Book Fiend

I have this weakness for buying books.

After I drove my parents to the airport tonight, I made a quick stop at a local bookstore, to purchase what was supposed to be one book, that I'd called ahead and put on hold.

I walked out of the store with seven books. And one more on order, that will likely arrive tomorrow, necessitating a return trip this weekend.

What makes this funny is that for the last six months, for the first time since I learned to read, I've had absolutely no interest in reading. And especially in reading books. Short articles, newspapers, magazines, blogs - all of these have held my interest, but very little book reading has actually been done (as the sidebar on the blog demonstrates!)

But, this last week or so, I've felt the stirring of interest in reading again. I've been making my way through a biography that's both very enjoyable and deeply challenging.

And, I'm excited to dive into several of the titles I purchased tonight.

So, perhaps this will be a weekend for reading. For finding a spot in the sun in the living room, or curling up in the grass in "my" park with a book.

Reading. And maybe journaling. Because, for me, they tend to go hand in hand. And I'd like to get back to journaling as well.

More Good Stuff from Henri

A few more challenging thoughts from Henri Nouwen...

Jesus Hungers and Thirsts for Uprightness

Jesus, the Blessed Son of God, hungers and thirsts for uprightness. He abhors injustice. He resists those who try to gather wealth and influence by oppression and exploitation. His whole being yearns for people to treat one another as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same God.

With fervor he proclaims that the way to the Kingdom is not saying many prayers or offering many sacrifices but in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and the prisoners (see Matthew 25:31-46). He longs for a just world. He wants us to live with the same hunger and thirst.

Jesus Is Merciful

Jesus, the Blessed Child of God, is merciful. Showing mercy is different from having pity. Pity connotes distance, even looking down upon. When a beggar asks for money and you give him something out of pity, you are not showing mercy. Mercy comes from a compassionate heart; it comes from a desire to be an equal. Jesus didn't want to look down on us. He wanted to become one of us and feel deeply with us.

When Jesus called the only son of the widow of Nain to life, he did so because he felt the deep sorrow of the grieving mother in his own heart (see Luke 7:11-17). Let us look at Jesus when we want to know how to show mercy to our brothers and sisters.

Quote of the Day (x2)

Yesterday and today's quotes from the calendar that sits on my office desk, courtesy of a dear friend...

"It seems to me that we have nothing to fear when we look to God only and seek his glory alone, since he takes into account the good will alone of a heart that loves him." (Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque)

"God must be loved with the whole understanding, without deceit, with the whole will, without reserve or division, with the whole mind, without forgetfulness, without diminution, without negligence or remissness." (Venerable Mary of Agreda)

Odd Sleep

It was an odd night of sleep again. Lots of dreams. I think I'll just choose to be thankful for the fact that if I was dreaming, at least it means I was asleep.

I dreamt a lot about work too.

About the gazillion things I need to get done in the next two days. The rather large things that I'm responsible for organizing that must get done. I'm not that worried about them, so it's odd that I would dream about them. Many of them, unfortunately, rest on other people. There are so many things on my list of "must be accomplished soonish" that are waiting on bits and pieces of help from others.

Ah well. On into the day.