Spoiler alert…
It’s not going so good. Coupled with the resolution to go to bed earlier, I can’t seem to find the time! Are those mutually exclusive?
When do you read? Is it at night instead of watching tv? On lazy weekends? Is it only when you’re on vacation?
My mom manages to read 100 books a year. Not really, but probably close. She doesn’t have young children but she has a very-demanding, full-time job. And I’ve known people my age that manage to read lots of books. Well, I buy lots of books. And stack them up on my bedside table.
I dream of reading more.
I had a conversation recently with one of my best friends about this subject. In that instance, I was talking about my 2017 goal of reading more books (my pile of magazines are another story). I truly do want to read more, but I haven’t figured out the when part.
During the day, I need to do work stuff, church stuff, check things off my to-do list, work out, make phone calls and run errands, and catch up on things I haven’t finished. I reason that I need to be spending that time doing something I can’t do (or can’t do as well) once the school bus arrives. The funny thing is, though, it’s certainly hard to sit and read when the kids are home! {Now, when the kids go ride their bikes or play in the backyard…that would be a good time to prop my feet up. Note to self.}
While the idea of taking time in my day to be still is delightful (especially while the kids are at school and it’s so quiet), it is really hard to stop what I’m doing, and rest. I actually feel guilty doing this. But I am trying to get better…
So, I’ve only read two books but they’ve both been good!
It took me until mid-February to finish my first book. The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines. Joe gave it to me for Christmas.
We’ve been watching Fixer Upper together since the very beginning, and I really do love it. It is one show I can just let run as I do other things during the afternoon, too. They are a fun couple, with a cute family, who are enjoyable to watch. And, obviously, I love the house transformations.
I liked the book a lot. They were both entertaining and serious as they shared their story. One takeaway I had was Joanna’s “thriving, not just surviving” mentality. It was a mental shift she made and is along the same lines as practicing contentment and not getting stuck in comparison or having the if/then mindset.
I enjoyed their story-telling and their focus on faith.
The other book I’ve read is Unstoppable by Christine Caine.
I actually just finished it yesterday and you know when? Before the school bus arrived! I sat down and read the last chapter (and the acknowledgements!) just before 3 o’clock.
I don’t know where to begin with this book. It is just so so good. Joe and I saw Christine Caine speak at the Catalyst Conference in 2014. She is phenomenal. Her own story and her journey, her passion, her faith… I’m kicking myself for just now reading this book which has been sitting on my bookshelf since we saw her three years ago!
From the back of the book:
Each of us has a race to run in life. But this is a different kind of race…
In Unstoppable, bestselling author, global evangelist, and human-trafficking activist Christine Caine enthralls us with true stories and eternal principles that inspire us to run the race of our lives, receiving the baton of faith in sync with our team, the body of Christ.
Your race is now. This is your moment. When you run with God in his divine relay, you can’t lose. You’re running the race you were born to win. It’s time to run a new way. It’s time to realize…you are unstoppable.
There are too many takeaways to share, so let me just type this: her words will change the way you think about ministry. (And, for the record, we are all in ministry!) They will both convict and inspire you. They will fill you with hope and ignite in you a new resolve to do more in the name of Jesus.
This book is a call to action. It will likely be one I keep in the pile on my nightstand. Reading it once might not be enough. I can see myself flipping through it from time to time. I marked it up pretty good:
It’s not a fluffy nighttime read. It is full of goodness, which is why I read it much slower than I would a novel. I wanted to really absorb it all. So glad I finally did.
Now, on to book #3…and I need to pick up the pace if the “17 in 2017” is gonna happen. I have a stack of books waiting to be read but welcome recommendations if you have any!
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