One of the big things during this time was Christian music festivals and teen retreats. There are not as many of these events as there once was. I was listening to the Relevant podcast a while back and they were talking about the mass amount of these events at one time and how it isn't the same anymore.
I went on lots of these retreats and such and learned so much. I learned things that have shaped who I am. Even though I can be critical of a lot of things going on with Evangelicals in our current culture, and I think many of these criticisms are really valid (honestly sometimes I get tired of defending Evangelicals... not Christ, there is a big difference between defending Christ and a group of leaders in the church... I will defend Christ), my deep roots in this culture reminds me of the great aspects.
That being said, there are times I feel like in my life I lived for the next big Christian event because they would fill me up. I would leave energized and pumped and have new deeper relationships with the people I went with. These conferences can be amazing.
But sometimes I felt like I clung onto these events because I would see how much I would grow but I wouldn't always work to foster continuing growth once I was home.
Now many years removed from youth and college conferences, I haven't been to a conference in years and thats ok, because while conferences are great and they have great value, sometimes its also important to not just live for the highs but also to be responsible for working to gain information and learning.
In this season I have become very thankful for books and podcasts because I see the value in using them to learn. They help me to stretch and grow and that is so importation.
So it being Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer I figured I would share some of my podcast and book recommendations to stretch you and fill you up. I wouldn't necessarily put any of these under the self help category because I am more of a how can I learn so I can love everyone better kind of person because I see real growth in me the more I love others.
Podcasts:
- Relevant: this podcast's key demographic is us church kids from the 90-00s. It is funny but yet deep at times and has great guests from both the Christian world but also movies, books ect. Their tag line is that they are at the intersection of faith and culture and that is very true
- The New Activist: This podcast is put out but International Justice Mission and is interviews with people who are making real differences in the world. For people starting schools around the world, to companies helping to solve social issues, to people doing the right thing... this podcast will move you and make you think differently.
- The Faith Angle: This talks about the intersection of faith and politics and it has people from many different views on. This podcast looks at the issues behind things instead of just spewing talking points.
- That sounds Fun: the host of this podcast Annie F Downs in on the Relevant podcast and that where I started to hear about her and have recently fallen in love with her podcast. She talks about things that matter but also is funny and likes to have fun... its like hanging out with friends at a coffee shop!
- Love Does and Everybody Always by Bob Goff: These are two separate books however he wrote both of them and they go together really well. They are stories from Bob's crazy life about really loving people. You will laugh and cry.
- Love Lives Here by Maria Goff: this book with written by Bob's wife and is in very similar style but as a female I really related to her views on things and how she feels about things. I would read Bob's books first because I feel like they go together nicely that way, kind of like telling a full story with multiple sides.
- Grateful by Diana Butler Bass: Diana was interviewed on the Faith Angle a few months ago about being grateful even in the mist of political mess and what she had to say really struck me so when her book recently came out on the same subject I wanted to read it. I haven't finished it yet, infact I am only a few chapters in however it is amazing so far and so well written. She talks about true gratefulness not this American mess of debit and duty gratefulness that leaves us feeling really empty. She is also kind in her words and doesn't make you feel like just because you don't have this perfect that you are hopeless.
- Never Say No by Mark and Jan Foreman: this by far is the best parenting book I have ever read because it is less about a formula and more about love and enjoying your kids and remembering the little things that count. This book inspired me to be a better mom.
- Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God by Brain Zahnd: I recommend this book if you fall into one of two camps.. either you think God is a mean God in the sky punishing everyone... or if you have grown up in the church and want something to wrestle with. I wrestled with this book at lot because he makes a lot of claims that I had to stop and think about if I agreed with what he was saying. It made me dive into my Bible and have amazing conversations with friends.
- A Faith of Our Own Johnathan Merritt: this is written by one of the hosts of the Faith Angle and is about ending the culture wars. It was so good and made me have more empathy for people on both sides while still at the same time inspiring me to want to hold all to a higher standard. I for a long time just didn't care about the culture wars but now I see the eternal damage being done by them.
- Messy Spirituality by Micheal Yaconelli: this is a book I fist read in high school and have read multiple times since. It is about being ok with mess in spirituality which is something my type A brain needs to be reminded of sometimes... this book helps me to have more grace with others and myself
- Anything by Annie F Downs... I will admit I have not started reading any of her books yet although I have multiple previews downloaded on iBooks (how I read everything) but from listening to her on multiple podcasts I have no fear in recommending her.
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| What my iBooks looks like right now lol |
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