Stack of Books.

I have to apologize to my three readers.  I haven’t blogged in a week.  In the last week I”ve also ignored all the taunting weeds in my yard and I’ve skipped two training sessions I”m supposed to be logging for my first 10K.      

The reason for my absence is simple.   I was reading.   I had books in a stack looking at me.   I’m a compulsive reader.   I devour books.  Always have.   This is especially true when I have a stack of books that I want to read.   The stack keeps looking at me and I keep reading.   I remember one Christmas when I was about ten that I received maybe eight books from various relatives.   I surfaced sometime after the New Year.

This last stack started with Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile Vs. The Third Reich.    All 591 pages of this book are as daunting as the title.    It was hard to get into and had more detail than I usually like.    However, reading it sharpened my focus.   Bonhoeffer was the kind of person that stood for the truth regardless of the cost.  I want to be that kind of person.   It’s a scary thing to want.

After Bonhoeffer, I read Jill Williamson’s newest book, From Darkness Won.   It’s the final book in The Blood of Kings trilogy.     The two other books in the trilogy, By Darkness Hid and To Darkness Fled both won Christy awards.   I’m terribly impressed with my friend who is an amazing author.     You should read her books.

Next in the stack was my bookclub book for the month.    I didn’t like it.  I’m not going to blog about it.     

One of the problems when I read is that I tend to tune everything else out.      

When I was about twelve we went on vacation to the Grand Canyon.   My parents were thrilled to hear me oohing and ahhing as we drove around the rim.   They were thrilled until they looked in the back seat and saw that I had my nose deep in the travel guide and was exclaiming about the photos while I ignored the real thing.     I do have to say in my defence that the photographers were excellent. 

In the last week I’ve read until almost two in the morning three different times.   This really has got to stop.   However, I’d like to tell you that I enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy and whatever random detective novel I’m in the middle of now is enthralling.  Obviously it’s going to be memerable since I can’t currently remember the title.  Must be lack of sleep.

I asked my spouse if he’d be happy to have his wife back when I finished this novel.   He rolled his eyes slightly, smiled and said “sure, until the next book shows up”.     Does anyone else do this?

High Tide

In case you hadn’t noticed, life isn’t perfect.  Cars crash, things break, families fight, wars start, pets die, medical tests loom and jobs are lost.

It can feel like you are standing by the ocean and waves keep coming.   Wading in the surf and anticipating that next cold wave to hit is a vulnerable place to be.   I’ve talked to several people who are jumping waves recently.   Naturally, questions abound.  “Why is God letting this happen?”   “Why me?” “Does it ever end?”

The way to keep your balance when the waves are hitting is to make eternity your personal timeline.   The thing about happiness in this life is to remember it isn’t about this life.  It  does not mean that the difficulties don’t hurt.  But it puts that pain in perspective.  It is not permanent.

Matthew 6: 19 – 20 ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Want to know what kind of treasures you can store in heaven?

AUTHORS: I love books.  All kinds.  My favorites though are by people who claim to know Jesus.   When I get to heaven I plan on going and meeting all my favorite authors.  I am going to have lunch with C.S. Lewis.   On a side note, this is one of the many reasons to read the whole Bible.  Do you know how embarrassing it’s going to be to be standing in heaven when Malachi comes up and asks how you liked his book?   Awkward if you didn’t read it.

FAMILY: I can’t wait to meet my mom’s father.  He sounds like an incredible person.  He died about four years before I was born.   I want to see my cousin and my grandmother again.  Talk about a good family reunion.  It’s one of the many reasons I pray for my daughter and my niece and nephews.   I want to see them there too.

TEARS:

Psalm 56:8      “Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll
are they not in your record?”

I love that God sees us when we hurt and keeps track of those tears.  Someday, we’ll have the joy of watching as He wipes them off the record permanently.    In The Great Divorce, CS Lewis talks about how in heaven, Good ultimately wins everything and sadness and gloom and strife no longer have any sting.    So cry deeply but briefly.   God sees you.

STORIES: My sister has a theory about heaven that one of the fun things to do will be to go hear about the stories you were a part of on Earth that you had no idea.    Ever donate to a good cause?   Want to meet the people who were impacted?  How fun would that be.    It’s a great past time, giving unexpected kindness.  If you are having a bad day, do something nice for someone else.  Store up a fun story for heaven.

GRACE: If God created us to be in relationship with Him and each other then heaven is bound to be the best party.   Ever been somewhere when old friends reunite?   Ever introduce people you knew were going to hit it off?   That’s the kind of relationships God is looking for.   The best treasure to invest in here is in introducing people to eternal relationships.  It doesn’t get better than friends forever.

The last couple of weeks its seemed like high tide for people I love.    I have a message of hope for you.    I saw this quotation in a cubicle the other day.    It’s a good perspective.   “Everything will be okay in the end.   If it’s not okay, it’s not yet the end.”

Life isn’t perfect.   Heaven is.   Keep jumping waves.

National Read in the Bathtub Day.

My sister called this morning with excellent news.  It’s National Read in the Bathtub Day.   I don’t know who assigns these random holidays but for once I am determined to help spread the word and encourage everyone to celebrate.

If you’ve never been one to read in the bathtub I do have a few hard learned tips.   

#1.  Don’t take library books in the bathtub unless you don’t mind purchasing them later on.  (I also don’t recommend loaning library books to other people who might take them in the bath….or spill coffee on them.)

#2.  Don’t try reading books you can’t manage with one hand in the bathtub.  This rules out War and Peace.

#3.  Pay your water bill.  If you are in the middle of a really good book, you may have to add more hot water about an hour into the read.     

#4.  If you want the full experience, make sure to add some bubbles and take a snack with you.  

I could live in my tub I think.

Are you going to celebrate today??