Timing is everything. This is going to sound really stupid, but I don't really choose the order that I will read the books that are on my "to read list". They choose me. There are literally hundreds of titles on my "to read" lists if you look at my list here, my list on goodreads, and my list on the library website. And I add titles faster than I can read books. But when I'm looking for something new to start, the right book has a way of making itself stand out. I can't really explain it, but it has happened more than once.
For several years, when glancing over titles in the bookstore, I would pick up Women Who Run With the Wolves, read the cover, and set it back on the shelf. I did this countless times. It looked interesting, but it wasn't the right book yet. Then a friend started an online book group and they were going to read the book, so I went to amazon and ordered a copy. It was exactly what I needed to read at that point in my life. Without this particular group of friends and the things I've learned from them, I don't think the book would have affected me the same way. I could have read it years ago, but I read it in 2012 when my mind and spirit were ready for it. And it was literally life changing.
Tonight I bought a book (Emotional Freedom by Judith Orloff) that has been on my "to read" list for 6 months. 6 months ago, I might have found the insights I needed, but now, reading it and thinking of the other things I'm currently reading or have just read, it is not just informative, but it is transformative too.
Yes, I have 7 books on my "Currently Reading" list, but they are all exactly what I need right now and they are weaving together in ways that I would not have imagined possible. Hopefully, I'll have time over the next few weeks to write about it all.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Book Review: Help, Thanks, Wow
My first introduction to the work of Anne Lamott occurred at a convention of voice teachers. The speaker quoted from Lamott's book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, and I knew I had to read more. I was hooked.
The thing I love most about Anne Lamott is that she is a real person, and her writing reflects that. She understands struggle. She understands frustration. She understands knowing what you should do, but very much wanting to do something else. And, she is hilarious.
In Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers, Lamott gets down to the basics. She peels away the layers of what we think prayer should be or when we think we should pray and tells it like it is.
I've probably heard hundreds of sermons on prayer, but Lamott speaks to my heart in a way that no one else has.
Prayer isn't really about the words we say. It's about what we feel, what we need, and what we need to share with someone or something beyond ourselves. That is why prayer can really be reduced to three words: help, thanks, and wow. Really. That is every prayer you've ever said.
I worry that some of my friends may miss her wonderful message because they are distracted by her politics, her past, or the four letter words sprinkled through the text. They may choose to dismiss her words because she sometimes refers to God as female. Look past it. She is a beautiful person whose ideas and perspectives on prayer will change you, the way you think about prayer, and the way you pray.
The thing I love most about Anne Lamott is that she is a real person, and her writing reflects that. She understands struggle. She understands frustration. She understands knowing what you should do, but very much wanting to do something else. And, she is hilarious.
In Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers, Lamott gets down to the basics. She peels away the layers of what we think prayer should be or when we think we should pray and tells it like it is.
Prayer is taking a chance that against all odds and past history, we are loved and chosen, and do not have to get it together before we show up. The opposite may be true: We may not be able to get it together until after we show up in such miserable shape.
Lamott, Anne (2012-11-13). Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers (pp. 5-6). Riverhead Hardcover. Kindle Edition.
I've probably heard hundreds of sermons on prayer, but Lamott speaks to my heart in a way that no one else has.
In prayer, I see the suffering bathed in light. In God, there is no darkness. I see God’s light permeate them, soak into them, guide their feet. I want to tell God what to do: “Look, Pal, this is a catastrophe. You have got to shape up.” But it wouldn’t work. So I pray for people who are hurting, that they be filled with air and light. Air and light heal; they somehow get into those dark, musty places, like spiritual antibiotics.
Lamott, Anne (2012-11-13). Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers (p. 16). Riverhead Hardcover. Kindle Edition.
Prayer isn't really about the words we say. It's about what we feel, what we need, and what we need to share with someone or something beyond ourselves. That is why prayer can really be reduced to three words: help, thanks, and wow. Really. That is every prayer you've ever said.
