Books have been important to me. I blame my mama for that. She read fairytales to me when I was a little boy. Before I could read or write, I knew all about Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood. Television was not available during my childhood. We did have a radio but it seldom worked well – too much static. But mama brought excitement into my young mind by reading the stories of Hansel and Gretel and the Three Little Pigs. Later I made that a family tradition by read those same tales to my own children. No child should have to grow up without getting acquainted with Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Billy Goat Gruff. Mama must have known that listening to fairytales will jumpstart God’s gift of imagination. Mama did not stop with fairytales. She made sure my siblings and I became acquainted with Aesop’s Fables. I did not know who Aesop was but I knew about the Lion and the Mouse, the Fox and the Crow and the Boy who cried “Wolf.” In grammar school I fell in love with the school library. It introduced me to my first hero whose name was Tarzan. In college and seminary, the library was my second home. I loved to find a secluded place behind the towering stacks of books and get lost in a good book. I could concentrate better in the silence; studying in the midst of noise has always been difficult for me. During years of pastoral ministry my reading consisted mostly of the Bible and books that helped me understand how to preach and grow a church. I found great help in reading C. S. Lewis, Elton Trueblood, N. T. Wright and my favorite of the Classics – The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. At age 70 I discovered Stephen Ambrose. No one should die without having read Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage and Band of Brothers. Since my first retirement, I have enjoyed getting to know George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, Douglas MacArthur, Martin Luther King Jr., Jimmy Carter and others. I love biographies, especially those written by David McCullough. In recent days my soul has been stirred by reading these excellent books: Every Holy Moment by Douglas Kaine McKelvey – a delightful collection of liturgies for every occasion, including one titled “Before Beginning a Book,” and another “Lament upon the Finishing of a Beloved Book.”The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen – My third reading! Living in Christ’s Presence by Dallas Willard – Inspiring observations about heaven and splendid insights about living in the Kingdom. Resilient by John Eldredge – Practical ways to strengthen weary souls. Heaven by Randy Alcorn – The best book available on this subject. An Amazing Alabama by Karl Stegall – Delightful book about my home state written by a good friend. A Promise Kept by Robertson McQuilkin –suffering could not put out the fire to this man’s devotion to his wife. New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp – The finest devotional book I have come across since My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Garrison Keillor said, “A book is a gift you can open again and again.” I agree. So any day is a good day to read a good book – or to give someone a good book to read. What a great blessing – the gift of reading! + + +