Summer is the perfect time for a new book (or three).

I love having a book with me when I fly or hop in the car for a long road trip, but also the everyday times like sitting by the pool or lake on a hot summer day or curled up in the sunroom on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I make a book list at the beginning of every year (here’s what I plan to read in 2019, in case you’re curious, like me).

This list will often change a little as I go through the year and pick up books here and there - from the used bookshop on the corner or the annual church rummage sale - or come across a newly-released book that I really want to read; but, I like to begin the year with a list of books (two per month, or so) already picked out so I have some direction.

Looking for a few books to add to your summer reading list? Here are a few of my favorites (+ a couple I’m planning to read myself!):

I’ve been thinking a lot about seasons lately - how they shift and change, pulling us into something new, yet familiar, inviting us to change right along with it.

There’s something so reassuring about picturing your life this way: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

This past season (since my Winter update) has been full of new things: new places, new friends, new challenges, new house projects, new habits.

This is life lately:

Dear Creative,

Life as a musician is beautiful, messy, deeply fulfilling, and complex work.

It starts within—a desire to do work that matters, to make a difference; a yearning for beauty; a spark of creativity. It requires you to take risks, listen, adapt, and live with abandon.

It’s what all artists do, really. We dream, we try, we create, we innovate. 

There will be good days, times when you feel like you are making a difference, creating something beautiful, and truly serving people.

And, like anything in life, there will be hard days mixed in, as well.

It’s that time of year: full schedules, full to-do lists; trying to keep up, show up, live up to expectations; rushing a little more, relaxing a little less. 

You know the feeling.

Often, they’re subtle changes—choices we don’t even realize we’re making until we find ourselves here: a little more anxious, a little less rested, a little more curt, a little less kind.

Maybe this is the week we give ourselves and those around us an extra measure of grace.

Maybe now is the time to step back, slow down, eliminate the nonessentials and simplify our schedules and hearts and minds.

Because teaching and leading and working from a place of stress doesn’t serve anyone.

This year, like many of you, I set out to create a few new habits in my life. You know what it's like: those things we do, the routines and structures that shape our days—our habits are patterns of learned behavior that are so second nature to us, we don’t even think about them.

“Out with the old and in with the new!” we say, as if it were that easy. But what does it really take to form a new habit?

According to Charles Duhigg, former New York Times reporter and author of the book, The Power of Habit, every habit has a cycle or loop:

• The routine (the thing we find ourselves doing automatically)

• The reward we get from that activity

• The cue or trigger that starts the cycle

There’s something about winter that causes us to slow down, to reflect. I suppose you could say the same thing about any season: it’s really a matter of being intentional with your time and attention and being present.

I’m making it a practice to sit and write out some of my thoughts during each season this year - a practice I hope will help me cultivate a sense of peace and gratitude, recognize and acknowledge things I’m learning, and be more present.

We’re all works in progress, right? This is me, sharing where I am and what I’m learning along the way.

So, let’s pretend it’s the weather and say this reflection was inspired by quiet snow days and clean, winter-white landscapes, okay? This is life lately:

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is make a list of books I’d like to read in the year ahead.

If you’ve been following along with me for a while, you know I don’t always get to all the books I have planned (full confession), and sometimes, I deviate from my list in favor of other books that I encounter during the year.

Regardless, I like to begin the year with intention and keep a running list of books that I want to read. (Here are my book lists from 2018, 2017, and 2016, in case you’re curious).

This year, I’m choosing books from seven different categories:

Happy New Year's Eve, friends!

This year-in-review post is one of my favorite posts to write each year. It’s always amazing to think back to this time last year and see how far we've come and how much we’ve learned. Here's a look back on our year:

This is a season of wonder, of listening and leaning in, of slowing down a bit. A time when we seek calm in the midst of chaotic calendars and a brief respite from responsibility.

We crave stillness and quiet and space.

And so, my gift to you this Advent season (and week before Christmas) is a collection of things to read, watch, and listen to this week (or after Christmas, because, lets’s be honest - this time of the year can be crazy). I hope these resources inspire you, give you a new perspective, and refresh your soul during this busy season.

(Best enjoyed with a cup of eggnog and a gingerbread cookie, obviously.)

Enjoy!

I never used to consider myself much of a reader, but it’s something I’ve been cultivating in my personal (and business) life for the past several years.

I started by setting a goal of 10 books in a year, then 12. This year, I read 16 books! Little by little, I’m learning to love reading and am exploring new authors and a variety of book categories with the hope of broadening my perspective, developing new skills, learning about myself and others, and becoming a better person in the process.