Confessions of a Book Addict

 

Other women collect shoes.  I collect books.

Today, Kelly is hosting a link up of “Winter Reading Lists.”  So, I decided to join in on the fun and basically confess my sin of book addiction here on the blog.  I have stacks of un-read books all over the house hidden in drawers, closets, and book bags.  So, I am going to pick 3 from my list to read before  the end of Winter (except I live in Florida, so I am not quite sure when that is…)

Book 1

 Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman.  

 I finally surrendered and purchased this in January, but have not managed to crack it open yet.  It’s on my list for Winter.  Maybe I will get to it by Spring…

Book 2

Girls with Swords:  How to Carry Your Cross Like a Hero by Lisa Bevere.

A friend read this early in the year and raved about it on Twitter.  It’s been collecting dust on my nightstand for several months now…

Book 3

God is Able by Priscilla Shirer.

I am thrilled to announce that I have been asked to review Priscilla’s upcoming book, and I will be hosting a giveaway later in the month.  Stay tuned!

Q4U:  What are you reading?  Are you a book addict like me?  

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

I am joining Kelly and like-minded sisters today.

Top 10 Quotes on Having a Mary Heart

I struggle with balance.  I think I may have multiple personalities.  My pendulum swings from completely lazy to frantically busy.  Somewhere in the middle, there must be a happy medium.   That’s why I read Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver.  I was hoping she would show me how to sit at Jesus’ feet but still have a clean house.

Here are my top 10 quotes from this fantastic book on cultivating a joyful life of intimacy and service:

1.  “When we put work before worship, we put the cart before the horse.  The cart is important; so is the horse.  But the horse must come first, or we end up pulling the cart ourselves.  Frustrated and weary, we can nearly break under the pressure of service, for there is always something that needs to be done.  When we first spend time in His presence–when we take time to hear His voice–God provides the horsepower we need to pull the heaviest load.  He saddles up Grace and invites us to take a ride.”  p. 10

2. “The only requirement for a deeper friendship with God is showing up with a heart open and ready to receive.”  p. 11

3.  “He knows the journey is difficult.  He knows life is rarely fair.  Jesus fought the same frigid winds of distraction, discouragement, and doubt that keep us from knowing God’s love.  But like the Father, He longs to gather us in His arms.  He longs to trade the flimsy blankets of our own self-sufficiency for His all-sufficiency.  The Lord Jesus invites us to cast our doubts, our fears, and anxiety upon Him, to discover how much He really does care.  Trust Me, My child, He whispers.  I have your ultimate good in mind.”  p. 29

4.  “So often we give God the gift we think He needs rather than take the time to find out what He desires.” p. 56

5.  “The thing we need to understand is that God did not choose to ‘use’ us.  We are not spiritual Oompa-Loopmas in some cosmic chocolate factory working day and night to churn out a smoother, better-tasting Christianity.  We were not created to fill some egotistical need God has for praise — the angels forever encircle His throne with worship.  We are not some celestial science project; laboratory mice let loose to see how they interact.  No, the Bible makes it clear that God created us because He longs to have fellowship with us.  Our Father longs to pour His very life into us, to give us an inheritance and a share in His divine nature.  What does God desire?  It is actually very simple.  He wants you.  All of you.”  p. 62

6.  “Make no mistake.  Satan enjoys using our hectic schedules, stressed bodies, and emotional upsets in his efforts to put up barriers to our intimacy with God.  That’s why we need to take a close look at any thought, feeling, or activity that diminishes our appetite for intimacy with God.”  p. 69

7.  “Does it sound harsh to say that cooking or cleaning or taking care of your children or doing your job might be sinful?  But think about it.  The very definition of sin is separation from God.  So no matter how important the activity, no matter how good it seems, if I use it as an excuse to hold God at arm’s length, it is sin.”  p. 105

8. “Waiting four days may have made Jesus a late for a healing, but it made Him right on time for a resurrection.  So never put a period where God puts a comma.  Just when you think the sentence is over, the most important part may be yet to come.”  p. 127

