If you had asked me a month ago what spiritual growth resources I have used this year, I would have been hard-pressed to come up with more than three titles. But when I went back to review the year, I found many more. While I enjoyed many of these in the moment, looking back, only a few made a lasting impact. You can go here to see my list from 2017 and here to see the 2018 list. And here are the resources I used in 2019:
Enneagram
Studying the Enneagram has been a big part of my spiritual journey over the last couple years. You can read my full posts about Ennegram resources here for 2018 and here for 2019 where I talk about all four of these books. Even though I have talked about all of these before, the Spiritual Rhythms of the Enneagram is one of my favorite resources from this year, and one of the most impactful.
Bible Study
I think one of the reasons I didn’t feel like I had worked through many spiritual resources this year is because I didn’t do a lot of Bible studies. I am still riding the high of the Isaiah study I did last year. My small group at church worked through Fervent this fall, and because of that, I have spent a lot of time with my Bible, which has been great. This is the second time I have worked through the book, and it is always a solid resource.
I haven’t finished Four Portraits, One Jesus, yet. I’ve had the book for awhile because I love studying the synoptic gospels and looking at how Matthew, Mark and Luke shared the same stories, differently. Last year I got a workbook to go with the text book, but the workbook actually seems to slow me down. I might just finish reading the book in 2020 instead of trying to press through the rest of the workbook. I have LOVED digging into the history of Bible times as well as the days when the gospels were written.
Fiction and Nonfiction
I read every single book in this list – and I enjoyed many of them! But few left a lasting impression. In fact, while I might revisit a couple of these because I enjoyed them, only one book in this list earned 5 stars from me – and that’s the fiction one published by a secular company.
Andrew was a perfect fit for me this year because in the book, he’s introduced to a young Amish woman who left the faith and then returned – pregnant. And he wrestles with how to relate to her in light of her “sin.” I was wrestling right along with him. For weeks after I finished the book, I kept thinking about it. To me, that is the mark of a great spiritual growth resource – something that sticks with you and continues to ask you questions and asks you to consider things from a different point of view. (Andrew is book one in the Petersheim Brothers series by Jennifer Beckstrand.)
You can see my reviews and ratings of some of these other good resources here:
Inspired – ♥♥♥♥½
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way – ♥♥♥♥½
The Jesus Who Surprises – ♥♥♥♥
The Middle Matters – ♥♥♥♥
Shameless – ♥♥♥♥
Taste and See – ♥♥♥♥
The Universal Christ – ♥♥♥♥
2020 Reading
I have high hopes for 2020. I chose 12 resources from my TBR shelves and I have already started one for this month. I also found a few friends who wanted to join me on a more intentional reading journey, so we are keeping each other accountable in the coming year.