Some New Books

I recently finished a book recommended to me by a dear friend of mine, In A Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. Great writer is he not but there were a few really great thoughts I walked away with after reading it. While the main point of the book is to no longer let obstacles be what hold you back in life, but rather use them as a springboard for progress and consider them an opportunity; I think what I came away with was the reminder of just how big my God is. Most of my readers actually know me personally so it comes as no surprise that I am a Christian, as in someone who believes in Jesus as God. If you know me, you also know that while I have truly had a blessed and incredible young life filled with amazing people, memories, experiences and opportunities, no life, including mine, has been without its share of disappointments and limitations. However, those disappointments and limitations should not necessarily be a reflection that my God is limited but possibly rather that my faith, my response to life, freedom of choice and action by others has been the reason for those disappointments or limitations. So, to share a few quotes with you of what is sticking out to me after reading this book. This quote is from a section where he talks about, "the way we grow up spiritually is by becoming more and more like a little child."

"We internalize limits. We grow up and grow old. What is worse, we become small people with a small God. I think part of Neos is training the limitlessness of youth. Regaining the idea that we have been created by a limitless God to have limitless dreams and imaginations."

Mark also includes this quite by Dorothy Sayers.
'The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused Him of being a bore- on the contrary; they thought Him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him 'meek and mild' and recommended Him as a fitting household pet for curates and pious old ladies."

My God is not tame, He is not mild, He is not limited; what would happen in my life or your life if we truly understood that idea and removed the limitations we have put on ourselves and on God?

Now for a complete switch, here the book I am about to start reading, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. While it is an Oprah book club recommendation, I don't go to Oprah's church. I did just hear it is the largest church in the US. Have any of you "attended"? (attended is in quotes because I believe it is all online).