I greatly enjoy reading on the days when I feel well enough. Sometimes brain fog flares up, and I have to read small books or light and easy books. At other times brain fog makes reading impossible. But even with bouts of brain fog, I was able to read
35 books last year! It was fun to read so much. I especially enjoyed reading biographies and memoirs, books about theology, and books about chronic illness and disabilities.
I have a goal of reading 30 books this year, and so far I have read three books. If you want to see the books that I am reading currently, you are welcome to connect with me on
Goodreads.
These are my favorite books from 2014:
Safe
in the Arms of God: Truth from Heaven about the Death of a Child
Many people
have questions about babies and young children who die. Do they go to Heaven,
and if so, how do we know that? In this book John MacArthur answers questions
such as:
- Where is my child?
- What can we say with certainty to those with empty arms?
- How does God regard children?
- Will I see my child again?
- How shall we minister to those who are grieving?
I recommend
this book to anyone who has lost a baby or young child or to anyone who is
ministering to a friend who is dealing with the death of an infant or child.
Beside
Bethesda: 31 Days toward Deeper Healing
In this book
Joni Eareckson Tada takes the reader on a 31 day journey of discovering the
ways God uses our suffering to bring about what she calls “a deeper healing.”
She shows through her personal testimony and through God’s Word that suffering
is not in vain. With the gentleness and wisdom of someone who has suffered,
Joni explains how God uses the hard things in life to make us more like Christ.
The reader will learn how to live with joy, find hope, and have peace in the
hard times. The reader is challenged to walk more closely with Jesus, to see
the inner transformation that God brings about through trials, and to trust in
God’s sovereign plan for his or her life.
Barrier
Free Friendships: Bridging the Distance between You and Friends with
Disabilities
If you want
to reach out in friendship to someone with a disability, Barrier Free Friendships by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steve Jensen
will be a valuable resource for you. You will learn why it is important to
befriend people with disabilities and how you can reach out to them in
friendship. If you have a disability, the last two chapters are specifically
for you! You will learn about God’s plan for you in friendship and how you can
be a good friend while dealing with a disability.
God
Is Just not Fair: Finding Hope when Life Doesn’t Make Sense
God Is Just not Fair is written by
Jennifer Rothschild, a woman who started going blind at the age of 15 and has now been
blind for over 25 years. A few years ago she really struggled in her faith and
was battling depression and questioning God. In this book she writes about her
struggle and shares the answers she has found to some big questions of faith. The
first question she tackles is “God, are you fair?” Jennifer comes to the
conclusion that “thankfully, God is not fair.” He “does not treat us as our
sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). He gives
grace that is far beyond what we deserve!
Other
questions Jennifer answers are:
- God, do you err?
- God, do you hear prayer?
- God, do you care?
- God, are you aware?
- God, are you there?
Rinestone
Jesus: Saying Yes to God when Sparkly, Safe Faith Is No Longer Enough
Kristen Welch
shares her story in Rhinestone Jesus. She
shares about high school, the early years of marriage, and the challenging
days of motherhood. She shares about the hard things God brought them through
as a couple and as a family. She tells the story of travelling to Kenya
with Compassion International and her heart being broken there. The time in
Kenya shook her awake from her American dream, and soon a dream for a maternity
home in Kenya began to grow. In the process of telling her story, Kristen
shares practical tips and ideas for nurturing our own families, growing closer
to one another, and keeping our family focused on glorifying God. Throughout
the book, Kristen encourages other Christians to follow the Lord and say yes to
Him in whatever He calls them to do, no matter how “big” or “small” it
is.
Glimpses
of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home
In Glimpses of Grace, Gloria Furman
explains how the gospel makes a difference in our everyday lives. The gospel
isn't just something we believe so that we can be saved. It has implications
for all aspects of life. Gloria shows how the gospel affects our home life,
friendships, hospitality, generosity, contentment, and cheerfulness. She shows
how the gospel removes our shame and gives us hope. I found this book to be
thought-provoking, challenging, and encouraging.
PROOF:
Finding Freedom through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace
This book
takes a new approach to teaching the doctrines of grace. Instead of relying on
the old acronym, TULIP, that has often been used to teach Reformed theology,
Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones have come up with a better acronym:
PROOF. PROOF stands for Planned grace, Resurrecting grace, Outrageous grace,
Overcoming grace, and Forever grace. If you want to understand what the Bible
teaches about the grace of God in salvation, this book is for you. Prepare to delight
in and be dazzled by God’s amazing grace!
Strange
Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship
In this book
John MacArthur gives a clear and detailed history of the Charismatic Movement.
He uses biblical principles to evaluate the modern Charismatic Movement and
discern whether or not it represents an authentic work of the Holy Spirit. After
dealing with works that are falsely credited to the Holy Spirit, MacArthur
explains ways in which the Holy Spirit truly is active in our lives today.
As someone
with a chronic illness, I especially appreciated the chapter on healing.
MacArthur shows the difference between modern counterfeit healings and true
healings that took place in New Testament times. If you have a chronic illness
or disability and have been told that you would be healed if you had
enough faith, then you will greatly appreciate this chapter, and indeed the
whole book.
For those
who wish to understand the errors found in the Charismatic Movement, and wish
to learn how the Holy Spirit is active today, Strange Fire is a great book to
read. It is biblical, helpful, and easy to read and understand.
A
Christmas Longing
This is a
wonderful book to read during the Christmas season. Joni Eareckson Tada writes
about the joy and anticipation of Christmas, and she reminds the reader that
the God who came will come again! Joni’s words and beautiful artwork will draw
you in, help you to see the wonder of Christmas, and encourage you look with
anticipation to the future return of Jesus Christ. A friend and I read this
book together this Christmas season, and it was a blessing to both of us. We
will be reading this book again next December!
Up from Slavery (not pictured)
Up from Slavery is an autobiography by Booker T. Washington. I learned about Booker T. Washington as a child, and it was fascinating to learn more about him and read his story in his own words. In his autobiography he shares about slavery, emancipation, and his work during the Reconstruction period. I found it especially fascinating to read about his hard work in pursuing an education and establishing the Tuskegee Institute.
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