Every Day is a Winding Road

This verse has been on my heart lately as I navigate the valleys of life. It fits perfectly with the theme of this season of our life. In the past, my mentality towards tough times has always been, "why me and why now?" God never puts more than you can handle on your plate, right? My plate's pretty full, but he must know what he is doing. I am so much more thankful for the testing and challenging times now, because that's where the growth is... that is where God has refined me and taught me more than I would have ever known. I want to enjoy the fullness of life, the ups and downs, the happy, the sad... all of it and if I have to go through some valleys, I'll appreciate coming out of them even that much stronger!

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." James 1:2-4

I am obsessed with kids books. I love em. You would think that almost one year out of the classroom I would be over them... but no. Every single time we make the trek up to the Barnes and Noble, where do I go? Straight to the children's section, and that is where I find myself browsing almost the entire time that we are there. There are so many deep themes and interesting stories to be told in a book written to an audience whose average age is 12. Here are my top 10 all time favorite kids chapter books that I highly recommend when you are in the mood for quick reads with some depth :) Some of them are laugh out loud funny while others are tissue box worthy for sure!

1. Granny Torelli Makes Soup by: Sharon Creech
2. Locomotion by: Jacqueline Woodson ( free verse poetry!)
3. The Tale of Despereaux by: Kate DiCamillo
4. Each Little Bird That Sings by: Deborah Wiles
5. Bud Not Buddy by: Christopher Paul Curtis
6.Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
7. The Watsons Go to Birmingham by: Christopher Paul Curtis
8. Love That Dog by: Sharon Creech
9. Sahara Special by: Esme Raji Codell
10. Trouble Don't Last by: Shelley Pearsall