There are a few books that I would call “life-changing” and here they are in no particular order. You can view them all on Amazon HERE.
*I feel like I need to add a disclaimer that the Bible is my #1 life-changing book of all time.
1) Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear is a must-read for anyone interested in forming new habits, or breaking bad ones. I’ve tried out his methods and can honestly say they work! This is a quick read, and every single page has some tidbit of practical information.
2) Love-Centered Parenting
Love-Centered Parenting: The No-Fail Guide to Launching Your Kids by Crystal Paine is probably the only parenting book I’ll ever recommend. This is the first book that gave me practical advice on what to do when my kids flip out. (Don’t tell me I’m the only one whose kids throw ridiculous temper tantrums!). I love that she gives parents permission to admit that don’t know what they are doing. But thankfully have a God who does know what he’s doing and we just need to point our kids towards him. This is a book I plan to read over and over again.
3) Show Them Jesus
Show them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids by Jack Klumpenhower is a must-read for anyone who wants help teaching the Gospel to Kids. It is mainly written for Sunday School teachers, but I also learned so many good things I can use to teach my own kids. Jack gives practical lesson ideas that will teach how to make every lesson gospel-centered.
4) Discovering the Treasures of a Godly Woman: Proverbs 31
This Bible study by Elizabeth George is probably my favorite Bible study book ever. She goes through Proverbs 31 verse by verse and explains what the verse means and practical ways we can become more like the Proverbs 31 woman. I’ve done this study as a personal study and a small group study and at very different stages in my life. Every time I learn something new.
5) The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal for Mothers
If you are a busy mom who wishes there was a way to capture all the special moments of life- you need this book. This little journal has you write one sentence (or a few if you write really tiny) about each day for 5 years. It’s the perfect way to remember when your kids say something silly, learn new things, throw mega-tantrums, and all those other things you say you’ll never forget, but you do. This book also makes a great gift!!!
6) One Thousand Gifts
This book by Ann Voskamp totally changed my daily routine. “Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well, but wonders how can we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and even the death of loved ones? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long, and sometimes even dark? How is God even here?” The author teaches how to find joy in all the little moments through the simple exercise of writing down what you are thankful for.
After reading this book I started writing 3 things I am thankful for in a journal every single day. Sometimes it’s very easy, and sometimes it feels very hard- but it’s never impossible. After writing down my “thanks” for almost a year I’ve realized what a gift it is to be able to go back and read the hundreds of things I can be thankful for on the really hard days.
7) The Total Money Makeover
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey is my favorite book for anyone wanting to get control of their finances. This is THE book that taught me how to budget and have success with my money. Dave Ramsey combines Biblical principles with common sense to create a system anyone can follow.
8) Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
If you own your own business you NEED this book by Mike Michalowicz. His simple method can help you make sure your business is actually earning you money. We applied his methods to all our businesses a few years ago and it felt like we got a pay raise. There are also industry-specific versions of this book which are co-authored by people actually in the industry such as Profit First for Contractors, Profit First for Ecommerce Sellers, Profit First For Minority Business Enterprises , Profit First for Microgyms, and Profit First for Dentists.
9) StrengthsFinder 2.0
This book is really an online quiz. When you purchase the book, you get the code to access the quiz (DO NOT buy this book used!!!). It seems like an odd choice to include in a list of my favorite books, but if you’ve ever wondered “What am I good at?”, this book is for you.
It personally helped me figure out how to use my gifts, talents, and strengths in a meaningful way. Once you get your quiz results, the book gives you practical ways to use your strengths. For example, I learned that my top strength is Harmony. I don’t enjoy conflict but rather look for areas of agreement. I can avoid conflict by taking things into consideration before siding with a person or a group. People with this strength are good at thinking sequentially and setting defined starting and stopping points. This helps them gather lots of information before forming an opinion.
10) The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs: Respecting and Caring for All God’s Creation
This book by Joel Salatin is the reason we now have chickens lol. He teaches Christians how we can care and respect for all of God’s creation. The includes letting pigs act like pigs and chickens act like chickens. That means letting them live out a happy life as God intended and for the purpose, he intended (food). If you’ve ever wrestled with the guilt that you like animals, but you also like to eat them, this book is for you. It’s also for anyone interested in why we should eat from local farms when possible, and why we should avoid big commercial food operations when possible No matter what you believe, you’ll never think about your food in the same way.
