I invite you all to read...

The Shack

I mentioned borrowing this book from the library and I have just finished it. (I have a tendency to read a number of books at the time, so it took me this long to finish this one.) To say that it was amazing may be an understatement. It gives such a graphic and loving image of who God is in our world and lives. There were so many things I learned from this book, not the least of which is to make God the center of our lives. It was such an eye opener: He doesn't want us to make Him first in our list of priorities. 

Jesus speaking to lead character:

 " ...I don't want to be the first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything. When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you. Rather than be a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life- your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities- is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and  out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being."

The Shack is a story about a father's struggle with his daughter's tragic murder, which ultimately brings him to face his issues with God, his daughter's killer, and his own estranged father.

Earth's crammed with heaven, 

And every common bush afire with God,

But only he who sees takes off his shoes;

The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning