What I've Read So Far // 2020 pt. 1
Ok, so I've been getting, like, so many messages from you guys asking WHAT I have been reading through this quarantine, so I figured I'd get it all together in this post for you all. Hope you love it! xo
Am I book influencer now? Yeah basically.
Have I really had people asking me what I've been reading? Maybe like 2.
Regardless, enjoy. ;) I'd love to hear your best recent reads + recommendations for the rest of this year! Ya know, just in case we go back into lockdown or something...
The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy by Timothy Keller
I read this 44-page book in one sitting. Reading this felt like listening to a conference message or something in book form by Keller. His commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7 is logical, convicting, and encouraging, per usual. Keller refutes our culture's idea of increased "self-esteem" as the answer to our problems, arguing instead for the true freedom found in humility and an identity rooted in Christ's view of us alone. If you wrestle with pride or insecurity at all (so...everyone?) and want a very short read, I would highly recommend this book! I'm sure I'll be rereading this a few times a year. ;)
It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointment Leaves You Shattered by Lysa TerKeurst
Almost every single person has experienced some degree of disappointment in the past four months. I read this book a month before COVID-19 became a commonplace topic of conversation, and I really believe the LORD used this book to prepare me for a greater perspective & hope for the greater disappointments that were to come. What I love about this book is its authenticity. Lysa TerKeurst wrote this book in the midst of incredible trials, disappointments, and uncertainty (infidelity, attempted healing in her marriage, and cancer diagnosis). There are no "pretty bows" tied around pain, but rather honest wrestling and true hope in the midst of suffering. Each chapter also ends with a summary, Scripture passages to read, and reflection questions to help you process.
Letters to the Church by Francis Chan
I started this book on March 15, the first Sunday churches couldn't meet in large gatherings and we did our one-and-only "house church" before going on full lockdown. Chan wrote the chapters as somewhat stand-alone "letters," each addressing a different area he believed needed growth in the Western Christian Church. Many of his statements were somewhat prophetic of the unexpected pandemic shutdowns of the physical assembly of the Church. Chapter 3, "The Order," most impacted me, especially in light of COVID-19. In that chapter, he focuses on the word devoted in Acts 2:42-47. The early church devoted themselves to four things, which he explains: the apostles' teaching, the breaking of bread, fellowship, and prayer. How many people would show up to church if there were only these four things? I've thought about this so much over the last four months as churches and ministries have had to reevaluate priorities and establish new ways of "being the Church" in a time of isolation and uncertainty. This is one of my new favorite books!
The Simplest Way to Change the World: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life by Dustin Willis & Brandon Clements
I read this right after I finished Letters to the Church, and I found it very timely in its call for Christians to meet the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs of those right in front of them through hospitality. The book is fairly short, engaging, incredibly accessible, and practical (for example, the "Always Rule" and "Neighbor Nights"). The book also includes a six-week discussion guide for small groups at the end. Willis & Clements sprinkle several personal examples of ways they include hospitality into the rhythms of their everyday life, emphasizing that hospitality is NOT the same as "entertaining." Rather true Biblical hospitality in the lives of Christians is 1 Thessalonians 2:8 incarnated: "Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well."
The Music of His Promises: Listening to God with Love, Trust, and Obedience by Elisabeth Elliot
Pretty much every list of book recommendations I give will include at least one of Elisabeth Elliot's books. Because I just love her. I can't wait to hang with her in heaven. ;) I love her voice and consistent call to simply trust the Lord that is communicated with power given the testimony of her own life. This book is similar to my other favorite of hers, Keep a Quiet Heart, in that it is an anthology of "truth blurbs" (super descriptive term, I know... "mini-essays" might be a better term, but whatever). EE uses selections of Scripture, examples from her own life, metaphors, and other helpful teaching tools to communicate truth in a few paragraphs. I read a few each morning and would often get side-tracked looking up the Old Testament references she would pull out that I had never seen before in that light. Loved this book.
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller
As the uncertainty of the world and the newness of my 28th year of life loomed over me in April, I desperately needed a reminder of God as my Good Shepherd. This short yet significant book was such an important book for me to learn about the Lord as my Guide, but also One who is good and kind and purposeful. Keller was actually a shepherd in East Africa for many years, so he provides new insight into a well-known psalm. Each chapter focuses on a different line in Psalm 23. Again, loved this book. Highly, highly recommend. I've already given it out as a gift, and will probably be buying more copies.
