Thursday, March 20, 2008

Books, Books, Books

I had tea with my good friend VR last night. What a blessing to have friends we can laugh and cry with. Friends we can trust implicitly, who love unconditionally and with whom we can share ideas and common experiences.

We talked briefly about family and schedules and then went on to talk about books we've been reading and the ideas that challenge our stereotypes, and wake up our souls. When I actually took stock, I realized that I've got alot of very different books on the go.
A partial list:
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle (this is part of her Crosswicks journals and is for me a re-read)
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Bershear
Get out of that Pit by Beth Moore
The Shack by Wiliam P. Young (Also a re-read - this book needs to be reread a few times)

In my stash to take to Palm Springs, I have:
Life of Pi
The Memory Keepers Daughter
The Glass Castle
the other two Crosswicks Journals - the Irrational Season and The Summer of the Great Grandmother
and two books on drawing with Pencil Crayons

When I get to Palm Springs my friend VT will have her stash as well so I'll update a must read list then.

Friday, March 7, 2008

On health and the lack of it.

LiI've been sick all week. I caught that miserable cold - the one that makes your head ache, your jaws throb, and totally stuffs up your nose. I don't know if I've ever had it this bad before. I've been hot and cold and then both at once- my head pounds when I lay down and my sinsuses drain into my throat when I sit up. I don't feel like doing anything - even reading holds no allure.
I spent two days in and out of bed and on the third day started coughing - that deep down rasping cough that makes your chest hurt and your heart double it's beat. Now it's winding down - but expending any amount of effort totally exhausts me.

I know - it's a tale of woe that no one wants to hear but it's had me thinking alot about how our bodies are made and how they work. It's also made me very appreciative of health - something we seldom think to thank God for until we are sick.

The body is an amazing machine - so "fearfully and wonderfully made". It is a marvel of engineering and even when I feel miserable, it keeps on doing it's job - all those cells and whatever else there is involved working like mad to return the body to it's healthy state.

So this week especially, I am very grateful for health - even for the aches and pains. For they keep me aware of all the parts fo my body that work together to enable me to move, breathe, feel and rest.