Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Christine Caine has two flourishing olive trees in her front yard. The Faith to Flourish is her book full of lessons she learned from her olive trees. I don't have olive trees but I have 2 plum trees in my front yard that I love to watch through the four seasons. Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publication date: February 10, 2026 Print length: 240 pages AN INSTANT  NEW YORK TIMES  BESTSELLER! Discover how God has created you and called you to flourish even in the most difficult times. Join bestselling author Christine Caine as she shows you how God created you with a powerful purpose and destiny. He wants you to flourish. Sometimes it feels like hardships and struggles are endless. Like a new storm is always brewing on the horizon. You face challenging circumstances, strained relationships, or shattered dreams. And the weight of it all can feel crushing. You simply long for rest. But how can you flourish when you feel like you can barely breathe from it all? In  T...

  As Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh starts out, Claire Karadec feels like a failure. Her marriage is washed up after publicly finding out her spouse had an affair with a younger woman. To try to make sense of her hurt and sadness, Claire goes to therapy. The therapist encourages her to make a list of her dreams in her journal in response to being asked, What do I really want? As a result, Claire decides if she wants a new start in life, she needs to act on her list to start a new story. At first, I wasn't sure about Brighter Than Before. It started off quite a bit different than this author's other books. But as I went along, it grew on me, and by the middle of it, I was cheering Claire on with the rest of her new friends. Then there is Miles who lives in Claire's apartment complex. I genuinely liked Miles from the start. . .I wanted him to let go of his fears too so was also cheering him on. I always love that Courtney Walsh gives me a HEA ending too...

  I listened to Growing Up Saved  audiobook read by the author, Kristen LaValley. Hearing her share her stories along with how she has been healing from church hurt and trauma over the years was so helpful to me. Since I was often drinking my tea as she read, it felt like she was right alongside me drinking her own beverage and sharing like a heart sister. Like Kristen, I have my own church hurt and trauma. Maybe many of us do? I like how the author shares her truths and her heart with honesty but yet she continues to also show us that God loves us dearly. One of the things I was told when I was a young girl is that when I die, I will have to stand before God and tell the whole world all the bad things I ever did. As a result, I tried so hard to be good and was such a people pleaser from a young age. Trust me, living with this mindset of fear, wasn't good. Kristen shares her own stories along that line. Along with her stories, she shared how instead of thinking the worst about...

  Not That Wheel, Jesus! by Mary Katherine Backstrom is a book that I could relate to in several ways as someone who was hurt by church people but still loved Jesus.  Not That Wheel, Jesus! is for people like me who have followed Jesus as an Evangelical and then deconstructed their faith. I did not walk away from Jesus but after watching three churches split and a whole lot of other stuff that wasn't pretty at those churches, I needed a break from church people. If you have had experiences like that too, then you may also enjoy this book. If you don't have any experience with that, than this book probably isn't for you. She does use a few minor cuss words sprinkled throughout the book too so if that bothers you, then this book isn't for you either. I pretty much read this book in a day. While I can't relate to all of the things that the author went through, I could relate to several of them. I also liked her writing style. She has a sense of humor that made me lau...

  I Do Today by Chelsea Smith is a 52-week marriage guide. This book is full of practical information that I think would most certainly be helpful for those who are newly married. But as someone who has been married for several years, I also see found information in the book for refreshing our own marriage with practical helps. This book has ideas on dating your spouse, fighting fair, dealing with digital devices, making time to play together, spicing up your sex life, the benifit of serving others and a while lot more. Each chapter of I Do Today starts with 2 or 3 pages of information on that chapter’s topic, followed by a Think About it section for yourself, then a Talk About It section to use  as a couple, and it ends with some action to do related to the chapter’s topic. I think this will be a great book to go through this year for my husband and I. I Do Today would also make a good wedding or shower gift for a newly married couple . There is talk of God an...

