Reading List Update

Well, I thought I'd give you all an update on how I'm doing on my reading list for 2014. I cannot believe we are already into the month of March for 2014! This year is flying by!

January's book, A Mind for God by Dr. James Emery White, was really a great one to start the year off with. Encouraging readers to develop a mind for God, he challenges us as Christians to break free from secular cultural influences that threaten to take us from the spiritual disciplines of reading, study, and reflection. Dr. White includes an appendix of books and resources to help "grow your brain". Needless to say, I discovered many other titles that I want to read at some point. I bought the Kindle version, but it is also available in paperback if you prefer. I go back and forth with the versions I buy. I love my Kindle, but also love the feel of an actual book in my hands.

I have to say here that our Women's Ministry at my church started the year off with a book study of Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer, so I've been reading it each month as well. We are dividing up the chapters and doing the work in the study guide each month. We are taking our time so I'm not sure how long it will take to finish. It is a great book! One of the main points that I've learned through the book so far is that I need to think about what I'm thinking about.

Just last month my Pastor assigned those of us on the leadership team and all the pastoral staff to read Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God's Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People by Pastor Jim Cymbala. My husband who is our Children's Pastor and I are reading this one together. It is powerful! In this book, Pastor Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle shares all that has happened in his church since the people there got serious about prayer and the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. Their journey has God's fingerprints all over it! It has created a fire in my heart and my husband's also for a more focused prayer life.

So I'm deep into those two books currently, which means I have yet to get into what I had planned on reading in February, Gideon: Your weakness. God's strength. by Priscilla Shirer, and A Woman's High Calling: 10 Ways to Live Out God's Plan for Your Life by Elizabeth George, which I was supposed to read this month. I was so excited about reading them, but I don't want to be reading too many books at one time because I don't think I'll be able to get the most personal growth out of my reading that way. Since our Women's Ministry book study will probably be going on for several more months, I'll just read it alongside the books I have on my reading list. I'm almost finished with Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. I'm not sure if I want to pick up Gideon or A Woman's High Calling for the rest of this month. Ahh, decisions, decisions...lol!

How's your reading going so far this year? Have you found yourself adding to your ever-growing reading list like me? I'd like to hear how it's going with you, so feel free to leave me a comment!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie