My Love of Reading

I love reading. I am always reading something whether it be a book or some devotional. I typically will be reading a few books at one time. I can't seem to read just one. There are just too many to read! I was not always a reader. This all started when I had my back injury in 2005. I had severe back injury in which I was off work for several months with physical therapy. Not a fun time for me at all. It was one of the most depressing times in my life. I was off work. I could not do the the things I really wanted to and I was really bored! So during this time I found my way to the Lord after being a way from Him for several years. This back injury was a blessing in disguise. Not sure I would of found my way back to to Him if it had not of happened. It brought me to my knees and I had nowhere to look but up! But during this time I started reading. I was just bored and needed something to take my mind off things. And one day someone told me about this book called Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory. And I decided to read it. I absolutely loved the book. I was really intrigued  by the book and the way Jesus had appeared to the character in the book. So there started my desire to read more books like this about Jesus. So for the next several months I did nothing but read. Another book that I happened upon during this time was the devotional God Calling. I was in the book store and this book just seemed to jump out at me. It was just sitting right in front of me. So I was intrigued with the title of it "God Calling" as if God was really calling me to read this book. So I bought it. And the daily devotionals just seemed to really speak to me. God really got my attention with this little book. And I have continued to read this devotional over and over the past several years. I never get tired of it. 

God had just put this new desire in me to read during that time. I sure had enough time on my hands! And I have not stopped since then. I have actually have become a bookworm. I love books. When we bought our house a few years ago one of my requests to God was to have a lot of bookshelves in our house. So what did God do for me? He gave me a house with a whole library in it! I just love it. Our house has a huge library in it with a ton of bookshelves. God is good!

Other books that have had an impact on me were
 Good Morning Holy Spirit by Benny Hinn, 
You still here Lord series by Karon Goodman, 
Come away my beloved by Frances J. Roberts, 
Daily in your presence by Rebecca Jordan.

I also read Left to Tell by Immaculee IIibagiza. 
It is her story about the Rwandan Holocaust. Amazing story. And later I found out she was also Catholic. I did not realize this when I was reading the book. I realized it after I became Catholic. Just found it interesting. These are all books I read during my time off with my injury that really began to help me in my faith. I read so many. Too many to list but these I just remember really affecting me during that time off with my back injury. And since I have become Catholic my list is even longer now! 

Some of my favorite Catholic books are: 

The Story of a Soul by St. Therese de Lisieux

Rome Sweet Rome by Scott Hahn 

The Surprised by Truth series

The Diary of St. Faustina 

      Medjugorje:The message by Wayne Weible  

The Way by JoseMaria Escriva 

33 Days to Morning Glory

The Fire Within by Thomas Dubay
St. Rita

These are just a few. I have more but too many to list. And I won't even mention how many more books I have on my kindle!

Right now God has me in this place where I want to read more about Mary. So that is what I am doing. I also love to read about books on people who have died an gone to heaven. Those are some of my favorites to read. I am always trying to find a book to read about heaven. 

I can't just read one book at a time. I am in about three different books right now besides the daily devotionals I read everyday. I recently found this book called "Visions" by Victor S. E. Moubarak on his blog Time for Reflections. Really great book. Really enjoying it on my kindle! The title "Visions" just jumped out at me. 

I am nurse and one of the things you have to do as a nurse is multi task. At work I will have five or six things going on all at the same time and handling them all at the same time! I guess that is why I can't just read one thing at a time. I am not wired that way. I just thank God for giving me this desire to read so much. I could just stay in my room all day and just read. And on rainy days that is what I like to do. Just a book and some coffee and I am good to go!