I have lots of great blog post ideas for you, my friends, really I do, but I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to actually sit down and blog about them. Maybe these next couple of evenings I'll be able to pound some out. In the meantime, just to let you know I haven't forgotten about you, I thought I'd tell you what I'm reading in January. Affiliate links are provided for your convenience...just in case you want to read these, too.
On my nightstand, from the top:
by Lysa TerKeurst
I read Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food by Lysa TerKeurst this summer and it changed my life. The author's premise is that we humans were made by God with an empty place that we seek to fill. God intended for us to fill ourselves with Him, but we choose all sorts of other things to try to fill that God-created void within us--things like money, possessions, our children, our career, the internet, drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, food. Those things work--they fill us up...for a little while...and then we need filling again. The only thing that will every truly satisfy is God. The devotional contains all of the great information from the book in perfectly sized daily snippets. Love it.
by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith, & Mary Southerland
I got this one for free from Waterbrook Multnomah, so you'll be seeing a complete review of it soon (if I can ever get motivated to write it), but I'll just say this: I love this book. In His word, God is called by many names, and each name reveals an aspect of God's multifaceted character. This study explores 40 of those names, leading the reader to a deeper understanding of who God is and what He does on our behalf.
by Kristen Parrish
"In these pages, Kirsten Parrish looks at the qualities of fifty-two heroes and then shows how you can acquire every one. No gamma rays or radioactive spider bites are needed." (from the back cover. To read my review, click here)
Yes, I have 3 devotional books on my nightstand, and I am reading all three. I read Knowing God by Name in the morning Monday through Friday, No Cape Required in the morning on Saturday and Sunday, and Made to Crave every evening. In this way, I'm bookending (ha! an unintended pun!) my day in contemplation of God's word.
by Francine Rivers
This novella is a fictional account of the life of Tamar, the first of the 5 women specifically mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. My mom's group is reading all 5 novellas this semester. If you want to read all five (they are incredibly quick reads), check out A Lineage of Grace, which includes the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. What I love about these books is how the author brings the characters to life. Tamar probably has about 10 verses written about her in the Bible, if that. Did you know she was even there? This story provides context and meaning to a story to which you might not have given a lot of thought.
by Ann Voskamp
I've been hearing about this one all over the place, so I figured it's about time I read it. From the book jacket: "A beautifully practical guide to living a life of joy, One Thousand Gifts invites you to wake up to God's everyday blessings. As Voskamp discovered, in giving thanks for the life she already had, she found the life she'd always wanted."
by Veronica Roth
I requested this one from the library, along with the rest of the series, because two of the books were on my library's "most requested" list. Unfortunately, this is the second book in the series, and I'd like to read them in order, so this one will most likely go back unread, until the first book in the series becomes available. AKD has read the series and recommends it highly.
by Suzanne Collins
This is the third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, which I am reading for the 2nd time in preparation for seeing Catching Fire, which is now out in theaters (or maybe it's gone and making its way to the cheap theater by now). I found the series to be compelling--I could not put the first two novels down. It was with appalled fascination that I read about this dystopic future, knowing all too well that evil creeps into a society in seemingly innocuous ways, until what was once unthinkable becomes commonplace and accepted.
by Brenda Spahn and Irene Zutell
I didn't think I would like this book, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I could not put this book down. It tells the story of how Brenda Spahn, a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman, founded one of the most successful transition programs in the nation for women being released from prison. This book is funny, personal, inspiring, and heart-warming.
And there you have it. What are you reading?
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