My inbox is filled regularly with questions like:

• “What devotional should I read next?”
• “Is there a parenting book you suggest?”
• “My small group doesn’t know what study to do next, any suggestions?”

Knowing that greats are always coming into the market, I will try to do a quick snapshot of some of my current and past favorites for different seasons. If you are looking for a good match, take some time to peruse the descriptions through the link, I will try to give  the quickest synopsis here!

For those struggling with infertility:

• In Due Time: My friend Caroline wrote this 60-day devotional with daily devotionals for those who need hope and encouragement rooted in Biblical truths during waiting seasons.
• Hannah’s Hope: Seeking God’s Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Adoption Loss:  This book was the first I read on our journey and brought me immense comfort that I wasn’t alone in my grief.
• Anchored in Hope: This is a book containing devotional essays by 45 women, myself included, that shares scripture for those struggling with infertility. (It was an honor to be a part of!)

• Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby?: I found a lot of comfort in this book during my infertility journey. It is written as a guide for couples-in-waiting.

For those struggling with a difficult season, needing hope (infertility or not):

• Finding Faith in the Dark: When the Story of Your Life Takes a Turn You Didn’t Plan: This is hands down one of my favorite reads during our season of struggling to find purpose in the hard. (There is no direct story line with infertility involved, but it helps you wrestle with the dark chapters of your seasons.)
• Hope in the Dark: Believing God is Good When Life Is Not: I flew through this book (post infertility struggles) and loved it, applicable no matter where you are at in your journey or what your story is.
• It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered: This book deals with processing unmet expectations with God’s Word at the very center. It’s written by the President of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa TerKeurst, and I highly value her writing. (I cannot get enough of this book and am currently rereading it.)
• In the Wait: A Six-Week Study on Waiting: This is another project I had the pleasure of being a part of and is intimately woven into our infertility story, however, each co-authors focuses on a different aspect of finding the ability to live well in waiting seasons, many of whom do not have infertility as part of their story. (There is also a companion study-guide for small groups.)

For those looking for encouragement as a mom in a season of parenting;

• Power of a Praying Parent: 31 chapters broken into different ways you can be praying for your child(ren) with written prayers. Incredibly powerful and easy to apply over and over again.
• Homegrown: I had the chance to preview this with Lifeway and love that this one is for the whole family, kids included! It focuses on cultivating the fruit of the Spirit within each member of the family.

• Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus: A small daily devotional with Biblical roots and encouragement no matter what mothering season you are in. 

• Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday: I just finished this book with my summer book club and it was a game-changer. I was worried I wouldn’t relate to it as I don’t see myself as “grumpy”, but it was incredibly impact-ful in how I view my role as a parent and this season with littles.

• Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family: This book contains practical and gospel-centered principles that have been incredibly eye opening and incorporate methods with Biblical truths. I will be rereading this as the kiddos get older as well.

• The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively: Admittedly I have not read this one yet, but have read several other versions of the authors 5 Love Languages. This is on my list for the upcoming year as I now as able to see my children’s personalities (and potential love languages) emerge. 

• Night Light for Parents: This daily devotional (written by Dr. Dobson) is a filled with practical parenting advice and biblical wisdom. Great for doing with a spouse! 

Great for a small group of women:

• Grace Not Perfection: Linked is the companion DVD that goes along with the book. I love when great books add small-group resources. This one is a four-session video series.
• Restless: Because You Were Made for More: This DVD based study kit has everything you need – from the DVD, to conversation cards, to the study guide. It’s based off of Jennie Allen’s book Restless and while this is just one I have chosen, all her small group curriculum’s are awesome. I also have been part of a study that did Stuck which was great.
• I love Beth Moore studies, like this one, Quest, however, there is A LOT of homework, which is based on terrific content, however, know your audience and the season they are in.

• WEIRD: Because Normal Isn’t Working: My small group did this years ago and it’s made a resounding impact on how to live in a way that is against what the world deems “normal” and focus on what God says. Good for male or female groups. There is a correlating DVD series and workbook, but they don’t necessarily line up with the book itself. I found the book to be very valuable for discussion! 

• The Armor of God: All of Priscilla Shirer’s books and devotionals are outstanding.  This is a 7-week study is a workbook style.

 

Authors I like and would recommend – many of which has questions in the back of their books for conversation – linking a fave by each below;

• Steven Furtick
• Craig Groeschel
• Judah Smith
• Lysa Terkeust
• Bob Merritt (my pastor, out with a new book that’s wonderful, I just finished!)
• Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan 
• Shauna Niequist 
• Bob Goff
• Francis Chan
• Andy Stanley
• Annie F. Downs 

I am certain I am forgetting many great books, so I will update this post regularly with an Edit below to add. In the meantime, have I missed one of your favorites? I’d love to hear below in the comments!

