we are taking a few road trips this holiday season to visit family and slow down and be together. on one trip, we'll be on the road for at least 6 hours. typically, on road trips when hubby is driving, i usually alternate between listening to music or a podcast, answering the kids' 20 million questions, and reading. last holiday season, i read (and fell in love with) the first few Harry Potter books! this year, i'm taking a *small* stack of books along for the ride...
here are the books i'm reading lately:
/// inseparable by ashley linne "what one word would you use to describe yourself? now think of a word God would use to describe you. is it the same word?" woah. ashley doesn't hold back truth or encouragement as she unpacks the book of Romans. i'm learning, slowly and awkwardly like a doe, to find my identity in Christ.
/// the 20th Christmas by andrea rodgers i finished this novel in one night. it was too good - and suspenseful! - to put down. i got caught up in the lives of two families and the hope of God working behind the scenes, fulfilling Romans 8:28. i was on the edge of my seat (bed) until the happy ending. i'll be watching for more of andrea's novels for sure!
/// antelope in the living room by melanie shankle when i spotted this familiar cover at my local library it was like bumping in to a friend. not like a real-life friend but like a familiar voice and personality, since i read her blog, and in january i read other book, sparkly green earrings. and i'm only on page 42 because i'm pacing myself. melanie keeps me laughing and nodding in agreement with her relevant and witty take on real-life marriage. i'm so happy my library has melanie shankle!
/// growing up social by gary chapman & arlene pellicane "the more a child is involved in screen time, the less time there is for interaction with parents, siblings, and friends." this book couldn't have come sooner. kids, even babies, are growing up dependent on screens for 24/7 entertainment, and to be quite honest, it breaks my heart. this book offers wisdom and application for taking back your family from an overdependence on screens. i've dog-earred several pages, for instance the Screen-Safe Family Pledge, 10 Screen-Free Ways to Cultivate a Thankful Heart in Your Child, and 5 Ways to Trade Screen Time for Serve Time. there is a quiz in the back to see if your child has too much screen time, and a guide with discussion group questions that would be perfect for a MOPS or mom's group. i'd love to see this book in pediatrician waiting rooms everywhere.
/// every bitter thing is sweet by sara hagerty so, i finished this book two nights ago. more a memoir, i was engaged in sara's honest and vulnerable story. it's a story of God's hope and grace, and of one hungry soul learning that every bitter thing is sweet, according to proverbs 27:7. i will re-read this book someday, i just know it.
/// the shack by william p. young a friend gave me this book when it first came out. i read it then (10 years ago?) and now i'm reading it again, this time with a little more life experience and personal spiritual growth. the shack is a pretty easy read, except that it challenges the timeless question, "where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" but i love the way the question is explored, the answers thought-provoking and transformational. i thought it would be good to read this again, given the amount of pain the the world lately. a great reminder of God's unfailing peace and presence.
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*some affiliate links. i was sent copies of some books to provide my honest review.
