CRAZY life

What would I change about my life? I don't know. It's been a crazy few weeks...starting with not getting quite enough rest after my event, then going to KS for the weekend to work, then catching up at home and having oral surgery. After a week of feeling poorly from medicines and reactions to medicines, Richard and I went away for 8 days! Wonderful, restful, precious days. Then, we returned.

Cannot get the hang of having a meal cooked everyday...it turned into October and our house is under construction. Richard was gone 5 of 6 days before we went on our trip and 4 days right after. There are electricians, plumbers, construction guys and roofers parked in our lawn.

On Wednesday morning my mom called for help and I was able to go to MH for 4 days and work at her store. It was a scary few days as one of our friends (and a daughter of one of our employees) was unconscious. Mom was headed to market. I was glad to help, but missed a few games, Parent/Teacher conferences...and I was also trying to keep Fun Fest plans moving while I was gone. Richard is at home and mentions that the electrician has broken one of our new large windows.

When I returned home Saturday night we headed to the church to get the first preparations done for our big event on Sunday. Saturday night I couldn't settle down to sleep...and then I heard a mouse at 1am! We thought that guy was gone...but Richard saw him IN OUR ROOM. Sunday morning at 5am Richard wakes up with the first pains of a kidney stone. Oh yeah. Sunday morning after teaching Sunday school, we eat a quick lunch and then head out for our last huge WM trip and Fun Fest prep. Richard must leave with pains, returns and then has to leave for the final time right before we start. The girls pitch in making pitchers of lemonade, heating the nacho cheese, moving pumpkins, tables and candy...the night is a success but we don't leave until around 8:30pm. Sounds early, but I was almost in tears my feet hurt so badly. I fell asleep pretty quickly but couldn't stay asleep.

 

 

 

 



Monday morning Erin wakes us up LOUDLY at 4:45 with a mouse sighting, no more kidney stone pain for Richard, and I must go to Conway. I plan to meet Mom for lunch (she's flying in from market) and put away the end of the Fun Fest items that are out at church all before 8:30am. I'm so tired, I can't talk straight so I decide to take a nap....with the roofers overhead. I'm asleep in 2 minutes as they scrape everything off the roof over Ryan's window, right where I'm sleeping. I was really tired. Conway trip was smooth, and made it back to town in time to take Sheridan to basketball team pictures and a game. Richard texts from on his way to Tulsa and says he's passed the kidney stone. This is good news.

Next weekend I'm $250 committed to having a booth at a holiday market in Russellville. So far in direct competition with that...I have possible jury duty on Thursday, it's Senior night on Friday night for Lauren, Sheridan's last soccer game and picnic is on Saturday, Erin has All Region clinic and concert in Alma on Saturday and Ryan has plans to come home to spend the "whole weekend" with us. Hmmm.

The good news of this morning is that I already have lunch and dinner fixed for us today and Richard got groceries while he was getting his oil changed this morning! Now I need to take Erin a sandwich for lunch and stop by the storage unit on the way home. Maybe a Route 44 drink will be good for today.

Great Read

I gave Ryan this book for Christmas and he read it in the car on the way home from Wisconsin. I was interested enough to take it to AZ with me last weekend and had plenty of time in airports and on airplanes to finish this story. Tim's life was dedicated to the Lord before he was ever concieved, by parents' who loved the Lord and put Him first in their lives. It wasn' that he was born a superstar, he was born into a family who knows God and raised their 5 children to put Him first in their lives as well. Tim's work ethic and moral compass are what has led him to have a HUGE platform to share the message of faith and family. I'm thankful for his story and his faith walk in front of millions of people, many who are critics. All of us don't have this kind of platform, but we all have a circle of influence that we should be lifting toward the Lord.

BEST READ

My dear friend Becky gave me this book last month and I started it while we were on our Spring Break trip. I LOVED every word of this true story told by Katie Davis, a 21 year old who lives in Uganda and has a tremendous story of faith to tell. She has found the very thing God made her for. She has  "given up" the American life for what anyone would call extreme difficulty and opressive poverty. However, she calls her life incredibly blessed and a tribute to God's wonderful grace. Her words are inspiring and her life is like a Bible story where God uses the ordinary in a crazy way, to follow Him and live out His plan.

