My Summer Reading List

When I was growing up my mother and my grandmother really instilled in my a love of reading. I have always enjoyed being able to sit at home on my couch and take a trip to almost any time and place in the world. For this reason I have always been a fan of fiction.

As I grew I began to see the importance of reading non-fiction. Books on topics that will help me to grow as a person, a Christian, a wife, a mother, and even as a student. Digging into these types of books with a note book and pen and maybe even a highlighter with the hope of pulling out gems that will help me improve my life for myself, my family, and those I interact with on a regular basis. 

This summer, I want to find more of those gems. And I want to be able to pass them on as well! I want to share what I am learning and how I am growing when I read from authors like Jill Savage and Jen Hatmaker, and Vicki Courtney. And I want my children to see that reading is a gift and help them to love to read as much as I do.

This is my one piece of what I like to call “brain candy” on my list for the summer. This book comes from a series called “The Tea Shop Mysteries”.  I just LOVE all things tea and would spend all day in tea shops and tea rooms if I could so this little bit of fiction helps me to go there in my mind. I also LOVE mystery books. I like trying to figure out who all in involved and help the hero of the story solve the crime.

I was given this book by my grandmother who has read through The most of them herself so I know it’s going to be a good one. And to top it off it contains some great recipes and other tea time tips. It really is just all I could ask for in brain candy!

“Are you living with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of and  underwhelmed soul?”
“Lysa TerKeurst is learning that there is a big difference between saying yes to everyone and saying yes to God.”

This book is one I looked at on the shelf several times. And then I read several reviews as well it coming highly recommended by someone here at the Seminary that I highly trust and respect. I know that I am a people pleaser and I don’t want to let others down by telling them no or that something they need done doesn’t fit into my schedule. I am praying this book helps to give me a better perspective on how to give my best yes to God and not to the world around me.

“God designed our bodies to be healthy, providing everything we need to thrive and live abundantly.The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life by Rick Warren, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mark Hyman is far more than a diet plan. It is an appetizing approach to achieving a healthy lifestyle where people are encouraged to get healthier together by optimizing the key five essentials of faith, food, fitness, focus and friends.”

I have had this book in my collection for quite some time. And I have picked it up to begin reading it a number of times. And life keeps stepping in the way. I also purchased the cookbook and there is a 40 day journal that I own that go with the book. One of the big areas we are hoping to improve upon this summer is our diet and exercise. I am hoping that I will be able to come at my goals not only from a logical and scientific perspective but also from a biblical perspective.

“Maybe you have one of those strong personalities…or perhaps, you are married to one. More than likely, both you and your spouse have strong personalities even if that strength shows up in differnt ways. Then this is a ‘must read’ book for both of you.” (When Leaders Live Together)

“Most women dream about having a family and building a home. We grow up on a steady diet of fairy tales and chick flicks that drive our dreams– and leave us with a sugarcoated version of reality. We want it all: the prince, the kiss, the proposal, the ring, the castle, and eventually, the kids in smocked rompers playing cheerfully on the perfectly manicured lawn. Our hopes and dreams are pinned on the world’s version of happily-ever-after.” (Ever After)

Both of these books came from “The Art of Homemaking” conference that was put on here at the seminary in February of 2015. Both of the authors were keynote speakers and I also sat in Devi Titus’ break out session. To say it was a wonderful experience is and understatement.  The Leaders book is one hat my mother read first and has just gushed over time and time again (In fact the copy that is in the picture above is her copy that she lent me to read. I promise I will get it returned mom!) The Ever After is also my mom’s book I just happened to have it come to my house before it came to hers. This is another one that I have picked up to read time and again and just haven’t had the time to finish it. This summer it will happen!

“Being a mom is hard, but it doesn’t have to be lonely.”

Recently I found Hearts At Home while I was searching through either Facebook or Instagram and I fell in love. I just love how they tie in home and family with the biblical lifestyle I have been trying to lead. During that time they were in the process of creating a launch team for their up coming book. And I was one of the 400 women chosen to be part of it. I was given early access to the book in PDF format as well as access to a closed Facebook group where we could interact with one another as we read through the book.

Unfortunately, the semester got the better of me and I wan’t able to finish reading the book or be very involved in the online interaction. But one thing I was able to do was keep up with the “Photo-a-day” challenge they put out. And I was blessed enough to have been chosen as the “Photo-a-day’ challenge winner for the month of April. My prize? A signed copy of “Better Together” the very book I was looking forward to read but just couldn’t fin into my busy student mom schedule. So this summer I am going to dive in and finish what I got started!

Blogging for Writers by Robin Houghton

While out with my hubby a few night ago we were doing one of our favorite activities….wandering around Barnes and Nobel. (We just love book stores and strolling though them is a favorite date night activity for us!) And we happened to come upon this book. Both of us are aspiring writers, especially with everything that we want to do within the ministry God has called us into so we just decided this would be a good place to start. I have already skimmed through a few of the pages and I am looking forward to diving in more and finding out resources and ways to make this blog, my little corner of the internet, a place where I can express the things going on and help provide practical application for readers out there. 

This is my text book for the class that I took during the Spring semester. It was written by my professor and I am truly blessed to be able to sit with her and discuss the issues found in the book. I am halfway through this book, due to the fact that I was assigned to read thorough that much during the semester. I will be taking the second section of the course in the Fall and will be required to finish the content of the book. However, in an effort to give myself a head start I am going to do my best to read the remainder of the book over the summer and have that portion of the class completed. 

This is actually a 9 session (or 9 week) Bible study that I will be diving into starting this evening. My mom and her Wednesday night ladies group have been going though this study and they are LOVING it. And I love me some Jen Hatmaker so I believe this is going to be a huge win for me. I have already started the fight back with my massive decluttering mission that I wrote about over here so I am excited about jumping in with both feet on this one. 

WOW! Looking back through this I have to say that I have an ambitious goal for the summer. I am so excited to get diving into all of these books.