What better time to dive into a significant book that lives up to its title to make reading, deciphering, and reflecting on Bible stories so interesting. This is the perfect book if you’ve wondered about Bible stories or perhaps you’ve thought about reading the Bible this year.  You will definitely find yourself grabbing your Bible while reading this wonderful book. Rachel Held Evans’ book Inspired (Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving The Bible Again) is a new one in our collection and should NOT be missed.  A few months ago, I introduced you to Evans’ book Wholehearted Faith that is also worthwhile. But, now, just in time for the start of a new year of reading, you can wrestle with some of the stories from the Bible with a young woman who will help you appreciate some of the background history as well as information pertinent to the story as you gain more insight into both stories and your own faith.  

Rachel Held Evans was raised in Alabama where she attended a fundamentalist church, but later, found her church home as an Episcopalian.  After graduating from college, she became a journalist and humorist, married and had two small children.  She was a prolific writer of books on religion and had a large following of people on her blog and twitter accounts. Because of her knowledge and insights, she was selected to serve on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Unfortunately, in 2019, an unusual medical issue landed her in the hospital where her life shockingly ended at only 37 years of age.  She was a wise old soul whose writings now remain to educate us and to “inspire” us to revisit the Bible stories that we learned as youngsters as well as to deepen our understanding of many other parts of the Bible that might not be as familiar.  

Below are some comments of praise for Inspired:

This book is a fantastic way to begin the new year.  Blessings for a wondrous 2025!