I AM GOING TO BE VERY UP FRONT AND HONEST WITH YOU (what other way is there to be):

There are very few books I would recommend so highly that I would go out and buy extra copies for my two daughters (oops give away) and a young man I once mentored (whom I mentioned the book to this past weekend).  I am THAT sold on this book.  Okay…with that honesty and endorsement out of the way, let me tell you why I say that.

If you are reading my blog for the first time or do not know me very well, I am what you might consider an old fogie.  I’m so old the spell check wants to tell me fogie is spelled wrong.    What does it know?  Like many who read this book, they cannot fathom someone as old as me.  Okay, so I am still 4 months away from 60.  I say that because very little of the newer stuff turns my crank.   I no longer feel like I have to have 3-point sermons, but I still preach with an outline and points.

But in my estimation this book sets a bar for the younger generation that I personally believe will be one to strive for and will not be reached easily.  I am talking about writing.  I am mostly talking about living.  Like many of you, I tire quickly of those who spout off scream out platitudes of what a life in Christ is like, but then have little in the way of application.  Even less in the way of example. Bob doesn’t do that.  I also DO NOT have ADD or ADHD or any of the other alphabets, but I bore easily when reading a book that does not catch my attention.  My library is littered with partially read books.     But Love Does is not one of them.   Bob captured me in his Introduction about his office  being on Tom Sawyer Island (how unique is that?) and kept me hooked until the last page.  What really caught me was this:

Living a life fully engaged and full of whimsy and the kind of things that love does is something most people plan to do, but along the way just kind of forget.  Their dreams become one of those ‘we’ll go there next time’ deferrals.  The sad thing is, for many there is not ‘next time’ because passing on the chance to cross over is an overall attitude toward life rather than a single decision.  They need a change of attitude, not more opportunities.

Bob spends the rest of his book talking about a life fully engaged and full of whimsy (his word).   There is no way I can adequately convey to you the depth of this simple book in one short post, but I plan to whet your appetite to buy it with a series of posts over the next week or so that will hopefully spur your thoughts and creative juices to consider a life of whimsy.

Here is your thought to think about today:  If you were to describe your life from 1 (low)-10 (high), how would you describe your life right now in engagement and whimsy? Do you feel like you have “settled for” or do you still live a life of adventure?