Books and more books

Most book lovers are also library, bookstore, and antiquarian bookshop lovers, too.  I love bookstores! This is a photo of a bookstore we like to go to near Minocqua, WI.  A whole big, old barn full of books.

If you like this, wait until you see these twenty really AMAZING bookstores!

I used to about blog the books I was reading

Some things never change; I've always got several books going at the same time.  Here's the current list:

The Secret of Contentment by William B. Barcley

Running Scared:  Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest by Edward Welch

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen

These Last Days:  A Christian View of History edited by Richard D. Phillips

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough

This list does not include the books I am studying. They'll have a post of their own.

So, what are you reading?

Books: Lost and Found

A BOOK.

He ate and drank the precious words,
His spirit grew robust;
He knew no more that he was poor,
Nor that his frame was dust.
He danced along the dingy days,
And this bequest of wings
Was but a book. What liberty
A loosened spirit brings!

Emily Dickinson

For my fellow '13th Tale' readers

IN A LIBRARY.

A precious, mouldering pleasure 't is
To meet an antique book,
In just the dress his century wore;
A privilege, I think,

His venerable hand to take,
And warming in our own,
A passage back, or two, to make
To times when he was young.

His quaint opinions to inspect,
His knowledge to unfold
On what concerns our mutual mind,
The literature of old;

What interested scholars most,
What competitions ran
When Plato was a certainty.
And Sophocles a man;

When Sappho was a living girl,
And Beatrice wore
The gown that Dante deified.
Facts, centuries before,

He traverses familiar,
As one should come to town
And tell you all your dreams were true;
He lived where dreams were sown.

His presence is enchantment,
You beg him not to go;
Old volumes shake their vellum heads
And tantalize, just so.

Emily Dickinson

Did this make you think of Margaret Lea and her 'bookshop?'

Life and Biography

WHEN I READ THE BOOK

When I read the book, the biography famous,
And is this then (said I) what the author calls a man's life?
And so will some one when I am dead and gone write my life?
(As if any man really knew aught of my life,
Why even I myself I often think know little or nothing of my real life,
Only a few hints, a few diffused faint clews and indirections
I seek for my own use to trace out here.)

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Quote of the Week: Muriac

"Tell me what you read and I'll tell you who you are" is true enough, but I'd know you better if you told me what you re-read."

 Francois Muriac 

My read and re-read list includes Les Miserables, (my favorite!) The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, The Harry Potter Series, Gone with the Wind, The Stand, The Thirteenth Tale, and many, many others.  When I have a few more moments, I'll add a list of theological/doctrinal favorites that I have read and re-read.

So, what have YOU re-read?

Update on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 08:19AM by Kim from Hiraeth

Here's a short list of my favorite theological 're-read' books:

Holiness of God, RC Sproul

Christ of the Covenants, O. Palmer Robertson

The Christian Life, Sinclair Ferguson

Knowing God, J. I Packer

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J. I. Packer

Pilgrims Progress, Paul Bunyan

True Spirituality, Francis Schaeffer

The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis

Feel free to add the theological/doctrinal books you've read again and again!

Another busy day

The days have been full--full of Bible study, reading, working, envelopes, housework--living!

I'm determined to try to post every day this week but I really have nothing interesting to blog about.  Weird how that happens, isn't it?  My life is full and happy and busy but not particularly bloggable.

But I'll try.

Studying:  I'm studing Hebrews 11:11, 12 so I'm dipping in and out of Genesis, too.  I love studying this book of the Bible.  I am so torn inside--I can't wait to finish it (we've been at it almost three years!) but I feel sad to think that someday this particular study will come to an end.  My love of that book will never end, though!

Reading:  I'm reading Les Miserables, my favorite novel.  This is a new translation by Julie Rose.  So far I'm liking it, but I'm not sure if it will surpass my favorite translation from the Everyman's Library.

Working:  My business really seems to be taking off right now.  I just finished working on envelopes for an October wedding this week, I'm waiting for the delivery of envelopes for my next job which will start next week, and I've got a large seating chart and 4 framed pieces to do before the end of August.

Housework:  I cleaned three cupboards yesterday and plan on cleaning under the kitchen sink and organizing my tupperware tomorrow.  How's that for exciting?

