Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Grey loves food! Today, Grandma is teaching him how to make Vietnamese dumplings. In What's In a Dumpling, Grandma? by Linda Meeker, families can learn how to make dumplings along with Grey. How cool is that for those of us who are foodies? In What's In a Dumpling, Grandma?, children can learn to try and appreciate foods from either their own culture or a different culture. There are many ways this book could be used that could make it fun and educational. I must admit, I am not on TikTok so I was not familiar with Grey and Mama. Those are are fans would definitely want a copy of the book. However, if like me, you hadn't heard of them, this is a fun book for families who enjoy trying new foods. It also could be a fun book for grandparents as it shows the love and care between the generations. It a fairly large book, measuring a little over 9 inches square. The illustrations by Sandra Eidi are bright, colorful and well done. It is just a lovely book for children and famili...

  It seems like most children go through a phase where they ask lots and lots of questions. Sometimes it is fun and sometimes it can be exasperating, if we are honest. I love how Papa Penguin has lots of patience in answering his little boy penguin in Papa Love You, Tiny Blue by Jo Empson. Papa Loves You, Tiny Blue is full of beautiful water color illustrations of life in and by the ocean for penguins. The book is a large size for little hands to hold at approximately 11 inches by 12 inches in size. It is a great book to read together before bed. I like that this book features the dad telling his thoughts and parenting the young one. This book also gives a glimpse into the life of penguins and other animals by the ocean and in the ocean. It is both lovely for animal lovers and for those who cherish love between family members. I highly recommend Papa Loves You, Tiny Blue. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

  Mom Vs. Dad by Lucy and Tom Riles is a fun book about the little things that couples often end up fighting about. I think many couple would agree that some times those little things can feel like big things in the heat of the moment. Mom vs. Dad talks about the issues like: Sharing restaurant food with your partner, Are expiration dates really important?, How much should you pay the babysitter, and that ever present big issue, Should the toilet paper go over or under? Forty-one issues are debated throughout the book. Each chapter takes one of these issues and both parties share their sides. Then at the end of the chapter, you vote on who won, mom or dad? Mom Vs. Dad takes a light-hearted look at a variety of small married-people issues. I'm not really competitive or into the reality shows, but if you are, I think you would enjoy this book even more. I also think this book might offer a good way to talk with your spouse about some of these issues. It may help you both realize th...

God shows his love to us in so many ways. Moms and Dad also show love to their children in so many ways. Mama Kisses and Papa Hugs by Lisa Tawn Bergren gives children a taste of both how parents love and how God loves us. We have been reading Lisa Tawn Bergren's God Gave Us series for children and have enjoyed it. Mama Kisses and Papa Hugs has gentle humor and a fun storyline. It doesn't take some kids long to decide they are too big for hugs and kisses but this book reminds them that both God and parents never stop loving them no matter how old they get. I liked both the prose and the message that Bergren sends in this brightly illustrated book. Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs draws both parents and kids in to a story that I believe all ages can enjoy with its message even though it is aimed at those ages 3 to 7. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

I imagine the father of the prodigal son in the Bible (Luke  15:11-32) every day was praying and longing with all his heart for that prodigal to change his ways and come home. I can imagine because I love a prodigal of my own. When You Love a Prodigal: 90 Days of Grace for the Wilderness by Judy Douglass was a book written in process over time. She shares her heart and how God worked in their lives in this book. When You Love a Prodigal has 90 individual reflections written by a woman who traveled through life with a prodigal. In the beginning, she defines "prodigal" so we are all on the same page. She has divided the book in to sections: love, grace, time, rest, trust, prayer, promise, hope, spirit, and gift. Each reading in each section relates to that topic. In the end of the book, her son writes a brief note and she writes a brief note in closing. Douglass shares her heart in When You Love a Prodigal as a mom praying for a son who lived a life for his own pleasu...

