Summer is for taking a break. For slowing down. For socializing. For sunshine. For nurturing our souls. I understand that the realization materializes differently for each of us, in our different places and varied phases of life.
Whatever stage or phase you find yourself in (full-on, old-fashioned summer break, or your normal work routine with a wee bit more sun) I implore you to be intentional about rest. I invite you to take time to listen to your soul–making time for what replenishes your soul and breaking away from what depletes it (I’ll be sharing more about this in my next post). Depletion doesn’t always arise from negative things. It can also happen when we give out more than we have to give.
I know that my soul needs a break from social media and from screens in general. I’m keen to spend time reading in long form (did you know that our brains read screens differently than they do print?) and to step away from the noise in order to hear more clearly.
I’ve started a mental list of books for summer reading for the soul and thought it may be beneficial to chronicle them in this space and share with you.
What are you reading this summer? Leave me a comment with any recommendations you might have.
Click here for all of my past book recommendations.
*I have not read all of the books listed in this post (I have read some and/or some of the authors other works, which I have notated with an *). Many titles are ones that, simply, interest me or ones I’ve been wanting to read for some time. My goal is not to complete the entire list. My goal is to start with one and then listen to both the Spirit and my soul on which book should follow and then repeat.
Recommended Reading For The Soul
Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots
* Abide in Christ (this book changed my life & return to if often)
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
* Henri Nouwen (Life of the Beloved was a life changer for me)
As you can see, I have not included fiction. This does not mean that I won’t be reading fiction. On the contrary. I hope to devour ficiton. I usually have non-fiction and fiction going at the same time (I haven’t been able to focus on two books for some time, and I’m eager to return). I prefer to recommend fiction after I’ve read it, therefore you can find some of my previous reccomendations here. The following are authors I love for fiction:
Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache Series)
Joyce Ragan
Commented on September 13th, 2022 at 11:30am
Thank, you , I am always seeking good books with a lasting impact. Trina, have you ever consider writing a Bible Study for womens study groups?
Trina
Commented on September 16th, 2022 at 1:47pm
I have thought about it :)