My thoughts on The Screwtape Letters -- Jaclyn

I loved this book! It was my second time reading it and I enjoyed it even more the second time around.  I loved seeing Screwtape's perspective and felt it was very eye opening.  Here's some of the things I've been thinking about:

#1)  I definitely believe in "demons", both in a literal and figurative sense.  I believe there are actual evil spirits in the world who attempt to persuade us from following after our Father in Heaven and His righteous ways.  But on a more day-to-day basis, I think we are all plagued by more figurative, personal "demons" which may come in the forms of sin, habits, low self-esteem, eating disorders, mental illness, disease, emotional baggage, grudges, gossip, etc.  I think both types of "demons" are utilized by Lucifer to plague us, haunt us, break us down, make us feel weak and inadequate, and otherwise tear us from the loving, personal relationship we might have with God.  I think we all face demons and it is our job to overcome them through Jesus, become stronger, and move closer to our God. 

#2) I think the "pressure of the ordinary" refers to humankind's strange abhorrence of being "different".  The pressure to fit in and be just like everyone else can be so overwhelming!  Even when our differences are good, our natural man cries out that it would rather just fit in.  I wonder if we would be more successful at sharing Christianity with others if we weren't battling our natural tendency to blend in with the masses; we're always afraid to be different, to be weird, to stand out. 

#3) The church can definitely be an ally to Satan. This is actually what I most thought about and most enjoyed while reading this book.  There's a whole laundry list of sins I can say I avoid just because I am a member of the Church (murder, theft, drugs, adultery, the list goes on and on and on).  I try hard to follow Jesus' teachings and to live a good Christian life.  But this book helped me realize that being a member of the Church can be an ally to Satan as well in that it opens the doorway for a whole new set of sins with which to tempt me.  Here I was, thinking I was doing so great because I keep the ten commandments, and then I realized that sometimes I set myself up as "better" or "more righteous" than others because I'm Christian.  Whether or not that's true is not my place to judge, not to mention the audacious pride of mine involved with that assumption! Another instance of this occurred this past Sunday when a fellow church member was expressing gratitude for all the service she's been rendered by the congregation.  She's a good friend of mine and I've done a lot to help her and for a split second I found myself thinking, "I wonder if she's going to point me out by name."  Immediately after that thought I wanted to mentally (and spiritually) slap myself.  Is that why I had served her? To make myself look good? Or to build up pride about what a good person I was?  I like to think not, but at that moment it felt like my own personal Screwtape was whispering in my ear. :)  I think it's also easy to become lackadaisical in our actions and perhaps find ourselves just going through the motions of a Christan life.  Go to church, say our prayers, read our Bible... but are we letting it change our hearts?  Is it sinking in? Or is it only skin deep?  I loved reading through every letter and evaluating myself, asking if each temptation was something I personally had experienced or am experiencing and need to improve on.  It definitely made me think and re-evaluate, and it made me want to be better.

The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis

Because I've read this book before, I knew I would love it. It makes me think, which is always my favorite kind of book. Here are some questions I pondered as I read, and I'd love to hear your thoughts too.

1) Do you believe in "demons?" If so, what is their role? How do they affect humankind?

2) What is “the pressure of the ordinary?" How does it keep us from God? (question found here)

3) In what ways can church be an ally to Satan? (question found here)

4) Screwtape states that humans “are animals and whatever their bodies do effects their souls.” What does he mean by that? Is it true? What other situations could our physical behavior effect our soul? (question found here)

5) What are your other thoughts? I can't wait to hear them!

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage, Elizabeth Gilbert

I'm not generally a hard person to get along with. Yes, I'm awful to live with in certain circumstances, but those are few and far, far between. However, Liz and I didn't get along while I read this. It was not a circumstance in which I was the most amiable and tolerant of women.

She made me so so angry.

Perhaps I should have read the final chapter - which I admittedly did not, feeling it was a waste of my precious mortality. But up until that chapter's beginning all I heard was, "Being a wife is slavery. And being a mother is for the crazy slaves."

Well-written? Yes. Liz is a fantastic writer. For that reason I gave her three stars on Goodreads and not one.

Perhaps I shouldn't be so harsh in my critique of a book simply for not agreeing with her opinions. But I found her so embarrassing, as a fellow woman, that I had a hard time justifying even the cost of the paper the book I was holding had cost.

I know. I need to read the last chapter. Maybe she says, "Yes, I used to think all those things and now I understand that I was insane and illogical and that perhaps the thousands of years of heritage wives and mothers share are beautiful and meaningful after all." But I doubt it.

I disliked the book. Didn't hate it. Gave it three stars on Goodreads. I'd recommend it the way I'd recommend Mein Kampf ... interesting as a portrait of the artist, but you don't want to be like the artist.

Master Your Metabolism, Jillian Michaels

I loved this book. I don't ever fully trust diet books because I always fear the author has some kind of ulterior motive. Only my patented diet shake can bring you the kind of absorption of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to maintain a working metabolism! But with Jillian during this book I really felt like her research was extensive and helpful. I loved learning how the different hormones of the body work and why broccoli is the best vegetable and why everyone should eat tomatoes.

My apologies, though, Jillian, I just can't go organic at this stage in my life. This month I shopped with a Jillian inspired grocery list and spent nearly $50 on produce a week ... none of it organic. That price would have doubled shopping in the organic section. So I guess my family and I are going to have to brave the pesticides for the time being.

having said that, it has no reflection on her book at all - because everything she said was true. There are too many hormone injections in our meat and pesticides on our produce. But the way I see it, a strawberry laden with pesticides is still better than cheese-its and juice boxes. :)

Loved the book. Gave it four stars on Goodreads. I'd recommend it to anyone.