For those of you who don’t know me, I am a huge bookworm. I was the kid who got in trouble in class for reading a book surreptitiously under my desk. Most of the time, I tend to stick to fiction. I’m a lover of stories, old and new. This summer, I’ve been trying to read more nonfiction, and I’ve really enjoyed it! So, here are some of the books I’ve read and currently are reading this summer.
1. "Lord Change Me!" by Evelyn Christenson
This is a book from the 80s I found randomly sitting on the bookshelf at home, and I loved it. Evelyn Christenson tells in such a relatable way how she learned to ask God to change her and the ways He answered her prayer. I learned to actually ask God to change me and to look to His Word and the Holy Spirit for help. This book is an easy read and is relatively short at 192 pages. Reading this made me want to check out Christenson’s other book "What Happens When Women Pray."
2. "Comforts from the Cross: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time" by Elyse Fitzpatrick
I’m kind of cheating with this one because I actually started this book during the school year, but it’s too good not to share. This is an excellent read! The book is in devotional format, where you read one chapter a day. Elyse Fitzpatrick writes in a way that truly celebrates the gospel. I have been so encouraged as I’ve read each chapter. What’s great about this pick is that you can pick up this book off and on and even use it as part of your daily devotional time. One of my favorite quotes thus far is, “It’s only a responsive love for Jesus and all that He has done for you personally that will cause godly fruit to be born in your life.”
3. "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Don Whitney
This book is both practical and rich, talking about the work of discipline in the believer’s life and the ways we discipline ourselves in our walk with God. I went into this book not expecting to be interested, but instead I found myself underlining almost everything. This will definitely be a book I return to for years to come! It’s a read to savor and read through slowly. A quote that really defines the purpose of the book is, “The Spiritual Disciplines are the God-given means we are to use in the Spirit-filled pursuit of Godliness.”
4. "John Adams" by David McCullough
This is not a biography for the faint of heart. At 651 pages, this book is pretty long, and that may be an understatement. I only just started it, but it is an interesting read. I love stories that are true to life, and John Adams lived at such a pivotal time in history. He was the quintessential founding father and did so much to get our country started. He lived in a tumultuous time period, which makes some of his sayings pretty relatable to today. He wrote to his wife Abigail, “We live, my dear soul, in an age of trial. What will be the consequence, I know not.” That hits home to the age we are living in for sure. This book also has me wanting to read the letters of John Adams and Abigail Adams because their real life romance is so sweet. I would definitely encourage ya’ll to give this book a shot, the length notwithstanding.
