June Book Recommendations

To my great delight, I recently found a whole stack of books on sale for $1 or less! I still read more ebooks than paperbacks, but it’s fun to hold an actual book in my hands sometimes. Here are some of my favorite book recommendations for summer reading. I hope you’ll enjoy them as well! 

 

Fiction – 

Picture Perfect (Weddings by Design Book #1) by Janice Thompson (KU)

This is a fun, lighthearted romance about two wedding photographers. Hannah feels like she’s in competition with fellow photographer Drew. Of course, sparks fly, and Hannah eventually realizes partnership is better than competition. Hannah’s character is also Irish, and the story is filled with humor and her family’s crazy antics and traditions. This is one of my favorite novels by Janice Thompson. If you’re looking for an easy-going, humorous, clean, Christian fiction book, you’ll enjoy this one! 

 

Non-Fiction – 

The “Do What You Can” Plan – 21 Days to Making Any Area of Your Life Better by Holley Gerth 

I so appreciate the approach of this book! It’s not easy to set and reach goals when life is crazy or during particularly busy seasons. This book helps us think smaller and take little steps forward one day at a time. This results in progress and helps us feel encouraged about what we can do, instead of focusing on what we can’t do. This is a great book to reread often and follow the little steps for whatever area we’d like to experience progress in. 

 

Children’s – 

Hippocephalus: A tale of hippo hope for kids facing medical challenges by Beka Burns 

This book is a great resource for families who have children with medical needs. It’s sweet and fun to read, while explaining in kid-friendly language about medical procedures and doctor’s appointments. It’s a somewhat long book, so it’s better to be read in installments than all at once. If you know a family whose child has medical needs, I hope you’ll pass along this book to them!  

 

(KU – available in Kindle Unlimited)

 

Living with All My Heart

I’m excited to announce that my friend Kati and I recently published a new children’s book!

https://gracepossible.com/product/all-my-heart-ebook/

The idea for this book came after I’d been reading in the Psalms, and I noticed the same phrase used often.

 

“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart….” (Psalm 9:1)

“I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart….” (Psalm 86:12)

“I seek you with all my heart….” (Psalm 119:10)

“Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” (Psalm 119:34)

I started thinking about this idea of living with “all my heart.” Of course, I want to live that way! Of course, I can’t do it. 

When questioned, Jesus answered that the greatest commandment in the law is to love God with all your heart (and all your soul, mind, and strength). (Mark 12:30) However, Jesus didn’t say, “So, go do it.” Jesus knew that as sinful human beings, it’s impossible for us to keep this commandment. If we could love God with all our heart, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to come as our Savior. Praise God, Jesus did come and He fulfilled the law. He loved God and He loved others perfectly.

 

Now, since we do have Him as our Savior, and we do have the Holy Spirit living in us, we can grow in this way of living wholeheartedly day by day, (though still imperfectly). I think the key to this kind of life is explained in 1 John 4:19: “We love because he first loved us.”

 

God’s love for me is perfect. It is unlimited. It is powerful. It is eternal.

 

The more I understand and experience God’s love for me, the more my heart responds with love for Him, and the more I live out of love instead of selfishness or self-reliance. Understanding God’s love for me more and more leads me to loving God more and more. It leads to living more with “all my heart.” That’s how I want to live. 

 

We hope that our new book encourages children and helps them understand this simple truth – that they can live each day with all their heart, as the last line of the book says,

“Because my heavenly Father loves me always with all His heart.”

May Book Recommendations

Here are this month’s book recommendations. I hope you’ll be blessed by these! Please share about some of your favorite books in the comments.

 

Fiction – 

Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La by Robin Jones Gunn (KU)

Five years ago, I got to visit Paris. It was the fulfillment of a dream that was planted in my heart after reading this book many years before. Paris makes a wonderful setting for a light-hearted adventure for two childhood friends who reconnect later in life. As they experience unexpected joys and sidetracks, they learn more about themselves, each other, and God’s goodness. I recommend all the Sisterchicks books, and this one is a favorite!

 

Non-Fiction – 

Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus (KU)

This book is packed with biblical wisdom and thought-provoking questions. There were so many powerful truths, that I ended up underlining several lines on almost every page! The chapters follow the story of Jonathan when he invited his armor-bearer to go with him against the Philistines. Even though it’s a relatively short story in Scripture, the author unpacks a lot of godly principles and wisdom from it. While this book isn’t “light” reading, there are personal stories and illustrations throughout that make the truths relatable for the reader. McManus’ writing always makes me think more deeply and see things from a different perspective. I felt encouraged, challenged, and inspired as I read this book. It’s the kind of book that’s worth rereading each year, it’s that good. I hope you’ll give it a try! 

 

Devotional – 

40 Days of Jesus Always – Joy in His Presence by Sarah Young (KU)

This devotional has 40 short readings. Each one is written as if Jesus was speaking to you directly. There are verses listed at the end of each devotional as the foundation for the daily reading. I found the topic of joy in His presence encouraging and uplifting. It’s good to be reminded in a conversational way of truths we know but can easily lose sight of. 

 

(KU – available in Kindle Unlimited)

 

Choose Joy Today

I bought this piece of décor several years ago after unearthing it in a clearance bin. I needed the reminder on it – Today I Choose Joy. Then I noticed how it was scratched, smudged and slightly dented. And that’s when I knew it was perfect for me. 

It’s easy to say, “Choose Joy” when life is going well and good things are happening. It’s much harder to remind ourselves or anyone else to choose joy when life is full of pain, suffering, heartache, and disappointments. What we want instead is sympathy, comfort, and deliverance. 

The wonder of our great Savior is that He offers all of that to us – plus joy. 

