Final Semester

Well, life is officially back to normal, which actually feels really good. While I love the whole stretch of time between Thanksgiving and going back to school/ work after the new year, it feels great to just get back into my normal routine after the annual month and a half long break from that routine due to exams and the holidays. And I might be in the minority on this, but I LOVE January. Sure it's cold, but it's brimming with new possibilities and is goal-setting heaven for a Type A person like me.

So, here's what's going on with me now and in the next couple of months:

1) Yes, this is indeed my last semester. I graduate in May, and even though I know this term will end up being just as busy as any other, at least at the outset it's academically the lightest semester I've had in longer than I can even remember. I'm taking advanced litigation drafting, divorce mediation, trial practice, torts II, and a family law seminar, and I will only have one real exam and one paper, so that's good. Most of the classes are skills courses that will involve things like putting on an entire trial and writing court documents, rather than the normal law school class that involves learning tons of case law and legal theory. So it will still be a challenge, but a different kind of challenge, and all of those classes are incredibly relevant to my future career. I've also had exposure to most of the subject matter at some point already, so this semester is mostly about nailing down the advanced skills. For example, I already know how to write almost all the types of documents on the syllabus for litigation drafting because there's not much I didn't write last summer at work, but I know I still need to get a lot more comfortable with quickly pulling together things like pretrial orders and ante-litem notices. I'm also hoping to audit one of the bar prep courses (I can't actually take it for credit because I can't take any more credits than I'm already taking.)

2) I'm doing Moot Court this semester and am really excited about it! We have the best people on our team and I'm already good friends with all of them, so I'm excited to work with each of them. Our competition problem is about the legality under the Fair Labor Standards Act of unpaid internships--incredibly relevant, timely, and also something that matters personally to most 20-somethings who have taken on at least one, if not many, unpaid internships. And best of all, we get to go all the way to Seattle to argue our case at regionals! If I literally had gotten to pick any city in the U.S. for our regionals to be held at, I would have picked Seattle.

3) As of today, I'm jumping back into eating healthy and exercising. I'm not going to be obsessive about it or go paleo or anything like that, but I just want to be conscientious about trying to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. Today, for example, I made salmon with honey and cracked black pepper and glazed carrots. I am planning to have smoothies for breakfast almost every morning and I am stocked up on Greek yogurt, juice, and frozen fruit to make that happen. And Catherine and I have started training again because we are doing a race soon! It is a 5K that raises money for an organization that fights homelessness, and it's in just two weeks. This was something I signed up for in my "I need to do something that matters with my life" moment about a week and a half ago. I made some other exciting plans then too, such as what I want to do to celebrate my 25th birthday, but more about that later. I'm determined to get outside my own little bubble this semester and volunteer more and do more for others. There's a whole big world of needy people out there, and I can't continue to stay comfortable in my own little corner of it.

4) In addition to the whole running thing, I really want to do a lot more strength training this year. There are few health benefits I can even think of that can't be acquired by regular visits to the weight room, even though I know a lot of women who are scared to try it for fear of "bulking up." (But ladies, that's not even a possibility because we don't produce enough testosterone. Just putting that to rest.) But the best thing about strength training is that it makes you burn more calories at rest--like, while you're sitting on your couch watching The Bachelor--than you would if you weren't doing it. What's not to like?

5) Catherine and I are also going to Jacksonville in a few weeks to compete in a client counseling competition! The topic is First Amendment law, and I know we need to prepare for it, BUT it's hard not to look at the trip as a beach vacation on the law school's dime. But we need to try to do a decent job at the actual competition, of course, and then there will be beach time.

6) Possible trips to Chicago, Albany (GA), and the beach are also in the works over the next few months. LOTS of traveling about to happen.

7) I want to read 50 books (or more) this year. I just read The Rainmaker by John Grisham, and it was excellent. Now I'm working on his book The Street Lawyer, and also Ben Mezrich's book Bringing Down the House.

8) I'm going to at least test out becoming a morning person this month/ year. I'd like to try at least three weeks straight of getting up no later than about 6am and immediately diving into early morning productivity. If I'm not into it after that, I'll just go back to being a night owl and sleeping in a little later, but I've heard so many people rave about the early-morning thing that I have to try it.

9) Anna and I talked about this while she was here--we want to celebrate our daily lives more. Not just the big things or the big accomplishments, but the little things too. I'm calling this my "celebrate because it's Tuesday" philosophy. Every day deserves to be appreciated, not just, for example, weekends or vacation days. So we're going to try to stop and smell the roses more/ watch more sunrises/ light more candles/ wear the pretty jewelry and use the pretty dishes just because.