People used to tell my mom and I that we looked alike. As we have gotten older, we don't hear that a much. But while we may look alike, we don't always think alike or act alike. That can create some problems. Maybe you have similar struggles with your mom or daughter. Mended by Blythe Daniel and Helen McIntosh was written to help mothers and daughters have a relationship of restoration and healing. Mended is co-written by a mother daughter team. Blythe is the daughter and Helen is the mother. Throughout the book, there are perspectives written by each woman. At the front of the book there is a forward by ministry leader and author Stasi Eldridge.  In each chapter, there is a mix of advice and personal stories from both Helen and Blythe. Helen has a degree in counseling psychology. At the end of each chapter there is an area called Mending Thread with questions to ask and prompts to help you think about how to make your mother-daughter relationship better. There is anothe...

It is no easy task to raise a child and prepare them for adulthood. While some rules need to be in place, our teenagers need a different sort of parenting than when the children were younger, according to Connie Albers of Parenting Beyond the Rules . In Parenting Beyond the Rules , Albers talks about how we need to create relationships with our teenagers. She starts with the foundation of relationships and how to help your teen see that they are part of the family team. She shares how to love them in the midst of the changes and challenges and hot to equip them to use their gifts and skills that are unique to them. She also offers advice on listening and talking with teens and tackling challenging topics. I found a lot of solid advice and helpful information in Parenting Beyond the Rules . Albers gave me some good information to think about and to talk about with my husband as we seek to better parent our teenage son. I especially like that she shares her stories of things that w...

Sacred Holidays was a book that was different than I was expecting. . .in such a good way! This book by Becky Kiser is one I wish I had had when we were first married and starting out celebrating holidays. However, it is never too late to make changes and we will likely make some as a result of this book. Sacred Holidays is divided into three parts. Part 1:Less Chaos, More Jesus (read now) offers guidance on how to use the book and how to implement changes in your family's celebrations. Part 2: Holidays (Read 30 to 60 days before holiday) offers ideas and things to think about as you reflect on each particular holiday and how you want to celebrate it in your family. Part 3: Common struggles (read as needed) talks about aspects related to making changes to your holiday celebrations that you may want to consider and think about, such as your budgeting, scheduling, and realistic expectations. Kiser starts out Sacred Holidays by letting readers know it is different than other ...

When Natalie and her husband got married, like many of us, they had a plan. However, after a few years, God showed them a new plan that was completely different than theirs. Natalie Gwyn shares how her and her husband doubled the size of their family through God's plan of adoption in Okayest Mom . Natalie Gwyn shares her family's story in Okayest Mom starting with when they received God's idea of adding to their family through adoption between her and her husband, and then sharing the idea with her two biological children, and finally sharing how they did indeed adopt four children from Ethiopia and how the early years of that adoption went for them. While this adventure is mostly shared through her eyes, at times she also shares details about this adventure from everyone's point of view throughout the book. She shares the details, the ups and the downs throughout the process. If a reader is looking to adopt, this would be a great book for them to read. Okayest M...

I don't know about you, but there are days I wish someone would give me a letter of encouragement as I do this mothering thing. A Letter for Every Mother by Kara Lawler and Regan Long is a book full of encouraging letters for moms written by moms who understand the challenges of mothering. A Letter for Every Mother contains letters for moms of all ages and all types. Some of the letters include: To the Mom on the Sidelines at the Water Park, To the Mom of the Autistic Child (they nailed this one and had me in tears!), To Every First-Time Parent, Dear Tired Mother, To the Good Mom, the Bad Mom, the Supermom, and I'm Just a Mom.  One of the letters I especially wish I had had when I was a younger mom, For all of my fellow busy mothers. . .to be given the freedom to let go of all of the busy-ness that I felt I had to do to please every one. For the purposes of this review, I read A Letter for every Mother all the way through. These letters are so encouraging and uplifting...

What better way time to discuss families then on the way to a family reunion? In God Gave Us Family , Little Pup's wolf family is having a family reunion in the woods. As they travel to the reunion, Little Pup asks his Mama and Papa all sorts of questions about families. They give him some warm and reassuring answers as they remind Little Pup that God gives us each a family. Little pup learns that families come in all different sizes and types, but we need to love the family He gave us. God Gave Us Family is written for children ages 3 to 8. This book is positive and affirming, besides being fun to read as a family. Along with the story, I especially love the adorable illustrations of the wolf family and their camping reunion in the woods. I would think many families would be able to relate to this family camping adventure with illustrations of family members roasting marshmallows, sleeping in tents, playing games, hiking and catching lightning bugs to put in a jar. Even thou...