Soraya M. Lane

A storyteller who continues to capture and hold my attention from the first few pages onward.

Carved in Ebony, Jasmine Holmes

I’ve had this book for awhile and I’ve been picking it up occasionally all year. I enjoy Jasmine Holmes, especially her Untold Stories emails (scroll to the bottom of her website). I love the passion and excitement she brings to her work and writing. These names were all new to me, and I like the way Jasmine incorporates how she herself learned about these women’s stories. I also think the cover art is l o v e l y.

“What if, instead of putting Uncle Sam in a cape and putting Lady Liberty on a pedestal, we told the story of America as the story of God’s faithfulness—and not our own? What if we took a note from the people of Israel, and every time we stood on the precipice of a defining cultural moment, we remind ourselves of God’s providential hand protecting us *in spite of* our waywardness? Our selfishness? Our avarice? What if we put God’s glory at the center of our concern for the telling of our story, and left America’s glory to fend for herself?”

Thrivers, Michele Borba

Intriguing. Inspiring.

“And suddenly the mystery of why this generation feels so unhappy, overwhelmed, stressed, and lonely made perfect sense. We told them that if they strive for more—more likes, better grades, greater accolades—they’d be happy. But these young Strivers aren’t happy… and what’s more, they’re not thriving. They are stunted, anxious, and unhappy. We have raised a generation of kids who have more of everything, but we’ve forgotten to give them the thing they need most to succeed: the mental and moral qualities that make them human. Character is what builds inner strength, genuineness, and wholeness and helps turn kids who strive for the next gold ring into young adults who thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing world. When kids are missing character strengths like optimism, curiosity, empathy, and perseverance their development is incomplete. They often don’t succeed outside the very narrowly defined parameters of school and classrooms. They’re not ready for the uncertain world that awaits them—a world that’s even more unpredictable with every passing year. In short, they turn out like beautifully wrapped packages but are missing the gifts inside.“

Borba, Michele. Thrivers (pp. 5-6). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

The Sermon on the Mount, R. Kent Hughes

I enjoyed the book on Proverbs in this series, and reading this one is no different.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis, Patti Callahan

Once I was a few chapters in, I was hooked. Beautiful, engaging writing and storytelling. Below are a few favorite passages…

“Walking has always allowed me to slough off the darker parts of myself.”

“Can’t you see now that anything is possible? Anything. The world changes when you understand the Love behind it, over it, and under it.”

Jack stared at me with gentleness. “Maybe you aren’t doubting that God will do the best for you, but wondering how painful the best might be.”

“Sometimes I felt as if my anguished prayers of uncertainty were received into the hands of great Love, and other times I sensed that they hit the ceiling and landed flat in my lap, dusty, withered, and useless. I started to see that faith was something akin to understanding that it didn’t matter so much how I felt but was closer to what I believed.”

“Your fear of change is palpable. You hide all the turmoil and pain of your past life inside of you: the loss of your mother; whatever happened in the war; the boarding schools. And Paddy and Mrs. Moore. And now here you are, at peace in your Garden of Eden with your brother and your acreage and your students and your Inklings and your friends and your quaint town. All these things both inspire and protect you. But a change might be in order. Not a change that disrupts, but one that expands.” I paused. “Let new things touch your soul.”

“I was already loved. That was the answer to any question I held out to the world.”

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On the book/Kindle shelf:

• Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, Pete Scazzero
• Hollywood Heroes, Frank Turek
• Reactivity, Paul David Tripp
• Strangely Bright: Can You Love God and Enjoy This World?, Joe Rigney
• Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture, Natasha Crain