Tag: spiritual growth

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2020

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2020

Posted on by Jaymie

I made a concerted effort this year to work through spiritual growth resources I had already on my TBR shelves. I even set aside 12 – one per month – to prioritize. You can see the stack below. I finished 7 and DNF’d (“Did Not Finish”) an 8th. I also ADDED several books to the pile as the year went on. I actually found this system – of setting aside enough for one per month, putting them in a place of prominence where I wouldn’t miss them – fruitful. I will probably do that again for 2021. I also started an online group with some friends where we posted resources we read. It was a nice piece of accountability with a side of book recommendations!

Three notes on my list of resources for this year.

  • Like last year, many of these are “white noise” when I think back through the year. I remember that I read them, but they didn’t all make a big impact. In some cases, that was because the book didn’t work for me. In other cases, the book worked in the moment, but after the year we have had, I struggle to remember details. There’s also the issue of the sheer volume of things I read. My brain can only hold so much content. This is why I keep the books I love, and write in them, so I can go back later and revisit the content.
  • I also took advantage of some special offers this year and watched some Bible resources through Zondervan Academic’s MasterLectures. If I could have afforded to maintain the subscription, I would have. There were a TON of excellent studies I would have liked to try. I did an overview of the Old Testament that was one of the highlights of this whole year.
  • Last year I split out Enneagram Resources and Bible Study resources. This year, that didn’t feel right for the big picture of the year.

So, here are the resources I read this year!

40 Days on Being a Two – I am about halfway through this and it has been excellent. I would like more journaling space, but I can make do with another option. Right now, the devotionals for Enneagram 2s and 3s are out. The rest will release over the course of 2021.
100 Bible Verses that Made America – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥½.
Becoming Us – I talked about this one here. I rated this one ♥♥♥.
Chasing Vines – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥♥♥+++.
The Color of Compromise – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥♥♥.
Dangerous Prayers – I started this as part of an online Bible study, but the online portion was really disappointing. I ended up abandoning the study and just finished the book. The book was good, and I liked it as a prayer resource. ♥♥♥♥
Discerning the Voice of God – I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Priscilla Shirer. This is one I will revisit, much like Fervent.  ♥♥♥♥♥
Dream Big – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥♥.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day – Daily devotional with two pieces per day (which I usually split over two days instead). I liked the content of this, even when I was no longer reading the source book. ♥♥♥♥
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality – Good resource. Some chapters felt more pertinent than others. Would make a great group study, and I know there are videos to go with the book. ♥♥♥♥
The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥.
The Enneagram of Discernment – Some excellent triad material here, but the writing is dense and a bit dry, so it took me forever to work through to the good stuff. Will definitely revisit, but more for specific bits rather than as a whole. ♥♥♥½
Getting to Know God’s Voice – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥.
The God of Great Reversals – My women’s Bible study was doing this in the Spring. Even before we stopped meeting in person because of the pandemic, I had given up on this. I felt the author made far too many leaps from scripture, and then stated his opinions as facts. I was NOT a fan.
How the Bible Actually Works – I LOVED this resource. 10-15 years ago, this book would have scared me. I was uncomfortable closely examining the Bible’s contradictions. I didn’t want to lose all faith in the Bible. But every time this book, and its author, would dig into a conflict or a contradiction or a hard question, it affirmed the value of both the Bible and the work of pressing into the hard bits. I have several of the author’s books on my pile for 2021, and I’m looking forward to them! ♥♥♥♥½
Jesus Feminist – I wanted to love this but it didn’t click for me. Maybe it was answering questions I just wasn’t asking this year. ♥♥♥
Love Letter from Prison – A few years ago I completed a study on Colossians called Enough by these same ladies, and I adored it! I love how they put together a Bible study. I have one more from them on John’s letters. ♥♥♥♥
Pastrix – In recent months I have come to a new level of appreciation for Nadia Bolz-Weber. She pulls no punches and lays her thoughts and feelings out for all to see, take them or leave them. This year especially I needed that level of frank honesty. This was the perfect season to read this book. ♥♥♥♥
Ready to Rise – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥♥.
Remember God – This reads like a novel, and I didn’t want to put it down. I could hear the author’s voice as I read – her personality really shines through the writing. I would happily read anything she writes. ♥♥♥♥
Surprise the World – A quick read that felt like it was asking a lot, even if we weren’t in a pandemic. A lot of the challenges in the book are difficult to consider in 2020. But some good food for thought. ♥♥♥½
Unclobber – I picked this up based on a Twitter recommendation and a conversation with a friend. This is part memoir and part Bible study, and I flew through it. Engaging and though-provoking. ♥♥♥♥

