Thursday #Thirstday

 

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

I thought I'd mix it up a little this week and drink hot tea instead of hot chocolate.  Bold move, I know...

 

And I'm reading on my ipad CLOCKWORK PRINCESS by Cassandra Clare.  

What about you?

Thursday #Thirstday

 

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

After translating parent/teacher conferences last night, this is what I wish I was drinking:

of Pepsi, naturally.

But, of course, it will probably end up being this:

or this: 

And I'm reading this:

(my TMT book swap book)

But I'm downloading this:

 

So my friend and I can have a weekend read-along :)

What about you?

(its finally) Thursday #thirstday

 

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

As always, hot chocolate with breakfast and I'm working on Game of Thrones, book 4, A FEAST FOR CROWS.

Thursday #thirstday

 

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

Einstein mug says, "I <3 Coffee"...thought its hot chocolate

What are you reading?

Thursday #Thirstday

 

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

Today is our second day off this week.  Monday we had off for ice, and today because of flooding, believe me, it's legit, I thought I was going to have to build an arc last night.  Apparently, lots of people have lost power too, so I'm feeling very lucky right now.  

Hot cocoa in my new cardinals (red birds) mug, 200 pages left in A STORM OF SWORDS, and halfway through A WRINKLE IN TIME.  I try not to start a new one while I'm still reading, but I left ASOS at school the other afternoon and I needed something!

What are you reading and drinking?

Thursday #thirstday

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

As always, a hot chocolate and.....A Storm of Swords (Game of Thrones Book 3)

Today is a workday because its the end of our semester.  I'm totally rocking my Harry Potter/Hogwarts houses tee-shirt to school today.  I'm also smiling the "Take the picture already!" or the "Tell me when you're taking it." smile.  Good stuff...

Thursday #thirstday

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

Thursday #Thirstday

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

Well, today is the day.  First day back from break.  How will it go?  Will the kids be bonkers?  Will my day be crazy?  Good thing I have this to keep me going....

What are you reading/drinking?

Thursday #thirstday

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

Today, I'm drinking hot chocolate and hopefully reading these books!  These are thanks to the Nerdy Book Club Nerdy Book Awards ("Nerdies"), I haven't read all that had been nominated, so I need to catch up!

What are you reading?

{25 Days of Holiday Book Reviews}: The Bible

Today's guest poster is David Etkin of {Eat the Book}.  He is the host of Thursday #thirstdays, and has been instrumental in various blog tours, including the #Wonderschools tour.  I first met David on Twitter thanks to a monthly Title Talk chat, where we discussed the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness.  David is always so positive and encouraging.  He jokingly wondered (I hope) if being given today to post was an honor or a punishment, and I'd say honor.  I'm so pleased to have him writing today about his favorite book and favorite holiday story, that of Jesus' birth, which is the reason for the holiday season.    

David Etkin’s favorite Christmas book: The Holy Bible 

 As a man of Faith, the Bible is the most important Christmas book to me. Contained in its pages is the very reason why I celebrate the holiday. It is a Holy-day. It is a celebration of the day Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God, was born.

That’s a lot to wrap one’s head around. God—made flesh—born as a babe—the Savior of the World. But that is the beauty of the story. The Gospel spins conventional wisdom on its head time and again. In God’s economy: the poor are rich; those who lose their lives gain it; the lowly are raised up; those who follow are leaders. And Jesus was born as a helpless child, yet he was the King of Kings.

Paul Hankins has quoted a couple times from the beginning of John:

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

Jesus, born on Christmas, is that Word.

The most touching account of Jesus’ birth is found in Luke.

Luke 1:26—38

26God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37For no word from God will ever fail.” 38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. 

 The birth of Jesus takes place in Luke 2:1—21 where we learn that, when Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem for the census, there was no room at the inn so Jesus was born in a manger. After his birth, he was visited by shepherds and magi. But I personally like verse 19:

19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

 It’s amazing to think of Mary, a young lady, going through all this. She wasn’t married when the angel visited her to tell her that she was going to have a child (though not engaging in any child-producing activities) and he would be the Son of the Most High. She had a lot to treasure—a lot to store up in her heart. Yes, Jesus was God made flesh, but he was still her child, her helpless, adorable baby.

 I often tell my students that when reading historical accounts or even historical fiction, we read it knowing what eventually happens. We read it through a retrospective lens. That is why when I read about the German invasion of Poland in WWII in the upcoming Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz and the father, a Polish Jew, says, “Mark my words: This war won’t last more than six months,”—I cringed.

 It is reading the Biblical account of Christmas and Jesus’ birth through this retrospective lens that makes it so powerful. We enjoy this day, but we also know what’s to come.

On Christmas I celebrate the birth of my savior; I treasure these things up in my heart.

But I also know that this baby will become the man Jesus. The man Jesus who, though innocent, was crucified to forgive the sins of the world; to forgive the sins of this writer.

That is part of God’s economy too. And that is a cause to celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas, BlogFriends.

As the angels proclaimed to the Shepherds all those years ago:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

Thank you, Amanda, for giving me the opportunity to share my favorite Christmas book with you. Sincerely,
David Etkin of {Eat the Book}

Thursday #thirstday

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

I've given up on the blogger app for this post.  I think it works well for posts that you are writing at that moment, but not for those that you have saved and want to add to later.  I'll be honest, I copy the picture and opening paragraph from week to week, and then add my picture.  This app doesn't allow me to do that.  So...back to plan A.

Anyway, I'm drinking dark chocolate hot chocolate from my cool snowflake travel mug, finishing up Fake Mustache and starting to read Dash and Lily's Book of Dares (see Sunday's 25 Day's of Holiday Book Reviews...I HAD to read it!)  

What are you reading (and drinking)?

Thursday #Thirstday

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

The Blogger app for the iPhone is turning out to be a pain in my rear.  I can't figure out how to work it.  I insert my pic but then can't save as a draft.  I save this part as a draft and then can't insert my pic.  I need a tutorial, or it needs a swift kick.

So, I tried...again.  It didn't work...again.  I had to do it the old way (which is type the post, take the picture and email it to myself, save the pic to my computer and then upload it).  What a pain in the rear.  Can someone please explain to me how to work the blogger app?

Anyway, this week, I'm drinking Starbucks hot chocolate out of my pretty snowflake travel mug (its so warm here!  I need it to get me in the wintery mood!) and reading Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger (and proudly using my mustache pencil topper).

Some *bling* for 25 Days of Holiday Book Reviews!

David Etkin (of  Eat the Book and @DavidAEkin on twitter) made some fabulous bling buttons for 25 Days of Holiday Book Reviews!  I think they're awesome and hope you guys take a second (if you're on twitter) to tell David how great they are!

Thursday #Thirstday

Thursday is now #Thirstday !  Hosted by David Etkin of Eat The Book you just post a picture of a book and a beverage you're drinking.

Today, I'm testing to see if the Blogger ap on my phone works...if the picture comes out crooked, I'm sorry!  I'm also having trouble opening a post to add my picture...so we'll see...

Today's #thirstday pic is from my desk at school...featuring my "school book" (what I read while I proctor reading benchmarks!) and peppermint hot chocolate from McDonalds!

Hope you have a happy thirstday!