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane C. Ortlund
This has been another helpful book for me in re-learning the goodness of God and His heart for His people. I often can get caught up in the intellectual side of theology or faith, and while I'm thankful the LORD has wired me to love Him more easily with my mind, I can struggle sometimes with connecting my head with my heart in my relationship with Him. This book focuses on the heart of Christ -- who Jesus is as revealed in both the Old and New Testament. Each chapter focused on a different passage of Scripture, included helpful word studies in the Hebrew & Greek (which I love haha), but also was incredibly accessible and personal. I left this book with a deeper love for the emotional side of Christ, which we really don't hear discussed very often. It's currently the #1 best seller on Amazon for Christian Counseling for a reason. Get it. (Plus, the cover is beautiful. I mean, c'mon.)
Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone by Elyse Fitzpatrick
As many of the things we take for granted were taken away over the course of 2020 so far -- some almost immediately and some gradually, like a slow ripple of uncertainty and disappointment -- many of our "idols" were exposed. In God's grace, He has been pruning these "distorted loves" in my own heart, and this book is one of the ways He has been accomplishing that end. Chapter One, "Rachel's Gods and You," is worth getting the book in and of itself. In that chapter, Fitzgerald makes a powerful parallel between the example told throughout Genesis 30-35 of Rachel's idolatry that eventually brought her own death to the burying of our idols beneath "another tree." Elyse Fitzpatrick is a well-known author and speaker in Biblical counseling, and this book provides a lot of helpful open-ended questions throughout to help you process as if you were sitting across from her in a counseling session. The cost of this book is cheaper than therapy, so... ;) (jk, counseling is great too. Get both. ;))
Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters by Carmen Joy Imes
Addressing an increasingly popular teaching today that we need to “unhitch” from the Old Testament, Imes invites her readers instead to study the beautiful picture the Old Testament paints of God’s faithfulness to His covenant people and how those strokes carry over into both the New Testament and our lives today. Bearing the Name of God is a key theme that we see throughout the whole of Scripture. I was assigned this book for a class, and honestly reading a female voice was really refreshing. Though it was for an assignment, this book is still very reader-friendly. I especially loved her discussion on liminality ("the in-between space" -- so relatable and encouraging) in chapter one and the meaning of the Hebrew word segullah ("treasured possession") in chapter two. The consistency of Scripture and the themes introduced in the Exodus narrative that echo throughout The entire Bible were clearly explained and brought to relevant applications in this book. If you love reading about Biblical theology or especially love the Exodus narrative like me, I'd recommend this book.
From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch by T. Desmond Alexander
On a similar vein, this book is another helpful commentary on the Pentateuch and the Exodus narrative. I was assigned this book for the same class as above. Chapters 8-23 each cover a different theme found throughout "the Pentateuch" (another term, in addition to "the Torah," used for the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). If you're looking for a slightly more academic read or just Old Testament commentary, this is a good one! *(Pro-tip: Skip part 1 on "Pentateuchal Criticism" and just go right to part 2. You're not missing anything. haha)*
Unplanned by Abby Johnson
I started a new job working in the pregnancy resource center where I've been volunteering at the past year. I love it and have really been wanting to learn more about how to love and serve women well who are experiencing unplanned pregnancies. This memoir from Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director, was helpful. I honestly didn't love the writing style... haha It was a little cheesy in parts, and I kept thinking of the movie (which is also good, minus some cheesy acting), so I wish I would have read this before watching the movie (also called "Unplanned," which came out last year). The story and her perspective, though, are powerful.
Boundaries in Dating by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
#unpopularopinion I'm not a huge fan of the original Boundaries book as whole, but this branch-off of the "series" was good overall. Cloud & Townsend provide some helpful, practical, and specific questions and guidelines to consider in the process of dating -- which is pretty non-existent in Christian circles! If you're looking on a Chrisitan perspective on singleness and dating, I'd recommend this book, as well as The Sacred Search: What If It's Not about Who You Marry, But Why? by Gary Thomas (which also provides more specific questions and areas. to consider in a significant other, though it can be a little overwhelming in parts) and Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in Singleness and Dating by Marshall Segal (one of my favorite books on the topic because it gives such a greater, more realistic and encouraging perspective on relationships).
Currently Reading:
What's a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachel Denhollander
The true story of one of the survivors of sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, and a powerful story of how a Biblical view of justice & grace/forgiveness can be messy yet not mutually exclusive in cases of abuse
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
A different book than I would typically read, but ya girl needs some practical help to create more systems and routines as the new school year approaches...I love this book so far. If you read these kinds of books often, it might be somewhat redundant, but I'm loving it!
Faithful: A Theology of Sex by Beth Felker Jones
A short, yet thoughtful discussion on the Biblical worldview of sex as God designed