I worry that some of my friends may miss her wonderful message because they are distracted by her politics, her past, or the four letter words sprinkled through the text. They may choose to dismiss her words because she sometimes refers to God as female. Look past it. She is a beautiful person whose ideas and perspectives on prayer will change you, the way you think about prayer, and the way you pray.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Book Review: The Last Lecture
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Dying of cancer, Randy Pausch took the stage at Carnegie Mellon to deliver his last lecture. The official video posted by Carnegie Mellon has had over 15 million views. I picked up the book, expecting the text of the lecture, but was pleasantly surprised to find that he gives more of his personal story in the book.
The title he chose for his lecture was "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". In this book he tells us about his childhood dreams, how he achieved them, and how we can achieve our own dreams or enable the dreams of others.
There are two themes running through the book: brick walls and head-fakes.
In story after story he shows us how he refused to give up and kept pursuing his dreams.
As a teacher, the concept that clicked most with me was the head-fake. He explains the literal head-fake in football and then the second kind of head-fake (also used by his coach).
This feel-good book is a quick read and offers much advice for a happy, productive life. Although I didn't agree with all his advice, his positive attitude allowed me to just set those things aside and find the good that I needed and am ready for right now.
Dying of cancer, Randy Pausch took the stage at Carnegie Mellon to deliver his last lecture. The official video posted by Carnegie Mellon has had over 15 million views. I picked up the book, expecting the text of the lecture, but was pleasantly surprised to find that he gives more of his personal story in the book.
The title he chose for his lecture was "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". In this book he tells us about his childhood dreams, how he achieved them, and how we can achieve our own dreams or enable the dreams of others.
There are two themes running through the book: brick walls and head-fakes.
"The brick walls are there for a reason. They're not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." (pages 51-52).
In story after story he shows us how he refused to give up and kept pursuing his dreams.
As a teacher, the concept that clicked most with me was the head-fake. He explains the literal head-fake in football and then the second kind of head-fake (also used by his coach).
"The second kind of head-fake is the really important one-- the one that teaches people things they don't realize they're learning until well into the process. If you're a head-fake specialist, your hidden objective is to get them to learn something you really want them to learn." (page 39).
This feel-good book is a quick read and offers much advice for a happy, productive life. Although I didn't agree with all his advice, his positive attitude allowed me to just set those things aside and find the good that I needed and am ready for right now.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
From my reading: Atonement
I will soon be getting back to the book reviews and discussions, but for today here is something to think about that I've been thinking about because of my reading.
Atonement = Love. It's not just something that happened because of love. It literally is love. And it's not one event in the past. Atonement is present, here and now, and every moment .
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Contentment
I grabbed a book off the shelf today, hoping for a quick, easy dose of feel-good reading. The tiny book I picked up was I Hope You Know How Much I Love You and Other Advice for a Happy Life by John Bytheway. He begins by telling us about the advice he got from his mother,
Even today, I struggle with balancing the accepting of who I am and where I am, with striving for improvement. Life, or God, or the Universe, keeps reminding me though. Having a chronic illness that affects my energy, my pain levels, and my ability to think clearly has forced me to rethink what it means to do my best. My best is no longer what I am capable of if I push myself really hard. my best is now what my body will allow me to do. My best doesn't get my house cleaned. My best doesn't keep up on the business side of my music studio. My best doesn't always get the bills paid on time. And I'm starting to be OK with that. Contentment or apathy?
"Do your best. Be good. Be nice. Say 'thank you.' And don't worry, everything will be all right."He then goes on to explain that those are still important things to him, but they have evolved somewhat.
"...'do your best' became be content."I found this to be an interesting evolution considering my own struggles with "do your best." To me, "do your best" was always something that would have been attainable if I had pushed myself a little bit harder. I was one of those rare people that actually had a very good image of what my potential was, and any thing less than the full realization of that potential did not count, to me, as doing my best. Contentment and doing my best were not even in the same ballpark.
Even today, I struggle with balancing the accepting of who I am and where I am, with striving for improvement. Life, or God, or the Universe, keeps reminding me though. Having a chronic illness that affects my energy, my pain levels, and my ability to think clearly has forced me to rethink what it means to do my best. My best is no longer what I am capable of if I push myself really hard. my best is now what my body will allow me to do. My best doesn't get my house cleaned. My best doesn't keep up on the business side of my music studio. My best doesn't always get the bills paid on time. And I'm starting to be OK with that. Contentment or apathy?
