What We're Reading: February

Bethany

Refresh Devotionals

This month I’m not reading one book but a blend of many . . . in the form of a free, new app called Refresh! There are several things about Refresh that strike me with excitement. The first is how it contains material from over 75 devotionals and readings by authors, such as Ann Voskamp, Nancy Guthrie, Gary Chapman, Tony Dungy, and more. Another fun feature is how the reading plans are arranged by topic or, if the reader is feeling adventurous like yours truly, the reading plans can be randomized from the 23,000 daily devotions in the app. The layout itself is very clean-looking, aesthetic, and easy to use. Give the app a download, and try it out with me!

To read: Into the Deep: One Man’s Story of How Tragedy Took His Family but Could Not Take His Faith by Robert T. Rogers and Stan Finger

Charlotte

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I am way behind the curve of this one. I had never read Little Women before, assuming it was just a little kids’ book or a bit too “sweet” for my usual reading taste, but was I proved wrong! The story of the March Sisters is one of strength, endurance, and love. It is a story that transcends time and is even more relevant today than many of its contemporaries. I recommend that EVERYONE reads this book; your children, yourselves, your neighbors, your parents. And then I recommend you read it again and again.

To Read: Silence by Endo Shusaku

Christine

Just. You. Wait. by Tricia Lott Williford

Initially, I hesitated to read this book—waiting is hard enough, let alone reading about it! But within the first few chapters, Tricia’s honest and sensitive voice helped me confront my struggle to wait on God when there are no answers in sight (and when I sometimes don’t even know what I’m waiting for). She shares from her own experience and addresses different kinds of waiting, from the mundane waiting-in-line to the life-altering wait to heal from a tragedy. While never glossing over the pain of waiting, Tricia invites us to look for the gifts God provides in these seasons—if only we will wait long enough to receive them. Just. You. Wait. reminds us to hope in the God who works while we wait, using it to draw us closer to Christ while preparing us for all the next season holds.

To read next: In Want + Plenty: Waking Up to God’s Provision in a Land of Longing by Meredith McDaniel