What’s On Your Nightstand?

Once again, the ladies over at 5 Minutes for Books are asking, What’s on Your Nightstand?  Although I hardly ever remember in time to actually participate, this is one of my favorite memes!  As I’ve said before, my books rarely stay on my nightstand…they are often scattered throughout the house, in the car, and my purse…  But, this is what I am reading (or hoping to read!) this month:

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Expository Thoughts on Luke (volume 2), by J.C. Ryle: I haven’t read volume one yet…but in this case, I think jumping in somewhere in the middle is perfectly acceptable.  He starts with The Lord’s Prayer, in Luke 11, and shares his insights and wisdom through the remainder of the book.  J.C. Ryle is rapidly becoming a favorite.  In a day and age where relevance is valued above biblical accuracy, Ryle is both.

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Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism, by Iain H. Murray: My husband picked this up at The Shepherd’s Conference earlier this year.  I stole it from him. Very interesting…and although this book addresses a controversy that took place well over 100 years ago, the topic is just as relevant today.

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Brokenness: The Heart God Revives, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss: I suppose this book belongs in a “To Be Read” pile, as I have not started this yet.  But, I greatly enjoyed Holiness, which I recently discovered is one of a 3-part set (including this, and one other, Surrender), so I picked up the other 2.  I was told that Holiness was to be read last, but I cannot remember which was supposed to be read first.  So, because a dear friend has inspired me to pray for revival (personally, in my immediate and extended family, my church, and our state and nation), I chose this one.  Very much looking forward to it!

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Discipline: The Glad Surrender, by Elisabeth Elliot: A favorite.  This is one of the books that I try to read at least once a year.  With the “official” start of our homeschooling journey, I felt in need of a “refresher course” in this area (in other words, a swift kick to the seat of the pants!). 

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The Children Trap: Biblical Principles for Education, by Robert Thoburn: Being a homeschooling mom, this is an interesting book, because the author argues, not, as you might expect, for homeschooling, but for Christian schooling.  However, I do agree (so far) with many of his observations and conclusions regarding the state of public (or as he calls it, government) education, and the need for strong Christian education.

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Beautiful Girlhood, revised by Karen Andreola: Another that I am only a few pages into…  I picked this up at our recent homeschooling convention.  It may seem a bit premature to be reading a book on the transition from girlhood to womanhood when my daughter is barely of kindergarten age, but I know it will come all too soon….

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Feminine by Design: The Twelve Pillars of Biblical Womanhood, by Scott Brown: (In the photo, this is the book without a title on the spine.) This book, I picked up at the NCFIC Reforming Church and Family Road Trip.  This book is full of practical, biblical insight into what true biblical womanhood and femininity look like.  And, I realize that my daughter is young, but I want to instill in her early a passion for biblical womanhood, and a desire to follow God’s design and call on her life.

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The Heart of Homeschooling: Teaching and Living What Really Matters, by Christopher Klicka: This book has been recommended to me many times by more experienced homeschoolers.  I am only in chapter 3, but I already appreciate the author’s focus on what Scripture says.  With each challenge, question, or difficulty he quickly points the reader back to God’s Word for the answer.  I am looking forward to the rest!

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Worldly Saints: The Puritans as they Really Were, by Leland Ryken: This poor book has been “on my nightstand” for quite some time….  And, yet, each month it reappears, unread.  And, after finally opening it, and beginning to read, I have no idea why it took me so long.  I know that the Puritans are caricatured as boring, conceited, self-righteous, religious fanatics.  And, the term is still used in derogatory fashion today.  But, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  I love the Puritan authors and pastors!  And, I have enjoyed learning more about their passions and practices in almost every area of their daily lives through this book.  J.I. Packer, in the Foreward, says that, even with our supposed sophistication, we need the Puritans today.  He describes them (and us) in this way: “We are spiritual dwarfs. The Puritans, by contrast, as a body were giants. They were great souls serving a great God. In them, clear-headed passion and warm-hearted compassion combined. Visionary and practical, idealistic and realistic too, goal-oriented and methodical, they were great believers, great hopers, great doers, and great sufferers.”

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So, in addition to wading through a giant stack of homeschool curriculum (lesson plans!), that is what is on my nightstand!  What are you reading?