Listening:  I listen to Renewing Your Mind every day.  I listen while I'm working or when I sit down for a cup of coffee.  If I get distracted and miss it I HAVE to catch up!  It's a big part of my day.

Watching:  I've been watching 'The Next Food Network Star' and I was so glad Paul was sent home last episode.  I'm pulling for Aarti but Tom is starting to grow on me.

I've also started watching old re-runs of the French Chef with Julia Child.  What a hoot! 

Gardening:  I need to dead head the flower beds.  Not a bad job, really.  I'd enjoy it if it weren't for the mosquitos in the mornings and evenings and the heat and humidity during the day.

So that's what I've been up to.  Nothing exciting but life is good. 

How about you?

Quote of the Day: Zappa

This is one of my Google quotes of the day:

I think it is good that books still exist, but they do make me sleepy.   Frank Zappa

It made me laugh because I used to be able to read for hours at a time; morning, noon, and night, but now I'm lucky if I can read a half hour without falling asleep!

I'm reading a really good book, too, (Atlas Shrugged) but I only have time to read for pleasure before bedtime and I end up falling asleep.  The book is 1168 pages long, so it's going to take me a very long time to get through it!

Quote of the Week: Ferguson

When I read this, it made me weep:

In the preface of the book, you write that grace is not a “thing.” What do you mean by this statement?

It is legitimate to speak of “receiving grace,” and sometimes (although I am somewhat cautious about the possibility of misusing this language) we speak of the preaching of the Word, prayer, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper as “means of grace.” That is fine, so long as we remember that there isn’t a thing, a substance, or a “quasi-substance” called “grace.” All there is is the person of the Lord Jesus — “Christ clothed in the gospel,” as John Calvin loved to put it. Grace is the grace of Jesus. If I can highlight the thought here: there is no “thing” that Jesus takes from Himself and then, as it were, hands over to me. There is only Jesus Himself. Grasping that thought can make a significant difference to a Christian’s life. So while some people might think this is just splitting hairs about different ways of saying the same thing, it can make a vital difference. It is not a thing that was crucified to give us a thing called grace. It was the person of the Lord Jesus that was crucified in order that He might give Himself to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Sinclair Ferguson, from an interview regarding his new book, By Grace Alone, published by Reformation Trust.

Turning the Last Page

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend."

 Paul Sweeney

The first book that comes to mind for me is The Return of the King.  I was in late elementary school or early Junior High when I read the Lord of the Rings for the first time.  When Sam Gamgee sat in his chair and drew little Elanor onto his lap I felt bereft of, well, something.  I didn't really know what, but I knew I didn't want to leave that world.  Turns out I really didn't need to and I never really have.

What book have you read that made you feel this way?

I've got some catching up to do!

R.C. Sproul’s Most Influential Books (books I've read in bold)

1. The Freedom of the Will, Edwards
2. The Bondage of the Will, Luther
3. Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin
4. God in Modern Philosophy, Collins
5. A Time for Truth, Simons
6. Charity and Its Fruits, Edwards
7. The Person of Christ, Berkhouwer
8. Gospel Fear, Burroughs
9. Gospel Worship, Burroughs
10. Institutes of Elenctic Theology (3 Vol.), Turretin
11. Principles of Conduct, Murray
12. A Christian View of Men & Things, Clark
13. Thales to Dewey, Clark
14. Here I Stand, Bainton
15. A Simple Way to Pray, Luther*  (not sure; if this is a small pamphlet, then yes)
16. The Coming of the Kingdom, Ridderbos

My list is a little different.  It would include:

Jonathan Edwards, Vol I and II

Knowing God,  J. I. Packer

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God,  J. I. Packer

Chosen by God, R.C. Sproul

Christ of the Covenants,  O. Palmer Robertson

The Christian Life,  Sinclair Ferguson

Holiness, J. C. Ryle

Spiritual Depression,  D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan

*I have to agree with Kim from On:  Sproul's Holiness of God definitely belongs on this list!!

What's on YOUR list?

To re-read or not to re-read. . .

