Book #3: The Five Love Languages

The 5th book I read for the list was The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman:

This book was given to us as a wedding present by my uncle and his wife (Thanks Ben and Karen!), and since I heard so many great things about it, I was really excited to read it.  Unfortunately life and law school got in the way and it sat on my shelf for a couple of years.  Once we moved to Texas (and I had mass amounts of free time) I was able to finally pick it up.

It was a really excellent book and I highly recommend it to anyone that is in a relationship or has kids (I think they also have a single person's version).  In fact, I may now make it a staple gift when I go to weddings!

It was a really easy read and the insight into your relationship that it gives you is amazing.  It is written by a marriage counselor who has great stories of couples he has helped throughout the years.  The premise of the book is one that seems lost on our society now a days . . . love is a choice.  Once all of those lovey-dovey, passionate feelings die down in your relationship love becomes a choice and this book helps you see how you can choose to love your partner.

The author talks about how the ways we show love can be more or less broken down into five love languages: (1) words of affirmation (2) acts of service (3) giving and receiving gifts (4) physical touch and (5) quality time.  Each person speaks and receives love differently, and these five love languages help partners learn how their partner receives love, and how they can express that love to them.  I am equally an "acts of service" and "words of affirmation" (although, unlike some, none of them were super high, they were all floating around equal, with these two being the highest).  You can take the test to find out what you are here.  

It was so funny to read the chapter on my "languages,"  so much of it described me to a T.  The author also discusses how there are different "dialects" to each language.  For example, the words of affirmation that I appreciate are encouraging words.  While other people may desire kind words.  It is very interesting the way he breaks it down.

Okay, all of that to say, this was an excellent book to read and I highly recommend it!

Done #8: Pass the Texas Bar

Well folks, the results are in, and luckily for me (and my summer plans) they are good!

See that???  That is my name on the pass list :)  The little asterisk means that I haven't graduated yet.  What's that, I passed the bar before graduating?!?  Oh yes I did *pats self on back*

Once I graduate my school will send a certificate to the Board of Law Examiners and then I will be able to go to any judge or justice of the peace to be sworn in.  Then I will be officially licensed.

What does this mean for me, besides the fact that it fulfills something on the list?  Well, it means that I can officially rest easy knowing I will never have to study like that again.  The intensity and time that studying for law school and the bar took was enough to run me ragged and I feel grateful that that period in my life is over . . . forever.

Whether I decide to take on a legal job or not, I can rest easy knowing that I not only completed law school, but I completed the licensing requirements as well.

And just for fun . . .

Only 58.60% of out-of-staters passed.  That tells you how hard it was!