Relaxing and Reading

OK, it's Thursday morning and I'm at "Cool Beans" a coffee shop near East Towne. My friend Dave Day arrived yesterday afternoon from Bristol, England, and he's doing some shopping -- as Lindsay would say, "At the Dave Day Memorial Mall"... Dave's the consummate bargain shopper. He has been coming to Madison to visit us for over 13-14 years now and he always takes the opportunity to do some bargain hunting.
I stopped with him at the first place he wanted to go -- Barnes and Noble. But the book I had recommended wasn't in stock, so he will let it go for now.
We went to the coffee shop because we were a bit early for the ten o'clock openings for most stores. I brought along my books and computer and decided I would relax and read while Dave goes on his next expidition. Which brings me to the "Relax and Read" part of this.

I had a chance to catch up on the blogs I have bookmarked, just to read/see what people have been up to of late. I loved reading from friends and family...and I love the visual imaginary pictures that I get in my head reading what they've said.
SO>>>
Lindsay: It was great to read your blog and the timetable of your birthday. Wow, my little girl is 25! A quarter of a century old...amazing. I wished there was a way to do a "Z-burt" from a few thousand miles away, but I'll wait for next month when you'll be home. I do miss you, and thanks for the visual of "Wotten-on-the-Edge"...(don't you love those English names). I was there once and I could visualize the place Pete took you to -- Hey, as well TGIFriday's. Happy Birthday sweetheart...you're beautiful.

Mary: Sorry for the chipmunk face...I hope your swelling goes down. A year from now the celebration will have to be that those cursed wisdom teeth (what sadomasochist thought of that title for those crooked incisors?) will no longer be a problem. I do hope you can eat something other than applesauce soon, but I do smile with the picture in my head of your pretty face with swollen chipmunk cheeks...sorry! :)

Chris: As always, I can't read your blogs and not smile. You should keep writing and polish that skill. You're a great story teller and I'd love to see you develop your gift over time. Missed you for dinner last night, but as always, you're lovely bride brightens every place she is in.

Eric: Great blog... as always, there's so much more that you could say, but why waste the words. Got a card from your mom and dad. Hawaii, wow...go ahead Sandy, rub it in, I can take it.

Neil: So the Toyota is biting the dust! Amazing, especially because I remember when you got it. That thing has put a lot of miles on the road...it's been pretty good, but seemed like it needed retirement a couple of years ago already...testament to your faith and perseverance to keep it running. What I love the most in the blog is the celebration for Si's birthday. When mine comes around, Zoe, I expect to see Happy Birthday written in the sands of some beach also -- well, not really -- but it was a cool picture.

OK...those were the ones I got to...Perhaps you've got a blog in reading this that I don't have...please let me know at elliottpollasch@yahoo.com where yours is located. I'd love to read it.

Dave is still shopping, so I'll go on to other Reading things:
currently I've started a number of books...all are interesting and I keep juggling the reading to keep them all somewhat fresh, while not getting any of them done!
Still, they are provoking me in good ways. SO...what are they?

1. "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell. Grade: Excellent. A good writer who had a neat non-religious way of talking about faith, life with God, love, forgiveness, hope, etc... Defintely a Yes!

2. "A Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren. Grade: Very Good. Provacative, part of the Emergent church movement. Won't agree with some things...maybe even a number of things...but I love being poked and prodded, and pushed around by someone who will make me think.

3. "God of the Possible: An Introduction to the Open View of God", by Greg Boyd (ok, Gregory). Grade: Very Good. Not a feel good book, but presents a view of God as sovereign that you & I haven't heard preached from the pulpit in most evangelical churches - probably ever! Makes you think, ponder, and re-evaluate some theological presuppositions.

4. "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places...." (and goes on more), by Eugene Peterson. Grade: Very Good. Peterson is someone who've I've enjoyed reading over and over again. He, Philip Yancey, and Henri Nouwen's books populate my extensive library. This book is the first of five planned books on Christian Spirituality. I'm about a third of the way through it, but he's already "wowed" me with his interpretation of the link of John's first few chapters and Genesis 1-3! Worth the reading, but slow down and savor it like a gourmet dinner...it's not fast food!

5. "Invitation to Theology" by Michael Jinkins. Grade: Good. Ok, so all I can give a theology book is a good rating! What I like about the book is some genuine and fairly fresh looks at God through the window of the Apostle's Creed (which by the way wasn't written by the Apostles -- unless you're Catholic and believe in the Apostolic Succession of the office of the Papacy!). The down side of this book is that it is limited to the Apostle's Creed.

6. Lastly, add to this list the book "Wine"...which is a massive book that covers everything worldwide about wine...the grapes, the regions, the wines, the world! It's a fun book to pick up and read for ten minutes when I want my brain to rest, and I want to dream about being in beautiful places.

OK...Dave's not back yet, but I'm done. To all of you bloggers, I love reading you when I can...please come back often and tell me where you're at.