WHAT ARE YOU READING?
That's the question we will be asking COF contributors and you, our readers, each month. Is there a book that you just can't seem to put down, that's teaching you a profound spiritual lesson, or making you laugh amid your struggles? We want to hear about it!
JOIN US!
- Tell us in the comments what you are reading.
- Take a picture of what you are reading and post it to your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter using the hashtag #FFBF
- LinkUp a book review blog post about a favorite book you've read.
BTW, you don't have to wait for the first Friday of every month to see what our contributors are reading, you can follow them on Goodreads!
Barbara Higby
The Cure by John Lynch, Bruce McNicol, and Bill Thrall
Anything I read about God's grace deeply affects me. The Cure was no exception. The allegory immediately brings readers to a fork in the road and calls for a decision. Which do I choose? Pleasing God or Trusting God? From that point we see how our choices reflect dependence on personal intentions or confidence in who we are in Christ. The book challenges and liberates. It's a life-giving read.
Kimberly Coyle
Wild in the Hollow by Amber Haines
Amber's lyrical memoir of a faith lost and found once again is written from the heart of a poet. Our experiences couldn't be more different, but I read my own heart and thoughts across each one of her pages. One of the best memoirs I've read in a long time.
Elise Daly Parker
Anything – The Prayer That Unlocked My Prayer and My Soul by Jennie Allen
Very powerful! This is a re-release of Jennie Allen’s book. There’s now a bible study included in the book with awesome, sometimes difficult, always revealing thoughtful questions. And there’s online videos available for free too. I read and studied this book with a group this summer, which really helped me unpack the question, “What is my anything?” When I say, “God I will do anything for you,” do I mean it? What is the thing or things I hold back on? What does God want me to courageously surrender to Him? It may seem to big or vague, but I know God’s call is to surrender me – my plans, my ego, my ideas of what I want my life to look like, the titles I bear, the work I do. These I hold on to too tightly.
Kristin Hill Taylor
http://www.kristinhilltaylor.com
Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World by Emily Freeman
I read “Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World” by Emily Freeman quicker than I should have because the book was so in sync with what my mind and soul are experiencing but struggling to put into words. I marked paragraphs about child-like faith, everyday faith, smallness being great in the kingdom of God, and love. I thought about purpose and where God has me. Emily’s words made me fall in love with Tuesdays – the most ordinary day of the week – and benches. I’ve long loved having my people around the table, sharing real life together, so the bench analogy for relationships makes sense to me. Jesus didn’t go around building his Father’s kingdom by constructing massive cities; he built relationships with people sitting on benches and standing at wells, meeting them in their ordinary life.
Noelle Rhodes
The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James
This was a great in-depth study of Ruth that helped answer an important question: Is God good for women? If you are looking for a book that dives deeper to explore how God uses women to significantly impact the world, this book is for you.