The Prodigal God, by Timothy Keller

It’s been a long time since I read anything religious in nature, but I recently had a craving for this book, one I’d read many many years ago. And I’m glad I did.

I’ve been struggling, recently, with how to lead and love and live in families with people who are difficult, and this book was a great reminder to me and a anchor to reality.

Below are a few of my favorite quotes:

“God’s reckless grace is our greatest hope” (pg. xx).

“Jesus’s purpose is not to warm our hearts but to shatter our categories” (pg. 13).

“There is no evil that the father’s love cannot pardon and cover, there is no sin that is a match for his grace” (pg. 28).

“The elder brother is not losing the father’s love in spite of his goodness, but because of it” (pg 40).

“The first sign you have an elder-brother spirit is that when your life doesn’t go as you want, you aren’t just sorrowful but deeply angry and bitter” (pg 57).

“It is impossible to forgive someone if you feel superior to him or her” (pg. 63).

“forgiveness always comes at a cost to the one granting the forgiveness” (pg 94).

Grade: B+

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The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch

This week's Positive Sign Thursday word is "Earnest" which means (in my own words, anyway), being a man or woman of sincere conviction, of behaving in a way that aligns with one's moral compass and character. Or, as David Goggins recently said, "The truly successful people in life have learned one thing - and it might be the greatest separator between average and becoming nuclear!!! - and that is learning to do when you don't want to do!"

This word has become an unintended theme in my recent readings, starting with the story of Earnest Shackelton (how great of a name is that!!!) and his journey throughout the South Pole. Before that, was Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon professor who was diagnosed with cancer and, with only months left to live, gave his Last Lecture. He then turned his final words into a book, which Mrs. Vielleux was kind enough to recommend.

Below are a few of my favorite quotes from the book.

“Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome” (pg. 33).

“When you’re screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they’ve given up on you” (pg. 37).

“There’s a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It’s not something you can give; its’ something they have to build . . . you give them something they cant do, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process” (pg. 37).

Kirk (from the Starship Enterprise) “was the ultimate example of a man who knew what he didn’t know, was perfectly willing to admit it, and didn’t want to leave until he understood. That’s heroic to me” (pg. 45).

“I don’t believe in the no-win scenario” - Kirk (pg. 46).

“The brick walls are there for a reason. They’re not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something” (pg 52).

“It’s such a shame that people perceive you as being so arrogant, because it’s going to limit what you’re going to be able to accomplish in life” (pg 68).

“No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse” (pg 88).

“It’s a thrill to fulfill your own childhood dreams, but as you get older, you may find that enabling the dreams of others is even more fun” (pg. 115).

“Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won’t make us happier” (pg 139).

“When you’re frustrated with people, when they’ve made you angry, it just may be because you haven’t given them enough time . . . in the end, people will show you their good side. Almost everybody has a good side. Just keep waiting. It will come out” (pg 143)

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right” (pg. 147).

Rocky didn’t care if he won the fight, “He just didn’t want to get knocked out” . . . “It’s not how hard you hit. It’s how hard you get hit . . . and keep moving forward” (pg 147).

“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer” (pg 149).

Grade: A

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An Invisible Thread, by Laura Schroff

“An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place and circumstances. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break.” - Ancient Chinese Proverb

This quote is written at the beginning of the book. And, for me, sums it up completely. It’s a giant cliche, and I’m kinda tired of it.

Sure, the story is fine and full of people saving other people. But I’m just kinda tired of the rich white person saving the poor black kid. And even though she writes fairly often, “he saved me”, I just don’t care. This storyline - this very visible thread - has run its course. I mean, are there no rich black people helping little white kids?!?

The story was fine, and I’m happy for them both. But the stereotypes are affirmed, the script old, and really, it just isn’t worth reading. Because you already have, hundreds and hundreds of times.

Grade: D

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The Long Haul: A Trucker's Tales of Life on the Road, by Finn Murphy

Reading and learning about another’s life is never a waste of time. Neither is this story.

Nothing ground breaking or mind blowing, but an easy and enjoyable read, especially when traveling, that helps give perspective and insight into an otherwise unknown yet highly stigmatized group of workers.

Here’s a small taste test:

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Why Courage Matters : The Way to a Braver Life, by John McCain

The standard of courage are “acts that risk life and limb or other very serious personal injuries for the sake of others or to uphold a virtue” (pg 14).

“Courage is like love. It must have hope to nourish it” - Napoleon, pg 20

“Courage is what Winston Churchill called, ‘the first of human qualities . . . because it guarantees all the others” (pg 39).

“It is love that makes us willing to sacrifice, love that gives us courage” (pg 43).

“You must do the thing you cannot do” (pg 47).

“All problems, personal, national, or combat, become smaller if you don’t dodge them” (pg 49).

“It takes courage to defend your own dignity; sometimes it requires extraordinary heroism. Yet often its wellspring is anger and wounded pride, a source we can’t always relay upon to incite us to action. I am familiar with that kind of courage, and it took me many years to recognize its limitations. It can be used up more quickly than you might have imagined when your sense of honor is self-absorbed, inert, not galvanized by empathy for the experiences of others” (pg 106).

“It takes great courage to defend the dignity of others . . . they are the uncommon people” (pg 107).

“One needs to feel that one’s life has meaning, that one is needed in this world” (pg 118).

“It’s not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it” (pg 157).

“Shame hurts, but it is a useful wound, perhaps the most indispensable condition of a good life. our self-respected, our salvation, depends upon our sense of it” (pg 170).

Grade: A

Not perfect, and perhaps better when read alongside Humilitas and The Road to Character, but still a worthwhile, easy read.