Ramblings of A Fool - and - Books I'm Reading

Calm of the Storm
Originally uploaded by andebos.

The end of the night is approaching all too quickly and I am not even completely packed for our ski trip tomorrow! And instead...I'm blogging - shoot me in the face. My heart is very full tonight as is my futon with new books, likewise my to read list. On that note I wanted to mention some books I'm currently either starting or finishing. I'm just about finished with the following (of which a few I will mention closer)
Boundries by Cloud and Townsend
Christmas Ghost Stories by Dickens
Reaching Out by Henri Nouwen
New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren
Boy Meets Girl by Harris (read this before)
Nouwen's thoughs floor me - I love his ideas of the spiritual journey of solitude to community to ministry. That is such the opposite of the way I live my life - and it makes so much sense that my life is one of chaos because of that fact. My identity then relies on my effort and the outcomes of situations around me - as opposed to coming from Christ within and around me. McLaren's book is another good one to read. Do I agree with everything? Nope. But it's a good dialoque that gives you a relevant spectrum of many Christian ways of living and relating to one another and God.
On my now to read or am reading list:
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
My Faith So Far by Dodd
I am Third by Gale Sayers
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
This last book is basically screaming for someone to read as it sits on my bed. Several people have told me it's a good one - and I'm pumped to read it. I can't recommend it at this point, but I'm sure I will. It's interesting as life moves forward these days...maybe just in the books I read. I don't want to knock the books I read or that others read. But honestly, they're dry! I've read book after book after book in my life - and instead of quenching my thirst I am typically left drier than when I first opened up. I think that could be because they're dry books or because I wanted more dialogue, story, and more honesty - I want honesty enough that it cuts to the heart, who can resist that? I suppose I look at books such as Boundaries, Life You've Always Wanted, and Purpose Driven Life - books of such - they have great amounts of information to give us - and my point is not to damage these books. I find them very important and they have been crucial in touching some part of me that needed to be touched, and I know others feel the same...but for whatever reason, I no longer can relate, or at least, apply it inwardly and genuinely to my own heart. Why is that? Who knows. But some definite must reads. Thanks mom dad and mike for the awesome Bday gifts - loved the 2pac DVD mike. His story is amazing to me...where do our journeys lead us I wonder?