I'm so hard on myself (yeah right)

This past weekend I decided I would make a better effort to catch up with some of my school readings (a terribly thick stack of pages in a huge binder, not counting text books). On my desktop computer's keyboard I left a note to myself - which I'd written with a red marker in big letters -  reminding myself that there would be no turning on the computer until I had completed sufficient reading.
It actually worked when I was tempted!
But then, it didn't. Because in one such instance I eventually trudged away from my computer, like a good girl, and picked up my iPad.
We all know what happened next.

24/6 - A Change Might Do Me Good

Do you remember the last time you had an entire day off, no obligations? Or do you waste free time on excessive social media browsing, or movie-watching, or game-playing because you're not sure how to really use it anymore?

I delayed reading 24/6 by Matthew Sleeth, M.D. for a long time partly because I had some concern about whether it was going to push a legalistic Sabbath message at me, and partly because I've been busy with other things I chose to do. But after picking up this book recently, I am pleased to say it has given me a lot to think about, in a gentle sort of way.

Dr. Sleeth doesn't make a big deal out of whether we rest on Saturday, Sunday, Monday or any other day. What he does do is describe how resting is part of the holy nature of God that He wants us to emulate for our own good. This is done in a natural, conversational tone that really helps the reader to put the activities of living into proper perspective against one another.

I realize that I need to be more conscientious about resting - even now, when I'm not in a particularly busy time of life. I'm now very curious to experience what taking 24 hours off weekly might mean to the quality of my life, spiritually and otherwise. The book made me think about living for eternity and not just being preoccupied with temporal things. What if I just enjoyed God and all the good things He has blessed me with in a more focused, intentional way on one day a week?

The writing is excellent and easy to follow, even entertaining. I had the same cosy sense I get when reading James Herriot's wonderful classics of life as a veterinarian in the countryside (a bedtime favorite of mine). It's an immensely different subject matter, but there is the same sense of wonder.

If you've read this book, what did you think about it? If you haven't yet read it, I recommend it - even if you just loan it from a library or a friend before deciding if it deserves a place in your library.


This sort-of-review is at my own initiative. I am working on my very long to-read list, some of which is worth blogging about, I think. I am not reviewing this book at a publisher's request nor under any obligation.