DevotedToHope’s Comments (group member since Dec 16, 2023)

DevotedToHope’s comments from the Clearly Christian Readathon group.

🌟 We all want the Clearly Christian Readathon to be fun, stress free, and beneficial to participants, authors, and our community.

Tagging, labeling, and identifying each book with an attribute or virtue from P4:8 and/or G5:22-23 is causing many of us to have unnecessary anxiety or angst or confusion! None of us want that.

We are not changing the rules or purpose of the readathon. We are holding steady! However, 💡 we are inviting you to embrace a slight shift in perspective. Interpret the prompts in a way that resonates with you and brings you joy. The goal is to foster a relaxed and enjoyable experience as you select, read, recommend, and review clearly Christian books. So, instead of tagging or labeling books with a one-word attribute or virtue, perhaps a category would work best for you:

🩵 Joyful Exploration: Select a book that explores the joy found in God's creation or reflects on the joy of salvation. Dive into narratives that celebrate gratitude and contentment in Christ.

🩵 Peaceful Reflections: Choose a book that delves into the peace that surpasses all understanding. Seek stories that portray the peace of Christ in the midst of life's challenges or novels set in serene, spiritually uplifting environments.

🩵 Kindness Chronicles: Immerse yourself in a book that highlights acts of kindness, compassion, and selfless love. Explore characters whose actions mirror the kindness exemplified by Jesus in the Scriptures.

🩵 Goodness Gems: Discover a book that reflects the goodness of God and the transformative power of His grace. Engage with narratives that inspire righteous living and moral growth in accordance with Biblical principles.

🩵 Faithful Narratives: Journey through a book that explores themes of faith, trust, and hope in God. Whether it's a memoir of a spiritual journey, a historical novel showcasing unwavering faith, or a work of fiction that inspires trust in divine providence, let your reading foster faithfulness.

🩵 Gentle Genres: Select a book from genres known for their gentleness, such as Christian fiction, inspirational non-fiction, or devotionals. Allow these genres to guide you towards a deeper connection with your faith.

🩵 Self-Control Sagas: Explore a book that delves into the theme of self-control and discipline from a Christian perspective. Whether it's a biography of a Christian figure who exhibited self-discipline or a work of fiction highlighting the importance of temperance, let your reading inspire spiritual maturity.

💫 There is no wrong categorization or label. The personal takeaways from reading a book are as different as there are people. Please don't be intimidated by any aspect of this readathon. 📖 If you find it rewarding to simply tag a book as a reflecting P4:8 or G5:22-23 -- great! Do that! 📖

💓 Always remember: The goal is to engage with clearly Christian books! We anticipate that as these books leave an impact on you and our community, it will naturally lead to a wealth of recommendations and reviews, benefiting fellow participants and authors!

🙏 May the Clearly Christian Readathon be a meaningful journey of spiritual growth! Happy reading and may God's blessings abound in your reading adventures!

Thank you, Carrie! We greatly appreciate your recommendations and comments!

From the Heart of Carolyn Miller: As a Christian, I love to read and write books that read as realistic, relatable, and most of all, point to the hope and life and peace that I have found in knowing Jesus Christ. 

Numbers of my historical and contemporary books have involved Christian characters working through the challenges of what it means to be a believer, while others have demonstrated characters coming to find that faith for themselves.

I LOVE writing salvation scenes, and recommitment scenes, and ... all the scenes, really! And because life isn't 'Hallmark' easy, in several books I have also touched on some aspects of the more grittier side of life, which has seen characters forced to dig deep into what trusting God really means.

I hope that people who think reading a romance book means it's automatically light and fluffy will be forced to think again when they read one of mine, and find the hope, peace and love that’s ultimately found through relationship with God.

Some of my novels that you might enjoy that best exemplifies Philippians 4:8 and Galatians 5:22-23: The Elusive Miss Ellison, Dusk's Darkest Shores, The Breakup Project, Hearts and Goals, and Muskoka Spotlight.

Please pray that I would balance being a wife and mum with writing and releasing my books and also organising a writers conference here in Australia and that the conference preparation goes smoothly and doesn’t eat into my writing time too much.

February's theme for our Graceful Twist is Love Letters!
Select a book with a cover or content with any form of written communication.

Earn a special badge for each completed Graceful Twist, perfect for sharing in your social media posts, book journals, or wherever your bookish heart desires!

Participation is completely optional.

Graceful Twists can be layered with the monthly prompt, so one book can count for the Clearly Christian Readathon prompt and the Graceful Twist or you can use the Graceful Twist to select another Clearly Christian book! You make the decision each month!

Please share your chosen books, progress, and reflections.

Marquita wrote: "While I have been quiet in the challenge and on social media, I am following along with the challenge. I just got finished listening to Don't Look Back by Christine Caine. It is based on Lot's wife..."

Thank you for sharing! Also, thank you for letting us know you are following along with the challenge!

Thank you for each and every recommendation!

I'm reading so many books that align with our two Scripture passages! It is difficult for me to pick just two for January! Maybe I'll just complete the 24 in 24 tracker and not focus on two each month? What about you? What is your plan? What are you doing?

Anyone planning to or attempting to earn the Graceful Twist for January?!

It is awesome to hear so many of us are reading the Bible!

