In case you forgot, I love to read.  Stacks of books seem to pile up all over the house — most of them half read.  Other women buy shoes; I buy books.

Here is a quick wrap up of what I read in 2014:

God is Able

• The Rundown: Priscilla Shirer unpacks the beautiful promise of Ephesians 3:20-21 phrase by phrase.  Each chapter delves deeply into the nuances of Paul’s words written while in prison and under inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Shirer challenges her readers to place their hope and focus firmly on the One for whom nothing is impossible.
• Memorable Quotes: “As soon as you connect your current circumstances to your God, He raises a banner of hope in your heart and mind.  As soon as you believe He can do this–that He is able–something called abundant life actually shows up, right in the middle of the dreariness” (p. 36).  “The same God who is saving you from hell is also willing and able to save what’s left of your nerves and your workweek” (p. 107).
• Biggest Takeaway:  I loved this book.  We are in a valley season right now at my house, and looking at the details of this powerhouse promise truly encouraged my spirit.  Priscilla reminded me that my life of faith in the valley is a display case for His glory.

Unquenchable:  Grow a Wildfire Faith that Will Endure Anything

• The Rundown: Carol Kent encourages her readers to fan the flame of faith and draw near to the warmth of their Savior so that a wildfire passion will continue to burn strong through the most difficult storms.
• Memorable Quotes: “…my role in God’s kingdom is to see every day as an opportunity to embrace the holy ground that I am standing on, to fully understand that no act of kindness or demonstration of love is ever wasted, where or not I see tangible results…True wildfire faith means having strength, endurance, and a solid abiding trust in God — in darkness and in light, in pain and in wellness, in sadness and in laughter.  It is recognizing that today, no matter where I am or what my circumstances may be, because I’m the image bearer of Jesus Christ, the ground I am standing on is holy ground” (pp. 87-88).   The very act of caring for God’s people, of meeting their needs in acts of service, generates sparks to feed our own wildfires and also sends sparks flying into the lives of others” (p. 112).
• Biggest Takeaway:  Carol is one of my favorite authors.  She has an inspiring personal story, and this book encouraged me that God is going to use my struggles to light a flame of faith in others as I continue to move forward and trust my Jesus.  If you are going through a fiery season, this is a great read that will encourage your spirit.

Pursue the Intentional Life

• The Rundown: Jean Fleming challenges her readers to “number their days” and to finish well.   Purposeful discipleship requires planning for the challenges to come.
• Memorable Quotes: “Every life creates an atmosphere” (p. 36).  “When I number my days, each day rattles with sharp significance” (p.52).  “Whatever time I have left is a gift, a bequest, a responsibility, a stewardship” (pp. 54-55).  “… Jesus wants to live in me and stick out all over” (p. 118).  “Confronting the brevity of life leads me to solemn and earnest living” (p. 183).
• Biggest Takeaway:  At age 47, this book was a “game changer” and a timely read for me.  It reminded me that I don’t get to slow down and putter out.  I am called to live a “Beauty Full” life for Jesus.  I want to “do life big” for Him until my last breath.

You are Loved: Embracing the Everlasting Love God Has for You

• The Rundown: Sally Clarkson and Angela Perritt put together a quick read that packs a powerful punch.  Each chapter shares a Scriptural truth coupled with personal narrative to drive home a simple truth — because sometimes you need to be reminded that God loves you.   Every chapter ends with a simple 5-day Bible study that encourages the reader to reflect on the reality of God’s agape love. This is a great tool for small group ministries and one-on-one discipleship.
• Memorable Quotes: “Sometimes those we choose to love cannot love us back and continue in the habits of criticism, harshness, or passivity. Yet, even though we cannot control the behavior of others, we are still called to love. Whether or not someone responds to our love is not our responsibility—we are to be obedient and leave the results in God’s hands.”  “When a woman feels truly loved, she is confident in herself, she is more generous of heart to be able to reach others, and her faith grows strong because of the deep acceptance she receives and lives in.”
• Biggest Takeaway:  Completing this Bible study with friends online encouraged my spirit and reminded me that God’s love is unconditional.  Because His love is poured into me, I am called to love others sacrificially.

24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life

• The Rundown: Dr. Matthew Sleeth proposes that the spiritual practice of Sabbath will benefit you and your family physically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.   Living a “24/6” life is the prescription to a happier, healthier you.
• Memorable Quotes: “The covenant [of Sabbath] was like a marriage agreement between God and His people.  Breaking the Sabbath would be akin to a wife talking off her wedding band and throwing it in her husband’s face on national television”  (p. 37).  “People don’t save the Sabbath, it saves us” (p. 58).  In learning how to rest, we actually gain the knowledge of Christ.  We learn to be gentle and humble and to give up our pride” (p. 85).  “God rarely shows up at the foot of our beds and wakes us from sleep.  We must listen for God in the narrative of life.  Stopping one day a week allows my hearing to improve”  (p. 156).
• Biggest Takeaway:  Sleeth and his family begin the Sabbath on Friday evenings and practice hospitality by inviting others in to their home for a meal.  He linked community and Sabbath for me in a beautiful way that I hope to incorporate.

