Summer reading is probably one of my favorite lists to make each year. I love to read but it can be a challenge during the school year with dozens of tasks going on. I make my list every year of the books I have been putting off, or new ones I cannot wait to get my hands on.
Here are a few books you should add to your summer reading list this year that are sure to encourage and inspire your heart.
1. Risen Motherhood
by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler
If you have never encountered the women of Risen Motherhood in the online or podcast world you are missing something. The women who began and run this ministry truly understand the gospel heartbeat of motherhood and how to help women live that out in their homes.
This book is one that I think every mother should read because as we raise children and share the gospel with them, we need encouragement, and we need other moms in our corner to walk with us and point us back to Christ in every way. This book will do just that.
2. Women of the Word
by Jen Wilkin
Summer is a great time to renew your time in God’s Word. This is a book that I recommend to every woman that I teach or lead in ministry. Jen Wilkin’s book changed how I approach Scripture and opened my eyes to how to study it properly.
Jen Wilkin has a gift of teaching women and simplifying the studying process. If your quiet time is a place you want to grow in, then this would be the perfect book to pick up this summer.
3. Jesus over Everything
by Lisa Whittle
We can get into the rut of putting everything else in our lives above God. We put school, sports, hobbies, people, wants, all before Christ. Our priorities are all out of line and it shows in our lives.
Summer is a great refresh season for us. A time when we can get a little extra rest, sort out a few things, and make sure our priorities are in check. I loved Lisa Whittle’s book Jesus Over Everything because it helps us refocus and put Christ back where He belongs in our lives.
4. Forgiving What you Can’t Forget
by Lysa Terkhurst
If there is any book you should read this summer it would be this one. When I first read this book, I thought for sure it wasn’t something I would really need in my life, but I was wrong. There is so much truth and wisdom in this book that will push you to places you didn’t know needed forgiveness.
If forgiveness isn’t an issue you think you need help, with I assure you this book will open your eyes to the fact that it is. This is one that should absolutely make your list, and be sure to grab the companion journal that goes with it.
5. Mama Bear Apologetics
by Hillary Ferrar
Whether this book finds itself on your summer reading list or any reading list, every mom should have this book in her hands. Parents are the first line of teaching children about the gospel. We are the ones they see and speak to most often, and thus we should be the ones sharing the truth with them. But, how do we do it? How do we come up with responses to all the chaos the world is throwing at them?
Hillary opens our eyes to what the culture has done and how we can defend our faith and teach our children to defend theirs as well. The best defense is a great offense, they say, preparing ourselves and our children to respond to the cultural attack on faith will be a rewarding effort on our behalf.
6. Why Motherhood Matters
by September McCarthy
It can be easy to lose sight of why we do what we do as mothers. There are days when we are tired, or we feel we just don’t have it in us to parent. But, there is more to it than those days. Hard days will happen but the mission never changes, the call on our lives remains.
September has a wealth of knowledge and experience with motherhood and homeschooling which she freely shares in her book. It is a refreshing reminder of the gift it is to be a mother.
7. Unseen
by Sarah Hagerty
This may be one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time. Without a doubt, it is a book that still sticks with me years later. Much of what we do as women and mothers remain unseen. The meals cooked, boo-boos kissed, the long talks, the tears dried, the clothes washed. All of these things are done and go unseen, but nothing is unseen with God.
Everything we do in motherhood is to the glory of God, even the unseen things. Even the things that no one will ever know about and we will never get credit for. But to God, they are seen. This book refreshes and encourages my heart every time I pick it up. It is a reminder to keep going in the mundane everyday tasks of life.
8. Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full
by Gloria Furman
There are some books you read that are so good at pulling and convicting your heart that you really aren’t sure you want to read anymore. This is one of those books. I read it one September while we were on vacation and contemplated throwing it off the porch a few times because the Holy Spirit used it to prick the selfishness of my heart.
I love books that rub hard against the places of my heart that need a touch from God. I need hard truth in order to live out my calling and approach my calling as a mother with the right attitude. This is a book I gift to every mom when I go to a baby shower because it is a book that will rock your ideals of motherhood.
Related: Listen to Our FREE New Parenting Podcast! Christian Parent/Crazy World with Catherine Segars is now available on LifeAudio.com. You Can Listen to the First Episode Now:
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Michelle Rabon is helping women be disciples who make disciples. Michelle has her MDiv in Ministry to Women from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently serving as Women’s Ministry Director in her local church. She is also the author of Holy Mess. When she is not writing or teaching, she enjoys reading, being close to the ocean, and drinking a lot of coffee. You can connect with Michelle at www.michellerabon.com
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