Showing posts with label Brother Lawrence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brother Lawrence. Show all posts

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Richmond, here I come!

A few weeks ago I wrote about entering a 10K race. Well, I did it! I am officially entered in the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, VA. The race is on March 28. I am certainly not doing this for time... I just want to complete the race. And believe it or not, I am already looking forward to the next race that I can participate in. I don't know yet if it will be later this year or maybe the same race next year. Regardless, I am very excited to participate in this race and am happy that my family will go with me.

It's funny... I have never been a runner. Now, at the age of 33, I have taken up something that I hated to do--and I like it! God has really changed my heart where running is concerned, and it has truly become a time that has been set apart for Him. I grab my iPod and hit the gym, and I listen to music that leads back to the Father while I run. I've got Toby Mac, Chris Tomlin, Natalie Grant, and Hillsong in my workout playlist, just to name a few. I'm on a mission now to add more music to my workout playlist... enough to get me through the race.

Brother Lawrence truly said it best when he said:

Lord of all pots and pans and things...
Make me a saint by getting meals
And washing up the plates!

If Brother Lawrence could worship God and spend time in His presence while doing something as mundane as the dishes--do I hear an "Amen!" from all of the mommies?--one can certainly worship God while running!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

What are you reading?

I love to read. I always have. In fact, I love to read so much that I kept probably 90% of my textbooks from college--I just can't bear to part with a book!

I have been reading a lot of fiction lately. I really enjoy good storytelling. One of my favorite authors is Lori Wick. She is an excellent storyteller, her style draws you into the story so much so that it is as if you are part of the story itself, and her books always minister to me in some way. I can reread her books and take away something different each time. It's really hard to say which of her books is my favorite; I can honestly say that there isn't a book of hers that I don't like!

Another author who is at the top of my favorites list is Jan Karon. If you haven't read her Mitford series, you really should! The first book is At Home in Mitford. Her style is very different from anything I have read, and it has an almost slow, laid-back pace to it--which is quite fitting because Mitford is a small, fictional town in North Carolina where everyone knows everyone and where there is a true sense of community. The main character in the Mitford series is Father Tim, a 60-something Episcopalian priest who has all kinds of adventures--and some misadventures--while going through life. You'll really come to love the Mitford series when you read it. Be sure to have a current library card or money set aside for book purchases! Once you've read the first book, you're hooked!

Right now, though, I'm taking a little break from fiction and am finally reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This was recommended to me by one of my former professors at ORU, and I am so glad that he recommended it! I haven't read much of it yet, but already I can say that this is a must-read for all Christians.

So, tell me... what are you reading right now? What kinds of books interest you, and why?