I've heard Mandy speak a number of times and have had conversations with her personally, and I must say that she is a heroine of mine. <3

Mandy writes about preaching and leadership in a way I have longed to hear about it - from a female perspective. Growing up in a culture where women were not allowed to have leadership opportunities (and clearly being called as a leader myself) I was at a loss of how to proceed.

This is not a fluffy "women leadership" book. This book reminds us that pastoring/leadership is not about power, but allowing God to fully indwell in us, to invite him into our broken spaces, and that - that is where true ministry and shaping of a congregation/group happens. We are the pearl being polished, not our sermons/words.

I cried a lot because Mandy (who I assume is a fellow MBTI NF) spoke of things deep within in my heart I had always wanted to articulate, but wasn't sure how. Through her own vulnerability and weakness (appropriately shared), she shares important lessons that she has learned in her own ministry journey, and I could look at my own and get a glimpse of the struggles I will have when I do start preaching...but I'll know that I'm not alone.

That being said, I don't think this book is only for pastors. I think this book is excellent for both layleaders and those called to any sort of ministry. I'd recommend this book to anyone who feels called to or has a desire for leadership - women especially, since there are so few books like this written by women, but men would absolutely benefit from her words as well.

When I re-read (hoping to read this one about once a year) I hope to add some more details, but I can honestly say that this book changed my life and the way I look at leadership and proclamation.

Aza struggles with OCD and her best friend, Daisy, explore and investigate what might've happened to Aza's "sad camp" friend David when his millionaire father suddenly goes missing. As they look for clues, we see Aza's daily battle with intrusive thoughts and many misconceptions people have about mental illness, grief, friendship, ego and self-centeredness, delightful existentialism...and the way we truly cannot experience any life but out own and the limitations this fact holds.

John Green's writing is spectacular as always and doesn't disappoint. His writing in this book especially is vulnerable and raw, and he has a way of humanizing everyone in a way that even though we get frustrated with characters, we can't hate them. I love this about John, and I hope he never stops writing because the world needs his work and the things he has to say. <3

Tara Beth (who is just as compelling of a speaker as she is a writer) writes a compelling book about not just the "why" we need women in ministry, not because it is "fair", but because women and men are both gifted, and God emboldens each of us to move with him and his Kingdom mission.

While my experiences were pretty different than Tara Beth's, (and I'm still lamenting my experiences, so there were parts that were hard for me to read, but it was VERY empowering and well-written!) I can still say this: I wish I had been given a book like this when I was young, when I was being told left and right that the desires God was placing on my heart were "sinful" and that I was "going to hell" because I took a preaching class at university. The men who mentored me had to do so in a quiet fashion, which is equally unfair. Tara Beth's imagination for what women and men in mutual submission might look like sparked my imagination for my own ministry (I'm definitely not pastor material, but I am still a minister) and painted a bigger picture for what this might look like, why it's important (not just for "justice" but because we are all gifted), and practical steps that churches (read: men) can take to embolden women in ministry.

I'd recommend this book for anyone interested in ministry. It's both accessible and thoughtful, and Tara Beth's apostolic gifts and her own emboldening nature shine through! Thank you for your faithfulness, Tara. <3

I'm recopying the ten theses from this book here:

"1. Reconciliation is God's gift to the world. Healing of the world's deep brokenness does not begin with us and our actions, but with God and God's gift of new creation.

2. Reconciliation is not a theory, achievement, technique, or event. It is a journey.

3. The end toward which the journey of reconciliation leads is the shalom of God's new creation - a future not yet fully realized, but holistic in its transformation of the personal, social, and structural dimensions of life.

4. The journey of reconciliation REQUIRES the discipline of lament (emphasis mine).

5. In a broken world, God is always planting seeds of hope, though often not in places we expect or even desire.

6. There is no reconciliation without memory, because there is no hope for a peaceful tomorrow that does not seriously engage both with the pain of the past and the call to forgive.

7. Reconciliation needs the church, but not as just another social agency or NGO.

8. The ministry of reconciliation requires and calls forth a specific type of leadership that is able to unite a deep vision with the concrete skills, virtues and habits necessary for the long and often lonesome journey of reconciliation.

9. There is no reconciliation without conversion, the constant journey with God into a future of new people and new loyalties.

10. Imagination and conversion are the very heart and soul of reconciliation."

This book changed my life. Highly, highly recommended.

Fantastic book about putting "bones" on psychological abuse - common characteristics, giving words to the ways to describe it, and starting the process of putting up boundaries and discerning limited contact v. no contact, and learning to thrive again after abuse. There are resources and journal prompts in the back, too. This book is really a fantastic resource!

Recommended both to those who have been abused in this way (you aren't crazy) and those who want to understand friends who have been hurt in this way. There's content in here for all of us.

This is not the end. You have a wonderful life ahead of you!

pairings: boundaries, changes that heal, secrets of your family tree

Helping out a friend go through some books on this issue.

This book had a great balance of Christian sexuality and the brain science behind addiction, specifically addiction to pornography (which people argue about whether it qualifies as an addiction, and while women can get addicted as well, it usually affects men in a different way).
For the brain science - see chapter 4.

***Not really recommended for people who aren't Christians - the author is clearly passionate about the subject, and he does get pretty preachy. That being said, I think he does offer hope for the Christian addict (but this is definitely seen more in the end than the beginning). I think the book could've been shorter, but there is some good information.

I do like what he says about sexuality and sanctification - he brings a good biblical balance without saying "sex is everything" or "sex is only to make babies."
He seems surprisingly open when it comes to sexuality - he makes a big distinction between sex and gender, which is really great.

I heard Bruxy speak at a conference in April, and I can't believe I 1) took so long to read this book, and 2) also completely forgot to review it. Goodreads has eaten my review a few times while writing this, so bear with me in my briefness.

Bruxy's prophetic voice cuts through the fluff of 'upholding tradition' v. the upholding of what Jesus actually said. He unveils the gospel for what it really is (in one word, three words, and 30 words) and paints a compelling picture of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. This book is for anyone who has asked, "Is this it? Is my life just keeping a bunch of rules?" His look at Jesus and the gospel is empowering, accessible, and full of wisdom. I'd recommend this book to new Christians and veteran Christians - this book has a little something for everyone.

(also, Bruxy is my powerpoint hero)

This was an important book for me at the time of my first reading. It helped me understand trauma, both my own and those in others, and to understand that trauma isn't just a "make different choices, mind over matter" situation...it's a physical change that happens in the body. Fortunately, there are many, many ways to get trauma out of our bodies, and I'm thankful for those who have done this (then) experimental research.

Since this publishing, van der Kolk has been fired from his own company/foundation. I don't know the details, but I'm still thankful for the research and his contributions to this field.