Reading, Writing & Pondering

I have Irish ancestry and was SO excited to receive a copy of May The Road Rise To Meet You by Jennifer Deibel. As the sub-title states, this book is "A 31-Day Devotional Inspired by Irish Blessings. Today, this book is available for purchase. A purchase link is included at the bottom of the devotional. This author spent several years living in Ireland and is the author of fiction books set in Ireland too. Each devotional in May the Road Rise to Meet You features an Irish blessing, Scripture references, a short devotional written by the author that relates to the verses and the blessing. Then the reading for the day concludes with an application section with a question or something to think about. I like to journal, so I think this is a great aspect of this book. There is space to write in the book. However, for me, this book is too pretty to write in so I just use my journal alongside this book. Writing helps me process what I am learning so I like the space to do that. If you ...

    Both the Prayer Journal: 30 Days on Humility and 30 Days on the Gospel were written by Erika Allen. Allen writes in such a way that these daily readings would inspire women of all ages. They could also be read by women of various denominations. They encourage you to read the Bible prayerfully--which I really like. I also like how these slim volumes are so beautifully decorated both inside and out by Ruth Chou Simmons. They are simply gorgeous besides the solid Biblical content inside. They have thick cream-colored pages inside with plenty of space each day for journaling. I haven't tried markers but pens and pencils don't bleed through and work well for both prayer and even doing some prayerful art journaling in these books.  These slim volumes are a good size to slide into your Bible case alongside your Bible or into your purse for study away from home. If you know someone who might like them, they would work well in a gift basket to cheer someone who is ill or needi...

  Are you looking for a devotional to carry with you or one to journal in that features the book of Psalms? The NKJV Spurgeon and the Psalms book includes the whole book of Psalms along with devotions from Charles Spurgeon that include a brief passage from his book, The Treasury of David.  This devotional is such a beautiful slim book in Leathersoft imitation leather with gold edges and a ribbon marker. This book measures roughly 6 by 9 inches and is a great size to stick in your book bag or laptop bag or other type of travel bag to carry along to read on the go. The pages are fairly thin but a pen that does not bleed through or a pencil would work well to make notes in the generous margins in this book. I especially like how the print is easy to read 9.5-point Comfort Print. There is also a nice presentation page in the front of the book, followed by a preface with Spurgeon's words and an introduction to who he is. If you are not familiar with the author, Charles Spurgeon, yo...

  For some young people, if they spend time thinking about it, there is a lot to be anxious about in the world right now--school work, relationship issues, world problems, and more. 100 Devotions for Kids Dealing with Anxiety by Justine Froelker could be a book that would help some tweens and teens as it is aimed at those ages eight to thirteen, but depending on the person could be helpful to those slightly young or older than that. In 100 Devotions for Kids Dealing with Anxiety , each reading starts with a Bible verse, followed by a short devotional to read, and ending with prompts to write related to each reading. There is a lined space following each prompt, but for those who write a lot, they might want to use their own blank book/notebook.  100 Devotions for Kids Dealing with Anxiety includes readings on giving worries to God before bed, Waiting and Patience, Feeling afraid, and feeling like we are enough, among other issues related to anxiety. Each reading is fairly sh...

    Our modern life is hard. We all are juggling a lot of responsibilities--home, jobs, volunteer work, pets, social media, and more. It is hard some days not to feel anxious or concerned about things going on in our lives or even in the world, for that matter. Trusting God in All the Things by Karen Ehmen and Ruth Schwenk is an interactive devotional that offers encouragement to fill your life with the peace and strength that comes from God. Each day's reading starts with a Bible verse in Trusting God in All the Things . Then there is a devotional reading that is written for today's women with real life examples that we can all relate to. Topics include: Not Enough Time, Surrendering Expectations, How to Want what you have, No Regrets, Its okay to rest, and many more that are relevant and encouraging. After the readings, there are a few questions to reflect on. Then, one of my favorite parts of these readings is the prayer. It isn't a blanket prayer written for everyone. ...

