Margin

I’m resting, and a large part of that for me is reading.

A good book has always allowed time to stand still for me, which is exactly what I need these days.

Here is what I read in August as I continue the #EmptyShelf challenge. It’s pretty basic: starting December 23rd, you empty one shelf of a bookcase in your house completely. Hence, “Empty Shelf.” Then, through the entire next year, you fill that shelf with the books that you read.

To read what I’ve read this year by month:

January // February // March // April // May // June // July

Here is what I read in August:

39.) Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown – Ever since I stumbled upon her TED talk on vulnerability (worth the 20 minutes of your time, really and truly), I’ve been interesting in her research on shame and wholeheartedness. This was a great read, which I subsequently purchased, and its a topic that I am pondering more and more as I put my writing out there – or try to overcome hesitations to do so.

40.) The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente – This was a delightful book, one that I definitely want to read again and again. Read my full review here.

41.) Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson, M.D. – After Scott and I explained to our pastor our need to step down from the youth ministry for the time being, he lent me this book. While I have been reading about and studying the idea of a simpler life and have more margin for a couple of years now, it was nice to read once again that margin is important and that taking the steps needed to restore it in your own life is not being selfish. I love that Swenson delineates between mental and physical strain, and talks about the need for margin being a “semi-visible” pain that needs to be addressed as much as an illness with obvious circumstances:

Living without [margin] does not cause a sensory pain, but instead a deep-seated subjective ache. Because the ache and heaviness are only semi-visible, the pain of margin-less living is hard for us to talk about. “

I would recommend this book to anyone who just feels like life is moving too fast these days for them to enjoy it. I know I needed more margin when I wasn’t enjoying even the best things, because I was too busy preparing for the next thing. There was no time for reflection or anticipation in life, and I am looking forward to restoring that joy to life this fall.

42.) Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung – I borrowed this book, too, from our pastor. I think we must be similar, Type-A academics, because he highlights almost all the same passages that I would have highlighted were it my book. If you are a Christian and feel “too busy” all the time, read this book. It helped me recognize that I feel frazzled because life has no rhythm, no natural routine of work and rest – it’s all work, all the time, and my self and my husband – and Christ! – are just getting the leftovers. I have a feeling that I will be flipping back through this book again and again in the coming weeks, as I recalibrate and recharge.

So there’s what I read in August. I said in January that I wanted to read more nonfiction this year than I had in years past, and if this month (and the photo above) is any indication, I think I am well on my way.

What did you read in August?