Bibliophile exhibits unimaginable RESTRAINT while in Dallas...

As is our habit (okay, addiction) when we visit Dallas, we spent almost three hours at the anchor store of Half Price Books. There actually are a number of smaller 'satellite' stores throughout the metroplex, but we just didn't have time for those on this trip (we normally hit at least 2 or 3).

If I do say so myself, I exercised GREAT restraint on this trip, as I walked away with ONLY two books. TWO! But they are real 'gems' to me.

The DFW (Dallas Ft. Worth) area Half Price Books locations are ideal for the 'religious' reader since there are at least three major seminaries in the DFW metroplex; Dallas Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Seminary, and Perkins Seminary, not to mention the various 'religious' colleges, ministries, and mega-churches in the area (conservative, charismatic, liberal--you name it!).

Here's one I 'rescued' from those cold lonely shelves that happens to be a "signed" copy--which isn't a big deal to me, but still sort of neat. This book is a companion book to "I Will Exalt You, O God", which I found locally at a used bookstore several months ago. I've been loving it, and was surprised and delighted when I ran across this companion book.:


Check out this book at Amazon


And, this one:
Check this book out at Amazon

I've been through Donald Whitney's "Spiritual Disciplines" several times and refer to it often, so I was delighted to find this one (above). In the Introduction he says, "My purpose in writing these pages is to act as a physician of the soul [a phrase used by English Puritans to refer to ministers]--to ask questions and suggest spiritual tests that can, by the Holy Spirit, enable you to self-diagnose your spiritual health." and, "Where eternal life through Christ does exist, there should be not only health but also growth. That is what this book is about--evaluating your spiritual health and growth."

Interestingly, this just happens to be something that has been frequently on my mind in recent years in the context of the 'tension' between contentment and discontent in Xian living and Xian worship.