EDUC 341: PRABE #3

I spent several of my lunch hours reading, this week. Not only did my mind need the break from work-related things, but my soul needed the reminder of grace!

The book I have been reading is, "In the Grip of Grace," by Max Lucado. One part that I  really had to keep reading over and over was a section that discussed grace being sufficient. What is my response when I have asked and asked and asked for something, but God says, "No, Sarah."? This made me think about whether or not I am truly content with what I have. The book went into detail about "the thorn" in Paul's life and how Paul responded to that. Another portion that really hit me hard was regarding our attitudes toward anxiety. I sure have an "f" in the books for that test! :-)

As I'm becoming more involved in my kids' activities and taking on more tasks at work, my schedule is becoming EXTREMELY loaded. Maybe OVERloaded. As a result, my mind is more 'cluttered' and it takes more effort on my part to actually sit and read for a solid hour. Sometimes, I have more difficulty paying attention to the meaning of what I'm reading rather than just the words on the page. These PRABE exercises have really made me focus on what I'm doing rather than just going through the motions.

Until next week,
Sarah

EDUC 341: PRABE #2

This week, I have been spending my reading time with a great book by Max Lucado, Live to Make A Difference. This book is basically about truly living and making your life worthwhile in a world that is full of brokenness, poverty, hunger, crime, and other types of difficulty. The thing I appreciate about this book is that every time I finish reading a portion of the book, I feel moved to do something, whether it be building a new relationship with a meaningful purpose or simply sharing a meal with someone who is hungry. What I did NOT like about this week's reading time is that it seemed to come in more frequent, smaller chunks of time. I do MUCH better when I can have my 90 minutes of pleasure reading in one block of time; when it short and brief, I feel like I can't get 'into it' as much as I can when I have a longer period of time to really sit back and READ. 

EDUC 341: PRABE #1

I am participating in a reading program at my church, so I am taking advantage of my 90 minutes of pleasure reading to get through a set of missionary books. The first book I am reading is Gina Pottenger's "Compelling and Inspiring Stories from the Mission Field." This book first caught my interest with a story about some missionaries who were traveling from one island to another to show The Jesus Film to a group of unbelieving fisherman. On the way, they encountered a threat from a large sea creature and a faulty boat engine, which not only gave out, but also caught on fire. Just when fear began to overtake them, a woman on the boat began praying. The scary creature, perhaps a hippo, instantly disappeared into the water. A man on the boat was able to stop the fire by disconnecting some wires, and others on the boat happened to find an oar. Although it was a single oar, and it was extremely weighted, a missionary found the strength to row them for SIX HOURS! Everyone arrived safely onto the shore. They carried out their plan to show The Jesus Film, and many lives were led to Christ the following day. This book certainly reaffirmed my belief in miracles!

I LOVE non-fiction! :-)

Until next week,
Sarah