labors of duty (and two others)

The last three books of I finished were each interesting for lots of little nuggets/reminders etc...but each could have been condensed quite a bit.  I am admitting, each one was finished out of a sense of duty to finish what I start (this almost always flows into books too).  But this is to record their reading for my sake and to provide a bit of background in case you, better than myself, wish to skim the books. 

The first is a book I started about 3 years ago and have picked up and read off and on since in between other books.  The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. I did quite well getting through the first half of the book (pretty interesting and fun to see how technology etc...has changed in my lifetime) and then tapered off in reading--and interest-- until a few interesting thoughts again at the end on the harm that the flattening of the world has had in areas like terrorism.  There were several stimulating thoughts about how the "flatter" world has impacted jobs etc... and the concepts are still at work, but much of the book is already a bit outdated (admittedly, given to me when it was a new release).  Still, perhaps an interesting skim because there are some unique ideas that make you think. 

The second book was a read that I had found through some other means...can't remember now.  It sounded like it could potentially be a life-changing, thought-provoking book like One Thousand Gifts.  Praying for Strangers by River Jordan.  Checked this one out of the library through an interlibrary loan.  I got busy and it was checked out three times before being finished.  The first time I had gotten about 1/3 way through.  I feel that, again, the nuggets to be had were primarily in that first 1/3 of the book.  It is comprised of many 2-3 page chapters that the author had in encounters when she set out to pray for a different stranger every day.  It was a good reminder to be aware of the hurt around us, to be willing to put ourselves out there to start conversations, and to sometimes even "intrude" in others' lives for the sake of praying for them and for gospel opportunities.  The author has some doubts about the security of her own salvation (as stated at the end of one chapter), but we can still take the principles and apply them.  Praying over everything is a sweet principle that I have been fortunate to grow up with so it was not novel, but again a few great truths in the book and for someone who did not grow up with the same Godly parents as myself, it could be a revolutionary concept.  So overall, recommended as a quick read. 

The last of the three books was given to me by my Grandmother recently.  A Meal with Jesus by Tim Chester.  Like the others, I felt the strongest part of the book was the beginning (or maybe the middle).  It was a good reminder to be hospitable for the sake of the gospel.  Again, with my Godly parents, this was not a new thought, but... It is a very short book and there were several nuggets that I tucked away in the back of my brain to mull on.  Great reminders for today's fast-pace, rather inhospitable world.  This was also the shortest of the three! :)

In posting this, I realized I have not recorded my readings in 6 months or so.  There are two others to mention that somehow got missed...

First, I read a book that read a review of (again) somewhere; don't remember where.  Uncompromised by Nada Prouty.  It is an autobiography of arab who immigrated to the US and worked for various government agencies, including the CIA. At times, she seems a bit overdone in the defense of herself, but a fascinating story nonetheless--especially to better understand other cultures.  It gives great insight into the mindset of a Druze and greater clarity on life in the middle east.  

The second book was probably my favorite.  The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews.  It is cataloged as a fictional account but the author leads us to believe that it is based on a true story.  It is the story of a young American woman who learns to forgive (her husband was killed by the Germans), even as she learns to love a wounded German soldier who she unexpectedly ends up helping.  It is not "preachy" but there are plenty of Biblical references in it and as a believer, you understand that she can only forgive through the power of the Holy Spirit.