Confessions

I am a serial confessor. Ask anyone who has ever been around me for more than ten (okay two) minutes at a time – I confess absolutely everything. Every stupid thing I’ve ever thought or said, I feel the need to confess it at the first available opportunity to whoever may be in my general vicinity at the time. I don’t even need to know them. I’ll confess to anyone.

Several weeks ago I was at Target (otherwise known as my happy place) with my daughter and spent a tad (bucket load) more than I had intended to spend on account of all of those pretty little red clearance stickers on all the stuff at the ends of the aisles. By the way, this is one of the many reasons why Target is my happy place. They really get me. I know that I don’t need a purple reindeer shaped candle in the middle of July, but stick a little red clearance sticker on it and put it at the end of an aisle and I’m sold. Heck, I’ll buy three.

As we were checking out at the end of our shopping spree, I leaned over to my daughter and said, “Don’t tell Daddy how much I spent.” Hey, what happens at Target stays at Target, right? Obviously I was working on my mom of the year award. She laughed a little and we headed to our car. We loaded all of our wonderful (and necessary) goodies into the van and I immediately called her father to confess. “Honey, I just spent a ton of money at Target on a whole bunch of crap that we don’t need and I feel really terrible because I told Elisa not to tell you and I’m pretty sure she’s gonna need counseling because of it and now we probably can’t feed our kids because I can’t stop buying all the stuff.” He laughed. Yep, I’m a treat.

I’m sure you also don’t know this about me, but I was born with stupid eyelashes. This means that they’re a perfectly acceptable length for a boy, but are completely unacceptable for any woman. I blame my mother because she has stupid eyelashes too. My four girls, however, all inherited their daddy’s eyelashes which are long and beautiful. Boys with long eyelashes make me grumpy and mean. So, I bought myself some fake eyelashes to blend in with all the other girls in my house. I didn’t want to be the only one with stupid eyelashes because obviously that’s such an important thing. I loved them so much that I started wearing them out to places. I started small with family gatherings. Then I moved up to my regular places (Target and Starbucks). For the final test, I wore them to church…and (at least a few) people noticed! As soon as someone mentioned my pretty eyes my immediate reply went something like this: “They’re fake. Not my eyes. My eyelashes. I have stupid short eyelashes and wanted to see what it would be like to have long lashes so I bought these at my happy place. They cost $5.99.” My confession was met with an awkward smile, backing away and a “well, isn’t that nice”. Ha!

I once had a friend tell me that when someone compliments something I’m wearing that they are not interested in the store I bought it from or how much it cost, but instead they would be happy with a simple “thank you”. If only it was that simple for me. I would like to say that this weird confessing habit developed as I got older, or that it is just a phase, but sadly I’m pretty sure I’ve always been this way. My mother tells a story about me as a child when I was maybe seven or eight years old. I came to her with a concerned look on my face and asked if I could talk to her. She asked me what was wrong and I busted out crying and screaming, “I’m a liar! I’m just a LIAR! I lie all the time and I just can’t stop lying and I’m worried that I’ll never quit and I’m just a BIG FAT LIAR!!!” So my mother, being the super nurturing woman that she is, erupted in laughter and made a mental note to tell this particular story to all the people for all the rest of time.

Luckily I grew out of the compulsive lying, but the compulsive confession is apparently a born trait so I’ve decided I might as well embrace it. In fact, at band practice last week, my drummer suggested a new, special title for me: Kim the Confessor. Not quite as cool as Elizabeth the Great or Richard the Lion Hearted but I suppose it’s at least accurate. It could be worse, after all. Check out these guys with very unfortunate titles (Alfonso the Slobberer is definitely my favorite one)!

I wish that we, as Christ followers, felt the kind of safety that would allow us to confess like that to each other. I wish that we, as Christ followers, showed that kind of transparency to one another on a day-to-day basis. I think that it might grow some sort of grace in us towards each other if we were allowed to confess to each other without the threat or fear of being judged. Imagine for a minute that you felt so loved, so accepted that you were able to confess the thing that’s eating you up inside to people who could help you find your way back to guilt-free living. Imagine a place where there is SO much grace that you felt free to take a risk and be yourself – your REAL self. Is there anyone in your life that you can confess to? Share with? Be real with?

Now – ask yourself this – are you the kind of person that someone would feel safe confessing their heart to? Are you filled with Acceptance? Compassion? Grace?