Thanks for reading!

Read More Books.

I've always considered myself to be a reader, but over the past two years or so, I've realized that, besides textbooks and assignments for school, the most in-depth items I typically ever read are articles on Thought Catalog or Huffington Post or someone's blog, or, in the alternative, magazines. Often what I actually read is so light and devoid of real content that it's basically nothing but junk food for the mind. Our culture of instant access to any information via the Internet makes it very possible to get our brains to the point where we can only digest so much information at a time. And it has to be quick, easily digested, and instantly gratifying. And I realized that something rather tragic was happening: I didn't really know how to READ anymore. How to sit down with a hard copy of a book of any kind and get lost in it.

And there were so many things I was missing because of it: the joy of staying up half the night because you just have to read "one more chapter." The smell and feel and solidness of a book in your hands. The fun of getting lost in a story, or, in the case of non-fiction books, the fun of learning 100 things you didn't know before.

Here's the thing: smart people read real stuff. Period. If you want to truly consider yourself an intelligent person, you need to read. If you're not a reader, your brain is probably begging you to become one. There's a wealth of knowledge you choose to forgo if you don't read, and that in itself is very sad. Also, if you fancy yourself a writer but don't read, you have NO raw material to work with. The more I read, the more I can experiment with imitating and mixing the writing styles of different authors I like. And the wider variety of books you read, the more you can take in the practical wisdom of a whole lot of people who have had life experiences you haven't had and be able to learn from them.

This past week, I got mad at myself about the whole "I don't really read anymore" situation. Ever since I was a little girl, one of my favorite things to do was to sit down with a book and read to my heart's content, and I've all but lost the ability to focus long enough to do that. I believe that these are real structural changes that occur in the brain because of too much easy access to sound bites of information on the Internet--we lose the ability to focus on anything hard for a long period of time. And I'm determined to change all that. After I got done with class every day this past week, I read for about an hour before getting started on the rest of my work, and then some more before I went to bed. And it was SO satisfying, and was making me crave reading again. So I now have a whole stack of books from the public library to plow through over the next few weeks. And I'm getting more books put on hold for me to pick up later. The more you read, the more you want to read, and the more quickly you can undo the damage caused by months or years of not being a reader.

And I've decided to stop making my other classic excuse: I don't have time. Granted, some days I simply don't have time on that particular day for any non-school-related reading. But I can tell you that there's never a whole week that goes by in which I can't carve out some quality time for reading. You have time for more than you think. In the past three days, I've "had time" to do a ton of writing, to go to a music festival, to go out for dinner with a friend, to watch a lot of Netflix, to go to church, to take a long Sunday afternoon nap, and you get the idea. You do have time, you just have to find it. Or make it.

And it doesn't just have to be an actual book in your hands. Kindle works, if that's your thing. Audio books work. Whatever gets you absorbing material more substantive than Facebook and your favorite blog. Along those lines, I want to start listening to more substantive material too--like listening to sermons from my favorite pastors or TED talks when I go to the gym (pending my purchase of a real phone that has Internet access, something that, along with cable/ Instagram/ Twitter/ etc., I've never actually had).

So anyway, this is my plea to the average person: read more books!

Summer Reading List

One of these times, I need to have a "drop everything and read" day. Now, some of these books just may have been on last year's summer reading list, but you can't always get to all of them in one summer! Which is why I keep an ongoing reading list so I always have a book to read. Here's my list for this summer:

• The Storyteller, Mercy, and Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
• Summerland and Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
• So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
• Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel
• Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson

Are there any books you all are hoping to have a chance to read this summer?

Reading for Today

I know I am *supposed to be working* on my two papers due on Wednesday and not posting anything on this blog till they are done . . . but please read this article called "The Real Evangelical Disaster." It's about the inexcusable conflation/ confusion of religion and politics in American culture. It is the best thing I've read in a long time, and it hits the nail on the head.

Happy Monday . . . and back to paper writing for me. More substantive updates coming soon, I promise!

What I'm Reading Lately

This is an article that I read that has gone viral this past week, and for good reason. Titled, "I Don't Wait Anymore," it is outstanding. The author has boldly addressed what it can look like and feel like for a single 20-something to be told, over and over, "Just keep waiting and satisfying yourself in God, and when you least expect it, He will bring you a husband." This is such an important issue for women in my generation, and I'm so grateful to this young lady for speaking up about it in a gracious and godly fashion. Read it to find out why she doesn't wear a purity ring anymore (and it's not because she's given up on remaining pure).

And check out this open letter from a millenial. I don't agree with everything in it, or with its "blaming" older generations for some of the struggles facing my generation, but the issues it raises are timely and important. Certainly some food for thought.