Joy comes from knowing Jesus. 

Joy comes from seeing Jesus in others.

Joy comes from receiving from Jesus.

Joy comes from trusting Jesus. 

Joy comes from partnering with Jesus.

Joy comes from worshipping Jesus.

Joy comes from being loved by Jesus. 

 

My belief is that anything that brings true joy in this life somehow finds its source in Jesus. 

 

When we have Jesus, we have the source of true joy. 

 

That’s why we can choose joy today, in spite of the scratches, smudges, and dents of life. We can choose to focus on Jesus, to receive from Him, to worship Him, to partner with Him, to trust Him – allowing His supernatural joy to shine in us and through us. 

 

There is so much we can’t control in our lives. But by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, we can control our choices. We can choose joy. Today. Tomorrow. Each day as it comes. 

 

I hope this reminder was helpful for you today. Maybe you can send me a reminder once a while too, so we can both continue to choose joy. 

 

Blessings,

-Joanna

 

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy….” –1 Peter 1:6-8

 

April Book Recommendations

Happy April! Here are this month’s favorite book recommendations. I hope you’ll enjoy reading these! Please share in the comments about some of your favorites as well.

 

Fiction – 

Paige Torn by Erynn Mangum

This novel about a young woman trying to find her way after college is heart-warming and hilarious. I laughed out loud in several places, (especially the scenes with the youth pastor’s antics, which are very realistic based on the youth pastors I’ve known, lol!) I liked the main character and appreciated that she lived out a daily relationship with Jesus, even when she was too busy and had a lot to learn. I’ve read this book more than once, and it gets better each time. If you like light-hearted but substantive Christian fiction, give it a try! 

 

Non-Fiction – 

A Pair of Miracles by Karla Akins

For anyone with autistic kids in their family, this is an invaluable resource! It starts out reading like a memoir, then it transitions into more of a guidebook. The author includes stories from her own experiences (raising adopted twins with autism) that show her difficult journey, her relationship with God through it all, and her empathy for others. She also includes practical tips and tools, lists of resources, and biblical wisdom about how to handle some of the unique challenges of raising autistic kids. I think readers will feel seen, understood, encouraged and equipped by this book. I highly recommend it!  

 

Devotional – 

Unshakeable by Christine Caine

This 365-day devotional contains a Scripture passage, a short reading, and a brief closing prayer for each day of the year. These quick, easy to read devotions are still encouraging and challenging. Christine encourages readers to find unwavering strength in God’s Word each day. 

 

Weaving A Good Plan

One of the promises we hear often and cling to in trials and suffering is Romans 8:28. 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his promise.”

Sometimes we see evidence of this promise clearly. Other times we wonder how in the world God will ever bring good out of the pain we’re experiencing. 

Lately I was reminded again that God is like a master weaver. He uses every thread – good, painful, ordinary, excruciating – to weave a beautiful masterpiece in our lives. Everything we go through matters to God. Everything is used for His purposes somehow.

That astounds me. But it’s true. 

I can give you two specific examples from my life that I observed recently. 

Last week I was not doing well physically. We had horrible air quality, and the coughing was so bad, I could barely talk. Then my phone rang. When I saw who it was, I answered, not because I felt like talking, but because I knew it was God sending me some much-needed encouragement. My ‘adopted’ mom spent the next ten minutes praying for me and building up my faith once again. 

Here’s the thing…I would never have met her if not for some interesting threads God wove together. Seven years ago, I followed an impulse to ask for information about a Christmas banquet held by a local ministry. By God’s grace, they gave me two tickets for free. The day of the banquet, I started feeling sick. I didn’t think I could possibly go, but I felt in my heart that I was supposed to be there. So I prayed, and I got dressed, and I went, still feeling awful. When I arrived, I was seated next to an older couple. Before the night was over, I had a new friend. And that precious lady soon ‘adopted’ me as a spiritual daughter. She has been a blessing to me ever since!

I had no idea seven years ago what was coming in my future. But God knew. And He wove those threads together to give me the precious blessing of a godly woman to encourage me on my journey through all these years. 

The second example is that I currently have a tutoring student who I’ve been able to help in such rewarding ways that I thank God after each session. Then I saw the threads. 

Four years ago, I had a very close call with my breathing. I actually thought I might die. Thanks to the help of the staff at the Christian camp where I was staying in the mountains of Colorado, I survived. That dear couple not only helped me through the crisis, they also introduced me to some of their friends. Those friends then introduced me to one of their friends, who happened to own a tutoring business. And once my breathing crisis had passed, I ended up getting hired as a tutor. 

God used a life-threatening crisis to bless me with new friendships and a new job, and now, four years later, with the opportunity to bless a young life (as well as the other students I’ve tutored). 

How does God do it? It boggles my mind, honestly. And it gives me hope for today. 

I’m so grateful He is GOD! He is the master weaver, working everything in our lives for our good and the good of others – bringing beauty from brokenness. 

I wrote the following poem years ago. (It’s in my book Seeing God Through The Storm –

Empowering Truths from the Book of Job.) I hope it encourages you today that God is always working, always weaving His good plans for you. 

 

 

Broken To Beautiful

 

Broken, shattered,

Pieces scattered.

Is this my life?

Dreams have crumbled,

Idols tumbled.

Nothing left.

 

Nail-scarred hands,

Heart that understands,

You hold my life.

Healer of the broken,

Truth you’ve spoken,

You are all I need.

 

My pieces repairing,

While broken, preparing,

A new life for me.

The best plan you weave,

Help me receive,

Your will for me.

 

Transformed through the pain,

No longer the same,

You are my life.

Your grace shining through,

You change broken to

Beautiful.

 

by Joanna K. Harris