Wednesday, April 15, 2009

How Did This Happen?

There have been many occasions where people recommend books to me. Each time I politely decline citing "I'm not a reader." as my general response. It's the truth. I simply do not list reading as a favourite thing to do or as a hobby.

I do enjoy specific types of reading, including magazine articles, school books for lesson preparation, scripture studies, and I have been known to read the write ups on science experiments, too. These all fit into short-story-type reading. That's about the length of my attention span. I cannot look at a thick book, on any topic - fiction or non - and be interested in it. Never mind reading the Bible in a year. It took an entire year to read the book of Isaiah. However, what I do read I find useful, interesting and generally it inspires me for different projects.

The other day I noticed something weird. I actually have 3 books on the go with 2 more waiting in the wings. As I have mentioned, our ladies' group is studying Martha Peace's Becoming a Titus 2 Woman - so I'm reading that. One of the ladies in the group had a copy of Martha Peace's The Excellent Wife and offered it to me - I accepted because I'm enjoying the first one so much, so I'm reading that. As well, I picked up a book called Proverbs 31 Woman and I am reading that, too!

Now, granted, all these books fit into a complimentary theme, but that is still a reading overload for me.

Am I enjoying them. Yes.

How long will it take me to finish them?
Who knows!

Titus 2 is on a schedule because of the ladies' group; The Excellent Wife belongs to someone else and there are a couple people waiting to read it. Proverbs 31 I hope to be able to recommend to two young ladies who often ask for my suggestions on what they can study together. So I need to stay on top of a reading schedule without superceding my school prep and my time in scripture.

Whew!

In the end, by the time I finish with this reading run I may not pick up a new book for ages. But maybe I'm getting smarter through the whole process? Maybe God is opening a new way to communicate with me? Maybe I'm just changing with age?

Either way, I don't plan on taking up with the Harlequins! ;o)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

These are wonderful books that you are reading. I have read and reread and reread and still reread The Excellent Wife. I am a bit like you in that I don't want to read what will not help me. I hope you enjoy them. I feel like Martha Peace is one of my friends because she has helped me so much and I spend so much time in her books!!!! I recently got Damsels in Distress her new book and it is just as wonderful as the others. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!
JoyfulMarmee

Mrs. Parunak said...

I love Martha Peace, too. I haven't heard of Proverbs 31 Woman, but it certainly sounds like a worthwhile one.