Skip to main content

The Power of Words

I am an avid reader. I love many different genres and tons of different authors. Knowing this about me, a girlfriend texted me the other day and said she wanted to get a devotional book, what would I recommend?

I had to tell her something, something I had felt for a long time, but I don't think I had ever given words to before.

I do not like devotionals.

I feel guilty about this, and a little like I am not as good of a person as the people who set aside time during their day and commit to a true 'devotional'.

I cannot get into them and I have never found one I can stick too. My problem is simple, they are too much work.

Most devotionals I have ever read want me to read what they have to say and then get out my bible and look up certain verses. Some even have the gall to prompt me to sit down and write out my thoughts. Whoa, hold up, how much time do you think I have?

Now, lets be clear, Jesus deserves my time. I get that. But right now, Jesus and I have an agreement. I think about him... a lot. Just not necessarily while I am sitting down with a book that is telling me how and what to think about.

Instead I read books that engage me, they get my attention and encourage me to think about the words that have been written. I can come up with my own conclusions, my own beliefs and if the book is well done, then I will go to the bible on my own and explore the verses further.

But I want the main verse right there for me in black and white. I want to read one book, because lets face it, I am probably juggling a baby in the other hand and don't have time for flipping back and forth between books and bibles.

Over the last several years, I have found many authors that provoke me and push me further into my faith, but it is not necessarily 'devotional' books that they write. Instead they are books on faith, and books on life. Some I can relate too, others are far from my own life experiences, but they allow me to see life through someone else's eyes.

I love books. Real books, with covers and pages. Something tangible that I can hold onto, and I prefer owning them so I can write in them, highlight and come back to them. But I have also started to follow blogs over the years from many of my favorite authors. It allows me to continue on with their words even when the book is done. Finding an author that you like is like going down the rabbit hole. One good author leads you to another, that leads you to another...

I couldn't recommend a 'devotional' to my friend the other day, but I could recommend some great christian authors. Authors that will encourage her, lift her up, and bring self awareness without ever telling her how to do it. Maybe my time will come when I am able to sit down and complete a "real" devotional. But for now, I can only recommend what I know.

I know that these women, these authors, move me with their words. They push me a little, and sometimes make me uncomfortable. They give me grace to accept my flaws and try again. I am a million miles from perfect and I will never pretend like I have it all together, but reading powerful words from everyday women reminds me that none of us are alone in this world. We are stronger when we support one another.

Heres my little support for today; a list of books I have read or that are on my list to read*, and a couple of blogs that I follow as well!

Books:
Flower Patch Farm Girl
Life in Grace
The Nesting Place


P.S. This is a devotional I often look up on my phone. One click before I am even out of bed some mornings and I am already starting my day off right. It takes less than three minutes to read!
Proverbs 31 Devotionals

P.P.S. I do most of my reading while in the car waiting for kids. Throw one in your vehicle and kill some time reading instead of looking at your phone in between picking kids ups, I guarantee you'll be surprised by how much reading you will get done!





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Changes

I was cleaning today, which gave me time to think, and thinking always leads me here. The house is 'weekend messy', so decided to clean my floors, because The Nester says if your floors are clean the rest of the house feels clean too, even if it isn’t.  I have found that it is pretty good advice, so when everything else feels chaotic, I clean the floors. Of course for me, cleaning the floors also means picking up the toys, shoes, clothes, etc. so that I can even begin to vacuum, which naturally leads to a cleaner home as well.  While cleaning up I began to think about how this blog has evolved over the years, from a desire to write like The Nester about home, into what it is now.  I started writing this blog when I was dreaming of building a new home. Then plans changed, life took turns, and we ended up in a home so different than I expected and so perfect for our family. Somewhere along the way I realized that home wasn’t in the walls that went up or in the co

From My Christmas Wish List to Yours!

One of my favorite stores, West Elm, has now opened a special section called The Market. It specializes in kitchen, garden and personal care. Lets just say I am in love. If I had unlimited resources to spend in one store to do a total overhaul on my house, it would be West Elm, and now with the new Market, I am in lust too. So here are a few of my favorites. Check it out and maybe you'll get some great Christmas ideas for someone on your list. Or maybe my hubby will see this and get a great idea for me! Hint, hint! Enjoy! Incredibly large, amazing cutting board . I've seen these boards doubling as art hanging on the wall, then they take up no storage space! Cast iron Dutch oven . Great for one-pot meals. These glass jars come in varying sizes. I'm thinking they would work well for brown sugar with that rubber seal. I would definitely get plenty of use out of a cheese knife set during the holidays and all year round. Copper measuring spoons . Seriously? Fantastic

Happiness

I am a New Years girl. I love goals and check lists and I love the feeling of a fresh start, but resolutions have never been my thing. A few year ago I began picking a word for the year and I found that it works really well for me.  Setting a word for the year has helped me to focus on a quality that I want to grow in myself. Last years word was ‘ intentional ’. It was a full year and in a lot of ways a really hard year. Being intentional with my words, thoughts and actions helped me to really lean into the relationships in my life. The past year felt somber though. It was good and I grew more than I could have imagined, but it also felt serious and deep. I need some relief. This year after praying over it and considering what I would like more of in the coming year, I knew that my word for 2019 had to be 'happiness'. I want more laughter, more spontaneity, more fun in 2019 and none of those things come naturally to me. I thought about words like joy and contentment b