Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Are you looking for a new book to use as a family of mixed ages to celebrate Advent? Discovering Christmas by Amanda Jass is a 25-day Advent Devotional with a mix of readings and activities to do with children as a family. Discovering Christmas is 7.25 inches square and is 98 pages long. This book is illustrated with beautiful full-color illustrations that have a lot of fun detail. I think it would be a fun book to use as a family for Advent. There are readings that go through the Biblical Christmas story, as you would expect. Then there are activities to go along with the readings such as making cocoa, going caroling, and other traditionally Christmas activities. Nothing is overly original BUT there are some good conversation starters as well as the fact that each day's activities are set and ready for you to use. I also think these simple traditional activities are ones that kids actually do enjoy so they work. Most families likely have what they need already to do the activi

  To Mimi's House We Go by Susan Meissner is a fun Christmas book aimed at children ages four to eight. To start with, the cover of this 8-by-10-inch book is colorful and has texture, which I love. It is also 32 pages long.  I love Susan Meissner's adult books so thought To Mimi's House We Go would be a fun one for children. I do think it is. I love how it depicts lots of ways to go to a Grandmother's house and I love all the different names for Grandma. This fun book also rhymes and is fun to read aloud. I think it is neat the children can see that while kids may call their family members by different names and travel differently, ultimately they all have fun family traditions and names to relate to. I love how this book showcases differences so we can all learn from each other in a fun way.  While To Mimi's House We Go is published by a traditionally Christian publisher, this book could be read by anyone of any faith. I actually think that is great with this ty

  The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips blends faith, trauma/mental health information and gardening illustrations into a book that I think many people can relate to. The Garden Within starts out with a forward by Sarah Jakes Roberts. I am not familiar with her but she wrote a nice introduction to the book that shows she knows the author well and that she has related much of this information to her own personal life. The Garden Within is also divided into three parts: Part one is Soil Power. This section starts with relating your faith and emotions including the need to be nurtured to seedlings. The second part is Deeply Rooted. If you have grown anything at all, you know how important roots are to a plant. The third section is The Embodied Garden. This section relates the heart and body to the garden. Also, how our emotional health affects our physical health--with more answers from the garden. This book was interesting for the most part. It was also easy to read and understand.

  Chasing Sacred: Learn How to Study Scripture to Pursue God and Find Hope in Him •  Publisher:  Tyndale Momentum (September 10, 2024) •  Paperback : 272 pages In a culture full of chaos, stress, and confusion, we can find firm grounding in the Bible . . .when we truly take the time to understand and experience what it says. In  Chasing Sacred , Bible teacher Mikella Van Dyke breaks down the misconceptions and reservations so many of us have about what it means to study the Bible. Using her story alongside the  Inductive Bible Study Method  to teach a systematic, empowering approach, she will help you: Learn a practical, step-by-step method to understanding God’s Word Gain a fresh perspective on what it means to study the Bible for a new generation Engage in a healthy habit of Bible study that encourages confidence and eliminates shame Feel equipped to lead a small group or ministry in your community As you chase the sacred narrative woven through the pages of Scripture, let Mi

    Meddling With Mistletoe by Liz Johnson is a cheery Christmas read that left me looking forward to the coming Christmas season. Whitney Garrett is hoping to go to culinary school by baking and selling pies at the local farmer's markets. Then, in the height of the season, her oven went on the fritz. Thankfully she was able to negotiate some time to use the oven at the Red Door Inn in exchange for watching the proprietor's children and making breakfasts for some off-season guests.  One of the off-season guests is Daniel and the other is Ruby. Both are in town to help Aretha sell her antique shop. Aretha is also something of a matchmaker as she is hoping to help her nephew Daniel find a new romance with Ruby. With that in mind, Aretha talks Whitney into helping Ruby and Daniel get together. Only things don't quite go as planned. Meddling with Mistletoe is aptly named as there is some matchmaking that goes awry in this book. I have read all of Liz Johnson's books--excep