Sunday, May 31, 2015

Books that Accompanied me through May

The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis
academic and philosophical. It had never before occurred to me to think half of those thoughts. Having thought through some of them, now, I feel more comfortable with C. S.'s conclusions, though they still feel beyond me.

A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
a small book brimming with emotion and imagery and beautiful language. A book of true, bitter mourning and loss. It leaves me feeling both full and empty.

The 5-minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution by Jim Johnson
helpful and effective. The 5 minutes of stretching are explained in only two pages, near the middle of the book, but having read the rest of it as well I understand plantar fasciitis better than I did before, and am hopeful for improvement. The long-term effectiveness of the stretch I do not yet know, but short-term it does seem to be providing relief- especially first thing in the morning.

You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado
Lucado's mantra through his book is his title, drawn from the principles in the account of Joseph as well as many modern stories of pain and suffering. Not only, Lucado says, will you get through this present struggle, Christians can expect to come out stronger and more prepared.

Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody
Moody's style left me feeling comfortable. She wrote about her prayer journey with lessons applicable to all. Overall: get up early and pray and read your Bible as if Jesus is sitting right next to you. Make a commitment and actually meet with God every morning. And don't succumb to guilt about the occasional missed day. (author unrelated to D. L. Moody)


This month, I started a book called Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller, but I could not get into it much less finish it. I have returned it to the library.

I also started:
the Simply the Story Handbook
Tea with Emma by Diane Moody
Brisinger by Christopher Paolini
Where is God When it Hurts? by Philip Yancy

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Shipwrecked and Cared For

Do you remember the story of Paul, traveling to Rome as a prisoner? They are well on their way when a storm blew in and wreaked havoc. The sailors had no control over the direction they were heading since the winds and waves were so strong. They tried to tie the boat together, and to lighten it by throwing cargo overboard. Days went by. And then, they "finally gave up all hope of being saved."

After a long day on my feet, with my plantar fasciitis acting up, I, too, give up all hope of being saved.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Selfish Bird Feeding

Earlier this Spring, I bought birdseed and filled the little bird feeder by the window. I sat there, watching the many finches and cardinals come by for a meal. They hopped and chirruped, shaking their little winds and defending their portion of the seed. I sat there a long time, taking it all in.

The feeder started to look empty, and I decided I would fill it -- in the morning.

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

God Goes Green

Some of my Kinders could really care less about saving paper or going green. They toss used papers and scraps right into the trash without a second thought.

Other students, however, are crazy about recycling. No matter how small the shreds of paper are, they eagerly deposit them into our recycling box.