Pride

As you may have noticed from my last post, the Lord is really making me deal with the root of all my sins: Pride. Embarassing to admit, and not new news to me, my pride is horrendous, offensive & very much alive. My personality (tend to be a listener, kinda quiet, fairly nice) makes it SO easy to hide. Well, I don't want to hide anymore. I want to be changed in the depths of my heart to be like Christ - the humble Servant. Not fearing men, but fearing God. Pray for me!

Along with the Bible, here are some things that I've been reading on the subject:
The Glorious Pursuit: Embracing the Virtues of Christ by Gary Thomas
Humility by Andrew Murray
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Humilty: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (chapter called The Great Sin)
When People are Big and God is Small by Edward T. Welch

as well as listening (or reading) to:
John Piper's sermons on Humility

If you have any other recommendations, PLEASE share!!!
Thanks,
Melissa

Quoting Gary Thomas from the Glorious Pursuit

"Pride is that potent, that destructive, that abusive, and that offensive. Relationally, there are few things so obnoxious as self-righteousness. Spiritually, there are few things so injurious or even lethal as pride.

The irony is, the more we experience the character of Christ, the more natural reason we'll have to become prideful...If we're not careful, spiritual growth can sabotage itself."

Learning to Read

A little over a week ago I began teaching Anna & Maggie to read using this book: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. It has gone so awesome. The book has made it so easy for me & the girls. The lessons are so quick & simple to follow. Each of them has already learned to read about 8 words, and we are only on the 10th lesson. It is very crazy to think that in 3 months that I will have two readers!

Stepping Heavenward: One Woman's Journey to Godliness

I really enjoy reading! Most of the time I wish I had more time to read... and every now and then, I simply forsake almost all other duties and submerge myself in a book. Well that's what happened with this book (sorry Wes & girls). It's a "journal" of a Christian woman who is very much like the character of Joe from Little Women. I really loved seeing the heart of someone struggling with her sin nature and seeking to deepen her personal relationship with Christ. And though I am very different from the character, many times I felt like the thoughts were taken from my own journal (if I kept one). In case you don't get a chance to read the book for yourself, I'll leave you with the most poignant quote from the book:
"Do you always submit to God's will thus?"
"In great things I do," I said. "What grieves me is that I am constantly forgetting to recognize God's hand in the little, everyday trials of life, and instead of receiving them as from Him, find fault with the instruments by which He sends them."

Recommended Books on Marriage & Parenting

sebo - used book store
Originally uploaded by bluevelvetbr.

Well awhile back I told Kimberly that I would get her a list of recommended books on Marriage & Parenting. Sorry that I haven't done it before now Kimberly... but finally, here it is... This is defintely not a complete list (I've had 4 kids in less than 6 years, so I don't have the brain power to remember all that I've read, nor have I had enough time to read all the wonderful books out there). Please post any great books that you've read also! For really great reading check out Amber's blog... She is always reading great stuff! Thanks for sharing your books with us Amber!

I don't necessarily agree with every single point of these books. I just really enjoy seeing other people's faith applied in their families. I love the uniqueness of each home! May we all live out the WORD in our homes.

These are in no particular order, and I'm sorry, but I didn't link them.

Marriage:
Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson
Sacred Marriage by Gary L. Thomas
The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
On the Other Side of the Garden by Virginia Ruth Fugate
Creative Counterpart by Linda Dillow
Intimate Issues by Linda Dillow
Fruit of Her Hands by Nancy Wilson
Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper

Parenting:
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp
Mission of Motherhood & Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson
Raising Children to Adore God by Patrick Kavanaugh
Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman
Teach Them Diligently & The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo
Standing on the Promises by Douglas Wilson
Sacred Parenting by Gary L. Thomas