Reading, Writing & Pondering

    If you are someone who likes to read stories of people learning to live with challenges, you may enjoy Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken by Sydney Anne Bennett. This book could be especially helpful to someone else who lives with a chronic illness or disability. Sydney doesn't learn to overcome her disability but she does learn to live her truth with God every day. This book reads autobiographically and is easy to read and understand. Are you battling chronic struggles—whether physical, mental, emotional, relational, or social? Are they eating away at your faith? Sydney Anne Bennett has been there. She knows what it is to live in a body that is unraveling, a world that doesn’t understand, and a church that doesn’t always know what to say. With compassion, wit, and quiet strength, Sydney invites you to remember that some of life’s fiercest battles are fought flat on your back—and not one of them is wasted. In  Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken , Sydney shares h...

  The Girl on the Bathroom Floor by Amber Emily Smith is a story of God working through a tragedy in a family.  My Review:  The Girl on the Bathroom Floor is sad but yet the story shows how God used redemption in this sad tale to heal a hurting family. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to deal with an unexpected death of a three-year old child. However, she also shares her miscarriage story and that is one I am sure many of us can relate to. I know I could understand that part well. At the same time, many of us have gone through hard things and, in the end, have found God to have worked through those difficulties. This story is inspiring in that way, especially for those who like memoirs. From TLC Book Tours: The Girl on the Bathroom Floor   is a raw and unflinching look at the moments most never share, the ones behind closed doors, on the bathroom floor, in your car, or hidden in the closet—where pain, fear, and grief seem to hit hardest. It’s also a p...

  Why I Believe by Dr. Henry Cloud is a mix of memoir and spiritual exploration, real life miracle stories, and science-meets-faith in one book. Why I Believe is divided into three parts--following the introduction where Dr. Cloud explains why he wrote this book.  The first part: I Came to Believe in God is where the author shares his early years and things that happened to him that caused him to believe in God. He also shares things that were a bit of an obstacle in life for him. Like most of us in the world, Dr. Cloud experienced some life challenges that left him wondering where God was in the midst of them. In this section, he explains how he kept his faith and how he felt he heard from God at certain times in his life and how the people around him drew him to God. The second part: How I Came to Believe in Miracles was fascinating. I am not sure I have ever really experienced some of the things like Dr, Cloud has that were miraculous. He shares ways God worked in his lif...

  Do you struggle with big feelings? Feelings you aren't sure what to do with? I Cry In Corners by Chari Orozco might be just the book that you need to help you manage those emotions. I Cry In Corners will turn the reader towards Jesus. Each chapter focues on an emotion with a look towards Jesus to handle that emotion. Orozco deals with overwhelm, loneliness, fear, insecurity, anxiety, disappointment and more. Throughout the book, she shares stories from her own life that relate to each emotion. Some of her stories deal with big hard things like being unable to get pregnant while others deal with smaller issues. We all have big and small issues of our own that bring out our emotions. She also shares from the Bible and how she believe Jesus deals with those emotions. The author is down-to-earth and the writing is easy to understand and relate to. For those who want help in dealing with emotions, or someone who they can relate to, they may want to read I Cry in Corners . I received...

  Good Catastrophe by Benjamin Windle is based on the book of Job. Good Catastrophe is indeed a unique take on Job. There are twelve chapters in this book that is about 200 pages in length. Windle weaves his thoughts back and forth from stories from today, from history and from the Bible and relates to the story of Job. He does also pull from J. R. R. Tolkein and his concept of :Eucatastrophe," which I did find interesting. Initially, I found the book encouraging and hope-giving. Then as I went along, honestly, I struggled to relate to some of his illustrations as being hopeful. I realize the ultimate hope in life is our hope in eternal life in Jesus, so that I get. At the same time, as someone who is in a difficult situation in this life, I don't honestly want to read illustrations that don't eat well and he had a few of those. I understood the point he was making most of the time. Other times, I didn't follow his thinking that well. This may just be me. Certainly, Go...

  Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find the Way Home by Sara Billups is a mix of modern history and memoir that I enjoyed reading. Orphaned Believers is divided into three sections: The End Times, Culture Wars, and Consumerism. Billups tells some of her story throughout the book, sharing how her parents' evangelical faith and belief that the end times/rapture could happen any day affected her growing up years. She also talks about the culture throughout the past forty years as it relates to both the church and our society as well as the changes that have happened--and some changes that should have happened but haven't happened yet related to race and gender equality. I also found it interesting that she brought consumerism and the church into the book as that wasn't something I really thought about as part of everything. However, with all that she shared, and so much that I could relate to, I could see that it is.  Orphaned Believers was such a...

    Revived and Renovated: Real Life Conversations on the intersection of Home, Faith and Everything in Between by Victoria Duerstock and Paige Rien uses home renovation words to describe work both in our houses and in our personal faith lives. Revived and Renovated is written as a conversation between Victoria and Paige. At first it took a few pages to get in to the rhythm of their conversation but once I did, it was easy to understand and follow. These two women both work with houses in real life. They are also are Christian women who can easily relate all of the words used to make houses better and apply them to their Christian lives as they seek to revive, renovate, restore , repurpose and recover with some other re words in between.  I thought Paige and Victoria did a good job of both sharing the information related to making our houses and our home life better and making our spiritual lives better. Both women come from different spiritual backgrounds so most reade...