I am so impressed with her life and also am personally challenged to live out God's command to LOVE. Simply LOVE. It was great timing to read it on our mission trip as I was challenged by the words: "There really shouldn't be any thing called a 'mission trip' for a Christian because we are called to share the Gospel ALL of the time."

It's been one crazy week. May I not just be a hearer of the Word, but a doer as well.

Books I read in 2012

The Breath of Dawn*****by Kristen Heitzmann
Savannah comes Undone***** by Denise Hildreth
Savannah from Savannah***** by Denise Hildreth
Promise me Always***byChristine Lynxwiler (re-read)
Heiress (Daughters of Fortune)**by Susan May Warren
Jenna's Cowboy***by Sharon Gillenwater
Taming Rafe (Noble Legacy #2)*****by Susan May Warren
Reclaiming Nick (Noble Legacy #1)*****by Susan May Warren
The Convenient Groom (A Nantucket Love Story)*****by Denise Hunter
Full Disclosure*****by Dee Henderson
The Prince of Nantucket*by Jan Goldstein
Letters from the Enemy***by Susan May Warren
My Foolish Heart******by Susan May Warren
Hook, Line and Sinker****by Susan May Warren
The Accidental Bride (A Big Sky Romance)*****by Denise Hunter
Wings of the Morning*****by Lori Wick (re-read)
Who Brings Forth the Wind*****by Lori Wick (re-read)
The Hawk and the Dove*****by Lori Wick (re-read)
Coming Home (Baxter Family Finale)****by Karen Kingsbury
Deadly Pursuit (Guardians of Justice #2) by Irene Hannon
Perfecting Kate***by Tamara Leigh
Fatal Judgement (Guardians of Justice #3)*****by Irene Hannon
Hello, Hollywood! (Backstage Pass #2)****by Janice Thompson
Stars Collide: A Novel (Backstage Pass #1)****by Janice Thompson
Stealing Adda  by Tamara Leigh
White Pearls***by Shannon Vannatter
Licensed for Trouble (PJ Sugar #3) *****by Susan May Warren
Double Trouble (PJ Sugar #2) *****by Susan May Warren
Nothing but Trouble (PJ Sugar #1) *****by Susan May Warren
Alaska Twilight***by Coleen Coble
First Date**by Krista McGee
Faking Grace*****by Tamara Leigh
Nowhere Carolina (Southern Comfort #2) ****by Tamara Leigh
Leaving Carolina (Southern Comfort #1) ****by Tamara Leigh
The Sweet By And By**Sara Evans
perfectly invisible (#2) **Kristin Billerbeck
perfectly dateless (#1) **Kristin Billerbeck
Allegheny Hopes***Janice A Thompson
Halos****Kristin Heitzeman (re-read)
A Billion Reasons Why****Kristin Billerbeck
Through My Eyes*****Tim Tebow and Nathan Whitiker
Kisses from Katie*****Katie Davis
A  Case for Love (#3)***** Kaye Dacus
Cool Beans****** Erynn Mangum (re-read)

Books I've Read in 2011

Love Remains*****


Yuletide Hearts*****

The Doctor's Perfect Match****

Seaside Reunion*****

Longing******

distant heart****

The Inheritance******

From This Day Forward*****

Tides of Hope****

Apprentice Father****

English Ivy*****

Rainbow's End ****

The Unexpected Gift ***

The Best Gift ***

How Do I Love Thee? ***

Love on a Dime*****

Fools Rush In*****

The Affectionate Adversary ****

In Harm's Way ******

An Eye for an Eye *****

Against All Odds *****

Megan's Promise***

Leaving****

Dining with Joy****

Sommerfeld Trilogy****

Sweet Caroline****

The Duet***

Courting Miss Ames****

The Glory of Green****

Goodness Gracious Green****

Gone to Green***

Leaving*****

When All My Dreams Come True****

Softly and Tenderly*****

The Celebrity****

The Middle Mom******

Minnesota Mysteries***

Invisible***

In Search of Eden*****

Unlocked*****

Bittersweet****

Don't Waste Your Life*****

A Place to Belong***

An Undivided Heart***

Round the Corner***

The Sister Circle***

Someone to Belong To***

Looking For You All My Life***

Everything I Long For***

A Place to Come Home to***

Love Returns to the Valley****

Invisible***

Inspired

I just finished Longing, by Karen Kingsbury. It's third in a series about a young girl named Bailey who is finding her way after college through relationships, family, her past, and her future. I can't decide if I'm more inspired to raise my children to be LONGING for the Lord or more guilt-ridden because I don't LONG for Him enough myself. I'm positive KK's purpose would be for me to be to improve in both areas. I am aware that these stories are fiction, however a true, abiding relationship with the Lord is not. Today I purpose to be intentional about stretching my faith, filling myself with Him before I seek other things, and praying for my children to LONG for the love of the Lord more than anything else in their lives.

