Reading, Writing & Pondering

      Can God handle our hardest questions, biggest struggles, and secret doubts? We instinctively assume he cannot. We figure giving voice to those things will bring shame, rejection, and distance from him. But what if our hard questions don’t need to function as an off-ramp from Christianity but can lead us closer to his heart? What if he is not afraid of our doubts but instead reveals himself in them? In  Can I Say That? , Brenna Blain brings her fresh voice to those who feel unsafe or unwelcome in the church, acknowledging the incongruity between the church’s actions and believers’ lived experiences. As a Bible teacher and an advocate for those who have experienced abuse, molestation, and mental health crises, she creates space for readers to be radically honest and ask tough questions— Am I safe here? Why does your presence feel so lonely, God?— while pointing them to biblical, foundational truth. Leading the way with her own raw vulnerability and authenticity, Brenna

Joni Eareckson Tada's story is one of the first that I heard as a young Believer. I like this new biography about her for children from the Do Great Things for God series. Kristyn Getty writes about Joni in a way that is easy to read and understand. The illustrations work well with the story to help young reader's visualize the story better. Subtitled, The Girl Who Learned to Follow God in a Wheelchair, this book roughly measures 9 1/2 by 7 1/2 inches, a good size for the age group it is aimed at--ages four to seven to learn from. This book is especially helpful for children to see that some people have challenges and are differently abled. As this book shows, God still loves them and works in their lives.  I like that there is a timeline at the back of the book showing the important events in Joni's life. There is also a prayer to pray for those who are not Believers. There are questions to think about. Then the last two pages of the book show some work sheets that can be

    Beat the cycle of habitual sin as Kirby Kelly guides you through how God’s strength can win back your freedom and bring you everyday peace. Find rescue and relief through a practical battle plan to defeat that sin that feels stuck on repeat and win back your life. Tired of the same cycle over and over again? Of the endless spirals of self-destructive sin? In  You Can Be Free , discover a real-life battle plan to break the spiritual bondage of habitual sin. You’re not alone. So many Christians are desperate to find a way to overcome recurring sin in their lives, a dominating factor when it comes to coping mechanisms in today’s society. Kirby Kelly has been there, and she’s created a battle plan to help others break free from unhealthy thoughts, behaviors, and cycles to find God’s actual peace in their lives. Leading from the front, Kelly offers her own story first and shares biblical strategies to: Connect and confess Stay in bounds Know your enemy Know your God Know yours

      Book Spotlight:  Lead Like the Real You:  Wisdom for Women on Finding Your Voice, Pursuing God’s Calling, and Leading with Courage •  Publisher:  Brazos Press (August 13, 2024) •  Paperback:  192 pages Amy Orr-Ewing has learned a lot of lessons the hard way. As an internationally known speaker, theologian, and apologist, she has navigated through many challenges: battling abuse, finding and using her voice, building a lasting ministry, leading with confidence, thriving in friendship, relying on God in hard times, and more. Now, she’s sharing the wisdom she has gained over 25 years with other women so they, too, can grow in Christian leadership. In  Lead Like the Real You , Orr-Ewing pens a deeply personal and engaging collection of letters that explore the unique challenges women face. Rooted in honesty, practicality, and biblical guidance, these letters speak to women who lead in the workplace, classroom, church, and home, as well as those who support them. This book empo

  I have been looking forward to Robin Jones Gunn new book, Tea with Elephants so I was excited to have an advanced copy. I got it in the mail and started reading right away! I read and treasured every bit of this book. Fern and Lily have been friends ever since they met in Costa Rica while doing volunteer work. Together, as young girls, they dreamed of traveling the world and the good that they could do. Then life happened. Lily got married young and had two children. Fern took an internship that led to a job in publishing and has been working ever since. Then several years later, Fern's father and mother-in-law gave Fern and Lily tickets to Africa to go on safari. This is the story of their trip--as well as the challenges in their lives that they left behind. I read Tea with Elephants quickly as I could not put it down. I enjoyed The Sister Chicks series. This series is along those lines as the start of the Suitcase Sisters novels begins. I enjoyed the camaraderie of Lily and Fe

  Kelsey Worthington was just going to Starbucks for coffee for her office-mates. How did she end up in the hospital--and with a terrible headache, no less?  Kelsey also soon discovers she has a roommate--who is none other than Georgina Tate, a legendary matriarch and New York businesswoman. Kelsey is a young businesswoman who is trying to make something of herself at work as an editor. Georgina is a confident businesswoman who owns a cosmetics company. She also has failing kidneys and some regrets lingering in her life. Kelsey asks Georgina some pointed questions. Georgina finally answers and makes Kelsey sign a NDA. The two don't exactly hit it off but they do a bit of collaborating with some help from Kelsey and JP, Georgina's right hand man. Together, they make the Summer of Yes. . .where they agree to say yes to anything they normally said no to--within their moral boundaries, of course. This agreement leads to some interesting adventures. I enjoyed reading about both Kels

  Josephina has had a rough time lately. Her family members aren't speaking to each other. They also moved out of town, leaving her to run her business alone. Then the business her father owned was sold to a crook who took advantage of people in town. Some people even blamed Josephina even though she had nothing to do with it. What will she do now? Josephina's friend comes up with a solution in an ad she sees about restoring a lighthouse in North Carolina. Josephina puts in for the job as a way to get away from some of her troubles temporarily and hope that all the hoopla dies down. While restoring the lighthouse, Josephina meets some fun new folks. Walt owns the lighthouse and wants to make amends for some of his own wrongs in the past. Finn is Walt's grandson and he is helping to oversee the project. He thought Josephina, aka Joey, was a man to start with so they didn't exactly get off on the right foot. Joey shows Walt and Finn that she can take on the job and do wha

  As a young girl, I watched re-runs of old movies at my grandparents' house. Among my favorites were movies with Audrey Hepburn starring in them. The Story of Audrey Hepburn by Natasha Wing tells Audrey Hepburn's story in an interesting way for young people to read. Audrey Hepburn is considered one of the greatest female film legends of all time. If you haven't seen one of her movies, I encourage you to watch one! As the Story of Audrey Hepburn shares, she was also a great humanitarian, a fashion icon, a dancer and a wonderful person. She survived the Depression and a World War. I admire her for many reasons.  I like how The Story of Audrey Hepburn is written and designed. The timelines throughout the book make it easy to see when she lived and when she accomplished things. This book also presents the information in a straight-forward manner that makes it easy to read and to learn from. At the back of the book, there are also questions to quiz yourself, or to use with a gr