Every day, I pray that God would grow His grace in me. That He would make me the kind of person that other people would feel comfortable sharing life with. I pray that He would teach me to love the way that He loves, and to show the kind of kindness to others that He has shown to me. Sometimes I get it right. Sometimes I don’t. Either way, I fall on grace. Grace is the goal. The fruit of a Spirit-driven, Christ-following, God-worshipping life is always the goal.

“To pray is to change. This is a great grace. How good of God to provide a path whereby our lives can be taken over by love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.”
Richard J. Foster

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Romans 12:10

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35

Growing God’s Church – A Book Review

The back of this book led me to believe that its purpose was to answer questions about how people are coming to church and to give an entire book full of practical advice on how to utilize this information. However, the entire first half of the book felt more like a scolding to anyone who isn’t spending all of their time and effort trying to persuade people to follow Jesus. The author, who came across to me as condescending and grumpy, made no mention of love, grace or kindness and also very little mention of evangelism within relationship. I understand that love and kindness wasn’t the subject matter of the book but I have a hard time understanding how it can be omitted in a book about growing God’s church particularly since Jesus himself said “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35) I felt as though he was promoting the kind of evangelism that would stand on street corners and call anyone who won’t make a decision to follow Christ a mean name. That’s probably a bit harsh. I assume that the purpose of the first half of this book was to convince Christians that evangelism IS indeed our responsibility. Which I wholeheartedly agree with. He even has a few great quotables: “The priority of Jesus was to seek and save the lost.” (p48) and “Our mission is inseparably bound with the mission of Jesus Christ.” (p32) However, I believe it is so very important to remind Christians that evangelism is most effective within relationship (which is proven by the data in the second half of the book). I almost stopped reading halfway through because I felt so weary of being admonished. I also felt that there was very little information provided in the first half of the book. It simply felt like an angry pastor on a soap box. Again, harsh. Sorry.

However, I did press on to finish the entire book and I’m glad I did. The second half is all about the research – complete with graphs and everything. I couldn’t figure out how the first half of the book connected with the second half because the research showed over and over again that the majority of people come to a relationship with Jesus through family or friends. So obviously relationship was an important precursor to evangelism in almost all of the cases represented by the data although the first half of the book made it seem as though relationship wasn’t quite as important as preaching and persuading. If the author had spent the entire book exploring the data, this would have been a much more helpful read. I would have loved to hear more personal stories from the people interviewed about how they came to Christ. I would also have loved to hear from pastors and churches who have successfully implemented some of the strategies suggested in the book. Which brings me to the most valuable part of this book. At the end of each of the chapters in the second half of the book, the author lists suggestions to put the data to use. One of them was: “Help your people write out their own testimonies…When individuals are prepared to share their own story, it is amazing to see how God opens doors for them to do so.” (p101) Such a great idea and there were plenty more just like it. Almost all of my highlighting included these “Down-t0-Earth Ideas”. As I read through the ideas near the end of the book, I found myself warming to the author. I wish he had spent the majority of the book on these ideas. Now THAT would have been worth the read.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Baker Books Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A Deeper Faith

I was married six months after I turned 18. I was desperately in love with a boy and couldn’t imagine being apart from him. My mother said that if we couldn’t be apart then we had to be married. So we married. 12 1/2 months later, our first child was born. I was 19. Four months later (about a week before I turned 20), my husband was diagnosed with leukemia. I was 19, a newlywed, a new mother and now the wife of a cancer patient. I knew nothing about leukemia except that it killed people. I was terrified. I remember so clearly that first week in the hospital. We were so young, and so clueless and so completely and horribly scared of our future, or whether or not we even had one together. You need to understand that I was (and still am) completely and totally madly in love with this man. He was my whole world. He made me feel whole and was the only person who made me feel like I made any sense at all. And I thought I was losing him. My first response was anger at God followed closely by paralyzing fear. But I knew there had to be something God was going to do that required this of me – of us. I believed God was who He said He was still.

During the first week that Ricky was in the hospital, we decided to attend a chapel service. We were so desperately searching for God’s assurance or guidance or something that would help us to process and understand this terrible thing that was happening. The chaplain preached a message out of the book of John. He said that sometimes God uses sickness, pain or death to teach us, to grow us, to move us to greater faith. He read through the story of Lazarus in John 11 and talked about how everything that happened allowed God’s glory to be revealed and proclaimed. I read John 11:4 that said, “This sickness is not unto death but that the glory of God may be revealed.”

