This time of year is one of the most difficult for my book-loving, consumeristic heart. Everyone begins publishing their "Top Books of the Year" lists and I want to buy every book I see. (I am also confused how anyone can post a "Top Books of the Year" list when we still have an entire month of the year to go!)

About two months ago, I felt like Jesus was asking me not to buy anymore books for the rest of 2023. That was not very pleasant to hear. But because I am convinced that Jesus never asks us to do something without it ultimately leading to our freedom and joy, I said yes. It has been a challenging couple of months, but it has also been lovely practicing simplicity and contentment.

Nevertheless... I have quite the wish list for Christmas this year and can't wait to dive into some new books in 2024.

In the past, when family or friends would ask me what I wanted for Christmas I would always reply, "Oh I don't need anything!" But this usually led to me receiving things I genuinely didn't need (or want). I now respond with, "I have an Amazon wishlist with a bunch of books that you are welcome to look at, but I don't need anything." This seems to work much better. You are welcome.

My "Top Books of 2023" will come out next month... so stay tuned.

Top Books from November 2023:

We began a new teaching series at our church this past weekend called, "Becoming Emotionally Healthy." Out of the 7 or so books on emotional health I was working through, this was the one I recommended to those who asked for my top choice. It is easy to read, practical, and tackles our most commonly experienced emotions. Tristen and Jonathan Collins write "Your emotions are a dashboard for your body." Just as a dashboard in a car informs you of what is happening under the hood, our emotions signal essential information that we need to pay attention to. They look at 6 of the primary emotions and unpack what each emotion signals to us. (e.g. Shame signals our identity is being threatened. Sadness signals that something needs to heal.)

Untangling Emotions was another excellent book on emotions. Groves and Smith do an incredible job explaining how complex our emotions are and how we can wisely engage them while not being mastered by them. I loved their emphasis on how emotions help us connect with God and people. If you feel distant from God or people, evaluate whether or not you truly allow others to know what you are experiencing emotionally. (And obviously, you need to know what you are feeling before you can articulate it to others.) This book was a helpful resource for my first sermon in the series, "Engaging Our Emotions."​

Don't judge a book by its cover. But seriously, this was a tremendous resource in my ongoing study on the theological debate between egalitarianism and complementarianism. Terran Williams was a pastor and teacher, who for decades espoused the male-only eldership position. After deep study (as the book shows) he switched theological positions and is now an egalitarian/mutualist. This book does an incredible job wrestling with the main arguments of the debate and makes a compelling (and comprehensive) case for the egalitarian position.

I am a huge Cal Newport fan. This is the 5th book I have read from him and I look forward to the next. Newport always amazes me with his unique approach to technology and life. He has a Ph.D. in computer science from MIT and is an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University (hint: he is a very smart dude). A World Without Email may seem like a naive dream, but Newport argues convincingly with data and stats on how email is hurting us more than helping us. He acknowledges that most of us can't get rid of email altogether, so he gives practical steps on how to minimize time in our inboxes. Throughout the book he documents companies that are moving away from email and are growing in their productivity and joy. I included a great quote from him below that is worth the read.

Top Quotes from Nov. 2023:

• "Rather than selecting our emotions on a whim off a menu of ways to feel, God gave us emotions that are actually designed not to change unless what we love changes or what is happening to the thing we love changes." -Groves and Smith
• "All who are called to true leadership in the church are slaves at the foot of the cross, and every woman is qualified to be a slave." -Cynthia Long Westfall
• "People who try to numb themselves to painful emotions ruin their ability to experience enjoyable ones." -Tristen & Jonathan Collins
• "A better strategy for shifting others' expectations about your work is to consistently deliver what you promise instead of consistently explaining how you're working. Become known as someone who never drops the ball, not someone who thinks a lot about their own productivity... If people trust you to handle the work they send your way, then they're generally fine with not hearing back from you right away. On the other hand, if you're flaky, others will demand faster responses, as they'll feel they have to stay on you to ensure things get done. The professor and business writer Adam Grant uses the phrase "idiosyncrasy credits" to describe this reality. The better you are at what you do, he explains, the more freedom you earn to be idiosyncratic in how you deliver—no explanation required." - Cal Newport
• "Study the Bible's characters and you may find that most of our current cultural assumptions about masculinity and femininity are nowhere to be found." -Terran Williams

Other Books Read in Nov. 2023:

• Discovering Biblical Equality by Ronald Pierce, Cynthia Westfall, Christa McKirkland, and many other contributors - 4.5 stars
• Golden Son by Pierce Brown - 5 stars
• Regenerate: Following Jesus after Deconstruction by Tony Scarcello - 4 stars

Reading Goal for 2023:100 Books

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Catch up on previous Monthly Book Lists here: Archives​

*Just because I recommend a book does not mean I endorse everything in it. Like the biblical narrative, there is always brokenness in the midst of beauty.

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