Paring down to Essentials

In just a few weeks time, at a time not of our choosing, our first child will arrive into the world. As yet, I still don't have an office to move into. This has been something of a nuisance. It's not right that my wife has to put up with the office while being unable to prepare reasonably for the baby, so I've packed up as much of my office as possible including the vast majority of books and stuck them in the garage I rent, just around the corner. Today, I've been moving stuff about, and attempting to construct a cot bed.

So right now we have moved my wife's desk from the back hall into my office, plus some of our bedroom furniture so we have a little space in the bedroom for a cot. It's very easy to grumble at times like this, when life isn't 'convenient' or straight forward. But our blessings are without number and if our child arrives (hopefully in good health) our blessings will increase. We have been given so much that we lack for nothing on the baby front, and although we might improve things we actually lack for nothing materially in any other way either. Therefore despite the 'inconvenience' we are content.

I wasn't going to blog on this, but instead ask the question, which books are absolutely critical for preaching and leading? It will be interesting to see as I strip away all the vast number of books, whether it means I actually spend more time in the Bible and more time before God seeking the right way of communicating the message. This 'inconvenience' could turn into another blessing...