As usual, our family travelled to Tennessee for the Christmas holiday. This past Christmas fell on Sunday, and during our morning worship, we celebrated Communion. I was really struck by how appropriate that is in many ways, but particularly on a personal level.
Some trips to Tennessee are fun and enjoyable. Others are filled with strife, complaining, and general 'un-niceness' between family members. This seemed to have many elements of the latter description. During Communion, I was struck afresh with the reality of my own sin, my own involvement and participation in these activities. I commented to my husband that partaking in Communion in that setting was a good thing.
However, over the next 2 days, the trend continued. Many things were said that were just not nice and should have been left unsaid. I was hurt by unkind words by those who are supposed to love and care for me. While driving home and during the following days, I was struck by my own hand in the culture and attitude that was present within my extended family over the Christmas holiday. I certainly don't condone or excuse the hurtful words thrown at me, but the Lord has graciously shown me more of my own sin through this. In the busyness of the semester and holidays my time devoted to Scripture and prayer had greatly diminished. I see again that I cannot be the sister and daughter (or mother or wife) I am called to be without daily saturation in His Word. I do not love my family as I should. I do not build them up or speak truth to them.
I am sad that I 'blew it' this Christmas, but I am even more thankful that the Lord has shown me this sin in my life and promises that He will never leave me or forsake me. I am thankful for his sanctification and pray that He will allow me to be a beacon of love and kindness to these same family members in the future.
I'm also listing here the books I read in 2011. I believe my goal was to read 30 books this year and work on my BBC list of books. I did pretty well on both.
Books Read in 2011
The Hitchhikers Guide Trilogy - Adams
Darwin's Black Box
Charlotte's Web
Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Hardy
Good Things I Wish You
Knowing God - Packer
Alice in Wonderland - Carroll
Through the Looking Glass - Carroll
Age of Opprtunity - Tripp
Engaging God's World - Plantinga
The Confession - Grisham
Persuasion - Austen
The Associate - Grisham
Artermis Fowl (Book 1)
Ford County Stories - Grisham
The Davinci Code - Brown
Lacemakers of Glenmara
Life of Pi
Treasure Island
Why Pandas Do Handstands
The God Delusion - Dawkins
The Dawkins Delusion - McGrath
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
Saving Leonardo - Pearcey
DNA - A Graphic Guide to the Molecule that Shook the Universe - Rosenfeld
Total Truth - Pearcy
Fever 1793
Catch 22 - Heller
Humility - Mahaney
The Velveteen Rabbit
Rebecca - duMaurier
Bonhoffer - Metaxas
The Unlikely Disciple
Les Miserables - Hugo
Total = 36 books
My goal for 2012 is to read 35 books in the coming year. Reading and exercising are probably the 2 best stress relieving activities that I participate in. However, I have always enjoyed reading and can't wait to continue to my lists of books that I want to go through. I always learn neat and unexpected things in all of the genres I read. I would challenge everyone to branch out and read something you never expected to read in the coming year.
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