Booking It: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

I’ve gotta say that I’ve really enjoyed having the monthly suggested book list from the Booking It challenge. I’ve read books I might not otherwise have picked up.

This month we read Donald Miller’s book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story. If anyone read Blue Like Jazz {I didn’t}, this book was written by the same guy.

I liked this book. I felt like it was good.

Not great. Not stellar. Not “you have to read this or you will be missing out on the book of the century!”

But still really, really good. It caused me to pause. And think. And ponder. And even to evaluate. Those are good things.

For probably the first quarter or so of the book I was not enthused at all. It was okay. But…I just wasn’t really getting it.

And maybe that was the point.

Around about that point in the book, when I’m really going “ooookkkkkkaayyyy, what is the point?” Don has an epiphany. He starts learning about “story.” And how our lives are a story. He decided to start living the story of his life instead of letting life just flow by. And that’s when the book starting making a point too.

And he made some really, really great points.

So instead of writing more of what I thought of the book, I think I’ll share with you some of the points that I loved. Snippets that spoke to me. Some have more to do with where I am in life than they do with the overall gist of the book, but maybe they’ll speak to you too.

The point of life is the same as the point of a story, the point of life is character transformation.

In Christian-ese we’d call that “sanctification.” The story of our lives is that God is always in the process of transforming us, developing us, sanctifying us.

…our bodies were designed to change, and it isn’t possible to be stagnant.

We resist change don’t we? Aging. Moving. Changing. It’s hard. But change is part of being human. It’s impossible to be stagnant, so why not make the best of it?

…great stories go to those who don’t give in to fear.

Fear – it holds us back, doesn’t it? God does great things through those who follow Him and don’t give in to fear.

If a story doesn’t have negative turns, it’s not an interesting story.

How often do I think life would be just peachy if nothing bad happened? If things were just perfect? Lol. Not that life is that way. But my life would be a pretty boring story!

…And the commerical [for a hypothetical Volvo] convinces us we will only be content if we have a car with forty-seven airbags. And so we begin our story of buying a Volvo, only to repeat the story with a new weed eater and then a new home stereo. And this can go on for a lifetime. When the credits roll, we wonder what we did with our lives, and what was the meaning. {emphasis added}

Ouch. What am I living for? Is my life story going from one want to another? Living to buy that thing. Or afford that project. Or go on that vacation. Do the things I’m pursuing have lasting value.

…I realized how much of our lives are spent trying to avoid conflict. Half the commercials on television are selling us something that will make life easier. Part of me wonders if our stories aren’t being stolen by the easy life. {emphasis added}

…I remembered about story, about how every conflict, no matter how hard, comes back to bless the protagonist if he will face his fate with courage.

Conflict grows us and stretches us. It makes us stronger. All too often I find myself doing everything I can to avoid conflict or avoid things that are difficult. May God give me the courage and grace to face what He puts before me, and come out better on the other side!

There were so many other great things I could have pulled out, but I’ll leave you with those.

The book follows Don’s journey as he learns about story and his life as a story. He also talks about other people’s stories that have touched him or impacted him.

Though I believe Don is a Christian and he talks about God and Jesus and how the fulfillment of our stories will be heaven, I don’t always agree with his theology. So, as I hope you already do, filter everything through Scripture.

***

Here’s what else I’ve been reading!

Honestly, February was a rough month for me in the reading department. I started several books and had to put them down. Hate that. But here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do by Peg Tyre
I can’t believe I failed to mention this one last month because I actually read it back in January! This was such a good read! I know it sounds down on boys, but it’s NOT! It is a good, hard, honest look at where our current educational systems are absolutely failing our boys. As a home schooling parent it was good for me to see what’s happening around me and to get a better picture of how I can be helping my sons. If you have a son, especially if he is in school – read this book!
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
A classic! I have seen the movie many, many times {but it’s been awhile!}. But the book was excellent. And, of course, sad. A great read though.

Classical Ballet Technique by Gretchen Ward Warren
Such a helpful book while I’m learning the basics of ballet. When my teachers would present a step in class, I would come home and look it up and learn exactly how it was supposed to be executed. I would love to add this to my bookshelf.

Dancing Longer, Dancing Stronger: A Dancer’s Guide to Improving Technique and Preventing Injury by Andrea Watkins
Lots of stretches and exercises to strengthen your body for dancing and prevent injury.

Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
I read Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea ages ago, and of course have the movies practically memorized! But it was so fun to re-read these as an adult! I’m hoping to read through the entire series – which will be new as I don’t think I’ve ever read past Anne of Avonlea.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows
This was a fun book composed entirely of letters! It was a sweet story, and I learned a lot as I never realized that the Channel Islands were occupied by the Germans in WWII. The books is set shortly post-war, and they write a lot about what the occupation was like on their island.

For school, the boys and I read:

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Stuart Little by EB White

Books that didn’t make the cut {meaning, I had to stop reading}:

{Soooooo frustarting!}

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese – I didn’t get very far into the book, so I can’t even tell you what it’s about really. It just seemed the the author felt the weird necessity to include “anatomy” unnecessarily in the story. If you catch my drift. My question is – why? Why? I just don’t see the need, and I wouldn’t have minded finishing out the story. Oh well…

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper – I mentioned before that I can’t tolerate cursing in books. One or two words – maybe. I got to page 2 on my Kindle and couldn’t take it anymore. It seemed to me that if the language was that strong so quickly into the book that it wasn’t going to let up. Hate that.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery – I couldn’t really get into this one at all. And then when the main character threw out there {something along the lines} that grand cathedrals were built for the glory of someone that doesn’t even exist – that was it for me.

So – I’m looking for some book suggestions!! Turns out my list of books I’ve gathered isn’t that great. Ha! Mostly I just want to read books that are clean. Leave me your recommendations in the comments? Pretty please?

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