Book 7

Yep...I'm finally here in the 7th book of the The Wheel of Time and I am loving this series!  I cannot thank Mr. Sportel and Mr. Goorhouse enough for recommending it to me.  I picked up the 7th book last week and am 165 pages in already and am looking forward to another strong week of reading.

Friends....that what life is about.  Surround yourself with people who push you to be better than you already are.  This happens in so many different areas...including reading.  I would not be in this series without my friends.  Thanks!

Wheel of Time

At the end of last year my friend and colleague, Mr. Goorhouse, gave a devotion to us as a staff.  His devotion was based off the Bible and a book series called The Wheel of Time.  It was a wonderful devotion and I was intrigued by the series.  So...I underwent the challenge and have begun reading the series.

It is wonderful...but it is hard.  I am currently on page 412 of 978 of book #6.  There are 14 books in the series and every book is at least 900 pages.  To make it more challenging it is Fantasy Literature and there are new characters and new places all the time.  I have begun making character charts just so I can keep things organized in my own head!  All this to say that I am loving the series and highly recommend it. Mr. Sportel has also read this series if you would like another perspective.

Blessings friends and I hope that you too are in a good book as we begin a new year together.

Thr3e

I just finished reading Thr3e also by Ted Dekker.  To be honest, it was a letdown.  I has just come off reading his Trilogy and this seemed interesting to me.  BUT it simply was a thriller about a character with MPD (multiple personality disorder).  I saw the end coming and was not moved but he story...oh well, i read it in two days.

I am moving on to read Green, the sequel to The Circle Trilogy.  I just can't quite get myself to get away from Dekker...yet.  After Green I will move on to another author.

Keep reading friends!

RED

I finished book 2!!!  It was one of those that you just get really caught up in.  I read the 381 pages in three days and have already started on the last book in the trilogy.  RED is such a fun read.  It chronicles the story of what Christ did for us on the cross.  It is raw; it is hard; it is beautiful; it is love.

Thomas Hunter watches as Justin is taken by the Horde.  He doesn't do anything to stop it.  He watches as it happens.  He dives in after and finds true life.

Friends, I cannot recommend this series enough.  It is dynamic and it has changed who I am.  The story of Christ is powerful enough, but to hear through Thomas's eyes as told by Ted Dekker, makes you want to laugh, cry and sing all at once.

Blessings friends as you continue to dive into this gift of reading :)

I wonder...

As I am 50 pages from the end of my book I have many I wonder questions...but the biggest of them is this: I wonder what would have happened if God did not give us the choice in the beginning?

In my book, Tanis, the first born son of all creation just makes a choice.  He is deceived by Teelah, and chooses to have power (although it is not true power). By doing so he unleashes Hell on Heaven and the fall has happened.  What would it have been like if God did not give us the choice in the garden?  Personally, I love that God gives us the choice to follow Him each day.  He does not make us robots, programmed to follow him.  Rather, He invites us into the relationship with Him and smiles like a very proud father when we willingly make that choice.  I think God weeps when one of His children choose a different path, one that leads away form Him.  My prayer is that you all make that choice to follow Him each day.  The journey is full of love, full of adventure, full of difficult moments, and full of grace.

I love you guys.  Enjoy your books.  I hope they push you to think about things differently.

Blessings,

Monday, January 18

MLK was a great man.  I bless God for his courage and for his vision for what things could look like here in America and in the rest of the world.  Standing up for justice is not always easy, in fact most of the time it is incredibly difficult.

Take a few moments and write a blog post about the book you are currently reading.  Is there a character who stands for something?  Is it a good thing?  Do they face trials?  Are the ridiculed for their stance?  Do you admire them for the choice they are making?  How about you...is God asking you to stand up for justice?  How so?

I look forward to reading your responses.  Thanks for taking the time to share.

Blessings,

BLACK

Good to be regularly reading once again...thanks Freshmen class.  I love that time out of my day is now carved out for reading.  I have chosen to being with Black by Ted Dekker.  I have read it before, but like most good books, I like to read them more than once.  I HIGHLY recommend this series.  Black is the first in the CIRCLE TRILOGY.  The next two books are Red and White.  This series helped me think about God in a powerfully visual way and was also a real page turner.  If you get the chance to read this series...dig in...you won't be disappointed.

Blessings friends,

Excited...

My dear Freshmen,

I am so very excited to spend second semester with you!  What a joy it is to re-enter your world.  Last year I was blessed by teaching two sections of English 9.  I missed teaching this class first semester; I am eager to get going with you.  I love that we get to read each day in class together.  I will read alongside you guys and share often in class about the books I am reading.  I look forward to seeing and reading your "READING BLOGS."

Blessings on a new semester,

Mr. Koeman