Secret Fears

Okay, its confession time. I like to think of myself as a brave and adventurous woman, but I harbor a secret fear. I am afraid to check out a book from the library if I am not familiar with the author or if it has not been recommended by a friend. I am scared I will wind up with a loser book, and due to my "finish what you begin" upbringing I will dutifully read the whole torturous tome. But I believe that God wants me to overcome my fears; so, to that end, I have decided to choose at least one "unrecommended book by an unknown author" each time I go to the library this summer. Yeah. You said it. Jenn is LIVING ON THE EDGE, BABY!!! Up until last week, I hadn't checked out any total loser books, but I hadn't found anything great either. Then I checked out Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley, and found myself asking, "Why hasn't anyone told me about this book?!?" It was pure delight in a dust cover.
The author is a Quaker minister, and he writes about a fictional Quaker minister in a small town in the Midwest. The book is completely wholesome and clean without being tedious or "churchy." And in chapter 8 I laughed so hard that my family thought I was going to hyperventilate. If anyone has ever served on a church committee in any capacity, you will fully appreciate chapter 8, where Gulley writes about the Elder Committee at the church in Harmony:

• "If we accidentally appoint a saint to the elder's committee, by midyear we have broken them of all Christlike tendencies."

Can you relate??? As an added bonus, there was actually a mention of my nephew's Indiana college, Earlham, in the story. The best part? This is the first of a series. The worst part? Tomorrow, when I go to the library, I can no longer classify Philip Gulley as an "unknown" author, so I will have to be brave once again!

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