 

BONUS REVIEW: The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation by A. J. Sherrill

BONUS REVIEW: The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation by A. J. Sherrill

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Brazos Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

The author’s goal with this book is to help readers see the Enneagram as a means for spiritual growth rather than being reduced to a number and a collection of behaviors and motivations. The book is laid out with some introductory material and then the spiritual growth pieces.

I enjoyed two of the chapters. One looked at two spiritual practices per type – one “downstream” practice that would come naturally to the type and one “upstream” practice that would be a useful challenge. For example, for Type Ones, the author recommends journaling for both the downstream and upstream, highlighting journaling that will come easily as well as ways to use it to dig deeper into areas that might push against the personality. This chapter also recommends a season or event in the Church calendar that might click with a particular type. The other chapter I liked chose Bible passages that can be instructive for each type, as well as a piece of scripture to memorize. For Type Ones, the author recommends reading about the Apostle Paul in Acts.

I read the sections for my type in the book and felt they were on target for things I would enjoy doing as well as things that could help me grow. I could see Spiritual Directors and/or therapists using these chapters to add to their repertoire of responses to individuals of various types looking for growth. And I definitely appreciated the approach that one size does not fit all when it comes to spiritual practices. It’s okay that certain ones don’t click for you or that some come more easily than others. You aren’t a spiritual growth failure if a particular practice isn’t your jam.

Unfortunately, other than these two practical chapters, I didn’t find much here that was new or that I didn’t already have in other resources. If someone were to ask me for a reference for spiritual growth, I would highly recommend Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram. It’s one of my top Enneagram recommendations anyway, and it gets at some of these same ideas in more detail.

If you are in practice where you work with individuals on their Enneagram types and spiritual development, consider checking this one out in addition to Spiritual Rhythms to develop recommendations and resources for each type to pursue growth and health.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥=Good/Solid/Fine

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2019

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2019

Posted on by Jaymie

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.

REVIEW: The Jesus Who Surprises by Dee Brestin

REVIEW: The Jesus Who Surprises by Dee Brestin

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Multnomah in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

While the New Testament of the Bible is clearly about Jesus, you can find him throughout the Old Testament, too. In this book, the author explores those references and relates them to stories from her personal life and the words of other writers and speakers.

This book is a combination of spiritual growth resource and Bible study. The study is designed to be done one chapter each week. Each chapter has group meeting instructions, journaling prompts, prayer prompts, and five days of Bible study questions. There are plenty of instructions for using the book in a group setting.

Topics include God’s love, God’s wrath and standards for holiness, idolatry, coming to God like children, and lament. Passages for study include Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Abraham and his sons, the Psalms, Isaiah, and the Road to Emmaus.

Review

The format for this was fantastic! The chapters were engaging and the Bible Study questions were varied, yet easily done day by day. The author’s story – of her children, grandchildren, and the death of her husband – is woven through each chapter. I was captivated by these personal stories and their spiritual significance to the family.

While I did not agree with 100% of the author’s theology, I found plenty to enjoy in this book. There were several spots where I stopped to write down challenging thoughts and ideas to keep exploring later.

This study is well-structured for group use. There are resources for group leaders and suggestions for your initial meetings. That doesn’t mean an individual couldn’t work through this on her own. I think this would be good for both someone who is new to faith or beginning their consideration of Jesus, and also for seasoned believers. If you are looking for a new Bible study, consider checking this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2018

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

Last December I posted a list of spiritual growth resources I enjoyed using during 2017. You can see that list here. Today I’m going to highlight similar resources from 2018. Also check my post on Enneagram resources here. Those have been a big part of my spiritual work this year, too.

