Reading, Writing & Pondering

Dave Stone writes a book that feels like a personal conversation with a warm, family loving pastor. I enjoyed Dave's personal stories backed up with Scripture on real-life topics sure to strengthen any family that would take them to heart. The book starts out by encouraging families to create a family mission statement. I didn't grow up in a Christian home but we want to have a close family that lives for Christ. We had never thought about doing this but I can see where it would help unify the family and clarify everyone's directions in daily life. What a great idea!. . .My family is in the process of creating ours. Developing a mission statement helps companies and organizations succeed so Stone reasons that a mission statement can also help families form a clear vision and succeed. He recommends that everyone be involved in the process instead of just imposing a mission statement on your kids. "Everyone takes ownership. Everyone is invested in the outcome,...

In this new dystopian world, everyone gets a mark on their 13th birthday. It is a sign of coming of age and brings all the benefits of citizenship in the American Union. Only those with the mark can get jobs, buy food, and everything else it takes to survive in society. But for Logan, who will soon turn 13, getting the mark is a scary proposition. When his sister went to get the mark 5 years ago, she  never came back. Since that time, his family has never been the same. Logan has struggled with getting the mark ever since and he can't shake the feeling that he is being followed. My 10 year old son has been enjoying the Left Behind series and  thought this sounded like a good book. It is very different from that series in the writing style even though the topic is similar. We read through Swipe together, out loud. It took  a little longer to read it that way but it was enjoyable to share this book that is written from a 12-year old boy's viewpoint. My son seemed to rel...

Pete Wilson's book, Empty Promises, had me right at the beginning. We live in a world that is constantly advertising how we can make more money, get bigger and better stuff, be the best, or be more beautiful. . .and those are just a few of the aspirations for many Americans. Our society says these things give us worth--and we buy into it. At least I know I have. Wilson says these things can easily become idols in our lives. I know I have never worshipped a golden statue but I'm pretty sure that I have put the god of approval first in my life as I tried to please way too many people for the wrong reasons. As I read through this book, I was challenged to see the idols in my life, which is how I recognized that first one. As Wilson says, "The real question is not, 'Do you have idols?" We've already determined that the heart is an idol factory. The real question for any of us is this: Which idol is God's biggest rival in your life?" Pete  Wilson help...

Brad and Darlene Henderson were married as high school sweethearts. They have 3 teenagers: Chad, Grace and Ansley. When the big city life seemed to be too much for all of them, they moved from Houston to the small town of Round Top, Texas. Adjusting to small town living is a challenge for all of them but seems to have been hardest on Grace. Grace is coping in a challenging way. At the same time, Darlene starts to feel like she isn't needed as much at home now that her children are older. She takes a job away from home. Brad is trying hard to make partnership in his firm. Life gets to be complicated for all of them. But will they turn to God or turn away and each cope in their own ways? This is the first book I've ready by Beth Wiseman. I haven't read her Amish books but I found this book to hold my interest through to the end. In fact, I enjoyed the book more as I went along and got to know the characters than I did at the beginning. The characters seem to be realisti...

Farm Fresh Southern Cooking offers a beautifully illustrated virtual kitchen table of goodies arrayed from trips to the Farmer's Markets in the South. While I am a Midwestern gal myself, I found several recipes that I would enjoy using once our local produce is in full season. Recipes like: *Spring Green spread made from freshly shelled peas *Spring Collection Cucumber Plate (a slice of cucumber with a chicken salad topped with a pecan--sounds beautiful for a tea party!) *Stuffed strawberries (another pretty one for a tea party) *Beulah Land Asparagus Pie (asparagus is soon going to be ripe in my garden so one of the first I want to try) *Grilled Corn Salad *Fresh Rhubarb Sauce Several of these recipes sound delicious. The instructions look to be easy to follow and complete--unlike some cookbooks that I have tried to use in the past. Also, there are a couple of canning recipes with some basic canning instructions. The pear preserves sound like something I would make and ...

I started reading Great Day Every Day by Max Lucado right at the end of winter in the Midwest. . .things outside were looking gray and I was feeling a bit gray inside. For me, this sounded like the perfect book to perk me up and help me focus on things that were on the bright side. From my perspective, the book did that for me--and more. I've read several Max Lucado books in the past and I have always come away from them feeling better. This book was no exception. I enjoyed Max's storytelling and his words of encouragement designed to spur the reader on to focusing on better things. They did do that for me. However, unlike other Lucado books I've read, this one has a 30-day devotional built in to the book. Each page says "Day Changer" at the top. A Scripture quotation and a prayer are offered for each day followed by some thoughts to help you decide how you can change your day for the better. I especially liked that aspect of this book. It helped me to apply t...

The Wedding Dress is a sort of magical book about a magical dress that comes alive for brides through the past century. For me, this book seemed to have mystery, an intricately woven spiritual message, and romance all wrapped into one package. As I began reading this tale, I found myself drawn into the life of Charlotte Malone, bridal store owner in Birmingham, Alabama. In the beginning, Charlotte takes a day to get away alone to think  about her own impending marriage at the Ludlow Estate. But instead of a peaceful tranquil day to ponder over a picnic, Charlotte found herself drawn into bidding on a mysterious trunk at a fundraising auction. Inside was a beautiful wedding dress. Soon Charlotte begins to search for the gown's history and learns the tales of brides who wore the dress before her. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't figure out all the forthcoming history until the end so I appreciated that some parts of it kept me guessing. At the same time, there was s...