A captivating and inspiring tale of exploration, human endurance and survival. It’s hard to believe this is a true story. An amazing book for anyone ages 12 or up.
This book was a breath of fresh air for my soul! It reminded me to slow down and live with intention.
The authors words and methods were simple and life-giving. He doesn’t give you more to do, but plows the path towards less. He shows the reader how to ENJOY this ONE life we’ve been given.
“Through life-giving practices, grounded in the life of Jesus, we gain access to life power beyond our own.” – John Mark Comer
Benjamin Franklin was a fascinating man with so much creativity and wisdom. I loved learning about his life and adventures (and antics)! I had no idea that so many things we use today were thought up by HIM. I loved this story – it would make a great book to read to kids ages 8 and up!
I just finished “Think Again” by Adam Grant. This book presents a case for why it’s helpful to be a lifelong learner vs. someone who is ‘set in their ways’ or a ‘know-it-all.’
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You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it think.
Adam Grant
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In this book, Adam Grant says that people can fall into in four different camps:
Preacher: I often act on faith alone in my quest for the truth.
Prosecutor: I seek to win using evidence, often by attacking the other side and dismissing their evidence.
Politician: I seek to win using my belief system, often by attacking the other side.
However, the best way to approach life would be the:
4. Scientist: I rely on evidence with the goal of finding the truth. I am happy to change my belief (hypothesis) when confronted with evidence.
The Scientist mindset can be summed up with one simple phrase: “I might be wrong.”
I thought the illustration he used in the book was funny:
After finishing the book, I paused to consider times in my life where I’ve had to “Think Again.” There are many – marriage and parenting give me plenty of times to ‘re-think’ what I’m doing. In fact, a successful relationship requires regular rethinking. For example: Learning not to be late or being open to moving and planting roots in a new community.
However…
The first and biggest time I had to “THINK AGAIN” was after meeting this handsome guy named Ted Egly.
I liked Ted immediately … but he was not for me. I thought Ted was amazing. I thought he would make a perfect boyfriend/husband … for someone else.
Why? Because I had a “list.”
In college I made a list of what was required of the person I date and marry. Did you have a list like that?
On that list were two things that disqualified Ted. My list said that a person I was going to date/marry MUST:
Be OLDER than me
and
have more education than me.
Ted is two years younger and hadn’t finished college yet, so I could not date him. Instead, I tried to fix him up with my younger sister.
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“He’s like a brother to me. I can’t date him,” she said.
“You are CRAZY!” I responded, “He’s PERFECT!”
“Then you date him.” She answered flatly, turned around, and walked away.
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This was it. This was the time I had to re-think that ‘must have’ list.
I had other things on my ‘must’ list. Ted passed every one.
Was he a man of faith? Yes.
Was he a man of integrity? Yes.
Was he kind? Yes.
Was he a leader among his peers? Yes.
Did he have good relationships with his family members? Yes.
Was he hard-working? Yes.
Was he smart? Yes.
Was he funny? Yes!
However:
Was he older than me? No.
Was he more educated than me? (No, not yet)
Were those last two things deal-breakers, or could I re-think my list?
Thankfully, I decided to THINK AGAIN…and the rest is history!
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PS – If you talk to Ted, ask him how he also had to THINK AGAIN about dating me.
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Can you think of a situation in your life that you’ve had to ‘THINK AGAIN?’ Has there been a time you were sure about something, and then as you grew, asked questions, did your own research, changed your mind?
Think Again is full of stories of people who chose to “Think Again” and others who do not, and how it affected who and where they are today.
A visit to the Bakken Museum has been on my bucket list since moving to Minnesota in 2018, and we finally made it happen.
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The beautiful home was orginally built by Mr. William E. Goodfellow, who owned Goodfellow Dry Goods in Minneapolis. Later, the home was purchased Earl Bakken, the inventor of the pacemaker and founder of Medtronic. He used this mansion not as a home, but a place to display things he’d collected over the years. In time, the mansion became the Bakken Museum, with a mission to nurture a love of science in all who visit.
