Books

I really love a good book. I am reading so many good books right now...thought I would share a few. I found this new blog widget called "Shelfari" which allows me to feature some of the books I am reading or have read. It is funny to see the variety of books on my "shelf." You could probably learn a lot about me if you really analyzed them. Let's see...I have my current adult book club book, my mother/daughter book club book, my adoption group book, and so many books to keep me inspired to keep focusing on Africa and the needs of orphans. I also have books that I just want to read for fun. See if you can figure out which book I got as a gift for my last birthday...here's a hint-it is a autobiography written by someone who I saw "in concert" during my younger years ;)

Even though we have a Nook, my bedside table is always piled high with books I am plugging away at. I will be highlighting a few of these in coming posts. I really love to share a good book and get so exited when someone else reads something that I did and we can talk about it - this is one of the reasons my girlfriends are so important to me...my husband has NO idea how to discuss a good book-he just doesn't "get it."

I read the book It's Not Okay With Me a few months ago. It was so inspiring. It is about a very successful business executive who finds herself in Africa after her life changes as a result of 911. She writes about the truth of what it is like in Africa and questions how we can stand by and allow it to be this way.

I read the book after I came home from Africa, so it really resonated with me. She explains that when you go to Africa, "...it takes a long time to process what you have seen, or didn't see. And at the end of a trip I always tell people that they will have to accept that Africa is not "process-able." How can we as humans or worse yet, how can we as Christians sit for one moment and think that it is okay for a single child to die of hunger today? How?...Is it okay with YOU that 30,000 children will die TODAY in Africa alone because they have no food or no one to go get them food? How will you sleep TONIGHT knowing this? I beg you to be still and close your eyes, but open your mind to my question."

The book goes on to document what she has done to make a difference in the lives of children in Africa. She is remarkable and yet she is just an average person.
One of the most powerful quotes from the book brought me to tears because of it's truth...

" No one who has ever gone to Africa wants to forget. We all get on a plane to come home and we make commitments to ourselves, our family, and even our God to go back- to do something for the beautiful people who welcomed us into their lives without hesitation or expectation. But we all get caught in the distractions of our "real lives." We so want to help the people who hold our hearts, but their faces start to fade away as they are replaced with the faces of the people in our offices. The sight of their mud huts disappears as we frantically try to finish off the renovation on our own house or wash the dishes after a great dinner party. We thought the smiles on the little children could never be forgotten, but they too start to gray as we pick up our kids from piano lessons and drop them off at soccer. Before we even know it, we too are saying it's okay that they are hungry and thirsty and have no clothes or parents or education or safe home. And before you know it, it will all fade to black."

Powerful. Truthful. Motivating ...