Friday, December 7, 2012
Restorative Justice
I'm in the middle of reading Desmond Tutu's No Future Without Forgiveness, but I needed to post now, rather than later about a new concept I learned about: restorative justice. Somehow, I've lived my whole life thinking that justice was punishment and that was all it could be. And then I found this wonderful book about South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Wikipedia gives some helpful information here, but I think it is most beautifully described in these two quotes from the book. Desmond Tutu writes,
Wikipedia gives some helpful information here, but I think it is most beautifully described in these two quotes from the book. Desmond Tutu writes,
"Here the central concern is not retribution or punishment. In the spirit of ubuntu, the central concern is the healing of breaches, the redressing of imbalances, the restoration of broken relationships, a seeing to rehabilitate both the victim and the perpetrator, who should be given the opportunity to be reintegrated into the community he has injured by his offense."He later quotes Marietta Jaeger whose daughter had been killed and kidnapped,
"...I had finally come to believe that real justice is not punishment but restoration, not necessarily to how things used to be, but to how they really should be."Justice doesn't have to be just about punishment. Justice can be about healing, and restoration, and reintegration. Somehow, justice doesn't seem so harsh anymore. Is restorative justice easy? Definitely not. But it has the potential to heal all parties involved in ways that punitive justice cannot.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Charity
I found this quote today in my reading and wanted to share
...healing rests on charity, and charity is a way of perceiving the perfection of another even if he cannot perceive it himself.How much better would the world be if we thought of charity not as hand-outs, but seeing the perfection in others and treating them accordingly!
Schucman, Helen (2011-05-06). A Course in Miracles: Original Edition (Kindle Locations 1323-1324). White Crow Books. Kindle Edition.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Book Group: The God Who Weeps Introduction
The Longing Soul
In this introduction to the book, the authors make it clear that science can't fully explain all the mysteries of the world, but faith doesn't exactly give us a nice clean picture either. When you examine the evidence for and against belief in God, it is not the evidence itself that settles the question, but rather how we respond to that evidence, what conclusions we draw from what we see. The authors assert that faith, for most of us is a deliberate choice.
In Doctrine and Covenants 46:13-14 it explains that some are given the spiritual gift of knowing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was crucified for our sins, and that others are given the gift of believing on their words. We tend to think of those people that "know" as the strong ones and those that believe on their words as having a lesser gift. I don't think that that is the case. Both are spiritual gifts and both are given for the edification of all.
As members of the church we are often encouraged to bear our testimonies of what we know. And sometimes, though probably not intentionally, the message is given that to doubt is to risk falling away completely. But I don't think that's true. Doubting can lead to a closer examination of what you really believe, and ultimately can lead to stronger belief. Faith is not denying doubt. Faith is choosing to believe and choosing a course of action for our lives, without the certainty of knowing that we are right.
I am, by nature, a doubter and a questioner. But that doesn't mean that I haven't chosen faith. I haven't yet chosen faith in all the things that some of my friends and family members would like me to, but I have chosen. Bit by bit, I am building my house of faith, and because I'm building slowly and carefully, it will be a house that is strong.
Questions for discussion (or personal reflection):
1. In general, do you rely more on science, reason, and logic or feelings and emotions?
2. Do you think your answer to question 1 has an impact on the ease or difficulty you have in making that deliberate choice to have faith?
3. How do you feel about doubting? Can it be a useful tool, or should we choose not to have doubts?
4. Have you chosen faith? In God? In a specific religion? In a specific principle?
5. If so, what brought you to that choice?
6. What other thoughts did you have about this Introduction? What ideas spoke to you? What made you uncomfortable?
Feel free to comment and discuss these ideas even if you haven't read the book yet.
