Being Discerning When Reading

I am a professed book worm. I have a very long list of books that I would like to read. This list would be much longer if I took every suggestion I come across for books to read. I don't do this though, because as a Christian woman is very important to me to be discerning in what I choose to read. Some things I may find offensive, other things are just not my cup of tea, and still others are of a subject matter that the Lord has led me to know that I should not be reading. Over the years I have become more discerning and will probably do so more and more as I grow as a Christian.

Do yourself just read what ever the popular crowd is reading or do you pick and choose? How do you make these decisions? Do you make them based on your lifestyle and what you believe is true and right, or do you choose just according to what looks good?

One thing that I require in books that I read is that they make me stop and think, or they teach me something new. I don't like to waste my time on books that one might read just to be reading. The time I get to spend reading is precious and I looked at it as such. The book lists that I now have has been revised twice already to get rid of books that would be a waste of my time to read. Now do not get me wrong I would not go and look at someone else's list and say they were wasting their time in what they have chosen to read. Each person has to make those choices for themselves, hopefully with the Lord's leading.

Are we thankful in all God does?

When we have a problem we usually go to the Lord in prayer, but how often do we go to the Lord in prayer of praise when something good happens and He blesses us with things that we need. We're all guilty of this, but it is something I myself am trying to work on. I bring up this subject, because this weekend we were very blessed. My husband had been wanting a piano for a long time and we have been living meagerly in the way of furniture. This has been resolved; a close friend of ours had moved from one state to another and had excess furniture. While he was going through his house he realized he didn't use the piano he had purchased many years ago. When he told my husband how we would get the furniture to our house my husband teasingly told him to put the piano on the trailer too. Our friend then replied that he would do that. My husband thought he was joking, but he assured my husband that he was not. After everything was brought into the house I thanked the Lord for His multiple blessings. I had never even asked for a piano, but I do believe that our littlest one will be using it in the near future. We believe she has been given the gift of music and we want to teach her how to use that gift to honor the Lord. When things go well for you this year try to make it a point to thank the Lord for these blessings. He provides for us in more ways than we can possibly imagine, but if we pay attention we can see more blessings than we have noticed in the past.