I spent a lot of time over the next several months processing that scripture. I prayed desperately for a miracle. I knew that God was calling me to a deeper faith. Calling me to trust Him with the thing that meant more to me than anything. Calling me to a faith that could survive losing my husband. Lazarus died after all. He was brought back to life, but first he died. I knew it was a possibility – a strong one – that my husband wouldn’t win this battle – that I would lose him. I felt a bit like I was wrestling with God. I was begging Him for assurance that I wouldn’t lose my husband, begging Him for a miracle. He was telling me that I had to let go, and was asking me to trust Him for the outcome. Ultimately I did. I chose trust. I knew there was nothing I could do but trust and obey and believe Him to be faithful. Not long after, Ricky went into partial remission (although they don’t use that word with leukemia quite yet). After about five years he went into further remission and now, over fifteen years since the initial diagnosis, there is still no sign of leukemia. Although we know that it could return at any time, we both have a deeper understanding of what it means to trust God with the impossible.

Not long after my husband was diagnosed with leukemia, he entered a medical trial for a new drug that was supposed to have a dramatic impact on his specific type of leukemia. It was not FDA approved yet, and there were a lot of unknown factors. His doctors believed it was his best option (I truly believe it saved his life) and so we agreed and signed the million page document that told us all the things he couldn’t do while on the medication – such as other medications to avoid, foods to avoid, etc. One of these things was that we shouldn’t conceive any children while he was on the drug since there could be no way of predicting what affect, if any, it would have on a developing child. Keep in mind that I was 20 years old, newly married with a newborn baby girl. We, of course, agreed and began to take every precaution to prevent pregnancy. Although I knew it was the only option, I was still very sad and disappointed. At the age of 20 I knew that I would never be able to have another child. It was a terribly sad time for me. I grieved for several years and even begged God for another child, even though I knew it was a crazy request. For over five years I grieved over the children I would never have. I eventually had to come to a place where I trusted God with my grief and with my dream as well. I had to let it go to Him and trust that He knew what was best. I had to give up my dream of having another child.

Less than a year after that moment of surrender, I became pregnant despite two forms of birth control. I still don’t know how it happened. It was a miracle of God. After five years of praying for another child, God had heard my plea. He had answered my prayer. He had fulfilled my wildest dream. God does that. Sometimes He does that.

In each of these situations, God answered my prayer. Both times He fulfilled my deepest desire. But also, both times He required me first to let go of that which meant the most to me. There’s a pattern here that can’t be ignored. Remember the story about Abraham? Where God asked him to sacrifice his only son? Let’s go back a bit farther. This is before the ultimate sacrifice was asked of him, before the promise was fulfilled, before his son was born, before his name was changed to Abraham. Here he was known as Abram. This is such an important part of the story, so let’s go back to Genesis 15:1-6:

“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’ But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have give me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.’ He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

God promised Abram a son. More than that, though, he promised him a legacy. He promised that his offspring, his lineage, would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. He promised him a hope and a future. That future – that God himself planned and promised – hinged on Abraham having a child, a son.

Fast forward to Genesis 21:1-5 where God fulfilled His promise to Abraham:

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.”

Abraham obeying God’s command to kill his son, Isaac, is a story of sacrifice. However, in light of the original promise in Genesis 15 it is the very ultimate sacrifice. God wasn’t just asking Abraham to give up his son. He was asking him to give up the son that he had prayed for, begged for, dreamed of and on whom his entire future was depending on. He wasn’t just asking him to sacrifice something of significance. He was asking him to sacrifice that which held the very most significance to him – that which he couldn’t imagine his life without. He wasn’t interested in some sacrifice. He desired all, everything, the very most and nothing less.

He asks the same of us. To let go of that which means the most to us, to give it to Him. To sacrifice our own desires, dreams, hopes and futures in order to love Him more fully and trust Him more deeply.

Sacrifice requires trust. Trust that God will keep His promise. Trust that God will come through. Trust that no matter the outcome, He is working it out for my good and for His glory. Deep abiding trust.

Deeper faith begins with a deeper trust. You cannot believe God will come through if you don’t first trust that He is ABLE to come through. You cannot expect His faithfulness unless you first believe Him to be faithful. Abraham trusted God. He would never have made the trek up the mountain to sacrifice his one and only son if he didn’t trust that God could and would find a way to bring him back to life. “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Abraham trusted God’s faithfulness because He knew God’s character. Abraham trusted God’s promise because He knew Him to be trustworthy.

And He is.

He is so faithful.

