My reading challenge for 2021 continues. I’m excited to say that I have hit my goal for the year (40 books) with 3 months to spare!! That just goes to show how many awesome books I’ve read. There were many that I couldn’t put down. The past quarter has been filled with some great reads.

27. Vaccines, Autoimmunity, and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illness by Thomas Cowan: 4 Stars- I’ll be honest, a good portion of this book was way over my head! I’m new to informing myself on the vaccine debate, so much of the information presented was difficult to fully comprehend. From what I did understand, for years big pharma and the government have “mandated” things as safe and essential. To each his own, but the more I learn, the more hesitant I become to accept anything shoved down my throat without question and personal research. God created us with an immune system and defenses against illness. I am thankful for modern medicine and all that it does for the good, but I think we might have intervened too much in different areas. This book brings some of those areas to light.

28. Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges: 5 Stars- Be prepared for conviction if you read this book! The author addresses sins that we’ve come to see as “respectable” in light of the gross sins that are being championed in our world today. The truth is that God says that all sin is sin, not just the blatantly evil sins. Issues such as ungodliness, anxiety, pride, impatience, anger and judgmentalism are just a few that are dealt with. I really think this is a book that every Christian should read. It gives us a glimpse of sin as God sees it. There are no little sins, all sin is an affront on the very nature of God. Having that perspective of sin will change our heart attitude towards not only sin, but also Christ’s atonement for our sin. You will realize the miraculous gift of salvation in a whole new depth as you realize that it was your discontented complaint for more, your decision made out of selfishness, or your gossiping tongue that were the reason Christ was nailed to a cross to bleed and die for our “respecatble sins.”

29. A Sane Woman’s Guide to Raising a Large Family by Mary Ostyn: 4 Stars- This was a super practical read, and helpful for any mama who has or wants a large family. Having your hands full doesn’t mean that your crazy or your life is a circus. The fuller your hands, the fuller your heart. Topicsw such as finances, space, vacations, education, and relationships are addressed. As a mama who hopes to have a large family, I enjoyed this lighthearted read packed with helpful tips.

30. Motherhood, Murder, and Miraculous Grace by Debra Moerke : 5 Stars- Wow! I wasn’t sure what to expect from the title, but this book told the most riveting story that had me sobbing. Debra Moerke wears many hats, but one of them is being foster mom to 140 children. This book tells the story of one foster family that became intertwined with the Moerke’s lives forever. This story begins with brokenness, moves to tragedy, but ends with the grace and forgiveness that is only found in Christ. I could not put this book down! It also opened my eyes to the need for Christians to be more active in foster care and adoption.

31. Why Motherhood Matters by September McCarthy: 5 Stars- “There is no greater gift to give your children than to hide God’s Word in their hearts.” The author shares her journey of sorrow and joy that led her to hold the title of mom. Through ups and downs, and much experience, she shares in this book the reason why motherhood matters. The mundane can cloud our thoughts of motherhood. Often, we wonder if all the loads of laundry, countless meals, and shuttling here and there are making a significant impact for eternity. Take heart mama! Our work has depth and every moment we are serving our husband and children is the exact work God has called us to. September McCarthy delves into many aspects of motherhood and challenges we face revealing that it all matters as we seek to love and serve our families.

32. Joy in the Chaos by Stacie Loughrin: 5 Stars- Stacie does a beautiful job at shifting our focus from the chaos and mess of homeschooling back to the beauty and joy. There are so many aspects of home education that can cause overwhelm. Sometimes, even the decision to home school immediately brings those feelings. This was a powerful read for every home school mama! Readers will be encouraged to keep your eyes on the prize, trust God’s guidance, and be all in, ready to love learning alongside your children. “The longer I homeschool my children, the more convinced I am that I can do nothing on my own accord. Each day has me relying on God more than the day before. He led me to homeschooling, not because I have what it takes, or can do it on my own, but precisely because I can’t. He led me to homeschooling so that I might recognize my need for Him each day. He has placed me on this path so that His name would be gloried, not mine. Homeschooling. . . has served as a sanctification process over the years.”

33. Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden: 5 Stars– This book is such a wealth of information! If you want my opinion, every woman should read this book, but especially anyone who struggles with period issues. I wish I had known this information years ago when beginning my period/fertility journey. God designed our bodies to do incredible things, a women’s monthly cycles put that on display. The author explains what a healthy cycle is, and what it is not. She gives advice on conventional methods to correct period issues, as well as natural supplements, life changes, etc that you can try. So often the answer for women’s health issues is to take hormonal birth control. This book will convince you that you don’t ever want to be on in the first place! Our bodies are unique, and man’s attempt to synthesize, control, and mimic what God’s created is doing more harm than good.

34. Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn: 5 Stars- I have been so captivated by the life of Elisabeth Elliot. Most of what I have read and heard of her has been from her later years- the years where she was known as a hero of the faith. This book details her life from childhood forward. It was interesting to see all the twists and turns that made Elisabeth Elliot into the woman God desired for her to be. I laughed and cried as I journeyed through her life story. You can see her devotion to God and His perfect plans in this quote, “God never witholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God’s refusals are always merciful — “severe mercies” at times but mercies all the same. God never denies us our hearts desire except to give us something better.”

