A Bit of Book Review

Okay, I'm going to rave for a few minutes about a book I recently read. "The Shack" is pretty incredible IMHO. This book is totally focused on getting us out of our preconceived notions of how G-d relates to us and how we often mistake His meaning, intentions, and His love for all.

This book helped to draw me back to the inner relationship that is what Christ died for. We often mistake casualness for disprespect, but in this book I could really see that disrespect comes from judging the Creator of the Universe and from my own inner mistrust.

This book is totally awesome! I'm going to read it again and again, and also just try to remember to soak up the love that is offered to me, and trust that the Lord knows what He is doing in my life and in the lives of those that I love.

I highly recommend this book--maybe not for every believer, maybe you don't have any questions about how G-d does things. But I did.

I will also point out that the reason I bought this book to read, is because several of my friends and coworkers--who aren't all that religious--are reading and talking about it. This book was a total surprise to me and since I don't want to spoil that surprise for anyone else, I'm not including any spoilers.

Time & Calendars

I've been working with calendars lately. Trying to schedule everything ahead of time, because as with any ranch, summertime is really busy. Not only do you have the regular chores that you do daily no matter what, but there are also all the things we do in order to make the ranch pay for itself.

So there are camps and trail rides to provide for, a root cellar to build, tipis to put up, weed removal, horses to exercise and ride, and more, and still more. It can be a bit of a challenge to figure out.

But in the middle of all that, I have to find a way to provide time for myself to rest, to sit back, to reflect. So this year, I'm going to something I have never done before. I'm going to schedule time to rest and put it on the calendar. I have to. People who just keep going and going burn out because we aren't energizer bunnies.

It's very hard to do because there is so much that needs to get done. But I must take the long view. Do I still want to be at the ranch when I'm sixty? How about seventy? Yes, I do want to be able to live on the ranch when I'm old--so I must give myself time now or else I won't be able to be here then.

So I guess it's back to the calendar...