Speaking of Faith- NPR- podcast

My dear friend Therese (Thank you!) told me about this NPR (National Public Radio) podcast called Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett. You can subscribe and download for free to your itunes.

Well, I did and might I say I've loved the 3 that I've listened to (they go far back as 2006 if you'd like to look up any). I listened to Rick and Kay Warren at Saddleback (August 21, 2008), The Spiritual Audacity of Abraham Joshua Heschel (June 5, 2008), and Evangelical Politics- Three Generations (April 17, 2008)

You can find it: here


And tell me what you think. I have been inspired and challenged by what I've heard.
grace & peace,
laura

Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner

So I've started checking books out from the library, which I might say I haven't done since high school when I had to do research projects and I would check books out so I could work on the papers at home. Todd & I are trying to not keep spending mucho dinero on books like we have our whole marriage (partly due to grad school).

Mudhouse Sabbath is my first book and I truly couldn't put this book down, I read it in 3 days which is lighting fast speed for me. Anyways, I found it really interesting because Lauren grew up Jewish and in college became a Christian, but now feels like she misses some Jewish ways--the routines that draw the sacred into the everyday. I found that many of these traditions I didn't know very much about. After reading about them, I found myself really wanting to integrate more of these practices into my own life like--sabbath (resting), certain prayers to say, fasting, candle lighting, putting a mezuzah which is the Shema (Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one) on your doorpost, and being better at mourning--they have really good traditions around grieving. The list goes on and if you are so interested, you should just read the book it's only 143 pages . . . now I'm off to try and request her last book that I haven't read-- Girl Meets God.

Fun time at the Park

So many of our friends have children. My friend Becky and her children Cammie & Devon all went to the pool--the water was a wee bit chilly, so we walked over to the park. Man have parks changed since I was little, Cammie loved it, and I have some cute pictures of them going down the slide . . . i love these kids. Becky & Andy your children are great!

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

This book The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion was given to me to read by a client. I really enjoyed it, I hadn't ever read anything from Didion before. She is a great author, but this book is actually about her own life, the year she lost her husband of 40 years and then shortly there after her daughter.

She really helps you understand what it's like to live in grief and loss. How your mind works, how you thinking everyone knows whats wrong with you because you think it's written all over you and how you know when others are in grief because you know the look. If you are suffering from grief, this book might be for you, to read someone who understands how you feel is usually helpful. Her book is honest, authentic, and very helpful.