Not Alone Series: Spiritual Writings

Linking up with the ever-fabulous Jen at Jumping in Puddles and Morgan at Follow and Believe!

What are some of your favorite or go-to books for devotionals, or even blogs that help encourage you in your spiritual life?

Oooh, I'm looking for some new suggestions from you, friends! Can't wait to hear what you're reading!

My two favorites are: One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are* by Ann Voskamp {check out her blog, too!} and He Loves Me! Learning to Live in the Father's Affection* by Wayne Jacobsen.

Both are regular chapter books that I've adapted to read as part of my devotional time. Ann Voskamp does offer an accompanying devotional, and I do enjoy having space in the text to write. Wayne Jacobsen's book... man! I've read it half a dozen times, and I have two copies on my bookshelf so I can loan them out to people. It is so, so good.

As for blogs that are encouraging... that's a long list, my friends! I don't read blogs if they are not encouraging or uplifting in one way or another, but since we're focusing specifically on spiritual encouragement in this post, here are just a couple of my favorites:

• Shauna Niequist {my favorite post of hers here}
• Sarah Bessey {SO many amazing posts, but this is one of my favorites}
• my IRL friend Carla {her 31 Days of Writing were especially encouraging} 

What about you, friends? Send some recommendations this way!

* affiliate links

Not Alone Series: Advent

Hi friends! I know that today is Saturday and NAS link-ups are on Tuesdays, but sometimes even with Amazon Prime, things take longer than planned. So I won't make you wait another moment; let's get on with this Advent post!

What are you doing for Advent? How are you preparing your heart for this season?

So many bloggers mentioned Ann Voskamp's Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas*, so I ordered it myself. Then I read another blog about how she was excited to read this book with her children, and I took another look at it and finally clued into the word "family" and translated that to "kids" and so I cancelled my order and ordered the grown-up prequel, The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas*.

That is the really long and dramatic story of how I'm preparing for Advent. Funny, because the story of Christ's coming is also long and dramatic. I mean, mankind fell not even five chapters into Genesis, and Jesus came 42 generations after Abraham. I can't even fathom that. My grandmother has researched my family history back to the Revolutionary War, and I'm pretty sure that's fewer than 15 generations.

Ann Voskamp is leading me through the generations, starting with Adam and Eve, all the way through to Christ's coming. What a beautiful story of grace and mercy. God loves us humans so much!

NAS is taking a break from linking up until the New Year, so I plan on sharing some highlights from this devotional throughout the month. What's your favorite Advent reading/tradition/devotional?

*affiliate links

Finish This: Week Twenty-six

Joining the link-up fun with hostesses Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

It's never too late to eat breakfast. Seriously, people, breakfast is always a good idea. It doesn't even have to be your first meal of the day. Just eat breakfast-for-dinner and enjoy your life. No one freaks out about breakfast, because breakfast is the best.

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I compare myself to others less than I used to. I'm getting better at choosing contentedness instead of comparison, because comparison takes the joy out of what God's given you. Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts has helped immensely with choosing gratefulness for what I have; I highly recommend it. 

My personality is extroverted. Type A. Slightly OCD. ESTJ. Those are the labels you could apply to me. But I'm more than labels, fo sho! I'm hilarious, smart alecky, kind, caring, and willing to serve. My name means "refreshed" and I try to be an encouragement to those around me.

I can play the piano. Babysit 10 kids {and keep them all alive}. Get off topic, but then come back to it. Make my own laundry detergent and dishwasher soap. Crochet like a boss. Remember birthdays. Make an amazing mojito and an awesome pitcher of sangria. 

I embrace change because I know it's part of the story that God is writing. Usually I can make adjustments easily, but bigger changes {like all the decisions I'm facing} take some time for me to make sure I'm hearing God and am doing what He wants me to do. But once I've heard His voice and know that I know that I know that this direction/decision/change is it, then I'm all in, 100%.

Thanks for joining! Be sure to add your link or answer the prompts in the comments. Happy Hump Day... except not because INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!! Woot! 

Ask My Bookshelf: A Challenge

I've been tagged by Samara, who was tagged by her British friend Hannah, and so now you get to learn a little something about life via books. The moral of the story is that there are 16 questions that I have to answer using titles of books - how fun is that!

Now, Samara got to fudge a little bit and use poetry titles also; I'm going to fudge and only use books that I've read {but don't necessarily own}. Here we go!

Are you a man or a woman?
Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her {Melanie Rehak}

Describe yourself.
Blessed Child {Ted Dekker}

What does life mean to you?
Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption {Katie Davis}

How are you doing?
Not Afraid of Life {Bristol Palin}

Describe your current home.
By the Shores of Silver Lake {Laura Ingalls Wilder}

Where would you like to travel?
London Refrain {Bodie Thoene}

Describe your best friend.
Full Tilt {Neal Shusterman}

What is your favorite color?
The Black Stallion {Walter Farley}

What is the weather like right now?
A Tale of Two Cities {Charles Dickens}

What is the best season in your opinion?
Fahrenheit 451 {Ray Bradbury}

If your life was a tv series, what would it be called?
Is It Just Me? {Miranda Hart}

What is your romantic relationship like?
A Comedy of Errors {William Shakespeare}

What are you afraid of?
Pandemonium {Lauren Oliver}

Aphorism for the day.
Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On {Stormie Omartian}

What advice would you like to give?
One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are {Ann Voskamp}

How would you prefer to die?
Millionaire Women Next Door {Thomas J. Stanley}

Tags: Laura and Rachel and anyone else who wants to jump on this awesome train!

Blog Every Day Feb: Day Twenty-eight - One Word

Linking up with Bailey Jean for the final day of February's challenge! Hooray! This challenge has been so much fun, and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Bailey has a monthly reflection she does on her word for the year, but since that's not a train I've jumped on, I'm going to take it in a different direction. The one word that means the most to me, that re-centers me when I'm feeling off, that brings me back to Jesus every time is grateful. If I were going to get a tattoo, I would tattoo the word grateful on the instep of my foot {easy to cover up, doesn't wrinkle as much - yes, I've thought a lot about this!} because I want to be reminded to choose gratefulness every moment.

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A couple years ago, right after I graduated from college, I read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. This book hit me right where I needed to be hit. Gratitude changes the mundane into worship, so every moment and every action honors the Lord.

The moral of the story is, I want gratefulness to be my way of living. It's my theme, my mantra, my goal.

Thank you, Bailey, for a wonderful month of prompts and posts! This was so fun. Thank you for being a lovely hostess!