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4 Books To Read This Year To Guide You Spiritually, Creatively, And Physically
The following four books are recent reads of mine that I found so empowering and so life-giving in my season of motherhood. Any mother living in our fast-paced and busy culture can be inspired and guided spiritually, creatively, and physically from the messages in the following book recommendations!
Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has Named Good by Jess Connolly
Your body is good. Jess Connolly says this phrase no less than a thousand times in her book, Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has Named Good. The phrase, “your body is good” is the main takeaway and foundation of the message Jess sets out to share: Your body is good because God made it good. It was the first name in which He gave our bodies. There is nothing that you need to do to make your body good, because it already is.
Jess writes this book about body shame, body trauma, negative eating habits, toxic exercise habits, and broken images of our bodies, all in a trigger-free manner. The freeing messages she shares about our bodies are so powerful and will be life-changing for many women in our generation. If you have ever been ashamed of your body, this book helps to shift our mindsets of self-image from superficial and stressful to spiritual and restorative.
You are More than You’ve Been Told: Unlock a Fresh Way to Live Through the Rhythms of Jesus by Hosanna Wong
Hosanna Wong, the author of You are More than You’ve Been Told: Unlock a Fresh Way to Live Through the Rhythms of Jesus, is a gifted poet, storyteller, writer, and follower of Jesus. This book is part memoir and part spiritual guide. Somehow it reads like you are talking with a friend while simultaneously feeling like a story or poem. Hosanna takes all of the different pieces of her life– the hard, the broken, the beautiful, the redeeming– and weaves them together to tell a narrative that reflects how God has the power to be glorified in anyone’s story. Hosanna’s words are inspiring while also practical. She gives us strategies and tools on how to study the bible, live in community, and turn to God for all hope and salvation, all with her beautiful words. You are More Than You’ve Been Told is the perfect book to read this year to set the tone for the spiritual journey you would like to begin.
Almost Holy Mama: Life-Giving Spiritual Practices for Weary Parents by Courtney Ellis
No one can fully explain the emotional whiplash that happens when you first enter motherhood. The sheer exhaustion, emotional drainage, and decline in ability to provide yourself self-care are all factors that we experience in new motherhood that can be extremely difficult to remedy. Any indicator of a fulfilling spiritual life can easily go by the wayside as well, being that new mothers are often exhausted and drained.
Courtney Ellis, the author of Almost Holy Mama: Life-Giving Spiritual Practices for Weary Parents, does an interesting experiment to offer herself a more meaningful spiritual life in the midst of mothering young children. Instead of adding spiritual practices and discipline to her already tired and busy motherhood, she integrates them into ordinary activities she is already doing daily. I found Courtney’s experiment to be so realistic and life-giving. There were many times in the book that I swore we were living the same life. She paints such a realistic and authentic picture of the ordinary, miserable, beautiful, and heart-warming parts of mothering. Courtney’s journey in embedding spiritual practices into her life is truly so inspiring. Her journey reminds me that Jesus is with us in every moment of every day, and we don’t have to work so hard to make space for Him. He is always there – while we are folding laundry, rocking a sleeping baby, carpooling children to and fro, or sipping on cold coffee.
Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood by Ashlee Gadd
Create Anyway: the Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood is a beautiful book written by one of my favorite authors and podcasters, Ashlee Gadd. In Create Anyway, Ashlee shows us that motherhood and creativity can coexist; and that we can pursue our creativity and creative gifts within the margins of motherhood, alongside diaper changes, toddler tantrums, carpool lines, and baby spit-up. As mothers, we do not have to view creative outlets as selfish acts—immersing ourselves in creative outlets will only enrich our lives and fulfill our souls— making us better mothers in the process.
Create Anyway is not only a creative or mothering book- it is a spiritual book. Throughout the book, Ashlee weaves in her own spiritual experiences, scripture, and thorough biblical interpretations for the reader. She tells beautiful and stunning stories of how the Lord has spoken to her over the years— about herself, her creativity, her work, and her motherhood. Her words are truly inspiring and will give any mother the launch that they need to begin creating, even in the trenches of motherhood.
I hope that many mothers in all seasons of their motherhood can find spiritual, creative, and physical guidance from these beautiful books!