Raising Uncommon Kids – A Book Review

I am always excited to read books with practical parenting tips and this one, by Sami Cone, didn’t disappoint. While her style of writing came across as preachy at times, the actual content in this book is pure gold. The book is split up into three sections: Your Heart at Home, Your Attitude Toward Others, and Your Influence in the World. Each section covers four biblical traits such as love, compassion, wisdom, forgiveness, and kindness. There are a lot of personal stories throughout and each chapter has a “mentor moment”. I actually didn’t believe either of these were necessary since the practical tips are, by far, the most valuable part of the book. I honestly would have preferred that all of those were omitted in order to make the book shorter and therefore a quicker read.

Now for the good stuff. The practical tips included in each chapter are fantastic. Not every tip would work for every family but this book has so many ideas that there is no way you won’t find at least a few that your family could get excited about. The majority of the book is aimed at helping parents think through their own feelings, actions and words that might be setting the wrong example for their kids. Although I walked away from this read thinking about things I need to change in myself, the tone of the book, however, is very positive. The author clearly wants to help parents to feel empowered and equipped to raise world-changing kids. She says, “Your influence will impact your kids far more than your instruction.”

I especially loved the chapter called Bearing With: The Secret to Sibling Love. Here’s my favorite tidbit:

“As parents, it’s hard to remember that our kids aren’t intentionally trying to drive us nuts. I think it’s safe to say that no matter how old we are, all of us strive to please our parents; the problem arises when we lack the tools to do so. Sometimes it is a literal lack of understanding; other times it is a lack of patience. Whatever the case, it is our responsibility to help our children understand and to equip them with the proper tools.” (p65)

If you are looking for a very practical book on how to help your kids develop Christ-like characteristics that will equip them for real life, this is a wonderful resource!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Baker Books Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Jesus Today (Devotions for Kids) – A Book Review

My kids and I have been using Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling, 365 Devotions for Kids for the last year as part of our homeschool week so when I heard that she was coming out with a new devotional for kids I jumped at the chance to review it. This new devotional, Jesus Today, has the same format and style as her previous devotional and has just as wonderful content as the first one did.

Each day’s devotional is written as though Jesus himself is speaking to your kids. It’s in their language and easy for even the youngest kids to understand. Each day’s reading takes only a few minutes to read and includes several scripture references in the International Children’s Bible version which is easy for a child to read and understand.

I especially love that each day’s content stands entirely on its own. So if, like me, you’re not so good with routine or structure, you can easily pick up the devotional and pick up right where you left off without feeling bad for missing a day or two.

Here are some great ways to use this devotional:

Give it as a gift to an older elementary age child along with a journal or sketch book. The child can use the daily devotionals to inspire a time of response to God (either with their words or with drawings).
Use it in your homeschool as a read aloud & discussion time.
Use it along with your homeschool or Sunday School curriculum
Have a family devotional time each day or even each week using the daily readings to inspire a family discussion time.
Choose a scripture from each reading to memorize as a family.

In addition to the wonderful readings and scriptures presented throughout this lovely devotional, there are also occasional quotes from a variety of people that are both inspiring and easy for kids to comprehend and hold on to. Sarah Young has given us another beautiful resource to inspire our kids to spend time with Jesus every day. This devotional will help your children learn more about Jesus’ love for them and why they can trust in His promises and how they can spend time with Him every single day.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Big Dreams Big Prayers Bible for Kids – A Review

I was so thrilled to receive this Bible to review! I have five kids, two of them are in the age range that this Bible is intended for (they are 8 and 9) and I know this will be a really helpful tool for them. Kids love to pray – they just do. Sometimes I feel that they have a natural instinct to want to talk to God, whereas adults would rather to talk to everyone else in the world first before coming before God. I believe that kids naturally know how to pray, but often they don’t know what they can pray for or what to expect after they pray. This Bible is such a wonderful resource to help them understand the concept, the process and the results of prayer. The Big Dreams Big Prayers Bible for Kids is from Zonderkidz and comes in the NIV (New International Version). Here are a few of the things I love about this Bible:

Throughout the Bible there are highlighted verses that reveal specific words about conversations with God – these are verses about prayer or are actual prayers prayed by the people of the Bible.
There are devotionals throughout the Bible as well that show examples of conversations with God. These devotionals are specifically written for kids to help them understand what it looks like to take our struggles, failures, fears or situations to God in prayer.
The beginning of each book of the Bible has information about that book (who wrote it and when, why they wrote it, for whom they wrote it, and a summary of sorts of what they’ll find in that book). These are written in such a way that a child would easily understand what to expect.
The Bible is gender neutral. The bright and fun colors would be appreciated by either a boy or a girl – which is great if you have both boys and girls in your household, which I do.
In the back of the Bible, there is a prayer journal for the child to record their prayers to God. This is my favorite part of this Bible!
There are also a few full color pages throughout the Bible – one on how to pray, one on the Lord’s prayer, one on the Ten Commandments for kids and a few others.

