I’ve been so busy the past couple of months, poor Charlie hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s just sat in his little cubby between my desk and the office window, no doubt feeling sorely neglected.
Hopefully, he takes the message on my coaster (it says “Practice Patience”) to heart.
In spite of busy-ness, we have made time for reading and have several recommendations to make.
Gratitude Magazine
A brand new Christian magazine based in the UK, Gratitude contains first-class photography, artwork, stories, and reviews. I was honored to have my book Anything But Simple reviewed in the premier issue, and editor Rachael kindly sent me a complimentary copy. It’s not one of those magazines you read and throw away. It’s a work of art in both stories and pictures, something to proudly display on your coffee table or at the front of your magazine rack for years to come. Gratitude features true, inspiring stories of real people in a variety of life situations: a gay man who gave Jesus lordship of his life and chooses to remain celibate, a couple who adopted multiple special needs children, a surprising and miraculous romance, and more. Gratitude currently sells by the issue, rather than by subscription. The first issue is available at the website, along with several interesting articles and a description of Gratitude’s mission. The second issue will be forthcoming this Autumn/Winter.
Roots
Ever since the death of George Floyd and the explosion of Black Lives Matter, I’ve been reading more books by black authors and from black history. I listened to the audio version of Roots, a family history turned American classic, and found it riveting. The passage from Africa, culture shock, forced servitude, beatings, and rape–all became real to me in this story. But underlying all and making the story truly beautiful is a richness of life and the strength, hope, and resiliency of one black family. You can listen to this audiobook for free right now–along with a lot of other great audiobooks–at https://stories.audible.com/discovery. Check the Timeless Listens section.
Mildred Taylor
Ms. Taylor, at age 76, recently published the tenth book in the Logan family saga she began in 1975 with Song of the Trees. The books follow a young black girl, Cassie Logan, from her childhood in 1930s Mississippi to her young womanhood in the 1960s, a witness to both racial injustice and the struggle for civil rights. Probably Taylor’s most well-known title and winner of multiple awards is her second book in the series, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, though all her books have won awards. The latest installment, called All the Days Past, All the Days to Come, was published just this year.
The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture
We often talk about how to use our time with electronics wisely or how to stay away from the evils on the internet. But have you ever considered that perhaps modern forms of communication, whether or not the messaging is good or evil, may be changing the way we think, our relationship with authority, the way we do church, and even our doctrine? In his book The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture, Shane Hipps explores the ways in which media itself, apart from the content of its message, changes how people think. He does not say this change is necessarily bad–in fact, he maintains that it has brought us back in some ways to the more holistic mindset of the early church–but he does advocate considering carefully the long-term effects of various forms of media. A thought-provoking read.
And one more thing…
I went to a chiropractor recently for the first time in my life, and after making my bones crack in multiple places, he told me to keep my head up more often unless I want a straight neck and a humpback when I’m old. He then proceeded to demonstrate my old-lady gait, all hunched up over a walker. Scared me so bad, my scandalously poor posture has improved dramatically ever since. Ivan made me a stand to raise my Chromebook to eye level. You don’t have to build one though. Similar stands are available on Amazon, as well as standing desks, so you can change your position and your height during a long day at the computer. Charlie and I recommend sitting straight and keeping your computer at eye level to prevent back trouble and carpal tunnel down the road. Also, cell phone users, try holding your phone out in front of you sometimes, instead of constantly bending your neck to look down.
Until next time! ~Charlie
Greetings of Peace and Love in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you and yours are well. I am a theologically conservative Mennonite in a moderate Methodist church in a small city of not much choice. I had a surgery for a torn rotator cuff and one of the PT exercises was to stand at the mirror wall In the clinic. I hand a dry wash cloth under the palm of my hand and was to slide the cloth up the mirror wall as far as I could while maintaining good posture of head up and back and shoulders straight, while making eye contact with myself in the mirror, not following the wash cloth. Making eye contact with myself was mentally very painful and I wanted to look away. I have noticed that when shopping in an area of many conservative and OO Mennonites (Goshen) the ladies will look away from me and every other English dressed lady and not make Eye contact and avert their eyes. I found if you walk past a stranger and make eye contact, smile and say hello and they return the greeting they are probably a Mormon. I am know trying to walk straight and tall. Sincerely, Susan Groeschel.
Susan, I want to try making eye contact with myself in the bathroom mirror now, and see how I do. I know it is very often difficult for me to make eye contact with others. I don’t know if this comes from my reserved Mennonite background, or if it comes from my own shy nature. But keeping one’s head up and smiling at people in the eyes is an important way to show respect and care, I think. In the grocery store and other public places, I would like to do better at that.
Thank you for your book / magazine recommendations. My so talked about “Roll of thunder hear my cry”. His teacher read it for story at school. I didn’t realize it was such a big series. 😊
Luci, you made me straighten up while I was reading your post. 😁
Thankyou for all your recommendations!
Lol Norlene. Excellent.
All of Mildred D. Taylor’s books are favorites in our family. We just took a road trip through the Deep South to visit civil rights sites. Highly recommended! I was surprised to find people in the area that the books were written about who had never read the books.
I just wish everyone would read books or at least watch movies about black history. I think it’s so important to know, and not just know in your head, but to experience, in a sense, some of what they’ve experienced. Stories can do that for you in a way facts cannot.
Thanks Luci for these book recommendations that Charlie had.
Thank Charlie for us.
They look good.
Our whole family enjoys your posts.
Is it by intent that we no longer get them sent to our email?
We did like that way earlier.
Thank you for writing!
We like your down to earth honest approach to your stories.
Marc, I don’t know why they haven’t been coming to your email. I will check to make sure you are still subscribed. Thanks for saying something and so glad you enjoy the posts.
Thanks for your interesting email…I am amazed how much time you take to “read”
I just read a book written by an x-prisoner from the We Care Program
“21 days in Hell to touch Heaven” by Thomas Anders
Now I am reading the second book he wrote. “5 Men Meet, Cry & Live” He is a good writer and is 77 yrs old. He is attending our church at present time. We have several X-prisoners who attend our church…..one man is 93 yrs old and his health is failing fast. He has been out of prison for 47 years and is attending our church “Mennonite Christian Fellowship” He is a black man and had memorized lots of scripture. We have another black man attending our church and he eats at our table off and on and is a good friend of ours. He has been out of prison for 11 years.
Another white man is an x-prisoner and he plays the guitar on our worship team. We Care Program has a ministry to men in prison and our church ministers to them when they get out of prison. A lovely opportunity !! There use to be a Menn. church here near our house that began with a white man and later was % of a black family. Clarence Stalworth & his family served this
for several years. He died several years ago and some of the people attend other churches and one family still attends the 2nd Menn. church here in our community. We have black people all around us and in our city. We also have the CreeK Indians several miles from us and they are really growing financially in many ways. Their reservation is about 4 miles from our house…so we have several cultures that interrelate……Black, Indian, Mennonites & local Southern people.
it is fun but also has its challenges. :) Keep reading and writing !!
I love hearing about those various cultures mingling, Bertha. I hope we see more and more of that in our churches and homes. Thank you for writing. And I hope very much when I am 77 years old, I will still be writing books!