The Sheltering Wisdom from Books

My son, eat honey because it is good,

And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;14 

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul.

Proverbs 24:13

Recent blog posts from my friends Rebecca and Glenda inspired me to share some wisdom I've gathered from my Barnes-and-Noble-fix yesterday. I had only three hours in my home away from home. Was it enough time for me to settle in and peruse my chosen stack? 

I am adding Glenda's disclaimer--When I recommend a book, I am assuming you are going to put your thinking cap on as you read. Take the good and leave the rest.

Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living by Allen Lokos. While this book was based on Buddhism, there were still thought-provoking nuggets to glean. Lokos quoted a friend, "Just about every mistake I have ever made and every unkind word I have ever spoken might have been avoided if I had been more patient." He then offers five questions to determine patience in our speech.

1. Do I speak at the right time?
2. Do I speak factually?
3. Do I speak gently?
4. Do I speak words that will benefit?
5. Do I speak with a kind heart?

Home: What it Means and Why it Matters by Mary Gordon.  Gordon used Christian Morgenstern's quote, "Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."

I AM changes who i am by Greg Matte. I quickly realized I wanted to read every word of this book, and it was added to my "To Read" list.  


"Unfortunately, instead of basking in the miraculous, some people spend their days trying to figure out how to turn the wine back into water." (Chapter One, First Miracle: H₂O to Merlot)


Thrift Store Graces: Finding God's Gifts in the Midst of the Mess by Jane Knuth.  Knuth spent 17 years volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Kalamazoo, MI.  She uses her experiences as an opportunity for God to teach her some of life's richest lessons.  

One of Knuth's friends told her, "God saves people. That's his job, not yours."  In thinking of her words, Knuth mused, My job is to comfort, clothe, listen and pay a few bills. I give out hugs, prayers and money, not salvation from sin. She wrote, "It is one of those moments when the curtain between heaven and earth feels thinner than usual."


Book of Inspiration: in the studio and behind the scenes with extraordinary women by Jo Packham and Jenny Doh.  Another book I'd love to own.  Each picture is like a mini vacation.  One of the women they showcase is Connie Govea Stuart.  When Connie encounters a creative rut, she finds herself getting her groove back by making a heart-felt gift for someone in her life.  "Everyone likes to receive happy mail that is unexpected and it always helps me get centered when I am able to create something that will lift up someone in my life.


I also glanced through a few of my favorite magazines: Molly Makes (packaged with a card of vintage inspired buttons), Art Journaling and Artful Blogging.  In Artful Blogging Becky Cunningham of Buckets of Burlap wrote of her mother, "...I soaked up every ounce of information and advice from her.  But most importantly she taught me about having a relationship with the Lord.  She was my prayer warrior."  

My time passed all too quickly, but the nuggets of beauty and wisdom came home with me.  The wisest man of all times said, It takes wisdom to build a house, and understanding to set it on a firm foundation; It takes knowledge to furnish its rooms with fine furniture and beautiful draperies (Proverbs 24:3-4).  Three hours may not be long, but I put a few nails in my house, smiled upon my foundation, rearranged some furniture and hung some draperies.  The books sheltered me and I intend to use the sheltering to bless other. 

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