Mama's School of Learning

I love to read! I find little redeeming value in TV, so it’s amazing how much time I can find to devour books. Although, I do enjoy a good movie and watched an excellent one Saturday night—Gifted Hands – The Ben Carson Story. It’s playing on TNT—I highly recommend it.

Anyway, I just finished 3 great books in the last 3 weeks: Uncommon Faith – about a lady who gave up everything to live in New York City’s worst neighborhood to bring the gospel to those so desperate; Into The Deep – about a man who lost his wife and 4 young children in a flash flood (the youngest had just been adopted less than a year prior) and then turned his tragedy into a worldwide mission to share God’s grace to others; Gospel Trailblazer - about Howard Jones, the first black evangelist to join the Billy Graham crusades. He followed God’s lead when he was young to go into ministry when his flesh really wanted to become a jazz musician. Through his obedience, God used him to bring thousands and thousands to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Biographies about people fighting against the world to follow Christ’s plan are my favorite kind of stories. Being totally sold out regardless of what others say and then watching God explode is incredibly inspiring to me.

I see how books just like these have changed my way of thinking and my relationship with Christ, so at the dinner table last night I told the boys they were about to be introduced to “mama’s school of learning.” Their eyes popped. Zach said, "Let's hurry up with grace. I don't think I'm gonna like this." I told them they must read a book a week from now until the end of the school year. I selected a stack from my library that they must to choose from. And oh, my gosh, you should have heard the whining.

I just sat there cutting up my chicken and eating my mashed potatoes and told them, “Go ahead, get it out of your system. I’m not changing my mind.” So they went on for quite a while, coming up with every excuse why that was not possible and trying to bargain their way out. Derek finally said, “We may as well give it up. She isn’t budging.”

So they each picked out a book last night. I’m so excited to see how God moves in them as they begin reading a whole new world of books. I was so thrilled with the prospect, I didn’t sleep last night.