. . .that is the questionl

My husband (who knows that I collect quotes and that I re-read books over and over) just sent me this quote:

"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all."
Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

And of course, it got me thinking (good quotes always do!)  Do I really agree with Mr. Wilde?  I have my own opinion but I'm wondering. . .do YOU agree with Mr. Wilde?  Why or why not?

Giving Thanks in November/Dictionary Word of the Day

exegesis
\ek-suh-JEE-sis\ , noun;

1.Exposition; explanation; especially, a critical explanation of a text.

I need only read my daily Dictionary Word of the Day to find something for which to be thankful this morning.

As many of you know, I am in the third year of leading a Bible Study in the book of Hebrews.  Three years and still not finished?? you may be thinking.  Yes, that's a long time but it's a complex book and its subject matter illumines both the Old and the New Testaments and develops a detailed picture of the Person and the Work of Christ--in other words, there's a lot there!!

This is not the first time I've studied Hebrews by any means.  I had a very good working understanding of the content and the author's purpose before we began this study, but the difference this time is the addition of the use of commentaries and the benefit we have all gained by the exegetical skills of some remarkable men of God.

Each week, I begin my preparation with my own inductive study of the text, using a Bible study method that I've cobbled together from many different sources and techniques over the years.  (Someday I'll sit down and write a post about how I go about it.)  Then I go to the commentaries--Calvin, Aquinas, Owen, Richard Phillips, Matthew Henry and sometimes Gill, and Stedman.  THAT's where the 'real' exegesis comes in!  No matter how carefully and diligently I have done my own study, I am always amazed at how much more there is to learn from the text!  Each one of those men bring their God-given gifts and their education and knowledge to their work and I, a middle aged woman in Chicagoland living today in America, receive the benefit of all that!

When my friends Carol and Dorothy and I get together to discuss what we've learned in our week's study, we all benefit from each other's preparation.  Dorothy reads John Brown and Carol reads Matthew Poole and another 'dead theologian' whose name I can never remember (Geoffrey Something. . .)

Pooling it all together makes for a lively discussion.  Our commentators don't always agree, so that makes it interesting and even when they do, they often come to the same conclusion through different means.

Exegesis.  It's a good thing.

Pop on over to Rebecca Writes and see what other bloggers are thankful for!

Pop over to Rebecca Writes and see what other bloggers are thankful for

books, Books, BOOKS!

Who can resist books?  Not me! So I was interested to learn about Devotional Christian's promotional book giveaway.  If you're interested in entering, just visit their site to learn about their re-launch, then write a blog post!  What could be easier?

While you're there, be sure to poke around and see what they have to offer!  It's a great site to bookmark and return to so go check them out, won't you?

HT: Kim, Dorothy, and Rebecca--my book buddies.

The Wisdom of Tim*

*or, "The medium contradicts the message."

Tim Challies is on a roll. He's writing a series entitled "Don't Take your iPod to Church!"  He's developing the theme that when it comes to technology, 'the medium is the message' and goes on to explain how the medium affects our 'use' of the material in front of us. 

He is singing my song.  I've been concerned about these issues for some time.  I've begun to limit my own use of the computer and ancillary devices such as Palms and cell phones for many of the reasons he has listed.  I'm sure that the handful of readers that are still hanging in here at Hiraeth have noticed that my blogging has slowed to a trickle over the past year or so.  This has been, in part, a purposeful response to detrimental patterns I was seeing in my own use of technology.

Here's a small quote to spark your interest:

Reading the Bible in electronic format makes it easy to chase down cross-references, to read notes related to the content, to find word definitions and so on. But all of this is at the cost of the natural, God-given flow of the text. As we use our iPods in place of our Bibles, we begin to understand Scripture as we do Wikipedia, a text suited more to browsing than deep study. We begin to feel the Bible is interactive, that it is more for skimming, for following trails from A to B to Z than for deep study or analysis. This is all wrapped up in the very worldview of the electronic device.

As I was preparing this post, I got two calendar notices, and received several emails.  I confess that as I scrolled through Tim's blog in search of the links to his articles, I was strongly tempted to stop and read several posts that interested me.  Such is the siren call of the hyperlink.

As I get ready to shut down my computer and pick up my Bible, I leave you to ponder this quote from Mr. Challies:

My Bible never rings; it never buzzes or beeps or shows up with sudden calendar notifications. It simply shows me the words given by God in a medium that is inherently undistracting.

