My current book stack is bigger than I thought it would be...

But then, I am actually not too surprised.

I sit down to read at least three times a day.

When I wake up in the morning, I sit down with my Bible and at least two devotionals.

After lunch, I read from at least one book.

Before bed, I sometimes read from one other book.

Right now, I am reading from the following books:

The MacArthur Study Bible - Back in June, I started a 90 Day Bible Reading Plan. Well, it is taking me longer than 90 days to finish this reading plan. Right now, I am in the middle of Isaiah.

Seize the Day with Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Charles Ringma - This one is a quick daily read in the morning with a Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote, a verse of scripture, and a thought based on the quote and the scripture. I started this one back in May. The entries may be short, but they are powerful.

New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp - Just added this one a couple of weeks ago and have been overwhelmed with how timely some of the readings have been.

Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional by Julie Fisk, Kendra Roehl, and Kristin Demery - I received this one from Tyndale House Publishers recently as an advance copy to review. I haven't read through all 365 daily entries, but I do appreciate the suggestions for putting others first each and every day. Our 'me-centered' society could use a good does of daily acts of kindness.

The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children by Stormie Omartian - Now that both of my children have graduated from high school, and I have been wanting to put more time into praying for others, I decided it was a good time to read this book. I haven't completely agreed with everything the author talks about in this book, but she does share some great content on the power of prayer for our children.

The Marvelous Mud House by April Graney - This is a children's book I recently received to preview from April, who is a Compassion sponsor and blogger. She wrote this book based on her family's travels to meet their Compassion sponsored child in Kenya. The book is a great reminder for all of us to be content, and that many of us have much to share with others.

Megan se muda by Jacqueline A. Wolfe - I am currently taking a Spanish class and our assignment this week was to check out a couple of children's books in Spanish so we can read them out loud in our next class.

Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors - I am hoping to save this one for my trip next week. As much as I am trying to use my Kindle, I still love to travel with an actual book.

So what books are in your current book stack?

This year, I decided to tackle some of the books that I have acquired and haven't read yet. The hard thing is, that I am continually seeing new books coming out that I also want to read. For someone who loves books and reading, this is a constant struggle for me. I thought about not adding any new books to my stack of books to be read this year, but that would be like not eating...ever!

At the beginning of the year, I did make a list of thirteen physical books that I own, and sixteen books on my Kindle that I have set a goal to read. To date, I have finished reading seven books on that list, as well as a couple of books I borrowed from the library and five new books I purchased this year.

I really wanted to work my way through some of the books on my Kindle this year. I kind of forget that they are there, which is why I made the list. Many of those books I downloaded for free or was able to purchase for just a couple of dollars. But when I feel like reading, my Kindle is usually the last thing I pick up for reading. So far, I have stopped reading two books on my Kindle from my list this year. I think I got a little too crazy with downloading some of those free books to my Kindle when they have been available.

When I am traveling, I still like to bring a physical book. There is something about holding a book, actually turning the pages. And if it is a non-fiction book, I love to be able to underline passages that I want to slow down and read over again.

One book that I read recently that I just absolutely loved is 'Love Lives Here' by Maria Goff. Some things I underlined in this book:

"God stretches each of our lives before us like a canvas. He hand us the brushes and the paint and asks us to make our lives look like our unique version of His love. Pick your own colors, not someone else's. He only creates originals, not copies, and expects no less from us."
" We all don't need to do big things, but we can do equally important small things."
"We're not our platforms or our positions, we're His people."
"The lessons we're learning never really end because all of us are still growing, changing, and becoming better versions of ourselves."

The tag line for this book is: 'Finding what you need in a world telling you what you want'

Don't you just wish we had all the time in the world to listen to His voice instead of what the world is telling us?

What have you been reading lately?