2018 Reading List

I'm not sure I've ever created a yearly book list, but I thought this is the year to try it! Here's what I am hoping to read-

via

Christian Living-
-Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors
-The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy by Timothy Keller
-Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
-Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples by Francis Chan
-Present over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist *

Parenting-
-Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp
-Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe by Sarah Mae & Sally Clarkson*
-There's an Easier Way:21 Ways to Lovingly Raise Your Children Without Regrets by Bonni Greiner and Kathy McClure
-Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life's Biggest Yes by Kristen Welch

Miscellaneous-
-Having a Martha Home the Mary Way: 31 Days to a Clean House and a Satisfied Soul by Sarah Mae
-Longing for Paris: one woman's search for joy, beauty and adventure-right where she is by Sarah Mae*
-Present over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist

Ministry Related-
-Boundaries: When to say Yes, How to say No to take control of your life by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
-Formational Children's Ministry: Shaping children using story, ritual and relationship by Ivy Beckwith
-Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst

If you enjoy reading, I'd love to hear some book recommendations. What are you reading this year?

Experiencing His Rest

Sometimes I get frustrated with myself. That never happens to you, does it? :) My perfectionist personality really shines through in the summertime when it comes to creating to-do lists and goals that I aim to accomplish in a short amount of time. Problem is that when I don't achieve all that I desired, I become easily frustrated with myself. However, I am realizing something new- I don't have to do it all.

I've been doing a Women of Faith book study with a dear friend. The book is titled Resting in Him: I need to slow down, but I can't! It has been a definite challenge for me to accept the fact that I don't have to be superwoman, especially in these few months where I do have extra time to work on projects. Sometimes taking an afternoon off to relax and spend solely with Jesus is a much better alternative. "When we take the time to rest, we begin to realize that what feels like doing nothing is really allowing God to do something inside of us." ~Margaret Feinberg.

Since I've come to this realization, I've planned more restful moments into my schedule. It really has made a difference! If I feel tired, I take a short power nap to rejuvenate. If I have the urge to read, I sit down and relax for a bit with one of the books from my summer stack. :) I've also made morning devotions and prayer time a huge priority. Beginning my day with Jesus is the best way to start off my day and brings a joyful heart and attitude!

One final thought:

"When we stop, we are in a better position to allow God to move in our lives. Rest is a physical reminder that we are not in control of everything and, at the end of the day we are not the ones who have to hold it all together. That is God's job. Rest reminds us of our place, not just in life, but in Him." (Feinberg)

May you experience the blessings of His rest today!

It. Has. Meaning.

One resounding thought continues to resonate within my heart::

It has meaning. Every single situation that we go through has purpose.

via

He sees the big picture in the puzzle of our lives even if we can only focus on the one missing piece.

The Creator knows where it is and when He wants to give it to us. We just have to be patient.

If you're anything like me, the patience words evokes sighs and eye-rolling.
[Ok, maybe that's a little dramatic, but you get the point.]

Patience is hard. Which is why I've been doing a bible study on it with a dear kindred spirit. :)

If you are so inclined to doing one yourself, I'd highly recommend the book we're using:

Patience: cultivating Spirit-given character// a six-week study by Calvin Miller.

I'll even give you a taste of it's treasures:

- "Patience isn't something we develop; it is something God develops in us as he takes over."

- "Patience is something that sustains us while we wait for God's will to be revealed. Patience reminds us that God's timing is not our timing. Patience is quiet confidence in God's promised provision."

-"What does patience look like? It looks like God standing on the eastern shore of the Red Sea waiting for Israel to take that step of faith. It looks like the loving father awaiting the return of the prodigal son. It looks like Jesus Christ standing at the door and knocking. Patience is yielding to God's perception of our circumstances in light of his view of the future."

And those are all taken from the introduction!

Needless to say, I am learning so much and being challenged greatly. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love when I sense God working in my heart and life! To Him be the glory.

My prayer is Exodus 9:16-

"But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Blessings to you as you strive to be a patient Christ-follower!

Fall must-reads

Thought I'd share what I've been reading lately, in case you are looking for a new (or old) book to add to your collection.

• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill

You may have already read this classic. It was new to me (even though I was familiar with it.) Not sure why I didn't read it years ago because it was excellent. Corrie's testimony is phenomenal and it brought tears to my eyes several times. Her experiences in which she came to connect the similarity to Jesus's trials (persecution, hunger, betrayal, etc.) spoke to me so much. Have I ever experienced these same things (probably not), but how much more grateful I am to my Jesus for what He went through on our behalf.

• Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Again, not a new book, but a challenging one. If you are a quote-lover like me, this book has many good ones.

• Grace by Max Lucado

Can't wait to read this new one! You can read more here.

• The newest Liz Curtis Higgs book, Ruth

The story of Ruth has fascinated me for years so I'm anxious to read Higgs' take on it.

