Reading, Writing & Pondering

    I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore: Restoring our Identity Shattered by Grief and Loss by Carole Holiday starts off with some sadness. Initially, Holiday shares how she was hit again and again by waves of grief and pain . She also said she felt like an invisible woman. I think many of us can relate to her story, even though our own story reads with a different plot-line leading to our own pain and sadness. In I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore , Holiday shares her story in an easy-to-read and understand manner. She also includes Scriptures related to her story that may help you with your struggles. At the end of each chapter, there is a recipe. I love that! I also like that the recipes are listed with their page numbers under each chapter in the Table of Contents so you can quickly find them again to make them at home. Ultimately, throughout the book, Holiday shares how she turned her sadness into joy and a deeper ability to love those around you. She also helps women reclaim their...

  Are you a creative person but feel like it is hard to find the time to do "your thing" as a mom? Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood by Ashlee Gadd is a book that needs to be on your radar. Create Anyway is the book that I wish I had had when my son was little. I like how the book is written in bite-sized chunks, like busy moms need. It is full of encouraging stories and prompts for moms who want to incorporate creative pursuits into their lives while they work to be the best moms they can be. Gadd shares a lot about using bits of time here and there. I think that sounds realistic. I know I made a collage in a half hour one day and my creative bucket was full for a week. We all have those things we like to do and sometimes we need to squeeze in the time to do them.  Create Anyway has 19 chapters in it. Each chapter shares ideas and stories to encourage women to make time for their creative pursuits. Then at the end of each chapter th...

  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...

What a Great Word for Moms by Karen Moore is a devotional for Moms of all ages written to inspire and encourage them with words pulled from Bible verses. Words like courage, faith, hope, love, prayer, teach, and wisdom are included in this devotional--all words that speak to moms. Moore wants moms to focus on just one word a day in each reading. What a Great Word for Moms is divided into sections: Train your children in the way they should go, There's no one quite like mom, The Lord is mom's shepherd,  and God's Promises.  Each section includes several readings on the word of the day pulled from Bible verses. Each reading starts with a verse, a reading written by Moore, uplifting quotes, and then ends with a prayer and blessing. At the end of the book is a poem called, Can you help me? which is such a good reminder that when we turn to God, He helps us through the challenges of each day. The whole package could be truly uplifting to moms of all ages. Besides the writ...

Two special ladies that I know are pregnant right now. As a mom, I want to share positive things with them and not negative. Often we do that and that can be good. Yet, we honestly know that not every moment of having a baby is positive, if we are living a "real" life. Midnight Lullabies: Moments of Peace for Moms by Lauren Eberspacher shares both positive moments and moments that remind moms that they are not alone if they have a few challenges along the way. Midnight Lullabies has 31 days of devotional readings. Each reading includes a Bible verse, a short reading, something to do to apply the reading, and a prayer to end with. Eberspacher shares from her heart in Midnight Lullabies and I think her words are encouraging. At the same time, they also share realistically. Not in a complaining way. But in a way that reminds you that you are not alone in your struggles. She reminds you that there are lots of good things about being a mom but there are some challenges as ...

A Pocketful of Hope for Mother s by Robin Jones Gunn is a lovely gift book for moms. It would make a nice surprise Easter gift or Mother's Day gift--for your mom, for your daughter, a gift to a new mom, or a gift for a mom friend that you know needs uplifted. It is a beautiful inspiring gift book for moms and that even includes buying your own copy because you know you need the encouragement. A Pocketful of Hope for Mothers is brimming with hope-filled stories, prayers and poems written by Gunn. Gunn reminds moms that no matter how tired and overwhelmed they feel at times, that God is in it with them and that they are indeed helping little ones to learn, love and grow one day at a time. The personal stories that Gunn shares are especially nice. I found A Pocketful of Hope for Mothers to be even nicer than I expected. It is a nice large size--measuring 6 by 9 inches. It is also sweetly illustrated and lovingly penned by Gunn. I have to be honest--Gunn is one of my favorite ...

Many of us do think of our moms when we think of our homes. Home is Wherever Mom Is is a beautiful new coloring book honoring moms. This book is quite eye catching with its foil cover. Home Is Wherever Mom Is has more than 90 beautiful illustrations to color. The pictures are all nice homey type pictures and most are more intricate that some coloring books so you will want to use fine point markers or well sharpened colored pencils for your work in this book. There are a lot of nice Bible verses and quotes relating to moms throughout this book as well. Part of the quotes are to color within the coloring pages and part of them are part of the Hand Lettering tutorial. The front page in the book explains how to learn the hand lettering and it has a practice page in the back of the book. I wish it had about 3 practice pages but you can practice on your own paper too. This beautiful coloring book would make a nice book for mom to use to relax with if she enjoys creative p...