Newsletter Subject
What I Read In January
From
moneysavingmom.com
Email Address
crystal@moneysavingmom.com
Sent On
Wed, Feb 7, 2018 01:05 AM
Email Preheader Text
Having trouble viewing this email? Hi, {NAME}! I ended up reading 9 books in January ? and most we
HTML
Having trouble viewing this email? [Click here](
Hi, {NAME}!
I ended up reading 9 books in January — and most were from my list of [44 Books I Plan to Read This Year](! And I’m definitely on track to hit [my goal of reading 100 non-self-help books in 2018](!
1. Destination Simple
[Destination Simple]( was a very quick read and a good reminder of ways to slow down and simplify. It was perfect for [my Year of Slow](.
2. The Lucky Few
[The Lucky Few]( was a book that the publisher sent to me back in March when it was released. It sat on my shelf untouched since then and I almost got rid of it since I didn’t know anything about the authors.
I’m SO glad that I decided to add it to my list of [44 Books I Plan to Read This Year](because it was such a heart-warming read. If you’ve ever considered adoption, if you’ve struggled with infertility, or if you’ve been called to a road that you would have never planned or really thought you wanted, I think this book’s story will encourage you.
3. And It Was Beautiful
[And It Was Beautiful]( is written by the late Kara Tippetts — a blogger who passed away from cancer a few years ago. It’s beautifully written, moving, and inspiring.
It really challenged me in how I mother. Am I embracing the everyday, ordinary moments? So much of the time, I think that I miss a lot of moments because I’m not not slowing down enough to see them.
One of Kara’s quotes really impacted me: “Keep short accounts and don’t find offenses that aren’t there.” She wrote this on her blog in a post titled, “Five Thoughts on Dying Well.” She prefaced it by saying, “Live with deep forgiveness to share and honest repentance with those you love.”
It’s so easy to harbor anger or hurt or bitterness when we’ve been wronged by others, but none of those responses will produce healthy results in our lives long term. Choose forgiveness — it’s the path to healing, freedom, and joy.
4. You Are Free
I have looked forward to reading [You Are Free]( for a long time since its message is one God has really been working in my heart over the past few years. While it was different than what I was expecting and didn’t go as deep as I was hoping for, there were definitely some truth bombs in it.
I [shared a quote here]( and some thoughts that were inspired by this book [here](.
5. Courage to Soar
[Courage to Soar]( was an easy read (written more for teens and pre-teens), but it was pretty interesting to hear her backstory. As she appeared so confident and happy at the Olympics, it was insightful, and (dare I say?) encouraging, to read of all of the struggles she went through to get there.
It’s so easy to watch someone perform flawless routines and just assume they have natural talent and forget that there is so much hard work that has gone on behind-the-scenes to get to that place where it looks effortless.
Overall, the book was pretty well written and a fast read. It was a little “fluff-y”, but it had some good nuggets of wisdom and inspiration throughout it and I think it might be a great book to give to your daughters or a great book to read if you love gymnastics or are fascinated with Olympic athletes in general (I fit into both of those categories!)
6. Not a Fan
Our Community Group is going through the [Not a Fan]( book together and I was supposed to read a few more chapters of it for our group discussion two weeks ago… but then I started reading and just kept reading and reading.
It really challenged me in a lot of powerful ways. I didn’t agree with all of it and I thought some of the humor was just overboard cheesy, but many of his questions really challenged me in my walk with Christ.
Here’s one quote I loved: “When we try to follow Jesus without being filled daily with the Spirit, we find ourselves frustrated by our failures and exhausted by our efforts.”
And another: “The keyword for grace is ‘done’. Our punishment was taken by Christ. He has made a way where there was no way so we live with a freedom and appreciation for what has been done. Fans are all about the ‘do’, but followers celebrate the ‘done’.”
7. Daddy Long Legs
[Daddy Long Legs]( is a book I’ve wanted to read for a long time since I had heard that it was similar to [Dear Mr. Knightley]( — one of my favorite books! Well, I am sad to say that it was a big disappointment to me. Skip this book and read [Dear Mr. Knightley]( instead.
8. A Daring Escape
I have really loved some of [Tricia Goyer’s other World War II novels]( (The Liberator series were all ones I enjoyed), but [A Daring Escape]( just seemed like it was lacking depth to me.
I had guessed a good deal of the plot before I was a third of the way through the book and, while it was enjoyable and had some beautiful parts, it just seemed so-so and not one of my favorites of hers.
