Anyone who knows me well knows I’m an avid reader of non-fiction books. Not biographies or historical stuff but books that make me better. Better at being a wife, mom, Jesus-seeker, friend, person…if I think I’ll be better for reading it, I’m in. I can’t guarantee I won’t give a recommendation of one or more books to read for whatever season of life you’re in. Consider yourself warned. 🙂

I’m often asked about some of my must-read selections, and I’m always happy to share. I’m amazed at the power words possess to actually shape who we are. Depending on what stage of life you’re in will determine which books strike a chord with you!

1. Everybody Always by Bob Goff  | Audiobook here

I was completely unsuspecting of the way this book would grab hold of my heart. I laughed, I shed a tear or two, and I begged Mr. Goff not to stop reading the audiobook when I knew it was drawing to an end. I demanded that my family and friends read it, too. I’ve let my kids listen to the audiobook. This book made me think of my life and my faith in a way I hadn’t before. The gist? If we’re going to be a light and make a mark in this world, we’ve got to get over ourselves, love extravagantly, and be unnecessarily kind. This guy has some seriously interesting stories. It made me a better person!

2. Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs | Audiobook here

This book changed me and therefore changed my marriage. It is based on Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:33, “So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Sounds simple enough, right? As it turns out, love isn’t always the husband’s forte, and respect doesn’t always come easily to us wives. Understanding this is incredibly powerful in marriage.

3. Mother and Son: The Respect Effect by Emerson Eggerichs | Audiobook here

Calling all boy-moms! This is by the same author as Love and Respect (the marriage book), but this one specifically addresses the “respect effect” as it pertains to mothers and sons. Our boys are really just little men yearning to be respected. We moms have the loving, nurturing thing down pat, but the respect thing is sometimes lost on us. It’s easy to lose the heart of our boys if we miss this. This is one I’ll read again and again while I’m raising my brood of boys.

4. Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph | Audiobook here 

The subtitle of WLW is to Find Your Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids, and Your Home. As these are all fervent passions of mine, this has been a book I’ve read over and over and over again. I really want to get these things right. Courtney relays how we can strive to be Proverbs 31 women in each of these areas, and it certainly has helped me make progress (very slow, imperfect progress) in becoming who God wants me to be.

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