Books for Joy, Comfort, Grace, and Fun

Editor’s note: Joy. Comfort. Grace. Fun. Those are our words for this spring! I don’t know about you, but I think we need more of all of the above, right? I think you’ll enjoy the titles we’ve curated for your spring book bag… Personally, I’m underlining Brave Surrender more than not! Enjoy!

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Kim Walker Smith's passionate performance of "How He Loves" helped transform Jesus Culture into a global worship movement.

Brave Surrender is the story of how Kim journeyed from a place of shame and fear to stages around the world where she boldly proclaims the unconditional love of God. Through her own story, Kim inspires us to experience true freedom and healing with Jesus.

Coming from a painful childhood, Kim struggled to believe that God could heal her heart or bring any sense from her past. Yet when faced with the choice to hand her struggles over to God and receive His love in return, everything began to change. On the other side of surrender, Kim began a journey of looking at one painful memory at a time with God and exchanging her perspective for His truth - a journey in which God rewrote her story of pain into a story of redemption and hope.

If you are longing to experience God more than the shame or hurts of your past, the pressures of your present, or the fear of your future, Brave Surrender offers a soul-healing path forward. As Kim learned in her own life, the first step - and the bravest step - is letting go. Once we let go of anything that gets between us and God, we are freed to take hold of the life that truly matters. As Kim writes, "When we encounter God's love, it changes the way we see. And when we learn to see what He sees, we will never be the same again." Buy now...

More than 2.3 million people watched as Jeremy and Audrey Roloff shared their vows and committed their lives to each other. Now for the first time, the former co-stars of TLC's hit show Little People, Big World share their imperfect, resilient, and inspiring love story.

As Jeremy and Audrey write, if you can fall into love, you can fall out. True love is something you choose to live out each day through your actions, decisions, and sacrifices. To find and still seek, now that is love. From the moment you meet your potential spouse, you can be intentional about shaping a beautiful love story, uniquely written for who God created you both to be. Whether you're single and searching, in a serious dating relationship, or desiring to love your spouse better, Jeremy and Audrey equip you to pursue an intentional, creative, and faithful love story by sharing theirs.

The journey to their wedding day was the culmination of a bumpy and complicated dating relationship. From health problems, to emotional walls, to being separated by one thousand miles, the couple faced daunting obstacles. But their unique approach to dating empowered them to write an uncommon love story and prepared them for married life. Because as beautiful as their wedding was, the Roloffs made a point to prepare more for their marriage than their wedding day.

Told through both Jeremy's and Audrey's voices, A Love Letter Life tells a passionate and persevering story of relatable struggles, hard-learned lessons, practical tips, and devout commitment. In these pages, they encourage you to stop settling for convenient relationships, offer perspective on male and female differences in dating, tackle tough topics like purity, give their nine rules for fighting well, suggest fun ideas for connection in a world of technology, and provide fresh advice on how to intentionally pursue a love story that never ends. Buy now...

When was the last time you had some good and serious fun? If your to-do list has become the boss of you, if you're so exhausted and overwhelmed you can't remember - all of that is about to change. Have More Fun is your crash course to getting unstuck, laughing freely, and enjoying the ride.

MOPS International CEO, Mandy Arioto, is known to thousands worldwide as a lively storyteller, a force of hope, and an audacious risk-taker. She brings it all in this rollicking adventure of a book bent on helping you do more of what makes you come alive.

Have More Fun is for anyone who has forgotten that fun is an option. In a world where political dramas and cultural uncertainties churn through our news feed every day, Mandy is here to suggest that the answer to many of the most pressing questions is fun.

How do I get more done? Fun.

How do I parent in meaningful ways? Fun

How do I make friends? Fun.

How can I find my purpose? Fun.

How do I spice up my sex life? Fun.

How do I adapt when things don't go as planned? Fun.

How do I improve my marriage? Fun.

Not to mention that choosing fun can be a spiritual discipline - a place to experience the boundless love and joy of God in everyday, surprising ways. If you have ever waited until your to-do list is finished to have fun or you can't remember the last time you really laughed, it is possible you might be taking life, work, or parenting too seriously. Weaving together science, historical trends, hilarious stories, practical ideas and spiritual truth, Mandy uncovers fresh ways to take fun seriously instead. Buy now...

Are you standing in the middle of opportunity and being overwhelmed of crazy when you really need calm? Not sure where to start to simplify and bring grace and peace to your home?

A Standard of Grace is a gorgeous four-color, joy-inspiring guided journal designed to help you nurture your dreams, discover your hopes, and pay attention to those things you hold dearest to your heart. With quotes, journaling prompts, and Scripture, bestselling author of Grace, Not Perfection and A Simplified Life, Emily Ley, encourages you to reach for the life of you want — all while holding to a standard of grace.

Both gorgeous and useful, A Standard of Grace will make a lovely gift and keepsake as well as be a powerful tool for both embracing where you are while reaching for your goals and dreams. Through practical, easy-to-follow prompts for journaling and reflection, Scriptures, and inspiring imagery, you'll find an accessible, inspirational journal that to enjoy personally and to share with friends. Buy now...

When someone is grieving, what should we say? How can we help? How do we comfort without offering shallow platitudes?

In times of sorrow Scripture beckons us to look up and out, because our help comes from the Lord. The Book of Comforts stands in the gap between suffering and hope, offering readers the abiding comfort found in Scripture.

The Book of Comforts is a beautiful four-color book of 100 readings that offer biblical consolation and encouragement in seasons of trial and grief. Scripture selections are accompanied by brief devotions, alongside designed Scripture passages and photography.

Grief, loss, and pain are significant and unavoidable parts of the human experience, but they’re often overlooked or minimized. In moments of heartache and challenges we either crumble or we discover the richness of God's love. Scripture deals plainly and honestly with suffering and simultaneously points people the rich hope we find in God.

The Book of Comforts:

• Offers long-term comfort in a beautiful and inviting format
• Designed to be accessible to a wide audience
• Visually attractive and engaging
• Scripturally focused

The Book of Comforts offers a meaningful way to walk through hurt, heartache, challenges and difficulty, aided by the truth of God's Word. It is a beautiful and comforting gift for those in hard places — because though we don't always know what to say, the gift of divine consolation is always helpful. Buy now...

In We Are the Gardeners, Joanna and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything!), and all the knowledge they've gained along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden. As it turns out, trying something new isn't always easy, but the hardest work often yields the greatest reward. There are always new lessons to be learned in the garden!

You and your children can learn all about the Gaines family's story of becoming gardeners in Joanna's first children’s book — starting with the first little fern Chip bought for Jo. Over the years, the family's love for gardening blossomed into what is now a beautiful, bustling garden.

Julianna Swaney’s illustrations bring the Gaines family garden to life with colorful, whimsical watercolors and invite you to enjoy the beauty of a thriving garden. Buy now...

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Your Turn

What is your word (or words) for spring? Do you need more joy or fun? Come share with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Laurie McClure, FaithGateway Editor