A book report

I read.  A lot.  Most people don't know this about me.  I don't always pass along books and I often don't pipe up my opinions on books unless I'm asked.  This is the reason I got a late invitation to the book club I attend.  No one knew I read, so no one invited me.  Until one day, a friend posted that she was really looking forward to a glass of wine at bookclub.  I asked her about her book club and the person who founded the club (also a friend) quickly emailed me to invite me to join explaining that she didn't know I liked to read.  So....now that we've gotten that out of the way...
I need to apologize to all to all of the people that have suggested to me that I should read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  There was so much hype (which turns me off) and so many people suggesting it that I was actually relieved that I was going to be out of town for the bookclub meeting that would discuss it.  I didn't even read it.  Until last week...  I had already read the March bookclub book (finished that the day of the February meeting) and really needed something to read.  Since we're discussing reading Gilbert's newest book, I decided that I should cave and read Eat Pray Love.  Man, I'm so glad that I did.  It was great!!!
I enjoyed reading about good places to eat in Italy (though I'm not sure I'll ever find them if we get to go).  I now want to go stay in an Ashram in India someday.  And I totally want to go to Bali and find Ketut Liyer and sit on his porch talking about life.  Seriously...great book!!!

Here are four quotes from the book that have really stuck with me and why:

"...to even believe [what good works will yield] is an act of faith, because nobody amongst us is shown the endgame.  DEVOTION IS DILIGENCE WITHOUT ASSURANCE."

Wow!  What a way to put it!  I've always explained faith - at least MY faith - as being willing to step out into darkness and trust that God will lead the way.  The author goes on to say, "There's a reason we refer to 'leaps of faith' - because decision to consent to any notion of divinity is a mighty jump from the rational over to the unknowable..."  But what a great sentence - "Devotion is diligence without assurance."  I actually put the book down for a moment to mull that one over.

"...the day of the week that you were born is more important in Bali than the year...the patron god of children born on Thursdays is Shiva the Destroyer, and that the day has two guiding animal spirits - the lion and the tiger.  The official tree of children born on Thursday is the banyan.  The official bird is the peacock.  A PERSON BORN ON THURSDAY IS ALWAYS TALKING FIRST, INTERRUPTING EVERYONE ELSE, CAN BE A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE, TENDS TO BE HANDSOME ('a playboy or playgirl') BUT HAS A DECENT OVERALL CHARACTER, WITH AN EXCELLENT MEMORY AND A DESIRE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE.

Ella and I were both born on Thursdays.  I just thought, "hmm..well, I'd definitely fit my character description in Bali".  I'll also say that I LOVE Banyan trees.  I thought that was cool.  I am trying to learn not to talk first or interrupt, but those are long lessons.  I actually started in a women's Bible study today called Conversation Peace.  It is about taming the tongue (interesting since we JUST read that passage in James in Sunday school).  I also love the line from the age-old poem that, "Thursday's child has far to go!"

"...LITTLE GIRLS WHO MAKE THEIR MOTHERS LIVE GROW UP TO BE SUCH POWERFUL WOMEN."

Wow...I love that sentence.  I have a little girl and my life is amazing since she entered it.  She definitely makes me live.  She is full of energy and requires energy to keep up with her.  She is loving the "warm" weather we are experiences (the 60s) and longs to be outside.  Yesterday, Jeff walked back and forth in front of our house with her.  Everytime he tried to direct her to me (to go inside), she immediately started running the opposite direction.  It was funny, though not so much when he did carry her in.  I do believe she can be powerful.  Oh, God, let me be the mom that raises up a woman of power - power within herself that no one can push her down or around and power in YOU.

"But I was always coming here.  I thought about one of my favorite Sufi poems, which says that GOD LONG AGO DREW A CIRCLE IN THE SAND EXACTLY AROUND THE SPOT WHERE YOU ARE STANDING RIGHT NOW.  I was never not coming here.  This was never not going to happen."

My favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Just think.  Before I was born, God knew that Ella and I would be having a rough-nap afternoon.  That I would have given up naptime in her crip and reluctantly put her in her swing (so grateful it has a high weight limit and that she loves it), and returned to writing this blog.  God drew a circle around this chair and this desk....well, kindof.  He knew I'd be married to Jeff.  He knew I'd be the mom to Ella.  He knows if I'm going to have another baby someday or not (and how soon is that someday, God?).  He knows our days.  The Bible also says is Psalm 139 (NIV) "Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways".  God knows us.
I've known this for a long time.  Psalm 139 is my second favorite scripture in the Bible.  The whole chapter.  I love it.  It just really hit home when worded by the Sufi poem, "God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now."
WOW!

So that is my book report.  I went into Eat Pray Love thinking it would just be a good read and came away with for page corners flipped for statements I wanted to remember (for various reasons...hence the Thursdays child thing).  That last one rocked my day.

Where are you standing right now?  Do you see your God-drawn circle?