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This post contains affiliate links, which doesn’t impact my opinion at all, but offers my family a small commission if you choose to purchase something through my links. It’s at no extra cost to you and if you choose to use them, I thank you so much!

Happy August my friends!

I saw someone post something the other day that said August is the Sunday of summer, and goodness, that feels so true! I love the slightly slower pace of August, much like a Sunday, and it also holds the gnawing reminder that routine is starting shortly and the grind is about to pick up. We had such a lovely July filled with wonderfully fun things. Josh started building a play set for the kids at the end of May and come July, finally finished the hard work and we were able to roll out the surprise to the kiddos! It’s been a hit! (Note to self: Costco deals are great … there also are 1,039,204 pieces involved.)

Here’s a peek at the standing three’s:

• Here’s the August playlist! It’s pretty eclectic. Don’t judge.
• Ready to sink back into an overview of the summer?  You can download this exclusive free download that’ll give you a place to process through some highlights and gratitudes of the summer! I find sometimes its really easy to fall into the mundane and forget about all the special moments along the way. I hope you find this fun to pause for 10 minutes and think back to all the special moments of the summer! It’s also a fun activity to do with kids in your life!
• Try a new recipe! This orzo dish is a hit with everyone who tries it and is personally one of our faves.

Ingredients:

• a box Orzo pasta
•  EVOO
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 package cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 1 package crumbled Feta cheese

Steps:

1. Boil pot of water + 2 Tblsp salt, Add pasta & cook orzo for about 9 minutes or until al dente.
2. In separate pan, heat ¼ cup olive oil, add 1 yellow onion (finely chopped) + 2 chopped cloves of garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Cook on med/low for 10 minutes, stirring.
3. Cut up cherry tomatoes (in quarters) & add to onion mix. Cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring.
4. Add 1 cup chopped fresh basil. Heat & set aside.
5. Combine chicken, pasta & tomato/onion mix.
6. Add package of crumbled Feta cheese.
7. Drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

You’ll find a few books in my bag right now: this book (which as I grabbed the link for, noticed they are making it into a tv series), next on my reading list, and my current morning read, written by my own pastor! We go through books here all the time, making trips to the library and often buying ones that we just can’t say goodbye too. Right now, Kirsten brings me this book multiple times a day (shout out to Daniel Tiger), and Logan is bringing me this one which is the perfect bedtime read. The colors are phenominal and all of this author’s books are our faves here.

My kiddos have been obsessed with “cleaning” with this Melissa and Doug set. It’s never too early to create good habits right? And maybe help mom out a bit too 😊. My dear fellow twin mom, Rachel, sent Kirsten this gorgeous dress asa surprise and we have been spending the month doing a whole lot of twirls.

And lastly, we were invited to partner with Huggies on their new diaper line, Special Delivery Diapers, and as part of their promotion, I got to sneak in a photo shoot with my littles. (I know, a rarity as a mom!). (But we also love that we got to fall in love with a new kind of diaper that’s fragrance-free, paraben-free, lotion-free and free of elemental chlorine bleach.)

My birthday is next week (Monday!) and somehow I flew through my 33rd year in a blink. Maybe more on that later. 😉

Love always,

Chelsea

PS – Our family lost one of the best this month. 💔 Though age and health let us know it was coming, hearing that Josh’s grandma passed away last week wasn’t easy. She repeatedly told me when she passes, she wants this picture shared. “It’s one of my favorites.”, she’d say. It was our prayer for so long that she’d live to see the day we had children, and we are so grateful for the 2+ years she got to spend in their lives. While they may never remember their Gigi, and while that reality hurts our hearts, we are immensely grateful that we will forever treasure 2 years of abundant memories.

This woman was one of the strongest I know. She made sure we knew we were loved by her, even though she was tough as nails and a little spicy.

She made and held onto our future child’s blanket for years. I remember the day of our last egg retrieval, she sent me an email saying “The blankets (one blue and one pink) are patiently waiting. Of course I’m praying.” …. and it brought us so much joy when we got to tell her we’d be using them both.

In one note she wrote after a miscarriage, she shared “I’ll probably get to heaven before you so you can bet I’ll hold these babies. I’ll tell them how much their Mother loved them and wanted them. I’ll take care of them until you and Josh get there. Love you honey.”

Grandma Jones, I know you’re making good on your promise and are in the presence of Jesus now. Though our hearts hurt for what we’ve lost, we rejoice in the freedom, joy, and new life you’re experiencing. We’ll miss you until we meet again. 💕

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This post contains affiliate links, which doesn’t impact my opinion at all, but offers my family a small commission if you choose to purchase something through my links. It’s at no extra cost to you and if you choose to use them, I thank you so much!