9.  “Until we determine whom we will serve, we run the risk of developing a Judas heart instead of a heart of sacrificial love.  For whenever our interests conflict with His interests, we’ll be tempted to sell Christ off as a slave to the highest bidder, rather than spend our all to anoint His feet.”  p. 164

10.  “The secret of balancing worship and work, devotion and service, love of God and love of people is maintaining our connection to Jesus Christ.  Our relationship with Him is the fulcrum, the anchor, the steadying point that makes balance possible in the first place.  And the deeper that relationship goes, the more stable the balance will be.”  p. 190

Q4U:  Do you have multiple personalities like me? How do you find balance between your Mary and your Martha?

If you are book nerd like me, jump on over here to see more posts about great books I have read.

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

 

 

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Photo Credit:  Joanna Weaver Books

Top 10 Quotes on A Woman’s Call to Prayer

I am in a battle.  The enemy is out to destroy.  I wage war on my knees.

I must be vigilant and not let myself grow unguarded in the fight for my marriage.  That’s why I recently revisited a book I’d read many years ago called A Woman’s Call to Prayer:  Making Your Desire to Pray a Reality by Elizabeth George.  In 2012, the book was re-printed using the updated title The Heart of a Woman Who Prays: Drawing Near to the God Who Loves You.  Elizabeth has written tons of books, and her writing encourages me and equips me to live a more effective life for God.  I don’t know about you, but I love books that are practical and teach me how to “be a better me.”

Here are my Top 10 Quotes from the Book:

1.  “…prayer and praying give us a measure of immunity against the world.  For instance, I’ve noticed that when I get up early and make prayer a priority and take time to seek God through His Word and prayer, a fire of passion for Him is ignited, fueled, and fanned until its flame is brilliant and fiery.  My time spent answering God’s call to prayer causes everything to point upward.  My thoughts, my heart, my concerns, my focus, my desires all become more noble when time is taken to lift my heart heavenward through prayer.”  pp. 24-25

2.  “When the going gets rough, we’re not to faint, lose heart, give in, and cave in.  Instead we are to pray, to ask God in supplication, to trust Him and move forward.  It’s true that ‘he stands best who kneels most.’  And, dear heart, we can always pray in helplessness when we can’t do anything else!  That’s what supplication is.  So put this prayer-weapon to good use in your times of trouble.”  p. 58

3.  “You are to pray for others…period.  You are to pray for those you love…and for those who don’t love you.  You are to pray for those you appreciate…and for those who have disappointed you and failed in their love.  You are to pray for those who faithfully serve God…and for those who have stumbled in their walk with Him.  You are to ‘bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ’ (Galatians 6:2).”  p. 73

4.  “…realize that the means to answering God’s call to not worry is entwined with His call to pray.  Therefore, do not fail to pray… Prayer sets you free from fear and worry.”  p. 103

5.  “Give God a daily time tithe.  A spiritual mentor encouraged me to set aside  ten percent of my ‘awake’ hours to the Lord.  Doing the math reveals that such a time tithe adds up to about one-and-a-half hours per day spent in these three activities that help a woman fortify herself for each new day and its challenges:

• Preparing — your heart for what’s ahead by reading and studying God’s Word,
• Praying — about the specific needs in your life and day, and
• Planning — how to best live out your God-given day.

These three daily exercises ensure that something is going in (your heart), something is going up (your prayers), and something is going on (your plan).” p.124

6.  “Wisdom applies God’s Word to everyday life — Sometimes we don’t think that a day is all that important.  Yet in reality, all we have is a day — today!  Today is all we have for doing God’s will…In other words, managing and handling today with all of its demands, quirks, and surprises in a godly and righteous and wise manner will require all of our wisdom.”  p. 144

7.  “I’ve personally discovered that praying about people problems usually results in tapping into God’s great mercy…and then my  heart is changed and I approach the matter in an entirely new way.  Surprisingly, I begin to feel empathy and compassion for those I’m praying about.”  p. 153

