Summer Reading Review
It was a wonderful summer here in the Northwest. I can count
on one hand the number of days it rained. The temperature was well above 85
most days and to a born and raised Midwest girl that is glorious. So I spent
most days soaking up the sun, relishing every warm, dry day while I could,
knowing the rain and cold would soon take over again. While the kids played,
bickered or watched TV, I had my nose buried in a book. I’d love to share some of those
books with you, in no particular order.
Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch
Blog: We are THAT family
I picked up this book thinking it would be a humorous tale
about a woman's journey from shallow to deep faith. While it is about her
realizing faith is more than just wearing it on your shirt as she did with her
rhinestone Jesus pin, I wasn’t expected to be challenged that I really can do
anything as “just a mom.” God took Welch to the darkest places of Africa and
showed her how she could make a difference from her home in America.
“Saying yes isn’t really about doing it all. It’s about saying yes right where you are. It may seem small of insignificant, but any time you love someone or care for another person’s needs, you’re changing their work, and yours, too.” -Welch
The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle
Blog: The Big Mama
If you need a book that will make you laugh about the ins
and outs of marriage, run out and get this book today! Melanie is hilarious.
Her tales of learning what marriage looks like for her and her husband will
leave you not only laughing, but also permission to give your marriage some
grace.
“In a lot of ways home improvement is like marriage. It’s
not glamorous. It can take a lot of hard work and effort. There are days it
feels like it might be easier to burn the whole thing to the ground and start all
over again. Then you remember how much you love the house or your husband and
you recommit yourself to what it takes to see the whole thing through.”
-Shankle
Freefall to Fly by Rebekah Lyons
Blog: Rebekah Lyons
Rebekah Lyons does a beautiful job in this memoir of letting
us into the journey she takes from moving from one city to another with her
husband and three children. The challenges she faces and questions she is
forced to ask will leave you cheering for her. She shows the reader the beauty
in what is found when we face our fears and allow ourselves to fly.
“When we spend a lifetime trying to distance ourselves from
the parts of our lives that don’t fit with who we think were supposed to be, we
stand outside of our story and hustle for our worthiness by constantly
performing, perfecting, pleasing, and proving.” -Lyons
Let’s All Be Brave by Annie Downs
Blog: Annie Downs
Annie is wonderful at letting you into her life to show you
what it looks like for her to have courage and be brave. She challenges you to
do the same, to step out in boldness and take the steps that we may be too
afraid to.
“And I’m just not
sure you are going to get it right every time- saying the right yes and the
right no. I don’t get it right all the time. But courage doesn’t equal right;
courage equals stepping out and trying. Be brave and say yes. But also be brave
and say no.” -Downs
Notes from a Blue Bike by Tish Oxenreider
Blog: The Art of Simple
If you want to simplify your life or make changes to live
more intentionally, this book will definitely make you think. Tish shares her
stories of living overseas and her adjustment then to American life. She takes
the elements she loved from her life outside of America and makes them work as
best she can into her life in America. The book is broken down into education,
food, travel, entertainment and work.
"When we intentionally take more time to cook dinner, we
carve out mental space to appreciate the color of the vegetables, the slice of
the blade, the waft of the spices. When we chew each bite with the forks
resting on our plates, we better savor each flavor. All in all, the meal is a
more enjoyable experience. The same goes for every part of our lives.”
–Oxenreider
*please note My House and Me (Linnea Ingrid Photography) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
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