I got through three books this month and one of them even transpired into a date night.
I'll take it!
First up this month, I listened to Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was and Who God Has Always Been by Jackie Hill Perry on Audible. If you haven't heard of JHP, she is a writer, poet, rapper and artist. Jackie grew up fatherless and experienced gender confusion. She embraced masculinity and homosexuality with every fiber of her being. She knew that Christians had a lot to say about this but how was she supposed to change herself? At age 19, Jackie came face to face with what it meant to be made new. And not in church, or through contact with Christians. God broke in and turned her heart toward Him right in her own bedroom in light of His gospel. She gets to the root of why Christians don't know how to deal with homosexuality and sin in general. She also gives practical direction to people who struggle with same sex attraction. This is a powerful book (poetic literature, really) and I would highly recommend it for every Christian in order to help us better understand and better love those in the gay community. This book has been in my audible library for a while now and since Jackie Hill Perry herself was scheduled to come to our church as a guest speaker, it was the perfect time to listen.
Next, I read Finish First by Scott Hamilton as a read-aloud to the girls.
Of course, they had no idea who Scott Hamilton was but after showing them a couple of old videos, now they do. As a professional ice skater and Olympic Gold Medalist he learned to embrace the mindset of working hard to "beat" the competition. But it seems competition has gotten a bad rap these days. We've bought into the belief that it is unfair to rank performance. Yet competition is in fact a good thing because it helps us work toward excellence. Finish First is a wake up call to leaders, spouses, parents, and students: stop settling for mediocre and instead, go for the win. This book encourages the hidden potential, the champion in all of us, to come out and shine- which eventually brings our family, marriage, career, business, and the world around us the greatest possible good.
This is a man who has been through so much (survived cancer 3 times) and keeps showing up with his incredible attitude and work ethic. He chooses to make a contribution to the world with what God has given him, on and off the ice. If you've been knocked down and you think you can't get back up, read this.
Lastly, I read The Blessing by Trent & Smalley. A friend told me about this book years ago and I purchased it back then but it's been sitting on my bookshelf for more than 5 years now. I finally decided to pick it up and once I did, I couldn't put it down. Children of every age long for the gift of The Blessing-- the unconditional love and approval that comes from a healthy relationship with their parents. This blessing, when received, instills a deep sense of self worth and unshakable emotional well-being.
The Blessing contains 5 essential elements:
- meaningful touch
- a spoken message
- attaching high value
- picturing a special future
- an active commitment
I thought the book powerfully communicated the necessary biblically-based elements to prepare children for positive future relationships, including their relationship with a loving God. Gosh, don't we all want that for our children more than anything? I know I do! Perhaps what I learned most from this book, is what happens to children who never receive the blessing from their parents. We can see it play out in scripture and sadly, we can see the effects of it in our own lives, too. The Blessing might be one of the most important books I read this year.
6/30
