Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Women throughout history have been turning to prayer to change to world. When Women Pray by T. D. Jakes focuses on 10 women of the Bible who changed the world through prayer. From lesser known women like Rhoda and the shunammite woman to Mary and Esther, Jakes shares how each of these women used prayer to make a difference. He also relates each of these women and their situations to the world today. I found When Women Pray to be an interesting book. I learned some things about Bible women that I did not previously know and was also reminded of some that I did know. At the same time, Jakes wrote this book this year and shares his thoughts about writing during the Covid-19 pandemic, which I found especially interesting. Jakes is also a black preacher and he shares some things from his perspective as a black man that helped me as a white woman see things a little differently. I found the book to be easy to read and understand. I think it is a book that would speak to young Christi...

  Nine by Rachelle Dekker is one of the most suspenseful books that I have read in recent weeks.  Zoe Johnson is working as a waitress when a wide-eyed innocent-looking teenage girl wanders in to the restaurant. Against her better judgement, Zoe helps Lucy, the lost-looking girl, and her whole life changes in many ways. Lucy seems to have no memories and together they run from people trying to get to Lucy.  Nine was a fast-paced read full of intrigue and government secrets. The reader wonders just who Lucy is. I found the plot to be interesting and it definitely held my attention. At the same time, I was a little surprised by the violence in this book and some of it was disturbing for me to read. At the same time, it did seem to fit in with the plot and made sense as part of that plot. I wondered where we were going with the book throughout the first half. But in the second half, I could clearly see the redeeming qualities of the book. I liked the messages of love and r...

  The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox is a heart-touching debut novel. I will certainly be looking to read more books by this author. When The Edge of Belonging begins, Ivy Rose is engaged to a controlling, abusive man--and then her grandma passes away. She ends up returning to her hometown to oversee her grandma's estate sale--and to find out more information about her adoption. Twenty-four years earlier, we read about Harvey James who found a newborn baby that gave him a sense of purpose and human connection for the first time in many years. Despite the odds being stacked against him, Harvey tries to help this little girl--and ultimately she helps him. In this dual-timeline story, both Ivy and Harvey are struggling with love and loss and how to go on in life. I truly loved all of these characters except Seth. I struggled to read this part and get in to the book initially because I was at one time in an abusive relationship so it was a trigger for me. However, I am so glad I con...

After a successful pregnancy with our son, my husband and I had a miscarriage. As you know if you have been through it, it was a hard time for us and a difficult thing to go through. I wondered where God was in all of that. I wish I had had a book like Held by Abbey Wedgeworth when I went through that time in my life.  When I went through a miscarriage, I received some comments from well-meaning people that were just sort of fluffy and meaningless platitudes. Wedgeworth shares in the introduction that this book is based on contents that you can cling to, "something steady and unchanging:the character and word of God." She also recommends that readers go through this book at their own pace and read the readings as you are ready. Wedgeworth has included pieces of her story and the stories of other women who have faced similar situations along with the reflections on Scripture. Each chapter includes the personalized reading, Bible verses to read that relate, questions to ask you...

  Deeper Still: Finding clear minds and full hearts through biblical meditation by Linda Allcock is a short, practical book with wisdom on how to spent time with God each day.  Deeper Still is divided in to three sections: Still Your Mind, Fill Your Heart and Feed Day and Night. The book is easy to read and think through the concepts that Allcock presents. However, she is English so I had to think about a few of the phrases she used and what they meant to me as an American. This wasn't really the book that I was expecting to read but I think it was a good reminder of how to spend time with God in His Word and just why that is so important. It would be an especially good book for a new Christian who was just learning to put habits in to place. As I said, though, Deeper Still was a good refresher for me. She draws from Scripture--especially the 119th Psalm. She also uses some practical examples that are easy to relate to and were helpful to me in putting her ideas together.She...

