Do you happen to have stack of unread books, staring at you, mocking you? Couple this stack with a bunch of friends on Goodreads and‘¦well for me, it just multiplies the feeling I get when I see piles of laundry to fold, dishes to wash and papers to be filed at my house. Sometimes all of this unfinished business starts. to. make. me. crazy!
Don’t get me wrong I love books! Books are friends! So today, we’ve begun to make friends with that snarky stack of books again. We’ve carved out a little time. We’ve curled up on the couch, and we’ve looked for the words that matter to us. The words here have connected with our hearts, and so we share just a few of them now, with you:
Britta
“Childhood scenes rushed back at me out of the night, strangely close and urgent. Today I know that such memories are the key, not to the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.” The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom
I always try to remember this idea when in the midst of difficulty: in God’s economy nothing is ever wasted. My Momma says, “Don’t waste the pain.”
Jodi
“Sin is complicated. We are never a passive observer, dispensing wisdom and justice. We are part of the mess.” A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World, by Paul Miller
I was so convicted by this idea last week. As a mom with two boys, they push my buttons at certain times, and while I’d like to think I can maintain a level head and fairly deal with the problem at hand, the truth is, I am impatient, selfish and want MY way done, much like they want theirs. Even though I am the parent, my way is not best, but God’s way always is, and I need to pray that I would be convicted of my own sin as I deal with my children’s sin and love them the way God loves us. As it was Valentine’s Day last week, I was reminded of the verses from 1 Corinthians 13:4-6. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”
Cati
“Our ability to appreciate beauty is a distinctive mark of God’s image within us, much like our ability to use language. God made us to enjoy and benefit from beauty, whether in the things He created or in the things we create. In contrast to the common and crass things of this world, which have a negative effect on our spirits, we are naturally drawn to and find pleasure in expressions of beauty majestic mountains, burning sunsets, starry heavens, captivating paintings, inspiring music, moving poetry. Beauty brings us closer to the Creator, whose very nature and presence is the ultimate expression of goodness and beauty.” Seasons of a Mothers Heart, by Sally Clarkson
Carrisa
My Kindle app currently has two books I’ve been reading over the last year: A Hunger for the Holy, by Calvin Miller, and Beholding Jesus: Letters to My Children, by John Gillespie.
“Christ’s life illustrates plainly that the crown of victory is forged from the gold of obedience.” A Hunger for the Holy, by Calvin Miller
Please do tell, what are YOU reading lately? Post in the comments the passage that you love with the author and its title. It would be so fun to hear from you too!
Britta-Who wrote “Face to Face” ?
Kenneth Boa 🙂