some of my favs.

there are so many incredible resources to help you in your relationship with God.
i can't keep track of all the book or article recommendations.
but here are a few things that i really enjoy:

1. my bible. i choose to read the english standard version [ESV] which is great and my ESV study bible helps deeply.

2. jesus calling devotional book. i am not great about reading this every day, but when i do it touches me. which means i should probably read it every morning :) most of my friends here feel the same way about this little gem!

3. my favorite book ever is francine river's redeeming love. if you haven't read it yet...do it now. it changed my view of God and our relationship.

4. a couple of websites i love and use often are www.everystudent.com and www.theresurgence.com. both are fantastic. every student is a campus crusade website that helps with lots of questions and has other resources available.

i've got lots of other books on my reading list, but am always open to more. so what are your favorite devotionals/books/resources? kelly is linking up, so check out her site with other people's recommendations as well!

rebuilding our library

if you know justin at all, you know that he is a reader through and through. it is one of the things that i admire so much about him. last year his entire Christmas list was books, and books only...

one tough thing about the tornado was us losing our growing library of books. we were able to save some, but many have water damage and/or ripped pages. 

a professor & his assistant at Southern Seminary [where justin is enrolled part-time] arranged a "book drive" from the fellow professors. this was all a surprise as we received 5 HUGE boxes filled with various books: varying from Christian classics, text books and soon-to-be bestsellers. we felt so loved by this generosity and caring gesture.

one great thing about the conference where we are currently is the book selection, both for sale and giveaways. we were able to pick up some really great books out here and we are excited to add these to our rebuilding library. 

[the only bad thing is that we were short on space before....these books won't help that one]

one book we are both excited to dive into is francis chan's new book, erasing hell.

 he doesn't back down, he addresses some tough questions in the book.

excited to start reading this one along with the many others we picked up during our time out here.

managing God's money

i started this book a little while ago, but justin and i have been so busy with other stuff i haven't had much time to read. i have loved it so far.

one of my favorite passages in the first section has been, in regard to the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-25): "Jesus did not call each and every disciple to liquidate their possessions, give away all their money, and leave their homes. But Jesus knew that money was the rich young man's god. The principle is timeless: If Christ is not Lord over our money and possessions, he is not our Lord."

such a good reminder for me to keep my priorities in check, especially as we are beginning to make some big purchases to replace our lost items and furnish our new home. my comfort, security and identity should only come from God, not my possessions or from others.

what i'm reading...

some friends recommended this book to me. 

"same kind of different as me"

by: ron hall & denver moore

I had high hopes for this book and they hit all of them. It is based on a true story [aren't those always the best] and tells the story of Denver & Ron as their stories intersect and lives are changed. 

I won't spill too many details, but it will have you in tears. It is such a heart touching story, one that I won't forget.

The last line of the book rung true to me...

"The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or something in between, this earth ain't no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless-just working our way toward home."

books, book, books.

Honest confession first. I was a bookworm in elementary school, I loved the Berenstain Bears and Goosebumps books...but once the books got more complex, chapters got longer and pictures disappeared I lost my love for reading...

Then I got married. Justin loves to read and be smart...so I figured I can pick up the hobby again. Let me tell you what, I am back in love with reading. Now I can't fall asleep without reading at least a chapter...sometimes I get out of control and read 4 or 5 chapters. 

We are working on developing our own library..and the cheapo environmentalist in me refuses to buy new books! The best place I have found to buy these older books is on Ebay, who would have ever thought! Half.com has been a lifesaver (and budget saver!)

Aren't they so precious!