This post contains affiliate links. These books were given to me in exchange for review, but all opinions are my own.
I didn’t think I would have a lot of time to read in June because my stepsons are here for the summer, and just feeding 8 year old boys seems to be a full-time job. I have often lamented that as soon as I am done cleaning up after a meal, someone wants a snack, and then it’s time to start cooking the next meal again. But, I have gotten into a great habit of turning off the TV a little earlier at night and picking up my Kindle. These are my June reads.
Hope Heals by Jay and Katherine Wolf
I was first introduced to Katherine Wolf at this year’s If:Gathering and even though she only spoke briefly, as soon as I saw she and her husband had released a book, I downloaded it to my Kindle.
Hope Heals chronicles the story of love, loss, and rebirth. It is written, alternately, from both of their perspectives. Katherine and Jay led seemingly charmed lives. The aspiring lawyer married the beautiful southern belle, and they moved to LA where he completed law school, and she modeled. They had a baby, were leaders in their church, had adoring friends, and lived within view of the ocean. All that changed one day when Katherine suddenly suffered a massive stroke. What followed was years of surgery, rehab, and heartache.
Ultimately ours is a story of a life overcome by hope. We have learned that when everything else is gone, hope remains.
While I can’t relate to the specifics of their story, I think we have all faced trials in life that seemed pretty insurmountable, and reading about how they continued to put one foot in front of the other was really inspiring. It’s unfortunate that it often takes huge, life-altering events to get our priorities in order.
We are all forgetful people – forgetful of our purpose, forgetful of who God is and what he has done.
I always have several books a month to review, so often I skim through to get a general idea of the book because it’s either not that interesting to me, or I don’t have time to thoroughly read it. I read every single word of this book, and I would definitely suggest adding it to your to-read list.
Vegangelical by Sarah Withrow King
As soon as I saw this book I HAD to read it. I have been a vegetarian for 6 years or so, and am one of the only Christians I know who has factory farming and animal welfare on their radar. I was definitely interested to read a Christian perspective on our relationship with animals.
The book begins with a bit of the author’s personal story, and how she came to be a vegan. As a young adult she stumbled across a pamphlet detailing the horrors of factory farming, and she quit eating animal products and essentially changed the trajectory of her life. She later attended seminary, so the book begins by laying a theological foundation that quite frankly was a very long snoozefest. The subsequent chapters tackle everything from stewardship to dog breeders, and are chock-full of pertinent information.
I think the way we as Christians treat the earth, and animals, is an important discussion that needs to take place whether you eat meat or not. Personally, I believe that the Bible is pretty clear that it’s ok to eat meat. But I think it’s also pretty clear that animals were created by God, and he watches over them and provides for them. There is a better way, and I think it’s time the church lead the way in stewardship and responsibility and turn away from the gluttonous consumerism that currently dictates our food system.
If you think it’s appropriate to make a bacon joke here this book, and probably this entire discussion, is not for you. But if you are curious about becoming a better steward of God’s creation, you will definitely find this book interesting, whether you eat meat or not.
A Mile Wide by Brandon Hatmaker
I’m going to tease you with this one a bit, because it doesn’t release until September 13. You can preorder it now, though!
I have long been a fan of Jen Hatmaker, but this is the first book I have read by her husband Brandon. I have had this book on my Kindle for a while, and haven’t really dug into it yet, but this week I started reading a little bit and wow!
A mile wide comes from the phrase that humorist Edgar Nye used to describe the Platte River in Nebraska – “A mile wide and an inch deep.” I grew up near this river, and I can attest that it is indeed massive, but useless because of its shallowness. Much like the modern-day church, which has grown to massive size, but is largely shallow and ineffective.
I told you this was good stuff! Stay tuned because I will give you a real review closer to the launch date.
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