Reading, Writing & Pondering

Unstuffed   isn't your usual type of decluttering book as the subtitle says, Decluttering Your Home, Mind and Soul. Unstuffed offers advice on improving life in your home and with friends along with improving your spiritual and physical health. As I think about it, that is a tall order for this book. Unstuffed is divided into three sections. Part one shares information on creating the home you want to live in as well as dealing with all the stuff that you fill it with. It isn't full of how to declutter because Soukup says she wrote another book on that topic. Part two shares information on how to slow down your schedule and clear up some of the paperwork that comes through your home. The last section of this part also contains a chapter on dealing with other people's stuff, whether it is given to you or you inherited it. The last part of the book offers information on how to cultivate real friendships and release those that are not serving you well or are toxic. It a...

I loved Annie Downs first book, Let's all be Brave, so I couldn't wait to read Looking For Lovely. This book was another fast read for me, just like her first book. I enjoyed reading her personal stories as well as the Biblical truths she shared along with them. . .and at the end of most chapters, Downs encourages her readers to think about the lovely in their own lives and to take some sort of action to collect moments that matter of their own. Looking for Lovely is divided into three sections. In the first section, In the Absence of Lovely, Downs shares some of the difficulties and challenges she faced in her life. In the second section, In Search of Lovely, Downs shares how God met her as she worked to heal from her hurts and looked for God in every area of her life. The Third section, When I Found Lovely, Downs shares how she changed her perspective on life. . .How she doesn't feel like she has to be perfect just because the book is ending here. I enjoyed the whol...

Wellth is truly a wealth of holistic health tidbits(pun intended). I subscribed to MindBodyGreen for a long time so I was familiar with this website that author Jason Wachob founded. I enjoyed their brief articles geared to helping readers improve their health in all areas. Wellth: How I Learned to Build a Life, Not a Resume is part health information from MindBodyGreen experts and part autibiographical information from author Jason Wachob. This book is divided into chapters with titles: Eat, Move, Work, Believe, Explore, Breathe, Feel, Love, Heal, Thank, Ground, Live, and Laugh. It offers a broad holistic look at all of these areas of our lives with some tidbits to help readers improve those areas. In fact, at the end of each chapter, there are a few summary ideas to take and apply to your own life. At the same time, in each of these categories, Wachob shares some of his own story of how he has grown or made improvements in his own life. While my life and Wachob's life stori...

An incredible amount of research went into the book, Think and Eat Yourself Smart. This information resonated with me along with the Bible verses she shares with it. I appreciated those two things combined.  Dr, Caroline Leaf is a neuroscientist who has spent many years doing research. She also is a Christian and looks to combine her love of brain science with her faith. This book is divided into three parts: Admit It, Quit It and Beat It! In Admit It, Dr. Leaf shares information we need to know, if we don't already, about the Modern American Diet (MAD). She documents where all of her information comes form in an extensive end notes section. I especially like that. If you have a question about something, it makes it easy to find the source and check the facts for yourself. I was familiar with many of the sources she quoted and I heartily agree with the truth that the MAD isn't so good for us. In the second section, Dr. Leaf shares how our minds play a large role in what...

The Wonders of Creation coloring book is a beautiful 96 page coloring book for adults. I have a few of the new coloring books and I have to say this one is especially nice. There are no words or verses in this book but instead the book is full of a variety of the animals God created. A few of the animal pictures included are a platypus, lion, rhinoceros, flamingos, monkey, penguin, sea horses in the ocean, and wild horse in the desert. Some of the pictures look true to life and some of them just look fanciful. Some are in fine detail and others aren't quite as intricate. I like that this book has variety all the way around. I colored one 2-page spread with colored pencils: The picture on the backside, I used both markers and colored pencils: I do think you need sharp colored pencils to do the intricate lines. Also, I had a little trouble with the markers smearing the black lines on the rooster page. I think you especially can see it in his feet. For that reason, I w...

The Longing In Me touched my heart deeply. This very personal book from Sheila Walsh is one of her best, I think. In The Longing In Me, Sheila shares some of the personal parts of her story that she has not shared before in her books. I found her story to touch parts of my story as I could relate to many of the things she shared even though my story is different than hers. I think this book would touch many women's hearts as she opens up and shares from her heart. As always, in the midst of her sharing, she brings her relationship with Christ in with her story. . .and by doing so encourages me to keep living each day for Christ in the midst of my own hard things. She also relates the story of David and his life as we know if from the Bible to her story. . .and again, to many of our stories. She brings David's story to life and helps me see him as a real person and not just a Bible character. As she weaves her story and David's story together through the book, I am r...

I know some days I just want to press pause on life. I imagine most of us do have those days. It seems like most of us juggle some sort of hectic day in our modern world. Add to that a dose of guilt for not reading God's Word and I am left feeling tight in the shoulders and stressed. Pressing Pause is the answer for time with God in the midst of your hectic life. Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk have written devotional readings that are down to earth and easy to relate to. For example, I know I can relate to occasionally envying those I follow on social media when it seems they have perfect days. Karen's devotional, "The Joneses are Overrated," hit home with me the other day. Another example that I could relate to as someone who recently moved is Ruth's "Creating Community." Each devotional has a Bible verse, a short story/essay to relate to, a prayer, and a question or two to help you relate it to your life. There is also space to write the answers do...