3/23/11

Reading is Learning

I read.  A lot.  It's one of my favorite past times.  Next to eating.  I can read for hours straight.  I admit that I mostly read girly love stories or any book about moms, families, and relationships because that's where I am in my life right now.  I seldom read non fiction books whose sole purpose is to impart some type of knowledge or explain some type of phenomenon.  I read to escape reality...no to delve deeper into it.  Hey... some people have drugs and alcohol....I have my books!

Anyway,  my loving father in law, a.k.a. Pop, was baffled when he realized how much time I actually spend reading.  He was even more baffled when I told him I usually spend hours reading non fiction books that often end in happy endings.  The guy always gets the girl and they live happily ever after.  He loves to read but he only reads non fiction.  Can you imagine?  I like turning my brain off every now and again.  It's a form of therapy.  I don't want to read a book and have to actually have to work hard to understand what it says.  I did enough of that in nursing school.  All my nursing buddies.... holla if ya hear me!

Well, Pop kind of made me question my favorite past time and now, although I'm not giving up my sappy fiction, I am making an effort to learn something from each and every book I read.

My first book on my Reading is Learning adventure is:


Daniel's Gift
by: Barbara Freethy


I really liked this book.  I don't want to spoil it for those who would like to read it but I did learn a few important things that I'd like to share.

1. I learned that God NEVER makes mistakes.  Everything is part of His perfect plan.  Good and bad.
2. Nobody is perfect and we will be disappointed every time when we expect perfection from an imperfect being.
3. Life is bigger than just us. Being self centered only pushes others away and sets us up for failure. We are not in control.  He is!  So just save yourself the trouble and do what He says!
4. Try to focus on the good in people instead of the bad.
5. Sometimes we are hurt the most by people we call family.
6. Life is not always pleasant and bad things happen to good people and YES God allows it to happen.  But we should trust Him and his perfect will for our lives.  Having a taste of the bad, makes us appreciate the good even more.  How can we enjoy the sunshine if we've never experienced the rain?  How can we appreciate having someone we can trust if we've never been let down before?  How can we appreciate joy without the pain?  Get my point?
7. Love really does conquer all.  It is the most powerful and beneficial emotion that we can experience!

So see Pop...I am now reading with a purpose.  Aren't you proud of me?

1 comment:

  1. Holla!!

    I read enormous amounts also. I am like your FIL- lots of non-fiction. I like to read memoirs and biographies. =-) Keep sharing your favorite reads!!

    ReplyDelete

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