September’s reading list is a bit different this time, mostly because I discovered one writer’s blog and was so encouraged by her writing that I just kept clicking on articles. Many of them made it to this list, so I’m listing them all at once, under the first heading below. The rest of this month’s list is the typical mix of convicting and entertaining reads. Enjoy!
Great and Noble Tasks
Rebecca Matt
As I mentioned above, I discovered Rebecca Matt’s blog this month. I had read one of her articles a few months back—the one on “Unshockable Parenting,” linked below—and looked it up because I wanted to read it again. I discovered a wealth of wisdom in her writing and was encouraged by it so much that I am just listing several of her articles below for your reference.
- Unshockable Parenting
- When Resilience and Grit Aren’t Enough
- Growing Older with Wisdom, Not Bitterness
- What Makes You Cry—With Joy?
- Six Steps Along the Path to Contentment
Combatting FOBO
Nathan Finn
Think Christianly, Live Faithfully
While Finn writes specifically about the temptation toward FOBO (Fear Of a Better Offer) in college and high school students, I think his words are instructive to all of us. Whether applying for jobs, making weekend plans, or volunteering to serve at our church, we are all tempted to flake out on our commitments for a better offer. Finn instructs the reader to follow through on our commitments, despite any better offers that come along. In doing so, we rightly honor God’s sovereignty over every tiny detail of our lives and have the opportunity to be sanctified in ways we might not otherwise.
“It is a good thing to sometimes say no to the more appealing option that comes along at the last minute, especially when it the less-appealing option forces us to table our own desires for the sake of others.”
How to Plan Wickedly Well
Marshall Segal
Desiring God
I do not like uncertainty. I like plans. I like schedules. I like routine. Disruptions to my plans can severely throw me for a loop if I am not guarding my heart and mind. In what I believe is the Lord’s providence, I read Segal’s article around the same time that the James 5 passages he references popped up in my Bible reading plan—and also around the time we had to cancel a camping trip due to factors outside of our control. Let’s just say it was a needed reminder for this control freak.
“Given how easily and subtly pride swells in us all, it’s deeply good, spiritually and eternally good, to be reminded just how much we do not know.”
Here’s Why You Talk to Yourself Out Loud
Carolyn Steber
Bustle
This one is here mostly because the fact that it popped up in my article feed’s algorithm made me laugh. My husband and my kids all talk to themselves, and my husband has (for years) encouraged me to try it. There are, it seems, benefits to talking to yourself out loud. I’d be interested in reading similar articles by Christian counselors, but I’m still not sure I can manage to do it myself!
Why Christian Parents Should Resist School-Issued Screens
Patrick Miller
TGC
One of the best, and often overwhelming, things about where we live is the plethora of school options for our kids. The sheer amount of options is overwhelming. At the same time, I am thankful to have options. One of the biggest draws to the school our daughter attends is the fact that it is screen-free. That is, teachers use technology in their lessons, but kids do not receive their own device—at all. At one other school we visited, kindergartners receive a Chromebook and carry it around all day and bring it home. At yet another, kindergartners have access to iPads but the teacher we talked to couldn’t tell us what the students do on them. While I know that my husband and I have been stricter than many on our kids’ technology usage, it makes me very uncomfortable for my kids to have unsupervised access to technology at such a young age, no matter how “locked down” it may be. Miller’s article confirms some of my fears and makes me thankful for that particular philosophy at my daughter’s school.
Use the Leitner System to Study More Effectively
Lindsey Ellefson
Lifehacker
It’s been a while since I was in school, but I thought this was a helpful study method for anyone looking to retain large amounts of information, study for an exam, or even study for a dissertation defense (something my husband will be doing in the very near future!).
The Strange and Curious Tale of the Last True Hermit
Michael Finkel
GQ
A fascinating story of Christopher Knight, who lived in the woods of Central Maine for over two decades.
In their prayer orbit: Texas church stays in touch with members aboard the ISS
Scott Barkley
Baptist Press
One of the coolest things about living in Houston was our proximity to NASA and hearing about some of the astronauts that were members of churches there. It’s neat to see how God raises and equips believers in literally all spheres to make His name known in, around, and above the world.
What a Rare Brain Cancer Is Teaching Me about the Art of Remembering and Forgetting
Courtney Yantes
GCD
This article is written with the perspective that only a person who has suffered can possess. Yantes reflects on how easy it is to forget the things we need to remember, and how brain cancer is helping her remember the most things about God and His sustaining grace.
“This is the art of the Christian life: reconciling what needs to be remembered with what needs to be forgotten—concerning both our faithful God and our sinful selves.”
