Good Reads for This Transition Season
1. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
Transitions are a great time to make changes. This book helped me ponder what things need to stay the same such as having a good buffer and making time for sleep and play. On the other hand, it made me evaluate what is important right now in my life and how that affects what I do each day. Also how do I edit my life in order to say what I want to say with my life as clearly and concisely as possible?
2. Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George
How can we love God with all our minds? Elizabeth George uses 6 verses and goes in depth in practical examples of how we can do just that. I started off reading this book with some other team members before I left Central Asia which made for some great discussions. The book is great to read one chapter a day as part of your daily God time. I like how she uses scripture as she confronts the issues we as women face. What is real? How can I deal with the worries about tomorrow? How can I base my life on God’s word and not just what I feel?
3. Layoff Reboot by Courtney Kenney
No, I didn’t get laid off. We are just transitioning off the field to another place but this short book had some great ideas. It has encouraged me to have a routine/plan for these months as well as to do some training and to take time for things I love such as crocheting and writing. The author does a great job of telling her story and how she went about figuring out what she wanted to do next after she was laid off.
4. Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You by John Ortberg
I kept seeing this book recommended on people’s favorite book list for 2015. When we started thinking about this transition, I knew I needed to read this book. It has lived up to its reputation. The author challenged me to evaluate where my soul is and how to take better care of my soul. In the book John Ortberg says,
” A person should be deep because life itself is deep. A deep soul has the capacity to understand and empathize with other people-not just himself. A deep soul notices and questions, and doesn’t just go through the motions. A deep soul lives in conscious awareness of eternity, not simply today. “
and also this..
“When my will is consistently, freely, joyfully aligned with what I most deeply value, my soul finds rest. That is wholeness. When I live with half-hearted devotion, my soul is always strained.”
I want to be that kind of person.
For more thoughts on the above books, see What is Important Right Now?
Then to top it all off, this 3 book series, Southern Crimes, kept me entertained as I traveled and was a fun read. Each book in the series highlights a different member of family that is mostly cops. The first one starts with Avery who teams up with the medical examiner to stop a killer. The second one deals with Avery’s sister, Emily who is a teacher, as she teams up with her brother’s former partner to solve a kidnapping. The last book has a lot of surprises and is a great wrap up to the series as all your questions for the series are answered.
What books have you read this month? How have they helped you in the season you are in? Are you interested in hearing more book recommendations/reviews? Check out the link up at Modern Mrs. Darcy on what other bloggers have read this month.