Don't Take Your iPod to Church!  Part 1, Part 1.5, Part 2

Grandma's Boy

Asleep with a book in his hands. . .his grandma's boy. . .

We.can't.wait!!

Harry Potter has come to Chicago--Sorting Hat and all!

Sam and I are HUGE Harry Potter fans, as is my daughter in law, Beth. We're going to go to the HP exhibit after school is out in June.

You can read all about it at the link, but here's a short list of some attractions:

1. Triwizard Tournament gear

2. Wands

3. The Marauder's Map

4. Voldemort's robes

5. Hermione's Time Turner

6. Remus Lupin's shabby robes

7. Hagrid's hut

8. Quidditch

9. The Great Hall

I'm looking forward to seeing EVERYTHING, but I especially want to see the Marauder's Map (the calligrapher in me is fascinated with that map. . .) and I hope, hope, hope the Howler that Mrs. Weasley sent Ron in the first movie is somewhere in the Great Hall.  Some other things I'd like to see:  the Pensieve, Mr. Weasley's car, Dumbledore's office, the Gryffyndor Common Room, the Fat Lady. . .

FELLOW POTTER FANS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE?  Speaking of seeing, have you seen the trailer yet?

Trailer for Half-Blood Prince

Is reading a solitary activity?

Sometimes I think that Kim from the Upward Call and I share a weird brain connection. We frequently think about the same things and sometimes we think about them at the same time. Like this morning. Kim is thinking outloud about reading:

This one, was floating about in a number of places. It's a story about the growing popularity of electronic reading devices, specifically, Kindle, and the future of reading and writing. It disturbed me on many levels. Here is a one line that stood out to me:

"Nobody will read alone anymore"

This is a rather sad thought. Reading is supposed to be a rather solitary pursuit, is it not? And frankly, I don't think I want to see privacy and solitude become extinct. If all of this cyber "community" is so great, why are there still so many lonely people?

Funny, because I was thinking about that just last night. Tom was sitting on one end of the couch reading a biography of Benjamin Franklin. Ivy and I were laying on the opposite end. I was reading Doug Moo's commentary on Colossians. Sam was sitting in a nearby chair reading Harry Potter. We were all inwardly engaged in our own little bookish worlds; Tom absorbed with history, me with theology, Sam with fantasy. It was quiet in the house. You could hear the birds singing outside and I was keenly aware that reading was going on. Solitary pursuits--until one of us read something that required a comment. Tom shared a few things that ol' Ben got started (lending library, fire department, fire insurance), I found a word that needed looking up (still don't know what the definition of paraenetic is) which led to a brief discussion about words used in specific disciplines and areas of study, and Sam made an observation about a plot hole in the book he was reading. Every time someone spoke up, we all stopped what we were reading, listened to the other person, entered into their bookish world for a moment, then re-entered our own again--until the next observation.

I thought last night, while this was going on, how much I enjoyed times like that, when we were all reading and sharing.  Alone, but not alone. 

My favorite place to read is alone but 'not alone' with my family.

_____________________________________________________

BTW:  here's the word paraenetic in its context:

Paul's warnings about people who insist on following certain kinds of rules as basic to spiritual growth have been cited by theologians and laypeople alike to hold up the principle of Christian liberty.  And the paraenetic section of the letter, though brief, is typified by a collection of broad ethical principles that have provided significant guidance for believers seeking to translate their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ into practice.

Any ideas?

Happy Mail Day!

Pilgrim's Progress

I've been reading Pilgrim's Progress again.  I've read it many times before--I even wrote a complete study guide and curriculum for children when Sam was studying it in our home school many years ago.  So you could say that I am quite familiar with the book.

This time, however, it has captured my attention in a whole new way.  Perhaps it's my stage of life, perhaps it's the events of the past few years--maybe it's the current political and economic climate or all those things rolled up in one.

This morning, it just struck me as remarkable that a book written in the 1600's by a rather uneducated man during a period of intense persecution of those who would not conform to the winds of political change should be one of the most life-changing and best-loved books of all time.

It seems to me that we are in for some tough times.  If you've never read Pilgrim's Progress (or even if you have!) now may be a good time. . .