Can you guess these fictional mothers?

 

 

Happy Mothers Day (Photo credit: godserv)

 

A good fictional mom is hard to find.  Here are our top eight.  Can you guess who they are? We included a quote to help you.

 1. Loving mother who teaches her son well and sacrifices her life for him when danger comes.  She remains unnamed in the story.

 

  “Where one thing falls, another grows.  Maybe not what was there before, but something wonderful just the same.”

 

 2. Crusty adoptive mom who lives with her brother and takes in a young girl after hoping to take in a boy to help with the farm.

 

 “Anne Shirley, I wouldn’t trade you for a dozen boys.”

 

3. Single mom writer who sacrifices her life for her babies leaving them in the care of a humble pig.

 

 ”It’s true, and I have to say what’s true.”


 

4. Nameless mom who crawls in her adult son’s bedroom window to rock him to sleep.

 

 “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”

 

5. Loving mother and wife who loves her family and quilting and gardening. Sets a good example in prayer and love.

 

 “When the TV is on all day without rest, Mama knows it’s too much, and Mama knows best.”

 

6. Tough woman who loves her husband and children while struggling to live the hard life on the prairie.

 

“This earthly life is a battle. If it isn’t one thing to contend with, it’s another. It always has been so, and it always will be. The sooner you make up your mind to that, the better off you are, and the more thankful for your pleasures.”

 

7. A devout woman who raises spiritual children with encouragement and love.

 

  “Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, till you find your dream.”

 

8. A strong, faithful mother raising four daughters while her husband is off at war.

 

 “Our burdens are here, our road is before us, and the longing for goodness and happiness is the guide that leads us through many troubles and mistakes to the peace which is a true Celestial City.”

 

Did you get them all?  Are there more?

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers:  biological, adoptive, and spiritual,

 

Betsy and Laurie

 

Pat Conroy on Books

“Books are living things and their task lies in their vows of silence. . . If you do them the favor of understanding them, of taking in their portions of grief and wisdom, then they settle down in contented residence in your heart.”

Pat Conroy, My Reading Life

Does it Matter What We Read?

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

“He is careful of what he reads, for that is what he will write. He is careful of what he learns, for that is what he will know.”

— Annie Dillard (The Writing Life)

What are you reading today?  Is it worth putting into your mind? Does it even matter what we read?

Betsy and Laurie

What we are reading: Iscariot by Tosca Lee

What we are reading:

Iscariot: A Novel of Judas by Tosca Lee.

I love books that bring a fresh look at scripture.  This book takes us into the life of Jesus through the eyes of Judas, an eye-witness to the miracles and events.

Tosca brings in details and emotion to the stories of Jesus that tug at the heart in an authentic way.  This passage describing interaction with the leper brings tears to my eyes.

     I could not mistake the way his voice broke as he cupped the leper’s face.  As he said again: “I am willing.”
     His thumbs brushed over the boils of the leper’s cheek, over the lesions rimming his mouth like the uneven stones lining the well in the desert.  It was not the touch one gives an abomination, not the perfunctory graze of the physician . . . but the caress of one moved to weeping over the sight of something beautiful.  The man dropped his head down into the Nazarene’s palm, and sobbed.
     “Be clean.”

Insights from Iscariot make me think in new ways about Jesus:

     My master had dirtied his hands on the leper and the paralytic both.  Now he dirtied them publicly with the tax collector.  I began to wonder if that was the way it was, that one must dirty his hands to heal.

As we enter the world of Judas through story we begin to see ourselves as not so different from the one who betrayed Jesus.

     I am the leper.  The demoniac.  I, who was paralyzed by fear, who was blind.
     The prostitute, the dead man in the tomb.
     Me, All me.

There are not always easy answers in scripture and this story of Judas has always brought up more questions for me than answers.  I love that this book does not try to leave us with answers but rests in the power of a story well told.

     They called him a madman.  They called him a liar.  But now I know him as the face of God. Who does not save us from the Romans . . .
But saves us from ourselves.

Have you read it?  Please share.

Laurie and Betsy

What Are You Reading?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:8

We don’t know how many years we have left to live– nobody does.  We also don’t know how many books we have left in life to read.  Maybe one. Maybe many. There is a finite number.

When I started thinking about reading this way it changed my reading selection.  I began to be more discerning.  For every book that I read, there is one that I don’t get to read.  I don’t want to waste my choices.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

We are always looking for selections that are entertaining, well written, transforming, and  renewing. This applies to fiction and nonfiction.

We want to share the good ones that we find.   What have you read that would qualify?  Have you read anything lately that is excellent and praiseworthy?

Please share!

Laurie and Betsy