Ragamuffin Gospel

"Unlike Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame, we need not hide all that is ugly and repulsive in us. Jesus came not for the super-spiritual but for the wobbly and weak-kneed who know they don't have it all together and who are not too proud to accept the handout of amazin' grace. As we glance up, we are astonished to find the eyes of Jesus open with wonder, deep with understanding, and gentle with compassion." ~Brennan Manning

I have read The Ragamuffin Gospel before. This time, I devoured it. I went through each chapter, one at a time. My friend Stacy and I picked apart each chapter with awe and amazement. Each Monday night we talked together of our own understanding of grace, how we accept it, how we teach it, how we live it. I love this book. It is good food for hungry souls.

I have been blessed with the first hand knowledge of God's grace in my own life and Brennan drew out that picture in harmony. He also reminded me to humble myself in judgment of where others have been and where they are going. He reminded me to see God's fingerprint on all people, not just the ones I want to see it on.

If you believe or not, I would recommend you read this book. We have made a pretty good mess out of what Jesus came to do. He died to save the world, not just the few.

Understanding Exposure

I recently took a beginners digital photography class at the local community college. It was quite an experience. I have enjoyed shooting with my Nikon for the past two years but have felt a little inadequate, well maybe more than a little. But, I have always loved it and felt joy when a picture turns into something beautiful that expresses my heart or emotion at a particular moment.

While my one simple class hasn't filled the gap, it has grown a hunger in me to know more and understand more when it comes to my photography. So, to add a special treat to my 75 book reading challenge this year, I will be adding some photography books. Now, I want to put a disclosure out there....I am not a professional photographer....I don't know how truly amazing a book is in the profession realm of photography, but I can tell you what it meant to me.

My first photography read comes by recommendation from Digital Photography School : Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. I would recommend both the web site and the book to any beginners or anyone looking for better understanding and more resources to improve their photography.

At first some of the photography terminology can feel like a foreign language. I felt this book gave me practical material with visual examples. Yes, my friends, it is a book with pictures. I borrowed this book from our local library but would love to have this on my shelves as a reference when I am shooting or have difficulty shooting the image I desire. In the few weeks I had borrowed the book, I found myself using in numerous times as a reference when I was in need of answers.

Hopefully with the help of this book and many like it I will find myself less frustrated and more able to express myself and what I see through my photography. If you are interested in seeing my pictures, I post them at: http://blessedamerican.posterous.com/

The Children of Men

I began book number 6 of the year thinking I knew what to expect. I have seen the movie so I wasn't looking for too many surprises. After about chapter 3, I realized this book is nothing like the movie.

P.D. James' book The Children of Men is so much more than any movie could have been. Now, I don't want you to get me wrong. The movie was great. The book was amazing. I wouldn't even compare the two by saying the book is better than the movie, simply because they are not the same. Other than the name of the main character and the concept of a sterile society, there was very little else in common between the two.

I picked this book because it is the second in the Emmaus Readers collection that I am going through this year. Admittedly, I wouldn't have picked this one off the shelf on my own. I was pleasantly surprised. The book isn't full of warm fuzzy's and happiness but it is real. I could connect with James' idea of a depraved society, one lost of hope. I could see the struggle between faith, god and inevitable end. The characters were real, almost so perfectly detailed you could reach out and touch them.

I would highly recommend this book. It is a suspense but one that is richly built on humanity and all of it's imperfections.