8.  “You will need to pray now for God’s help to say no… to yourself, to your flesh, to spontaneous invitations, to your excuses.  Pray to God to help you make it through just this one day of walking in His plan — not yours!”  p. 169

9.  “…you are to be praying all the time, to make your every breath a prayer.  As my former pastor loved to say prayer is ‘spiritual breathing.'”  p. 266

10.  “Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth.  And you, dear one, will resemble a diamond when you gather up the conditions and concerns of your life and ‘take it to the Lord in prayer.’  You will become, in a good sense, hard, tough, solid, powerful, confident, full-of-faith.” p. 272

Q4U:  What’s the best book you have read on the subject of prayer?  Do you have any advice for a sister who is trying to create a more consistent prayer life?

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I am passionate about the subject of marriage and write about it frequently. Check out all my marriage posts here.

My one-word focus for the year is “fruitilicious.” Find out what that means here.

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Photo Credit:  Curtis Copeland, Copeland Photography

Top 10 Quotes on The Disciplines of a Godly Woman

Discipline is a daily goal in marriage.  If you let your guard down, the enemy (who happens to really hate marriage) slips in and causes all sorts of havoc.  That’s why when I ran across a book called Disciplines of a Godly Woman I picked it up and took it home with me.  It was not easy reading — you see, I am at heart a selfish person.  I would much rather sit on the couch and eat oreos than read a book about being disciplined.  But, I love my husband, and I want our marriage to work.  So, I read the book from cover to cover.

This book was written by Barbara Hughes, who has over 40 years of experience as a wife, mother, and women’s ministry leader.  She doesn’t mince words — she honestly explains that being a godly woman will require me to say “no” to myself and “yes” to God and my husband.

Here are my top 10 quotes from the book:

1.  “All the disciplines of a godly woman are about submitting your will to God’s loving rule in daily life.  Reject the popular voices that entice you to put your needs first, to protect your self-interest and rights, to push at God-given boundaries.” p. 40

2.  On Prayer:  “We must always be looking up, even when driving to work or cleaning the house.” p. 48

3.  “Every woman who calls herself a Christian must understand that worship is the ultimate priority on her life.  Worship is what God wants from you and from me — every day.  Jesus made this clear when He chided busy, frenetic Martha when she was so critical of her sister’s sitting at Jesus’ feet…Mary chose the better part, and so can we.  pp. 62-63

4.  “The godly woman’s discipline of the mind is achieved through serious and continual exposure to God’s Word…This is all-important:  You can never have a Christian mind without regular reading of the Scriptures and serious Bible study.  Why is this?  Because you cannot be profoundly influenced by what you don’t know.  If you are filled with God’s Word, your life can then be informed and directed by God — your relationships at home, your parenting, your career, your ethical decisions, your internal moral life.” pp. 71-72

5.  “The rare jewel of contentment will be yours when all that God is and all that He has done in Christ Jesus fills your heart.  We may lack many things in this world, but as godly women we must work to develop the discipline of contentment.” p. 87

6.  “…in Christ, our life is not about what we get, but what we give.  Life is about living in submission to His will regardless of what it may cost us.  God’s will for women since the beginning is to nurture… To live out life as a nurturer in this self-centered, godless culture will cost you.  But the rewards…are rich indeed.”  p. 167

7. “Women were created for relationship!  But it’s important for us to see that it’s our sovereign God who is ordering all of life, including our many relationships.  Our friendships and even our casual encounters are not just social accidents.  God put us in our particular families, neighborhoods, and workplaces for a reason:  He has put us next to people He wants us to influence for Christ.”  p. 195

8.  On Giving:  “…we are cultivating some level of wealth, often without realizing the pitfalls:  a growing delusion that this world is everything, that someday we’ll be content, that we ought to give our family everything ‘more and better,’ that our relationships will be enhanced by money and things, that wealth will make us better people.  Do riches have a hidden grip on your heart?  Materialism has taken its subtle toll on many unwitting Christian women.”  p. 199-200

9.  “The disciplined godly woman rids herself of associations, habits, and attitudes that impede godliness.  Then she invests her energy in the pursuit of godliness.”  p. 211

10.  “The Gospel woman’s greatest wisdom and impetus comes from her understanding of grace.  Everything in this life comes from God’s grace — grace alone! …Sisters, as we attempt to do God’s will, He always gives more grace.”  pp. 214-215

Q4U:  What is the best advice you have received on the subject or marriage or relationships?

