What I'm Reading

So far the summer has not given me the reading time I might have expected, but I have still gotten in some good books.

Just this morning I finished reading through the gospels, looking to see how Jesus built margin into His life. The busiest man who ever lived took time to eat and sleep. He got His exercise as He moved about the countryside. He often went into retreat mode -- He would go out in the early morning hours to pray. Sometimes He would even hide from the crowds (Mark 9:30-32) -- Evidently the public person has to have some private time if they are going to remain effective in public. One passage that particularly struck me was the time when Jesus was sleeping on the boat (Mark 4:38) -- He rested on a cushion! Evidently we all need to build a few cushions into our lives.

Other books --

Adrenal Fatigue (Wilson) has been an interesting read. The author has some helpful diagnostic tools to help you identify if you have adrenal fatigue and at what level. I've got it, but thankfully it is only at level one (not quite level 2). The writer then goes on to describe how to kick the healing process into high gear -- diet, exercise, vitamins, etc. It is at this point that things get a bit complicated -- where do you start?

R. Loren Sandford has written a book called "Renewal for the Wounded Warrior: A Burnout Survival Guide for Believers". As it turned out, the book is the catharsis of a charismatic preacher who journeyed through stage three burnout -- which is not my situation. The book seems to not so much address the issue of burnout, but how to keep going when moving through the dark night of the soul moments of prolonged human suffering.

I am very much enjoying reading Cymbala's "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" -- the story of how God brought revival to the Brooklyn Tabernacle. In one chapter he tells the story of a guest pastor who said, "You can tell how popular the church is by who shows up for the worship service. You can tell how popular the pastor is by who shows up for the evening service. You can tell how popular Jesus is by who shows up for the prayer meeting."

So what have you been reading lately?