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Paula's avatar

Always love your book bag Linda. I've read several from Dr. Henry Cloud a few were required for my counseling classes back in the day when I did my Masters in Marital & Family Counseling at Liberty University (online).

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Oh I hear Liberty has a really good counseling program, Paula!

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Amanda Fowler's avatar

I love that you have this time capsule!!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Oh I know, isn't it fun to see what we were reading way, way back in the day?!

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Maryleigh's avatar

A Reading Time Capsule would be an amazing task to tackle! I need to think about that. I keep picking up The Women and setting it back down - I will rethink that. It is nice to see Henry Cloud is not only on your RTC list - but is also on your current list.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Yeah, it's kind of comforting to move through all of life's seasons in the company of prolific authors, whether fiction or non ...

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Brooke Shorey's avatar

Found you from Lisa Hensley. Glad to be here! Love the idea of a reading time capsule too... might have to borrow it for my stacks posts, though mine only go back to 2010. I'd love to have 30 years of reading memories!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Hey Brooke, welcome! I'm glad you're here, too. And it's never too late to pull together a time capsule, right? 2010 sounds like a perfect launch.

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Sally Olson's avatar

I'm a sucker for booklists! I ike yours. I want to read them all.

Right now I am reading Lysa TerKeurst's book, "Forgiving what You Can't Forget."

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Sally, hi and welcome! So very glad you're here. We talk books here around the middle of each month ... I'll be looking forward to hearing what you're reading.

Yes, Lysa TerKeurst is fabulous. My favorite is Good Boundaries and Goodbyes.

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Sally Olson's avatar

🤯That title is next on my list. "I Want to Trust You, But I Don't" is out now, too. Trust issues, anyone? 😬👈

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Linda Stoll's avatar

No one is better equipped than Lysa to walk us through this hard stuff. She's been there, done that. No wonder her ministry is so powerful.

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Jennifer Smith's avatar

Oh my but these October evenings have been wonderful for a good quilt or blanket...and a good book! Hope you have been able to enjoy several wonderful stretches of reading. Happy Hump Day to you!!:)

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Jennifer, just reading your thoughts made me sigh with deep contentment and gratitude. You said autumn so well, friend.

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Cheryl's avatar

I savor every one of your posts and always find such a blessing here. I haven't really done a whole lot of reading lately, except for my Bible studies. They have been rich to my soul and I am steadily learning at Jesus' feet. He is so faithful to feed us, isn't He? All He needs is a hungry heart that thirst after Him. It was so wonderful to visit with you today. Sending much love and gratitude to you for all you do, friend!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

'I am steadily learning at Jesus' feet.'

Cheryl, your key word jumped right out at me - STEADILY. Not here and there or occasionally, but creating a focused rhythm that draws us into His presence with adoration and expectancy. Thanks for that word, friend.

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Nancy Andres's avatar

Wow. What a list. Thanks for sharing at Slices of Life Talking About it Tues #42. I read "The Women" and really enjoyed it. Will check out others that appeal to me. Wishing you a beautiful day. Nancy Andres @ Colors 4 Health.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Nancy, thanks for taking the time to say hi. Love that!

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veronica lee's avatar

I really appreciate that you've been compiling this list of great reads.

Hugs and blessings, Linda

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Linda Stoll's avatar

It's been fun!

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Kym @ A Fresh Cup of Coffee's avatar

I am intrigued by The Plan and will start by looking up the author's podcast! I need help with organizing my life! I'm reading a mystery novel called The Word is Murder right now. Visiting from ST&F today

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Kym, I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me that we've reconnected again. You've made my day ...

Bless you, girl.

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Sue Fulmore's avatar

I love that you have been doing this round-up of good reads for so long! 👏👏

I also read The Women - there was so much in that book - I especially loved her portrayal of what it might be like to have PTSD - very enlightening.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

You're right, Sue, there was so much to absorb in The Women. I'm sure a re-read will be in order at some point. In an email I got yesterday, a friend wrote that it was 'hard to read in many places but sooooo worth it ... I usually loan books out that I love, but this one is still on my bookshelf ... hard to let it go.'

No wonder it has 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

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Jamie S. Harper's avatar

I have heard so many good things about The Women, but I have not read it yet. I love the way you organize your book posts!

I just finished Briar Club, which I see in your picture. Curious what you think of it. It took me a long time to get through it. I mostly enjoyed it, but it won’t be a favorite.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Yep, The Briar Club is a library book that I checked out on someone's recommendation (but I can't remember who!). I pretty much stick to my policy that if it doesn't captivate me in about 50 pages, I'm done.

