Summertime Randomness

Both of my boys have taken to the word "random." They'll say, "Mom, that's so random!" It makes me smile when they say the word because I think most of what they come up with is so, ahh... random - especially during the summer. Apparently they come by this behavior honestly as I am feeling very random this summer, also. Don't get me wrong - a little randomness is nice given the level of focus I have had to maintain in the last few years. The by-product of this lifestyle is that I am not writing much. Again, it is a bit of a relief, but I also miss the flood of provoking thoughts rushing through my brain.

In the form of a few updates, I thought I'd let you know what I am doing with my brain this summer. I am reading book after book - books that are purely my choice in reading, and mostly rather light (I keep telling myself that I will pursue more academic reading when the school year begins and I am immersed in educational psychology). The lightest of my reading is by Robin Jones Gunn. She writes fiction for women my age, and I have enjoyed those books, but she also writes for adolescent girls. Strangely, I love The Christy Miller Series and her newest, The Katie Weldon Series. I highly recommend these two series of books for any young girls desiring a combination of purity and fun in their lives.

In my pursuit of Truth and cultural relevance, I read The Unlikely Disciple: The Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University. I have some things to blog about from this read, but Steve grabbed the book from me immediately upon my finishing it, and it is from the library, sooo I may or may not get to write on this book. I will say, however, that it is a very good read. I desire to experience the thought processes of those who are very different from me - it is enlightening. I believe God uses this understanding to mature my own thinking and to make me more friendly towards differing viewpoints. A major theme developing within me is in regards to engaging all sorts of people in thoughtful conversation. In my life experience, mutual understanding and growth does not happen in the midst of emtional confrontation, anger, rigidity, etc. I seek to stand for God's Truth, but under the umbrella of love and care for people. Actually, this idea is one of the themes in The Unlikely Disciple. Kevin Roose, the author and unlikely disciple, experienced the love of God's children at Liberty University despite the vast differences between him and others. Such love surprised him, and in all honesty, it surprised me, too.

My next read is The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. A.J. Jacobs and Kevin Roose have a connection - thus my choice of these two books. I've barely begun this book, so I'll save my comments for later.

I've been engaged in a small group Bible study of the book of Esther. It is a Beth Moore study. Once again, her leadership is amazing and I am inspired to delve deeper in my Bible study and faith walk as she teaches. I have not been summarizing the process as I study - which is part of the reason I generally do not enjoy group studies - to keep up with a group means I feel rushed through the material. But, I love the relationships encountered in group studies.... One piece of Truth I am considering right now is the difference between how Satan views me and how God views me. To Satan, I am merely a number; a number he can add to his minion of evil doers in this world. To God, I am Heidi Leigh Winter Tracht - an individual with a history, and a future, and a specific purpose within His plan for the world and His Kingdom. What can one woman do? Well, read the book of Esther and discover. From this Truth, I embraced my next memory verse:

"for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29 (NIV)

You may be noticing that my verses are becoming shorter.... I am struggling a bit more with memorization, and I was quite ambitious in the beginning. In order to keep up and still remember the first few months of memory work, I am intentionally seeking shorter verses now. And, you know what? God still blesses short pieces of memory work in His Word. Amazing, isn't He? It is a daily struggle to keep my mind from placing God in a Heidi-sized box.

Perhaps the last significant item I will place on my summertime list of randomness is an interest developing within me to learn more about issues related to Israel and Biblical prophesy. Over and over again in Scripture, God places special emphasis on Israel. In order to recognize God's hand; to recognize Biblical prophesy, I believe I must know and understand more about Israel. There are also strong connections between Israel and the U.S. that I believe will enlighten my understanding of culture and politics. My first stop will be taking a look at the work of Joel Rosenberg. Additionally, with my new i-pod, I am downloading podcasts from a variety of news sources (i.e., both conservative and liberal). All the while, I am praying and seeking Godly revelation for the ability to engage with all kinds of people. For a taste of Rosenberg, listen to the following broadcasts: Understanding the Islamic Revolution Parts One and Two. Another great listen is The Dangerous Deception of the New Spirituality Parts One and Two.

My thoughts are coming to a close. It is time to act on the to do list for today. After writing all this, and quickly considering my journey this summer, maybe it is not as random as I thought.... "Talk" to you soon!