book week: favorite faith-based reads

Today’s book week topic is books about faith.

bible

I have to be honest with you: I’m not crazy about Christian books {they can get a bit cheesy}. I’m not crazy about self-help books, either. At this point in my life, if I’m going to read, I want a well-written novel that sweeps me away to another time or place with interesting characters that I grow to love and miss dearly when the story is finished. I suppose that makes me more of a read-for-entertainment-reader rather than read-for-growth-reader.

However, I do value the wisdom and perspective of chrisitan authors and have found a handful of books that have made a huge impact in my life.

devotion

So here are my favorite Christian books:

christian-books

I’ll add commentary about each one, because even though I said I don’t always love Christian books, these are truly great:

1. the voice bible // This is a brand new translation of the bible that helps both new readers and the seasoned bible-scholars read scripture with a fresh perspective.   “Scripture is presented not as an academic document, but as an engaging story. The intention of the scholars and authors who collaborated on The Voice is to enable readers to hear God speaking, to experience His presence in their lives.” {from the voice website} This is the bible used at our church and I really like how it reads as a story, without taking away the integrity of scripture. Click here to learn more.

2. love and respect // Men and women approach life differently, see things differently, hear the same comment differently and this book helps decode those differences in a really practical way. Ryan and I did this book/dvd series several years ago and it has made a difference in how we understand each other. As a society, we put a lot of emphasis on love, but this book shows that for men respect is just as important. A must read.

3. i will carry you // Angie’s blog was the first I read and I completely fell in love with her and her family. This is the story of God’s faithfulness through unimaginable grief. You’ll cry. But in a good way.

4. so long insecurity // I probably could have filled up each of these spaces with something by Mrs. Moore. She’s just incredible. I wish it were not so, but insecurity is such an issue with women and this book is truly a way to find freedom.

5. inside out // Beware: this book will make you look at the ugly parts of yourself that you like to keep hidden. It will pull them right out and make you address them. You will not like what you see, but you will love the results if you allow yourself to dig deep. My best friend and I did this together – I highly recommend going through the questions with someone you know well, who loves you even when you admit ugliness and who can help identify some areas of weakness. It was invaluable to work through this with K.C.

6. jesus calling // A daily devotional with simple, but poignant thoughts with scripture to back them up. You can download the app and read from your phone if you’re lazy like me and prolong getting out of bed each morning for as long as possible.

7. jesus calling for kids // Same as the above, but worded for school-aged kids. I probably get more out of this one each day than the grown up version. Also comes as an app.

8. the jesus storybook bible // What is it about this bible that makes me cry every time I read a story to the kids? It’s beautifully written, beautifully illustrated. Hits on all of the major bible stories, but always comes back around to the fact that Jesus is part of it all.

Those are my picks for favorite christian literature. What are yours?

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