James Watkins   Author   Speaker   Threat to society   EMAIL A COMMENT   MEET ME AND MY FAM ON FACEBOOK  HOPE & HUMOR IN 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS ON TWITTER  ENJOY ORIGINAL VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM JAMES wATKINSENCOURAGEMENT FROM JAMES wATKINSTHE LATEST FROM HOPE & HUMOR


REACH OUT NEW TESTAMENT

My top ten most influential books

Here are the top ten books which have most influenced my life:

10. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
I love her concept of becoming "real." (Read it online.)

9. The Technique of Clear Writing by Robert Gunning
Still, one of the best books on writing.

8. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
I love his concept of focusing on "Important/Non-urgent" items in life rather than all the "Unimportant/Urgent" items.

7. The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck
The opening paragraph changed the way I look at life: "Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters." (I quote Peck in Squeezing Good Out of Bad.)

6. True Spirituality by Francis Schaeffer
A great book for thinking Christians.

5. Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey
Yancey's honest approach to God has gotten through a lot of "why's."

4. Ascent of Mount Carmel by St. John of the Cross
The Catholic mystic explores "the dark night of the soul" when God seems absent and we are stripped of the blessings and feelings that often become idolatry in our lives. Heavy reading, but worth the effort. (Read it online.)

3. The Imitation of Christ Thomas a Kempis; paraphrased by Donald Demaray

"Many praise and bless [Christ]—
only so long as He gives comfort,
   But if Jesus hides,
   leaving them even a short while,
   they complain or
    get depressed.
But those who love Jesus
just for Himself,
    and not for special comforts,
    bless Him in the midst of every trouble and anguish
    just as they do when feeling on top of the world"
(II.11.1-2).

This book has been a consistent "best-seller" for over five hundred years (second only to the Bible). And for good reason. It's a powerful antidote to the "healthy and wealthy" "name it and claim it" prosperity gospel" of today. This is at least my tenth time through this life-changing book. (Read the original online.)

2. Abba's Child
Brennan Manning

". . . make the Lord and his immense love for you constitutive of your personal worth. Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. God's love for you and his choice of you constitute your worth" (49).

This is at least the fifth time I have read this life-changing book. I need to constantly remind myself that my identity is not in being a writer and speaker, but of being a loved child of God.

1. Reach Out: The Living New Testament by Ken Taylor
This 1967 paraphrase opened up the Bible to a KJV-challenged college student. Current favorite versions include Today's New International Version, The New Living Translation, and the paraphrased The Message.


leave a comment, tell a friend, send me money

Email your comments to jim@jameswatkins.com.

If this page was helpful, please . . .
    a) tell a friend
    b) link to it from your blog or Web site
    c) save it as a favorite at delicious.com
    d) recommend it to digg.com and StumbleUpon.com

If this page was really helpful, please . . .
    e) consider a donation to our sponsor XarisCom. You can donate securely with any major credit card

    


legal stuff and warnings

Copyright © James Watkins. All text and graphics on my sites, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted © in my name, James N. Watkins, and are protected by United States copyright law and international copyright law under the Berne Convention. Please visit the press room for information on reprinting any text or graphics. Thanks!

WARNING: Reader assumes full responsibility for the proper and prescribed use of this site. For external use only. Discontinue if rash, redness, irritation, or swelling develops. If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Side-effects may include drowsiness or mild to severe agitation. Do not read while consuming alcohol or operating heavy machinery. Keep away from open flame. Do not store above 451 degrees. Do not use near or place in water. Void where prohibited, taxed or licensed. Any medical information provided is for general educational use only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of any other person—real or fictitious, living or dead—using the name James Watkins.