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5. Read 24 books in a year
The Chris McCandless story is possibly one of my favorites. I just found out about it last year, and heard there was a movie. I usually like to read the book first, so I got the book. It's called "Into The Wild" by Jon Krakauer. Let me tell you, this true story about the journey of one man in search of his soul is truly fascinating. Most people will go on vacation to get away, or get into hobbies. This guy, on the other hand, went all out. "In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25, 000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself..." The book was written by a writer who became insanely intrigued by his story, and it contains many of the real journal entries from Chris (Alex was the new name he gave himself). His story is remarkable, and I thought it was admirable, where as others might think he was insane. I find it cool that he didn't want to live the normal American life (considering he was pretty wealthy and very educated) and chose to find himself in the wild. I've learned that life isn't all about the human relations we build, but living life itself in all its beauty is much more fulfilling. "It is true that many creative people fail to make mature personal relationships, and some are extremely isolated. It is also true that, in some instances, trauma, in the shape of early separation or bereavement, has steered the potentially creative person toward developing aspects of his personality which can find fulfillment in comparative isolation. But this does not mean that solitary, creative pursuits are themselves pathological.... [A]voidance behavior is a response designed to protect the infant from behavioural disorganization. If we transfer this concept to adult life, we can see that an avoidant infant might very well develop into a person whose principal need was to find some kind of meaning and order in life which was not entirely, or even chiefly, dependent upon interpersonal relationships."-Anthony Storr (Solitude: A Return to the Self) This was the intro to one of the chapters, and I absolutely love this quote. I too sometimes feel like my creative mind gets in the way of my relationships and normal understanding of people and the world, often thinking much deeper into things than the average Joe. Over all, it's a great book and story, and I can't wait to watch the movie. I definitely recommend it.
Next on the list, is "Healing for Damaged Emotions" by David A. Seamands. It was published in 1981, this book to me is ancient because I still remember being a little girl and seeing this on our book shelf at home and thinking it was such a weird looking book. Recently, I saw it again and thought, "hey this could actually be relevant for me now!" And let me tell you, it has been. Pastor David goes in depth of the process of the healing of our hearts, and the procedures we must take to do so. Some damages need much more attention and effort, than just the simple praying and living accordingly. The things no one likes to talk about, the scars deep down that so many live without even recognizing. I truly love how well he demonstrates stories that are relatable, and relevant to everyone. It gives so much scripture to turn to, to find places in the truth where we can find answers. It teaches how to forgive, how to move on, how to deal with the unchangeable etc. I recommend this to anyone who wants to overcome something, or just to understand that certain damages need more than the typical Christian dose of "I'll pray for you" and "everything will be fine, you just have to move on in life." It's a great book. 
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