Current Reading List

Someone asked me a few days ago what I was reading.

When I began to think about it, I realized I am currently "reading" (in quotes because some of it is on computer, some of it is audio) an amazing number of books - probably too many to read all at once. I should probably try to finish off some of them and get them off the list.

Of course, if I do that, I'll probably just start new ones. Sigh. Too many books, too little time.

Currently, Jan and I are reading three books together, plus two more occasionally.

1. The Bible. We read about a chapter a day, sometimes more. We started in the New Testament, but have occasional forays into Psalms and Proverbs and other books of the Old Testament. Just this morning we read Mark chapter 11. We frequently stop to discuss the meaning of certain passages, and the impact it can and should have on our lives. For example, this morning, Mark 11:25 has particular import for us. In this passage, Jesus is talking to Peter, answering him after Peter was amazed that the fig tree Jesus cursed withered overnight, and Jesus was explaining the power of faith. He added on to that this admonition: "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses." This was a timely reinforcement of last Sunday's message, and continues my amazement at God's amazing forgiveness of us and all our sins. It does, however, admonish us to carry forth that same forgiveness to all people we know. That's very difficult for us humans, but with God, all things are possible.

2. The Power Of Prayer To Change Your Marriage by Stormy Omartian. This is an amazingly insightful and powerful book, and I highly recommend it to ANYONE, married or not, in a good marriage or otherwise. Get this book, and read it. Preferably out loud with your spouse. Just do it.

3. The Silent Giftby Christine Kelley and Michael Landon, Jr. A work of fiction, set in the 1930's ff, and a very fun read. This would be an excellent book to read aloud with kids.

The other books we periodically read together are Oswald Chambers daily devotional, My Utmost For His Highest, and another daily devotional I can't remember the name of right now.

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I currently am in the middle of two books for pure entertainment, Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, a Father's Day gift from Chad, and Marine One by John Huston (pronounced like the city in Texas), a book on CD from the library. Both are interesting and entertaining, and I'll definitely finish them.

Chad is particularly delighted by Stephenson's use of words, and I am also. For example, he describes an airport terminal thus: "A freshly painted jetway gropes out like a giant lamprey and slaps its neoprene lips onto the side of the plane." What an image!

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Other books I'm reading include PHP For Dummies, Wicked Cool PHP, PHP In Action, Knowing Scripture by J.C. Sproul, the Sibelius User Manual, and any number of magazines.

In addition to these, I have a stack of books-to-be-read that's almost intimidating. This, of course, is before I can even think about getting back to re-reading some of my old favorites from long ago.

Well, that's what I'M reading these days. How about you?