God Confidence

My goal is to read 20 books in 2013. These are my first 15 picks, and I know I’ll stumble upon books as time goes by so I’m leaving 5 slots open. For this season in my life I want to stay content in my single state and encourage others to be content as well. I want to continue to grow and expand the ministry God has given me. I want to really understand biblical womanhood and fully accept the unique role God has called me to, and I want to grow closer to God by living a life of total obedience and strive for holiness. I think those spiritual goals are reflected in the books I chose. Here they are:

1. Sacred Singleness by Leslie Ludy
2. What happens when women say yes to God by Lysa TeKuerst
3. The pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
4. Becoming God’s True Woman by Nancy Leigh Demoss
5. Emotional Purity: an affair of the heart by Heather Arnel Paulsen
6. The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer
7. Sustainable Youth Ministry: Why most Youth ministry doesn’t last and what you can do about it by Mark DeVries
8. Let me be Woman by Elisabeth Elliot
9. A Sassy Girl’s Guide to loving God by Michelle McKinney Hammond
10. The Divine Mentor: Growing your faith as you sit at the feet of the savior by Wayne Cordeiro
11. How to avoid the 10 Mistakes single women make by Michelle McKinney Hammond
12. Not a fan by Kyle Idleman
13. Knowing God intimately by Joyce Meyer
14. Authentic Beauty By Leslie Ludy
15. Respectable sins: confronting the sins we tolerate by Jerry Bridges.

Books I need to finish
The Girl’s still Got it by Liz Curtis Higgs
Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer
The Threshing Floor by Juanita Bynum (I actually just need to start this one over)

My favorite book of 2012
Stress Point: Thriving through your 20s in a decade of drama

It was the perfect book to read after my college graduation as a 21 year old! I really enjoyed it.

1. Don’t compromise

2. You may value someone else’s friendship more than they value yours

3. When you’re unsure- don’t

4. Study the bible, don’t just read it

5. Serving The Lord is true joy

6. God can do without a degree

7. Many women are more concerned about having a man than their relationship with God.

8. Singleness is a great gift, an awesome time for service to The Lord

9. The prayers of the righteous really do avail much

10. Move forward, stop beating yourself over the mistakes of the past, it’s only hindering your present.

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. (John 4:34 NLT)

Imagine a relationship with God so strong and potent with His peace and joy that each day your faith is unshakeable and immovable to the point where your only desire is to just know God. You serve The Lord tirelessly through the gifts and talents He has given you and you perform the works he has already arranged for you in advanced.

Serving The Lord in spirit and in truth is the only way to quench the thirst and hunger we have for other things that distract us from our relationship with God. The things we crave and desire most began to take precedence over the One who is suppose to be the center of our heart. They are things that are less important than doing the work of the Kingdom.

One of the ways we can enjoy a relationship with God that is not diluted with lesser things is finding out what he wants us to do and doing it. Our nourishment will not come from the things we crave: the job, the new car, house, marriage, money, clothes, etc… Chasing those things will leave you empty and unhealthy desires restrict you from experiencing the fullness of God in your life.

Jesus makes it clear how we are truly satisfied- doing work! Not just any work, but the work that God has prepared us to do! Once you busy yourself in The Lord, you will see that you’ll become rather ambivalent about those desires that were strong before. They start to become small in comparison to the work you’re doing for the kingdom.

So release yourself and quench your thirst by putting your desires second and God first.

-Brittany