Reading Avec ou Sans La Vie

We who read live the book. A good author can take us places, lead us in new experiences, share new perspectives with us, give new insights. But a book, no matter how amazing, will only take you so far. You have to at some point put the book down and pick up the car keys and take a road trip and stop and stay a bit where you get tired then keep going.

The great thing about reading is that in my life, it made me want to travel more, live more. It fosters an exchange with life experiences. And keeping a journal allows you to transfer those experiences to paper to share with others. Then it comes full circle. Reading without living life is knowledge without conversion to understanding or wisdom. We all had text book teachers and life experience teachers. Who knew more to teach us?

Same principle applies to us in Christ. We read the Book, love the Book, but it must inspire to action, to experience Christ’s way of living and action to grow wiser and more effective.❤

No Longer Able to Share

For some reason and quite suddenly, I am no longer able to share other WordPress blogs I like on my blog. I am not sure why this is, but just know that and understand that I would share more of my dear writer friend’s blog entries if I could. Please do not take it personally and know that I am not happy about it. Love you all. I will keep reading, however, and write my own. Keep writing. Love your work!❤

Life Outside the Pages

I once felt more alive reading and writing than I did actual living. This is saying a lot because I am a pretty big “liver” (not the organ) too. I love life. The thing is that life didn’t always like me so a book was my friend, my escape, my journey into an alternate reality, my learning tool about people, my entertainment. I would stay up late into the night with my reading light on in bed, with four or five repetitions of “lights out” before I would allow my sleepy eyes to close in slumber. It was the classics: the Bible, Jane Austen anything, Loisa May Alcott, C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, Herman Melville, Brontte, the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little Princess, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the greats. I loved poetry also. And it occurred to me after having burnt out of books from intense doctoral study and way too much college education, that reading is just now becoming a love again. But in the interim, I realized that the Bible was gaining prominence as it connected with my deep desire for truth and closeness to God AND that it reinforces reality lived well as opposed to escaping it. And my busy schedule forces me to prioritize so this real life business may be handled really well, I must limit. I lately enjoy reading my new blog friends’ blogs, writing, participating and reading my Bible and a chapter here or there of some great book.❤

Reading Minds

As I read, I glimpse the mind of the author. I see their heart, read their mind, know a little of their innerness. Writing is an artistic expression of who we are and only really good artist writers can convey their story as they convey another. It is fantastic and I confess reading is one of my greatest joys. And the Bible is my favorite book because the Author/God tells His whole story through many other authors at various times in history and assembled it and thus revealed His mind and will and heart, so epic. This is my favorite way to get to know artistic person, no matter who they are or what their story. Everyone has a lesson to share, a beautiful mind to read. Bliss!❤