God Grew Tired

God Grew Tired Of Us: A Memoir by John Bul Dau

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


GGTOU was an excellent book to take me out of my little box and see things from a non-American perspective. So many things I take for granted, and even have the audacity to complain about, when I should be oh so thankful that God has blessed me abundantly.



John Bul Dau has such an optimism and a strength, developed by the adversity he has faced. I admire him greatly.



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Summer No-Break

It's summer break. Does that mean I am taking a break? No, on the contrary, my days are still filled to the brim. In a good way, I hope. God is teaching me about shifting the stance of my heart in regards to my commitments, rather than simply trying to "do less." Lowering the stress that I feel over my busy schedule does not necessarily mean becoming less involved. Sometimes it means saying no, but more generally, it means finding my identity and fulfillment in Christ, and not in what I do or how I spend my time. It's something I struggle with. A lot. No doubt, I also struggle with saying no when I have too much on my plate, but that is also something I am working on, and something I've made strides in overcoming with the help of my wonderful husband. He has taught me much about relaxation. I'm very grateful.


Trekker is still sick. He's been going downhill for the last 5-6 weeks. He is lethargic, is losing his appetite, and is slowly losing strength (and weight), particularly in his hind legs. We are to the point now that we are looking more at pain management than diagnosis. So far, he seems more uncomfortable than anything else, but it is still heart-breaking to watch my once overly energetic pup now struggle to stand up.

When I took him to the vet today for a reassessment, a guy sitting in the waiting room overheard me say to the nurse that Trek isn't feeling well, and as we walked past him, he said, "I hope your dog feels better soon." It just about made me start crying.

I don't know how much longer we are going to have him, but we are trying to make the most of it. He is getting the royal treatment for sure. Last week, I came home to him tearing apart a stuffed animal, one of several toys he and Casey picked up after a visit to the toy section at Petsmart. We also took him on a canoe trip (his favorite thing to do) and have spent two separate evenings at the lake. Not to mention his new favorite spot, planted right in the middle of the bed, between Casey and me. It usually ends up that Trek has about 80% of the bed, and Casey and I get about 10% each!



Oh, how I am going to miss him.

"Come on guys! It's time to go floating!"

Water dog

 

Squeaky ball



  

Trek and his toys

 

Making Atonement

Atonement by Ian McEwan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A book I picked up last summer, but couldn't push past the first 20 pages. This summer, my Fondling the Details summer book club gave me the motivation to push through the beginning, and the result was well worth it.

As evidenced by the title, the novel deals with the idea of atonement. In the end, Briony is not able to find atonement for her sin. She concludes that "[Atonement] was always an impossible task, and that was precisely the point. The attempt was all" (McEwan 351). The idea that it is not always (or ever) possible to make up for the past resounds very truthfully. And sadly. In our discussion, we discussed the (lack of) religion in the book, aside from Briony compare herself as a novelist to that of God (a god who is more a creator than anything else). We also discussed that in Christianity, Jesus is the atonement for sin, that no human being CAN make atonement. I think I may have been the only one (at the book club meeting) who actually believes that, but it was an insightful discussion nonetheless.

And to end, one of my favorite passages: "The hard soles of his shoes rapped loudly on the metaled road like a giant clock,and he made himself think about time, about his great hoard, the luxury of an unspent fortune. He had never before felt so self-consciously young, nor experienced such appetite, such impatience for the story to begin" (McEwan 86). What a fantastic description of that adreneline rush of those moments where life's fullness overwhelms you and feels endless, like "an unspent fortune."
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Another goodread...

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm not normally a nonfiction reader, but this book may influence me to pick up more nonfiction. I loved the story of Henrietta and of her daughter, Deborah. There were a few slow parts in the middle where the story got away from Henrietta and became about her cells. Rebecca Skloot is right, the real story lies behind the woman. Her cells have done amazing things for science, but she is captivating. I am so excited about this book that I couldn't help but talk to some friends about it as soon as I finished reading it, even though I will be talking about it in book club discussion in less than an hour. As I told my friends, I thought the ending was fitting in that it didn't pretend to solve the Lacks's family problems. Because nothing is solved. I think improvements have been made to give Henrietta Lacks (and her family) much deserved recongition and thanks. And I think questions have been answered that needed to be answered for half a century. But I also think that there are some things that will never be "better," and those are the consequences for the way things were handled from the beginning. Sad. But real. And true. Which is what makes it so good.




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