Thanks for reading the Sunday Night Check-In. Christmas is in full swing. Maybe it has been for a while, but now it’s ramping up toward the big day. If the traffic at the mall is any indication, the people in our area are fully engaged in the consumer part of the holiday. At our church this morning we had a Children’s Christmas Program. It was wonderful as always. If a child can’t remember the right words to say, they sure can make you smile anyway. But as far as I could tell, it went perfectly. It’s a day of celebration, focused on children, reminders of the advent of Christ, extra guests, and the culmination of a lot of hard work. Next Sunday it’s just preacher John doing the usual, but it will be on Christmas Eve.
This week’s poll will gauge your engagement with the buying of presents:
Back in the beginning of the year, Joel J. Miller suggested that he was going to read 12 classics this year (2023). I started to think that this was an interesting goal. I have neglected the classics of fiction, so I decided to join him in that goal. I had already had my interest piqued because Adsum Try Ravenhill made theological observations from Stoker's Dracula. He also wrote of Robert Louis Stevenson and Pride & Prejudice as well as Tolkien - also stirring my interest in classic fiction.
In addition to reading the classics, I also set a goal to read 75 books this year. I did reach that goal last year, but as my Goodreads account shows, I'm only at 57. So, although I'm not ashamed of that, I definitely will not meet that goal. But what classics did I read this year? I know you can't wait to find out.
According to Goodreads, I read 12,132 pages and 57 books. The longest book I read was the Holy Bible, no big surprise there. To be technical, that's 66 books. And isn’t the Bible a classic? Anyway, what about classic fiction?
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
That's Seven. I did read some non-fiction that probably fits the 'classic' designation, like C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. But I don't want to fudge on the goals.
So, while I did not meet my reading goals, I feel good about the amount and variety of reading. I’ve still got a few days and who knows, I may get another one read. But I don’t feel any pressure about it. I really enjoyed each one of those books. There were two that I had to push through. Dickens’ Edwin Drood is an unfinished mystery, his last book. I knew this going in - but I think he would have edited it more before finishing if he had been able. It grew tedious. And the beloved Pilgrim’s Progress - so heavy on allegory that it was hard to keep up with. About halfway through I was ready to set it down, but I persevered. One thing I learned is that I intend to keep reading classic fiction along with the mostly nonfiction books I read. First up is C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Brandon Edwards is leading a study of that book on Facebook and I look forward to joining him for that.
I did get out to Black Bayou for a few hours on Thursday of this past week. I’m seeing more and more egrets, which makes me happy. The weather has been perfect. I hope to visit again this week, but the varied Christmas activities may not allow it. We will see!
One morning after filling the bird feeders, I stayed on the patio for a while. I enjoyed the little friends who came to visit. Here are a few…
One night this week we will likely drive around looking at the Christmas lights in neighborhoods around. It is enjoyable to see all the efforts people have put into decorating their homes. My efforts are minimal, but I have neighbors who do a great job. So while drivers are looking at theirs, they will pass right by mine. I am OK with that! Do you enjoy looking at the lights in your area?
It won’t be long until January 1st brings us the beginning of a new picture, passage, prayer project called The Holy Lens. We have a good strong start with 51 subscribers! How great is that - before it ever gets off the ground! I’ve been working on that and look forward to sharing those posts each day. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do so here:
Thanks for spending a few minutes with me on this check-in. I hope you are finding ways to enjoy this Christmas season. I’d love to hear what’s going on in your world in the comments.
I’ll leave you with a favorite Christmas song of mine. Louisiana native Harry Connick, Jr. singing When My Heart Finds Christmas.
Work hard, rest well, and stay connected. The world needs you.
I love looking at lights. I actually just finished putting mine up today, late by secular standards, but they'll stay up till Epiphany, so, three weeks. I admire your reading goals and the progress you've made this year. I find it hard to read new books though I'm happy to reread old favorites, mostly anything by Terry Pratchett, Georgette Heyer, G.K. Chesterton, and a few others.
I admire your reading goal to read the classics. I had a good reading year for me as I read the biographies of John Adams, Jane Franklin (Ben Franklin’s sister), Andrew Mellon, Bunny Mellon, Johnny Cash, Leonardo DiVinci, Tchaikovsky, Verdi. We Are the Women of Afghanistan. Along with all that I also enjoy listening to Jan Karon’s Mitford series on recorded books. I love to hear a good performance of a book. Christmas will be here before we know it and then welcoming 2024 and a new year of books to discover.