SPRING READING...

My spring reads have been pretty sparse...but here they are!  Mostly this spring I enjoyed studying I and II Corinthians with a group, and have done a lot of online research for travel.

Inheritance, by Dani Shapiro

A memoir about Dani finding out her true identity after her parents had died.  Although a fair-haired person, she grew up in a strong Jewish family.  Growing up there were always jokes about whether she belonged. She did indeed find out after doing a test on a whim that she had no real Jewish genes, and set out to find answers.  This story chronicles her journey as she found those answers and her feelings of betrayal and love.  An interesting read and it shows how complicated medical ethics can be as it affects the individual.

Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

Another one from Rachel Hollis which is much like her previous one.  She addresses all the excuses you might have for not chasing after your dreams.  He advice is to just focus on the one thing you want to achieve, and don't apologize for it.  Make it happen.  Great read if you need some motivation to move on in life!

Moon travel guide - Mount Rushmore & The Black Hills, by Laural A. Bidwell

I heard the Moon guides were the best travel guides, so I checked one out.  I like the size of them - they fit in the hand easily.  They have beautiful pictures but not too many, just enough to whet your appetite!  Each city in the region is described well with a few choice accommodations, restaurants, and activities listed.  I think generally what I like is that the guide is not overwhelming with choices.  They recommend the best of what is available according to several budgets.  Also, it features a good map of each place, including restaurant, shops and accommodations.

DK Eyewitness Travel - Dublin

After reading and doing a lot of online research about what might be interesting to see on our road trip to the Dakotas, all of a sudden our plans changed with a business trip over in Europe for The Hubs!  So all the books changed and this one about Dublin, Ireland is a good one.  DK books have a lot of pictures, which is good for someone who knows very little about the place!  Seriously, it's got a little history, some maps, and plenty of information about attractions.  

BEING STILL WHEN ACTION IS ALL YOU KNOW...

"Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we  will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Gal. 6:9

For so long I've used this verse to remind myself that many give up, many grow weary of doing good, and I do not want to be in that group.  To me that means serving physically - taking food to someone or doing some kind of chore for someone who cannot do it for health reasons, a death in the family, or whatever. 

But my aching joints are telling me otherwise nowadays.

Being a stay-at-home mother for the last 20 + years and considering my job keeper of the home, I feel that cooking or cleaning for someone is what I do best and that's my best way to do good.  I taught children for many years and that felt good.  Serving in Women's Ministry through planning and executing events are also my way of doing good.

So my aching joints telling me to take a break is playing with my mind.

You might notice this scripture does not define what doing good is....do you suppose that's intentional?  Of course it is!  What does God's word say about doing good?  What good things did God do?  What kind of good did Jesus do?  Those are our models for GOOD.  Off the top of my head I can think of many examples of good, and I'm sure I could find more with deeper study.  I think about the creation story in Genesis.  Each day God looked at it, and said, "It is good." However God made this Earth, a work of his mind, a work of his hands; he reflected about along the way.  Micah 6:8 tells us what good is:  "He has showed you, O Man, what is good.  But what does the Lord require of you?  To seek justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."  Being still this morning and praying; connecting with the Father - that is good.  Praying for others - that is good.  Seeking justice for someone is action based to me.  But praying for justice is an action, too.  Loving mercy and walking humbly - those are a reflection of the Holy Spirit working in your life .

Psalm 37:3  says "Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness." I've heard from time to time that it is hard for older Christians to feel useful.  Aging robs of us doing so much action.  I've never thought of it this way, but maybe it's God giving us one more chance to draw near to him.  

So my conclusion here is that my idea of doing good has been action based in my life for many, many years. How about you?  Action in the name of the Lord is good.  But it will change, and change is hard.  The Holy Spirit is helping me see that doing good can mean reflecting, loving, being humble, and cultivating faithfulness through making connections, prayer, and Bible study.  

So take that, you aching joints!