Books for the New Year

Here's my current reading list and a brief commentary on each....hopefully I will add to it through the new year....



1. the Harmony series by Philip Gulley - this is an enjoyable little series about a Quaker pastor and his life in Harmony, Indiana, which turns out to be anything but harmonious. Being a Hoosier myself, I felt an instant connect with the book and loved all the characters and their stories. Kind of like a Jan Karon novel set in Indiana.



2. Wasting Time with God by Klaus Issler - I was first introduced to Klaus Issler last year in my worldview class. Issler co-wrote The Lost Virtues of Happiness with J. P. Moreland. Wasting Time with God is a more in-depth study of spiritual disciplines we can engage in as we pursue a relationship with God. I hope it will help me in my pursuit of God this year.



3. The Bible - a couple of years ago I read through the entire Bible for the first time ever, and I remember it being a very positive, encouraging, spiritual year for me. Not that anything earth shattering came from the exercise, but I do remember being ever so slightly more spiritually aware of things. I hope to read through the Bible again this year, and I am hoping to be ever so slightly more spiritually aware of things again.



4. Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs - I have a friend who is passionate about making her marriage great. She has taught me tons about how to respect my husband. Unfortunately, I still have a lot to learn. She recommended this author, and I found his book to be a helpful tool. I am trying to practice the suggestions he has for showing respect to your husband. He has a couple of interesting tips in getting started -- one is that both parties must be confident of their spouses "goodwill" toward them. In other words, even when your spouse might say something hurtful or disrespectful, you come at it with the assumption that they are not against you, that they have goodwill toward you. Another concept I thought was great is that wives are commanded to give their husbands unconditional respect. Even if they don't feel like it, don't like what's happening, don't agree with it......certainly gives me room for thought, and growth.



till next time.....