books on my nightstand

These are some of the books I am currently reading, have recently read, or are some of my all-time favorites! I hope you might find a few to dig into that might encourage or resonate with the season of life you find yourself in. Blessings!

Jesus in Me by Anne Graham Lotz-I have yet to start this one yet, but am excited as it appears to center on the role of the Holy Spirit, and how to draw and maximize His presence and ability in our life.

She Reads Truth: Holding Tight to Permanent in a World That’s Passing Away by Rachel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams - The co-founders of She Reads Truth have written this book. They have a gift of crafting their words in a way that draws you in as the reader. They chronicle through hardships, trials, death, change, and other circumstances in their lives, coming to the conclusion that in the midst of all things changing, our God remains the same. Steadfast and faithful. I am only a few chapters in on this one, but love the transparency coupled with an increased dependency upon the Lord. They wrestle and reason through their struggles, landing upon the unchanging character of our God.

Teaching True Love to a Sex-at-13 Generation by Eric and Leslie Ludy - I have read through this book several times over as David and I dialogue more and more about where we sense the Lord leading us as we approach the teenage years with our oldest. This book goes beyond teaching purity. It can be easy to default to the “don’t…don’t do this, don't do that” as we discuss purity, but the statistics in this book prove that this is not effective. Rather than preaching “against”, it encourages us as parents to paint a more beautiful picture of how God designed marriage and the physical aspects. In obedience to His parameters, we experience the fullness of joy He desires for us if or when marriage enters in. There are many ideas to prompt conversation, approaches to continue to keep communication ongoing. Sometimes, in the church we can falsely believe that our children are not faced with these temptations, or at least at a much lesser extent, but that is simply not true. Being aware of the world’s influence and effect on our children can help us to give the attention and time to an area that can be uneasy to navigate through.

The Read Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie - I really enjoy this author! She has another book (Teaching From Rest) written for homeschooling Mommas, but feel that every Momma out there would benefit from her words heavy with grace and kindness. Her words and “style” of writing (full of the every day all us Mommas can relate too) make you feel like you are enjoying a conversation with an old friend. This book has re-ignited a fire for pursuing reading together as a family. She fills it with honesty, good stories, and the importance of cultivating this time and ultimately our relationship with our children. She writes from a Biblical perspective, and continues to point back to our “giving our best as unto the Lord” as we raise and train our children. I would highly recommend both of these books, regardless of whether you homeschool or not. I do not think you will look at reading together as a family the same again.

You Can Trust God to Write Your Story by Nancy and Robert Wolgemuth - I have quickly skimmed this book, but looking forward to digging into it further. . Here is a podcasts in which Nancy talks further about this book, conveying their heart and hope behind writing the book. I appreciate Nancy’s heart for transparency and commitment to God’s truth, even truths that may be harder to share. We each have a story, often time many stories or “chapters” within our life story; some end as we desire, and others have endings we may not choose, if we were being completely honest. We are challenged but encouraged that we can trust Him in each of our lives, to write a story that will ultimately bring Him glory. I have yet to read a book of Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth that was not Biblically solid while also being grace filled. A great read to pass on to those who might be walking harder seasons of life as well.

The Quiet Place by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (now Wolgemuth) and Awaken by Priscilla Shirer - these are both short daily devotionals that can serve as another way to “renew our minds” and help us refocus on Him. Whether coinciding with your personal Bible reading, or a quick “pick up” throughout the day to bring your heart and mind back to Him, these are both rich in Scripture.

Fervent by Priscilla Shirer - while this is not currently on my nightstand, this book has had a dramatic impact upon my life. It is one of those books that is too good to not share with those around you! If you have not read this book and feel you only have time to choose one to read, it should be this one!  This book introduced me into a what a praying relationship with the Lord holds.  It breaks down different aspects of our lives, how the enemy attacks, and practical steps on how we can effectively battle in prayer and through God's Word.  There are “tear away” cards included in the book to write down your prayers/Scriptures to help you "war" against our true enemy...those cards made all the difference personally, taking this book from a "good read" to a life-changing tool.  He has transformed my thoughts regarding prayer; from viewing it as a duty to one of the greatest excitements and privileges in my life.   As we partner with Him in prayer, watching Him work can leave us in awe of who He is!

The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield -  A great book on how true Christian hospitality impacted and changed a life in such a dramatic way.  As she was living a very open lesbian lifestyle, a preacher and his wife invited her over for dinner. She accepted their invitation only to gain more “ammunition” in her battle against Christianity, she says.  She says of that first meal at the pastor’s house, they didn’t share the Gospel with her or invite her to church. Because of that, she realized that they did not view her as a project, but rather a neighbor. That led her to accept their next invite, which ultimately led to an incredible journey - I do not want to spoil it for you! She insightfully challenges us to open up our homes, intentionally pursuing making “strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God”.  She reminds us of our call as Believers to engage in hospitality, meeting people where they are.