Three books I want you to read in 2019.

Reading is one of my favorite past times since becoming a mother, partly because it means the house has slowed to a quiet but mostly because it’s a chance for me to sit down and learn, laugh, lament.

Do you know some of the most important things I’ve learned are from books? Topics like how to have long-lasting patience, embracing my vocation as a mother, creating a warm home environment, opening our home to guests.

Whether I’m washing another round of dishes or building towers with my children, I often think about the words I’ve recently read. It’s so important these words are life-giving to me because I reflect on them endlessly.

I think about the homes described, the dialogue spoken, the characteristics presented of a woman who knows how much the Lord loves her.

I’m encouraged over how these books show us much the Lord loves us, which is why I want to share three specific books with you.

So if you’re the reading type (or want to become in 2019), if you’re wanting more patience, wanting to embrace your role as a mother, want to create a warm home environment for your family & guests, here are three influential books I want you to read in the New Year:

• The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield

— “Such hospitality sees our homes as not our own, but as God’s tools for the furtherance of his kingdom as we welcome those who look, think, believe, and act differently from us into our everyday, sometimes messy lives―helping them see what true Christian faith really looks like.”

• The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

— “No calling is greater, nobler, or more fulfilling than that motherhood. Every day, as we nurture our children, mothers influence eternal destiny as no one else can. Tragically, today’s culture minimizes the vital importance of a mother’s role. In The Mission of Motherhood, Sally Clarkson helps you rediscover the joy and fulfillment to be found in the strategic role to which God in all his wisdom has called you, for a purpose far greater than you can ever imagine.”

• The Lifegiving Home by Sally & Sarah Clarkson

— “Every day of your family’s life can be as special and important to you as it already is to God. In this unique book designed to help your family enjoy and celebrate every month of the year together, you’ll discover the secrets of a life-giving home from a mother who created one and her daughter who was raised in it.”

Add these books to your wish list, make a note on your fridge, or forward this blog post to your bestie.

PS. I like to keep my books out on the coffee table so they’re easily accessible throughout the day. That’s the only way I get things done. See also: working in 20-minute increments ;) I don’t mind if my children put little marks on the pages. I don’t mind if the book pages get folded or crinkled from water. These books are encouraging. They are life-giving for all women. They are important tools for me, and my guess, you.

Oh, and here is an updated list of the books I’ve read now organized by category.

Here’s to a new year of encouragement focused around the One who loves you the most. xx