gatorcast from paul smith

I just finished reading The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.    It was a great book!   I love the fact the Taylor, the main character,  leaves home to escape the dreadful idea of being a young single pregnant girl to only find herself right in the middle of making similar life decisions.  Just turned completely around.

I normally stick to books about Florida, humor & crime (I know, a arrow scope of material) but I decided to read the books Cameron has to read  for summer reading for 9th grade.   I am so glad I did because I feel it has opened my mind to a whole new world in terms of reading.    Oh, did I say that I am completely blowing Cameron away in his reading.. :>

I recently had 2 recommendations to read The Shack by William Young.   I had heard the book was about a tragic event that happened to a family, or specifically the father.  And that it was about his journey and relationship with God through the process. 

I started the book yesterday and can not put it down.  I believe the book is much more profound then I thought and in some way I think God is talking to me through this book.  I am only half way through it so I will see. 

Without giving up too much, basically I am in the part of the book where this father actually meets God and starts to have a dialog.  As you can imagine he is totally freaked out and at first believes he is dreaming.  He then starts to ask questions… 

In this scene, God who he calls ‘Papa’ & Jesus are in a kitchen and Jesus drops a bowl of batter all over the floor and on Papa’s feet.

“Jesus brushed past Mack and returned a minute later with a large basin of water and towels.   Jesus went straight to Papa and, kneeling at her feet, began to wipe off the front of her clothes.  He worked down to her feet and gently lifted one foot at a time, which he directed into the basin where he cleaned and massaged it.”   

“Ooooh, that feels sooo good! exclaimed Papa, as she continued her tasks at the counter.”

Then I was really touched with what followed.

“As he leaned against the doorway watching, Mack’s mind was full of thoughts.  So this was God in relationship?  It was beautiful and so appealing.  He knew that it didn’t matter whose fault it was – the mess from some bowl had been broken, that a dish that had been planned would not be shared.  Obviously, what was truly important here was the love they had for one another and the fullness it brought them.  He shook his head.  How different this was from the way he treated the ones he loved!”

I have treated the ones I love this way.   I have used blame and fault and have not always considered the fullness of love.   Pure love.  All I can say is that I feel God is working on me.

I also highly recommend this book.  Even though I am only half way through it.�

I just finished this book.

  9 Things You Simply MUST DO

I really enjoyed reading this book.  I highly recommend it to anyone that is searching for ways to better their life.  It turns out that I have a small connection to the author, Dr. Cloud.  His sister has been a close business associate of mine for more than a decade.  Funny how you can know someone for so long, but never know stuff about their siblings.  Anyway, I read this book cover to cover and simply could not put it down.  For being one of the “self help books”, I never imagined that I could read with such interest.  I loved how Dr Cloud used Proverbs from the Bible to backup and augment what he was trying to convey.  I am so hungry for more, I want to go out and read others by him. 

Dr. Cloud says that he was lost while in college and simply did not know what to do. He didn’t know who he was and did not know what his purpose was.  So he did the one thing he never believed would help.  He opened the Bible.   As he says “I guess you could call it that ‘leap of faith’ that people talk about”.  He says he came upon this verse that jumped out at him and reading this today, it jumped out at me.

So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall wear?” For the pagans run after all of these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

-Matthew 6:31-34

One of the hardest things for me is worrying about tomorrow.  Thanks Dr. Cloud.