I last posted 8 months ago. The time passed and then every time I wanted to write I didn’t know where to begin! We’ve been working on so much around here and I suppose just living life. I still don’t know where to begin, but I do want to keep writing on this blog, that much I know for sure. I have a few posts written, they just seem pretty substantial to lead off with, “Hi, I haven’t written or informed you of anything for 8 months, but…” So, I guess the only thing to do is just write and see where this initial post leads me.
I have been writing a ton over these last months, but in more personal formats; journal, letters, poetry, notes in whatever book I’m reading, and so on.
Why don’t I start there! Over the last couple months I’ve read some incredibly beautiful, inspiring, and convicting books that I absolutely loved and could not put down. If you know me in any real life capacity, I could also not stop talking about them, so here we go again:
Radical: Taking Back your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt – A Pastor in Birmingham, Alabama is leading his church to live a radical life worthy of every Christ-follower’s calling. He lays out a few different ways to live radically – with our prayers & resources, and so great as our very life. A remarkably convicting book of how passionately many Christians actually follow Christ and the amazing things happen when we obey!
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom – This book is more than 40 years old and the events took place 30 years before that. Corrie Ten Boom and her family lived in Holland during the Nazi invasion and as Christ-followers were committed to hiding any Jews that sought refuge. Without sharing much about the story, you follow her all the way to an extermination camp in Germany, but the things this woman (and her family) did and the legacy that followed gave me chills and brought me to tears page after page.
Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis – This is about a young woman (Katie Davis), now 24, who moved to Uganda after graduating from high school and completely left a former life of privilege to pour all of herself into a community of people that has absolutely nothing. In addition to providing food, education, and jobs for sustainable living, she has adopted 13 girls! I have to admit, this is not the best-written book I’ve read and certain phrases got pretty repetitive; but the raw, heart-breaking, and awesome stories more than make up for it. Plus, I think the repetition was just trying to clearly convey her heart for the Lord and that all that she does his for His glory and not out of her strength.
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker – She is a riot, so this “laugh-out-loud” fun to read. It follows her through an experiment of essentially fasting from one area of excess (technology, clothing, spending, etc.) over the period of one month. In a culture where we are so bombarded it is hard to think straight, let alone be intentional, it offers a rich opportunity to focus and come to a better understanding of what our idols are and how God should move into those places. The books I’ve listed before are unabashed in their cry for radical scriptural living – giving all that we are/have to care for others – but this book highlights an amazing first step in the right direction.
I’ll leave you with those recommendations and urge you to pick up any of them. They are impossible to read without making some personal changes, even if at the very least we are a little more grateful for our circumstances and a little more generous with our prayers and resources for those whose are dire.
Becca V
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