Airplane Reading

Today I flew from San Diego to Biloxi via Atlanta. I decided to use the time to catch up on some reading. For the San Diego leg I read several chapters of the book Head First Java. I generally find technical reading to be a necessary evil. I need to do it to keep my skills current so I can earn a living - but, it is the literally equivalent of eating saw dust. Dry and not very tastey. Fortunately, this particular book was actually more entertaining than most.

To reward myself for persevering through four hours of technical reading - I spent the second leg reading The Illumined Heart by Frederica Mathewes-Green. My flight out of Atlanta was delayed for several hours-- so I was able to finish the book in one sitting!

Here is a great quote from the book:

In communities, at work, but particularly in familes, people are put together in something like a three-legged race. God means us to cross the finish line together, and all the other people tied together with us play some part in our progress.

Bundled together in familes, a giant seven- or nine- or fifteen-legged pack, we seem to make very poor progress indeed, and fall to the ground in a bickering heap with some regularity. But God has put us together - has appointed each other person in your bundle specifically for you, and you for them. And so, "little children, let us love one another" with might and main, and keep hopping together toward the finish line.


I highly recommend another book by the same author - At the Corner of East and Now: A Modern Life in Ancient Christian Orthodoxy

I spent the early evening after my arrival on the internet checking out storm warnings. Looks like while I was in the air the Biloxi area opened storm shelters and was on alert for Tropical Storm #10. There was a newsman all day reporting from the beach across from where I am staying tonight with weather updates. There was some light rain today and there may be some heavy rain and thunderstorms tonight -- but looks like the storm has headed inland and is weakening!