books!

"Until then I had thought each book spoke of the things, human or divine, that lie outside books. Now I realized that not infrequently books speak of books: it is as if they spoke among themselves. In the light of this reflection, the library seemed all the more disturbing to me. It was then the place of a long, centuries-old murmuring, an imperceptible dialogue between one parchment and another, a living thing, a receptacle of powers not to be ruled by the human mind, a treasure of secrets emanated by many minds, surviving the death of those who had produced them or had been their conveyors."

books I've been reading recently

"One day a young man hit pay dirt on Bull Hill and was offered a good price for his claim. He wrote Stratton for advice. Should he sell his claim or hang on to it as Stratton had done, hoping for millions in the end? Stratton replied:

"If you get a chance to sell your property for $100,000 do it. I one gave an option on the Independence and a thousand times I have wished that the holder had taken it up. Too much money is not good for any man. I have too much and it is not good for me. A hundred thousand dollars is as much money as the man of ordinary intelligence can take care of. Larger wealth has been the ruin of many a young man."

Winfield Scott Stratton, around the beginning of the 1900s
from The King of Cripple Creek: The Life and Times of Winfield Scott Stratton, First Millionaire from the Cripple Creek Gold Strike

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This is a prayer for the dedication of tithes and offerings that has been germinating in my heart for a while. I write it here to clarify those thoughts and give them order.

Our Father and our God,

You are master of all creation, King over all, the cattle on a thousand hills are Yours. You do not need our money to "fund" Your kingdom. But You have commanded your people to give. And so we give, out of obedience and love for You, our King.

You are the One True God, jealous for Your name and for the worship of Your people. You have commanded us to have no other gods before You. And so we give, to remind ourselves that our heart's allegiance is to You, not to our money or the status, possessions, or pleasure money can temporarily buy. Wrest the chains of mammon from our hearts, that we may love You first and above all.

You are the Faithful God. You provide for Your children. Teach us to trust You for our provision, trust You to keep and care for us, trust You, not our bank accounts, savings, or plans. You provide faithfully - help us to be faithful in our giving. Help us to be wise with our money so that we may give and still live quietly, not indebted to anyone.

Father, keep us from the error of giving You only our money and not our hearts as well. Grant us changed hearts that give obediently and with joy. We give these monies prayerfully, asking and looking for You to use them in mighty ways. Please use even these tithes and offerings in ways beyond our imagination to grow Your kingdom, Lord. In all things, Lord, may You be glorified. Amen.