*There is a part of me that has always wanted to be a writer. To put on paper what circles around in my head. Not my own thoughts, but those the Lord gives me in times when it could only be Him. KK is one of the best real-life authors out there and I'm so thankful for these books to be out there in the mainstream bookstores to inspire many to want the love of the Lord.

Read this

This last week I didn't get home until very late and only wanted to slip into a hot bath. My mind was spinning with sale stuff, and I needed to "unwind" before I tried to go to sleep. I had a Karen Kingsbury book a friend had given me and as tired as I was, I read at least 3 chapters each night.

This is a great story with a great theme. It deals with autism and it is encouraging and uplifting. It is a story of hope and faith and choices.

Books I've Read in 2010

I transfered this list directly from the home page of my blog and lost all the links.

Lady of the River****

Choosing to SEE*****

A Home in the Valley****

Storm Gathering*****

Storm Surge*****

Splitting Storm******

White Doves*****

White Roses*****

Honor's Reward*****

Honor's Disguise*****

Honor's Quest*****

Honor's Price*****

Honor's Pledge*****

Talk of The Town****

The Buck Stops Here*****

Double Shot*****

Latte Daze*****

Cool Beans*****

Until We Reach Home***

Through Waters Roar***

Take Four*****

Take Three*****

So You're About to be a Teenager*****

Finding Anna*****

Dark Waters****

Splitting Harriet****

SAHM I Am***

Shadows of Lancaster County*****

Colossians*****

The Unquenchable Worshipper*****

Emerald Windows****

Wildflower Hearts (3 in 1)****

The House That Cleans Itself****

Ephesians*****

Titus*****

As Sure As the Dawn*****

An Echo in the Darkness*****

A Voice in the Wind*****

Promise Me Tomorrow*****

Down Home with the Neelys***

Growing Up Christian*****

True Courage*****

That Certain Spark****

Revelation*****

Moon Over Tokoyo***

Piece de Resistance (3)****

Bon Appetit (2)****

Let Them Eat Cake (1)****

Shades of Blue*****

Newlywed Games****

Wings of the Dawn*****

The Case for Christ (student edition) *****

Three Weddings and a Giggle***

Allegeny Hopes (3 in 1)**

Honor in the Dust***

The Road Home***

My favorite things

I love to read. I love good books. There are A LOT of books out there that aren't really worth the time, but here are some of my favorites I've finished in the last month.

Can't tell you how much I loved RE-READING an oldie but so-good ROCKY MOUNTAIN series (5) by Kristin Heitzmann. Because they are older, the books are very affordable at christianbook.com but might also be available at church and public libraries, if they have a pretty good religious section. Strong characters, weaving storyline, romance and turmoil make the HONOR SERIES one I would suggest. Don't be put off by the old covers. Abbi's story is way to good for you to pass up. By the way, I've read every book Kristin Heitzmann has published and they are all different and good.

Also, I just finished the second series by new (young) author Erynn Mangum. I was tickled to win a copy of her last book DOUBLE SHOT. I have shared both of her series with Erin (my reader) and she was threating me if I didn't finish the last book before she was ready for it! Twenty-something characters, lots of coffee, and big decisions make these books about MAYA DAVIS a GREAT READ.

If you're just hearing about Erynn, DO NOT MISS the Miss Match series (3). SO good.

Great Read

Now that my business season is over, I've gotten back to reading. While in BA we were located right beside a great used & new book store. While Jane (my dear friend and also a voracious reader) was there helping me, I sent her over to scout out the store and find us some new books! None of our favorite authors have written a new book in awhile...Dee Henderson, Kristin Heitzemann, Lori Wick.

