Not a Blackout Curtain

My bedroom faces east, and because of this I have blackout curtains so I can sleep past the crack of dawn. Now that I'm retired, I'm blessed that on most days I can allow my body's natural circadian rhythm to decide when I go to bed and when I wake up. Today, sunrise was officially 7:01 am, but of course it starts to get light out way before the sun is actually up. 

I woke up shortly before 8 am this morning, and I noticed that sunlight was peeking out of a couple of places where I didn't get the curtains completely closed last night. Light was also streaming out all around the edges, like sunlight was trying to sneak in any way it could.

Sunlight was breaking through the barrier I had hung to try and keep it out. My curtains looked like they were "bursting at the seams," letting the overpowering sunlight through against their best efforts to stop it. They could not hold back the light completely.

It made me think of how we who are Christians have the light of Jesus within us. The Bible says, "we have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure." (2 Corinthians 4:7, NLT).

Sometimes His light, also known as His love, shines through us to others. It might be as simple as a smile to someone. Or maybe we have a song bubbling up in us and we start singing or humming a tune. Other times it might be shown in another way, such as feeling led to give a stranger in front of you at the store a twenty-dollar bill when it becomes apparent that they are short on the amount needed to make the purchase they were attempting to make.

A smile or a song doesn't cost us anything, but it might make someone's day.  Giving to someone in need could help restore that person's faith. We have no idea what the people we encounter are going through. 

I don't mean to come across "preachy." I was convicted by the Holy Spirit this morning and I wrote about it in my journal. I even snapped a picture to remind myself that I need to let God's light shine through me more often. I couldn't quit thinking about it, so I decided to share it.

Blackout curtains are a wonderful invention for those of us who are night owls with an east-facing bedroom window. But we have the light of Christ within us! I for one feel like I don't let it out nearly often as I need to. I'm not a blackout curtain, and I need to stop acting like one.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 NASB

What I Read in February 2022

February has come and gone. Since it's only 28 days 3/4 of the time, it doesn't take long. I'm always sad to see February go; the last remnants of cold weather (which I love!) are usually gone by the time March shows up in the southern state I live in.

I'm not totally moving away from encouraging posts, but I'm trying something new. Once a month I will be posting what I read in the previous month. If you like to read, maybe you'll get some ideas of what to read next from my meager little list. If you find this helpful, comment on my Facebook or Twitter posting of this blog and let me know what you are reading. I'm always looking for recommendations. 

And now, let's get to it:

I did get a lot of reading done in February with all the ice and snow we got this year. Following is the list of what I completed during the month. Note: I am not very practiced at reviewing books or movies. I hope to hone this skill, but for now, my assessments will be sparse.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. I had never read any of her works, and I decided it was high time. I really enjoyed it and will be reading more of her books and more from this genre in general. I've found I like mysteries. (I should have known I would since I love the British TV show Father Brown.) After I had read the book, I watched an older version of the movie that I found on a streaming channel for free. It followed the book very well and was nicely done I thought. There is a more recent version that I may watch eventually, but it was about $5 and I was looking for free.

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal. This came highly recommended by a fiction book club I follow on Facebook. I was not disappointed. It was not at all hard to get into and held my interest the entire time. It was a great read; it was both compelling and heartwarming.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. This was a delightful book I listened to on a trip "back home" to attend a funeral a couple of weeks ago. I've wanted to read something by him for a while, and my younger son recommended this one to start. It was so good! It's actually a children's book, and there are 4 or 5 of them in the Tiffany Aching series of his books. It's fantasy, so if you like that genre give it a try. It's a pretty fast read. I will be reading the rest of this series and will move on to more of his books. His writing style is captivating.

Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. This is the sequel to Firefly Lane by Hannah. I found it a little hard to get into; it's very dark and depressing at first. If you stick with it, though, you will be rewarded. By the time I was halfway through I had trouble finding a stopping place. It is a very good book, full of the character development, in-depth looks at real life, and all the little details I've come to expect from this author. 

Those are the four books I finished during February. I have also been reading Max Lucado's 3:16, one chapter (sometimes 2) at a time as part of my morning Bible and devotional time. I'll include it as part of March books, because I will finish it within the next week or so. 

I didn't think I could read more than one book at a time until I remembered my years in college. Since I was an English major, there was often lots of reading for multiple classes. I did it then, and I can do it now. It's really no different, except now I'm reading whatever I want to.

During an emotionally low part of my journey a number of years ago, I found I needed to read for pleasure again. A part of my soul was in need of a different type of reading, somewhat like one might watch a movie to relax and forget troubles for a bit. Some might say it's escapism, and they would be right. I need some of that in my life. Books take me to faraway lands and let me have experiences I would never have otherwise. But I digress. I do not need to defend my choice to read.

As I have grown older, however, I will admit I have learned to pace myself. When I was younger, I did not know how to "reign it in," so to speak. It was all or nothing; I either read non-stop or didn't read at all. I also didn't read the variety of books I've come to enjoy in the last fifteen years or so. I think college reading gave me a taste of better reading material. It broadened my horizons and whet my appetite for different genres than I had read before. 

So with that said, I'm reading again, but it's only a small facet of my wonderful retirement days. There's so much I enjoy doing! I'm working on photo organization, decorating my new home, watching YouTube for decorating and minimalism encouragement, and in the near future, I will be converting VHS tapes to digital. I'm a busy lady! I don't know how I had time to work before! LOL!

Reading brings me joy! I find myself happier, more content, and more inclined to be joyful and want to pass on that joy to others when I've spent an hour or so a day reading.

I don't like to close without leaving you with some word of encouragement, so I always try to end with a scripture. I found this passage in Psalm 63 to be encouraging.

"So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips." Psalm 63:4-5 NASB

Until next time, be blessed! I love you, my friends!