Last week I dared you to join me in my Christmas Challenge so this week I want to give you the floor and ask for your Christmas wisdom.
Christmas is a time when most of us buy presents for our friends and family and, while I would love for you to take up my challenge and donate as much to charity as you spend on gifts this year, today I’d like to focus on WHAT we spend our money on.
We all know that books can have a great impact on people. They stimulate the mind and can cut through to the heart in an incredible way. Books can change our attitude, change our way of thinking, educate, entertain and inspire.
This Christmas, are you going to give a book as a gift? If you are (or if you were to) what book do you think is worth spending your money on? What book is a worthy gift for someone you love?
I’d love to know what books you are buying or would recommend.
Please comment below with up to three books that you would recommend as gifts this Christmas and I’ll try to assimilate them into a recommendations list later in the week.
THANK YOU!
Peter
My most recommended books:
Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll
How to Ruin Your Life by 40 by Steve Farrar
Where is God When It Hurts? by Philip Yancey
(and if I may, I'd like to mention Mere Christianity by CS Lewis)
I think I let you get away with 4 recommendations… especially when the fourth is Mere Christianity.
To be honest, I haven't read any of them…. my reading list is going to be LONG this year 🙂
Two books that I highly recommend:
1. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: This book has had a huge impact on my life.
2. The Me I want to Be: I love all of John Ortberg's book but I think this one is my favourite.
Thanks Kevin,
I like Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (both the concept and the book) but I haven't read The Me I Want to Be. I'll have to add it to my list!
My recommendations are:
1) The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns (Essential reading)
2) Snow Day by Billy Coffey (best fiction book of the year)
3) If God Were Real by John Avant (mind blowing book!)
1. Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell (Talks about connection between suffering and creativity)
2. Blue Like Jazz
3. Jesus Is For Liars (Deals with Authenticity)
4. Messy Spirituality by Mike Yanconni
I think I've only ever even HEARD of one of those!
I'm amazed that we've had no duplicates this far!
All of them I loved.
I really want to get Snow Day. Just need to wait a little bit before I can order it.
For those who love fiction that is incredible and clean, written by phenomenal writers…
1) Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger
2) Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
3) Jayber Crow, by Wendell Berry
Thanks, Kely.
I've never heard of any of those, I'll have to check them out!
Well, each has that quality of being deeply cutting in how dang good the prose is, the kind of beauty that hurts and makes you long for something ya don't know what!
I guess it depends on who is receiving the book, but I would say…
1. Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
2. No Perfect People Allowed by John Burke
and you already mentioned The Hole in our Gospel…
Ah… you're one of them!
I fall into the category of people who didn't like Wild at Heart… but I understand why other people do.
I must read No Perfect People Allowed. You make it sound awesome.
Duh…Snow Day by Billy Coffey. Next Christmas? Paper Angels by Billy Coffey
One of my faves of all times "I became a Christian and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" by Vince Antonucci. Also read a MS recently which I'm really hoping makes it to a major publisher because it's excellent, but that's all I'm going to say about it right now…
Well duh, Snow Day of course.
"84 Charing Cross Road" (Helene Hanff) because it is utterly delightful – a series of letters between a New Yorker and a London bookshop immediately after WWII then the story (in 'The Duchess of Bloomsbury', usually published in the same volume) of the New Yorker's visit to London to publicise the resulting book. I read it every year and am filled with joy at the simple story of man's kindness and generosity to man.
"Redeeming Love", by Francine Rivers – it makes me shed floods of tears at the stunning picture of God's love for his wayward children, and his patience in wooing them back to him when they go astray. The perfect antidote to "Home" by Marilynn Robinson (sorry, kelybreez!). Beautifully written, too.
I loved Crazy Love, by Chan
Hole in Our Gospel, by Stearns
His Needs, Her Needs, Harley … always a great Xmas present.
I have so many, but if I were to choose one that would change the way you think about how God sees you, it would be Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Every year I choose one book that I really have been challenged by and give a copy to each of my children, extended family and friends, often more than a dozen copies. Last year the book I chose was "Good to Great in God's Eyes by Chip Ingram. This year it is "66 Love Letters' by Larry Crabb.
Books make such wonderful, lasting gifts.
Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris
That'll probably be the book i buy for anyone i'm buying books for this year.
Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements by Christine Valters Paintner. Organized around St. Francis’ “The Canticle of the Creatures”, the book offers wonderful quotations on the spiritual significance of the elements and beautifully written commentary, examples, and prayers,
Recommending @stickyJesus by Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong to add to your list. It’s for anyone who wants to make a impact for Him online. Here’s my review.
http://sandraheskaking.com/2010/10/book-review-stickyjesus-by-tamiheim-and-tonibirdsong/
Never even heard of it!
Thanks, Sandra!