Reading

Growing up I read a lot of books.  Fiction, I loved fiction and mostly mysteries. Okay, I'll admit.  Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys were the books I read.  And re-read.  And loved.

In my adult years I really don't read a whole lot.  Magazines or short stories mostly.  The exception being when I'm on vacation or a random weekend at home when I "just have to read a book."  And when this happens I am totally into the book (fiction) and am oblivious to any responsibilities or tasks that I should be looking into.  As in meals for the family or laundry.

Books for learning are never the type of book I pick up.  I do want to learn.  Every single day I learn something but it doesn't come from books.  It is with great joy that I listen to my friends when they share what they are learning or have learned from a book.  Sometimes I find myself envying the fact "they can read" when I don't seem to ever finish a learning-type-of-book if I pick it up to read it.

In my recent adventure of reclaiming our family room from the storage room it had become, I had to pack up a bookcase of books that we'd not touched for years.  The Husband is a reader but even he has not read many of the books that I was packing up.  There was one book that I swear jumped out of the box as I put it in.  There was a drawing to this book that I cannot explain because it was a learning book.  It must've been that God-Nudge because I knew I was to read this book. 

People, this book is rocking my world.  I've had to re-read the first chapter three times.  There is so much good stuff in the first chapter I am reading and re-reading so that I can truly soak in some basic facts and principles that I have forgotten or never totally understood. 

What is the book you are asking?

It is not a new book.  It was published in 1996 or close to that time. 

Do you write in your books as you read?  I have found myself underlining, circling and making other notations in this book as I read. 

This book will not make sense to you if you don't know the Unending, NonJudging Love that God has for you.  And the fact that He craves you.  Yes, God craves us.  He made us but he didn't make us robots and we get to choose Him or not choose Him.  So, if you aren't at the point in your life of knowing God personally, this book might not make sense to you.

The author is Dutch Sheets.  Oh how I thank God for the experiences this man has had so that he can write this book and write it in such a way that I can understand it.  Here are a few snippets that I've underlined in the first three chapters:

"God didn't give away ownership of the earth, but He did assign the responsibility of governing it to humanity"

"Humans were forever to be God's link to authority and activity on the earth."

"Prayer is essentially a partnership of the redeemed child of God working hand in hand with God toward the realization of His redemptive purposes on earth."

Believe me, there is a whole lot more in this book and I am so excited!  I am learning from a Learning-Type-of-Book and that is a miracle!  I'm actually reading!

By the way, I carried the book with me to a recent visit to Prairie Woman's house.  One of her kidlets brought me a flower during our visit.  It was clover and oh so special to receive as a gift!  I tucked that clover in my New-Learning-Book and it has remained there.  It is my bookmark!  Isn't is amazing that it just dried and hasn't crumbled away!

What are you reading these days? 

I have to encourage you that if you have been like me and thought you couldn't read a learning book, you should give it a try!  Ask God to show you what book you should be spending time in.  Besides the Bible. 

He might amaze you!