Book Club

 My mom has enjoyed being a part of a book club for a few years now.  Despite relocating from Northern to Southeastern Virginia in recent years, she continues to drive the two hours each way once a month in order to participate.  Hearing her stories of good reads, as well as not so good reads, provoked my own desire to participate in a book club.   Additionally, my sister in law, who herself is an avid reader, will occasionally text some of her own recommendations to me.  Therefore, I decided last fall to start a book club. I did so with a couple objectives in mind: to get to know my neighbors and to have some book reading accountability!  Here are the six books we've read together thus far (all of which I would highly recommend!): 

 This is our current read for next month's discussion:

 I must say, it has been such an enjoyable experience for me.  Not only have I been motivated to read more books outside of the church, but have had opportunities to have stimulating conversations with some wonderful ladies who come from varying walks of life. ( For the record, I have some wonderful neighbors!)  As a group, we have had some heavy topics to weed through.  Issues such as modern day slavery, caring for the fatherless and orphans,  moral crises, the trauma of wartime, adoption, broken relationships, grief, miscarriage and other forms of loss. Thankfully, there have been some redemptive elements weaved into each of these story lines.  It is my prayer that these monthly gatherings would not only be a time of encouragement, but a place to reflect on the redemptive thread woven into our own story lines...  Please pray for the ladies who participate, each of whom have real lives and real struggles.  Practically every time we have gathered, there have been moments to relate the book characters struggles and triumphs to personal examples primarily within my personal context and comprehensive effect of parenting precious children from broken backgrounds.  I have often been reminded of the following two passages:

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So death is at work in us, but life in you." 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
AND
Acts 17:16-34 
This is the text when Paul was in Athens.  His spirit was provoked while viewing the city full of idols and then used the things of the city to point to Christ.

"Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.  For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this in scripture, 'To the unknown god.'  What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.  The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.  Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for
""In him we live and move and have our being';
as even some of your own poets have said,
"'For we are indeed his offspring.'
Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." (vv. 22-31)

May God grant wisdom to hold out truth and hope as one who has been shown mercy...

Book recommendations WELCOME!  Please share!