Saturday, October 22, 2011

Book List

Not that I have a lot of free time these days, but I have been spending a little bit more time reading. It's hard for me to just sit and read a mass amount of a book, because I usually have so many "chores" or household things to take care of, or school lessons for prepare, or laundry to fold that I have a hard time just sitting and not doing something else. But I currently have 3 books that I read on different occasions, so I thought I would tell you my thoughts on them thus far, and hopefully someday, I will finish them!!
Don't mind the "click to look inside" on these books; that's how they saved from Amazon. But if you go to Amazon.com you can find these books for great prices! The first book I will reference is Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. This is the book I have read the least of so far, so I don't have much to write about. It does seem like a great book on parenting, and I wanted to read it because I had several people recommend it and Moody Church was actually doing a parenting bible study on this book. So I had wanted to read it for awhile!! Every once in awhile I feel like I just need a new, fresh perspective on parenting, and I'm excited to get more into this book!
I ordered this book at our church's mini-women's retreat. I read this book as my little devotional, so I just read a few pages at a time. I had read Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and it was excellent, so I already knew that format and what the book would be like. There is also a 30 day devotional at the end of the book, which I like for some added guidance through the book and time to meditate on the concepts and work them into your own life. I only have a couple chapters left in this book, and it is very encouraging. There are encouraging stories about people who have displayed gratitude despite some major life hurdles, and it is humbling and helps you get some perspective on your own life. We are commanded to "do everything without grumbling or complaining" and "in everything to give thanks." It's not just for the super self-disciplined, it is a command to every believer!!
This last book has saved me lately!! It is called Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman and it is not just for those who have a large family!! Lately, because I had been so sick all summer, have had a lot to catch up on, and was totally out of sync with my normal, household chores, I was getting really overwhelmed with everything I needed to do. And everything seemed like it was caving in around me. To the average eye, it might not have looked that bad. But I knew the deep cleaning that needed to get done, and just the surface cleaning and regular, daily chores were enough that I was getting bogged down. In my last post, I said that I had talked to my mother-in-law and she helped me with some practical advice. She also lent me this book, and it has been my household guide lately!! I had such a better week this past week just by incorporating some of the principles from this book!! This morning I woke up relaxed and happy because the laundry was all done and folded, the sink was clean and the dishes were done, and I actually took a bath last night and got to relax!! All I needed were a few ways to organize and prioritize what needed to be done, and I felt like I could accomplish so much more!!
This book is amazing as it highlights the role of the homemaker as well as practical steps to get everything done in an organized fashion! And I mean everything!!!! And for me it was practical in that it referenced homeschooling and ways to get things done while homeschooling!! What I love about this book is that each chapter is only a few pages. So if you are struggling with one particular area, you can flip to that specific chapter, get some ideas, and get working on it!! You don't have to read the book cover to cover to understand what she is talking about!! So it's totally practical for the busy, overwhelmed, stay-at-home mom!
So anyways, that's what's on my stack of books to read write now and like I said hopefully one day, I will finish a book!! If you have read any of these books, please feel free to leave a comment of what you thought!!

1 comment:

  1. Love your book list here! I need to re-read the first book. The other two need to go on my reading list. Thanks for sharing! -Julia

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