What I'm Reading...

I recently finished reading Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist. It is one of my absolute favorite books on earth! The book is a series of short stories celebrating the wonderful life God has given us. Her words seem to sparkle off the page making me smile, cry and want to yell "YES!" She strives to see the blessings in everything around her, while also being honest about her struggles to do this. Her words and stories encouraged me to celebrate every day. This book has truly been a blessing in my life. Here is one of my favorite "sparkly" lines from the chapter Waiting:
      "...I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred or profound than this day. I choose to believe  that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold." : )

http://www.shaunaniequist.com/

Currently, I am reading The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzzane Oliver and Priscilla Warner.  These women come from different faiths: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.  They initially came together to write a children's book about their different faiths. But these women found they had a lot to discuss about their stereotypes and issues with their perceptions of these religions. I am really enjoying this book because I have never really learned about the deep seeded issues in the middle east, especially Isreal. How did I miss this in school? Why did we not learn about the creation of Isreal and the imaginary lines drawn by Great Britian that have created these huge conflicts that we (the U.S) are now trying to control? These women become great friends and find that they have more in common than they do different. Not only am I learning more about Judaism and Islam, but I am finding I am learning more about what it is that I believe.

http://www.thefaithclub.com/index.html

I recommend these books to anyone willing to spend a little time looking deeper into their spiritual life. Happy reading!