Happy Monday friends! Back in February 2017 I shared that for a while I had a dream of sharing some Monday inspiration and encouragement on the blog. Life is hard and I know full well that in the difficult times it can be hard to find inspiration (especially right now for many people), so I shared my first post (which you can find HERE) and have loved sharing periodically on Mondays ( you can find all of the Monday inspiration posts HERE) different things that I have found to be really inspiring and encouraging from all different genres and hope that it will encourage and inspire you for your week!
This week I wanted to share a different kind of Monday Inspiration and Encouragement- some books that I have read over the last couple of years ... there is a bunch of them from all different genres that have been so amazingly inspiring and I thought you might want to check them out if you are looking for inspiration... so here we go (in no particular order):
{one} This book, Irena's Children (the young readers version) I found in a thrift store at the beginning of January and read through it one weekend. I had read the adult version ( which you can find HERE) a number of years ago, but the young readers version intrigued me. To be honest, I thought the book was still a bit tough to read so I would caution the age range of this book, but it was one of the most inspiring books I have read, so I would definitely recommend it to adults! It is an "easy" read (as far as how it is written of course), but the content is so good. The young readers version goes into more detail about the amazing people that surrounded the underground ring that Irena was a part of and it is truly amazing. I kept talking about it all weekend long and can't recommend it enough. You can find the young readers version HERE.
{two} I first read Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge when I was in grad school a number of years ago. At the time it struck me deeply but nearly 12 years later it has spoken to my heart in a deep and profound way that I can't shake. The simple message of Captivating is that your heart is the most important thing in your life and the desires and dreams that you had as a little girl and have followed you into adulthood are things that God has intrinsically wired for you to live. If you feel like your heart is hurting or longing for more, than I can't recommend Captivating enough. You can find it HERE.
{three} I have shared here on the blog before that Robin Jones Gunn is one of my favorite authors and this book, Echoes, is definitely one of my all time favorites of hers. I hadn't read this book in years and re-read it a couple of weeks ago. It was tenderly sweet and a beautiful reminder of how God continues to romance our hearts. You can find it HERE.
{four} I read Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot years and years and years ago but recently this book has spoken to me in some deep and profound ways. While it speaks of relationships in deep ways, it also speaks to those seasons in life where we are waiting. If you are waiting on something in your life- no matter what it is this book will be a huge encouragement to you. I shared with my instagram community the following quote from the book...
"Waiting silently is the hardest thing of all... But the things that we feel most deeply we ought to learn to be silent about, at least until we have talked them over thoroughly with God...When our plans are interrupted, his are not. His plans are proceeding exactly as scheduled, moving us always- including those minutes or hours or years which seem most useless or wasted or unendurable." You can find it HERE.
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I shared with y'all last in the past the story behind my Etsy Shop, December Caravan and plans to continue expanding the shop in the upcoming year. I also have another dream that has been growing steadily and I am excited to share that with y'all. In preparation for that I have been reading a couple of different business type books...
{five} This first book, Business Boutique, is one that I saw on a friend's instagram feed that I decided to check out. I am honestly still making my way through it because there is a ton of helpful and practical advice. If you are looking at becoming any type of entrepreneur than this book is chocked full of helpful tips and wisdom that you will want to explore. Honestly, this is a book that I will be referring back to often it is really wonderful! You can find it HERE!
{six} It's no secret that here on the blog I have talked about my love for the TV show, the Amazing Race. Years and years ago (on one of the earliest seasons) Blake Mycoskie (the founder of TOMS) was on the show and competed with his sister. Over the years I have admired the work that TOMS has done and have been inspired by the way that it has given back to so many people in need. When I found out that Blake had written a book a number of years ago, I definitely wanted to read it. I am only half way through it but it is definitely an inspiring book if you are looking to start something and make a difference. You can find it HERE.
{seven} One of my favorite magazines to read through is Where Women Create. I love reading the stories of women who have created different artistic entrepreneur ventures and the way that they have come to these places. I always wished that there was a book form of the magazine and so I was delighted to find this book, In the Company of Women. I came across this book in the clearance section of TJ Maxx a while back and started flipping through it and was inspired. There are so many different women doing so many amazing things that it has been inspiring to read through. You can find it on Amazon HERE and if you order today it is FREE on Kindle!
I hope that you are inspired and encouraged by these books! Over the course of the next several weeks I can't wait to share more of what I am reading with y'all! What about you? What books are you reading recently that are inspiring you? I am looking for suggestions and would love to hear yours!
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