In this introduction to the book, the authors make it clear that science can't fully explain all the mysteries of the world, but faith doesn't exactly give us a nice clean picture either. When you examine the evidence for and against belief in God, it is not the evidence itself that settles the question, but rather how we respond to that evidence, what conclusions we draw from what we see. The authors assert that faith, for most of us is a deliberate choice.
In Doctrine and Covenants 46:13-14 it explains that some are given the spiritual gift of knowing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was crucified for our sins, and that others are given the gift of believing on their words. We tend to think of those people that "know" as the strong ones and those that believe on their words as having a lesser gift. I don't think that that is the case. Both are spiritual gifts and both are given for the edification of all.
As members of the church we are often encouraged to bear our testimonies of what we know. And sometimes, though probably not intentionally, the message is given that to doubt is to risk falling away completely. But I don't think that's true. Doubting can lead to a closer examination of what you really believe, and ultimately can lead to stronger belief. Faith is not denying doubt. Faith is choosing to believe and choosing a course of action for our lives, without the certainty of knowing that we are right.
I am, by nature, a doubter and a questioner. But that doesn't mean that I haven't chosen faith. I haven't yet chosen faith in all the things that some of my friends and family members would like me to, but I have chosen. Bit by bit, I am building my house of faith, and because I'm building slowly and carefully, it will be a house that is strong.
Questions for discussion (or personal reflection):
1. In general, do you rely more on science, reason, and logic or feelings and emotions?
2. Do you think your answer to question 1 has an impact on the ease or difficulty you have in making that deliberate choice to have faith?
3. How do you feel about doubting? Can it be a useful tool, or should we choose not to have doubts?
4. Have you chosen faith? In God? In a specific religion? In a specific principle?
5. If so, what brought you to that choice?
6. What other thoughts did you have about this Introduction? What ideas spoke to you? What made you uncomfortable?
Feel free to comment and discuss these ideas even if you haven't read the book yet.
Book Review: Embracing Coincidence
I need to begin this review by stating that there will be nothing balanced or non-biased in this review of Embracing Coincidence. I love Carol Lynn Pearson and have for years. It began with her poetry, grew in my teen years when I read Goodbye, I Love You, and fully blossomed when I signed up for her monthly newsletter. She is a woman filled with love, beauty, and amazing insights. And if that wasn't enough, she also has the gift of words, that allows her to share her beauty and knowledge and experience in a way that will touch you.
Embracing Coincidence came to me at the time I needed it most. No surprise there, if you believe what she writes about coincidence. I'd seen it before, but it wasn't until I was needing it that it found me and asked to be read.
The author begins the book by exploring the concept of synchronicity--what it means, why it happens, what we should do about it. Then in short essays, grouped by theme, she shares some of the synchronicities from her life and the things she learned from those experiences.
She speaks of the hope, peace, gratitude, and inspiration that that these little coincidences bring to her life. They brought that to my life as well. It's been a rough couple of weeks, but I knew I could turn to her and this book to find what I needed to get through. Some chapters literally left me in tears because of their beauty. My absolute favorites were "Dog Poo and Sacred Waste" and "The Hindus, the Mormons, and the Divine Mother".
Read it. You won't be disappointed.
Embracing Coincidence came to me at the time I needed it most. No surprise there, if you believe what she writes about coincidence. I'd seen it before, but it wasn't until I was needing it that it found me and asked to be read.
The author begins the book by exploring the concept of synchronicity--what it means, why it happens, what we should do about it. Then in short essays, grouped by theme, she shares some of the synchronicities from her life and the things she learned from those experiences.
She speaks of the hope, peace, gratitude, and inspiration that that these little coincidences bring to her life. They brought that to my life as well. It's been a rough couple of weeks, but I knew I could turn to her and this book to find what I needed to get through. Some chapters literally left me in tears because of their beauty. My absolute favorites were "Dog Poo and Sacred Waste" and "The Hindus, the Mormons, and the Divine Mother".
Read it. You won't be disappointed.
Book Review: The God Who Weeps
I was very much looking forward to reading The God Who Weeps by Terryl and Fiona Givens because it had received favorably reviews from a few people I trust. And maybe that was my first mistake. If a book or movie is hyped a lot, I usually expect too much and end up disappointed. This was not a bad book, but reading it wasn't the amazing, wonderful, eye-opening experience I had expected.