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The museum is filled with hands-on exhibits that teach kids about science and electricity. The activities are entertaining for a wide range of ages.
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Upon entering the museum, the staff offered my boys a scavenger hunt. This kept them all engaged and allowed us to explore the entire museum. My boys were looking closely at displays they may have missed if they weren’t on the ‘hunt.’
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There is a Frankenstein show that combines history, art, and science. The show takes about 10 minutes. It’s not super- scary, but I don’t recommend it for kids under six. My older boys thought it was cool.
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The grounds outside the Bakken museum are beautiful. I could have spent a couple hours in the garden area if I’d brought a book to read (and didn’t have four busy boys in tow).
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The museum takes about two hours to explore, and parking is free.
Bakken Museum Address: 3537 Zenith Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55416
My last post included the 50+ titles I read in 2020, here’s a list of my absolute favorites. These are the top ten (plus some honorable mentions). If you haven’t read these – I recommend you add them to your “to read” list in 2021!
Read this post to the end to see how to win two of my favorite books of the year. Giveaway has ended.
This book is a warm blanket on a cold day. It’s a gentle push in the right direction. The author is someone I worked with at New Life Church. He’s a great leader, pastor, and friend.
This book answers the questions:
How do we become the kind of people who know how to handle whatever life throws at us?
Being a mom can wear your down, this book will BUILD YOU UP! I know as moms that we don’t have a lot of time to read, but this book is WORTH your TIME!! Each chapter is SHORT and easy to read. This book gives you a ‘boost’ of inspiration for the day. Perfect for any mom with young children.
A super short, easy-to-read book that I could recommend to every person in this world. Whether you are grieving something simple like canceled plans, or something much larger – like divorce or loss of a loved one – this book is a MUST READ!
I think every family should own a copy of this book! The short devotionals teach something about science and how it connects us with God. This is one of those books where kids AND parents enjoy reading and learning together. We found each page fascinating.
This book was written by a parent and psychologist. I found it practical, extremely helpful, and even inspiring. It’s a book I’ll go back to again and again.
They say that truth is better than fiction, and this book is the PERFECT example of that. The author had me hooked from the very first page. She does an excellent job of recreating her childhood so the reader feels like they were there. I could feel her pain, joy, and disappointment. It’s an incredible story of survival, perseverance and resilience by four children being raised in the midst of poverty. Her story surprised me constantly – from how smart her parents were in some aspects, to absolutely dysfunctional in other areas. What an interesting story!
This is such a wonderful, powerful book. I listened to it on my free Hoopla app, but this year I’m going to buy and read my own hard copy. This book is full of good truths about the enormous love God has for each one of us – just as we are. This book would make a great gift. Thanks to my sister, Krista, for the recommendation!
Janet’s biographies are so easy-to-read and incredibly engaging! They are great books to read aloud with your children. If you are a home school parent – her books are a great resource for history. If your children need to read chapter books for school, I recommend these!
I read 6 of her biographies this year, and the ones I enjoyed most were:
Harriet Tubman!!! This book shares hard and fascinating stories about Harriet Tubman. I can’t believe one woman did so much in her life. She was a phenomenal woman! This book is a must read!
George Washington – My son George and I were so in awe of our first president after reading this book together. George said he wished I would have named him George Washington Egly.
Theodore Roosevelt by Janet Benge – An intriguing summary of Theodore Roosevelt’s life.
The book is the true story of a man who spends many years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. After he works through the anger of being wrongfully imprisoned, he realizes they’ve stolen his life but they can‘t steal his joy. He chooses to make a positive difference right there on death row. He brought light and life to a very dark place. He gets to know each prisoner. This story shares an excellent example of CHOOSING JOY in ANY situation, as well as the difference that ONE PERSON can make.
Zig Ziglar is so inspiring and easy to listen to. Pick ANY of his books to kick start your year!
