Smart Mamas Read

, , Looking for more books like Forgiving What You Can't Forget? Here's a short list of my top picks: One Thousand Gifts by Ann VoskampThe Purpose Driven Life by Rick WarrenThe 5 Love Languages by Gary ChapmanLove and Respect by Emerson EggerichsBlue Like Jazz by Donald MillerSeeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi Forgiving What You Can't Forget by Lysa Terkuerst impressed me in unexpected ways. As I've considered what made the biggest impact, I reached back and pulled out books from my experience that had those same qualities. Lysa Terkuerst does a deep dive into the components of Christian forgiveness. This is a universal message. Every human over the age of five has someone to forgive. (And, to be frank, the need starts even earlier in life.) It is universally hard to forgive, which is why we need supernatural help. The section on Practical Christian Living includes more books with universal principles to help anyone seeking to live the Christian life. There's also a section of books about improving relationships. Forgiveness is foundational for good relationships, but there's other helpful principles from other sources. Finally, since Lysa shares a lot of her life story I included a section of Inspiring True Stories. Note: The pictures of book covers in this list are Amazon affiliate links, so if you click through and purchase a percentage will go to support this site. Books Like Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Practical Christian Living One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp Every person in the world knows pain and heartache. And every person can number their blessings. Ann Voskamp challenges us to be intentional about looking for and expressing gratitude. It colors my thinking to this day. I understand that her poetic prose doesn’t appeal to everyone. Grammar Geeks beware. But the message is universal and important. Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin Women of the Word by Jen Wilkins tackles the challenges of Bible study head on. She admits that the work of Bible study can be difficult. She admits that there are seasons in a woman’s life when serious Bible study isn’t possible. Giant exhale. She addresses the problem of Bible literacy and the obstacles to Bible Study. She discusses how to use tools to study the Bible and some strategies and approaches to take. She takes readers step by step through an example using the book of James. Beginners and seasoned Bible studiers alike can learn a lot. She articulates so many important things, down to the difficulty and challenge of studying the Bible, as well as the importance of understanding the context, culture and original audience. She also gently points out the fallacy of making the Bible all about us instead of all about God. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren Rick Warren addresses the questions of existence, significance and purpose. Why am I alive? Does my life matter? What on earth am I here for? If not, get yours hand on a copy of The Power of a Praying Woman. It includes practical helps to know what to pray and how to pray. Believing in something isn’t the same as knowing how and why to do it. In answering these three questions, he outlines the basic tenets of the Christian faith in the context of living a meaningful life with purpose. Warren provides a framework for life management built on the foundation of a Christian belief system. He paints a big picture that gives context for the way we live our lives daily. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster Richard Foster’s classic on the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life should not be missed. He explains and explores 12 inward, outward and corporate spiritual disciplines. There’s so much insight and wisdom here whether you’re new to the Christian life or a mature believer. Prayer by O. Hallesby Prayer was written in 1931. Timeless and short, it packs a punch. In the first chapter Hallesby says, “To pray is to let Jesus come into our hearts.” He takes the initiative to communicate with us. Prayer is such a vital spiritual discipline, often misunderstood as well as impossible to fully understand. Anything that helps unravel the mystery of it is worth studying. Anyone determined to live the Christian life well can learn immeasurably from this book. The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie OMartian Stormie OMartian has written a series of popular books on prayer. All of them are helpful, and, if you’re married, The Power of a Praying Wife is a good place to start. She focuses on the practical, including specific prayers for different areas of your husband's life, including his emotions, his work life and his role as a leader. If you're not married, look for The Power of a Praying Woman and other titles in this series. Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Bonhoeffer was imprisoned by the Gestapo and executed in 1945 for his part in an assassination plot against Hitler. But his work as a theologian endures as his legacy is captured in various works, including this classic about Christian community. One of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life is living in community. Bonhoeffer tackles it head on, just as relevant today as when he wrote about it decades ago. The benefits of reading spiritual classics are worth the investment of wading through an older style of writing. Books Like Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Insight for Better Relationships The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman This book has remained a perennial best seller as more people discover better ways to express love to the people that they love. Gary Chapman explains the five main ways people express love and how to understand which way communicates best to individuals. Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs Emerson Eggerichs articulates how couples can get out of the crazy cycle that puts their marriage in a tailspin. Drawing from biblical teaching, he zeroes in on the essential need women have to be loved and the need men have to be respected. He includes lots of stories and practical examples to turn these principles into reality. Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend It’s impossible to talk about life management without talking about relationships. Sometimes trying to live the Christian life makes it even harder. How can we say “no” to people who need us? How can we take time off to rest and refresh when people need us? In the quest for healthy relationships it’s important to understand and set good boundaries. Cloud and Townsend explain what boundaries are and how to set healthy ones in your life. The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile What’s all the buzz about the enneagram? Why is there such a following for an ancient system of personality typing that seems to have no research behind it? I put it in the same category as The 5 Love Languages. It gains a following because it rings true. Of course. I should have seen it all along. But, of course, we didn’t. It seems so obvious when it’s all laid out. Yes. That is what I’m like. That’s how my friends and family tick. It all makes sense now. I get it. Because it rings true, it gains a following. Books Like Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Inspiring True Stories Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller Blue Like Jazz is reminiscent of an Anne Lamott memoir. They’re both off the charts in honesty, transparency and authenticity. We identify with those inner insecurities that we can’t even admit to ourselves, much less to others, committing them to black and white and hurling them to the world. I’ve read Donald Miller’s memoir several times. I have also read Scary Close, which is somewhat of a sequel, but it doesn’t have the same punch as Blue Like Jazz. Growing up fatherless is an underlying theme of Blue Like Jazz. By the time Scary Close was written, Miller has resolved many of his emotional issues and experienced a lot of healing. So, it’s not driven by the same pain. I believe writing in itself is therapeutic. As is sharing your story. I heard Miller recently talk about the desire people have to be heard and seen and known. He’s been there, done that and now has no more need to be seen and heard and known. He’s heading a successful company now called StoryBrand that helps businesses tell their story. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom The ten Boom family takes their Christian faith seriously. They believe the Jews are God’s Chosen People and risk their lives to protect them. Holland hides Jews from the Germans during World War II. Corrie ten Boom’s incredible true story of espionage, imprisonment and forgiveness. They continue to trust God in spite of horrific circumstances and they see His hand at work. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi In 2017 I wrote 55 book reviews for my blog. The best book I read that year was Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi. I heard him speak at my daughter’s graduation from Biola University in December of 2016. At that time he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, which took his life in September of 2017. If you don’t know much about him, here’s an overview of Nabeel’s life and impact. I loved the account of the raw, treacherous journey that Nabeel Qureshi took to find faith in Jesus. The sacrifices he made, the intellectual, emotional and relational barriers that kept him from finding faith in Jesus and the story of overcoming those barriers. Statistics are one thing. One person’s story is something else altogether. What difference can one person’s story make? Why do we need to know Nabeel’s story? There are millions of devout Muslims on the planet. If we understand Nabeel’s story, we come closer to understanding the Muslim mindset. Understanding opens the door to greater compassion. We share the same humanity. Our desires and dreams are common to the human experience. If you’re interested in more compelling biographies or Christian apologetics, read my post Books Like Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. Love Does by Bob Goff Bob Goff included his personal phone number in his book against his publisher’s advice and personally fields calls day and night from those in need. In Love Does he tells stories from his own life about reaching out and showing God’s love to friends and strangers along the way.

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