on the shelf

here are the books i have been working on lately. not to say that i read all of these books every day, but taking turns throughout the week with most of them.

{1} worship matters
this book was given to me by our worship leader at church. he is encouraging each of us on the worship team to read the book and then we can briefly discuss each week at rehearsal. the book is written by a worship leader, Bob Kauflin, who has served numerous years in many capacities. as i am just a few chapters into the book, i appreciate his heart, not only for worship through music but also for knowing God and making Him known in all areas of life. the author is transparent with his struggles as a worship leader, past and present, and addresses practical issues related to leading worship through music.

{2} getting serious about getting married
this particular book is a little different, for a few reasons. first of all, the book is primarily about singleness. the book addresses the errors of today's society in the way we think about and deal with the issue of being single. even especially in the church. the author (although now happily married) spent her entire twenties and into her thirties desiring marriage but being told time and time again to "be content in her singleness". in this book, she argues that "being content in your singleness" is not Scriptural, but that pursuing marriage is God's model for our lives. i appreciate her attempt to counter the culture, even church culture, and encourage young men and women to step it up and pursue the calling of marriage on their lives.

{3} gray matter
a semi-medical, mostly spiritual book, Gray Matter is written by a neurosurgeon in San Diego who decided to begin praying with his patients prior to surgery. that is what the book is all about. as a believer, the author discusses how he came to this decision and all the barriers that he faced in taking this huge step of meshing "religion" with medical care.

{4} romans
our church is finishing up a church-wide study on romans 12 as we discuss time, talents, and treasures. i decided to read the book of romans in my personal Bible study, so i can go back and dig into the chapters leading up to what we as a church and in our community group have been working through. i could read romans over and over-- it is so full of the Gospel message, something i need to hear every day!

{5} the scarlet letter
kind of a random one thrown in the mix. this is a nookbook, one that was free on barnes and nobles, so i decided to download it and start reading. i think i read it in high school, but i hardly remember any details (like how it ends! minor details...)! so here we go again.

{6} your pregnancy: week by week
ah, one of my favorites! i religiously read this book during my pregnancy with ethan and i am enjoying it all over again! this book discusses weekly growth and development of my baby boy inside of me, as well as changes in me, nutrition, medical issues, etc. i look forward to reading it every friday (the day my "week" changes over), just as much as i did with my first pregnancy! fetal development is fascinating!!!

{7} hosea
another book of the Bible that i am working through, with a lot of help, though. i am doing a women's bible study at our church and we are studying the minor prophets. hosea was the first to study and i am really enjoying digging deeper into this prophet's life and message! God told hosea to marry a prostitute (whoa, buddy!) as a real-life analogy of God's relationship with His people, then prophesy to Isreal regarding the idolatry/adultery of their heart towards their God. surprisingly, this historical book contains numerous applications for our lives today.