The God Who Weeps is basically "The Plan of Salvation" explained to non-Mormon readers. To their credit, the authors avoid many of the catch phrases that have become almost trite and cliché in Mormon circles. They also reference and quote a wide-ranging selection of theologians, philosophers, and poets. I actually loved this about the book. As Mormons, we sometimes tend to stick to our scriptures and quotes from the General Authorities, but they presented "the world's" words to support their own. One of my favorite paragraphs is from the notes section where they explain their use of these non-Mormon sources citing Doctrine and Covenants 68:4. It is usually taken to mean that when the leaders of the church speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost that what they say is scripture. Here they seem to use the broader interpretation that when any servant of God speaks when moved by the Holy Ghost, it is scripture.
The biggest issue I had with this book is that the authors fall into a trap that is common not just in the Mormon world, but in the world in general. People tend to think that what they think and feel and how they respond is how everyone thinks, feels, and responds. I felt like there were assertions made in this book that everyone feels X, therefore Y is true. I get into more details on that in the individual discussions for book group, but I wanted to put it out here now. I also felt that they sometimes made statements implying that because A exists, B must therefore logically follow. Again, we see this a lot in church, and even in the scriptures, but I don't think it is always true.
Is the book worth reading? Absolutely, but don't expect to like or agree with everything. I am very much looking forward to writing more about individual chapters and discussing them in the online book group. The book is worth buying, even if it is only for the 2 page Epilogue, which I loved.
The God Who Weeps is basically "The Plan of Salvation" explained to non-Mormon readers. To their credit, the authors avoid many of the catch phrases that have become almost trite and cliché in Mormon circles. They also reference and quote a wide-ranging selection of theologians, philosophers, and poets. I actually loved this about the book. As Mormons, we sometimes tend to stick to our scriptures and quotes from the General Authorities, but they presented "the world's" words to support their own. One of my favorite paragraphs is from the notes section where they explain their use of these non-Mormon sources citing Doctrine and Covenants 68:4. It is usually taken to mean that when the leaders of the church speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost that what they say is scripture. Here they seem to use the broader interpretation that when any servant of God speaks when moved by the Holy Ghost, it is scripture.
The biggest issue I had with this book is that the authors fall into a trap that is common not just in the Mormon world, but in the world in general. People tend to think that what they think and feel and how they respond is how everyone thinks, feels, and responds. I felt like there were assertions made in this book that everyone feels X, therefore Y is true. I get into more details on that in the individual discussions for book group, but I wanted to put it out here now. I also felt that they sometimes made statements implying that because A exists, B must therefore logically follow. Again, we see this a lot in church, and even in the scriptures, but I don't think it is always true.
Is the book worth reading? Absolutely, but don't expect to like or agree with everything. I am very much looking forward to writing more about individual chapters and discussing them in the online book group. The book is worth buying, even if it is only for the 2 page Epilogue, which I loved.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Book Group: The God Who Weeps
Welcome friends. I just finished reading The God Who Weeps and would love a chance to discuss it with some people.
Here's how this first book group will work:
1. Comment on this post, letting me know you are interested in talking about this book.
2. Get the book. Amazon was "temporarily out of stock" this morning, but you can probably find it several other places.
3. Read my general review. If you've already read the book, feel free to comment there.
4. Every few days, or once a week, I will do a book group post about a specific chapter. Don't worry about trying to get all the reading done before the next post. Just come visit when you are ready. If you want to be part of the continuing conversation, sign up for notifications.
Here's how this first book group will work:
1. Comment on this post, letting me know you are interested in talking about this book.
2. Get the book. Amazon was "temporarily out of stock" this morning, but you can probably find it several other places.
3. Read my general review. If you've already read the book, feel free to comment there.
4. Every few days, or once a week, I will do a book group post about a specific chapter. Don't worry about trying to get all the reading done before the next post. Just come visit when you are ready. If you want to be part of the continuing conversation, sign up for notifications.
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