With the pandemic, I have struggled at times with some fear and anxiety-like many Americans. Befriending Your Monsters by Luke Norsworthy looked like a good read to face those struggles with so I selected this book. Befriending Your Monsters is divided into three sections: Meeting Monsters about the types of monsters that Norsworthy discusses in this book. The second section is The Three Universal Monsters: Comparison, More and Success. He also explains how and why these can be monsters in a Christian's life. The third section is entitled A Monster Friendly Life in which Norsworthy gives readers three principles for dealing with the monsters in their own life. I was looking forward to reading Befriending Your Monsters. I think there is some good information in this book but I struggled with the format. It felt like a collection of sidebars to me and the information seemed disjointed in its presentation. He does point out that these monsters are in our lives to teach us somethin...

Did you know that there is only one prayer in all of Proverbs? In The Prayer of Agur , Jay Payleitner talks about this prayer and the rest of the proverb written by Agur. The Prayer of Agur is a small book with a big message. I spent most of last week reading through this book in the mornings. I enjoyed looking at the 30th Proverb from his perspective. Payleitner breaks the Proverb down in to sections and gives the reader insights into both the writer and the wisdom from this Proverb. In the back of the book, he also includes a complete NIV version of the Proverb and discussion questions for each chapter. I think The Prayer of Agur would be a great book to use for Sunday School or small group to study together. I did enjoy the author's insights although I think they could be expanded on within a group context. He talks a lot about discovering your sweet spot in life and being where God wants you to be. He makes that sound fairly easy in the book but I think as we live life...

Life on earth is hard. No doubt about it. If you are a Believer, you may sometimes wonder where God is in all of the hard stuff when it doesn't "feel" like He is nearby. In Acres of Diamonds , Jentezen Franklin offers encouraging words to the Christian who needs it. Instead of complaining and whining about the hard stuff of life, Franklin encourages us to remember that this hard stuff will yield "acres of diamonds" if we give it time and continue to look to God. What are Acres of Diamonds? Franklin reminds us how diamonds are formed. Heat and pressure in life will yield in victory if we don't run from them. Acres of Diamonds is based on a small booklet called Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell. If you haven't read it or heard of it, don't worry about it because Franklin includes it in the appendix for your reference. I read it several years ago but it is nice to refresh my memory with the complete copy in the back for reference. Acres of Di...

Writing a story, a poem or a song is hard work. Yes, we may feel called to do one or more of those things but it is still work to answer that call. Andrew Peterson in Adorning the Dark presses in to the creative process and shares some of his insights and his personal life. Adorning the Dark is part memoir and part encouragement and invitation to the creative process for all of us. He tells about how he has struggled to write songs and music and poetry and even to creative beautiful gardens on his property. He pulls from musicians and writers in the past and present and shares advice and stories that leave you nodding, Um Hmm, yes, that is how it feels, at times. I would encourage anyone who is a writer or creator in some area to read Adorning the Dark . It is insightful and full of hope and beauty for those who wish to create. At the same time, he also tells it like it is and that it is work to create. As Peterson shares in this book, there are struggles and there are times yo...

What is a Christian Mystic? If you don't know, it is okay. I wasn't sure either until I read Confessions of A Christian Mystic by River Jordan. However, as someone who has enjoyed her previous books, I was intrigued enough to read this one and find out. . .and she does define it within the pages. Confessions of a Christian Mystic is a collection of fifty essays, stories and personal letters in which Jordan shares her search for God and spiritual things in her every day life. River's writing encourages me to want to look for God in the every day of my life. Where is God in my story? How is He showing up? Am I looking for Him? River is a storyteller queen. She draws me into her stories and I feel like I am there with her. In the Pocketbook Saints chapter, I cried for little girl Jordan when she was manhandled by the teacher in her day care and I rejoiced with her when Alice stayed and sat with her after the incident. I read Confessions of a Christian Mystic fairly qu...

Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Placemaker by Christie Purifoy is one of those books. Not only is the cover beautiful but the spirit-lifting prose inside is equally as beautiful. Placemaker begins with the introduction as Purifoy talks about how her love of trees began. She then relates placemaking to various kinds of trees which the twelve chapters cover: Citrus Grove, Queen Palm, Silver Maple and ends with Arboretum. In each chapter she relates how she made places home and how the trees relate. I simply cannot do her beautiful prose justice in my review. I truly enjoyed Placemaker . I felt like Purifoy's words took me away to beautiful places. I already have a love of trees and gardening--that is what really drew me to this book. But she helped me feel even more in love with the woods and the gardens where we live. She said that "she hopes her stories inspire you to set a table with care, pick up a hammer with courage, or plant a seed with hope." (P...