  Do you have chronic pain or a chronic illness? Or maybe someone close to you shares those struggles. Hope Amid the Pain by Leslie L. McKee is a 60-day devotional journal that is both practical and inspirational. Hope Amid the Pain has a reading for each of the 60 days that begins with a Bible verse, then has a short, but meaty reading, followed by a brief prayer and then a prompt with space to write following the reading. There is quite a bit of writing space but you could certainly journal in your own empty notebook if you are wanting quite a bit of space.  At the end of the book there are appendixes that offer a lot of good information. Appendix A includes advice for the newly diagnosed that is quite practical and full of wisdom from someone who has been in this place. Appendix B includes tips, helps and hacks for living a better life with the chronic illness. Appendix C includes a lot of good information on gratitude journaling. I thought it was especially helpful that sh...

  Do you like to read your Bible and journal about what you read? The Know Your Bible Journal for Women is a beautiful, yet practical, journal to help you reflect on your Bible reading time. The Know Your Bible Journal for Women goes through each book of the Bible from start to finish. It has been a couple of years since I read straight through the Bible but this journal would be especially nice for that purpose. It is based on the three-million-copy bestseller, Know Your Bible. This journal helps you define the who, what when, where, and why of each biblical book. It also has space to record your thoughts and feelings as you go through each Bible book.  I like that the Know Your Bible Journal for Women helps you flush out the basics you need to know and remember from each book of the Bible. The guided questions are basically the same through each book, which I liked. I think it helps you to focus on the basics to know and remember. There is plenty of space to write. It is ...

  The Beauty of an Uncluttered Soul by Carla Gasser is a truly beautiful devotional journal.  The Beauty of an Uncluttered Soul starts out with an introduction by the author and a description of the artistic process by the illustrator, Vivian Kammel. Then there is a short chapter explaining how to use this devotional with the SOUL study method--Search, Observe, Use, and Lean. Then the book is divided in to three sections with three chapters each: Checking your attitudes: How do you respond to God?, Connecting your actions: How do you relate to others?, and Choosing your habits: How do you renew your soul? There is also a conclusion chapter and one of helpful terms at the end of the book. I found The Beauty of an Uncluttered Soul to be a simply gorgeous book with full-color watercolor illustrations. Then each chapter invites the reader to learn and grow through both the reading and the journaling sections.  As an artistic person, this book just left me feeling spoiled w...

  This Beautiful Word Bible Journal (Mark) from Zondervan is a nice quality, pretty Bible book journal.  The Beautiful Word Bible Journal: Mark is a nice size to carry anywhere. It also has larger 9.5 point type. It has wide margins with plenty of space to type. Colorful, illustrated art verses line some of the margin edges and still have space to write next to them. In this book, these are already a vibrant color and not and outlined type to be colored in. To be clear, the decorated verses are already illustrating this journal. However, you could still use the wide margin space to create your own Bible art journaling pictures if you so choose or you could use them to take notes and write reflections on what you have been reading. I think it could be used in a variety of ways. Right now, several books of the Bible are available as NIV Beautiful Word Bible Journals: Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, James, John, Romans, Acts, Ephesians, and Psalms. They are fairly inexpensive so it wo...

  40 Days of Intentional Living is a gorgeous new devotional journal released from Ink and Willow. As the name suggests, this journal  is designed to be used for 40 days. The pages are thick to write on and the cover is a heavy paperback style. It is flexible and would fit in your book bag just great with your Bible if you like to work at the coffee shop or on the go. There is an inscription page inside the front cover. The book is divided in to 8 sections, following the introduction: Hope, Faith, Suffering, Joy, Surrender, Rest, Generosity, and Love. Each section includes 5 reading/journaling devotionals. Each day there is a Bible reading, a devotional reading and room to journal an answer to the question or thoughts for each day. In the back of 40 Days of Intentional Living , there is also a small section called intentional living and habit tracking which includes tools for you to use to track your devotional habits for each day. I like this beautiful devotional journal. 4...

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...