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5 Honorable Mentions:
God Smuggler by Brother Andrew – I wanted to add this to my top ten of 2020, but it was on the list LAST year (Click here to read that list), so I wanted to make room for other titles. This story is so incredibly inspiring. I could read it over and over. The book shares stories of Andrew bringing Bibles behind the Iron Curtain and the impact that had on people and churches. This book had one miraculous story after another. I read this book in 2019 and loved it so much that I re-read it with Clark in 2020. He enjoyed it too!
Catch Me if You Can by Frank Abagnale – Can’t believe these things actually happened! What a life! The book is better than the movie. This book would be a great one to listen to, but not good for young ears to hear.
The Dance of Connection by Harriet Lerner – a helpful and interesting non-fiction about how to understand and relate to others!
Their are affiliate links in this post. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. I will probably use it to buy books to giveaway here!
My post on 55 Summertime Activities for Kids has been a big hit with parents, so I wrote another post to give you MORE ideas for keeping your quarantined kids busy.
The Sports Action Figures inspire kids in creative, open-ended play of their favorite sport (while stuck inside). The sets can also be used for parents to teach their kids the rules of the game and introduce their kids to the sports they love. The sets can also be used as centerpieces for sports-themed birthday parties – or to decorate cakes and cupcakes! Coaches use the GUYS to go over positioning and strategy with their players!
The sets by KaskeyKids.com include: Football, Baseball, Hockey, Soccer and Basketball.
Kids don’t automatically know what it means to “Mind Your Manners.” Summer time is the perfect time to teach them! At the dinner table, talk about table etiquette. After dinner, practice how to meet new people, and how to make a great first impression. We WILL be getting back to normal soon. We WILL be shaking hands again one day.
Practice with your kids NOW so they can impress people with their top-notch manners LATER!
A gratitude list or journal is EXTREMELY valuable in uncertain times. Thinking about our blessings and what we are grateful for is extremely helpful in building resiliency! I researched journals a few months ago and decided to purchase this simple one for George. I’ve loved watching him open this up (without prompting), and write what he’s grateful for!
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13. Self Portrait
Have your kids look in the mirror and do a self portrait! Be sure to have them write their name and age. It will be fun to look back on this when they are older. You could have them repeat this every year around their birthday to see how their drawings improve!
Have your kids PAINT their coloring books instead of coloring – or – give them a blank sheet of paper to paint!
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15. Friendship bracelets
Making friendship bracelets kept me busy for HOURS when I was young. Perhaps it will entertain your kids too! Purchase embroidery floss, then search youtube for instructions.
*I am an Amazon Affiliate, so I make a small percentage off of Amazon links I share if you click through and purchase. Thank you for your support in this way!
I LOVE reading! You find time for things you love.
I have books everywhere. One by my bed. An audiobook on my phone. A book by the couch. Another in the kitchen. One in the car.
I take a few minutes to read in the morning. I usually take about 10-20 minutes in the afternoon to read. In the evening, I’d rather read than watch TV. If my kids or husband are watching something, I’ll sit with them on the couch and read next to them, OR, I’ll read for a little while after the kids go to bed.
If I have to wait for my kids at a practice or an appointment, I’ll read.
I read WITH my kids. This is a little challenging with FOUR boys, so I pick a book and read one-on-one, or read SHORT segments with more than one child.
The free HOOPLA app allows me to download excellent books for no cost, so I will listen to books while doing household chores or exercising.
My increase in reading may also be related to the fact that I’m new-ish to Minnesota, so I don’t have as many social commitments, also #MinnesotaWinter! 🤔
Here are the 5 I read this month, as well as one we finally finished after nearly a year…plus a GIVEAWAY!
My son George was intrigued by this book and asked me to read it to him. We’d read a chapter each day at breakfast.
The book is about a young man who is set to inherit a LOT of money if he completes several tasks that will teach him valuable life lessons, like:
The Value of Money
The Value of Time
The Value of Work
The Value of Good Friendships, etc.
I’d highly recommend this book if you have any teenagers in your house. It’s easy-to-read and talks about 12 life lessons that will lead to a meaningful life.
