Feeling Better

I spent the weekend sick with a bad cold but one of the good things about laying low for a weekend is that I had a chance to read a book!  This book was highly recommended and loaned to me from a friend from church and it was another book that I wouldn't have picked up myself.  It was an intriging read that allowed me to escape from my achy, snotty body for awhile, thank goodness!

Book #2 of 2011 is...
Bel Canto
by Ann Patchett

This book is about a dinner party in a South American country that is taken hostage by a terrorist organization, but the hostage takeover goes ary and the rest of the book is about the days, weeks, months that these two parties spend encamped together.  Slowly the lines between terrorist and terrorized are broken down as everyone realizes the humaness of the other.  This is a book that questions how similar we all are once everything is stripped away and how, perhaps, really getting to know someone is the only way any real peace in this world can ever be achieved.  It was a good "food for thought" book.

Following Through

This past weekend I chaperoned a Jr. High Confirmation Retreat at the Lutheran camp, Mt. Cross, in Felton, CA.  I am teaching a confirmation class this year at my church and I committed to this retreat last August but as it drew closer the less I wanted to spend the weekend with a bunch of jr. high kids...I mean really?  But I am trying to stick to my New Year's resolutions and go where the Lord sends me...literally sometimes.  So away I went and I could not have had a more rewarding weekend!

I got to spend the weekend surrounded by 160 wholesome and awesome jr. high kids who really renewed my faith in the next generation.  These kids were kind to each other, they were full of God's light, they were humble and vulnerable and not in love with Justin Bieber...it was SO refreshing! 

I also got to meet the moms (the other chaperons) of these great kids and they were so generous with me about sharing their knowledge and experiences as parents.  Parenting a jr. high girl doesn't have to be the horrible years of parenthood, instead I got to witness bonds between mothers and daughters that was inspiring and gave me hope.  It turned out that spending time with these strong Lutheran moms and being surrounded by these great girls was good for my soul and following through on my commitments was good for me too.  When you go out on a limb (or out of your comfort zone) for God, God will always meet you there and you will be blown away by the view.  Sometimes I just need to remember that.

Simple Things

This year I am trying to focus on the simple things in my life that bring me comfort and joy.  One of the simple things I enjoy is curling up or stretching out with a good book.  Over the years, books have played a part in making me a who I am, they have stretched my empathy, they have helped me to discover new ideas, places, and people, they have made me wiser, and they definately help me unwind.  I am going to keep track again this year of the books that I read, good and bad, and I hope that you will read along with me!  Books are a simple joy that I just can't get enough of.

Book # 1 of 2010 is...

The UnNamed

by Joshua Ferris

This book was a Christmas present from Matt's cousin.  I appreciated this book because it is one that I wouldn't have purchased for myself, but it was a good read.  In this book, a man suffers from a disease that no one else has...he can't stop walking.  It is the story of this man's struggle with his condition but really it is a love story as he and his wife deal with his illness that everyone else dismisses and discredits.  It brings up questions about the seperation of body and soul and it discusses the limits of one's will over one's body, which is something that everyone can relate to.  This was an interesting read that made me think for days afterward.  Thanks Darin for this great gift!

New Beginnings

 

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer."

-Zora Neale Hurston

I have had years of wondering, years of asking...here's to a year of answers!

My personal hopes for this year are...

1.  That God will use me in His great work.

2.  That God will continue His work in me, refining me and building my character.

3.  That I will use my energy and my talents for my little family first, daily making them my first priority.

4.  That I will desire to live simply but will do much with my time.

That's it!  2011 is going to be a year of blessings and changes, I know that already, I just hope that I am ready and willing to go the distance when God calls me. 

Blessings on Your New Year!