Finding Anna is the story of Anna and Gates Spafford who survived the Chicago fire, helped thousands of survivors rebuild homes and lives, had 4 children, and were friends of famous evangelist D.L. Moody and his wife Emma.

It was a story based on their lives and the tragedy that they experienced after the fire and through the rebuilding of their lives. I don't want to spoil the story for you by telling you what Mr Spafford is famous for, I had heard of this man several different times in my life and because I knew the ending I was looking for it.

This family had their faith tested several times and the book was written showing them as human and real.

I finished the book today and have been a little melancholy since. I'm saddened by their story and yet encouraged by their faith. It's a great read and I encourage you to find it.

It is perfect for teen readers too.

The Unquenchable Worshipper

The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship

I can't tell you how much I loved reading this book. It was inspiring in a hundred different ways and it had nothing to do with how much I like to sing or serving in the church. It has everything to do with our hearts...constantly staying in a state of hunger for our Lord.

It ran perfectly with our Bible Study this week...danger #3 in growing up in a Christian home is loving the world. God gave me an annalogy to this whole issue and I shared that it's like going to Red Lobster and filling up on those biscuits and not being hungry for the real meal. They got that, and so did I. Poison is not necessarily the thing that is going to get us "church kids" it's "nibbling at the table of the world" and filling ourselves so we're not hungry for Him. I think you can see how far this analogy could go. It's a visual for me.

Matt Redman wonderfully describes a worshipper who is UNDONE, UNDIGNIFIED, UNPREDICATABLE, UNVEILED, UNSTOPPABLE, UNNOTICED, UNDIVIDED, UNSATISFIED AND UNENDING. Not just good alliteration but deep, rich words that describe the worshippers God has recorded in His word and those who are our heroes of the faith.

When I read this book I was convicted of my luke warm attitudes but I was also challenged to be characterized by these UN-words. If you want a good read...pick it up. It's a small book, can fit in your purse and it has life-changing capabilities.

Funny Books

Awhile back I picked up some Susan May Warren books at our local library about rescues under the name Team Hope and they were good. I googled her and found out she had lots of other works including the Deep Haven series (I had read these a long time ago) and I ordered this Josey series because the reviews sounded good and I needed something new. Now, it seems that SMW has been writing for awhile, I just hadn't noticed her name on some of the 4-in-1 books that are out and also some 20 other books she has published.

I really enjoyed reading these books! The characters are people I could've gone to school with or met in town. They are real! Josey is a very average girl from Minnesota who decides to go to Russia to be a missionary. This is about as far as she can get from her friends, her family, her skills, her comfort zone. It made me wonder if I could do what she did (the author was actually a missionary in Russia at one time). She starts out way over her head and that is where the funny scenes take place. These books are definitely self-discovery on the part of the main character...and there are truths in each book for all of us to think about for ourselves.

I think books 2 and 3 are even better than the first. If you can get your hands on these, they are worth the time!

Book 1: Everything's Coming Up Josey!
Book 2: Chill Out, Josey!
Book 3: Get Cozy, Josey!

Funny Books!

I found a series I have to share! I loved this funny set of books by Erynn Magnum. It is about a 20-something gal who is addicted to coffee and chocolate, has a great group of friends and family and she is a match maker in her singles Bible study. It made me laugh out loud! I love a fresh book series!
Enjoy!

Book Suggestion

I just finished "In the Presence of my Enemies." This book is a biography of Gracia Burnham who was a hostage in the Philippine jungle with her husband, Martin, for one year! Martin and Gracia lived in the Philippines with their three children. He was a pilot with New Tribes Mission, delivering mail, supplies, and encouragement to missionaries on the islands.

I'm so small minded, I could hardly comprehend the facts of their daily treks through the jungle, little (if any) food, guns pointed on them, their friendships with their guards (!), the sleeping (or lack of sleep) issues...for one year!

Gracia takes the reader through the long months (2001-2002) and is openly honest about her struggles with her faith and God's promises. I was thinking, "You can doubt! You're being held hostage!" Her husband was her encourager to stand firm in her faith and no doubt it was our VERY BIG GOD who kept His eye on them throughout their ordeal.

It has impacted my prayers for missionaries who are called to do extraordinary feats to proclaim His sovereignty. Please consider reading, In the Presence of My Enemies.