  How do you view Jesus? The Compassionate Christ by Sherri Hughes--Gragg released on November 4, 2025 from Thomas Nelson. This beautiful book is full of different viewpoints on Jesus.  Witness the abundant love of Jesus. Too often, Christians and non-Christians alike view Jesus as someone who is far off, aloof, judging their misdeeds, and unwilling to embrace them until they have sorted out their lives and figured out their faults. But that distorted perception could hardly be further from the truth. The beautiful reality is that Christ is kinder and gentler, more tender and more caring, more loving and more compassionate than we have ever hoped (or dared) to imagine. In  The Compassionate Christ  author Sherri Hughes-Gragg invites you to embark on a transformative journey to witness firsthand the abundant and welcoming love of Jesus. Through emotive storytelling, a form of fictional narrative that mixes biblical history with Scripture, Sherri transports ...

    My Thoughts As I read Why Not You?: I don't know about you, but some days it is difficult to believe that God truly loves ME and wants good things for ME. I like to encourage others and I truly do believe God wants good things for other people. But myself, I often doubt that.  In Why Not You? Ed Newton goes chapter by chapter to explore our common insecurities and encourages us to ask ourselves difficult questions. This book encourages us to see ourselves with a divine perspective.  Each chapter focuses on ways we can believe God is for us and how we can grow and change into who God intends for us to be. The author uses a mix of Bible stories and stories from his life today to help the reader learn and grow. I am in process of reading this book but there is a lot to learn through this book.   From the Publisher: God is going to use someone to walk in purpose, meaning, destiny and anointing. So why not you? You can operate in your God-given abilities ...

  Do you sometimes wonder who you are? Or what you were made to do in this world? What God Says About You by Hosanna Wong is an uplifting and encouraging book aimed at children ages four to eight.  What God Says About You is a large picture book with a dust jacket measuring about 8 by 10 inches in size. It is 32 pages long. Even though it is aimed at children ages four to eight. I would lean towards this book being more interesting to the older end of that spectrum but it depends on the child, of course.  What God Says About You is rhyming verse. It is kind of long and uses some larger vocabulary words, which is why I suggest it for children on the older end of that spectrum. I think the illustrations are gorgeous. They are fairly inclusive and I like that too. At the end of the book there is a 2-page spread summarizing all the good things God says about us and that spread is especially good. This book could make a nice gift for someone to encourage them or even as a good...

  Do you feel like you’re on the sidelines in God’s grand design? Like there’s a role waiting for you, but you just can’t quite grasp it? Many of us long to make a meaningful impact with our lives,  You Are Called  shares how. In  You Are Called , John Bevere relies on a careful exploration of Scripture and uses powerful stories to help you think differently about your calling and why it’s so important to God. You’ll unlock the secrets to living with purpose and passion! Inside you’ll discover. . . You are called by God as much as anyone is. God’s grace empowers you for a destiny in life that’s beyond your natural ability. Embrace your unique giftings and learn to operate in them for true effectiveness. Your calling is greater than your natural ability. The more impossible your challenges, the more God’s grace will be manifested. The world needs what you have: your God-given gifts. Carefully and biblically, this book defines and portrays  gifts, calling,...

I started reading books by Dan Allender about 27 years ago. I learned about him from a Christian counselor that had studied under him. Since then, I have read most of his books. I always learn something from his books. The Deep-Rooted Marriage by Dan Allender and Steve Call is a truly insightful book full of practical advice and many personal stories.  "Story"  is a theme running through many of the books I have read by Dan, including this one. We all have a story that starts with our birth. When we get married, we bring our individual stories together to start a new story together, so to speak, forged of two people. Through this author, I also see story themes in the Bible and this book also includes some Biblical references but it also makes clear that God is not out to shame us and also talks some about spiritual abuse. My family of origin was bathed in shame so I think this is a key reason I like his books. I always feel "safe" with the author's words when ...

