Books I am Reading

Since reading is truly one of my biggest pleasures I’m going to jump into the books you are reading meme. Sorry, I only have 6 on my table right now. Maybe I should be like some of you and put on in the bathroom but I never get any time in there either.

1. Skin by Ted Dekker – One of my daughters recommended it to me. I usually love Dekker but this one was WAYYYYYYYY too violent. I took it on vacation to read and it did nothing to relax me! But his series Red, Black and White are the greatest as well as Blink

2, Firstlight: The Early Inspirational Writings of Sue Monk Kidd. I would die to be able to express myself as this woman does. I would love to sit and talk to her about her journey. I read her novel, Secret Life of Bees a couple of years ago. I liked it and so tried to find other books she had written. I soon found out that she had also written Christian inspirational books as well as her well known novel. The first one I read was amazing – When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life's Sacred Questions I loved it. It was all about the change our lives go through as women as we age and grow. I then picked up her latest book (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine ) and found that she had left many of what I would consider key traditional beliefs and I could not agree anymore with her. But her earlier stuff is amazing and wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone.

3. For a bit of a heavier read but one with the greatest quotes I am reading and re-reading Orthodoxy by Gilbert Keith Chesterton

4. And of course I have blogged quite a bit about Wayne Jacobsen’s life changing books of “He Loves Me” and “So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore.” I feel that in so many ways these two books are like dye is to fabric. The more I immerse myself in their teaching the more I am changed to a different color.

5. Romans in The Message – I’m reading it to learn all about the Grace I have never known.

6. Da Brudderhood of Zeeba Zeeba Eata: A Pearls Before Swine Collection and Lions and Tigers and Crocs, Oh My!: Pearls Before Swine Treasury by Stephan Pastis. Sooo funny. I had to read it a bit before I got it but when I did it does make me laugh out loud sometimes. (another of my kids found it hysterical – so I had to try) You can actually download a cartoon each day - How I start off my day here.

Tagged

Hmm…..7 random facts about myself. This would be easy except that I am trying to blog anonymously and therefore I need to write 7 random facts about myself that not even my closest (or former closest) friends would not know. So I will try. Thanks for the tag Erin.

1. I am not a pack rat. In fact I would absolutely purge my house of useless items if it were not for Husband. But….I can never get rid of those clothes that I never wear. They sit there, hanging in my closet and taunting me with the fact that at least one item in my house that I actually have total control over, actually controls me. The ones that taunt me the most are those size 6 jeans. Damn them.

2. I cannot multi task. I can only hold one thing in my brain at a time. This is especially hard on my kids and Husband as they have to have my full attention or I just ignore them when they want something. I also miss huge parts of conversations around me if I am concentrating on something else.

3. I love coffee so much that if Juan Valdez showed up at my window (like in Bruce Almighty) I would ride away into the sunset on his mule and have little coffee baron babies with him.

4. I absolutely hate flavored coffees. People are always trying to make them for me and I am always so polite and force them down – but I HATE them and wish I could tell them to just make me black, strong, Colombian coffee. Why do they drink that stuff? Do they just keep it around to torture real coffee drinkers? It is abominable and does not make Juan happy either.

5. I had never read a blog till about 4 months ago.

6. Having my nails done is the one thing that I can do that makes me feel more confident in a social setting.

7. I never read email forwards. I mean never. I hate them. The only time I will read them is if a friend forwards one to me with a personal note.

I have no time today to figure out who has been tagged and who hasn’t. So if you read this blog, consider yourself tagged.

But only 5 of you. ;)

5 Things I Dig About Jesus

I was tagged by Emerging Grace via John Smulo to write 5 things I “dig” about Jesus. While I am way too old to actually use the word “dig” without my teenagers rolling their eyes and sighing, I shall attempt to write the 5 things. (They probably don’t read this very often anyway)

I also purposely decided not to read anyone else's first. Mine are probably not as “spiritual” as others will be. – But in light of coming out of my Church Lady persona, here they are

1. I dig the fact that Jesus’ first recorded miracle was making really good wine. I bet it was an Australian Shiraz.

2. I dig the fact that Jesus could be really mean. When he used the example of the Samaritan being the Jew’s neighbor he was really pushing things. (like the fact that tensions had become so bad between the two groups that just a few years before Jesus was born, some Samaritans had come into the Temple and spread dead men’s bones in it. – not cool for someone who is not supposed to touch dead things.)(for a list of things that fueled the Samaritan/Jewish hatred see the comment section that I added to the end of this blog.)

3. I dig the fact that Jesus was the only one who could have stoned the woman caught in adultery – but he didn’t. And he gave forgave her even before she “got saved” or proved that she was going to be any sort of a “good Christian.”

4. I dig the fact that as of tomorrow, when one of my daughters turns 18 and moves out to live life the way she thinks she wants to live (think punk, rock, pierced poster child) it that Jesus will be sitting on the right hand of the Father interceding for her. I love the fact that he will be ready at any chance she gives him to show his love to her no matter what she does and that he will send goodness and mercy to follow after her all her days.

5. I dig the fact that Jesus thinks I am funny. The other day when someone told me that they get up really, really early to find time with Jesus, I told them that they did not have to get up that early because Jesus meets me after I’ve had a couple cups of coffee (much later in the morning) and they could just come by then and not have to get up so early. They didn’t think it was that funny but I think Jesus “digs” my humor.

I tag Erin
Elizabeth
RobbieMac
Martha
And Best Friend - you can forward it to me and I will post it anonymously.

I tried to get people who have not been tagged before - sorry if I got someone twice.