The Nightstand Library

This is what is on my nightstand right now.  All of these books were added to my collection in September.  I am about half way through most of them.  I have finished more of some and less of others.  I hope to finish them all before Christmas.  I have learned so much lately.  I feel so with it.

I am excited about "A Mother's Rule of Life."  I read the first chapter and was all teary-eyed, because I knew how the author felt.  She was a mother at her wits end. She was a home schooling mother of five and never could find the balance.  She prayed and prayed and never could come the answer to her problems, so she decided she was going to send her children to school and that would solve it.  But, her husband asked her to wait a week.  She went months and things did not change.  But, one day in studying scripture it came to her.  Christ feeds the multitudes: When five thousand men came to Christ to be taught and needed to be fed he did not send them away.  He fed them with five loaves and three fishes.  Christ did not solve the problem by sending them away.  He blessed what they had and fed a multitude.

I am a little farther in the book now and I am hoping to glean valuable life management skills from this book.  The book is largely about living a similar life to a religious order Rule and the five "p's" (prayer, person, partner, parent, provider).  In one sense, it is one of those books in which I already knew a lot of this.  However, seeing it in print and well-organized empowers me to actually get my life better organized and prioritized.  I especially needed a reality-check on my attention to prayer as I have been skipping regularly scheduled prayer lately.  The author actually had time to pray the rosary by herself in the middle of the day while having five children at home.  And a private walk by herself after dinner.  What novel ideas.  Time to herself everyday and she did not have to fight for it.  She simply scheduled it and scheduled something for the family to be doing at the same time.

From the new Duggar book, I have learned more about gentle, peaceful parenting, which I definitely need.  My wonderful young children are awesome and such a blessing.  They are also independent little individuals who do not wish to obey immediately.  However, they are also not rational and most of the time my demand that they obey has a lot to do with protecting their safety.  I have noticed that if I sweetly ask for cooperation rather than bark orders I am much more likely to see acquiescence.

What are you reading?  I have to start compiling my list for after Christmas.  As of May I will not be reading any books for at least six months after the new baby is born.  I have to make up for lost time.