What's in a book?

I entered the dark room and salivated at the numerous books on dusty shelves.  Piled high and deep, the tomes bowed the shelves.  Children's literature, Historical Fiction, Science Experiment helps and so many more drew me to them to take in their spines and analyze their titles.  Many I had already purchased for our home library and were reading to my children, of course, as a young mother at the time, I felt as if I was doing the best for my children and left this mom's home encouraged.  Upon my next visit, I noticed many titles I'd not had the chance to view previously.  Shelf after shelf of self help books which this mom could name and tell you all about at the drop of a hat caught my eye.  In that instant, standing there in the dark library, I felt the Lord say to me:  Look for fruit.  As I looked around, I viewed a great many ideals, but very little fruit in the lives of the people who's home I was in.  As I drove home that day, I realized that I could let the Lord be the instigator of what we read and how we live out what we put into our minds and hearts or I could just collect books on ideals without much time to cultivate fruit from Truth.

I made a commitment then to seek Him in literature that would develop me as a professional-for-Messiah wife and mother.  A short time later, I attend a homeschool conference in Texas and my eyes cast upon Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss.  For nearly 10 years it remained my only professional development book.  I've blogged about it previously and won't take time to repeat those words here.  Suffice to say that this book developed me as a woman in love with Jesus.

But what about Mothering?  I didn't have a clue!  My mom gave me a HUGE encyclopedia of Childhood Diseases from the 60s when I had Lyndsay in 1990.  About the only help I got from it was determining types of rashes.  (grin!)  Praise the Lord, at the same conference I discovered Stepping, I also found Sally Clarkson, a Mom after my own Heart!  Ideals, children, love of God and fellow man, how to live that out in a world of sin and struggle were personified for me in this sweet woman.  I bought her books, all of them.  Sally's training with Campus Crusade in her early 20s taught her to disciple and her style fit my need.  Season's of a Mother's Heart, Educating the Whole Hearted Child, Our 24 Family ways, Mission of Motherhood, Ministry of Motherhood and Dancing with my Father are all titles that I view as I look on my Mom development shelf today.  These books all lead and develop a mom and wife to see the Cross in all Circumstances she may face.  Training in the ministry of being a mother kept me going on muscle memory of our family's core beliefs of Truth when I didn't know what to do.

Ok, but what about the ideals and desires of living a Godly life when your roof has caved in and the damage is severe?!  One author for you there:  Marilyn Meberg's What to do when the roof caves in.  Yep, that's the title of it.  Fantastic, practical, Godly guidance and council for a whole host of Satan's attempts to destroy families today.

Choosing to see when I couldn't is Mary Beth Chapman in her book titled Choosing to See.  This book pointed out the power of Community in destruction and sorrow as well as what it means to be Stewards of the pain for Him and His glory.  I highly recommend this book to any mom who's heart is hurt.

Get out of that Pit by Beth Moore helped me to realize there was such a thing as a pit to begin with.  I laughed, cried and certainly decided NOT to decorate the pit I/we were in according to the latest styles from HGTV.  Nope, it was time to build that ladder from rough hewn roots in the soil and get out in the sun and live!  By the way, those rough hewn roots were our faith, past victories and the current cave in's cinderblock remains covered in His Blood for sure footing as we climbed out.  I highly recommend this for some perspective, then pass it on to someone else and don't live in the pit.

Finally, the Prodigal Son by Father Nouwen.  Pure power.  Certainly, as a protestant family, we have some difference as it relates to worship and  God's word.  But the crux of this book is so deep.  I'm still trying to grasp the final chapter on the Father of the Prodigal.   This story is one we all take as Believers in Him.  We are all Prodigals, we all have the elder son's characteristics and we are all on the quest to respond as the Father did.  Find this one, read it and keep it.  It'll take you awhile, tho, so don't be discouraged.

A final thought on the books that help grow my heart:  I line them all up with God's word first!  I also sift them through Sermons of trusted shepherds we've been blessed to learn from.  I hope these titles help some of you.
Next up:  What's Love Got to To with It!?