35. God’s Missionary by Amy Carmichael: 5 Stars- This was a short, but powerful book. It doesn’t take long reading Amy Carmichael’s writings to see her deep love for Christ and her reckless abandon to serve Him with all her heart, body and soul. As she writes about foreign missions in this book, she speaks of the importance of being disentangled from the world and having our eyes fixed on the cross. “God Hold us to that which drew us first, when the Cross was the attraction, and we wanted nothing else.”

36. Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full by Gloria Furman: 4 Stars- “The highest aim of womanhood is not motherhood; the highest aim of womanhood is being conformed to the image of Christ.” I have ready many books on motherhood. While there are many others I’d pick up again before this one, it did have some powerful statements! The quote above so convicted my heart. Another challenging quote- “When your eyes are fixed on the horizon of eternity, it affects your vision for motherhood. We need to have eyes to see a view of God that is so big and so glorious that it transforms our perspective of motherhood. We need to see our mundane moments for what they really are- worship.”

37. She Laughs Without Fear by Jami Balmet: 5 Stars- This is a must read for every lady who desires to glorify Christ with her womanhood! I’ve heard Jami share many of truths from Proverbs 31 on her podcast, Finding Joy In Your Home. This book did an excellent job of bringing it all together in a wonderful resource! The book takes a deep dive into the book of Proverbs as a whole, the difference between wisdom and foolishness, and the Proverbs 31 woman. There are so many lessons God has for us to learn from the example of this wise lady! Jami outlines the chapters by looking at different aspects of this woman- the wise wife, the diligent worker, the industrious and joyful woman, the generous server, the wise steward, the fruitful life, the heart that trusts in God, and the life well-lived.
Jami’s heart for homemaking aligns so much with mine. These are some of my favorite quotes from the book. . .
“We have to first understand that the epitome of wisdom is living for God and crafting a life that brings glory to God. There is no wisdom apart from God, and no true joy in life apart from His ways.”
“. . .For the wise woman, it’s making her home a place to worship the Lord. Making her home a place of peace and joy. Making her home a refuge from this world. And making her home as a training ground for her children who will shortly be out in that world and making homes of their own.”
“While I think the woman in the home has a fantastic ability to help set the tone in her home in a positive way, I think she has an even bigger ability to tear down her home with ungodly and grumpy attitudes.” 
“Hard doesn’t mean bad. It’s not the same thing. Beautiful, wonderful, and amazing things can come out of the hardest things in life. However, in our culture, we flee from anything that even hits at hard. And in doing so, we miss out on so many wonderful things in life. If we take a step back and look at the things in life that are worthy, they probably all took a lot of hard work and practice (and patience) to get there.”
“She certainly does not know what the future will hold- no amount of wisdom reveals that to her or to anyone. . . She is unafraid because she trusts in the Lord.”

38. The Life-Giving Parent by Clay and Sally Clarkson: 4 Stars- I love any book by Sally Clarkson. This one had a very different feel as most of it was written by her husband, Clay. The beginning was very theological and deep, more than I was expecting. Towards the end, it became much more practical as it applied Scripture directly to parenting. I ended the book liking it much better than when I started it. As always, Clay and Sally challenged and encouraged me to pursue Christ and be the mother that He intends for me to be. They address issues like guarding your child’s heart, strengthening your child’s faith, cultivating your child’s character, and forming your child’s imagination. They give solid Biblical insight into how to accomplish these goals. Clay writes, “Childhood is a specific stage of life during which, by God’s design, you have open access to your child’s heart.” We have one life to live for Christ, and one life to give to our children. It was a good reminder to be intentional as we raise these young ones for the Lord.

39. Refuge by Liane Brown: 5 Stars- This true account had me captivated. It follows the life of a little German girl who lived through the horrific events of World War II. At the beginning of the war, the Germans had been conditioned to believe that Hitler was their Savior. He was going to conquer the world and take perfect care of his people. As the war waged on, Hitler’s true nature was seen. This left the Germans reeling and suffering more than we could imagine. Liane, the oldest of four children, helped her mother and siblings survive during this nightmare. Facing days of hunger, brutality, and fear were every day occurrences. Through it all, their faith in Jesus Christ kept them strong. It was amazing to read how time and again God protected them from harm, molestation, and death. After 16 months of terror, they would be reunited with her father and experience freedom once again.

40. Thou God Seest Me by Multiple Authors: 4 Stars- I always enjoy studying through the women of the Bible. This book takes a deeper look at the lives of 10 women. Each is written by a different author which gives the book a broad writing perspective. These were some women that stood out to me as I studied through this book.
-Most Thought-Provoking: Bathsheba
-Most Challenging: Jochebed
-Least Known: Jepthah’s Daughter
There are so many books about Bible women. This one is inexpensive and all Scripture is KJV. It’s was great study to go through!