Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Are you a Christian who struggles with diets and eating? Fully Nourished by Brandice Lardner may be a book that you would find helpful. I like to read health-related books so I have read a lot of them. I point that out because I didn't learn a lot from this book for that reason. I thought the book was well-thought-out and the steps the author included could be helpful to the person who has these struggles. I am not that target audience though. I haven't struggled through diets. I grew up in an era when it was "in" to be skinny but I was already skinny and active so not really an issue for me at that time. However, having gone through menopause, I can say that I had to change how I then had to change how I ate to maintain the weight I wanted but it wasn't a real struggle. The author of this book has struggled with weight and body image throughout her life. She then became a health coach and personal trainer who has lived what she teaches. She is also a Christian...

  Draw Close to Jesus is a different kind of Lenten devotional by Heidi Chiavaroli. This author writes beautiful historical fiction. In this devotional, she puts her talents to use and writes devotional Bible stories based on Scripture--Biblical fiction stories in devotion.  The book starts off with an introduction where Chiavaroli shares how she came to write the book and what she hopes you will glean from these 40 Lenten readings. I also believe that God is a God of stories. I love how Jesus used parables and stories to reach people These stories are likely to bring the Bible to life for you as you read about: Joseph, Ariel, John, Tirza, Simon and more.  Each reading in Draw Close to Jesus is followed by reflection questions and a prayer. This would be a good time to do some journaling if you like to do that sort of thing. Then, if you would like to, there is also a list of more Bible verses to read to support the day's reading.   I received a copy of this bo...

  I have been anxiously awaiting Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn for a few months now. This book is the third book in the Gossamer Falls series. You could read it as a stand alone but it would be more enjoyable if you read the series in order. This book is Bronwyn Pierce and Mo Quinn's story. I have been wondering about them since the series began. This book did not disappoint. Bronwyn is running The Haven, her family's exclusive mountain resort. She runs a tight ship and does a good job. . .but something is off and she can't put her finger on the problem. Mo is a former army intelligence officer so she asks for his help in finding a problem in the book-keeping that her gut tells her is there. She also feels she is being watched. Her family has a lot of issues and she isn't sure how the "bad" guys are in this situation. Can they figure it out before her time runs out? I read Last To Fall in a day and enjoyed it all. I liked how the relationship developed be...

  Are you looking for a new Easter book for a child? The Great Waking Up by Sarah Shin is a colorfully illustrated picture book aimed at children ages 3 to 8. This Easter book measures a little less than 9 inches squared. It is bright and colorfully illustrated. I love that it is so inclusive--including Jesus looking fairly historically accurate. The illustrations are so beautiful that they bring to mind stained glass windows when I look at them. Anastasia loves dreams. In The Great Waking Up she talks about her dreams with her mother. Her mother tells her that there will come a day when there is the Great Waking Up with no more death. In this book, they live in the time of Jesus. They see Jesus do miracles. Then they see Jesus is crucified and become confused about his role--until He wakes up himself. This whole book is the story of Jesus and Easter told through the eyes of a young girl. The Great Waking Up is this author's second children's book. In the back of the book, t...

  Not That Wheel, Jesus! by Mary Katherine Backstrom is a book that I could relate to in several ways as someone who was hurt by church people but still loved Jesus.  Not That Wheel, Jesus! is for people like me who have followed Jesus as an Evangelical and then deconstructed their faith. I did not walk away from Jesus but after watching three churches split and a whole lot of other stuff that wasn't pretty at those churches, I needed a break from church people. If you have had experiences like that too, then you may also enjoy this book. If you don't have any experience with that, than this book probably isn't for you. She does use a few minor cuss words sprinkled throughout the book too so if that bothers you, then this book isn't for you either. I pretty much read this book in a day. While I can't relate to all of the things that the author went through, I could relate to several of them. I also liked her writing style. She has a sense of humor that made me lau...

  The Restitching of Camille DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin is the second book of a young adult fantasy duology. You need to read the first book before this on for it to make the best sense. I would also add that if you like fantasy and like classic literature, you will likely enjoy the book as an adult too. Emlyn DuLaine, the main character in the first book, accidentally bridges story worlds together. She then goes back and tries to sever the connections without destroying the stories themselves.  At the same time, Laramie is lost in a story world with Frank, a special wyvern who needs Rivenlea air to survive. Laramie is the story boy who has grown on Emlyn and Frank is a creature cherished by both of them. Emlyn also needs to find her sister, Camille, and save her. Can they do it all in time? This second book is told from multiple points of view. I like that aspect as the first book was just Emlyn's point of view. We get to hear from a variety of the characters. It is also...