Working Moms, stay-at-home moms, praying moms, Aunties, sisters neighbor women, church grandmas, all kinds of women play roles that A Mother's Love is written for. It is book "celebrating every kind of mom." A Mother's Love is divided in to five parts: Love That Breaks the Mold, Love While Holding Them Close, Love and Laundry, Love While Letting Them Fly and Love around the Table. Along with celebrating all types of moms, this is a book for women of all ages and types. Each section includes several chapters written by different types of women. Throughout the book, there is also a journaling page for reflection on your own life and thoughts. A Mother's Love is truly a beautiful gift book with a ribbon page marker and pretty illustrations. It is about the size as most of my other writing journals and would be easy to carry along with a Bible or alone for your quiet time reading. The writing is superb and is a mix of personal stories, reflection thoughts...

When God Says Go: A Devotional Thought Journal by Elizabeth Laing Thompson is a well-bound hardcover journal with a ribbon marker. Each short thought-provoking reading has both a Bible verse and a reading with a lot of room to write. As I write this, we are in a pandemic and no one is going anywhere so that feels a little ironic. However, I think this could be a helpful journal as you think about what God is calling you to do--even if it is to continue to stay home and that is different from your old "normal." This book has a lot of good questions to think about and several of those deal with fear. There was one I especially liked about brainstorming to use your gifts to honor God to those around you. That could certainly be done anytime and anywhere. When God Says Go would be a good journal to use whenever you have your quiet time with God. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Honestly, it has been awhile since I took time to celebrate Lent and focusing on the way to the cross through the Easter season. I picked up this journaling devotional, Journey to the Cross , to use this year. It is written by Mary Carver and the (in)courage team--some of my favorite writers who live the Christian life and honestly reflect their thoughts to other Believers. I have read through the first week's devotionals. There are readings from women who know what it is like to live the Christian life in today's world where we are overwhelmed with distractions and a lot to do. I like that each day is a little different. Some have more to read and some have more questions. Each one will turn my thoughts to God, to gratitude, and/or to living for Jesus. There is plenty of space to write in the journaling areas and I like that. The front of the book also has a Lent calendar to check off that you have done each day's reading and a place to write down the biggest lessons...

Strong Brave Loved by Holley Gerth is another hit as far as I am concerned--such a beautiful book full of Gerth's beautiful encouragement and advice. Strong Brave Loved has 60 chapters of interactive devotional reading. Each chapter starts with a Bible verse and then Gerth writes an uplifting short devotions written to empower you to be the kind of woman God created you to be. After each reading there is a short writing prompt with space to journal. All of the pages are also beautifully designed with 3 colors and some simple illustrations.  There is also a ribbon marker to keep your place. The whole book is so pretty, as well as uplifting. I admit I have nearly every book that Holley Gerth has released. I find that she just seems to "get me" and I relate to her writing so well. Strong Brave Loved is no exception.  I feel like she is sitting across from me as a friend sharing and listening as I write in the journal. Besides the uplifting readings, I liked the desi...

  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8) The Near Journal is designed to help you take time to draw near to God and focus on Him in your quiet time each day for 90 days.  The Near Journal doesn't give you what to study for ninety days. Instead, this journal provides the structure you need to study what you want to study in the Bible. This journal is designed to help you make a commitment to keep regular times with God and your Bible. Each day's journaling area provides a place to write a summary of what you have read or thoughts about the verses you read, a place to write some goals or things to do based on what you read, a space for gratitude and a space for prayer, then a place to write a verse to memorize.   I like that The Near Journal is easy to use. It is straight-forward in it's approach. I like the simple instructions that go with it. The price is reasonable and the whole package is nicely done.    I received an el...

Who of us wouldn't like to press the pause button on our days and take a few minutes to refresh ourselves. Settle My Soul by Ruth Ehman and Ruth Schwenk is a book that could do just that. Settle My Soul is a gorgeous book both inside and out. The cover is pretty, it has a lovely presentation page, a ribbon marker and the daily devotions are are in a pretty pink and green type to match the cover with floral illustrations. Fifty of the 100 readings are written by Karen Ehman and the other fifty are written by Ruth Schwenk. Each devotional has a Bible verse, a devotional reading, a prayer and a question or writing prompt to spark your thoughts in the journaling space. Settle My Soul would make a great gift for yourself or another woman. Besides being gorgeous, the book is made of high quality paper, which means you could journal with a variety of pens. I also found the readings to be easy to relate to. These ladies seem to share from their hearts and to turn their hearts t...