Updated Musing Mondays - January 12

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme sponsored by MizB of Should Be Reading that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

** NOTE the NEW LIST of PROMPTS! **

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Has any author ever had a huge influence on your reading? Who, and why?

Excited to see a new list of prompts for Musing Mondays. Since MizB was inspired enough to create some new prompts, I figured we deserved two MM posts today.

Here's my answer to this week's random question:

Christian writer and speaker Kathi Macias has made a huge impact on my reading. We met as a result of her going on tour with her book, Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World. I had never read anything like it before in my life. It's a book that is impossible to rush through. Each and every chapter caused me to stop and reflect on Biblical stories I thought I knew so well: The Good Samaritan, The Prodigal Son, The Sower. As I said in 2008 when I posted my review, "Reading Beyond Me is a personal and emotional experience; a gentle call to review what is in your heart and to see if you not only accept Christ as your savior, but are willing to put aside your wants and desires to obey His commandments and follow Him."

Though I had read a lot of non-fiction in the past, after reading Beyond Me, my non-fiction turned to Christian non-fiction; books that would help me grow personally and spiritually. Other books by Kathi Macias I would recommend:

• Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers Today
• How Can I Run a Tight Ship When I'm Surrounded by Loose Cannons?: Proverbs 31 Discoveries for Yielding to the Master of the Seas

Kathi has also written or co-authored dozens of novels. Visit her online at http://kathimacias.com/