3 Picture Books x 52 Weeks = 156 Lessons

So I was recently reminded of my original plan to blog throughout 2010. So far, I've not been what you would call a "diligent blogger." In fact, I have only posted four times this year. Pathetic, huh?

It wasn't until a series of interactions with both people and a movie that I recently become aware that I was experiencing LBS (Lazy Blog Syndrome).

It started when I watched Julie and Julia. I was intrigued by the movie, but I was more so "convicted" (term used loosely) by the fact that I had been neglecting my blog. It was then that I realized that maybe the reason I had had such a difficult time blogging was because I had a difficult time thinking of blog topics. I was inspired, but I was still unmotivated. My brother then randomly asked in a phone conversation, "So, what happened to your blog?" He encouraged me to find a topic and blog about it. Of course...it was just that simple...find a topic. Nothing came to mind. It was finally brought to my attention for the third time last week by a co-worker who asked, "Why aren't you blogging anymore?" That was it. That conversation was the straw that broke Jessica's back.

I began thinking of things I could blog about when out of nowhere while helping my husband till our garden, I was reminded of my love for picture books. I have always loved picture books. In fact, I have a nice collection of Dr. Seuss sitting on my shelf in our spare bedroom. But why have I always enjoyed picture books? It seems logical that I would love the creative animations or the bright colors or even the rhyming couplets, but that's never what drew me to picture books.

I have always been drawn to the lessons found within the pages of cute pictures and brilliant colors.

Did I grow up thinking, "What is this book trying to teach me?" I don't know, but I do know that as far as my memory takes me back, I was always eager to get to the end of the book and figure out what the purpose of the story was. Nothing has changed; I am still that way. Every time I read a picture book, or any book for that matter, I am always asking myself, "What can I learn from this?" Now don't read me wrong (no pun intended), I wouldn't consider myself some blazing intellectual who is always trying to learn, nor would I consider myself eager to over-spiritualize the content of books, but I would say that I love analyzing literature (of all kinds) and figuring out its message to me.

And although it may sound weird, I feel like God teaches me a lot about Himself, myself, and the world around me through literature. Yes, I believe that God's word is the greatest teacher of all, but I do believe that He also uses other pieces of creative writing to speak to our hearts.

With all of that said, I have decided that I am going to blog for the next year about the lessons I learn from the picture books I read. We'll see how it goes, but I am hopeful that these picture books will give me blogging inspiration. Feel free to send me some of your favorite picture book titles, I would love to add them to my growing list.

April 26th is my new January 1st.