What’s on your nightstand? - August

Can you see the forest for the trees? How about the trees in the forest?

Occasionally stand back to look at the forest. Other times, more closely examine which trees are in your forest.

Which need pruning? Which are bearing fruit? Which need to be uprooted altogether? - for the health of the whole forest.

Sometimes my monthly stack of “trees” can get unrealistically thick, depleting the value I’m getting out of any one book. Time to thin out. 

Or it can become unbalanced in one genre only, and not be a healthy, functioning forest. Time to plant variety.

Or it can be unfruitful if I’m only reading a book because I can’t let go. I hate to not finish a book I’ve started. But sometimes, I gotta cut my losses and prune.

Here are the trees I’ve catalogued in my August forest, along with a tasty fruit from each (or not):

Seedlings (waiting to be planted)
1. Fearless
by Max Lucado

2. The Time Paradox
by Philip Zimbardo

Half-grown trees (& still growing)
1. God’s Joyful Surprise
by Sue Monk Kidd
“Jesus came not just to show us what to do and what to believe. He came as a revelation of God's love. He came so we could have the same kind of intimate relationship with the Father that He had.”

2. Walking with God
by John Eldredge
“Whatever else is going on in our lives, this is going on. He is committed to our transformation. So, if this is what God's up to, wouldn't it make sense that we be more intentional in partnering with him in our transformation?”

3. The Heart of Anger
by Lou Priolo
“Question: What is the first rule for teaching a parakeet how to talk?
Answer: You must have a larger vocabulary than the parakeet.
Question: What is the first rule for disciplining children?
Answer: You must have more discipline than the child.”

4. Living with It Daily
by Patricia D. Nielsen
“For TODAY: Hope is not gone when I can't be “fixed.” It is the beginning of a new chapter for me and the discovery of how to manage my pain.”

5. Chicago City Guide
by Lonely Planet Productions
“These walking tours are all available for free, so load 'em up on your iPod and hit the road.” [We’re taking an anniversary trip to Chicago next month!]

6. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment 
by Jeremiah Burroughs
“What if God should say to any of you, If My care over you does not please you, then take care of yourselves, if My protection over you will not please you, then protect yourselves?”

Pruned (I gave up)
1. The Disappearance of God: A Divine Mystery
by Richard Elliott Freidman

* * * * *

How is your forest looking this month? Check out more trees at “What’s on Your Nightstand?” at Jennifer’s place, 5 Minutes for Books.

17  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7

More of my nightstand