2018 Book Review (Part 3)

Y'all. I'm not sure what it says about me that it is August 2019 and I am just now posting my 2018 year end book reviews. It could allude to the fact that I had a baby, or that we've had a crazy travel season, or that I can't tell a lie and just lump these books into 2019 to make it look like I've been an amazing new-mom AND ultra reader, or maybe it is just that I don't make time for the little things that I enjoy, like writing. Who will ever know?

I ended 2018 with wonderful reading and somehow (must be subconsciously) this series of books all match the color scheme of my house! Apparently I was SUPER nesting. Haha!

Hope you take some time to scroll through and maybe pick up some of these to enjoy!

Imagine Heaven by John Burke 

Everyone I have ever known has questions and ideas about Heaven, what it is & what it isn't, who will be there, how will we know, and on and on. So many people/leaders are afraid to give answers, while simultaneously afraid of admitting they may not know. John Burke bravely enters the world and research of Near Death Experiences (NDE) with an open mind to see if what the Bible teaches about Heaven lined up with the testimonies of the hundreds who have had documented NDEs. This book is thrilling and had me crying, cheering, smiling, and in total awe. I have to admit, I was a little (read: A LOT) skeptical about NDEs going into this book, but the stories in this book made me so excited for what is to come. If you have ever lost a loved one, been afraid of life after death, wondered what the Bible actually taught about heaven, this book is for you.  Having gone through so many significant losses in my life, this book was a sweet balm for the grieving parts of my soul.

Boundaries for Your Soul by Allison Cook & Kimberly Miller

While I have been charged in the past with over stating my excitement by an abundance of superlative, please know there is NO WAY I can over state my recommendation of this book! It has the capacity to do so much healing in hearts and lives that I would buy it for each of you if I had the ability!  Cook and Miller lay out for us how "turn your shame to joy, your anger to advocacy, and your inner critic into your biggest champion." In such practical ways, they give us tools on how to engage our thoughts in a way that leads to action instead of shame. If you have a loud inner critic, if you battle anxiety or being overwhelmed, or if you feel like your darkness is too dark for God, this is a wonderfully helpful book. Grab a copy, buy two (or four) and share the love! 

A Million Little Ways by Emily Freeman


A Million Little Ways is beautiful and thoughtfully written. Emily Freeman, an artist herself, opens your heart to the artist with in you. With a little whimsy and a some wonderful story telling, she shows you how being made in the image of God, a creator Himself, makes you in your very essence, an artist. What ever your art may be, it is beautiful and significant. She helps you take the mundane and see it as the important elements of the beauty of your life.  


Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown

If you have been around here for long, you already know that I am an avid Brene Brown reader. Her work has been helping shape my heart since my early twenties and for that I am forever grateful. Dare to Lead is a must read (and really work through with your teams!) for any leader. Vern and I both read it and then we went through it together as a His Voice Global team. While a lot of her work is helpful to your personal life, in Dare to Lead, she takes a journey into working as a team and helps aid you in living wholeheartedly as a leader & team member.  Grab a copy for all your people, and work together to be brave, have tough conversations and live wholeheartedly. 


Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott is one of those authors that makes it hard to write a review. I mean, how do you review such a writer! In Almost Everything, Anne talks with such candor about just about every topic you could imagine, taking you into the depths of her despair and back out by offering her timeless inspiration. As a 7, (enneagram talk, hope it makes sense to you!) I ALWAYS have to read Lamott along side an light hearted author, not because she is a downer, but because she is such a candid realist that it makes my 7 heart wince. Her works always grow me and give me eyes to see things in a new light and her prose is, as always, impeccable. 

Remember God by Annie Downs

I am regularly amazed at the skill in which Annie Downs invites you into her life with such vulnerability yet does not over share to a bunch of strangers. In Remember God, Annie takes you on a journey through some parts of her life that didn't turn out they way she had always hoped. She lets you in on the struggle to see God in the midst of it all and in her usual sweet-hearted way, guides you to her anchor through it all. I left this book feeling like I had just had a friend over and we talked about the deepest things of life while simultaneously having a cup of coffee and laughing hysterically. This is a great read and a wonderful audio book! 

Thanks for always reading my reviews! I would love to hear what y'all have been reading! And *hopefully* I'll get some book reviews up from THIS ACTUAL YEAR! 

Happy Reading!