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What’s on your nightstand? - August

What's on Your Nightstand at _5 minutes for Books_Can you see the forest for the trees? How about the trees in the forest?My August nightstand

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. Crowded forestTime 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):Tree seedlings


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?” Pruning a tree


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.

Fruit tree 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

7 comments:

Janet said...

I love your forest metaphor. Perfect!

Recently I reread some John Eldredge myself -- 'Waking the Dead.' Good stuff. I'm not familiar with 'Walking with God' though.

'The Heart of Anger' sounds intriguing too.

Sue Monk Kidd is a name I've heard but haven't yet read. Maybe it's time.

Carrie said...

LOVE this post! Awesome, awesome way of viewing things. I also totally agree that sometimes the stack of books need some pruning.

This is definitely a post that leaves an impression. THanks for your time on it. It taught me a lot this morning!

Anonymous said...

hehe I agree with Janet great metaphor. I recently just prune my shelves and got rid of some books (paperback swap) that I'm not going to read and man it feels so much better to have less books staring at me saying pick me next ;-). Looks like some great books you have on your stack.

Brooke from The Bluestocking Guide said...

I love the categories that you've come up with. Here is mine

Unknown said...

What a great analogy! You'll have to tune in to the On Reading column Sunday -- it's about books and clutter!!!

ibeeeg said...

wow! I love your metaphor. What a great way to categorize the books you read or did not.
Pruning the books is the hardest IMHO. I have lately started using a "measuring stick" so to speak to help decide which books we will actually purchase. That has been helpful.
Here is my Nightstand

Barbara H. said...

I'm still catching up with other "nightstands." Definitely a creative way to do it!

I don't worry too much about all the to-be-read books stacked up -- I just enjoy the one I'm on, and I'll get to the rest as I'm able -- and if they outlive me, then someone else will enjoy them. :-)

Burrough's book sure looks convicting.

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