What books are on your must-read shelf right now?

Summer reading list

I'm happy to say that I actually managed to read the following books this summer:

• Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver

I'd highly recommend this one.  The title kind of speaks for itself.  If you're anything like me, life can  be crazy and this book is very challenging.  It's from a few years back, but the title grabbed my attention when I was at the library.  You can read more about it at this website.  I was fortunate enough to buy it for myself {barely used} at a local thrift shop.  The price of $1 was pretty sweet too.

• Every Day Deserves a Chance by Max Lucado

His books are always good.  Enough said.

• In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving by Leigh Anne & Sean Tuohy with Sally Jenkins.

This is the couple behind the movie The Blindside.  Excellent story.  {Thanks for the recommendation, Natalie.}

• Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs 

This is a fictional account (with biblical backup) of ten bad girls in the Bible, from whom we can learn some valuable lessons.  {Jess, thanks for lending it to me.}

• Slighty Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs 

A continuation of her Bad Girls series, this book takes a look at five women in the Bible, who made both wise and unwise decisions, much like us today.

• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis 

A classic Christian author who has penned many famous books.  This one takes a look at the various components of the Christian faith.  I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy reading this one, but I did find some classic quotes and many challenges.

• A Man Worth Waiting For: How to avoid a bozo by Jackie Kendall

This is a follow-up to Lady in Waiting, which I learned so much from. This book, however, gives words of wisdom on how to avoid a bozo in a relationship and instead hold out for a Boaz. It was an interesting read, but I felt like I've already experienced or came to understand some of the points already in my life. This was more of a teenage book, I do believe.

• Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis

I don't even know how to describe this book, except to say that it's a must-read.  Seriously.  It will change your life.  It was my favorite book of the summer.  Please do yourself a favor and check it out!  I'll just leave it at that...

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This was probably my second favorite book.  It has hilarious humor, along with serious points.  This is a story of 3 women living in Mississippi in the 1960's.  You may have already seen this recent movie, but I'd encourage you to check out the book as well.

The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

You might be questioning this one so I'll admit why it was on my list. I had to read it for school. Yes, this teacher had to do a summer book report! This book discusses the various learning styles that guide children in the learning process. While it wasn't my favorite summer read, I did learn a lot.

10 books in 3 months.  Probably could have been better, but I had a few week-long trips thrown in there.  Now it's back to school this week, which likely means I won't have as much time to dig into more good books in the upcoming months.  But I shall do my best!

Ambitions for the new year

Just thought I'd jot down a few things that I'd like to accomplish in 2012:

• Bake a loaf of fresh bread.
• Learn how to play the guitar.
• Volunteer.
• Have an outdoor photo shoot with friends.
• Get up early to watch a sunrise and actually take the time to enjoy it.
• Organize several years worth of photos.
• I'm not big on scrapbooking.  Any easy, but cute shortcuts to this?
• Be more crafty.  Hello, Pinterest!  :)
• Be an encourager via cards, visits, secret gifts, etc.
• Become more mission minded.
• Do a personal study on the names of Jesus.
• This may lead to a new blog series!
• Do a random act of kindness every day.

Here's another list~ this time it's books that are on my Have Read/To Read List (Thanks for the idea, Natalie!)...

• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.
• I'm half-way through this book and loving it!  She has such a unique, yet interesting writing style.  I've been challenged to look for ways in which God has blessed me in life with gifts both great and small.
• A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers.
• This is an incredibly thought-provoking fictional account of the stories of five women in the lineage of Jesus- Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.  Although some of the details were imagined by the author, it's possible that the same thoughts and feelings of these women were very real.  I'd highly recommend this book to those looking for something that will cause them to ponder and take a deeper look at each of these womens lives in the Bible.
• Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado.
• He has such great thoughts as well, encouraging believers to make a difference in our world.  What if we all took the Great Commission seriously and genuinely did our best to live a Christ-like life?  This is another book that I'm partway through (I have a bad habit of doing that!) 
• Crazy Love by Francis Chan.
• I've heard so much about this book so I figured I'll have to check it out for myself!  It's just sitting on my bookshelf waiting.  And waiting...
• Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot.
• A friend recommended this book to me, but I have yet to read it.  Looking forward to reading the words and wisdom of Elisabeth soon.
• Through my Eyes by Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker.
• Ok, I'll admit it.  I'm a fan.  This guy's solid faith and genuine life, even in the spotlight, is pretty admirable.  My brother wants to read this book so I decided I'll check it out when he's done with it!  :)
• I'd love to read some biographies this year too.  Know of any good ones?

I suppose that's enough of books to keep me busy for now.  If anyone has any book suggestions they'd like to pass on, I'm all ears!  And I'd love to hear your goals/ideas for this year as well!

Blessings,
Janelle