Reading, Writing & Pondering

  I think a lot of us are facing or have face some real life challenges in the past couple of years along with the pandemic. Aggressively Happy by Joy Marie Clarkson sounded like just the book that I needed to help me see things differently--and it doesn't disappoint.  In Agressively Happy , Clarkson shares stories of both joy and sadness from her own life. She also shares stories from the Bible and other prominent Christians from years past as this is a Christian based book. Each chapter reads like you are visiting with an old friend. Then in between the chapters, Clarkson has pages that list ideas for you to read, to watch and to ponder. I especially liked those pages and the recommendations that she made. Some of them I was familiar with and some of them made me curious enough to check them out. I would recommend this book to both new Christians and those who have been following Christ for awhile. There is something to learned for nearly everyone in Aggressively Happy . ...

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...

I am one of those people who always roots for the under dog. I also love animals so Second-Chance Dogs looked like a book I would enjoy. It did not disappoint me either. Second-Chance Dogs is a book full of real-life stories about dogs who got a second chance, one way or another. This is a feel-good collection of stories of all kinds of dog situations and all kinds of dog owners. One thing all of these stories had in common is that they tugged on my emotions. A few of them made me giggle and more than a few of them touched my heart strings and I shed a tear or two. I imagine any reader who likes dogs would also be touched by these stories. I enjoyed all of the stories in Second-Chance Dogs . I would recommend Second-Chance Dogs to any other animal lover out there who likes to read and likes to see dogs and humans be rescued. I have to be honest, some day soon I am hoping we can have our own real life rescue dog story as we find a dog we can rescue--or maybe it will rescue us....

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 ...

 "You were always meant to be brave." Annie Downs shares her own story and encourages readers to not let fear hold them back on her new book, 100 Days to Brave . The introduction of 100 Days to Brave is a letter to the reader that starts with Dear friend. Downs shares how all of us reading the book probably feel like there is more to life than this. We all have a different "this" but we all need courage to go after our life's hopes and dreams to find our best life. Downs encourages readers to journal alongside this book for 100 days to find the journey God has for you. Downs says she wants to be the friend across the table from you to process and think through the road to your most courageous self. While I have not gone through the book for 100 days yet, for the purposes of this review, I have read the readings. For each reading, Downs shares a Bible verse for the day, a short reading that offers a brief story or example relating to the verse, and then q...

I have to admit, I love "real" letters--letters from friends and family delivered by the post-person. I think it says something about how special you are when someone takes time to actually write out their message to you. Most days in our modern world, though, messages come by email and text. This new book, Open When. . .Letters to Lift Your Spirits by Karen Salmansohn, offers readers a chance to "open" optimistic letters when they need to be encouraged. This small book, with it's cheery, bright cover, measures just 7.4 by 4.2 inches. There are twelve letters to Open When . . .You've had a bad day, you feel out of place, you're doubting yourself, and more. The back cover describes this book as "an emergency inspiration kit designed to lift the spirits." The designs are cheery and I think this book would make a nice gift for someone. However, I would mention that it is not geared to the Christian audience as there are references to Buddha...