  Are you looking for a good Bible study on the book of Ruth? The Way Home by Tessa Afshar is an in-depth study that would be great for either a group study or to do on your own.  The Way Home is a six-week study about both Ruth and relating the Bible to a life with sub-title of "God's invitation to  new beginnings." The book starts with an introduction from the author. Then the six week study sections. Each week includes five days worth of study with Bible readings, questions and prayer. I was also pleased and surprised to find a recipe section with recipes that Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz  may have eaten at this time in history. They looked to be easy to follow and fun to try--especially if you are in a Bible study group. I think it would also be fun with my family but I am a "foodie." There is also some extra sections in the back for those who are using the DVD with the study, which I did not do.  All in all I really liked this in-depth study. I found it to be help...

  Jaime Jo Wright's newest book, The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus , might be my favorite book by her so far. This time slip tale tells the story of two special women--one in 1928 and the other in today's world.  In 1928, Pippa struggles with having been left on the doorstep of the owner of the Bonaventure Circus as a baby with a deformed leg. She is determined to find a man called the Watchman and his connection to her birth. However, in trying to find him, she may also be putting her life at risk. Decades later, Chandler Faulk seeks to bring an old circus train depot to life and preserve its history. She also faces single motherhood and a newly diagnosed autoimmune disease. As she learns more about the depot, she is also drawn in to the past through the local residents that she meets. She finds out that some of them have connections to this past--some of them, in a dark way. I enjoyed both Pippa and Chandler's stories. I liked how God was working in both of their lives ...

  I honestly don't know a lot about former President Jimmy Carter but I have heard that he has taught Sunday School for many years. The NRSV Simple Faith Bible with Reflections from Jimmy Carter is a helpful Bible if you are doing Bible study or wanting to reflect on the Bible sections that you are reading.  The foreward to this Bible is written by Jonathan Reckford, International CEO of Habitat for Humanity. In this forward, Reckford shares how President and Rosalynn Carter make a difference by putting their skills and beliefs into action helping with a house every year. The President often presents a Bible to the new home owners at the dedication service to remind us "that we are builders, not only of houses, but of hope, dignity and community." Former President Jimmy Carter has been teaching Sunday school for over 65 year, many of them at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, GA. A lot of the content of those lessons is used in this Bible. There are study notes throughou...

  Stand All the Way Up by Sophie Hudson is a collection of essays, or stories if you will, that reveal what God was saying to Sophie as she was going through a hard stretch in her life. I think this is a book that many of us could relate to this year as many of us have gone through a hard stretch of some sort or another. In Stand All the Way Up , Hudson shares stories from being a mid-life woman. She shares about how difficult it was to walk with her siblings and her family through her mother's passing from this life into the next. She shares struggles she had with her weight and body changes as a mid-life woman. She shares her struggles with anger at things going on around her in society today. While those topics were a little heavier, she shares them with her trademark humor and wit. She also shares some lighter topics in some chapters such as what she thinks should be a mid-life woman's capsule wardrobe. Throughout the book, she also relates many of her stories to stories i...

Encouraging children to dream about what they will one day do in life, is part of nurturing them to become who God made them to be. Wherever you go, I want you to Know by Melissa Kruger is a fun children's book that helps kids see the biggest thing God wants for us. Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know is also a fun book to read aloud with the whole family. The rhyming and rhythm of this book is wonderful--words just roll off of your tongue in perfect cadence. It also covers quite a variety of occupations that children might do one day from becoming a chef or a farmer to being a teacher or a doctor. I like how she reminds children that the most important thing that they can do is follow Jesus along with whatever else they choose to do in life. It is a fun book with a solid Christian message. At the same time, it comes across as naturally a part of life and isn't preachy at all. And the accompanying art on the pages is so vibrant and cute. It all works together to create a book ...

  In this day and age, fear seems to run rampant. People are afraid of the virus in the pandemic, worried about their finances, and struggling to get along with people on opposite political party lines. In Joyce Meyer's new book, Do It Afraid , she shares how faith in God can help readers deal with many of their fears.  At the start of the book, Meyer reminds readers that fear has been around a very long time and it affects everyone. However, she urges readers not to let fear "push them around." Instead she starts out the book in the first section by helping readers understand fear. She then goes on to help them confront fear and to have the courage they need to do that. The third part of the book offers advice on the mindsets to have to walk in freedom from fear. Like all of Joyce Meyer's books, Do It Afraid is clear and easy to understand and relate to. She writes in such a way so the reader is reminded of the Scriptures that relate to each topic while including st...