First of all, let me say that this is a fitting and unintentional post for my first day of school. That's right; my junior year of college has officially begun! On one hand, I am ready to have a daily schedule. The last couple of weeks have been a blast, but my days and nights have been so erratic! On the other hand, it's time to start studying. Pray for me.
I love to read! I've read so many books over the summer. I made a summer reading list in May and was able to mark off most of the books, along with several more.
Here are 5 books I plan to read this semester, if at all possible.
1.) 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker.
A good friend recommended that I read this book, so I ordered it about a week ago. As a comparatively wealthy American, I am a little intimidated to see what the Lord bares of my heart, but I am also eager to learn more about how He can change me to become more like Him. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
American life can be excessive, to say the least. That's what Jen Hatmaker had to admit after taking in hurricane victims who commented on the extravagance of her family's upper middle class home. She once considered herself unmotivated by the lure of prosperity, but upon being called "rich" by an undeniably poor child, evidence to the contrary mounted, and a social experiment turned spiritual was born.
7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.
2.) 7 Experiment: Staging Your Own Mutiny Against Excess (Member Book) by Jen Hatmaker
My friend Sammy and I are going to have a Bible study this summer and challenge ourselves with a seven week fast. Coming back from Kenya this summer opened my eyes to the ridiculous focus on materialism and excess. I'm eager to remove my gaze from all worthless things. I do not want any part of my life to become an idol over the Lord.
Do I believe it's a sin to use social media or own a closet of clothes or eat a bunch of good foods? No. But I want to stretch myself out of my comfort zone and keep the Lord's heart as my own. Sometimes these material possessions can become necessities, and nothing but Christ should be a necessity in my life.
I will most definitely be blogging about this experience, so if you're interested in joining this challenge with me, I will keep you updated on when to begin.
Do you feel trapped in the machine of excess? Jen Hatmaker was. Her friends were. And some might say that our culture is. Jen once considered herself unmotivated by the lure of prosperity, but upon being called 'rich' by a child who was living in poverty, evidence to the contrary mounted, and a social experiment turned spiritual journey was born. This study will lead you through this same experiment, at whatever level you choose, in seven key areas: food, clothes, spending, media, possessions, waste, and stress.
Yes, I plan to work more on my Swahili this semester. My heart for missions is growing daily. Although I am in a place of waiting for God's specific call, I don't want to sit back in laziness and procrastination. I might as well prepare myself for mission work while I wait.
I honestly have no clue what this book is about other than what its blurb says, but I've heard some murmurings about it. I'd like to give it a shot.
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.
Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.
I'm taking an economics class for the first time this semester. I've been feeling a little bit nervous about my own ability to understand and succeed in this class. The best way for me to learn is through understanding concepts, which can be a difficult thing at times, so how best to make myself impassioned about economics than by ordering a book about fighting to end poverty? So this is my reasoning behind purchasing this book.
...Rather than deliver a worldview to readers from on high, Sachs leads them along the learning path he himself followed, telling the remarkable stories of his own work in Bolivia, Poland, Russia, India, China, and Africa as a way to bring readers to a broad-based understanding of the array of issues countries can face and the way the issues interrelate. He concludes by drawing on everything he has learned to offer an integrated set of solutions to the interwoven economic, political, environmental, and social problems that most frequently hold societies back. In the end, he leaves readers with an understanding, not of how daunting the world’s problems are, but how solvable they are—and why making the effort is a matter both of moral obligation and strategic self-interest. A work of profound moral and intellectual vision that grows out of unprecedented real-world experience, The End of Poverty is a road map to a safer, more prosperous future for the world.
There are several other books on my list right now, but here are 5. What are some books on your semester reading list?
Two years ago: Letter to Seniors in High School
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