Ahhh...I'm Reading Again

I used to be an avid reader. I was on top of my game in elementary school scoring all kinds of "AR Points!" But ever since I was in high school and we no longer got to choose what we wanted to read but rather had it chosen for us, I lost my love of reading. Apart from having quiet times with God's Word, I just haven't done much reading at all, well, apart from the Twilight bandwagon I jumped on, lol. But that is changing...

My current read is this book...


...and I am loving it!

Our Wednesday night small group has been going through the book of Romans, and a verse really caught my attention a couple of weeks ago.

"So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." Romans 8:6

Now truthfully, all of Romans 8 caught my attention, but this verse sparked a thought in me as to who is really controlling my life. I know enough about the Holy Spirit to sort of "box him up." I know what He is capable of doing (raising people from the dead!) but I don't ask for that kind of stuff in my life. I feel that I hardly ask for anything at all. If I don't think I am capable, I don't ask. Instead, I make all sorts of lame excuses about why I am "not enough." In me saying that I am not enough, what I am really saying is that "God, you are not enough." And that is positively absurd!

So I feel God is teaching me all sorts of things about His Holy Spirit...the very Spirit of God who lives in the hearts of those who are His. He is one powerful Spirit! It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to break the power of sin...no other power can break it! In fact, I was reading John 16:7 when Jesus said...

"But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate won't come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you."

I often think that if I had Jesus physically beside me everyday, that I would make better choices, but Jesus said that it was actually better for Him to leave so that we could have the Spirit! So if Jesus said that was the best thing, then no doubt it was the best thing. So basically, I'm learning that the Holy Spirit is far more capable and powerful than I have given Him credit for, and I want to start living, really living, by that power.

So back to this new book...The Forgotten God

I picked up this book intending for it to be my airplane read on our return trip home in February, but haven't touched it since. So once I found myself reading about the Spirit and how powerful He is, I remembered that I had this book, which is subtitled "Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit." And I felt God pulling me to it. So now, here I am, reading again. And I can't wait to see where it takes me!