  Practices for Embodied Living: Experiencing the Wisdom of Your Body by Hillary L. McBride, PhD is an illustrated hands-on book on learning to live better with your body and to understand how your body can guide your thinking.  I was drawn to this book as someone who has been listening to The Body Keeps Score (on audiobook) by Bessel Van der Koelk. I think they pair well together. However, McBride also has a more in-depth book that she published previously entitled, The Wisdom of Your Body. It is on my list to get and I understand that this book pairs well with her first book. Practices for Embodied Living , from my perspective, is along the lines of a workbook or guided journal. It isn't just a book to read. It is a book to use to reflect on your life and experiences so that you can grow and learn how to better understand your body. I read through this book but I have not yet taken time to do all of the exercises in it. I think that is something that you can't rush through...

  I always enjoy a book of essays so I was happy to get to read Life is Hard, God is Good, Let's Dance by Brant Hansen. This is my first book by this author, although he has published other books Each of the 26 essays in this book were enjoyable reads that had some basis in the Bible or related to the Bible. Most of them also had some lightness to them, which I appreciated. I've been wanting to read more lighthearted reads. I like the sub-title of this book, Experiencing Real Joy in a World Gone Mad. Hansen writes about working in radio, helping at CURE hospitals, how he got a dog (loved that one!), and how he pushed himself to socialize with neighbors to share the love of Jesus.  Life is Hard, God is Good, Let's Dance most of all encouraged me to put myself out in the world to show Jesus' love to others. I think true joy is sharing life with others even when we mess up. That was another thing I liked about this book, Hansen shares his faults and what he sees as his l...

  In the introduction of Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life by Joel Osteen, Osteen talks about how his parents taught their children to read the Bible every morning. That is a great legacy to have. However, I would add that if you aren't a morning person, read it every night or at noon. Whatever time of day works for you is fine--the important thing is to do it consistently. Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life includes 100 daily devotions. Each devotion starts with a Bible verse, then there are two or three paragraphs of a reading to reflect on the Bible passage, and concluding with a prayer for the day. This book is full of short readings that are all based on Psalms and Proverbs, as you would expect. The readings are all uplifting and offer hope in the midst of today's challenging world. The book is a nice size to carry along or leave on a night stand as it measures about 5 by 7 inches in size. I like this edition of Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life . I think this ...

  Sometimes, when there is so much negative stuff in the news, we need to know good things, like miracles, can still happen today too. Christmas Miracles by Karen Kingsbury is a book full of real life stories to encourage people through the Christmas season. Christmas Miracles: True Stories from the Most Wonderful Time of the Year has some wonderful heart-tugging stories in it. I enjoyed them all but I think the first story, Have I Told You Lately?, that Kingsbury wrote about her father and a Rod Stewart song was my very favorite. If you are familiar with Guideposts magazine, these stories are like a whole book of wonderful real-life stories that could have appeared in that magazine. Some of these stories will make you smile or laugh and others will cause you to tear up--some may even do both. They are all stories that bring up the emotions of the holidays.  Christmas Miracles would make a great gift for someone of about any age. I think most people would enjoy these stor...

  Are you a sports fan? I'll be honest, I'm not a huge sports fan although I occasionally watch some. However, I really enjoyed Lucky Girl by Scout Bassett. Some people, like Scout, like to watch sports all the time--when they aren't participating in them. When you look at the cover of Lucky Girl , you probably noticed that Scout Bassett's legs don't look alike. Scout's story begins in China where she survived a fire that took her right leg. She also spent many years in an orphanage before being adopted and coming to America. While that may sound like a dream come true, it also is a dream that comes with a bag full of trauma and struggles as Scout felt different than other people, as a minority and a disabled person. In this book, she shares her story from her beginning until now. She also shares how she learned to accept herself as she is and many of the things she has overcome throughout her life.  I found Lucky Girl to be an inspirational book. I enjoy mem...

