Sensational Summer Reading

It's summertime and that means lots of things, including more time to read. Since I am often over ambitious about my reading list, I made sure to put the two books I most wanted to read this summer at the top of the list. They both came highly recommended by friends, and I had very high expectations for them...which they both met! So without further ado, here they are:

The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath by Mark Buchanan -- If you've been around me at any point this summer, you have probably heard me rave about this book. I loved it! It encouraged and challenged me in so many ways. Buchanan refers to the fact that Sabbath is both a day and an attitude, and he offers thoughtful reflections and practical suggestions for cultivating Sabbath in your life. Since I liberally underlined and starred my copy and took notes on my computer, it's hard for me to pick out just a few highlights. If I had to choose one theme that impacted me the most though, I would say it is the theme of not being in a hurry and instead taking time to live fully in each moment. Each chapter really does offer insight and wisdom though with titles such as "Stopping to See God's Bigness" , "Stopping to Number our Days Aright", "Stopping Just to Waste Time", "Stopping to Glimpse Forever", and more. To top it all off, Buchanan really is a good writer and frequently employs detailed descriptions and figurative language to make the book even more enjoyable and interesting.

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller -- This is another excellent book that also both challenged and encouraged me. It is much more than just a book on prayer; it is a book about our Father and about faith. Early on in the book, Miller explains, "Prayer is not the center of this book. Getting to know a person, God, is the center." The book is broken up into five main parts, each with multiple chapters that are short and easy to read. The five parts are: Learning to Pray Like a Child, Learning to Trust Again, Learning to Ask Your Father, Living in Your Father's Story, and Praying in Real Life. One of the best features of this book is how Miller writes with transparency and humility. He uses real-life stories and struggles from his own life and his family's life to show us both the difficulty and the power of prayer. Filled with both profound truths and real-life suggestions, this is a wonderful book that helps you fall more in love with God and consequently develop a deeper prayer life.