I am passionate about the subject of marriage and write about it frequently.  Check out all my marriage posts here.

My one-word focus for the year is “fruitilicious.” Find out what that means here.

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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Photo Credit: Roger Kirby

Top 10 Quotes on a Sacred Marriage

Almost four years ago, I bought an outrageously expensive white dress and walked down an aisle to exchange vows with my best friend.  One of the songs played during our wedding was “Center” by Charlie Hall.  Our prayer still remains that Christ will be the center of our marriage.  This is a commitment that requires a daily investment — it’s an intentional choice to put your spouse and others first.  I am so thankful that I made that choice four years ago.

One way that I work to stay invested in improving my marriage is by reading Christian non-fiction books on the subject.  A favorite read for me was Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas.  Today, I am going to share “the goodness” with you.  This book is so rich… it is a “must” read.

Here are my top 10 quotes from the book:

1.  “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”  p. 13

2.  “Strong Christian marriages will be struck by lightning — sexual temptation, communication problems, frustrations, unrealized expectations–but if the marriages are heavily watered with an unwavering commitment to please God above everything else, the conditions won’t be ripe for a devastating fire to follow the lightning strike.” p. 36

3.  “Allow your marriage relationship to stretch your love and to enlarge your capacity for love–to teach you to be a Christian.  Use marriage as a practice court, where you learn to accept another person and serve him or her.” p.42

4.  “While many people fight to receive respect, Christian marriage calls for us to focus our efforts on giving respect.  We are called to honor someone even when we know only too well their deepest character flaws.  We are called to stretch ourselves, to find out how we can learn to respect this person with whom we’ve become so familiar.” p. 55

5.  “Marriage can force us to become stronger people, because if we want to maintain a strong prayer life as married partners, we must learn to forgive.  We must become expert reconcilers.”  p. 81

6.  “A mature Christian finds his or her fulfillment in living faithfully before God–that is, in being a mature person, not in being around a particular person.  Much of our marital dissatisfaction stems in actuality from self-hatred.  We don’t like what we’ve done or become; we’ve let selfish and sinful attitudes poison our thoughts and lead us into shameful behaviors, and suddenly all we want is out.  The mature response, however, is not to leave; it’s to change–ourselves.  Whenever marital dissatisfaction rears its head in my marriage–as it does in virtually every marriage–I simply check my focus.   The times I am happiest and most fulfilled in my marriage are the times when I am intent on drawing meaning and fulfillment from becoming a better husband rather than from demanding a ‘better’ wife.” p. 101

7.  “… the ‘collisions’ of marriage can create relationships of beauty.  Beauty is often birthed in struggle.” p. 128

8.  “To fully sanctify the marital relationship, we must live it together as Jesus lived His life–embracing the discipline of sacrifice and service as a daily practice.  In the same way that Jesus gave His body for us, we are to lay down our energy,, our bodies, and our lives for others.” p. 187

9.  “Marital dissatisfaction, on whatever level, is best met with the prayer, ‘That’s why I need You, O God.’ We are reminded of the transcendent ache in our soul that even this one very special person can’t relieve entirely on his or her own.” p. 237

10.  “A spiritually alive marriage will remain a marriage of two individuals in pursuit of a common vision outside of themselves.” p. 255

Q4U:  What’s the best book you have read on the subject or marriage or relationships?

My one-word focus for the year is “fruitilicious.”  Find out what that means here.

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.