The Autobiography Of George Müller

Today I finished reading The Autobiography of George Müller. I was very impressed and challenged by the faith and prayer life of this godly man.

These excerpts from his diary allow Müller to tell his own story of his journey from a life of sin and rebellion to his glorious conversion. Read of his struggles and triumphs as he establishes orphan homes to care for thousands of English children, depending on God's response to his prayer of faith to supply all things.

George Müller's unwavering, childlike dependence upon his heavenly Father will inspire you to confidently trust the God of the impossible in every area of your life.

Her Hand in Marriage by Douglas Wilson

The modern dating system is bankrupt. It does not train young people to form a relationship but rather to form a series of relationships, hardening themselves to all but the current one. Recreational dating encourages emotional attachments without covenantal fences and makes a joke of a father's authority. The disrespect children have for their fathers in this area is an echo of the disrespect fathers have for their own office.

Biblical courtship provides a wonderful freedom. It involves familial wisdom and godly protection. Grounded upon the involved authority of the father, courtship delights in its public connection to the lives of families. Sexual purity is a great inheritance for a marriage, and part of a father's job is to guarantee and protect that heritage.

Biblical courtship is a humble affront to the sterility of modern relationships. And as a new generation rejoices in this ancient wisdom, the current waves of broken relationships will begin to recede.

Douglas James Wilson (born 18 June 1953) is a conservative Reformed and evangelical theologian, pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, faculty member at New Saint Andrews College, and prolific author and speaker.

A Call to Prayer by J.C. Ryle

I just finished reading this good little book. J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) knew that praying is as natural - and as necessary - to spiritual life as breathing is to physical life. If this book was apropos in his day, it is doubly so in ours. This booklet is Bishop Ryle's clarion wake-up call about prayer. It is a potent remedy for spiritual apathy and weak Christianity. I put this in my top 5 books category.

How Should a Child be Trained by Rev. J.C. Ryle

 
I just finished reading How Should a Child be Trained by J.C. Ryle in 1844. 


Unlike most modern child training books, this little booklet is very straightforward and it's timely instruction is applicable to both prospective and veteran parents. It stresses the eternal welfare of the child, as well as those habits which mold a child's character. It draws straight from the scriptures and teaches only what God has to say about child training and not one man's opinion. 


L.J.H. says "this tract with the character of the man behind it, is the strongest argument on child training I have ever read." I agree.

The True Significance of the Wedding Covenant

With the loss of oral tradition, much of the wedding ceremony’s meaning has been overlooked. What is the purpose of the white runner beneath the bride’s feet? Why do the bride and groom feed a piece of cake to each other? Why does the groom enter the sanctuary or auditorium first?

I found this book to be not only very educational in understanding the wedding covenant traditions but also its rich and holy symbolism of the marriage of Christ.

Joel Salatin's Books

Today I finally finished the last of Joel Salatin's books. I borrowed the first few from a friend and read them during my breaks at work last harvest. Since then, I've got all 6 books.

The first I read was Joel's first book You Can Farm. During my time in Virginia Joel signed my book and wrote "oh yes you can!" This book is subtitled:  "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise."  A veritable compendium of information, Joel pulls from his eclectic sphere of knowledge, combines it with a half century of farming experience, and covers as many topics as he can think of that will affect the success of a farming venture. Since visiting Polyface in Virginia I'm wanting to read this again. It'll come more to life having seen the farm and some of the ways they do things.

Next I read Salad Bar Beef and Pastured Poultry Profits. In these two books Joel covers all the ins and outs of raising Beef and Poultry. Note: Joel has since revised some of the ways he raises his cows after the influence of Greg Judy and Ian Mitchell-Innes.

Holy Cows and Hog Heaven is written for food buyers to empower them in their dedication to food with integrity.  Farmers who give it to their customers say that folks who have read it have a new level of understanding and a delightful attitude about the farmer-consumer relationship.  A short, easy read, this book will make you laugh and cry, all in a matter of minutes. 

Joel calls Family Friendly Farm his soul book.  Right now, four generations live at Polyface.  That requires vision, grace, and an attractive farming and business model.  The subtitle, "A Multigenerational Home-Based Business Testament" delineates the far-reaching implications discussed in these pages. It's worth reading just for the 10 chapters titled "10 Commandments for Making Your Kids Love the Farm."

In Joel's latest book, Everything I want to do is Illegal, he takes the time to rant and on about every regulation, law, government official, and more. Although Polyface farm has been glowingly featured in countless national print and video media, it would not exist if the USDA and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services had their way.  From a lifetime of noncompliance, frustration, humor, and passion come the behind-the-scenes real stories that have brought this little family farm into the forefront of the non-industrial food system. It'll open your eyes to what the small farmer has to goes through.

Boyhood and Beyond by Bob Schultz

Boyhood and Beyond is written in an easy to read and very practical format. The simple, to the point chapters can be read in ten minutes and each is concluded with questions and an application. Though targeting boys I found it to be very applicable to me at age 22. It's a book I'd like to read to my sons someday. Some of the chapters are Admiting it, Authority, One Degree at a Time, Coveting, Temptation, Forgiving, Get up Again, Where Do I Belong?, Justice, Leadership, Learn to Like it!, Meeting God in the Morning, Misunderstandings, No Rest Without Work, Overcoming Fear, and Pain.

Boys who are on the road to becoming men on honor, courage, and faith will greatly benefit from the heartfelt encouragement and sound advice offered in Boyhood and Beyond.

Unseen Influences

By Henry F. Kletzing and Elmer L. Kletzing, 1899

“How do you know there is a kite in the air?” said a man to a boy who was holding a string leading skyward. “I see nothing and you see nothing.” “But I feel it pull!” was the prompt reply.

