What's On My Nightstand
So how are my fellow bookworms doing today? For my second edition of what's on my nightstand I decided to share with you some of my favorite books I read for inspiration or devotion.
In my crazy, over scheduled, materialistic, blackberry obsessed world I have to have an anchor. For me God has always been that anchor, the constant around which everything else rotates. This doesn't mean that I'm an amazing person or Christian this is just what works for me.
As I've gotten older I've become more fascinated by the spirituality of my relationship with God and having more of an actual friendship/partnership with him. Often times I would find myself only going to God when I needed help, when I was scared or even needed a parking spot (I call these Santa Claus prayers because it's asking for something you want at the time with little thought about the long term).
When I picked up the book Eat, Pray, Love several years ago I didn't expect it to have much of an impact on me, but it did. There are so many thoughtful, smart revelations in the book that to this day I keep one of the quotes with me at all times. On a small sticky note in my wallet in now fading blue ink it says "God dwells within me, as me." I love this quote for many reasons but mostly because it is simple, to the point and what my relationship with God should be about.
Because of Eat, Pray, Love I took another look at several aspects of my life. I learned that for most of us acceptance is the true goal in this life. My favorite quote from the book is,
"But at some point you have to make peace with what you were given and if God wanted me to be a shy girl with thick, dark hair, He would have made me that way, but He didn't. Useful, then, might be to accept how I was made and embody myself fully therein.”
I also love the quote, "God isn't interested in watching you enact some performance of personality in order to comply with some crackpot notion you have about how a spiritual person looks or behaves. We all seem to get this idea that, in order to be sacred, we have to make some massive, dramatic change of character, that we have to renounce our individuality."
Because of Eat, Pray, Love I made the commitment to myself to not only read for entertainment but to also read for spiritual growth. Sometimes finding books that "speak" to me are difficult but the ones below are some of my favorite reads to date!
1. Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
Is the story of what happens after Eat, Pray, Love. It is the eye opening events of her making peace with the idea of getting married again. She has great insights into what makes certain unions work and why others fail. It is a bit slow to get into but I loved it once I got started!
2. The Happiness Project
Is a great book about being an active participant in creating your happiness. The author opens the book by telling you that she wasn't necessarily unhappy but more of in a rut (who can't relate to that). She then goes on the journey of working actively to change things in her life so she is truly happy. These things include going to bed early, coming from a place of love when dealing with her husband etc. Due to the success of the book she has created a wonderful website to compliment the book!
http://www.happiness-project.com/
3. The Book of Awakening
Will always be on my nightstand! This is a book you can read year and after year and still learn from. You read it daily, like a devotional, and it gives you something thoughtful to focus on for that day. My favorite part of the book is the continual message to be present in your life each day in order to be better, make changes and in the end be a happier, more complete person.
4. So Long Insecurity
Is a great read by Beth Moore about why you are insecure and how to change it. My favorite part of the book is how she explains why you are insecure and then moves forward with how to change it using God and the Bible as your guide. I think every woman has insecurity issues and this book can be a great eye opening experience as to why!
In my crazy, over scheduled, materialistic, blackberry obsessed world I have to have an anchor. For me God has always been that anchor, the constant around which everything else rotates. This doesn't mean that I'm an amazing person or Christian this is just what works for me.
As I've gotten older I've become more fascinated by the spirituality of my relationship with God and having more of an actual friendship/partnership with him. Often times I would find myself only going to God when I needed help, when I was scared or even needed a parking spot (I call these Santa Claus prayers because it's asking for something you want at the time with little thought about the long term).
When I picked up the book Eat, Pray, Love several years ago I didn't expect it to have much of an impact on me, but it did. There are so many thoughtful, smart revelations in the book that to this day I keep one of the quotes with me at all times. On a small sticky note in my wallet in now fading blue ink it says "God dwells within me, as me." I love this quote for many reasons but mostly because it is simple, to the point and what my relationship with God should be about.
Because of Eat, Pray, Love I took another look at several aspects of my life. I learned that for most of us acceptance is the true goal in this life. My favorite quote from the book is,
"But at some point you have to make peace with what you were given and if God wanted me to be a shy girl with thick, dark hair, He would have made me that way, but He didn't. Useful, then, might be to accept how I was made and embody myself fully therein.”
I also love the quote, "God isn't interested in watching you enact some performance of personality in order to comply with some crackpot notion you have about how a spiritual person looks or behaves. We all seem to get this idea that, in order to be sacred, we have to make some massive, dramatic change of character, that we have to renounce our individuality."
Because of Eat, Pray, Love I made the commitment to myself to not only read for entertainment but to also read for spiritual growth. Sometimes finding books that "speak" to me are difficult but the ones below are some of my favorite reads to date!
1. Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
Is the story of what happens after Eat, Pray, Love. It is the eye opening events of her making peace with the idea of getting married again. She has great insights into what makes certain unions work and why others fail. It is a bit slow to get into but I loved it once I got started!
2. The Happiness Project
Is a great book about being an active participant in creating your happiness. The author opens the book by telling you that she wasn't necessarily unhappy but more of in a rut (who can't relate to that). She then goes on the journey of working actively to change things in her life so she is truly happy. These things include going to bed early, coming from a place of love when dealing with her husband etc. Due to the success of the book she has created a wonderful website to compliment the book!
http://www.happiness-project.com/
3. The Book of Awakening
Will always be on my nightstand! This is a book you can read year and after year and still learn from. You read it daily, like a devotional, and it gives you something thoughtful to focus on for that day. My favorite part of the book is the continual message to be present in your life each day in order to be better, make changes and in the end be a happier, more complete person.
4. So Long Insecurity
Is a great read by Beth Moore about why you are insecure and how to change it. My favorite part of the book is how she explains why you are insecure and then moves forward with how to change it using God and the Bible as your guide. I think every woman has insecurity issues and this book can be a great eye opening experience as to why!
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