by Linda Goldfarb @lindagoldfarb

I love mysteries. The Nancy Drew Mystery series and the Hardy Boys made me consider becoming a detective. As a young girl in a military family, I traveled a lot. Living in foreign countries and more than thirty states across the U.S., my life was an adventure that fed my imagination daily.

Recommended reading in school provided a broader scope of literature, read for a purpose, not necessarily pleasure. The Scarlet Letter, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Of Mice and Men lined my bookshelf for a purpose. Some showed more promise to a young adventurous me, The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin, The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Web, and others along those lines.

When asked to contribute to My Reading Life, my first thought rang hard, I can’t remember all the books I’ve read, I’m sixty-six years old, and I’ve read—a lot. Therefore, I’d prefer to share a tiny portion of my growing years and concentrate more on what I read in this season of my life. I pray you receive one nugget worth the read.

Today, a variety of books line my shelves. Each book holds a world of adventure unique to growing me spiritually and relationally. Please allow me a moment to unpack a lifetime of understanding about myself and my Forever God.

When Jesus became the Lord of my life, I was thirty-two years young. I grew up in the church and read my Bible religiously. Upon waking the morning after giving all of me to Father, I became ravenous for Truth. Book #1 – the Bible, my favorite mystery. Reading the Bible alone will not grow us spiritually. We read it to know God intimately; in doing so, He will show Himself in mighty, moment-by-moment ways.

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With my spiritual eyes opened, I began an intentional journey of supplemental reading (beyond God’s word) filled with disappointments, revelations, structure, and laughs. I won’t share the disappointments as these reads are personal to each of us.

Reading The Healing Power of Forgiveness by Ray Pritchard opened my heart to heal based on God’s truth. Deborah Smith Pegues’, Confronting Without Offending proved invaluable as I was walking my way through brokenness.

The Littauer Personalities books helped me discover God’s design for me. Personality Puzzle was a great resource leading to the current writing of the LINKED® Quick Guide to Personalities series.

Spending a weekend under the teaching of James Bryan Smith and reading The Good and Beautiful (God, Life, and Community) series opened my eyes to recognize my relationship with Abba Daddy beyond the walls of a brick-and-mortar church.

My first quick-read series was Jan Johnson’s Spiritual Disciplines Bible Studies – my favorite, Simplicity & Fasting.

The Pursuit of God, another quick read by A.W. Tozer, resulted in a passionate pursuit for spiritual insight when I dared to speak to God as Father and friend.

I recommend the Blackaby’s, Experiencing God Day by Day devotional for every family to read together and Oswald Chamber’s, My Utmost for His Highest to anyone ready for a personal double-edged sword spiritual experience.

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnand, and Pause for Power by Warren W. Wiersbe provided a deeper consideration of my relationship with God, my family, and myself.

So many of my good friends are authors. Therefore I will not mention their books for fear of missing one precious soul. Many of which you can find here in the Reader Connection.

I’d love to hear if you’ve read any of these and what you experienced. Let’s journey together.

Linda

Award-winning multi-published author, Linda Goldfarb equips individuals to identify the barriers holding them captive, improve their focus, and get the results they are seeking in their personal and professional lives. As an international speaker, board certified personal development coach, podcasting host, and personality expert, Linda motivates and inspirers her audiences into action. “Studying and teaching the personalities for more than eighteen years has grown me relationally, professionally, and spiritually as a powerful Mobilizer. I’ve embraced listening more and talking less, and by doing so, I invite others to speak out with confidence.”