Reading, Writing & Pondering

Just in time for the Fourth of July, God Bless America patriotic coloring book was released. It is a beautiful book to color and relax with. It is nicely designed with a tight binding and heavy pages for coloring--on just one side of the page. The back side of the page tells about the designer and the patriotic design that is featured for coloring. I especially like the fact that the God Bless America pictures are a mix of designs that require varied amounts of coloring and work. Some have a lot of tiny detail, while other pictures have larger areas to color. All of them have beautiful words of faith in God and country to focus on as you color. I also enjoyed the introduction page that shares why the publisher created this coloring book and how you can maximize your use  of this book to relax and spend time with God. The publisher, Multnomah, has also created a playlist called Coloring America on Spotify with songs designed to enhance your experience as your color in th...

The Berenstain Bears have been a favorite in our family through the years. The Berenstain Bears' Caring and Sharing Treasury is five books in one: Jobs Around Town, Get Involved, Love Their Neighbors, Gossip Gang and The Biggest Brag. These books are all part of the Living Lights series which are designed to help children learn how God wants them to live daily. There are references to God in each story and there are Bible verses that go along with the stories too. Each story is well told and geared to ages 4 to 8. I especially like that this nice treasury has a section in the back of the book to use with children as you read the stories. Each book has a "Talk About it" section with questions to discuss for each book. Then there is a "Get Out and Do it" section which offers ideas to help kids with applying the principles in the book they just read or heard. This book is a nicely bound hardcover and would last for a few generations I think even with regular ...

As women in our modern world, we need to be there for each other. Giddy Up, Eunice is a book about how we can support each other as women across generational lines. I love that idea. I sometimes wish I had been born in a different era because I think many women don't have a lot of personal in-contact support these days in the midst of all of our social media options. In this book, Sophie Hudson shares how we can still connect personally with the women of all ages in the midst of our busy modern lives. The first section of Giddy Up, Eunice shares the Bible story of Mary and Elizabeth and how they supported one another through their pregnancies even though there was a huge age difference. The second section of the book is based on the relationships of Ruth and Naomi from the Bible and how they supported each other through challenges and change. The third section relates to Lois and Eunice from the book of 2 Timothy and how women in all ages groups can support each other and t...

I make a lot of homemade soups during the winter months. I also have been interested in making more healthy broths for drinking. Broth and Stock by Jennifer McGruther of the Nourished Kitchen website sounded like the best of both of those interests. Broth and Stock starts out with some interesting history on the making of broth in the introduction and first chapter, "the broth maker's kitchen." Both sections were worth taking the time to read before jumping in to make the recipes. I learned several new historical tidbits and helpful tips.  McGruther explains the difference between broth, stock and bone broth in case you weren't sure what the difference was. McGruther furthers offers advice on selecting the type of bones and other ingredients you want for your stocks/broths and where to purchase them. The first chapter also offer good advice on the type of equipment needed to cook with and how to best store your homemade broth. I found a lot of good informatio...

Wilson Steele is a college professor who seems to be a bit of a curmudgeon when The Dog That Whispered begins. His mother,  Gretna, who lives in a nearby retirement complex also seems to be a bit grumpy in personality. Then Gretna adopts Thurman. Thurman is a rescued black lab mix that Gretna sees on a TV ad and decides to adopt him. Only after she adopts Thurman, she finds out she is not allowed to have pets at the complex, so she talks Wilson into taking Thurman. I don't want to give any of the plot away. However, I would say that I found The Dog That Whispered to be a pleasant read. I appropriately read this book over Memorial Day weekend and I gained insight into what war veterans may face in their minds when they return to the United States. I also appreciated how the author helped bring faith into the character's lives and helped them see the healing grace of God. Sometimes people who may appear grumpy face challenges that we know nothing about. As this book cont...

In Vegangelical, Sarah Withrow King encourages Christian readers to consider what the Bible has to say about the stewardship of animals as related to our world today. She encourages us to look at creation through the lens of God. In the first section of Vegangelical, King lays a theological foundation for her premise that God wants us to care for animals and the world around us. I especially liked this section of the book.  The second section of the book offers information on the way animals in our world today are cared for in various situations: our pets at home, wild animals, research animals and animals used for food and clothing. King says she has a passion for Jesus and animals which is why she is a vegan. That is quite clear throughout the writing of this book. Much of what King shares in this book is quite blunt and the stories are disturbing to say the least with the way she has presented them. I was already familiar with much of what she shared on factory farming ...