I have always had a heart for reaching other people and helping them. At one time, I thought about being a missionary. . .I was sure that missionaries were extra loved and special as they did their work overseas. Shauan Pilgreen in Love Where You Live encourages us to be missionaries wherever we are and that we can all be used by God. In Love Where You Live , Pilgreen divides this book in to three parts: What Is Living Sent?, How to Live Sent, and The Hope Of Living Sent. She shares stories from her life and others about how God used people right where they are--or encouraged them to go somewhere in this country to share the Gospel with others. Each chapter also ends with practical tips. There are also places in the book where Pilgreen encourages the reader to draw pictures and to write some things to better make their own mission clearer. I truly enjoyed reading Love Where You Live . I liked Pilgreen's writing style and found myself just flying through this book anxious to ...

Stress. It affects us all differently. In our modern world, it can hit us hard. JenWise shares her family's story of how stress affected their lives in The Bright Life. Wise is both a writer and a Bible teacher. Throughout The Bright Life she weaves her family's story along with Scripture to tell their story and to encourage the reader to avoid some of the stress pitfalls that they hit. She also invites the reader to learn how to handle stress in a holistic manner. This book is divided into forty days of readings. Each reading shares her story mingled with Scripture and ends with a page for the reader to use to reflect, to ask themselves questions and to make gentle changes in their lives: Looking Inward, Looking Upward, and Looking Outward are all short sections on that last page. I especially like Wise' style of sharing with the reader. It feels so down-to-earth and like she is speaking right along with me. I also like how there is the page of ways to reflect and ma...

If we live long enough, I think there are tough moments that come when most of us say, It's not supposed to be this way. We wonder why these things happen. The past few years, Lysa Terkeurst has faced some tough challenges which she shares in her new book, It's Not Supposed To Be This Way . It's Not Supposed To Be This Way is Terkeurst's story of how she handled the hard things of the past few years and how turning to God helped her face them. This book is part memoir and part an inspirational encouragement book for anyone reading it who is facing tough challenges and struggling. At the end of each chapter, Terkeurst has a "Remember" section with some of the most important ideas from each chapter that she encourages readers to cling to. That section is followed by a "Receive" section with several Bible verses to soak in and meditate on. Then she offers a "Reflect" section with questions to think on. This book pairs well with your Bible...

From the time that Alex Seeley was young, she was told that she was "an accident." She also wore other labels that defined her in negative ways until she learned that through God she was Tailor Made . Seeley was born and raised in Australia. She shares her story throughout Tailor Made from the time she was young until now. She shares how God helped her see that the labels she grew up with--stupid, ugly, unsuccessful, an accident--were not the labels that God wanted her to wear. Instead, she shares how God helped her see that in His eyes she was His unique child and created in His glory.Through her story and her encouragement, she helps the reader to see that they are also uniquely created and special to God. I was also told lies about who I am that I believed. Honestly, sometimes I still struggle with those beliefs coming back to haunt me. Seeley's book is a good reminder to me that God does care and I am uniquely designed by Him. Tailor Made would be an encouragin...

Selah is one of those words that I have read in the Psalms, but I never quite understood it. In Finding Selah , Kristen Kill helped me learn just what this word means and how God can use Selah in our lives today. Throughout Finding Selah , she shares her story of growing her large family with her husband and how God also helped her find peace when she needed it. I imagine many of us can relate to Kill's story. Our own lives have a different set of characters and set locations but many of us are beyond busy in caring for others and longing for peace in our lives. Early on in the book, Kill defines what Selah means. While she explains it several places so that we can apply it to our own lives, simply put, it is the pause between the notes in a song (psalm). For those who wrote the psalms, it was "a chance to stop and listen to the song God was singing over them." Kill learned to listen to God in the midst of her story and encourages readers to do the same. Kill says, ...

Increasingly people in our society are diagnosed with some form of dementia. Daniel Amen has two new books designed to help people at risk for memory problems to makes changes to improve their odds of not getting memory-related disease. Memory Rescue is Amen's main new book with detailed steps to improve brain health. Stones of Remembrance is designed as a companion book to help Christians, in particular, contribute to a healthier mind through Scripture memorization. Stones of Remembrance is a small book that would be easy to carry along for memorization and mediation on Scripture to inspire, comfort and challenge believers in all walks of life. This little book starts out with an inspiring introduction from Stephen Arterburn on how Dr. Amen helped him with his brain issues. There are three sections to this book: The Twelve Spiritual Disciplines for improving your memory, The Twelve verses to remember when. . . , and The Twelve Verses every Christian Should Know. I am so ...

Beautiful words and beautiful photos make up this truly beautiful book, Be The Gift by Ann Voskamp. Be The Gift includes Voskamp's best selections from her best selling book, The Broken Way. These selections of heart touching prose reveal how our lives can become gifts to others when we let God take our brokenness and turn it into gifts of grace. Voskamp says in the introduction, "Maybe the only abundant way forward--is always to give ourselves forward? To be broken and brave who know that when the stakes are the highest, kindness matters the most. To believe that the bad brokenness of the world is met by the good brokenness of Christ's humble sacrifice for us." Many of us do have hearts that are sad and broken, but Voskamp suggests we take that sadness and give our broken heart away so we can begin to heal. If I could put Be The Gift into everyone's hands in this country and have them read it, I would. If we could all just take ourselves and pour oursel...