Do you have an ideal day? The one where everything aligns and you can do anything you want? Maybe it’s at the beach or sitting by a cozy fire, maybe a lakeside retreat, or a day spent shopping with girlfriends. I love all those things too, but by far my favorite thing is to be somewhere quiet enjoying a good book. If you know me at all then that comes as no surprise! The past 6 months have provided many opportunities to do so, and I’m not a bit mad about it.
Today, I wanted to share a few of the books I’m currently reading. When I was younger I couldn’t read more than one book at a time and I found it difficult to understand those who were able to read multiple books at once. However, as I’ve gotten older my ability has changed and now I read many books simultaneously. I can’t seem to get enough. Bring me all the books!
Here’s what’s on my “reading table” at the moment.
The God Who is There
by D.A Carson
The author D.A Carson (Ph.D.) is a research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author or editor of more than forty books and is one of the leaders of the Gospel Coalition
I’m reading this book for an online class I’m taking entitled “Christian Story” through the Village Church’s Institute. The class is an 11-week study that covers the basic storyline of Scripture. The goal of the class is to help disciples understand, explain, and participate in the true story of the world in deeper and richer ways. His book “ takes you through the big story of Scripture to help you know what you believe and why you believe it.”
I’ve been a Christian my whole life. My parents were believers. My grandparents, most of my Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins too. But, sometimes we can believe things without knowing why we believe them. We take on the faith of our family, which is wonderful, but at some point, you have to make it your own. This is a journey I’ve been on for many years. To examine what I believe and sort out what I don’t. To know and understand my faith in a way that I can explain and share with others.
The book is written a bit like a textbook and I’ve got to put my thinking cap on when I’m reading it!
Favorite Quote so far: “He made us, and we owe him. If we do not recognize this simple truth, then, according to the Bible, that blindness is itself a mark of how alienated from him we are. It is for our good that we recognize it, not because he is the supreme bully but because without him we would not even be here, and we will certainly have to give an account to him.” -From Chapter One
Who should read this book? This book is for anyone who wants to know more about Scripture in a deeper, more life-transforming way. Whether you’ve ever read the bible or not.
10 Ways to Fall in Love With Your Bible
by Shanna Noel
Shanna is a resident of Washington State (just like me) and is the founder and owner of Illustrated Faith and the Bible-journaling community.
She starts right off the bat confessing that she hasn’t always loved her bible! I love it when authors are honest and transparent with their readers. Isn’t that the truth for many of us? We have struggled to have a meaningful quiet time with the Lord and often come up feeling like we’ve failed. This can lead to making excuse after excuse for not getting into the Word.
Shanna’s book is straightforward and she gets to the heart of the matter and has some fun and easy ways to make bible reading more rewarding and engaging.
It’s a very easy read with a journaling challenge at the end of the book.
I’m about halfway through and have really enjoyed it.
Favorite Quote so far: “Mark it down – your progress in holiness will never exceed your relationship with the hold Word of God” ( Nancy Leigh DeMoss).
Who should read this book? Anyone wanting some creative ideas for engaging with Scripture.
Women of the Word
by Jen Wilkin
Jen is a speaker, writer, and teacher of women’s Bible studies.
I have several of her other books and they are wonderful! I’m also doing an online study of the Psalms that she is leading. She is probably one of my favorite Bible teachers.
Her book outlines a study plan that follows the 5 P’s: Purpose, Perspective, Patience, Process, and Prayer.
I finished this book earlier this year, but keep it handy to reference often. There are so many good truths to wade through I need to refer to it often to cement it into my mind.
Favorite Quote: “The heart cannot love what the mind does not know. This is the message of Romans 12:2-3 – not that the mind alone affects transformation, but that the path to transformation runs from the mind to the heart, and not the other way around.”
Romans 12:2-3 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given you.” NLT
Who should read this book: Anyone looking for a more in-depth study method.
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot
by Ellen Vaughn
Ellen is a New York Times bestselling author and former vice president of executive communications at Prison Fellowship and collaborated with the late Chuck Colson on a number of his seminal works.
Elisabeth Elliot was one of our mothers’ favorite authors. Her book “Keep a Quiet Heart” was one she kept on her table next to her chair in the living room. I have long been fascinated by a woman who could go back and serve the very people who took the life of her husband while serving as missionaries in Ecuador. How was she able to do something so remarkable and selfless? I have only just scratched the surface of this book, just now on chapter 3, but my goodness, it is so good! I encourage you to get it if you possibly can.
Favorite Quote so far: “Her story conveys all the discipline and patient suffering for which she was well-known in the often-repeated stories about the violent death of her first husband. But her most noble accomplishment was not weathering that excoriating loss. It was practicing-through both the high dramas and the low, dull days that constitute any human life-the daily self-death required for one’s soul to flourish.”
Who should read this book? Anyone who would be encouraged and strengthened in their faith by the life of one ordinary woman who through God overcame great tragedy and allowed Him to use her life any way he chose.
The Warmth of Other Suns
by Isabel Wilkerson
Isabel is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and the first woman of African-American heritage to win this prize in journalism.
To quote the back cover of the book “ Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915-1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America.”
The New Yorker says “This is narrative non-fiction, lyrical and tragic and fatalist. The story exposes; the story moves; the story ends. What Wilkerson urges, finally, isn’t argument at all; its compassion. Hush, and listen.”
The stories she shares are of real people. They are heartbreakingly hard to read, I can’t imagine living through them. Honestly, I can only read a few chapters at a time. I admit it; I am a wimp. It can be overwhelming, so I don’t plan on finishing anytime soon, but I’m giving myself a little grace. Sometimes you need to sit with what you read for a while and let it change the way you see the world. Even how you see and understand the past.
Favorite Quote so far: “What binds these stories together was the back-against the wall, reluctant yet hopeful search for something better, any place but where they were. They did what human beings looking for freedom, throughout history, have often done. They left.”
Who should read this book? Anyone who wants a better understanding of recent American history and the way it has shaped our country.
Threadbare Prayer
by Stacey Thacker
Stacey is an author, blogger, and speaker. She is the author of six books and has worked with Campus Crusade.
This is my first book by this author, and it is a series of prayers for hearts that feel hidden, hurt, or hopeless. If 2020 has done anything I think it has made many of us often feel hopeless with every news cycle.
THRED’BARE, adjective (thread and bare) “Worn to the naked thread; having the nap worn off; as a threadbare coat; threadbare clothing.”
The definition of thread bear feels right, it fits. I can certainly relate, can’t you? This year has left me feeling worn out, exposed, and naked on many, many days. The ugliness that seems to be the norm these days, the worry for others’ health and safety, the struggle to trust our leaders to lead us well, the day in and day out of a life that has been marked by change. It’s all been exhausting and there are days I struggle to put into words what I’m feeling because honestly, it’s all just too much. That’s why I’m so thankful for a Savior who isn’t overwhelmed, isn’t threadbare, and hasn’t been taken by surprise with anything 2020 throws at us. He already knew and He’s already made a way through for me. And you, too! We just need to trust Him and lean on Him during hard days.
Favorite Quote so Far: “And I realize once again, Jesus isn’t threadbare holding on for dear life. He is holding onto me. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)
Who should read this book? Anyone who is feeling worn thin by life.
Well, there you have it! Those are the books that I am making my way through. I’m sure some I won’t finish until the end of the year and I’ll probably add a few good ol’ “Who-done-its” along the way, I just can’t help myself! I hope I’ve encouraged you to dig into your Bible or maybe pick up a new book today.
Now tell me: What’s on your reading table and why????
XOXOX,
Shan
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