A Mile Wide: Trading Shallow Religion for a Deeper Faith – This is one of the books my husband challenged me to read this summer. And one I actually read! (I am STILL behind on the summer challenge!) I enjoy Jen Hatmaker’s books so much, but this is the first book I have read from her husband. I enjoyed this one. I think I underlined something on almost every page. This really lined up well with things we have been talking about at church this year.  I’ll be reviewing this one in January.
Draw the Circle Study Guide – I talked about Draw the Circle in last year’s post, (and posted a full review earlier this year ) but then I did the study again for Lent with this study guide and a free video series I found. I enjoyed the study guide, but I don’t think it is essential to using the original resource. Either alone or with this extra resource, Draw the Circle would be a great annual experience for spiritual growth.
The Dream of You: Let Go of Broken Identities and Live the Life You Were Made For –  I adore Jo Saxton! The only thing better than reading her thoughts on identity (one of my favorite themes in spiritual growth books as well as novels) would have been an audio book version so I could hear it in her own delightful accent! I will listen to and/or read anything she puts out there. She’s one of my favorite speakers.
Heir to the Crown – I have become an Alisa Keeton fan over the last year. I support her fitness/health/wholeness ministry, Revelation Wellness, and I thoroughly enjoyed her 2017 book The Wellness Revelation. She, like Jo Saxton, is someone I want to hear from regularly. I am slowly working through her new devotional for teens and women about our identity as daughters of the King. Each entry includes a brief meditation thought (which I rarely do – I know I would get more out of this if I would take the time), the devotional, a couple questions related to the day’s material and space to answer some wellness/wholeness questions that are part of each day’s page.
Isaiah (Life Change Series) – While I am familiar with several stand alone verses from Isaiah, it wasn’t a book I had ever read from start to finish. And the parts I had read seemed hard to follow. This particular study was a treat for me! In fact, Isaiah has become one of my favorite books of the Bible because of this study. The book is set up so you can use it for individual or group study. I usually work through each section over the course of a week, answering 2-3 questions (often with multiple parts) every day. I feel like going slowly really helps me dig into the material rather than just check it off a list that I did some reading, but not letting the material really sink in. I love the format of this so much, I have asked for several more for Christmas!
Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done – This was the sort of book I felt was written just for me at just this moment. So much of what I read here tied into the work I was doing in my Enneagram reading, too. You can read my review here.
Romans (Life Change Series) – I am working my way through Romans right now in the same study series as the Isaiah study. The language of Romans at times seems to circle in on itself, and I have found this study is helping me piece through it so I get more out of my reading and study.
The Quest: An Excursion Toward Intimacy with God – Lifeway offered a free study with videos this fall, and since I already had the book, I jumped at the chance. The first and last video are around an hour long and were really rich experiences. The rest were fine, but I didn’t find them essential to the whole. The book, though, was fantastic. It’s a detailed and in-depth study. I highly recommend this one – even if you can’t get to the videos. The study stands on its own.
Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God – I am a huge Mark Batterson fan (Draw the Circle), and I enjoyed this exploration of listening to the voice of God. I enjoy Batterson’s writing style and the stories he tells. But most of all I enjoyed the topic of this one!

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2017

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2017

Posted on by Jaymie

I have had fantastic luck this year finding terrific spiritual growth resources. I wanted to highlight a handful of them here today. These would make great Christmas gifts.

Draw the Circle – A 40-day prayer challenge. This was inspiring! I would have preferred to read it cover to cover because I enjoyed the writing so much, but I’m so glad I took it one day at a time.

Enjoying Jesus – This study on spiritual disciples from the folks at IF: Equip was exceptional. I completed the study with the folks at IF, and I enjoyed the videos that went along with the study. I have tried a lot of studies this year, trying to replicate the experience I had completing this study.

Enough – I chose “enough” as my word for 2017. Our pastor’s wife posted about this study  on Facebook, and as soon as I saw the title, I knew I had to try the study. It was excellent. I felt like I was able to split the sessions into polite-sized chunks to cover a portion each day and really dig into the material. I wanted to go deeper, not just check something off a list. I have a second study by these same folks waiting on my shelf for 2018.