From the Heart of Carrie Turansky: My goals when writing a novel are to entertain and inspire my readers, and one way I do that is to weave the timeless truths of Christianity into the fabric of my stories, characters, plots, and themes. I want to reflect the wisdom and beauty of the Christian faith as well as encourage practical application of the principles that Jesus taught His followers. I seek to create relatable characters who are grappling with real-life challenges and learning and growing through those experiences.

Some of my novels that you might enjoy that best exemplifies Philippians 4:8 and Galatians 5:22-23: The Legacy of Longdale Manor, Across the Blue, The Governess of Highland Hall, The Daughter of Highland Hall, and A Refuge at Highland Hall

I pray you will read with an open heart to hear from the Lord and then act on what He is encouraging you to do with what you’ve learned.

Please pray for me as I write my next novel.
Ask the Lord to guide me and show me exactly which principles and ideas would be the most helpful for my readers, and then how to weave those into the story! Thanks!

Get ready for a delightful surprise for our Clearly Christian Readathon!

We're thrilled to introduce Graceful Twists - a monthly, voluntary challenge designed to add a fun layer of discovery to our reading adventures!

The Surprise: Each month, we'll unveil a unique theme, starting with January's: New Beginnings.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it (no pressure), is to select a book with a cover or content showcasing a new beginning, fresh start, repentance, growth, or redemption.

Participation is entirely optional. We're embracing the spirit of discovery and the joy of shared Clearly Christian reading.

The Graceful Twists can be layered with the monthly prompt, so one book can count for the Clearly Christian Readathon prompt and the Graceful Twist or you can use the Graceful Twist to select another Clearly Christian book! You make the decision each month!

We encourage you to share your chosen books, progress, and reflections using our dedicated hashtag: #ClearlyChristianReadathon

Earn a special badge for each completed Graceful Twist (the January Graceful Twist badge is available in our group's Photos). The badge is perfect for sharing in your social media posts, book journals, or wherever your bookish heart desires!

Around the World in 50 (minus 1) Books: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aroun...

G3 Reading Challenge 2024: https://g3min.org/g3-reading-challeng...

Visual Theology 2024 Reading Challenge: https://www.challies.com/resources/20...

Remember: If you believe a book fits the prompt for your Clearly Christian Readathon 24 Books in 24 challenge -- then it does! That is between you and God. :)

Together, we set out on a reading expedition, aiming to cultivate a comforting and stress-free community. Recognizing the value of support, we're thrilled to share that we're diligently working on providing suggestions for each prompt to assist our fellow readers. The process of curating these recommendations is currently underway, and we invite you to explore our growing collection on the Prompt Shelves.

Our sincere hope is that these shelves become a valuable resource for you in any way that works for you—whether you're seeking a book for our 24 in 24 Challenge, discovering a new author and book that resonates with your preferences, or simply using them as a delightful starting point to find your next captivating read. Your comfort and convenience are paramount to us, and we trust these shelves will enrich your reading experience throughout the Clearly Christian Readathon.

We warmly welcome any feedback you may have, keeping in mind that the majority of suggestions on our Prompt Shelves haven't been personally read by our Hosts. We're relying on our incredible community and Christian faith websites, as well as the reviews of others.

Thank you for being a cherished part of our reading community, and may your reading journey be filled with joy, discovery, and a deepening connection with Christ.

Happy reading!

Thank you all for the recommendations!

Enjoying the recs! Really appreciating our Goodreads Group and each member!

Love all the suggestions and recommendations!

Hello fellow readers! Here's a little about me:

I'm a versatile reader—whether it's the tangible pages of a book, the convenience of an e-reader, or the immersive experience of audiobooks, I enjoy them all.

I'm an avid reader who embraces all formats—whether it's the feel of a physical book, the convenience of an e-reader, or the storytelling charm of audiobooks. Each format offers a unique experience, and I love them all.

I have a habit of getting a bit jittery when recommending my favorite books. The excitement builds, and then the doubt creeps in: "What if they don't enjoy it as much as I did?" or "Did I set the bar too high with my enthusiasm?" It's a journey of sharing my bookish passions and embracing the unpredictability of it all!

In my continuous surrender to Jesus, I find solace, joy, and a refuge in literature—an escape from the hustle and bustle of the world. It's a blessing to discover God's truths and grace woven into the stories that uplift and inspire. Each read transforms into a faith-filled journey, a reminder of His presence, and an opportunity to reflect His love to others. Looking forward to connecting with you and exploring the vast realms of Christian books together.

Praying for you as you pray for me!

This site offers three different reading plans.:
https://www.navigators.org/resource/b...

This site offers many different plans:
https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-...

YouVersion offers what seems to be an endless array of Bible reading plans: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans

Bible Study Tools offers many different plans: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible...

Here is the link to the Bible Reading Plan Jillian (Instagram @SheReadsChristianFiction / YouTube: With Love Jillian) is using for 2024. She is offering Daily Bible Reading Check-Ins on Instagram to help with accountability: https://l.instagram.com/?u=http%3A%2F...

Here is the link to Erin Paige Brammer's (Instagram: @erinpaigebrammer) Bible Reading Plan for 2024: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k7ZT...

Here is the link to an online Bible Reading Plan Generator: https://biblereadingplangenerator.com...

Let us know if you have questions.