Books.

Have you ever just wanted to stop time for a week, curl up in a comfy chair, and just read book after book? Maybe that's not you, but it's definitely me. I decide how good my vacations are based on how many books I was able to read. Bookstores are to me as the mall is to a shopaholic. I have spent more money on books in the past two months than I probably have on food.

Go ahead, call me a nerd. I dare ya. I have had a lot of people, good, strong leaders even, tell me "I'm not a reader" or "I don't really read many books". I discovered this quote the other day and I think I agree with it:

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."

Don't judge me, but at the moment I am probably in the middle of about 9 books. Granted, a lot of them are ministry related (and I actually get paid to read them) but still- even I will admit that is a lot of books. And I have to be careful. Because as much as I would like to just curl up for a week and read, read, read, I have to remember why I read books. Beth Moore says "God is interested in whole hearts, not big heads". Am I reading all of these books to gain more knowledge for the sake of knowing things or am I reading them to challenge my worldview, to change my ways, or to effect change in someone else's life?

One of my favorite speakers to ever come to Taylor said something I will never forget: "we don't read the Bible to finish, we read the Bible to change". (I actually saw him at Pancake Pantry in Nashville a few months ago, but that is irrelevant.) May I never be someone who reads God's Word to finish or to gain knowledge for the sake of knowledge. I want to give Him my whole heart...not just my big head.