One of my favorite things about summer is that I finally have time to read!  Here are a few books I have read recently and would recommend: 

When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box, John Ortberg.

There is a German proverb that says, ”The last shirt has no pockets.”  and Psalm 49:17 warns us that “He will take nothing with him when he dies.”  Sometimes we get lost in the demands and chaos of life and it can be difficult to keep an eternal perspective.  Ortberg reminds us to be mindful of death.  His challenge is to rethink our priorities, choices, the value we place on our “stuff”, or desire for control, and our time management.  He teaches us what is important to God and calls us to value people, integrity, character, and the inner life and reminds us to be gracious at all times.  It’s a good reminder – and easy to read!

 A Woman’s Guide to Discipling, Dana Yeakley

This is a little, practical book that women who disciple others should read!  Yeakley is on Navigator staff and has collected many well-known illustrations into a succinct book.  She deals with the Great Commission,  facing your fears, the path to spiritual maturity (“B process” not the pipeline), learning to give a testimony, the Wheel of basic disciplines, the Hand, selecting a disciple, FAT-ness, topics to share on, and starting a discipler’s reference notebook.  It has some questions in each chapter and would be a great start for a mentors’ small group or one-on-one training materials.

A Resilient Life, Gordon MacDonald

“Life is not a sprint, it is a distance run and it demands the kind of conditioning that enables people to go the distance.”  Using his experiences as a distance runner, MacDonald encourages us to develop a spirit of resilience, perseverance, and endurance in life – to finish what we start, weather adversity, and never be satisfied with anything short of God’s best for us.  He outlines 25 characteristics of those who run with intentionality and finish well.  MacDonald is a great story-teller and has endured some difficult times.

 Power of  a Praying Wife, Stormie Omartian

I am liking this book!  I blogged about it earlier and wonder why I didn’t read it years ago – I could have started praying for all these things (in an organized fashion) a long time ago.  It’s making me think about my life and my husband – and relationships, priorities, reputations, temptations, purpose in life, choices, attitudes, and so much more.  It’s been a wonderful discipline for the last month and a half and I expect to refer back to it frequently.

 And I also picked up Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo for my plane trip back to the U.S.  A pastor’s son nearly dies on the operating table and for the next couple of years his parents piece together bits of his experience in heaven.  It’s not a theological treatise but it’s well written and will make you ponder what you know and believe about heaven.

 Happy reading!   Mindy