March 2019 Reads

Spring is here! I still have several library books checked out. I'm really enjoying the availability of what I'm looking for, even if it means waiting a few weeks for a transfer from another library. I feel like these two for March have a lot in common:

1. Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis: This is a very popular book right now, though some may hate it. Let me just say it's not supposed to be a theological book and it's not the practically perfect Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot and it's not Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (check those out if you haven’t yet). But it is one woman’s brutally honest personal stories of her failures and anxieties and some lessons she’s learned along the way. While I may not agree with her 100%, Rachel has some encouraging things to say about embracing our God-given talents and just doing the next thing instead of being caught up in misplaced guilt or wallowing in self-pity. Even more than her book, I’ve found her podcasts helpful with addressing anxiety. She talks about how we too often focus on what we don’t have yet, when we should be thankful for what we’ve been given and how far we’ve already come...with God's blessing, with help from others, and with consistent hard work.
2. My Life in France, by Julia Child: A few years back, I first watched "Julie & Julia" and immediately bought the oldest edition I could find of Julia’s world-famous cookbook. The movie is PG-13 for good reason, so don’t blame me for content if you haven’t watched it yet; however, parts of this dual-bio are pretty inspiring. My favorite line? "Julia Child wasn’t always Julia Child." It’s true. In WWII, she rejected the sunny California affluence she was born into, joining the OSS as basically a file clerk. Later she was assigned to research and develop a successful shark repellant. In the OSS, she met and married Paul Child at the tender age of...34. He was a decade older. They had a long, very happy marriage that led them to France and other European countries as Paul continued to work for the post-war U.S. government. Julia didn’t really start learning to cook until she was 37! Collaborating with a couple of Parisian friends, she worked hard for several years writing and testing and perfecting recipes for what would become Mastering the Art of French Cooking—finally published when she was 49! Only then did she get into educational TV, hosting the first successful cooking show. At some point, you have to say "the rest is history." But it proves that even if you don’t feel born with a skill, even if you start late in life, if you put in the hard work, you might can become a Success. At least, you might find yourself living your life more fully than if you had just stuck to what you always knew. So although it was a long book, I don’t regret the time spent.

Two books I had planned to read for a long time. Two books dedicated to better things. Leaning on God and fighting for what we believe in are not opposing truths. In fact, we can say with David, "Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle."--Psalm 144:1

(Photo credit: Jennifer Arnold)