Woohooo! Summer finally arrived in Minnesota! April 15th we had a blizzard, and May 25th we had 90 degree plus temperatures. Oh Minnesota, you keep us on our toes! When summer finally arrives, cabins open and church attendance drops by one million percent because no one wants go go indoors ever. And it’s all good. We play hard while we can.
Summer is my jam. I feel more fully alive than any other time of year. Summer is lakes and biking and picnics and good books and refreshment. So I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things from the past month.
First, books. But even before that, a disclaimer: I find it really hard to review books because we all read through the lenses of our age, experience, and current circumstances. Something I think is “Meh” you may think changed your life. Ok, onward…
My small group is reading The Rest of God, by Mark Buchanan. I first read this book seven years ago while we were on sabbatical and I can’t recommend highly enough! I read it and underlined most of it, and then John read it and underlined everything I didn’t. If you haven’t read it, run get it!
I listened to Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler on Audible and thought it was fantastic! This is the memoir of a young woman who grew up in the Mennonite tradition and did her PHD on the prosperity gospel. She teaches at Duke divinity school. After struggling with infertility and finally delivering a boy, she is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She processes this through the different faith streams that have formed her. Highly recommend.
Everybody Always, by Bob Goff. The subtitle says it all: “Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People”. This book is full of Bob’s inspiring stories and is particularly relevant in our contentious culture.
Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis. The subtitle says it all here as well: “Stop Believing the Lies About Who You are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be.” Each chapter focuses on a lie Rachel believed and what helped her get past it. Honestly, if you’re thirty-something, in the middle of parenting and career you’ll probably love this book. I ended up just skimming it cuz it wasn’t super relevant to me. Rachel is one of the many hip thirty-something cheerleaders doing all of the things while looking cute and burning it up on social media. Her website is https://thechicsite.com .
Fierce Faith : A Woman’s Guid to Fighting Fear, Wrestling Worry, and Overcoming Anxietyby Alli Worthington. So many are struggling with fear and anxiety these days that I’m guessing this book will get a lot of traction. Each chapter deals with a different fear. I bought it after hearing Alli on Annie F. Down’s podcast “That Sounds Fun!” I love Annie’s podcast, but I found this book so full of lists and bullet points that it read like buckshot. Fear is not a big deal for me, so I’m passing this on to a friend who struggles mightily with anxiety, so we’ll see what she says.
The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. I reread this on Kindle while traveling in England. It was my guilty pleasure. It’s a fictional romance inspired by Will and Kate.
Next, summer hospitality…I love welcoming people into our home year round, but our house is small, so summertime is a delight because I gain a large outdoor room – our patio! After appetizers on the patio this past week, we moved inside for dinner. It was so super easy I thought I’d share the recipes with you. They are some of my go-to’s!
North shore Chicken Wild Rice Salad (can make ahead!)
One last thing… Summer is a time when we change rhythms. It’s awesome that we can be more relaxed, and spontaneous, but with less schedule, we can also slide away from paying attention to Jesus. My friend Heather and I have created a set of devotional cards (one month’s worth) called Soul Refresher. They come in a bag that you can throw in your purse, or beach bag, or keep on your kitchen table. Each card has a scripture verse on one side and just a couple of prompts on the other side to help you talk to Jesus about His Word. You can order them here.
