Two More Books to Love Right Now

Last month I shared two books that had caught my attention, and this month there are two more that have me turning pages and soaking in all their goodness. Both were on my reading list for 2016 and both released this month too – and they really couldn’t have come at a better time!

The Life Giving Home

The Life Giving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson is one that I have been anxiously waiting for to arrive. Sally has been sharing daily posts to celebrate the launch this week, and I am excited to listen in on her webinar as well. If you have never read a book by Sally, this is a perfect book to start with – and really just sit at her feet (if you will) and soak in her wisdom.

In this book, Sally and Sarah share what it means to have a home that breathes life into our families. A home that welcomes guests, is a place of comfort and rest, and is the place we all long to be. I love the aspect of having Sarah, her daughter, share her thoughts as well and how daily and yearly traditions shaped her and the family as a whole.

This quote from the book really struck me…

“Home is not merely a dwelling. It’s not merely a state of existence. It’s a story, a narrative spun out day by day, the story molded by the walls and towers and tasks and feasts with which we fill our time, reflecting the reality of the God who is love animates every aspect of our being.”

The Life Giving Home, p. 20

So far I’m about halfway through and loving every page of it, dog-earing pages, underlining and starring thoughts to return to, and savoring every bit.

Raising Grateful Kids

Kristen Welch is another blogger and writer that I absolutely love. After her trip to Kenya with Compassion, she began Mercy House, a n0n-profit ministry that supports women in need around the globe. This month she released Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World.

While we don’t give our kids everything (and boy is it hard in this age of entitlement), Kristen shares her heart in this book on helping cultivate a spirit of appreciation for what we already have and also perspective of the world around them. We want our kids to be givers – and hard workers – as they grow into adulthood, not expecting that everything is just handed to them because they ‘deserve’ it. And truthfully, this book is as much for me as it is for them, if not more so.

Both books have been great so far and are where my heart is at the moment too with what I personally need to hear – building a haven for our kids and at the same time raising them to appreciate all that is around them. I am digging into both at the same time – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – and can’t wait to share more thoughts with you all later, but wanted to share what is impacting me right now.

What are you reading and loving?