Three Best Quotes from Summer

plus: fall book club picks

Ever since starting a quote journal, I’ve been doing better at lingering in books a little longer. In so many things, I am prone to moving on to what’s next without pause. (And when it comes to books, there’s always something I have not yet read upon the shelf…)

But the journal helps. After finishing a book, I take some time to sit down (preferably on my front porch with a cup of afternoon coffee) and copy down nearly every word I was compelled to underline. There’s something solidifying about going back into the book and pulling out the pieces I want to take with me. Not only am I able to cement the words a little deeper in my being, but as I take in quotes as a whole, I am able to reflect on the patterns. Like little puzzle pieces laid out on the dining room table, I begin to see an image taking shape.

As I wrap up my summer reading, I want to share three quotes that continue to take up space in my mind. Maybe they’re indicative of the season I am in or where I sense God’s invitation in what is ahead. I’m still reflecting. But without a lot of commentary, here are some of the words that have stuck around from summer:

“Genuine self-knowledge beings by looking at God and noticing how God is looking at us.” —David G. Benner, The Gift of Being Yourself

“Here’s the thing about carrying light with you: No matter where you go, and no matter what you find—or don’t find—you change the darkness just by entering it. You clear a path through it.” —Maggie Smith, You Could Make This Place Beautiful

“Maybe nothing is more important than that we keep track, you and I, of these stories of who we are and where we have come from and the people we have met along the way because it is precisely through these stories in all their particularity, as I have long believed and often said, that God makes himself known to each of us most powerfully and personally.” —Frederick Buechner, Telling Secrets

Like I said, maybe there is a through-line here. Maybe I have just found words for things that have been with me a for a while. Either way, this is why I read—as a way to keep reaching for a God who loves to show up in words and phrases and who sometimes lets us be the one to hold the pen.

Do you have a favorite quote or a few words you’re carrying with you? I would love to keep this conversation going. Feel free to share a quote or two in the comments or by hitting reply and sending me an email note.

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Fall Book Club Picks

After wrapping up our summer book club, several people raised their hands and showed interest in reading together a bit more. (Yay!) I’ve picked a few books (with the help of current book club members) that I think would be great to read and discuss alongside one another in the months ahead.

A quick note: I pick books that in some way, shape, or form help us better ask two questions: 1) What does it mean to be human? and 2) How can we be a little more human together? With that in mind, here’s what I’d love to read with you…

October: Touch the Earth by Drew Jackson

October seems like a good month to settle into some poetry, so I selected Drew Jackson’s most recent collection, Touch the Earth, that reflects upon the second half of the gospel of Luke and explores the themes of deliverance and hope.

November: Wintering by Katherine May

This memoir by Katherine May is a good companion as we settle into colder seasons and pay attention to the not-always-apparent invitations tucked into winter (whether that winter is happening outside your window or in the metaphorical sense). I read Wintering last year when wrestling with a season of letting go, and I look forward to reading it again with you.

** I typically pull back from work in December, and I do not want to add anything to your holiday platter. Book club will take a break for December and resume in January 2024 (along with another little something I’ve been working on…more to come). **

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More Book Club Details

If you haven’t read with us before, know that reading is at your own pace. Most books you should be able to pick up from your local library or find from your retailer or choice. We’ll get together on the first Friday of each month (Nov. 3 and Dec. 1) to discuss the previous month’s book. I provide a discussion guide a week or so in advance, so you can reflect, process, and know what to expect.

Conversations are casual and kind (and take place on Zoom). We gather together expecting that we will have a variety of takeaways and opinions about what we read, but come together to share our thoughts, questions, and ideas with mutual respect, as a way to better listen, understand, and love God and each other.

Note: Book club access is included with a paid subscription, but I also don’t want money to get in the way if you want to participate. If you want to join us this fall and a paid subscription to Human Together is not feasible, simply email me at sarah@sarahewestfall.com to request book club access, no questions asked.

I look forward to reading together.