Heart of God, Elisabeth Elliot

“The heart of God is eternal and unchanging. Before God laid the foundations of our universe, He was a being of infinite power and love, and He will remain so throughout all eternity.”

31 Days of Drawing Near to God, Ruth Myers

My MIL passed this one along to me and I’m enjoying it immensely. The chapters are short but the writing and heart is so beautiful. I have found myself simply moving it to whatever room we’re in and catching snippets here and there. This is definitely one I can see myself giving to friends in the future.

Awakening Wonder, Sally Clarkson

“How often we miss the fingerprints of the Artist behind it all because the eyes of our heart are distracted or busy with more temporal demands, the noise of life beckoning us to follow. How different the fruit of a life given to create time for wondering, imagining, reflecting. But it must be sought intentionally; it must be fought for among the constant voices tempting us to the draw of busyness.”

The Sacred Slow, Alicia Britt Chole

A book I’m reading this entire year, one chapter a week.

“Relationship with God is best fed by a steady practice of attentiveness to God (as opposed to a diet of relative neglect, interrupted occasionally by quick spikes of engagement and intense surges of experience), which may help explain some of the spiritual dissatisfaction and burnout puzzling countless sincere souls in our day. We mistake the spikes and surges for spiritual strength and are left wondering why our faith at times still feels uneven and lonely.”

Timothy Keller, Collin Hansen

I’m a big fan of Tim Keller, so it’s not surprising I’m really enjoying this book.

“Unlike a traditional biography, this book tells Keller’s story from the perspective of his influences, more than his influence. Spend any time around Keller and you’ll learn that he doesn’t enjoy talking about himself. But he does enjoy talking—about what he’s reading, what he’s learning, what he’s seeing. The story of Tim Keller is the story of his spiritual and intellectual influences—from the woman who taught him how to read the Bible, to the professor who taught him to preach Jesus from every text, to the sociologist who taught him to see beneath society’s surface.”

Radiant: Fifty Remarkable Women in Church History, Richard Hannula

Inspiring, sobering, compelling.

“Although she was a busy mother raising her children and managing her household, Nonna tried to live minute by minute in the presence of the Lord. “She applied herself to God and divine things,” Gregory said, “as closely as if absolutely released from household care.” In a world where women of her class spent great sums of money on clothes, jewelry and cosmetics, Nonna sought loveliness in other things. “She acknowledged but one kind of beauty,” her son said, “the beauty of the soul.””

Strangely Bright: Can You Love God and Enjoy This World?, Joe Rigney

“Follow [the gifts] back to the giver. See them as declarations of his glory. Know them as images of divine things. And then turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely bright, in the light of his glory and grace.”

All My Knotted Up Life, Beth Moore

Listening to the audiobook. It’s a good story, with great writing (not surprising), but I’m listening to the audiobook and I’m not saying I think Beth’s voice is annoying but I am saying the production work makes it a little annoying at times.

Memory Lane, Becky Wade

She’s one of my favorite authors and this new one didn’t disappoint!