I did a Little Light Reading
I had quite the little bit of free time over break, and reading was the perfect escape for me. Being from St. Louis, Missouri and spending the holidays in Seattle, Washington leaves me with friends from high school about 2,000 miles away. This also means that coffee dates and life catch-up sessions are a little sparse over my two week stay in the Seattle area. So my options came down to
1)shopping (which my bank account doesn't exactly appreciate)
2)baking (which I for sure made my favorite Christmas cookies)
3) going to Pure Barre (which I definitely needed to have an hour of "me" time)
and 4) reading
Give me a good book and a quite nook, and you'll see me in about... 5 hours. I love to read, but I can never find the time to read when the hustle and bustle of the semester gets the best of me. Instead, I stock up a list of books I want to read but won't be able to read until a holiday break. The 4 hour flights to and from Seattle help with this. You guessed it! "Light" doesn't exactly mean "Light." But I wanted to share with you some of the books I had the chance to wander through over my holiday break.
*Welcome to Adulting
Jonathan "JP" Pokluda
Such a good read. JP is a young adult pastor down in Dallas at Watermark Church. The young adult ministries is called The Porch, and I highly recommend downloading their app and listening to their podcasts as well. *Welcome to Adulting is nothing short of the title. It navigates through friendships, relationships, work, finances, marriage, anything and everything it means to be an adult but with the twist of tying it into faith. JP explores the comparison of what society says verses what the bible says, sharing his own life experiences as a great story teller!
Nothing to Prove
Jennie Allen
I started this book with my bible study group at the beginning of the semester, but I thought I might as well finish it on my own time. And boy was it a good one! Nothing to Prove was simply that: Jennie's journey from trying so hard to prove to others that she can, to trusting and knowing that He already knows we can. The book cannot say it enough: He is enough, so you don't have to be. For the type-A, organized, perfectionist that I am, this book transformed my perspective of how I live my life, and who I am living for. I know I'm not the only one out there that feels drained from the feeling of being overwhelmed and overcome by the stress of life. If that's you, I'll even let you borrow my copy!
You are Free--Be Who You Already Are
Rebekah Lyons
See the problem with this book is that I went into Mardell Christian Store, and they have $5 books there... and now here I am writing this blog. Rebekah Lyons gives you insight into her life realizations of how we are all called to be free in God's love. Free from pain, free from worry, free from anxiety, free from stress. Each chapter walks you deeper through your own freedom journey, requesting that you take time to ask yourself the tough questions that you may or may not have yet explored. I would definitely suggest this book as the new year is approaching. Maybe this is your chance to find peace in a new start and a new perspective.
Pillow Thoughts
Courtney Pepperneil
This book was the perfect late birthday present, and it arrived at the perfect time! I had just finished reading You Are Free when this goodie arrived on my doorstep. Pillow Thoughts is a poetry book. It's an easy read, but boy is it good! I have always been a fan of poetry because poetry is like the eyes of books--the windows to the soul. No matter what words you need to hear (or think you don't need to hear), this book captured them all. The book is divided into different categories, so you can read them when you need it most. Definitely a good read!
Lean In
Sheryl Sandberg
Talk about women empowerment! Lean In asked the simple question: will you lean into the work place and go after your career goals and aspirations? So often we see women filling the role of the house wife while men take the high-up corporate jobs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. One of my biggest life goals is to someday be a mother, and Sheryl Sandberg makes a point to admire all those stay-at-home moms. They truly are rock stars! Sheryl is simply asking that from one women to the next, we break the stereotypes of the glass ceiling and don't let the past demographic of the workforce hold us back. She also asks something of men: will you lean in to the home life and help take care of responsibilities there? It's a book about equality for both men and women, and I recommend for anyone to read it. A good book always challenges your perspectives, and this one surely posed some challenges to mine!
Love Does
Bob Goff
I know, I know, I should have read this one a while ago, but like I said things get busy... Bob Goff completely changed my perspective of how I should be living my life. After reading this book, I've decided that I want to be Bob's best friend, and here's why: he just does. He doesn't wait for a proper time in life to show love to someone, he just takes a pause on his life and takes action. He shares tiny little life experiences that most people would have seen as minuscule occurrences, and demonstrated how you can see God working in each and every instance. If you haven't read this book already, I ask you to stop what you are doing, and pick up a copy! Here, I'll even attach the amazon link!
Table in the Darkness
Lee Wolfe Blum
This book was beautifully written. In summary, Table in the Darkness is an autobiography of Lee who struggled with a severe eating disorder. She shares her story in the hope that others see that recovery is possible. I think Lee wants others to know that she doesn't mean recovery from just eating disorders, but all life struggles. She wants to show that there is a light at the end of your long tunnel, no matter how long and dark it might feel. I found that this book is not just a recovery story, but an anthem of hope for all.
Girl Wash Your Face
Rachel Hollis
I heard so much hype about this book, of course I had to read it! I am still in the middle of this one, but so far so good! Rachel is vulnerable with her audience, and open about being simply human. Her encouragement is for the modern woman--whatever that means to you--to embrace the truth of who you are, flaws and all. I can't wait to read more.
Now that I am on a reading spree, I am running out of books to read! Let me know if you have any good book suggestions in the comments below, and I will try to read them in this new year. Maybe one of the books I shared sparked your interest. If that's the case, dive into it! I want to know what you think too!
Simply, Sincerely,
Maddie