I was not a reader as a kid. I was a TV kid. You might not guess that looking at my overstuffed bookshelves today. Even today, I read to learn, not usually to be entertained. For leisure, I want to watch and listen. All that to say, my bookshelves are filled with non-fiction, especially books on biblical women, biblical commentaries, biographies of historical women, and lots of reference books about women’s history, ministry, and leadership.

A friend recently challenged me to post on Facebook my favorite books for a certain number of days. I didn’t quite get all those posted. So, I thought I’d share them here so I can say something about them. I’d love to hear about some of the books that have shaped you. And can we just say that the Bible would be on all of our lists? So, I’ll save the biblical texts that have shaped me for another day.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill – The story of a Christian Dutch watchmaker, Corrie ten Boom, who was sentenced to a German concentration camp for hiding Jews in her closet, captured my ninth-grader heart and challenged my young soul. I was already committed to Christian service by that age, thinking I was going to become a medical missionary to Africa (see next entry). Reading about Corrie and her sister Betsie’s faithfulness helped me establish some solid spiritual commitments at a young age. Seeing the movie also made a deep, lifelong impression on me! And her story would intersect with my own in a surprising way 15 years later. (Details to follow in a future blog post.)

The Story of Albert Schweitzer – I don’t remember if the book pictured was the same book or author. When I discovered this book in my junior high school library, it was on the wrong shelf. I was hooked when I realized it was a biography about a medical missionary to Africa. Since I wasn’t looking for the book or even knew who Albert Schweitzer was, I still believe that book found me. I was also a piano student at that time and was learning a lot of Bach music. Albert Schweitzer was–and is still considered–one of the world’s greatest experts on Bach. I had found my first soulmate. Move over Donny Osmond and David Cassidy–Albert Schweitzer now had my greatest affection. Albert Schweitzer’s dedication to medicine, music, and theology, and his willingness to live cross culturally would have a profound impact on my life in the years to come. While I didn’t become a medical doctor, I did become a doctor of education, graduate from seminary, and lived cross culturally in Romania–and then I found a music minister husband who had already read Schweitzer’s books on Bach! My nerdiness as a kid did finally pay off!

Idea for leaders of ministries and small groups: I’ve developed a getting-to-know-you discussion guide you are free to download, photocopy, and use. It is based on a little booklet that also had a wonderful influence on my life: My Heart, Christ’s Home by Robert Boyd Munger. You can purchase this little booklet in packages of 5 from Christianbook.com. The discussion guide would be good to use with or without the booklet to help a group get to know one another. However, I do highly recommend the booklet as a discipleship tool.

Let’s share resources: Please tell us about your favorite and influential books in the comment section below.