Friday, June 06, 2008

GREAT BOOK


I've just finished reading a great book, "The Yada Yada Prayer Group," by Neta Jackson.

It was so good I had to go to a used bookstore the following day and try and find Book 2 in the seven-part series (so far). I did! What's the best thing about reading a good book and finding a new series of books or a new author to read? Finding it cheap!
"Yada Yada" tells the story of a diverse group of women who meet at a Christian women's conference. They are different races and socio-economic groups. They have different jobs, ages, and family make-ups. And, they have different styles of worship. But a sudden near-tragedy unites them and the prayer group extends long past the conclusion of the conference.

I AM Jodi Baxter, one of the women. I don't have kids or a husband. I don't live in the Chicago area. I'm not a teacher. But I see so much of her in me. That's including her not-so-good characteristics. I pray that I also start changing the way I see her starting to change in this book, hopefully without some of the things she goes through.

For years I've used the phrase "yada, yada" almost as an etc.-type comment. Think of mindless, fill-in-the-blank type chatter; a term I probably picked up from the "Seinfeld" show, although I never watched it much.

But that's far from the truth.

I'll let "Ruth" from the book tell what she found out about the word "yada" in the book:

"So who's the brilliant person who came up with the name Yada Yada? I knew it meant something. I looked it up in my Hebrew dictionary. 'Yada: to perceive, understand, acquire knowledge, know, discern.' And a whole lot more. Here's one I like: 'To be known, make oneself known, to be familiar.' And another: 'To distinguish (yada) between right and wrong.'"

"If we add an 'h' it gets even bettter. 'Yadah: to speak out, to confess; to praise; to sing; to give thanks.' Later it says Yadah 'essentially means to acknowledge ... the nature and work of God.'

"How about those jewels, Yada Yada sisters?"


Yeah, how about that?
Bobby Williams who used to attend my church writes about Jeff Calloway, who was pastor at our church at the time. It's something I think is worth sharing so I thought I'd link to it here.

Jeff's a wonderful preacher and I miss him and his family. I was his daughter Sarah's Sunday School teacher and now she's a beautiful young lady in college. It's amazing to me that so much time has passed. Not that I'm getting old or anything.

At this time my church is undergoing a "transition" and I'd appreciate prayers for our church and its members and that we would do what God wants. After all, it's all about God and Jesus, right?