Do You Have Too Many Books?

I love to read books. The smells, the feeling of holding a paperback book, maybe a little worn around the edges, a little yellowing or even brown on the pages indicating a book well read and kept for many years, or a fresh, crisp new book, the excitement I anticipate when I turn the first page to get lost in., a page with earmarks on the top indicating I stopped on that page and wanted to remember where I stopped at if I did not have a bookmark. Can you tell I really enjoy books?

Mulling over this, I was a shy 6 year old, with a love of learning about books and what adventures they were about to share with me. Even Dick and Jane books have some sort of adventure, with simple words to use and gentle books to learn the power of words. For me, it was a priority to have a book in case class work was done early as I got older, done with a test before the bell would ring, as we did not have phones to entertain us. This might sound a little strange, but I also love the smell of a bookstore or library. It felt comforting to be around books, so I got used to the smell, and it made the reading experience a pleasant environment to be in.

There was this cute bookstore in Sedona, Arizona a long time ago that I enjoyed visiting, not only for the books, but also for the peace, tranquility, where I would not be bothered, but engage in my latest book reading.

It was old and kind of had an "old" smell to it, but it was good place to be in. Eccentric in nature, with many different books scattered in the store. It was organized, just a lot of books., some on the floor, some on the shelves. They had chairs by windows where you could hear the creek below, a pleasant sound as you read to your heart’s content.

The store was bulldozed down, in the name of progress, and something else is there today. I really miss that store and the people there. I think the people in the little bookstore were just as eccentric as the books, and that made a good combination of wonderful personalities with equally wonder books to read and get inspired.

I have yet to find another store similar to the one in Sedona. Sometimes I think bookstores are a slow dying breed. In the name of advancement? Technology? Convenience? I will admit I have a Kindle and it is quite nice to download a book very cheaply or even free. Especially if money is tight, the freedom of a good book in the palm of your hands is refreshing. There are libraries with plenty of good books, with those book smells, well used and well loved. But there is one book I really have enjoyed reading lately: the Bible.

The stories from long ago of God's people and how they lived, come to life, as if it just happened yesterday. Stories of love and hate, war and peace, God’s promise of a Savior and how it came to truth, and how we can have salvation today, even though the Bible was written thousands of years ago.

When I read a book, I picture myself in that time period.  Living with the heroes of old, listening to their stories, learning of their ways, breathing the same air as they are, just being. There is so much to learn and teach from. For example, one thing I am learning is how to wait. Waiting is hard. Period. But, not impossible.  If we rush into something too soon, then we might not get the results we were hoping for. Our impatience can push away something good God wants to give us, whether it is a healing, a financial need, a relationship restored, sometimes we have to wait for God. But…

Waiting can be very beneficial to teach us patience, endurance and even a sense of accomplishment that we did wait.

I think we can all use a little bit of waiting.  Many people in the Bible had to wait, and you will have to read it yourself to find out! Believe me, it is well worth the wait. I would start in Genesis as there is so much waiting, but also the book of John is an excellent book to read in the Bible as you learn about Jesus.

Another good book in the Bible is the Psalms. There are many, many verses that tells us to wait for the Lord. This would encourage you if you are waiting on something in your own life. A lot of the passages were written by a great king, David.  He was a man after God's own heart.  He cries out to the Lord, praises the Lord and thanks the Lord for His mercies. I encourage you to read the book of Psalms and learn about our amazing God!

So, even though bookstores are a dying breed, there are plenty of good books out there, waiting for you to start your adventure into, whether it is romance, adventure, fiction or non fiction, and so much more! What book can you start with today?