I would recommend this Bible for any upper elementary, preteen or even teen aged child who wants or needs to make prayer a greater priority.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Rest Assured – A Book Review

I am so thrilled to recommend the book Rest Assured by Vicki Courtney to any women who struggles with never really feeling rested or at peace. I devoured this book in less than three days because I just really needed it that badly. I have read several books by Vicki Courtney, but this one was by far my favorite. She takes the reader through a sort of life assessment to determine why we might struggle with not getting enough rest. She covers four categories: The Badge of Busyness (why are we all so busy anyway), The Exhausting Pursuit of Happiness (the need to compare ourselves with others and our own ridiculous expectations for ourselves), Tethered Souls (the toxic pull of social media and other time stealing issues), and Worried Sick (the awful disease of constant worry). Each category has its own chapter complete with checklists, questions, and challenges to change.

I have to admit that I didn’t realize how desperately I needed this book until I read through the Badge of Busyness chapter and checked off every single warning sign of someone who may be too busy. I’ve read many books on the topic of learning to say no, finding rest, slowing down, etc. But none of those books felt quite as comforting and encouraging as this one. I felt as though I was sitting with the author while she comforted me, related her own story to my own and then encouraged me to find a better way to live. I actually answered (in pen) the questions at the end of each chapter and spent time in prayer for each one of the areas covered in this book. This book is more about what makes our souls weary than what makes our bodies weary – which I very much appreciated. There were quotes and scripture sprinkled thoughtfully throughout the book and I wrote down several to meditate on over the next several weeks.

I honestly wish I had taken the book a bit more slowly and had given each of the last four chapters the full week that the author suggests. This book is probably meant to be chewed on piece by piece rather than swallowed whole, but I really just couldn’t help it.

If you are struggling with a full plate, a heavy heart and a weary soul – this is a book that you need to read.

Worship Changes Everything – A Book Review

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As a female worship leader, I have long been a fan of Darlene Zschech. I have followed her music and writings for many years and am thrilled with her latest book, Worship Changes Everything. In my opinion, this is her best work yet. The central theme of the book, to me, seems to be that worship should permeate every area of our lives: our families, our work, our thoughts, our actions, etc. Worship isn’t simply something we do once a week at church, but it should be a way of living that leads us into the very presence of God. Darlene uses tons of scripture and quotes from other Christian leaders, which I feel adds greatly to her book. This book is beautifully written and is also very accessible to the reader. I found myself underlining things I would like to use as I lead worship at my own church simply because the words are so right and true and pretty.

The book is broken up into two parts: The Heart of Worship and The Hands of Worship (which is three times as long as the first part). The Hands of Worship section includes areas like money, suffering, marriage, children and even how to worship in the wilderness.

As a worship leader, it’s important to me that we remember that worship is about so much more than just music. This book not only teaches the true meaning of worship, but it gives practical and thoughtful instruction on how we are to live a life of worship in every aspect of our lives. I very much appreciate and highly recommend this book.

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note: I received a copy of this book through Baker Books Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Long Showers

My fifteen year old daughter takes long showers. We’re talking 30-45 minute long showers. I’m baffled by them. Truly. I mean what in the world can you do in the shower for 45 minutes?! She has this beautiful, long, thick hair so I assume at least 20 minutes of her shower time includes all the hair washing. But after that, really how long could it possibly take?!

I had a long and extremely exhausting day today (tons of stupid laundry, three meals to cook, two rooms to clean, a potty-training kid, a sick barfy baby, tons of work to do, four spills, three baths, at least six melt-downs, and a partridge in a pear tree). When my husband got home (after 7pm) I decided I needed a long, hot shower. While everyone else was eating the dinner I prepared, I got in the shower determined to stay there for at least 20 minutes. After about 3 minutes everything was clean. Seriously. It’s not like I’m a speedy person, either. I even have a waterproof speaker in my shower so I can listen to music. I thought it would help me to take longer showers – I always try to make through at least one whole song before I get out. It’s such a chore. What in the world? When did this happen to me? When I was a teenager I’m pretty sure I used up my fair share of hot water, but now I’m certain I could take at least twenty showers a day with hot water to spare (20 showers a day – pfft. I rarely get more than three a week). Tonight, after about four minutes, I found myself cleaning the walls of the shower with my pomegranate body wash. Boo. Then I couldn’t remember if I conditioned my hair – you know, because it had been so long since then. So I did it again only to suddenly remember that, in fact, I had. Boo again.

