2016 Reads | Goodreads.com tells me that I read 35 books in 2016. I was going to do a top five from the year, but a Christmas gift was consumed in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day and I just couldn't leave it off of the list! :) I Thought it was Just Me (But It's Not) by Dr. Brene Brown This wasn't the lightest of beach reads, but it gave me a lot to think about along the lines of shame and grace. Dr. Brown's book is not from a Christian perspective, but as I live and work in a culture that is more shame-based than guilt-based, and while I watch my own culture seem to shift toward being more shame-based than guilt-based, it was insightful. Her conclusion, that building resilience to shame requires an empathetic community where one can share his or her shame story and find acceptance and camaraderie in a life full of shame experiences pushed me to think about where I take my feelings of shame. The One who understands our stories of shame the best, who can completely identify with them is Jesus. As He builds His Church, it becomes a place where we can share our struggles with sin (isn’t that what causes our shame, ultimately?) and find a community that accepts us as Christ does and encourages us with the grace God has freely given to us. Being Mortal by Dr. Atul Gawande Dr. Gawande is an excellent storyteller, which made this nonfiction examination of end-of-life care and the tension between quality and quantity of life for those with terminal illnesses or those in their last days a poignant and captivating read. I found that even though this is not a Christian book, the questions Dr. Gawande suggests for working with families and those who are facing the end of their lives are useful across many areas, not just in making decisions about medications and procedures. Having experienced the loss of two family members this year and seeing my parents open their home and lives as they care for my grandma, this was a timely read (ok, my mom all but assigned it to me!). I have many friends who are caring for aging or ill parents and reading Dr. Gawande’s advice and experiences has given me a greater level of empathy and compassion for those who are caregivers, family members of those who are in their last days, and people who are facing illness and death. Craving Grace by Ruthie Delk This is a little book with a big picture for how the Gospel changes our lives. Delk’s Gospel 8 (a diagram Delk uses to explain the Gospel) was a helpful visual for me to consider the cycles a believer faces in dealing with sin in our lives and how God draws us to Himself. She addresses how we view God, how God views us and how that changes as we waver between faith and unbelief. Not only does Delk explore how the Gospel is life for a Christian but shows that all humans have a tendency to recognize that we’ve messed up somewhere in our lives and that that we all try to earn a good name by the work that we do. I can also see how the Gospel 8 is a great tool to use in sharing the gospel both to a non-believer and in discipleship. The Queen's Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner This series is just good fun. There were surprising twists. While the books are each from a different character’s perspective, the whole series tells the story of countries seeking peace and the conflicts that arise from that pursuit. My favorite was the first book, The Queen’s Thief, but I also enjoyed the other books in the series. I always like books that I can recommend for young readers with a high reading level, and this series falls into that category. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Ok, I’ve heard people talk about this book for years and never wanted to read it. When I saw the cover, I was even less interested (ironically, since I don’t mind reading Sci-Fi!). I could not put this book down! There’s a twist that was unexpected at the end and I liked the balance between characterization and plot in the story. Ender is one of my favorite fictional characters now! I love how he is compassionate and empathetic. + Alec Motyer's A Christian's Pocket Guide to Loving the Old Testament This little booklet was a quick read at first. I found myself saying Yes, this is what I’ve thought for a long time! He says it just right! I’ve always had a love for the Old Testament and it was refreshing to read Motyer’s thoughts on how the sweetest story is the theme of the whole Bible, not just in the gospels. He points out how Christ is the center of the Old Testament and how the Old Testament gives us so many insights into understanding God’s character and the surpassing greatness of Jesus’ life and death on our behalf. |
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Elisabeth CarySharing the love of Christ to make known the hope of Christ in Bulgaria. Archives
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