My classes were miserable, but not because of the classes themselves, but because of something I was dealing with during and between them. I won't get into details because its not really relevant but basically God is working in my heart on a certain issue and He is still unfolding what direction He wants me to take. Either I had a huge moment of closure or a huge moment of whatever the opposite of closure is. ANYWAYS. After class I went to lunch with my daddy which I always love doing. He took me to Gumbo's downtown and we talked about business and life and God and basically just figuring out who I am. Awesome.
Then, I made the best decision ever to go to Book People. I spent a good hour and a half there pouring over books and reviews and summaries trying to figure out exactly what my next read should be. Before I discuss my purchases, I would like to digress a bit. I cannot express how much I love reading and how much I miss it. I can't even comprehend why I stopped. It is by far one of the most comforting, beautiful, and inspiring activities I have ever done. After finishing my book, I am so inspired and fired up about life and Jesus. But anyways, here's what came home with me from Book People.
I got a pack of 3 little notebooks that resemble moleskins but are paper covered (and cheaper!). They are now my inspiration journals to put quotes from books I'm reading or just anything that strikes my fancy at any given time!
Next, I got this book that is called "Manifesto, an Anonymous Novel." It intrigued me because its a blank cover, with no title, no author, no chapters, no nothing but raw story. I don't even know what its about... yet.
My final purchase was "A Reason for God." This was a suggestion from my boss/ friend and also something that stimulated quite a few meaningful discussions about Jesus recently. This will be my next book; hopefully I can start it tomorrow!
The last book in the picture is actually the one I finished tonight (if you can't tell by the title!)
Then, after I got home from Book People, it was almost time to go running with Caleigh, Whitney, and DeAnn. Something I have been meaning to do, basically always, but I have rarely had to motivation, conviction, and commitment to do so. Whitney and I committed to the opportunity last night and I can not be more thankful. The run was not easy, but it also wasn't that difficult either. I felt comfortable and within my abilities the entire 45 minutes/ 3 miles! I was left invigorated and excited to continue on the program. I say this very very rarely, but I am so proud of myself!
After the run, we grabbed a Jamba Juice and I came home to read!
SO about the book! I don't want to delve in to deep because I want everyone to read it! Its basically a book about how to live a great story. It has left so much conviction and desire/ passion for Jesus in my heart, I could about explode! (If you couldn't tell that already by my excess of exclamation marks!!!) The meaning gleaned from this book will obviously be slightly different for everyone and also will change over time with its application to life but as of right now, I believe that its about actively and deliberately pursuing opportunities and letting God change my life through them. There will be extremely difficult and painful times in each and every opportunity but that it what changes you the most and what makes those changes so beautiful. I would love to share how it applies specifically to my life, but I simply haven't had the chance to apply it yet. So for now, I want to leave you guys with all of the quotes that really stayed with me (and are written in my inspiration journal) and hopefully that will inspire you to grab the book.
"Good stories don't happen by accident."
"No girl who plays the role of a hero dates a guy who uses her. She knows who she is. She just forgot for a little while."
"Joy costs pain."
"The character has to jump into the story, into the discomfort and the fear, otherwise the story will never happen."
"Progress, no matter how slow is all that matters."
"If you want to know what a person's story is about, just ask them what they want."
"It made me think about the hard lives so many people have had, the sacrifices they've endured, and how those people will see heaven differently from those of us who have had easier lives."
"You become like the people you interact with. And if your friends are leading boring stories, than you probably are too."
"Your story is what gives you character."
"We shouldn't be afraid to embrace whimsy."
"The reward you get from a story is always less than you had thought it would be, and the work is harder than you imagined. The point of the story is never about the ending, remember."
"You didn't think joy could change a person, did you? Joy is what you feel when the conflict is over. But its conflict that changes a person."
"There is no conflict man can endure that will not produce a blessing."
"You can't go on without a story any longer than you can read a book about nothing."
"She said she had married a guy, and he was just a guy. He wasn't going to make all her problems go away, because he was just a guy. And that freed her to really love him as a guy, not as an ultimate problem solver."
"When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are. And when you stop expecting material possessions to complete you, you'd be surprised at how much pleasure you get from material possessions. And when you stop expecting God to end all your troubled, you'd be surprised how much you like spending time with God."
"Good stories contain memorable scenes."
"I think God wanted us to build altars for our own sake, something that would help us remember, something we could look back on and remember the time when we were rescued and remember the time when we were given grace... We have to force ourselves to create these scenes. We have to get up off the couch and turn the telvision off, we have to blow up innertubes and head to the river. We have to write the poem and deliver it in person. We have to pull the car off the road and hike to the top of the hill. We have to put on our suits, we have to dance at weddings. We have to make altars."
"It wasn't necessary to win for the story to be great, it was only necessary to sacrifice everything."
"A good storyteller doesn't just tell a better story, though. He invites other people into the story with him, giving them a better story, too."
"Nobody gets to watch the parade."
over and out.
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