Last year I read 31 books. Since I was on renewal last summer, I had plenty of time to read and I took advantage of the time. So far this year I've read about a dozen books. This has been a very busy year of ministry and I find that often, by the time I get home from the church, I'm just too mentally exhausted to open a book and read. I've got to do something about that but I'm not exactly sure what.
Here's what I'm working on right now:
Daily devotional - The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle. I have several devotional book that I enjoy but I seem to always come back to the Divine Hours. There are readings for morning, afternoon and evening plus a reading for the close of the day. Tickle makes great use of the Psalms and I find such comfort and peace by reading and praying the Psalms.
Daily Bible study - Light for the Way by Frank Starr. This is an out of print daily Bible reading guide that was published by CPH back in the mid 80's. There are two series - four books for the Old Testament and the same for the New Testament. Pastor Starr does a fine job of establishing the theme for each reading and offering enlightenment as to what God is doing in the text. He also provides a prayer starter. This is probably my fourth time utilizing these books but they offer such a structured approach for daily Bible reading that I find them invaluable for me.
I'm reading two other books at the moment:
Grace by Max Lucado. Actually, I'm just getting started with this book. It was given to me as a birthday present. I've admired Lucado's writing style for many years. Whether you embrace his theology or not, he really knows how to connect with his readers and few writers turn a phrase better than Lucado.
West by West - My Charmed, Tormented Life by Jerry West and Jonathan Coleman. When I was a kid pounding a basketball on cement school courts, I admired Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers and tried to emulate him. West had a very successful career both as a player and general manager. West describes what his life was like growing up in a family where his father was very abusive and his mother seemed incapable of offering nurturing love and affection. West also describes the challenges of dealing with pampered, self-seeking professional athletes. This is a candid and revealing book about the life of a basketball icon.