Let’s All Be Brave:  Living Life with Everything You Have

• The Rundown: Annie Downs challenges her readers to “embrace the God-given courage that lives inside.”  Taking a step of faith toward the calling God has for us might just change the world.
• Memorable Quotes:  “.. sometimes you set sail without a view of the destination, trusting the tools you’ve got. And once you are there, you stay. You move forward, not backward. You burn your ships” (p.17).  “If there are seeds of courage living in all of us, waiting to bloom, words are the sun and the water that cheer on those seeds to their fullness” (p. 92).  “…. your words are changing the atmosphere” (p. 96).  “The road to courage is lit by God’s wisdom” (p. 120).  “…be brave enough to love the people around you, even if it looks like sacrifice and feels like loss” (p. 135).  “We all need trailblazers” (p. 173).
• Biggest Takeaway:  Annie’s chatty writing voice invites you in, and then she kicks you in the gut.  This book stirred up so much in me, and I am still processing it all.   I am not called to live a safe life and make safe choices.   Read this book — if you dare.   You won’t be the same when you are done.

What Your Heart Needs for Hard Days: 52 Encouraging Truths to Hold on To

• The Rundown: Holley Gerth has put together a 52-week devotional that covers the book of Psalms and breathes life into all the right places.  I have bought this book for several friends as a gift, and quickly decided that this is one of my all-time favorite devotionals.
• Memorable Quotes: “If we try to make ourselves stop hurting before we’ve finished healing, then we go through life with hearts that are bare and vulnerable.  It takes time to be ready for the joy again, and we need to be patient” (p. 56).  “Sometimes we need to step back to realize, in the best possible way, that the world doesn’t rely on us as much as we think.  Everything can go on just fine without us for a bit.  Here’s the catch: we’ll never know unless we take time off now and then” (p. 208).
• Biggest Takeaway:  Holley points out that Psalms 134 explains that those who go through hard times have a special calling to “minister in the night”  (p. 216).

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas

• The Rundown: Ann Voskamp has written a beautiful Advent book for the family that traces the story of Christ from Genesis to Bethlehem.
• Memorable Quotes: “Miracles happen whenever we speak works that make souls stronger.  Miracles happen wherever we look for shoots of Jesus’ love for everyone.  Miracles happen in the drawing close to the little people, the least people, the lonely people, the lost people — because this is drawing close to Jesus”  (p. 8).  “Whenever you fall, whenever you fall short, whenever you sin, your God whispers to you with a love that wraps around you like a gentle arm: ‘Wherever you are, I will always come find you’…”(p. 11).  “…believe that the love of Jesus is in the place where you don’t expect it.  Then live into the surprise of a love like that” (p. 69).  “We are all saved and rescued from the hopeless dark because God came with infant fists and opened wide His hands to hold yours” (p. 87).  “…we have Jesus with us — the greatest Gift of unfailing, unbeatable, unstoppable love that we can keep unwrapping all our days” (p. 154).
• Biggest Takeaway:  The Bible is God’s love story.  The Dunbars loved, loved, loved this book (and we have no children!).  We will read this again next year and every year that follows.  What a beautiful book!

Praying thru the Tabernacle

• The Rundown: Jon Courson walks his readers through the Old Testament Tabernacle and explains how each room ties into the heart’s attitude in prayer.
• Memorable Quotes:   “The dungeon doors of depression will swing open in the midnight hour if you begin to thank God and express your gratitude to Him. You see, a grateful man will always be a great, full man.”
  
• Biggest Takeaway:  This is a quick 62-page read and a great resource for anyone who wants to follow a Biblical prayer model.

Girls with Swords: How to Carry Your Cross Like a Hero

• The Rundown: Lisa Bevere examines the elements of sword play and draws spiritual analogies to support her premise that each of us is a warrior in a spiritual battle that needs to be armed and empowered by God.
• Memorable Quotes: “Tempered daughters of God are resilient.  We have the capacity to flourish under all types of trials in every season” (p. 113).  “If the early church took the message of the Cross everywhere they went, and hearts were encouraged, the sick were healed, and the oppressed were set free, why shouldn’t the same be true of us?  Are you looking for a sign that Jesus still wants to do wonders?  The Cross is our sign, and you are His wonder!” (p. 219)
• Biggest Takeaway:  This book “grew on me” toward the end.  The last 3 Chapters dealing with the sword of silence, the sword of reconciliation, and the sword as a cross we carry were definitely the most thought-provoking.

Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You

• The Rundown: John Ortberg draws from God’s wisdom and the life of his mentor, Dallas Willard, to encourage his readers to tend to their souls.  Rather than striving, he encourages his readers to rest in the freedom that comes from knowing Christ intimately.
• Memorable Quotes: “Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.  You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry in your life” (quoting Willard, p. 20).  What matters is not the accomplishments you achieve; what matters is the person you become” (quoting Willard, p. 49).  “The soul is healed by confession” (p. 65).  “God wants to make every moment of life glorious with His presence.  This is the core of the ‘with God’  life” (p. 121).   “The test of a sustaining spiritual practice is: Does it fill you with grace for life?” (p. 130)   “Jesus was often busy, but never hurried” (p. 134).
• Biggest Takeaway:  I need to learn to tend my soul’s garden well before I can plant seeds.

You’ll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times

• The Rundown:  Max Lucado unpacks the life of Joseph to encourage readers that God is working behind the scenes to redeem our painful experiences and heal our brokenness.
• Memorable Quotes: “Don’t see your struggle as an interruption to life but as preparation for life” (p. 55).  “The cemetery of hope is overpopulated with sour souls who have settled for a small god.  Don’t be among them.  God sees a Joseph in you.  Yes, you!  You in the pit.  You with your family full of flops and failures.  You incarcerated in your own version of an Egyptian jail.  God is speaking to you.  Your family needs a Joseph, a courier of grace in a day of anger and revenge…Will you be a Joseph?” (p.159).
• Biggest Takeaway:  This book was right on time for me.  If you are in a valley season, you will be comforted by its message.  If you aren’t in a valley season now, you will be one day soon, so bookmark it for future reference.

Q4U:  What are you reading right now?