What to read? NONFICTION

It's been interesting what books have popped into my mind these last few days, knowing I wanted to post about nonfiction that I would recommend. I typically choose a nonfiction book based on whatever I'm going through at that time so all books may not be good for all seasons. This list won't be exhaustive on any front, but these are the books I put out money for, and I have read and/or referenced later.


SPIRITUAL GROWTH:
My favorite books are by Elizabeth George. I read these books as fast as they came out and I really felt they were feeding my roots in my spiritual walk. I not only read them but found them perfect for ladies small groups that we were starting in our church at that time and then later for Sunday School when I taught a ladies class. She is so down to earth and has the most wonderful stories to help teach her points. Her books include:
LOVING GOD WITH ALL YOUR MIND
A WOMAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART
A WOMAN'S HIGH CALLING
A WOMAN'S CALL TO PRAYER
GOD'S WISDOM FOR A WOMAN'S LIFE
A WOMAN'S WALK WITH GOD - my absolute favorite- growing in the Fruit of the Spirit


Most of her books come with questions at the back for the chapters- but the study guides you can buy separately are worth the cost.



It will come as no surprise that I think Beth Moore is a friend of God and a wonderful communicator. Because our Beth Moore classes are on Wed nights and I have led children's choir at the same time, I haven't been in a class. I have read several of her books and my favorites are JESUS, THE ONE AND ONLY, and most recently PRAYING GOD'S WORD.

INTIMACY WITH THE ALMIGHTY is the smallest book I own with the most powerful message. Charles Spurgeon wrote this and it is so rich with challenges to be closer to the Lord.


PARENTING:
It really depends on where I'm at in the process. Somedays I'm hunting down one of the books on raising boys, other days I'm looking for personality temperments clarification, and some days I need a controlling my anger (self control) books...

If you know me at all you know I think the Babywise, Toddlerwise, PreSchoolwise, Childwise, and Teenwise books are handbooks for parents. I haven't ever read something in these books that wasn't appealing as a parent and worth it to try to follow. These books have been a help to many many parents trying to raise children who were blessings to the world and lovers of Jesus. I highly recommend these books by Gary Ezzo and friends. (available at www.gfi.org)
Other books that are tools for us:
MAKING BROTHERS AND SISTERS BEST FRIENDS by the Mally siblings





PARENTING TODAY'S ADOLESCENT by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
10 THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTER TO KNOW by Annie Chapman


There are so many more in this category. I really listen to my mentors about what they're reading. I ask about books for whatever specific interest I have at the time.
I have a great book on potty training, puberty, and intimacy, which were all GREAT at the time, but I'm not sure they'd be in my all time list!


ORGANIZING:
Karen Ehman's THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GETTING AND STAYING ORGANIZED. This is a must have! I have implemented a lot of her ideas and brought order from chaos in our home. I'd implement more, but I can't find my copy! check it out here

MARRIAGE & FAMILY:
Again, so many good ones. But beware, so many bad ones too. Short list:
Other than the afore mentioned Elizabeth George books,
THE SHAPING OF A CHRISTIAN FAMILY by Elizabeth Elliot


Nonfiction books I'm going to read this summer include:
Love and Respect
Blue Like Jazz

Please feel free to give me some suggestions. Like I said in my FICTION post, I'm always looking for a new book or author to read.

What to read? FICTION

OK, this post is for my friends who are always calling me from the library wanting to know what author I had recommended. I read A LOT in the summer and I typically re-read books in the summer from my favorites list. I try to balance fiction with nonfiction and these are some of my favorite FICTION PICKS:

I picked up reading Christian fiction about 7 years ago. We were going through a terrible time with a business failing and besides juggling the store, church obligations, sending my kids to public school for the first time (!), taking care of 3 year old Erin, taking a part time afternoon job to help with income...we were stressed out. ALL THAT TO SAY, I was having trouble getting to sleep at night (so many things on my mind) and I picked up a book my mom was reading...I haven't stopped since! Oh yes, and it is a free hobby if you have a library nearby!

I love family, I love purity,and I love a good romance. I'm all about a Cinderella story. LORI WICK books are all so good for this. She writes a lot of period books, and they were what I started on. Many are quick reads (250 pages) and have good story lines. She also has some wonderful contemporary books like Sophie's Heart, Pretense, and Bamboo and Lace.
My favorite book is The Princess, and I've read it about 5 times! Good books to take on vacation!