    Do you have dreams that have been on hold? That you are waiting to come to fruition? You Can Live the Dream by Nick Nilson will inspire you to keep going while you are working towards those dreams. At the start of Live the Dream, Joel Osteen writes the forward. Nilson is an associate pastor and works with Osteen at Lakeside church and they are friends. Osteen's forward primes the pump to get the reader started in the right direction as they read Live the Dream. As you might expect, this is a book of encouragement and hope for the reader. Throughout the book, Nilson shares stories from his life and his family's life, as well as stories from the Bible. The books flows well and I enjoyed reading it. I like books like this that encourage me with both God's Word and by "hearing" stories from fellow Christians that remind me that I am not alone in my hopes and dreams. Nilson shares stories that remind readers that their perspective is important and how they can cont...

  I'm pretty sure all of us need an extra dash of hope and encouragement now and again in this world today. Joel Osteen offers hope to Believers in his new book, Believe: Hope Has Your Name on It .  Believe is a compact book with a lot of hope and encouraging words packed inside it. In just a few short chapters, Osteen encourages readers to step out in faith and believe for whatever they need to believe for. He shares from several Bible stories: Queen Esther, Peter in the boat with Jesus, Elisha helping his people not to starve and several more stories that show God's power and how He helps us when we need Him to. He also shares from his life and the lives of other Christians, like his mom and his brother, as well as a young person healed of cancer. These hopeful stories show that God truly is working in the world today just as He did during Bible times. As someone going through some challenges right now, I truly did appreciate this hopeful book. I know these stories, as a se...

    Tara-Leigh Cobble has been leading tours to Israel since 2014. In this gorgeous coffee-table devotional book, Israel , Cobble pairs short readings with rich, beautiful modern-day pictures of this Biblically historical country taken by Richard Van De Water. Israel is not your typical devotional book. First of all, it is a large coffee-table sized book measuring at about 12 by 9.25 inches and weighs over eight pounds. The readings are from the Bible and are about various areas of Israel. They are all paired with rich, glorious pictures. This is a great book for just relaxing and meditating on the beauty of the country along with the readings. Israel is a wonderful book for visual learners. This book would make a beautiful gift for those who enjoy Biblical history and travel as well as those who like beautiful pictures.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

    Do you think things are getting better or worse in our world today? In See the Good by Zach Windahl, Windahl encourages us to see the good in our world today.  The forward to See the Good is written by Bob Goff(as a Bob Goff fan, this was a perk for me). In Goff's two-page forward, he tells us that he knows Windahl personally and he is someone who sees the good in spite of the difficult situations in life. He isn't someone out there just sugar coating things without seeing the hard stuff. See the Goo d is divided into two parts: Changing the Way We See and How to Live it Out, which I think are fairly self-explanatory titles. Throughout the book, Windahl shares his personal stories mixed with Bible stories and verses to help us see how we can focus on the positive as well as how we can integrate good things into our life and way of seeing things. He also helps us see why we should do that and the benefits when we do.  I could relate to a lot of what Windahl shar...

  Carved In Ebony: Lessons from the Black Women Who Shape Us by Jasmine L. Holmes tells the stories of ten black women of faith in the United States. Holmes tells readers in the introduction that she is a writer, a teacher and a mother. She wrote this book as "part biography and part memoir--part research, part love letter." She tells us that these women were not perfect but that "every one of them represents a beautiful fact of Christian womanhood that has inspired me in my own walk. . ." She hopes that the reader will also see God's handiwork in each of the stories and also be inspired to live and proclaim God's goodness. The ten women featured in Carved in Ebony are: Elizabeth Freeman, a midwife; Sara Griffith Stanley, an abolitionist and missionary; Frances Ellen Watkins Harper,a poet and writer ; Amanda Barry Smith, a preacher and founder of an orphanage; Maria Fearing, a teacher and missionary; Maria Stewart, an abolitionist, speaker, teacher and wri...