Seven.

C.S. Lewis once said, “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”  I may disagree with him about the *length* of books (certain ones like Les Miserables were tough for me to get through!), but I can agree that you can never have too many books.  Although I still have quite a few books around the house that are waiting to be read, these are a few that I've had my eye on recently.

1.  Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey (coming out in November 2013)

2.  Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back by Frank Schaeffer

3.  A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

4.  Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years by Jim Fay and Charles Fay

5.  AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes and How It Hurts Our Country by Kathy Roth-Douquet and Frank Schaeffer

6.  [Untitled - Third Book in Divergent Trilogy] by Veronica Roth (coming out Fall 2013)

7.  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

guest post: Improving A Veteran's Health

Things have been a little slow on the blog lately as we have been recovering from the holidays, getting over some illness and discussing some changes in our future.  However when Emily Walsh, the Community Outreach Director for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance, contacted asking if she could guest post here about healthy lifestyles for veterans, I was more than happy to oblige!  Below the article there's a short bio about Emily and a link to read more of her writing so be sure to check that out!

If you have served in the military, there is no way that anyone can repay your debt.

While most veterans are proud of their accomplishment, many of them leave the

military and suffer from a number of military-related ailments. PTSD, mesothelioma

and other problems are common for veterans of all ages. It does not matter the

branch of military you served in or what you did while serving, you still need to take

care of yourself when you are not on active duty. There are several things you can

do yourself that will improve the entire quality of your life. 

One thing you can do that will improve your life is to exercise more often. Many

people, especially veterans, tend to become very sedentary later on in life. You may

find yourself working a desk job or dealing with a disability that causes you to stay

home all day. Whatever the case, there is an exercise out there that you can do.

Even veterans who are in wheelchairs can exercise often and should get out of the

house in order to do so. Getting out into the fresh air or joining a busy local gym are

two ways for you to feel good and bring more physical activity into your life. 

Your diet can also affect the way you look, feel and live. A poor diet filled with junk

and processed foods is not good for anyone and can cause major weight problems

and diabetes. The best way to avoid these problems is to simply change your diet

and watch your weight carefully. Try to avoid going on fad diets that only offer

temporary results. Instead, aim to change the way you eat and feast on more

wholesome foods each day. For example, swap out white rice with brown and switch

to sweet potatoes and ditch the white kind. You'll find that these easy changes make

for amazing results. 

Your doctor should also be consulted and visited on a routine basis. Your doctor is

the only one who is going to be able to tell you if there is anything wrong with you or

if you need to be put on any type of medication. If you're suffering with PTSD,

anxiety or depression, you should bring these things up when in the office. If you're

dealing with physical problems, your doctor can either perform surgery, send you for

physical therapy or even prescribe you a medication. 

You should be doing everything in your power to ensure a healthy and productive

life. There is no reason for you to sulk at home even if you have an emotional,

mental or physical disorder. There are quite a few things you can do at home for

yourself that will improve your health and well-being. This is why you need to

implement these changes and make them part of your life so that you can become a

more whole individual. Veterans, especially, need to look over their health more

carefully than normal people out there.

As the Community Outreach Director for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance, Emily Walsh dedicates much of her time building cancer awareness through social media and blogging. To read more from Emily go to www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/emily/. 

Thanks again, Emily, for the great information!