When I started to look for something different I ran across a book on display at my local Wal Mart that looked interesting. WOW, I was on to something. The book had just been published and I like to think of myself as one of DEE HENDERSON's first BIG FANS. I could not get enough!
Dee Henderson writes Christian suspense books. Her most popular series (and I mean millions and millions sold) is the O'Malley Series. There are 7 books in this series and they are so good I have read them about 3 times through! Really, the books take place in Chicago and I have wanted to go to Chicago and meet the O'Malleys! Oh, yeah, I'm crazy!

She has another series (4 books) that are also suspense about the military and the first one is TRUE DEVOTION. These books were really eye-opening about Navy Seals and war time. I liked them and I have NO military background. After she became very famous the book publishers went back to her earlier writings and published God's Gift and The Marriage Wish. These are good, but I can't say enough about the O'Malley series.

Another suspense (more mystery) writer I like is TERRI BLACKSTOCK. This summer (this week) I'm re-reading her SUN CHRONICLES SERIES and I'll probably read the NEWPORT 911 series. She is a former secular writer who gave her heart to the Lord and started writing really great Christian fiction. One of my favorite parts of her book is her comment pages in the back of the book. She reveals her heart about the book and a challenging Biblical principle she learned while writing the book. She seems like a very real person with a heart for Him. Personally, I didn't care for her latest series, I think it is called Last Light. It was a little freaky to me.

KRISTIN HEITZMANN gets very little publicity but I haven't read a book of hers I didn't like. Her books are a little historical fiction/romance/suspense. The HONOR SERIES is 4 books long and easy read. Great strong female characters make her books great for us ladies!
I don't buy many books but I do have her DIAMONDS IN THE ROCKIES series (3 books). They are California, gold rush, strong lady and mysterious mountain man books. GREAT READ. She followed them up a few years later with a contemporary book called Secrets. GOOD STUFF TOO. She has several stand alone books too (not a series).


KAREN KINGSBURY books are HOT right now! I haven't read all of her books because they are all contemporary and honestly, I can't handle the real emotional struggles of some of her characters and conflicts. HOWEVER, I do love and HIGHLY RECOMMEND some of her books. THE REDEMPTION SERIES is about the Baxter family and this family is precious! They end up in all kind of situations that we all will come in contact with: cancer, affairs, health crisis, pregnancies, drug use, adoption, etc. Karen Kingsbury handles these situations so well! This 4 book series evolved into an 8 book series, and then she is now completing the last 4 books about families connected to the original books. These are good!

I would also HIGHLY RECOMMEND from Karen:
ONE TUESDAY MORNING and AFTER TUESDAY MORNING,
A THOUSAND TOMORROWS and ABOVE THE CLOUDS,
LIKE DANDELION DUST (this is being made into a movie for late 2008)

OK, Other FAVORITES:

LYNN MORRIS/GILBERT MORRIS - DR CHENEY SERIES, (historical fiction, so good!)

MINDY STARNES CLARK -
THE MILLIONAIRE MYSTERIES and her SMART CHICK SERIES! (FUNNY!FUNNY!)




LIZ CURTIS HIGGS -
BOOKENDS (one of the funniest books I've ever read!)


That should be enough to read for this summer, if you haven't read much before! I have other books that are good, but these are at the top of my list. Please leave me a word if you have some other suggestions...I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A NEW AUTHOR TO LOVE!

Thank you Jane who fed my habit over the years by sharing your books with me!

TWO OTHER THINGS I SIMPLY MUST ADD...(for those of you who made it to the bottom of this post):

**At different times during the last few years I have slipped into craving a fiction read. I mean, I would get up in the morning and couldn't wait to get back to my story. Well, it's not good to be so thirsty for fiction and not thirsty for the WORD. I wouldn't encourage anyone to get so into reading that they forget that they must MINE TRUTHS from THE SOURCE. Reading is simply entertainment that needs to stay in it's place.

**Also, and I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't really mean it...don't read a lot of romance if your own romance is floundering. Heroes and Heroines all have the perfect words and unbelievable brilliantness in all situations. Hello! They've been edited and re-edited! If you ever start to compare characters to people in your life, you need to back off the heroes and seek some good counsel from THE HERO.