Recommended reading

Alright, a friend asked if I had any recommendations for a good devotional/Bible study and I went a little long on the answer, so I thought I'd share it with you on here, as well. Here goes:  

1) A classic I have read - and a cheap one to get - is Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest. You can check his stuff out online if you'd like:


My Utmost for His Highest.

Currently I am going through Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. A little mushy sometimes, but I like mushy. Very encouraging.

2) The #2 being my second thoughts on the topic of devotionals, that is. I think I just realized I haven't done a lot of Bible studies persay - maybe they seem dry sometimes, or I never get through all the questions and I bug myself with all those blank lines. At any rate, I love reading biographies of Christians/missionaries. It's like getting to be personally mentored by some of the most amazing people who ever lived. Through their stories, I learn Biblical principles and it sparks my love for the Word even more. (See below for some that I'd recommend)

I just realized how this sounds. A little backwards, I suppose, letting biographies spark my hunger for the Word. Oh well, a heathen I may be - but isn't that what the Bible is composed of anyways? Mini bios of people who served God and didn't serve God, people with good living and people suffering the consequences of bad living? It's all served up with a smattering of wisdom, songs of praise, with the occasional backstabbing son trying to steal his father's kingdom. Toss in a talking donkey, a rooster who crows convicting messages, and a worm who has a hankering for shade trees - and you've got a full cast of characters ready to paint a picture of what God is like. Mmmm, good stuff.

Also, when you read the Bible, pray first. It is a spiritual book. I forget this one sometimes, but it really does help. And for goodness sake - use your imagination when you read! Put yourself in place of the characters in the story and breathe that hot dusty air. Imagine the disgust on the faces of the men who dragged that woman in front of Jesus. Take a moment to wonder - just what DID he write in the sand that day? Feel what it's like to be completely stripped of dignity and hope, with death looming before you like an unwanted visitor. And finally, how do you respond to a God who forgives like that? How do you show other people that kind of forgiveness?

3) Winkie Pratney's book Ultimate Core could be a good one. He's a scientist from New Zealand who covers everything from spiritual disciplines to sexual purity to physical fitness. If I remember right, that one is pretty broad in its scope, and he references a LOT of Scripture. Very thorough.

Some other books I'd recommend:

The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom
          Great for learning to walk in forgiveness.

His Kingdom Come, various authors
          This book was used for a Leaders school I was around in Salem.

Anything by Francis Chan

Another Man's War, by Sam Childers
       Inspiring story of a man who started an orphanage in Sudan for former child soldiers.

Hospital by the River, by Catherine Hamlin
        True story of an obstetrician/gynecologist who moved to Ethiopia and developed a surgery to heal women from a condition known as fistula.

A Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp
       The most poetic prose I have ever read. A wonderful book on learning to give thanks.