Filed under: Christianity, books, marriage | Tags: anxiety, crazy love, francis chan, stress
**Confession**
I worry too often, I complain of stress, and I am at times consumed by anxiety. By the grace of God, I have seen these gradually disappear from my life, but they definitely still exist.
For 26 years (almost 27) of my life, God has always provided, but for some reason, I still worry about the future. I get irritable when we have unexpected car repairs because I hadn’t planned for it. However, God planned for it. He knew it was coming. He wasn’t surprised. I worry about things that are 5 years away. I get frustrated when I don’t have enough time to take care of things. Yet God has repeatedly shown me that He is taking care of every detail imaginable.
Ashley is always 100% reassuring in these kinds of times. Without her encouragement, I would be much worse off. She helps me realize that in reality, we have the money saved to pay for car repairs, I will have time to get things done, and God is still in control. I’m thankful for a wife who helps me see things in a clear, Christ-like perspective.
On a recent lunch break, I started reading Francis Chan’s Crazy Love. It was on a day where I felt overwhelmed with everything that was in front of me. When I made it to pages 39 and 40, the words just jumped off the page and hit me right in the face. Here are some words straight from those pages.
Crazy Love – pages 39-40
- Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives.
- Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or out tight grip of control.
- Both worry and stress reak of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we’ve been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won’t be be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God’s strength, our problems are small, indeed.
- When I am consumed by my problems, stressed out about MY life, MY family, MY job, I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice.
Phil 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
Phil 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything.”
I’ve got a TON to learn and a very long way to go.
Filed under: books, movies | Tags: books, entertainment, movie list, movies, reading list
It never mattered how hard I tried in English classes in High School or college. My best paper that I spent hours on would at best get me an occasional B-. I know proper English, I know how to spell (or use spell check), and I always prepared, but I never got a good grade. Their They’re There were many times where it drove me crazy.
But for some reason, I still love to read. I don’t think I comprehend as well as most people, but I do enjoy it. And normally, I can come back and read the same book a year later, and it is almost brand new. I’m looking for some ideas for summer reading. I like anything from James Patterson, historical fiction, Joel Osteen’s books (just kidding), and I am willing to try anything else.
Here’s what I’ve read so far this year.
Books
Fellowship Of The Ring
The Two Towers
Return Of The King
The Kite Runner
Run For Your Life
Band of Brothers
East of Eden
Into The Wild
Vintage Jesus
Grapes of Wrath
Worship Matters
I also love to watch movies. And just like books, if I watch the movie again a few months later, the movie is brand new to me! Here’s the movies I’ve watched so far this year.
Movies
Appalossa
Slumdog Millionaire
The Dark Knight
Vicky Christina Barcelona
There Will Be Blood
Man On Wire
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (i think that was the name of it)
The Usual Suspects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Seven Pounds
Taken
So, send me your suggestions. Any good books or movies out there you would encourage me to read or watch?
Everyone enjoy your weekend!
Filed under: Ramblings, books | Tags: band of brothers, books, fiction, jeff shaara, library, novels, public library
There’s no telling how much money that I have saved in the past 2 years by visiting the public library on a regular basis – and the Richland County Public Library is one of the best. I have checked out numerous CD’s, books, cookbooks, books about travel/hiking, and other random stuff. I’ve spent countless lunch breaks at the library using the Internet, reading, or just looking for random books to read. I’ve always had a library within 2 miles from work, and I have one about 5 miles from my house. I am amazed sometimes at how much money people spend on books. Books that they most likely will read once and never read again. Some books may not even get finished. Yes, I understand that some books out there you just can’t find in the library – most Christian books are in this category. I normally read fiction though, almost 98% of the time.
The last fiction books that I bought were over a year ago, and before that, who knows when I bought a book. Last summer I bought East of Eden and Lonesome Dove. I am sure that I will read each of these books again and I am glad that I own a copy of them. Today, I bought 4 books through Amazon. 3 are books that I have read before, and 1 that I haven’t. Check out these good deals on some used books.
God’s and Generals (hardcover) – $3.10
The Glorious Cause (hardcover) – $1.25
Band of Brothers – $.98
The Last Full Measure (hardcover) – $.33
The only problem is that I screwed up on the shipping and chose expedited shipping (it was the default shipping) instead of the normal shipping that costs $3.99. So hopefully, I’ll get that worked out and not have to pay the extra shipping.
So, don’t spend all of your money on books. I only bought these because I know they will probably get multiple reads, and they are worth having a hard copy of. Plus, who can beat a hardcover book for $.33 (plus 3 shipping)? Go use the library. It’s awesome, and you can get just about anything. Sometimes it requires patience when you have to request a book and wait to get your turn, but it’s a lot better than spending $15 for a book you’ll read once, and forget a month later.
