Christ at the Centre

One thing that I have been convicted by throughout my life is that I need to be careful not to elevate reading—even reading Christian books—above my relationship with God. I confess that I will more readily dive into a book than the Bible at many times, and that this can start eroding my relationship with God. It's not that I perceive Him as being legalistic and counting how many times I am in His Word versus everything else I read. It's more that I want to do everything I can to guard my heart against idolatry. I believe that,

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21

While treasure can amount to physical objects, I am realizing more and more that my time can be counted as treasure as well. Thus, I need to be even more careful that I am not consumed by all the time and attention I pay to looking up new books, reading, shopping, and of course, looking at lovely pictures of other people's home libraries (a much more recent phenomenon for me).

Although I am not sharing specific details about myself on this blog due to being an intensely private person, I will be vulnerable in sharing about my struggles and thought processes from time to time. Part of the wonder of reading is that a careful arrangement of 26 letters can bring about such a connection to others through shared emotions and stories. My hope is that other Christians can find aspects they can relate to as I convey the impact that books has had on my life. I find it fascinating that the very tool, technique, or spiritual pathway—reading—that helps me feel closest to God can be the very thing that I need to watch out for, lest it take over my life in ways that I do not want it to.

I am not a perfect reader. There have been things I have regretted reading over the years. I do not always compare what I read to Scripture and am sometimes guided by the notion of a Christian worldview as opposed to specific verses. I am also an easily misguided reader where I can get sucked into stories where upon later reflection, I realize that it was not good or unhealthy. I have aspirations of being a discerning reader, but I can succumb to what's popular out of morbid curiosity. The life of a learner can go down interesting, but not always beneficial paths. This is where I need to continually remind myself that what I read both matters and doesn't matter. This paradox keeps me on my toes as I see how what I read can have eternal impact while other materials I read will pass away with the world and not have extended meaning.

Thankfully, I can hold fast to the following truth as I engage in the pursuit of reading:

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." - Isaiah 40:8

Comments

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available or you don't qualify for one 😊 Christian Publishers B&H Publishing Group Previously offered the B&H/Lifeway Blogger program which has since closed Availability: Professors and instructors Link: B&H Academic Book Requests Baker Publishing Group Availability: U.S. and Canadian residents Genre: Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction Imprints: Bet...

Review: Perfectly Matched - Hopeful Hearts #3

This is a heavy book and it delves into a national policy that is difficult to learn about; however, it is well worth reading to find out what happens to a sweet little girl whose future is up in the air. Perfectly Matched by Liana George is the final book in the Hopeful Hearts series with a portion of the earnings from these books funding the Hopeful Hearts orphanage that seeks to help children with heart conditions, which is where the setting of the book is based off. It's not a standalone book, so I would recommend reading the previous two books in this series, Perfectly Arranged and Perfectly Placed , as it's worth seeing how everything wraps up. Content to be aware of : atrocities committed under government policies, forced sterilization Book Synopsis Nicki Mayfield is getting married! Or is she? Three days after deciding to marry so she can adopt the young Chinese girl who has captured her heart, Nicki Mayfield heads to Texas to become Mrs. Ben Carrington...

Review: The Final Word - Bite of Betrayal #2

This is a book where the name Miles Morgan will have you wishing he was a real person after getting to meet his character. The Final Word is the next book in the Bite of Betrayal series by Laura Thomas , set in the English village of Bramble Downs. Combining the opera, a bakery, a book based on a Cinderella retelling, and sisters who have each others' backs through thick and thin, there is much to explore in Miles and Sophie's story! Many thanks to Mountain Brook Ink for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : scenes of violence and death, domestic abuse, stalking Book Synopsis When aspiring author Sophie Brooks chooses to trade a vibrant Paris life for the tranquility of a quaint English village, she imagines her final days in the City of Lights will be magical. Sophie doesn’t anticipate a chilling encounter with an old flame—nor does she plan to find a new love on her very last nig...