What's On My Bookshelf This Week

Although it's been a busy few weeks around here, I still have several books going at the same time. A couple of them are study books, two of them Danny and I are reading at the same time and one is just plain interesting!

* Dead Men Do Tell Tales by William R. Maples. My undertaker has been reading this autobiography of a forensic anthropologist to me. Using skeletons - or even individual bones and fragments - he determines the age, gender and ethnicity of a corpse, then uses that information to help law enforcement agencies in their investigations. Danny shares some of the things he's seen as well, which makes the time reading this book even more fascinating.

* Believing God by Beth Moore. One of her books from 2004, she makes you question whether you believe in God or believe God Himself. Every single statement she makes is backed by Scripture, and she is very clear that the reader will have to make radical choices in her life if she wants to see God work in radical ways. This is a great book about wanting what God wants and then cooperating with Him so He can bless us in amazing ways.

* The Nelson Impact Study of Genesis - In The Beginning. I prayed long and hard about what study book or topic to do next, and this is the one in finally chose. It takes you back to the beginning of time itself and walks chapter by chapter through the book of Genesis. It's full of charts, maps, language lessons, cultural explanations and short questions to study and answer. It turns 50 chapters of stories we're already familiar with into new and exciting lessons that take you to the heart of how it all began.

* Meal Planning and Table Service by N. Beth Bailey. This is my fun, just-plain-interesting book right now. Written in 1923, this book discusses the art of entertaining in the home, rules of table service, principles of menu making and how to plan for special occasions. It's fascinating to read about what was important in the 1920s' home and how the wife was responsible for serving healthy food for her family as well as being a proper hostess. Much of it is antiquated now, but there are a surprising number of chapters and sections that I would love to use for company and ladies meetings just because they're interesting and different.

* You And Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan. This is another one Danny and I are reading together. The subtitle of this book is Marriage In Light Of Eternity, and that is definitely the writers' focus. While there is practical, application advice to use in your marriage, the reader is informed from the beginning that your relationship with God comes first before you can be ready to work on your marriage. We want marriages full of love and companionship, and the best way to do that is to reflect the gospel. It's made both of us stop and think about finding identity and fulfillment in Christ and then letting that love, joy and peace overflow into our marriage.

* 200 Ten-Minute Meals. We've rearranged our schedules to be able to go to the gym after work several days a week, so dinners that can be made ahead of time or very quickly have become a necessity. I've barely scratched the surface of these recipes, which range from simple meals that can be made with ingredients from your pantry to more modern, upscale dishes to mix things up a little.

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