Fourgiven Momma Loves to Read

For as long as I can remember I have loved reading. When I was a little girl whichever book I was reading at the time was my favorite. I can remember encouraging my mom, "Mom, you have to read this! It's the best book I've ever read!" Looking back I can understand why she didn't jump at the chance to read Nancy Drew. However, it made my heart happy when I finished reading Charlotte's Web to Kyle and he put it on Mike's chair with instructions for me to "Make sure Daddy reads this." Oh, how I hope to raise boys who love to read!

Following is a list of books that I have loved reading (note: each title is a link). What I anticipate using this blog for is to talk about books I'm currently reading and keep adding to the list of great books that I would love for my friends to know about.

I would love to re-read each book on my list so I could write a great, insightful description, but since I live in the real world that just isn't going to happen. So I hope you'll have grace for me and trust that even though I can't "wax eloquent" about each book, I really did love it and think you just might love it too!

Some on the list were library books, but lots of them I own. If you live local (let's not say where local is, but you know who you are!) feel free to email me and if it's one I have I'd love to loan it to you!

First, I love God's Word. The Daily Walk Bible is the particular Bible God used to show me the transforming power His Word has when you study it every day. About the time I got that Bible I saw a commercial that said something like, "One day when you stand before God, how will you explain that 76 years just wasn't enough time to read His book?"

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

These are some of the books I have found to be thoroughly worthwhile:

Fiction

Pretty much anything by Francine Rivers. Especially Mark of the Lion Series - I didn't want to put these books down. Incredible historical fiction. They are the first books Rivers' wrote after becoming a Christian. Wow!

Also her Lineage of Grace Series which is historical biblical fiction. Rivers wrote these books about the only women listed in Christ's genealogy: Ruth, Rahab, Tamar, Bathsheba and Mary. She helps you imagine with great insight what life might have been like for these imperfect women who God used in extraordinary ways. Fascinating and thought-provoking. Individually they are really quick reads.

Redeeming Love was the first book I read by Rivers and maybe my favorite; it's really hard to pin down a favorite though because they are all total page-turners. It is a picture of the love of Christ for sinners and what lengths He goes to to redeem us out of the slimy pit of our sin. It is the re-telling of the story of Hosea and Gomer from the Bible set in California during the 1800s.

Liz Curtis Higgs’ Lowlands of Scotland Series - When a friend suggested these books I didn't really want to read them. I was fresh from reading everything written by Francine Rivers and I was feeling like nobody could write fiction that I would enjoy as much. But I am so glad I relented. These were fabulous! If you've ever read a book and felt torn because you couldn't put it down, but in a way you kind of wanted to put it down so it would last longer, then these books are for you.

Safely Home - Great eye-opening book about the persecuted church in China. Fictional characters, but to my understanding an accurate portrayal of the social climate (there is probably a name for that type of fiction, but I don't know it).

Non-Fiction

The Case for Christ - The first book on apologetics I ever read. Loved it, great for believers and non-believers alike. The Case for Faith is also great.

Peace with God - Clearly laid out presentation of God's Plan for salvation. It's by Billy Graham. I also enjoyed his biography, Just As I Am.

Shepherding a Child’s Heart - Probably the best parenting book I've read (aside from the Bible). Great biblical truths for parenting. If your primary goal as a parent is that your kids know Jesus you will love the perspective this book provides.

The Shaping of a Christian Family - Great book by Elisabeth Elliot. One of the things I remember most about this book is that she believes teenage rebellion and withdrawal from family life is not inevitable, but something that we, as a culture, basically bring about in our kids through negative expectation and self-fulfilling prophecy. Wonderful picture of what daily life looks like in a family of Christ followers.

Heaven - Fascinating book that brings together in one place all that the Bible has to say about Heaven. Clears up the myth that people often (secretly anyway) think that Heaven will be boring. Quite the contrary, since it is actually what we're made for.

The Hiding Place is a powerful biography about Corrie Ten Boom, a godly woman with countless stories of faith and encouragement, it mostly takes place in Europe during WWII. It was awesome to read how she lived out her faith in the midst of tremendous tribulation.

Jesus, the One and Only and just about anything else by Beth Moore.

Power of a Praying Wife and the Power of a Praying Parent and I'm sure all the others by Stormie Omaritian.

What’s So Amazing About Grace and The Jesus I Never Knew and others by Philip Yancey.

A Woman After God’s Own Heart is probably the book (other than the Bible of course) that has most transformed my attitude toward and my understanding of my role as a wife.

Come Thirsty and many others by Max Lucado.

My next blog post will be children's books. Check back!