Victoria Advocate, A Different Perspective

Does anyone else set a yearly book-reading goal? Goodreads, a website for readers, isn’t considered user-friendly, but it’s the best one aside from Bookstagram, which is an app. Goodreads will let you set a yearly goal, then as you enter the books you’ve read, it keeps track. You can click on your personal reader challenge and get the number of books you’ve completed so far. I’ve done it for a few years.

Every author needs to read in their genre to know what’s trending, but most authors are cross-readers. I enjoy historical romance, Amish fiction, YA, a smattering of science fiction, and bible study books also make the list. For me, reading can be an inexpensive entertainment option. And I’m amused when Christians don’t approve of reading for pleasure, especially romance. Yet the same people will watch cinema with hardly any filters. Funny how that works.     

Another fresh round of grief assaulted me after checking my email. A friend from our home church in Tyler was diagnosed with cancer. Dave and I watched her grow from a teen to a lovely young woman. She had three sisters, then married and had four children of her own. She homeschooled, baked, and led worship during church services. Such a bright, steady light. Though in considerable pain, she dressed in holiday clothes and took pictures with her husband and children. For their sakes.

Shortly after Christmas, she went to the hospital, coded after three days, and went on life support. The doctors told her family they would have to make a decision. By morning, she’d left this earth for a better place. But, Oh. My. Goodness. Her sisters. Her mom. Her husband and her children. Scads of friends. We weren’t ready for Tender to go.

My daughter comforted me with the words, “Mama, she’s gone where we all want to go. She’s not in any more pain.” Truly, our grief is not for her. It’s for us. Tender left a big hole.

But life goes on. We attended a birthday party for my cousin. She was so surprised and asked me in total shock, “Joe did this?” I assured her that her husband had planned it from start to finish. She was thrilled and visited to her heart’s content.   

Dave baked a lot last week. Homemade sourdough bread, pizza, cookies, and homemade cornbread. It lasts a while since I parse it out an ounce or two at a time, but now we’re in fasting mode. There’s a churchwide fast every January for three weeks. On a spiritual level, it’s a time of extra prayer to prepare our hearts and minds for the new year, but it’s also a way to lose the excess that gathers around our collective waists during the holidays. The fasting can be food, or a type of food. It can be less screen time, or any other consuming habit. It’s a healthy way to practice the fruit of the spirit that we don’t much like—self-control. Yeah, moderation isn’t too popular in present-day society. Truthfully, though, that virtue has never been in the spotlight.

I’m not fond of fasting anything, but it sure helps my spiritual vision. I hear from God better—through other people and my bible study. Bible verses jump off the page. Fasting helps me get off to a good start for the year. It helps me set yearly goals—what needs to happen most.

What are you looking forward to this year?