I need adventure

As a kid I read and read. It was the opportunity to escape the every day and for something exciting to happen. Now that I'm an adult, I still read, but it's not quite enough. I need adventure. Even adventure as small as a trip to Richmond or DC every once in a while or an outing with friends to the wineries or tubing down the river is enough, but I need something out of the ordinary that breaks up the routine. Fortunately, I am going to Texas in May with my family and to Italy with a good friend in June. Hopefully, those trips will help quench this persistent need for more. Staying home every weekend isn't doing it for me, especially now that the weather is getting nice. Not only do I want adventure, I want to share it with the people I'm closest to and who mean the most to me. If they're not present than there is something missing. Telling them about it isn't enough; I want to share the experiences. Sigh. I'm feeling antsy.

God's kingdom

The sermon this week was really great and really spoke to me. Pastor Steve is going through the Lord's prayer and this week's section was "Your kingdom come."  He described God's kingdom as God's reign rather than an actual place and he proceeded to share scripture on some of Jesus' insights on God's kingdom. For some reason, I thought to look at the verses from the point of view of those hearing them for the first time 2000 years ago. Jesus' view of God and God's kingdom was so radically different from the common view.  He described the kingdom as being in us and near to us to a people who were waiting for it. Imagine what things would be like if God truly reigned (heaven). God the Just; God who is Good. I began to think about all the good stuff in life and how none of that would be here if God weren't. If we allow God to reign in our lives his kingdom is already here and our job is to share that good news with others - particularly those who aren't seen as successful by the world's standards. And then we are to live for the time when God will reign supreme (heaven).  Most of the time I feel like I don't really understand Jesus' message of "good news."  All I ever understood it to be was we aren't doomed and separated from God by our sins because Christ died for us and redeemed us (which is part of it). But Jesus was spreading good news before his death and resurrection, and that good news is the radical idea about God's kingdom.  So maybe I am starting to get it??

Friends of the Library Book Sale

I was able to go to the library book sale on Sat. It is one of my favorite things of the year. I got 11 books for $13.50. I got The Chronicles of Narnia, The Kite Runner, Reading Lolita in Tehran, The Namesake, The Pillars of the Earth, The Reader, The New York Trilogy, The House on Mango Street, SlaughterHouse-Five, The Joy Luck Club, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I can't wait to buckle down and read them! All are books I've heard of or that have been on my wish list for quite a while. I love good finds and cheap books! :)

Mindset

The latest read is a book called "Mindset." It describes two ways of viewing things: a fixed mindset and growth mindset. The fixed mindset says that all abilities, intelligence, etc. are fixed quantities and that a person with a fixed mindset will act in such a way as to show their superiority but will not stretch themselves for fear of appearing incompetent. The growth mindset says that ability and intelligence are not fixed quantities but are things that can be improved over time. They see challenges as a way to improve themselves and seek them out. The ideal is obviously to have the growth mindset. I know from experience that I have a fixed mindset. Ex: I won't play board games b/c I don't want to look stupid.  I am taking on a leadership role at work that scares me. I am not a natural-born leader. I am hoping that through the experience and through reading the book I will learn to grow and not be afraid of looking dumb. I am hoping to be able to motivate my team members to make a difference in the PICU. I don't want the committee I lead to be a project that I alone am tackling, but I want everyone to be actively involved and to want to do their part and do it well. We'll see how it goes!