Hello, Friends!
The chilly days of late February seem like a great time to recommend some of the books I have enjoyed curling up with this winter. But first, I wanted to share the news that I have been honored to have a week of my devotions published this spring. If you are looking for daily reflections on Scripture with real-life applications, you may enjoy David C. Cook’s Quiet Hour Devotional Guide. My devotions appear April 18-24 in the Spring 2022 issue.
Now, on to some great books!
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Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen
My women’s Bible study group has been reading Get Out of Your Head, and I have found it life-changing. It is beautiful to realize that I can choose to interrupt negative, chaotic thoughts and replace them with life-giving truths. In this book, Jennie Allen encourages us to fight the enemies of our minds, such as noise, cynicism, isolation, victimhood, and anxiety, with weapons that include silence, delight, connection, and gratitude. My word for 2022 is “gratitude,” and I have discovered how beautiful life looks when I look at daily life through a lens of gratitude instead of the lens of anxiety or fear. The study guide is a wonderful accompaniment, with readings from Philippians and projects for deeper thought.
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Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World by Jennie Allen
Friends, I seem to be on a Jennie Allen kick! In Find Your People, Jennie expands on the benefits of connection and community in a world where it is easy to become isolated. I was excited to score a spot in Jennie’s Insider Group for this book and read an advance copy. Happily, it launched on February 22nd and is now available. I appreciate that Jennie warns us to expect that putting ourselves out there and opening our hearts to others is risky. Doing so will most definitely result in a few bumps and bruises along the way. However, she also reminds us that our triune God exists in a relationship and designed us for connection with others. The benefits of lowering our guard and inviting others in make the risks worthwhile.
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The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert
I had to include a fiction option in today’s list. I am always fascinated by stories from the World War II era, and this novel presented a facet of the WWII experience I had not considered. In The Girl from the Train, we follow the story of 6-year-old Gretl, who learns she must always keep certain parts of her life hidden. From Germany to Poland to South Africa, Gretl learns to hide from others her Jewish blood, her Protestant baptism, her ties to the Communist country of Poland, and her Catholic schooling. I learned history from a fresh perspective while enjoying a beautiful love story.
Happy reading, friends!
I would love to hear your book recommendations!
Joyfully,
Kristen
I am looking forward to reading all three of your book suggestions! Find Your People may be very helpful as I’ve felt so disconnected from friends and even people at church since my mom’s death last May and various health situations of my own. A very comforting book to me during this time has been Phillip Keller’s The Shepherd Trilogy which is a close look at the 23rd Psalm. Love you! Mom
Thanks, Mom. I am looking forward to reading The Shepherd Trilogy. Love you so much! xo K