Sunday, January 22, 2012

E-Books and Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
 whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things.
Philippians 4:8

I was blessed this Christmas with the gift of a Kindle Fire and have had fun loading it up with music and books.  This verse came to mind today as one of the teenagers in my Sunday School class started talking about her Kindle Fire.  

Since I got mine, I've realized there are thousands of free e-books that are available to us.  Some are really great books while others are not even fit for a library.  We discussed that just because a book or song is FREE, doesn’t mean we should download it. We live in a modern world; and technology is advancing at a rapid rate.  

Image courtesy of The Feathered Nest
The information we store and read on our e-devices
affects how we think.

Our thoughts affect the way we feel.
Negative thoughts, untrue thoughts,
all lead to stress and anxiety.
I know……..I’ve been there!  
 You’ve been there!

Information is readily available to us with a tap of our finger, or a click of a mouse.  You no longer have to go to the video store or bookstore to purchase materials you wouldn’t be proud to show someone.  You can fill your mind with this material without even leaving the house. 
 
In this society we have become desensitized to information our grandparents would have been appalled to hear or see.  Unclean and impure thoughts can creep into our home without us even realizing we’ve invited them in.   

The verse I’m featuring today, Philippians 4:8 is a scripture we all need, to clear our minds and focus on the wonderful blessings God has given us.  Training your minds to go in this direction will relieve us of unnecessary stress and give us more peace in everything we do.

I spoke on this topic at a women’s retreat last fall.  One of the young women there shared the following: 
Shore up the foundation of my mind,
sealing every crack, supporting every stone,
Until nothing comes in that isn’t from you.

Image Courtesy of The Feathered Nest
I’m really excited to share with you today a digital graphic I designed using this verse, and images from The Graphics Fairy and Free Pretty Things for You.  I love the way it came out.  Yours free for personal use or sharing. 


Speaking of Kindle Fires, I have a few sites to tell you about with some free book information.


A Cherished Keeper
has a list of free educational books 


From her blog, I found a link to this homeschooling blog
Ben and Me which has a long list of free Kindle books for kids
Christian Book Distributors now offers free e-books. They also offer a free reader which can be downloaded to your computer, so it’s not necessary to own an e-reader to get the free book.  

Books that are not in MOBI format (Kindle) can be converted using a free program called Calibre.  

Another site that has thousands of free books is
Project Gutenburg 



Thanks for stopping by today. 


18 comments:

  1. So true! With blogging and being online a lot, it is so easy to walk away discouraged or feeling like I wasted a good chunk of my time. you are right, we have control over what we allow to put in our minds and we need to filter things so that we walk away uplifted! Encouraging thoughts!

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  2. Thank you! :) Lovely post! I am sharing on FB.

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  3. Dear Abby,
    I'm so excited I discovered your lovely blog!
    So true, everything you said here.
    And yes, the graphic is beautiful.
    In fact, you've just gained another follower! :)
    Blessings

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  4. You are so on target with this post, Abby!
    Your digital art came out so pretty -- your a pro at creating beautiful pieces like this!

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  5. Thanks, Abby. What great advice from that woman at your retreat! And, basically, this is the underlying message of your post this Monday morning! A wonderful way to start my week! Thanks, too, for the book image and also the one from The Graphics Fairy--I am a fan of her blog, too! Blessings! Kay

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  6. In this society we have become desensitized to information our grandparents would have been appalled to hear or see. Unclean and impure thoughts can creep into our home without us even realizing we’ve invited them in.

    Exactly what a visiting preacher shared in a very truthful sermon in our church yesterday!

    Thank you so much for sharing this post. Blessings on your week

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  7. Abby, I very much enjoyed your post and I hope the following will meet with your blessing.

    http://liveanddreamalittledream.blogspot.com/2012/01/so-many-books-so-much-to-choose.html

    God bless,

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  8. Hello, dear Abbey, your post today is so important, and I wish that especially young people could read it. I wish I could have heard you speak at the retreat. God bless.

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  9. awesome reminder. thanks for the shout out, too. that verse is our homeschool verse. love love love all all-around!

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  10. passing by to remind you of my valentine giveaway..if you like to participate just leave a comment and let me now friday night i will choose a winner and saturday will be sending the giveaway little too early but it takes a week to arrived..hope you join...you can read about it on my blog...god bless you...loves soraya

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  11. Great thoughts and great illustration. I know an author that is offering his book today free. Check out John Betcher. I have reviewed all his books and enjoyed them all. I enjoyed your post. Important things to think about.
    Have a Blessed Wednesday,
    Sherry

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  12. Love my Kindle... I have the 2nd I believe and have thought about the Fire.

    You are so right when you say great free books and "books" that are trash.

    I do have three Bibles's on my Kindle (all were free!)

    Enjoy your blog.

    http://theemptynestexpress.com

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  13. You so hit home with me on this one. I have been clearing away that which is not useful and uplifting in the non digital areas of my life as well. I'm going to add your image to my desktop background on my computer so I can see it each day when I begin my work.

    Thank you SO much for sharing!

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  14. I love that verse so very much, Thanks. Blessings ~

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  15. Yes, so true! Wonderful words to remember as we are confronted with so much digital info with such ease and speed. Thanks for the links too. And thank you for the prayers and well wishes for my recovery! I am doing well.

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  16. Grat topic, Abby~

    It is almost too easy to find a site...especially when one pops up that you aren't expecting! THAT is horrible! Thanks for telling our youth about the dangers of it. I say, "Garbage in--Garbage out!" If you put garbage in your mind...only garbage can come out!

    I love Philippians 4:8, as you know. I still have not learned how to make digital cards. And, I really do want to have one with this Verse on it to share in our card give-aways to our guests from out of the country. If you know of someone who may be willing to serve by making one and telling me how to send it, I would be grateful. Thanks!

    He IS Able!
    Traci Starkweather

    http://He-IS-Able.blogspot.com

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Your comments are blessings to my day.