This book is filled with a hodge podge of the author’s thoughts, ideas, and stories from his life.
My favorite parts of the book were:
His reminder to look for the good – it’s all around if you are paying attention.
Seeing the Good is a Key to Happiness!
His encouragement to invest in another kid who isn’t your own child. 50% of kids will go through a divorce and another percentage of kids don’t have a relationship with one of their parents. Kids truly benefit from another person encouraging them and teaching them something new. I STRONGLY agree with him on this topic. Having another person who wasn’t a parent invest in me, changed the trajectory of MY life!
Giving Back is a Key to Happiness!
Compound interest – most of us know how it works with money, but we forget how it works with relationships. Small investments made on a regular basis over a long period of time have a huge payout.
Bob is the CEO of Disney. In this book, he shares stories from his career (before Disney), and how he’s transformed Disney since he began leading the company 15 years ago. He shares life and leadership lessons.
It’s a well-written book with some interesting stories and good lessons, but I was hoping it would be more of a memoir and story of his life.
If are a business leader, you will enjoy and benefit from this book.
Rating 7/10
If you want to read a good book about the ‘inner workings of Disney,’ then a phenomenal book I’d recommend is: Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell. I LOVED this one and consider it a MUST read. In fact, I’m going to put it to my ‘read again’ pile.
I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to read this classic. I wish I would have read it as a teenager. It’s such an endearing story about four sisters, and I grew up with four sisters!
I watched the new movie recently and fell in love with the story, so I checked out the audiobook from the library. The book was written in the 1800s, so some of the language is a little outdated, but other than that – the story is wonderful. The new movie is EXCELLENT!
Janet Benge is one of my favorite authors. She tells the stories of men and women who’ve done fascinating things with their lives.
I started reading this book with George but he was not engaged. I wouldn’t recommend it for kids.
I’ve heard of John Wesley as a pioneer in church history and wanted to learn more about him. I was UN-pleasantly surprised by his story.
He was raised by an extremely strict father and that became a BIG part of who he was. He lived by RULES. Those ‘rules’ or METHODS became the foundation of the Methodist church. Most of his life was about how much he could DO without really understanding or experiencing the love and grace of God. For a better biographies by Janet Benge, I highly recommend Corrie Ten Boom, Gladys Aylward and Amy Carmichael!
Rating 7/10
An awesome book I’ve been reading to the boys for about a YEAR that we FINALLY FINISHED IN FEBRUARY:
I think every family should own a copy of this book! The short devotionals teach something about science and how it connects with God and us. We find each page fascinating. We’ve just purchased, and started reading, the second book in the series.
Rating 10/10
*GIVEAWAY*
I’m currently reading “The Wise Woman Loves” and I’d love to send you a copy. To win:
Subscribe to this blog.
Leave a comment (by clicking the little comment box by the title of this post).
Because I’m a teacher at heart – I wanted my first children’s book to be FUN and EDUCATIONAL!
Climb, Soar, Swim, Explore takes you on an ADVENTURE to the top of Pikes Peak (a Colorado mountain) and teaches you fun facts about the animals who live there.
I worked with a talented local artist who hand painted each illustration.
You can purchase a copy for $10 shipped!
Click here for PayPal, add $10, and I will send you signed 1st edition!
We are often fighting in person, what we should be fighting in prayer!
Priscilla Shirer is a great communicator. This book is engaging and full of truth. I appreciated how it reminds me that our enemy is on a mission to kill, steal and destroy. Often times, we are fighting something in person, rather in PRAYER! Start with PRAYER, continue in PRAYER! “Prayer is kryptonite to the enemy.” I highly recommend this book!
