Tag: books

I hope your autumn has been wonderful! This time of year is my absolute favorite. My birthday in September, college football season, Halloween, pumpkin bread, and the end of the sweltering summer here in the South are things I look forward to all year.  

In honor of this season, I wanted to do something different: A double edition with some extra additions!

Read on for an unusual recap: 

Best Books I Have Read This Fall 

I set out to read 75 books by the end of 2023. Certainly a feat considering I’ve been closer to 55 completed books in past years. And, I would like to announce…I am nowhere near that goal yet. 

But there are still a couple of months to go! In the meantime, here are a few of the books I have thoroughly enjoyed lately while trying to reach the magic number 75: 

• The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman is a read for any person who seeks both to pursue Christ and to figure out what they should be doing in any given season. You can find it here. 
• John Mark Comer is one of my favorite authors, and I finally had a chance to read Garden City, which paints a beautiful and Biblical picture of work and rest. Find it here. 
• I haven’t quite finished this one, but Digital Liturgies by Samuel James is a thought-provoking read on how Christians should respond to the way we are formed in this digital age. You can find it here. 

Some Things I Wrote

Usually, I share some things I’ve been reading. But this time, I felt like sharing some things I’ve been writing: 

• “The Endangered Species Act: 50 Years Old and in Need of Reform” for C3 News
• “Don’t Let The Presence of Sharks Drive You From the Water” for America’s Future
• “Market-Based Conservation is Saving Southern White Rhinos” for C3 News

Tip + Trick 

I try to reduce all bright light at night, particularly blue light since it can be disruptive to our sleep. Previously, I would just dim my iPhone and iPad screens all the way and hope for the best until I turned them off for the night. But did you know that you can actually turn the screens red? 

If you have a similar Apple device, here is your step-by-step guide to do this: 

1. Open settings
2. Click on accessibility 
3. Click on display and text size
4. Click on color filters
5. Toggle the ‘color filters’ button so they turn on
6. Choose the last option, ‘color tint’ 
7. Slide both dials that appear all the way to the right 
8. You now have a red screen for use at night!

Takeaway Quote

“Learn who you are from your Creator — not from your audience — and embrace that. Embrace the promises of the Gospel that will sustain you long after your internet self has ceased to win the algorithm.” -Samuel James

27 Little Lessons 

I just turned 27 a few weeks ago. Maybe I’ll feel different at 40, but I love aging. I may not be wise, but I’m growing in wisdom. I may not have all knowledge, but I know more than I did even a year ago. I may not be the perfect picture of health, but I’m healthier year after year. I am not a perfect Christian, but I am being formed more and more into the image of Christ as the years pass. 

To honor 27, which is a great number, here are 27 little lessons (both serious and not-so-serious) that have come to serve me really well. 

1. You don’t earn the love of God—it’s freely given. 
2. When you take action when convicted, you’ll usually find yourself living in better alignment with who you want to be. 
3. Your workouts and meal plans don’t matter very much if you’re constantly sleep-deprived.
4. Adopting a shelter dog can be really difficult, but it’s still so worth it. 
5. The water that comes out of your tap still contains all sorts of things that are bad for you. Water filters are a good thing. 
6. Traveling internationally does not have to be expensive or Instagram-worthy to be impactful. 
7. Therapy is a very good thing. 
8. Plants have protein. 
9. Just because a book is a “classic” doesn’t mean it’s actually good. 
10. Imposter syndrome gets a lot better when you realize that nearly everyone around you struggles with it in some capacity too. 
11. No job is worth ruining your physical or mental health. 
12. The best workout is the one you’ll actually do. 
13. Resistance training benefits everyone. 
14. It is okay to stop loving something you used to love. 
15. You don’t have to keep doing something just because you think it defines part of your personality. Redefinition is a good thing. 
16. Healthy boundaries save you from a lot of sketchy situations. 
17. If an animal absolutely hates someone, it might be on to something. 
18. Your pastor can’t study Scripture for you. You need to fight to know the Word for yourself. 
19. The average American diet and products are really toxic. It’s up to you to determine what sort of toxin load you’re okay having in your life. 
20. Spending more time outside benefits you physically and mentally. 
21. Prayer is about abiding with God. If your prayer life feels more like a “to request” list, take time to just sit in the presence of God. 
22. Audio books count as books too. 
23. Walking is really, really, really good for you. 
24. A free market system means you have the power to vote for the welfare of people, animals, and the planet with every dollar. 
25. Quality over the cheap option will leave you far better off in the long run whether you’re shopping for food, clothing, or most things in between. 
26. Don’t throw relationships away just because they may be hard, but don’t cling to relationships (whether romantic, platonic, or familial) that are destroying you. 
27. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. All who believe in Him will be saved. Living life centered around this truth is so worth it. 

Thanks for being a reader. I’ll catch you in December!