My Church Newsletter Contribution

Millie sat idly in her shady garden sipping iced tea. A westerly breeze blew. Awash in the scent of roses, Millie realized that something was missing...

(Hint...Millie needs a book. Perhaps "Julie" by Catherine Marshall.)

Larry lay propped up with pillows on the makeshift cot in his family room. The scene out his window rarely changed. Cable news droned on in the background. Larry longed for relief from this dull pain-filled world while slowly recovering from surgery. He popped two more Vicodin and wondered, "Is this all there is?"...

(Hint...Larry needs a book. Might "Till We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis take his mind off his pain? Or, maybe something requiring a lot of deep thought, like Dallas Willard's "The Divine Conspiracy".)

Thad wiggled and fidgeted in his 'time-out' chair. His mother knelt on the living room floor, picking up the shattered remains of what had been an heirloom lamp, given to her by her grandmother. She yelled for Thad to sit still, but Thad could not. Every cell in his body screamed for adventure...

(Hint...Thad and his mother both need books. Thad would enjoy many of the Trailblazer books by Dave and Neta Jackson. His mother...well, lets direct her to something with the theme of 'this too shall pass'.)

Donna put the kids to bed. An hour later, their giggles still reached her ears. She gave up wondering what the thunking sound was coming from their room. George was still out golfing. Donna grabbed a bag of potato chips, hoping that her munching would drowned out the thunking sound. Donna was tired. Her only means of escape seemed to be the idiocy of reality TV. At least it numbed her tired mind for an hour, or two...

(Hint...Donna needs to avoid Christian fiction that paints a picture of a so called 'perfect husband'. She would do well to read nonfiction, especially accounts of women living in Muslim nations. She should also avoid large hardcover books, as the temptation to throw those at George might be a bit strong.)

Another night without a date for Carolyn. She feels like such a loser. Her friends, Brittany and Jessie, have dates every Friday night - DOUBLE dates - leaving her out of the loop and alone. Well, not totally alone. Carolyn realizes that she now talks more to her cat than to anyone else. She can just picture herself in twenty years, the only thirty-seven year old who carries pictures of her cats in her wallet...

(Hint...Carolyn does not need a date. It might help to read everything she can get her hands on written by Elisabeth Elliot, Edith Schaeffer or Leanne Payne. Writings that would encourage her to develop her talents and use her God given gifts would benefit her, and these women might help her understand that.)

It was midnight. Kimmy was still awake. Under her sheet she had a flash light and a copy of "Anne of Green Gables" By day Kimmy helped with yard work, swam at the pool and baby-sat for the Smiths. But at night, she drifted over to Prince Edward Island and wondered.., "How would God have taken care of me, had I been orphaned as an infant?"

(Hint...Kimmy already understands the value in reading good books.)

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." - Mark Twain