So now, after my four and a half minute shower, my hair is over-conditioned and my shower is sparkly clean. So much for long showers. But yay for clean ones.

My 2015 in Books

I’ve never really considered myself a reader. I like gathering new information and inspiration, but the actual reading part always seems to take way longer than I would like. However, I did manage to finish 17 books this year, and start at least that many more.

Here’s a run down of the books I finished this year.

1. Writing in the Margins by Lisa Nichols Hickman

I loved this book so very much. I’ve been writing in the margins of my Bible for as long as I can remember. This book took me on a little adventure through the Bibles of church leaders throughout history, composers, musicians and so many more. It became a devotional for me for the month it took me to read it and will be a treasured book for many years to come.

2. The Best Yes by Lisa Terkeurst

3. Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

Glennon Doyle Melton has a unique and beautiful ability to connect with her audience in such an authentic and loving way. This book made me laugh, cry and think deeper thoughts. I love this woman and her beautiful book.

4. For the Love by Jen Hatmaker

I love Jen Hatmaker and I loved this book. It took me less than two days to read it and I have re-read several sections several times since. I found myself praying that the words of this book would be sown permanently into my heart so that I could live more graciously and lovingly to those around me. Good stuff here.

5. Peacemaking for Families by Ken Sande

6. The Six Hats of the Worship Leader by Rich Kirkpatrick

7. Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle

This might be my favorite book I read all year – or maybe ever. It made me laugh and cry – sometimes at the same time. It also gave me a deeper understanding of what it means to live with compassion and inspired me to love people better. If you only read one book this next year – I hope this is the one.

8. Soul Detox by Craig Groeschel

9. Hope for the Heart of the Homeschool Mom by Jamerrill Stewart

10. Accidental Pharisees by Larry Osborne

If the mark of a good book is how much hi-lighting and underlining I do, then this was a very good book. It was an important book. I actually wrote the words, “wow” and “yikes” in the margins several times. Very convicting and important book.

11. The Road to Becoming by Jenny Simmons

This is also one of my favorite books I’ve read in a very long time. I felt a kinship with this author that made it feel as though we were long lost friends talking about life and change and hard stuff. There is so much in this book that spoke directly to my heart. I recommend it very, very highly.

12. Every Little Thing by Diedra Riggs

I had no idea what to expect coming into this book since I’d never heard of its author. Wow. What a gem. I loved it all the way through. If you’re looking for a book to help you get up and move forward, this is a great one!

13. The Carols of Christmas by Andrew Gant

14. Short Answers to Big Questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity by Clinton Arnold and Jeff Arnold

15. Jesus Is For You by Judah Smith

16. Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God’s Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You by John Burke

I read this book nearly a month ago and I still cannot stop thinking about it. It has changed the way I think about heaven – it especially changed how often I think about it. A very thought-provoking and exciting read.

17. Living Dead: A Zombielogical Exploration of God, Man, and What Lies Between by Ricky Wells

I’m a little biased on this one, seeing as how my sweet husband is its author, but it is definitely a book worth reading. I love analogies and this one is so creative and thorough that I couldn’t help but get excited about it. It also combines fiction and non-fiction, which I’ve never seen before.

I’m usually reading at least 4 or 5 books at a time. I read based on my mood, so I like to have several options. While I didn’t finish these, I still feel that they are worthy of mentioning. Here’s a list of the books I haven’t finished yet…

You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) by Jeff Goins

The Empowered Leader: 10 Keys to Servant Leadership by Calvin Miller

Worship Changes Everything by Darlene Zschech

People-Pleasing Pastors by Charles Stone (this book is so thick with amazing content that I fear it’ll take me another several months to finish. SO so good, though.)

Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford

Look and Live by Matt Papa (this book is also incredibly rich with content. I simply cannot read it quickly. A chapter here, a chapter there and then a week or two to soak it all in. So good.)

Finding Spiritual Whitespace by Bonnie Gray

Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna Niequist

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You by Jessica Turner

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tsh Oxenreider

Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have by Annie Downs

Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler

I already have about 10 new books on my shelf that I picked up over Christmas or from publishers to review and I can’t wait to dig in. I’m hoping to finish at least 25 books this next year, so we’ll see how that goes.

What are you reading?