It'll be interesting to see if it grabs me! Meanwhile, I'm glad you're here for a BOOKBAG post - I do one each month before the 15th. So glad you enjoyed it.

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Jamie S. Harper's avatar

Well, the story did captivate me so I made it through the 50 and wanted to finish it. But chapters are very long and each one has a different character perspective. So it is almost like a new book each time but telling one story. I did like that aspect of it. Overall, I liked it.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Sounds like a lot of focused concentration involved ...

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Lois Flowers's avatar

Linda, I now have a hold on Henry Cloud's book ... thanks for the recommendation. My favorite reads of the year so far are travel memoirs. One is a book I edited that comes out next week ... "Waking Up in the Wilderness: A Yellowstone Journey" by Natalie Ogbourne. (You may be familiar with her; she's a fellow blogger.) She's a friend so I may be biased, but it's an amazing book. :-)

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Oh I think you'll like Cloud's book. And your comment touched some place deep within me because it's only been very recently that I realize that I will never be able to travel to all the places I wanted to go. I always thought yeah, someday. And now I'm realizing that's probably not going to happen.

So yes please to explorers and writers like Natalie, who open vistas that we'll never be able to appreciate in person. It makes me sad to say that but it's true. Yet another thing to grieve, right?

Waking Up in the Wilderness: A Yellowstone Journey

https://amzn.to/4eCMGvA

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Bill Grandi's avatar

H Linda! I apologize if my list has "repeats" on it. I'm in the Christmas preparing mode so my reading has been Alistair Begg's new one (I plan to reread it again this next month). I'm also rereading Greg Laurie's Christmas devotion as well as Paul Tripp's. (I have gone through it 6 times over the years). A new one for me is The Dawn of Redeeming Grace and I am reading Child in the Manger. These last two are by Sinclair Ferguson. I will wait to read Revering God by Thaddeus Williams and The Eclipse of God by Erwin Lutzer. if I have repeated any of those please forgive me.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

When I saw that Paul Tripp had an advent devotional, I headed right over to Amazon and put Come Let Us Adore Him right into my cart. And it was 55% OFF ... how could I not?!

https://amzn.to/3A6ISnd

My question for you today is how does a pastor find time to blog and read so many books in the midst of 24/7 ministry?!

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Bill Grandi's avatar

Well, I get up early (3:30 every morning except Friday which is my day off). It allows me to spend about an hour having my Encounter Time and write my blog. I then come to the office and the first thing I do is type it into my blog and LinkedIn (Copy and paste). Then I work on a sermon. During my ET I use the devotions which keeps me focused). When I'm done studying then I read and mix in office work.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

3:30!!!!!

That explains it all. Amazing.

I find it very interesting that your Encounter Time (devotions?) and online writing come hand in hand. I find that to be true, as well. It's like the closer we get to the Lord, the more He unleashes what He wants to do in us ... AND through us.

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Bill Grandi's avatar

yes. Encounter Time is what is commonly called Quiet Time. It may be picky but I was looking for a word or words that truly described what I wanted to experience. QT is good but I wanted it to be more than just that. I wanted to Encounter Jesus. My experience is as yours is. I try to write either what He has given that morning through His Word or some experience I have had-recently or otherwise.

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Andrew Budek-Schmeisser's avatar

Hallucinating these days...

I really need to read a book,

it's something that I truly ought

to do, but then I take a look

out the window, and my thought

shouts out 'SQUIRREL!' with daring glee,

and all else fades away,

and you see, friend, this is me

on each and every single day,

hostage to what bright thing passes

through my field of view,

rodents, lads, and bonny lasses,

and maybe YOU will be there too,

calling to my fickle fancy,

with squirrels and lads, bejeweled and dance-y.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

🐿️

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Carol D's avatar

The MH Library Big Read is a book titled The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton. I never cried so much reading a book and the fact it is a true story, made it sadder at times. But I kept hearing this verse: ““Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’” Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭44‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Well Hinton visited prisoners, all right. He was wrongly accused of murder and lived on death row for 30 years. He was a black, Baptist, Bible believing young man when arrested. The best is how he encouraged, gave dignity to the lowest of souls, and let God help him overcome unforgivesess, hatred, discontent. Hinton truly lived without refusing to help the least of these.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Carol, hi! You're bringing back such good memories of the Big Read! Thanks for giving us this thorough review of Hinton's book. It sounds like it impacted you big time ... and your opinion has always carried great weight with me ... so I'm off to reserve my copy at the library right now. Thanks, Buds. Miss you.

ox

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