Reading Corner

With the multiple to do's as of late, my reading corner has been put on the major back burner as of late. I've missed it - reading things for pleasure, self conviction, and/or personal insight outside of mandatory school responsibilities. Although I'm a bit annoyed that I'm still only 116 pages into a 172 page book (INTERRUPTED by Jen Hatmaker - READ IT!) that I began weeks and weeks ago, I'm also cognizant that other things are more important than me finishing that book right now. It's all about priorities. And regardless if I finish "Interrupted" now or a few days later, I'm still allowing God to speak to me through that book and am open to His leading. It's all about priorities. It's about who and what is most important to me day in and day out.

In addition to my current Jen Hatmaker book, I'm also reading The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Ewww weee, this woman does NOT play. She tells it like it is and I love it. No side stepping this issue, or sugar coating it, she tells it straight! That's probably one reason I'm so interested in reading it. No fluff, just subsidence. Tell me what I need to hear, let's get to it, and oh does Dr. Laura. She's all about giving us ladies some accountability in our marriages, reminding us that two parties take part in the dance and we are responsible for our own actions and responses.

A small group of married ladies (4 of us total right now) meet twice a month or so to discuss our readings in this book and our marriages. Rather than talk about our husbands and what they do or do not do, we take a different approach. We talk about how WE, as wives, can do things differently. How can WE, as wives be better spouses, more Godly women, and more servant like in a way that represents and pursues the model of Christ. I tell ya what, it makes ya put pride at the front door, because a group like this isn't going to let you get away with something. You tell them "I reacted this way, and did this" and they'll say, "what should have you done? What would have been best for your man? What would exemplify Christ?!". Talk about conviction, because I am CERTAINLY a CONSTANT work in progress.

I'm so thankful for this group of ladies that are yearning to uphold our marriages in a world where marriages are crumbling around us. We want to find a way to be different, for our marriages to be different, and for our men to know we love them. We want to honor Christ in our marriages. With all the hustle and bustle of life, with all the things pulling you this way and that, with all the world telling you that self fulfillment and what you feel is best, I want my husband to know he matters. That beyond my Lord, my man is at the top of my list! We're a team. And the reality is, the more he knows he matters to me, the more he's going to make me feel like and know I matter to him. It's an awesome cycle of mutual love and respect - one that I want to pursue continuously, this year, next year, and 50 years from now.

So my book corner consists currently of those two reads, a little bit of each, a short chapter here and there, and I'm gaining powerful knowledge from them both. They are both challenging me and asking me if there are ways I need to change. Jen Hatmaker will challenge you, as I've stated in other posts, about what you are or are not doing for the sake of the Gospel and for the least of these. An easy, entertaining read, but she'll convict ya if you let her. Check it out! And then you have the Dr. Laura book, and if you're a lady and want to check pride at the door to see how you're doing in caring for your mate, try Dr. Laura's book out for size. If you do, I'd love to hear what you think.

I'm looking forward to the completion of this trimester, another seven weeks or so from now when I completed my A&P2 class. I'll have two to three week off of school until the next trimester begins, so the plan is to try and crank through another book during that period... maybe I'll start The Mortal Instruments series then. I hear they're great and I got them for Christmas. Something to look forward to along the way.