A dear friend recently gifted me a lovely wicker basket. After brainstorming various options for its use, I eagerly placed it on my bedside table and am now the proud owner of an official “current reads” book basket!
I have become a “multiple books at one time reader,” and I enjoy keeping my collection eclectic: theology, fantasy, history, mystery, etc. The issue with becoming such a reader is quickly forgetting exactly which books you are reading. Hence, my favourite gift in a long time—the bedside reading basket—usually boasts about five to six different books to be selected based on my nightly reading mood.
Here is a peek into three of my recent bedside basket picks.
I read this book a few years ago and couldn’t put it down. It was such a blessing to my soul, and I always wanted to return to it and take it a bit more slowly. Chester’s work encourages this approach, as each chapter explores a different facet of enjoying God more (through pleasure, hardship, temptation, failure, etc.).
I drank its content firehose-style in my first read-through and was too excited to slow down and give each chapter a more careful application. This year, I decided to read a chapter of the book each Lord’s Day, which has worked very nicely as Chester gives a weekly application at the end of each chapter to put the content into practice. This book takes something we all long for (the actual enjoyment of God) and shows how, in Christ, it can become our daily reality.
The exhortations are grounded in God’s Word, and the applications are simple enough to actually practice over a week’s time. This past Sunday, I read a chapter titled, "In Every Failure We Can Enjoy the Son’s Grace." The action item at the end of the chapter is: “Every day this week, find time to identify what you have done to impress others. Then hear the words, ‘It is finished.’”
This week, I have experienced several moments where recalling Christ’s work on the cross through this prompt has been used by the Spirit to shine light on my own groping in the dark attempts at self-salvation.
I did not begin this year planning to delve deeply into the world of Russian Literature, but, here I am! I have become an avid listener to the Sheologians podcast at the recommendation of a good friend. For their weekly book club, they decided to tackle Dostoevsky, and I was inspired to join in.
I am so thankful I did, not least because I’m not sure I would have finished this 656 page beauty without a bit of accountability. I do have to say after finally completing this classic, I highly recommend it to others, with the encouragement to hang in there when the going gets tough and maybe even to include a friend (or a full book club) for motivation.
Dostoevsky masterfully shines a flashlight into the darkest corners of human depravity and, with this, reveals the profoundly startling nature of grace. He also displays the extreme effects of unconfessed sin on the soul and body of image bearers. There is a reason this work is a classic, and I have also gotten to brush up on my Russian name pronunciation (slightly).
My husband gifted me this book earlier this year, and it has been a balm for my soul as a homeschool mom of three. Though much of the author's examples and applications are aimed specifically at homeschooling families, the principles she tackles would make this read worthwhile for any moms who desire to cultivate a home with a gospel aroma.
The chapters are short and devotional, so I decided to treat myself to one a day, usually in the afternoon while the girls rest. As a mom who often sees and is discouraged by the large gap between what I envision for my girls and our life together at home and the actual hardship of “keeping my sanity” on a Tuesday morning, Mystie’s honest, humorous, and Christ-exalting counsel was a breath of fresh air.
I definitely would recommend this book to homeschooling moms, specifically, but also to all mothers, as we are each called to be our children’s primary teacher and nurturer, regardless of our education choices for them.
Whether it’s seeking to enjoy God more with Chester, exploring the human conscience with Dostoyevsky, or seeking encouragement for school/parenting with Winckler, I pray that you will be enriched through taking up any or all of these recommended reads.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
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