Osmosis
I am a lover of books. I mean, I would rescue my books before I'd rescue my television or stereo if I had to evacuate my house for whatever reason. Books are timeless. They can be read whenever you want to pick them up. They change meaning each time you read them. They are indispensible.
I, however, have limited time with which to read these jewels on my shelves. And though I consider myself pretty disciplined most of the time, I fully admit that if I had an 100% free day to spend as I wished, household chores might just cloud over my desires to read (I'm a "I should" person more than an "I could" person).
Recently I wish I could draft that fairy-tale ability to be able to let book knowledge seep in through the brain. I remember this from high school....teachers telling us repeatedly that sleeping on our open books (or having them read by tape while we rested) would not work one bit. (Although all of us remember those people who adamently insisted that it worked for them. Chances are we heavily weighed any testimony that came out of their mouths about anything, though.)
I have recently been hit with the fact that I need to be more prepared. I need to be more prepared and knowledgeable about finances and investing. I need to be more prepared about how to discipline our children in a Godly way (the time is almost upon us to start practicing this!). I need (no....want) to be more knowledgble about Biblical history, American history, and current events around me today. And last but not least, I desire to expand the list of fiction greats under my belt. I am ashamed that it's not bigger than it is after being out of college for five-and-a-half years now.
Osmosis just won't work. It'd be nice if it did. I guess it will just take the old-fashioned diligence required to actually sit down, semi-distraction-free, and open that book and read. It is difficult, yes (am I one to know!), but in my life, it must be done. It must be a priority for me. I don't want to get to the end of my life and realize I haven't cracked a book (other than the Bible, of course) for 30 years. How tragic.
Books transform, uplift, carry away, inspire, challenge, and rescue from the mundane. They can also be used for evil, for deceiving people into questioning things and delving into things which appear glossy on the exterior but seek to destroy. They have such force and ability to change....for the good or the opposite. They aren't to be taken lightly.
I pray that God will renew my hunger for books and the wisdom within them. I pray that He will guide me to the books which are of Him, the books which will inspire and spur me onward, not drag me down where I need not be. I pray also that I would not let them become my sole authority. Yes, there are great, Godly books on parenting, marriage, and finances....but God sets the precedent for all of these things in HIS Book. The others are merely appetizers for the great, good, main course of ultimate wisdom.
I, however, have limited time with which to read these jewels on my shelves. And though I consider myself pretty disciplined most of the time, I fully admit that if I had an 100% free day to spend as I wished, household chores might just cloud over my desires to read (I'm a "I should" person more than an "I could" person).
Recently I wish I could draft that fairy-tale ability to be able to let book knowledge seep in through the brain. I remember this from high school....teachers telling us repeatedly that sleeping on our open books (or having them read by tape while we rested) would not work one bit. (Although all of us remember those people who adamently insisted that it worked for them. Chances are we heavily weighed any testimony that came out of their mouths about anything, though.)
I have recently been hit with the fact that I need to be more prepared. I need to be more prepared and knowledgeable about finances and investing. I need to be more prepared about how to discipline our children in a Godly way (the time is almost upon us to start practicing this!). I need (no....want) to be more knowledgble about Biblical history, American history, and current events around me today. And last but not least, I desire to expand the list of fiction greats under my belt. I am ashamed that it's not bigger than it is after being out of college for five-and-a-half years now.
Osmosis just won't work. It'd be nice if it did. I guess it will just take the old-fashioned diligence required to actually sit down, semi-distraction-free, and open that book and read. It is difficult, yes (am I one to know!), but in my life, it must be done. It must be a priority for me. I don't want to get to the end of my life and realize I haven't cracked a book (other than the Bible, of course) for 30 years. How tragic.
Books transform, uplift, carry away, inspire, challenge, and rescue from the mundane. They can also be used for evil, for deceiving people into questioning things and delving into things which appear glossy on the exterior but seek to destroy. They have such force and ability to change....for the good or the opposite. They aren't to be taken lightly.
I pray that God will renew my hunger for books and the wisdom within them. I pray that He will guide me to the books which are of Him, the books which will inspire and spur me onward, not drag me down where I need not be. I pray also that I would not let them become my sole authority. Yes, there are great, Godly books on parenting, marriage, and finances....but God sets the precedent for all of these things in HIS Book. The others are merely appetizers for the great, good, main course of ultimate wisdom.
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