Enjoy!

All-Time Favorite Books: My Top 10

These long hot summer days really lend themselves to laying by the pool with a good book, don't you think? I would read 3 or 4 books a week if I had time for it, although sadly, I don't! If you need a little reading inspiration, or are just looking for the perfect poolside read, here's a list of my top 10 all-time favorite books. I tend to read more fiction than non-fiction, especially novels, but this list has a little bit of everything:

1) Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult. Some of you already know that Jodi Picoult is my favorite author; I will read anything she writes and am working on two of her books right now. While I'm usually hard-pressed to limit my favorite books to a short list, this one is my favorite book of all time. I discovered it for the first time at a library book sale and paid 50 cents for it--pretty much the best 50 cents I can remember spending. For me, it's that "if you read one book in your life besides the Bible, make it this one" book. Basic plot line without spoilers: A killer convicted and condemned to execution wants to donate his heart to the sister of the girl he murdered (who desperately needs a heart transplant in order to live) as a way to atone for his sins. This novel is both stunning and unsettling. It ties seemingly disparate characters together in a shocking ending that will leave you thinking and re-assessing your life long after you read the final words.

2) Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury. Karen Kingsbury is my favorite Christian author. I can always count on her books to be powerful and redemptive. This book is a story of two mothers who both love the same child, and of the resulting heartbreak, sacrifice, and redemption. It is compulsively readable, and unlike some books, it's one I can read multiple times and enjoy just as much in the subsequent readings.

3) How to Win at College by Cal Newport. For anyone in college now or about to head that way, this book is an absolute must-read. And it is nothing like run-of-the-mill books on college life and study tips. It consists of 75 short (two-page) chapters, each containing a piece of unconventional, even quirky, advice on how to succeed at the entire college experience--academically, socially, and personally. And the tips I tried when I was in undergrad really work. Read it.

4) Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury. OK, I know that in the interest of diversity, I probably shouldn't have two books by the same author on this list. But this novel is such a beautifully written, moving story of someone who forgives the unforgivable and, in doing so, finds new hope.

5) Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. This is one of those books that starts out good and then just keeps getting better and better every time you turn the page. It's about a mother who has to make a heartbreaking decision and go on a painful journey in order to do the right thing for her child.

6) Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. This book is the autobiographical account of one woman's journey to Italy, where she remodeled an old home in the Tuscan countryside, learned to cook the Italian way, and discovered new things about herself in the process. Bottom line: fantastic travel memoir.

7) The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. This book on prayer is the best book I've ever read related to the topic of Christian living. The thing I love about it is that it's not saying the same things as 100 other books on prayer--the author's insights are truly fresh, deeply Biblical, and remarkably personal.

8) Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. Anybody who's into sociology/ social issues--or just undercover journalism--will probably really like this book. It's the author's account of going undercover to investigate what life is really like for impoverished, low-wage workers in America. It is a starkly written but sadly true commentary on our times, and as much a call to action as it is anything else.

9) The autobiography of Benjamin Carson. He is one of my heroes, and has been since I was little. In this book, he writes about how, through faith and determination, he overcame racism, failure, and poverty to become the youngest-ever head pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University hospital. Incredibly inspiring read.

10) One L by Scott Turow. For all you fellow law students out there, this one's for you! I didn't read any books on law school success before I started, and this is pretty much the only non-assigned law-school related book that I read during my first year. Written in the 70's, it's the author's own account of the trauma, drama, and excitement of his first year at Harvard Law School. I read it after I had been in school for about two months, and was blown away by how much his experience from thirty-some years ago was similar to mine. It will reassure you that you're not going crazy, and that other people have made it before you and turned out just fine!

 . . . feel free to comment if you read and like any of these books, or if you've read a great book lately that you'd like to share!

Summer Reading List

Happy Friday! This weekend I want to 1) watch way too many episodes of Big Bang Theory and 2) sit by the pool and read. Here are some books on my list for the summer:

• Under the Tuscan Sun and A Year in the World by Frances Mayes
• Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
• The Pelican Brief and The Firm by John Grisham
• Lone Wolf and Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
• Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach
• The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• St. Augustine's Confessions
• The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
• The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
• Knocking on Heaven's Door by Lisa Randall
• Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder (I read this in high school but it's definitely worth a second read)
• Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

I have to get totally caught up on all my pleasure reading now because I know that I probably won't have time to do it once school starts. I find that if I'm not reading, I can't write anything decent either because I lack inspiration. So for me, the best way to beat writer's block is actually to go read a book. I doubt I'll get to everything on this list (especially considering that some of these have already been on my list for forever) but I can at least give it a try!