February Snow

While enjoying a walk through our neighborhood in the umpteenth blizzard of the year, I looked up from my plodding and "safe" baby steps in the unplowed street --and saw God! As Psalm 29 reminded me in my reading that morning, "God sits ENTHRONED over the flood" (of snow!) just as He sits enthroned over the drought in CA or the ice in GA. God is in the mounds, the unrelenting winds of white, the pristine pureness, the clogged roads that impatient humans want to conquer. The activities that seemed important fade as we sit by the fire, we gaze out the window into the vast whiteness, we bake, we take slow walks going nowhere, and our hearts and souls rest from the ever frenetic pace that is our life. God is in the snow --He calls us to sit & listen, to reflect on our lives, to hear for the next steps that He is directing. Thankful.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

I picked this up on a trip to the library with Azi --in the juvenile area, but always remember liking Caldecott or other award winning books. It did not disappoint! Toby and Cal are neighbors in a small TX town, best buds who ride their bikes all over town and are known by everyone. Enter Zachary Beaver, the largest boy they have ever met @ almost 600 pounds! He arrives in a trailer pulled by his agent, and the whole town comes out to parade past his trailer door to get a glimpse--at a cost of 50 cents. When his agent leaves, the 2 boys determine to find out more about Zachary; thus begins a series of small incidents of kindness towards this young man of 15 who has been living behind the mask of loneliness and sadness over his mother's death. Throughout, other hard issues are being dealt with in both Cal's & Toby's lives. There is healing and grace in community, in being involved in other people's lives by giving and receiving. A great look at diversity, judging, appearances, and friendship.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

A really imaginative story! A couple settles in the barren cold of Alaska, trying to ease the pain of losing a child and the realization that their dream of having children will never happen. Mabel and Jack love each other but lose sight of that as Mabel grieves. One evening in a moment of happiness together, they build a snow-child. The next day, the melted snow figure has disappeared -even the mittens and hat. A slight wisp of a girl begins visiting their home, Mabel convinced that this is the snow-child they had built. Faina comes in and out of their lives, on her own terms for many years--away to the mountains in the summer heat, re-appearing in the coldest blizzards. Mabel and Jack forge a strong partnership in the hardships of farming in the Alaskan wilderness, and find Faina to be the child they never had. The ending is strange but not unexpected, but left me with a lot of questions --did she slip away on her own, what about the wolverine, was she dissatisfied with her new life, or really ill?

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg

Since our Israel trip in April, I am trying to be more aware of Jewish thought and background as I read the words of Jesus. Lots of "hidden" meanings, from the Jewish culture that are a little harder for Christian/Westerners to understand. Lois hits several of Jesus' parables and responses to the Sanhedrin to help us "get" where Jesus was coming from. She begins with the Shema-what we recited with our fellow travelers every morning before hitting the various sites. LOVE:"ahavah" is the Hebrew word that goes beyond emotions and mental thought-loving is action. Loving our enemies isn't just attempting to feel better about them, it is DOING for them."Hessed" is to love as God loved -eternal/enduring/forgiving. She interestingly also developed what Jesus meant in Mt 6:22-23 about "healthy eyes" or having a "good eye" -- it is in passage about money and God's provision. She believes it means "what is your primary motivation in life?" To have a bad eye is to cling to the little that we have, a good eye is to be radically convinced that God will provide, thus the fruit is a generous attitude- a "good eye" towards others. Another great chapter was on judging, something that I struggle with --but in Jewish thought, Jesus taught in Luke 6:38 that we should let our scales of justice fall past the balance point, bestowing on others a little more than they deserve. Wow -- Christians really miss that. I personally see this in judging drivers (jerk)/ slow clerks/ people who make stupid choices/etc. -- The idea is extending grace --"making excuses" for bad behavior, judging in their favor. One last Jewish word "lashon hara" is vices of the tongue- gossip/slander/ malicious speech. Yikes --we commit this even when we don't speak - the rolling of our eyes. The practice of telling negatives about others that are unnecessary and damaging/bullying/humiliating others. Good read, lots to ponder.

Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly

The author did a great job of re-telling the Kennedy story. Starting at the inauguration in 1960, he weaves between the journey of John Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, until their paths collide in November 1963. Lots of photos and reminders of that day so well remembered when I was in 7th grade English class. So many details that I was not aware of: that Kennedy faced major issues in his 3 years (Bay of Pigs/ Vietnam War heating up/ beginning of racial tensions), that LBJ was not a favorite of John nor Bobby, that Jackie crawled on the back of the sedan to gather fragments of her husband's shattered skull, that the president was held up by a stiff back brace (had he not worn that,he may have not been hit by the second bullet), that Jackie visited Onassis's boat shortly after her baby died (and married him a few years later), that the President was warned not to visit Dallas by MANY people, that the motorcade route disregarded all the rules previously set by the Secret Service. Book Club had an extensive discussion, very enjoyable. This was a much easier read than Killing Lincoln, and extremely interesting.

The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen

Quite a unique main character, based off a true re-telling of Daniel's life. Raised in a strict Christian home, he heads to the university and begins to connect with others who have totally different backgrounds and philosophies. For a time, he pours himself into agencies that work with the homeless and poor. He travels many places to assist others, all the while mulling over the inequities in our government systems and wondering how he can truly live in harmony with his developing beliefs. At almost 50 years of age, he finds a place to live in Colorado, among other like-minded people who want to live without government interference. He determines that to really be like Jesus, he needs to quit the whole commercial/consumer dependence on financial institutions. The story reviews his past, his unique ways of living--in a cave, dumpster diving, off the land, off people who gift him with goods & rides. Many parts of the book were so unusual that it was difficult to understand his deep felt passion to not get caught up in the success, "desire for more" mentality that plagues America. Though he thinks he is being true to Jesus in this area, other parts of his life do not reflect what it means to be a true follower of Christ (stealing-begging) yet there is a part of me that admires how he continually strives to live off the land, not to leave a "footprint", and to help others like him. In many conversations, he has blended several religious leaders (Buddha/ Daly Lama/Mother Teresa) into his new way of thinking. Interesting and thought provoking.

The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner

Good Read. The "behind the scenes" intricacies of how a weekly TV show really works, from the perspective of a writer who is trying to keep her story line and purpose intact. Unfortunately, what we see on the screen is not always what the writer intended. The bigger story was of the relationship between a young girl, orphaned at 9, and raised by a loving grandmother who directed her to rise above the circumstances of the accident and of the scars left on her face from it. In a world that elevates beauty as one of the highest goals, Ruthie never felt beautiful. So, as we often do, she turned to her other talents --writing, humor and courage. A good story, but I didn't necessarily enjoy the author's style nor the whole "hollywood" scene. Certainly the same elements --power/control, compromise -- come into play in many areas of our lives.

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

This book was my choice for a quarterly book review at work, and it was a good encouragement in how to relate, motivate and "notice" other people rather than concentrate on "my stuff". Jones was an older gentleman who makes himself at home in a small community on the coast. He comes alongside the broken, the discouraged, the greedy, the lonely, the needy and appears to know each person's issues and background. One of the first questions he asks, in trying to help Andy mature and move ahead is " what is one thing that other people would change about you, if they could?" Tough question -- I think for me, it might be my controlling nature. I get carried away with plans & orders. The whole community comes together when Jones "disappears" -they share all the ways he touched them. Indeed he was Jesus in this place, and the author tries to make us think how we can help meet needs by being "Jesus" to those we meet.

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand

Interesting read about three women involved in individual crises, landing together for a summer in Nantucket. Character development was good, felt like I understood each one by the end. Related most to Vicki as she was in chemo for lung cancer, facing all the "what if's"; believing that she would die; trying to imagine what her kids' lives would look like without her. The relationship between she and her sister changed as they swapped roles; putting behind them all the differences and realizing that they needed to embrace each other. Vicki accepted the weaknesses and loved her. This made me wish I had let go of the differences and fully loved both of my sisters better, saying out loud what I saw in their lives that I loved-- things I see so clearly now.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

Although I did not enjoy the fantasy genre, the message in this story resonated with me. Our culture is so consumed with time—the way we use it, the hurried life, the unending to-do lists, the workaholics. We do not appreciate the moments and the daily gifts from God. We do not smell the roses often enough. We do not cherish the conversations nor listen well to others—because we are so conscious of the things we “ought to” be doing or getting completed. Our priorities are out of whack. Some great quotes: Only God can write the end of your story. A heart weighs more when it splits in two: it crashes in the chest like a broken plane.