I have been home for a few days now! I can’t wait to share a few blogs about my experience, but, while you wait, you may want to do a bit of light reading. The World Race provided me with the opportunity to read quite a bit. Over the past eleven months, I have truly fallen in love with it. I have read over 20 books this year, and I thought I would share them with you.
- Cash by Johnny Cash
I love everything Johnny Cash. I think he was genuinely one of the most interesting humans. This book shares a bit of his life. He loved Jesus more than you can imagine and fought every day against his love of getting high. He writes so descriptively, you can almost feel the cotton on his small childhood farm and smell the cigarettes smoking in the recording studio.
- Wrecked by Jeff Goins
Living on the mission field can be rough. We see really hard things. We meet really broken people. This book puts the experience into perspective. We are wrecked for good, so that we can live missionally wherever we go.
- Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes
Written by the creator of the World Race, Seth details out why this kind of trip is important and biblical. I’m glad I read this in my first couple months on the field, because it is a perspective changer. It challenged me when I needed to be challenged.
- Milk and Honey by Rumi Kapur
This collection of poetry tore at my heart. It walks through trauma, love, world issues… the good bad and the ugly.
- Man In White by Johnny Cash
Bet you didn’t know Johnny was a bible scholar? Well he was a dang good one. He wrote a novel about the life of the apostle Paul, pre and post conversion. This book brings the book of Acts to life. I was able to connect on a much more personal level with Paul because of Cash’s perspective.
- Everybody Always by Bob Goff
Bob is a favorite among Racers. When this book came out it seemed like my whole squad was reading it. If you enjoyed Love Does, please read this gem. You will hear stories of how we can love difficult people, just like Jesus did. Bob writes with such charisma that you will feel like you’re reading a story in an email from a friend. 10/10 recommend.
- When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
Ouch. This one stung a little bit. When Helping Hurts dives into the world of missions and gives you perspective on if you’re actually helping. Truth is, sometimes we are hurting the world we so desperately want to help. If you are involved in missions or non profits, this is a must read, but it’s also hard to read.
- A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
I flew through this one in a day. I needed something light. I was pleasantly surprised by this children’s science fiction book. If you have kids, read this book with them and then watch the movie. It has strong biblical themes and has a great leading lady. Plus, it’s my best friend’s favorite book.
- The Road Back To You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile
Have you ever heard of the Enneagram? Well it is a personality typing system that will reveal so much about how your mind works. I have fallen in love with it. This books provides biblical perspective to the nine types and taught me how to love each of them better. If you read this, you have to send me your type. I’m a 1 wing 9.
- The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
Prayer is serious business. I was at a point in my race where I wasn’t happy with my prayer life. A lot of people were talking about the Circle Maker concept. This book gives a ogood history and encouragement to the concept before doing the 40 day prayer challenge.
- Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
If you are looking for a book to give a more academic approach to punching shame in the face, this book is for you. Learning about shame and vulnerability transformed my Race. This book allowed me to call shame by its name in the moment.
- Love Lives Here by Maria Goff
We all know and love Bob Goff (if you don’t, check out his original book Love Does!) His wife, Sweet Maria shares her perspective and wisdom in this similarly styled book. She gives an alternative perspective to the wild stories her family is a part of and roots it all back to love. How do we allow love to live here, inside of us. (Spoiler alert: its Jesus)
- Sacred Rhythms by Francis Wagner
This book was part of my Reentry Collection that I was using to prepare me for home. It details specific spiritual disciplines and provides wisdom on how to grow in them. You may think you know how to Sabbath, but even the simplest of practices can become so much deeper! This book opened my mind to new ways I wanted to grow before I went home.
- Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist
Ok, here’s the deal. Change is hard, but it doesn’t have to steamroll you. Read bittersweet if you’re going through a transitionary time in your life. College to real world. World race to real world. Good times to bad times. Sickness to health. These pages hold comfort that you are not alone. They remind you to admit the suck and move forward to the good. (storytellers: this book has a phenomenal chapter that you need to read to your squad. It’s called “Your story must be told.”)
- Come Matter Here by Hannah Brencher
I am low key Hannah Brencher’s #1 fan. She is in a nutshell the girl every 20 something wants to be friends with. But what is cool about her, she doesn’t shy away from hard things. This book covers a ton. My biggest take away that transformed my race? Be where your feet are. Being present in this current moment is being obedient to God, since each moment is God ordained. Read it. I’m not playing.
- The Year of Less by Cait Flanders
By the end of this book, I wanted to sell everything I own at home immediately when I got back. (Don’t worry, I woke up and chose not to) This book goes month by month through one woman’s journey to find freedom from stuff. She got rid of everything and placed herself on a shopping ban. She saved a butt ton of money in the process. I’m not saying you never have to step into Target again, but this book reminded me that I can continue living with less in America.
- Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
lol don’t judge me.
- All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
This novel was compelling, heartbreaking, and a little uncomfortable. It tells the story of a very complex relationship, overcoming hard life circumstances, and choosing love even if it is complicated. It was hard to read at times. Turns out, this book is borderline pedophilic. So there is your trigger warning. However, I would still read it again due to the captivating storyline.
- The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
Wow. This novel isn’t something I would normally read, but it was recommended by people I really love. (Hey Jon, Pris, and Ashlyn!) The presence of God was so evident in the storyline. The wisdom pouring out of it was poetic. Without giving too much away, I highly recommend this one.
20.. Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship by Jack Frost
I didn’t want to read this book. I totally judged it by its cover. Our mentor sent this book out on the field with our squad and I think I read the first chapter in Month 1? In Month 11, our hosts held a book club and passed out copies of this book. I figured that meant that God wanted me to read it before I left the field, so I read the dang thing. It was full of hard wisdom, a little repetitive, but sparked beautiful discussion. I’m glad I read it in the end.