9. Mom Set Free
[Mom Set Free]( is my top pick from January. Y’all, this book is SO good. I slowly savored it — reading just a little bit every day — to make it last as long as I could and to really soak in the truths from it.
If you struggle with Mommy Guilt or feel like you are always failing or never doing enough or just can’t get it right as a mom, this book will encourage you in powerful ways!
I shared more how this quote impacted me [on Instagram](
It’s not the perfect parenting book. Or the right chore chart. Or whether we feed our kids enough organic food. Or if we homeschool. Or if we give our kids enough opportunities. Or if we protect them enough…
We can’t save our kids, bubble wrap our kids, fix our kids, or transform their hearts.
We can sure exhaust ourselves trying, though. We can stress and worry over them. We can feel frustrated and overwhelmed by their actions. We can live in fear over their futures.
But none of that accomplishes anything worthwhile.
There is one thing we CAN do and that is to pray. And I believe it’s one of the greatest things we can do on behalf of our kids.
Because — as I am learning anew — prayer changes us. One thing I try to do almost every day is to I start my day on the treadmill running & praying over the day and praying for Jesse and each of my kids.
It’s an important piece of my day… to acknowledge my need for God’s help in my parenting, to pray for specific areas where my kids are struggling, to thank God for how He’s working in their hearts, to release my stresses and frustrations in parenting to God, and to ask Him to give me grace to love each of my kids in a way that makes them feel loved.
I’ve noticed that this time in prayer for my kids not only calms me and helps me to rest in Christ’s finished work on the Cross, it also changes my heart and attitude toward my kids, too. You see, I’m much more apt to respond to them in grace and love when I’ve just prayed that I can love them well and walk with them well!
[Here was another quote I loved]( that really impacted me and [here was yet another quote](. Suffice it to say, this was hands down my favorite book I read in January and one that I highly, highly recommend!
I’m also excited to say that I kept up with the Bible in a Year Plan! I’m using the Bible reading plan from Robert Murray M’Cheyne that is at the back of the [She Reads Truth Bible](.
How I Find Time to Read
People are always asking me how I find time to read. Honestly, it’s because I love to read, [because I’ve chosen to prioritize it](, because I don’t have a lot of other hobbies, and because I can’t not read. Also, when you love something, you [usually can find ways to get creative to find time to fit it in]( — even if it’s in the little nooks and crannies of life.
I wrote a post on [3 ways to find more time to read — even when life is busy](. And here are [7 more ways to find time to read](.
What did you read in January? What book or books were your favorite? Hit reply and let me know.
-Crystal
(Note: Some of the links in this newsletter are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links. Read our [disclosure policy here](.)
If you no longer wish to receive our emails, click the link below: [Unsubscribe](
Money Saving Mom, LLC 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Ste. 900 #313 Franklin, Tennessee 37069 United States
EDM Keywords (225)
years
year
wrote
wronged
written
would
worry
working
wisdom
whether
went
well
ways
way
wanted
walk
usually
using
try
truths
transform
track
time
thoughts
thought
third
think
teens
taken
supposed
struggling
struggles
struggled
struggle
stresses
stress
story
start
spirit
soar
slowing
slow
skip
since
simplify
similar
shared
share
seemed
see
scenes
say
save
sat
sad
road
right
rest
responses
respond
released
release
receive
really
reading
read
quote
purchase
punishment
protect
prioritize
prefaced
praying
prayer
prayed
pray
post
plot
plan
place
perfect
path
past
parenting
overwhelmed
others
ones
one
olympics
noticed
none
newsletter
never
need
much
mother
moments
mom
miss
might
message
march
many
makes
make
made
lucky
loved
love
lot
long
live
list
links
link
life
let
last
kids
keyword
kept
kara
jesse
january
instagram
inspiring
inspired
insightful
infertility
hurt
humor
hoping
homeschool
hobbies
hit
hi
helps
help
hearts
heart
heard
hear
happy
hands
guessed
grace
good
gone
going
god
goal
go
glad
give
get
general
futures
frustrations
frustrated
freedom
free
forget
fit
find
feed
fear
favorites
fascinated
fan
failures
expecting
exhausted
even
enough
enjoyed
enjoyable
ended
encourage
embracing
efforts
easy
done
different
definitely
deep
decided
day
daughters
dare
cross
crannies
could
confident
compensated
clicking
christ
chosen
cheyne
chapters
cancer
calms
called
busy
books
book
blogger
blog
bitterness
bible
believe
behind
behalf
beautiful
backstory
back
authors
assume
ask
apt
appreciation
appeared
another
agree
add
actions
acknowledge