World, the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR racing, his sports card collection, long walks, his lovely little hometown, and a horse named Secretariat. My dad is one of the most generous people I have ever met, and I love to watch the efforts he puts into making people’s day … especially when there are kids involved! I have learned so much from this man, and I am so proud to call him Dad!
Ronda Sommers: my crazy, high-energy mom who loves Jesus, my dad, her kids, exercise, Junior Mints, her kindergarteners, the Kimball Church of Christ, anything crafty, SAVERS, and Sgt. Anderson from Tour of Duty. My mom is lovely, really, truly lovely, and she’s one of my best friends. I can tell her anything. She is a prayer warrior.
And they are both hilarious to boot.
I know that these days most people can’t boast about their parents’ marriage, but I can honestly say that these two have an incredible marriage and a wonderful friendship. They have given me and my siblings an incredible example of what it is like to be committed to each other and to choose love every day. I can honestly see that each year they love each other more than the last.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your commitment to each other and to keeping God at the center of your marriage. Congrats on 32 years together … here’s to the next 32! 🙂
JACKIE LEA SOMMERS 