In teaching my new Bible study, I have been getting a lot of questions about books, especially when it comes to how we can do better in our parenting.  My strong feeling is that we do best when we use (Hear and Do) the Word of God.  Period.

For thousands of years parents did not have  books, much less an eReader.  Families learned about God by studying and memorizing His Word and then putting it into practice.  This is STILL the best way.  But…on the other hand, we are blessed with amazing (and terrible) choices these days.  So, I am happy to share about some of the ones on my bookshelf.

Books…I LOVE them!  I am old school though, and still prefer the feel of pages, and underlining with a pencil, and scribbling notes in the columns.  I use sticky notes to create tabs, noting the important points on the edge of the paper.  It looks a little crazy – but it works for me!  I can come back months (or years) later to find the information that is meaningful to me.  My hubby keeps trying to persuade me to move to eBooks…and I will, I will (someday!).

In general, I am not a devotee of fiction.  Funny, because I have an English degree.  I do love reading fiction with my children, during our homeschool time.  But for me, I am interested in the analysis of how things work: how God works, how relationships work, how society works…how our minds and hearts work.

So I tried to group similar books together, but that was hard, because many of the books I love have nothing in common except that I love them.  In the end, I put books together in the way I utilize them.   Then I realized that I would have to break this post up – there are too many good books!  Today I will start with…

Epiphanies and Inspirations

Epiphanies and Inspirations: These books have changed the way I see things, affected my worldview.  The links that are book titles will take you to the Amazon.com page for that book.

The Bible. Of course, no book has had a greater influence on my life than the Bible.  It is so much a part of subconscious that it didn’t even make it into the picture – oops!  Recently I posted here about my favorite translations.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. This is the only secular book in the bunch.  Several years ago, it helped me to see that my thinking was utterly pessimistic and defeated.  It forced me to examine the message I was giving to others.

Listening to the Language of the Bible: Hearing It Through Jesus’ Ears by Lois Tverberg and Bruce Okema and Walking in the Dust of the Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life, by Lois Tverberg.  Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by Marvin Wilson.  These three books have given me wonderful insights into Hebrew language and culture and have shown me that my modern perspective can skew my understanding of the Word.

Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by RC Sproul.  This book has short, powerful, yet very readable explanations for deep theological concepts.  It is amazing that this man can unpack such difficult topics so succinctly.

The Emotionally Destructive Relationship: Seeing It, Stopping It and Surviving It by Leslie Vernick.  Many Christians don’t know what to do with the people in their lives who just won’t play fair.  The author convicts the reader to look for their own part in an interpersonal conflict and repent of it.  And then she goes on to explain the biblical perspective on dealing with predators, manipulators, and bullies.  This book gave me a lot of peace.

I am thankful that my husband indulges me in my reading addiction.  I am thankful that God helps people write such powerful books.  And I am very thankful that my parents read to me early and then taught me to read.

What books are you reading?  What books are you thankful for?

Hugs,

Britta ~ I am justAgirl…just like you!