“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” G.K. Chesterton

For me, books are like snapshots in the scrapbook of my life. The books lined on my shelves play a part in my story. There’s an emotional connection to each one of them because they remind me of places I’ve been in my life. Like a collection of postcards from places traveled, my books tell the story of my life journey.

There are Nancy Drew books I read as a child. They were a place to escape the realities of a painful life. I could live the life of a mystery sleuth and get away from the burdens of life that weighed me down. There are books I read as an adolescent that gave me hope when I had none. Books from my undergraduate years still line my shelves. They remind me of when God was teaching me about myself and growing me in my faith. There are professional books from my years in graduate school and from my work as a counselor. There are also books that helped me through my challenges with depression. And I can’t forget the books that spoke deep into my heart which God used to change me.

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