So with many unseen influences coming from various sources. We cannot explain their origin, but somehow they mold and shape our lives; somehow we feel them pull our hearts upward and onward.

We associate with men whose thoughts are ennobling, whose lives are refined and have an aim, whose conversation is elevating, whose manners and bearing are courteous and dignified, and unconsciously our own lives are taking on the same traits, our characters are expanding in the same direction. On the other hand, let our companions be those whose thoughts are debasing, whose lives are coarse and aimless, whose conversation is commonplace and borders on the vulgar, whose manners are rude and offensive, and unconsciously and involuntarily we, at least in some respects, show the influence of these surroundings upon our own lives.

Sailing from Cuba, a sailor thought he had gained sixty miles one day, but the next observation showed that he had lost more than thirty miles. There was an unseen undercurrent. The ship had been going forward by the wind but going back by a current. A man’s course may often seem to be right, but the undercurrent is sometimes carrying him in a direction the very opposite of that which he thinks he is going. Unseen influences may be debasing or elevating. Every man has an influence over someone else. This influence may be far-reaching or otherwise, according to circumstances. It is impossible to deny or to be free from the responsibility of exerting an influence upon others. Each one must, however, decide for himself whether this influence shall be ennobling or degrading.

Many a pliable youth, whose future was still undecided, has had his destiny determined by a word, a look, a touch, a shadow. Thousands of men have been destroyed in this world who never knew, nor even suspected, that it was some small circumstance that determined their destruction. Thousands of men have been led by some unseen influence to choose the better part and to give their lives for the uplifting of humanity.

Living Without Electricity by Scott & Pellman

Probably not a topic that would interest many but I bought this book thinking it would be informative. I picked it up and was so engrossed in it I couldn't set it down. It took me two days to read it and it has given me a much deeper interest and appreciation for Amish lifestyle or the old way of doing things. This book covers several topics and answers questions including How do you light a room without electricity? How do you cook? How do you get hot water? How do you keep warm? How do you wash clothes? How do you make clothes? What do you do for entertainment? How do you communicate without a phone? How do you farm with out electricity or a tractor? and many more. Although it doesn't go deep into each topic it does give the reader a good understanding of several areas.

The Green Letters by Miles Stanford

I just finished reading The Green Letters by Miles Stanford. Very informative, inspiring and convicting. I rate it a top ten book.  From the back cover:

As the first book in a series of five on the Christian life, The Green Letters emphasizes both the doctrinal and experiential aspects of maturing in Christian living. The book is grounded in Scripture and enlivened by quotations from noted authors. "Not I, but Christ" is its theme. The author makes this arresting statement regarding the dynamics of the Christian life: "God . . . doesn't intend to help us live the Christian life. Immaturity considers the Lord Jesus a Helper. Maturity knows Him to be life itself." Perhaps the greatest drama in the world is the slow and subtle growth of character in the Christian. Beauty of character can be developed only through years of reflection and experience in the Word of God as the life of Christ is increasingly lived by faith. The Christian life is a healthy, robust kind of life. It advances also through trials, for in one who has faith even suffering is not wasted, but becomes a means for increasing spiritual vigor and strength.

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr.

More teens are turning away from the faith than ever before: it is estimated that 75 to 88% of Christian teens walk away from Christianity by the end of their freshman year of college. Something must be done. Family Driven Faith equips Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, anti-family society. Voddie Baucham, who with his wife has overcome a multi-generational legacy of broken and dysfunctional homes, shows that God has not left us alone in raising godly children. He has given us timeless precepts and principles for multi-generational faithfulness, especially in Deuteronomy 6. God's simple command to Moses to teach the Word diligently to the children of Israel serves as the foundation of Family Driven Faith.

I just finished reading this book and really enjoyed it. Voddie Baucham addresses family discipleship and family worship very well and to the point. I also really appreciated his chapter Learn to Love.     

Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller

This evening I finished reading Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller. Success, true love, and the life you've always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness. The Bible tells us that the human heart is an "idol- factory," taking good things and making them into idols that drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller shows us how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts. A idol cannot just be torn down but must also be replaced. We often replace them with another worldly idol. To find true happiness it must be replaced with God. A top 10 book.

Read Through Your Bible in One Year

Have you ever read the entire Bible all the way through? One of the most important essentials in the daily life of a Christian is spending time reading God’s Word. The Bible says in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Statistics show that most people professing faith in Christ have never completely read their Bible. Many Christians don’t know where to get started or how to go about this seemingly daunting undertaking. Bible reading plans are designed to help you go about this task in a focused and organized way in only 20 minutes a day. I strongly encourage you to consider reading through your Bible this year.

Here is a site with several reading plans.

The Farming Ladder by George Henderson

I just finished reading The Farming Ladder by George Henderson which I borrowed from the Murphys. If you see this book second hand BUY IT! It is out of print and right now there are only two on Amazon.com for $150. I'm thinking more like under $20. Joel Salatin calls it "his favorite book of all time." I enjoyed reading the story of another farmer who did old fashion or "Joel Salatin" style farming over 70 years ago. It covers everything from movable chicken pens to crop rotaion, cattle and farm entrepreneurialism. 181 pages, hardcover. Published in 1944.

Reading

I was never a big reader. I wish I'd read more in my teen years. Take note you who are younger and have time! Over the last year I've done a lot of reading, in my very little spare time, on several subjects including politics, firearms, farming, Christianity, biographies, woodwork, US history, and of course my Bible. My problem now is that my pile of books to read is growing beside my bed faster then I'm reading!