Nothing to Prove – I read this with a group that was meeting each week on Facebook with the author. It was a timely book, working with my word for the year, “enough.” And I have purchased the Bible study that goes with this so I can spend more time with the material in 2018. You can read my review of the book here.

She’s Still There – Proverbs 31 hosted a study of this book that included videos and conference calls. The entire experience was excellent! I grew so much from working through this book. I’ll be reviewing this in 2018.

The Wellness Revelation – This may be the resource that impacted me most this year. This 8-week journey toward lifestyle change and pursuing wholeness was like a breath of fresh air. I’ll also be reviewing this in 2018. I highly recommend this book!

REVIEW: The Sacred Slow by Alicia Britt Chole

REVIEW: The Sacred Slow by Alicia Britt Chole

Posted on by Jaymie

“A holy departure from fast faith.” That is the sub-title for The Sacred Slow, new from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

“Fast faith” is defined on page 4 as “a restless spirituality that often craves what is new and what is next in the recycled hope that the latest ‘it’ can satisfy an ache that can only be described as timeless.” The material is broken into 12 sections, and the content within each can be completed in a week. Readers who really want to embrace the “sacred slow” could work through one experience a week, stretching the content through one full year, really digging deeply into each experience.

Every experience has a reading and a “guided response.” The reader can decide to complete a guided response that is internal (thought-based) or external (an exercise or action step to complete). Obviously, you can also do both, especially if you are working through one per week. The author suggests just choosing one based on your time and opportunities. Exercises sometimes build on what was completed on an earlier step. For example, the first several exercises walk the reader through the completion of a “Life Scroll,” a worksheet included in the book.

The book includes a facilitator’s guide, a blank Life Scroll, and some personal inventory pages. The exercises are intended to be done prayerfully, listening for God’s input throughout the process. If you walk through these steps in your own mind and power, you will miss the point.

This would make a great study for an individual or for a group. I love the idea of one exercise per week to really take the material in slowly and dig deeply into what God would say to you through each one. With a new year almost here, this would be an fantastic resource to add to your quiet time in 2018.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers and the folks at Handlebar for a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: My Heart by Julie Manning

REVIEW: My Heart by Julie Manning

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Julie Manning tells her story of discovering a serious heart problem when she was delivering her second child. That discovery changed how she viewed her life and how she related to God.

The book includes journal entries, Julie’s prayers at various points in her journey as well as letters to her boys with her hopes and dreams for their lives and their relationships with Jesus. Through life’s hills and valleys, Julie shares how her thinking and her faith have changed and evolved. How trusting God with her life – literally – has helped her trust God in new ways in other parts of her journey.

 

Review

This is an inspiring story!! I was challenged from page one to the end by how the author thinks about God, where she finds her identity and peace in the midst of struggle, and how she prays for her boys.

This is a terrific book for those who love memoirs and spiritual growth stories. It’s inspiring like the Steven Curtis Chapman memoir was. But if you are looking for a book that will challenge you to grow and mature in your faith or in your prayer life or in your identity in Christ, this would be an amazing book for that as well.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Between Heaven & the Real World by Steven Curtis Chapman

REVIEW: Between Heaven & the Real World by Steven Curtis Chapman

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

An autobiographical look at Christian music’s superstar, Steven Curtis Chapman. The book covers Chapman’s childhood, the start and growth of his music career, his marriage and family, and of course the tragic death of his daughter, Maria.

Review

This was outstanding! I started listening to Chapman’s music around the launch of his second album. It was fun to read about all the things that went on behind the scenes with his songs and tours as I attended many of those tours and own many of those songs.

This feels like a very honest book. Chapman is up front about hard moments in his upbringing and his marriage. He works at being transparent about his struggles – personally, professionally and spiritually.

Anyone reading this book who is familiar with the Chapman’s story knows that the book is moving toward the tragic death of their daughter, Maria, in 2008. And the story is as painful as you can imagine. But again, that honesty and transparency is on display. Steven shares the struggle to keep moving forward after their loss, their questions for God, and their pain.

This was an engrossing and moving read. If you loved his wife’s book, Choosing to See, I highly recommend this. This fills in some of Steven’s part of the journey, and it gives more current information about how the family is doing as they continue to miss Maria, and yet choose to keep trusting God day by day.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