I love a good story.
I used to read trash. Several years ago, our school participated in a "Turn off TV" week. We had a kick-off rally and the kids sang a song with the line, "JUNK IN, JUNK OUT..." and it really stuck with me! I'm reading junk! I'm watching junk! How do I expect to let Christ shine in me, to be transformed into Him, when I'm filling myself with JUNK?
About the same time, my mentor suggested I read Francine River's Redeeming Love
. It is a fictionalized story of the prophet Hosea, who is called by the Lord to marry a prostitute. In Scripture, Hosea marries the prostitute, only to have her run away again and again. He offers her everything and can fill all of her needs, but she continues to run to the gutter. It is the story of the Lord and His people. How many times has He looked for us and brought us back, only to have us run away again to false idols? 
Redeeming Love is an incredibly beautiful love story and stole my heart. I went on to 
read The Mark of the Lion
trilogy. The story is set in Jerusalem and Rome just after the destruction of the Temple. Its beginning is difficult; there is much suffering. But the characters in this story are amazing. I honestly think of the main character, Hadassah, in real life! I have read these three books again and again. They are beautiful historical fiction that lifts up your spirit. 
I love everything River's writes, but recently she came out with two new books! Her Mother's Hope
and Her Daughter's Dream. These books are BEAUTIFUL stories following four generations of women. She exposes how our sins can be passed down from generation to generation- how our pride and fears can trap us from truly living and enjoying our relationships. This book was so telling to me, especially as I hold sweet Abigail. I pray constantly now that the Lord will shine His light into my hearts and expose any dark places- that He will get rid of my defensiveness in my relationships and help me to see my friends' and family's hearts. I highly recommend these books!!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Let me know if you've read any of these and what you think!
14 comments:
Thanks for the recommendations, Lauren! You are so right - when you blur the lines and say "this is harmless" etc, it's s slippery slope. Thanks for the reminder!
I have "Redeeming Love" on my list (an awesome sister-in-law got it for me for Christmas one year :-).
Redeeming Love was one of the first books I read as an "adult". I've been a fan of Rivers ever since and read almost everything she's written. I just finished A Mother's Hope and looking forward to the next.
BIG fan of Redeeming Love (I've read it so many times now!) but I'm finding that with some of Francine Rivers' books, I get bored and start flipping forward a few chapters to get things moving again. I read Lineage of Grace this summer and, while I enjoyed it, I found myself doing the flip-ahead thing.
When I was younger I LOVED the Brock and Bodie Thoene series that starts with Vienna Prelude.
Thanks for the recommendations! I am always looking for new, *good* authors to read.
If you are looking for something new, you may want to try Regina Doman's books. They are really supposed to be for tweens and teenagers but my husband and I loved them. She is a Catholic writer and mother of six (or is it seven) so her books contain good life lessons and handle sensitive matters very well. We had the priveledge of meeting her at the GK Chesterton conference this summer.
I wonder if I will ever like to read.....maybe I need someone to teach me how to learn to love to read. ;) Do u just like to read or did you have to work at it...
I swear I am not being sarcastic either! hahahaha :)
This blog reminded me of my momma the other day. I was flipping through a trash magazine (that is what she calls them..haha) and she said, throw out that junk and read this book about Jesus...it will do so much more for you. AND she was right! I love this book. So after I read this, I will perhaps pick up where you told me too! yay:) THanks
I love Francine Rivers too. Funny your wrote this post, I just read both of the new books. Finished the second one yesterday. It didn't end at all like I had planned. I have been encouraged to start journaling again because of those books. I don't want to leave my girls with any questions about how I truly felt about them, their dad, just stuff in general.
How is that sweet girl? We are all waiting patiently for LOTS and LOTS of pictures. TPR come on.
I will be putting these on my list! :) Thanks for the recommendation!
I love these, too! I've read all of them but "Her Daughter's Hope", which is next on the list. But "Redeeming Love" still remains my fave!!
After you recommended the "Hadassah" series and I read it, I loved Francine Rivers. However, all I've read since are a few of her novelas. I recently checked out "Her Mother's Hope" but was too afraid to read it because it was so long and I knew I'd be captivated and neglect my family because I'd never put it down! That's the way I was with the first three. Remember when Shadrack chewed up "A Voice in the Wind" and I had to buy you a new one? Ah, memories. :) Those days I was pregnant and childless though so all that was neglected was T and I had an excuse to lay in bed for hours on end and read. Not so much now.
Thanks for the book suggestions, I am finishing up a book about Fatima, but am always open for more ideas I read a book not too long again called Sarah about Sarah before she married Abraham and her life as a pagan and then after she married him, it was fabulous - check it out! I don't remember the author, but the cover had a girl in a red dress.
Boy, I wish I had time to sit and read a good book right now! I love the suggestions...they look so inviting. I'll see if I can sneak in a few good books over Christmas break!
I loved all of those books! Weren't the new ones great!?! There is also a good series called the Mitford series by Jan Karon that I love very sweet books!
I loved all of those books! Weren't the new ones great!?! There is also a good series called the Mitford series by Jan Karon that I love very sweet books!
Post a Comment