Faith isn’t a business trip walked on a sidewalk; it’s an adventure worked out on a steep and sometimes difficult road. -Bob Goff
Bob Goff’s first book, Love Does, was one of my favorite books ever – it had me laughing until I was crying. I was a little nervous about reading his second book – I didn’t think it could top the first. I was wrong. His second book, Everybody Always, DID NOT disappoint! It was funny, interesting and incredibly inspiring! I HIGHLY recommend you read anything Bob writes! I could listen to him tell stories all day, every day! I’ve never met a person who lives as full of a life as him! Bob left his phone number in the back of the book so I plan to call him the week the boys go back to school.
What should I ask Bob Goff?
This summer I’ve been reading a fun book with my kids called “Indescribable.” Each chapter/devotional is less than two pages (which seems to be perfect with the attention span of FOUR BOYS!) Each page intertwines the amazing things you find in nature with God’s word and truth. We’ve all enjoyed it and have learned new things!
I just finished the summer Help Club for Mom‘s bible study, The Wise Woman Stays, which was written with the focus on staying connected to Chris, staying focused on your marriage, staying engaged with your children. Now I am about to start the book for Fall: The Wise Woman Abides.
“Abide in me, as I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4 ESV
I love the ‘Wise Woman’ Bible study series because it’s written by a variety of real moms of all ages and all walks of life. It’s PRACTICAL, it’s engaging, it’s relatable, and it encourages me to be the best wife and mom. In this book, there are 3 studies per week, so if you miss a day, you won’t get behind. Each study can be done in as little as 15 minutes. You can also join our facebook group – it’s a bunch of ladies, all doing the same study – interacting with, praying for, and encouraging each other!
I purchased an extra book to give away! If you’d like to join me in this study – leave me a comment and I’ll have my boys draw a winner this week!
We choose TWO winners! Congrats Annie K and Ronda M!
We are blessed to have a church that puts so much intentionality into what they do! My kids and I had a great week learning and laughing together at New Life Church Kid’s Camp. The theme this year was Supernova – discovering God’s Great Galaxy. The music was incredible, great teaching, fun games, engaging skits, and service projects.
George loves Legos. Occasionally when I find a great deal on a set of a legos, I’ll buy it for him. Clark and George recorded themselves building their Legos, then George edited the video and I uploaded it to their youtube channel: “The Free Range Eglys.” Here is one video George recorded and edited.
Saturday
Ted and I had our first Duel
Book-signing at a local (beautiful) coffee shop, The Roost! It was a great morning where we met some new neighbors, saw some familiar faces, and sold some of our books!
If you’d like a copy of Ted’s amazing book, click here!
Giveaway winners – Mary Kathryn S. ($40 Gift card) and Judy B. ($50 Tillivery)!
That’s a peek into our week! How was YOUR week? Leave me a comment!
Ted’s book is entitled “Conversations with a Billionaire.” His book is an amazing story on life and leadership (click here to read more about his book).
Till Kitchen has invited to come do a book signing at their beautiful coffee bar/restaurant. We’d love to meet you and sign a book for you and your children! PLUS, for every book you purchase, your name will go in a drawing to win a $40 gift card to this fabulous restaurant! (which is on my list of best places to eat in Colorado Springs!) Also, Till Kitchen has offered to give away a $50 gift card for “Tillivery” – their delicious meal delivery service!
Here are all the details:
What: Ted and Kathryn Egly’s book signing
When: Saturday, June 29th from 9-11AM
Where:The Roost Coffee Bar inside Till Kitchen – 9633 Prominent Point | Colorado Springs, CO 80924 | 719 282-8004
Why: Have a cup of hot coffee and a delicious pastry, meet your neighbors and local authors, purchase a book that we will sign with a personal message, and be entered to win a prize!
For each product you purchase, your name will go into a drawing for a $40 gift card to Till Kitchen OR a $50 gift card for Tillivery!
PS – If you mention the secret word “KathrynEgly.com,” you will get $2 off my book – making it only $8 for you! The is the best price you’ll find anywhere, ever!
Ted’s book is available for the low price of $12 – the best price you’ll see anywhere as well!
Hope to see you there!!!
UPDATE: Giveaway winners: Mary Kathryn S. ($40 gift card), Pam ($50 Tillivery)
-Bob Goff
