So, I had a friend ask me if I remembered what book she was reading when she went to the beach.  I did not go to the beach with her.  How in the world should I know?!  In her defense, we speak of what we are reading to each other all of the time, but her beach trip was a long time ago… months at least.  We quote books to each other or call each other by names of characters that we either want to be or we want to meet.  She was trying to calculate how many books she had read this year…. I think her total was 15!  FIFTEEN BOOKS!  It is only October.  The middle of October at that.  But her conversation got me thinking…. I have read a lot of books this year too.  I have read a lot of personal Christian growth books and a lot of Christian fiction books.  And even the occasional, non Christian fiction…. please don’t condemn me to Hell yet…. But why do I do that?  What’s the big deal with reading… shouldn’t reading the Bible be enough.  Why the extra, what’s the point?

The Lord had shown me many years ago through a great Christian friend and through a book called Spiritual Leadership by Henry Blackaby, that spiritual leaders read.  Why do spiritual leaders read?  And who are spiritual leaders…. pastors?teachers?  Or does scripture say more than that?  Titus 2 says older women lead younger women and the same for men.  So all older women and men are spiritual leaders?  Or does that mean older men and women in the faith?  If that is the case, would I not be a spiritual leader to my 2 year old daughter?  Or the new believer that just joined the family of faith?  I think it is safe to say YES!  I am!  But if I am, so are you!

So my journey has led me to a lot of different books that I received powerful messages from God.  Insert clause here: If you are not reading and studying God’s Word as a daily practice, then you do not need any of these books.  The Word of God must take ultimate authority over your life and your time.  If it doesn’t, focus on that first.  Okay, off of soap box.  Now, if you are spending time in God’s Word and you just can’t get enough and you want more and more and more…. THEN READ!  Over the next few weeks (well, until the Lord tells me to do something different), I am going to be highlighting different books that I have read lately OR over my Christian journey that have impacted my life for the Kingdom.

I will be sharing my thoughts and the messages that the Lord printed on my heart through the works of my brothers and sisters in the Kingdom.  So stay tuned for the multitudes of books about to invade your blog world!!  It’s going to be a fun ride!