Reading, Writing & Pondering

How much is enough? I have been on a journey the past couple of years to figure that out for myself. Recently, I found this book by Jeff Shinabarger to be an interesting read. I grew up in a family that valued the American Dream and thought more was better--like many families I know. Yet, I found that having more and more of stuff didn't satisfy me. In More or Less, Jeff shares his personal story, but he also challenges you to think about your own story and how much is enough in your own life. Jeff shares several experiments that he and his wife did to see how much was enough in their lives in various areas: food, clothes, presents for special occasions, and unused gift cards, among others.One of their early "enough" experiments was to see if they could live one month on the food in their pantry. . .which they easily did--although  Jeff admits it may not have been the healthiest eating plan he's ever done. I felt like we did something similar as we ate the food ...

John and Ann Marie Cavazos have put together a Daniel Fast book that is full of useful recipes, helpful tips and a 21-day prayer journal in the back. This colorful paperback cookbook is divided into 2 basic sections: Daniel Fast recipes and Healthy Eating After the Daniel Fast. I especially like that they offer healthy recipes for when you complete the fast to transition back into regular eating. . .and, even better, just to continue to eat healthfully. Even if you aren't planning to do the 21-Day Daniel Fast where you pray and eat like Daniel in the Bible, this book offers a large selection of healthy recipes that are dairy and gluten free. I think many people with food allergies to gluten and dairy would enjoy the book. Recipes include: Daniel's Vegetable Shepherd's Pie,  Vegan style Hoppin John, Vegetable Gumbo and Greek Salad, among many others. I found the stir fried vegetable recipe to be very good and the recipe was easy to follow. I thought this book offered ...

This is my first book by Jennie Allen. . .and I have to say I found her conversational style to be engaging. I truly felt as if she were right beside me talking to me about my dreams and passions and God's purpose in my life. . .only I confess that I wish she truly were sitting with me working this book out. This is a book that you would want to use to work out God's purpose and dreams in your life. It flows so well that it is a quick read. However, in order to get the most out of this book, I would encourage the reader to follow Jennie Allen's instructions and use the journal pages in the book to figure out how God is using threads in your life to weave your unique story. The threads would be your gifts, times of suffering, passions, places and people that make your life a valuable part of God's story. She also shares examples from her life, people she knows, and from Joseph in the Bible. While Jennie says many of us have doubts and fears, she believes that God h...

The right relationships in your life will make the difference between happiness and misery, according to Van Moody, author of The People Factor. Van Moody writes a comprehensive book on relationships that I found to be a treasure chest full of relationship wisdom. Van Moody is a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama. He shares what he has learned through his life, his work as a pastor, and from Biblical relationships to help the reader gain a higher relationship IQ. The book is divided into 3 parts: The critical laws of relationships, How to make difficult choices in letting people go or changing relationships, and the essentials of great relationships. At the end of each chapter, he also includes relationship reminders summarizing the highlights of each chapter and several questions to answer to assess your relationships in your life. I would highly recommend this book to everyone I meet. I can see it will be one that I re-read and continue to learn and grow from. I have had a few ...

Honoring God Through the Daniel Fast is a smallish book about partaking in a Daniel Fast. If you are new to the Daniel Fast, this little book might be just what you are looking for. It covers all of the basics that you need. This book is just the right size to give you the information that you need to begin the fasting journey. The author helps you through Scripture to understand the fast and the spiritual aspects of this fast. He then offers lists of foods to eat on the fast and foods to avoid. He shares his and his wife's journey and how they benefited from doing this fast. He shares recipes for such dishes as Cranberry Spinach Salad Frenzy, Mexican Style Black Bean Fiesta, 15 Bean Soup and Emergency Snack Mix, as well as more recipes. I haven't yet tried any but they seem to be easy to follow and prepare and there were a few that looked good for my family. He also offers devotions to read at the beginning of each week, along with questions to ponder while you fast. I d...

Packing Light by Allison Vesterfelt is a travel adventure for the armchair adventurer. I enjoyed this memoir of 2 single women traveling to all 50 states on their own. One with dreams of being a singer and the other with dreams of becoming a writer. As they go into the adventure and living their dreams, they sell almost everything to do so. . and along the way, they decide what to keep and what to get rid of to continue to journey without getting bogged down. . .both physically and in their spiritual and relational lives. I enjoyed this book but I like memoirs and biographical books with a spiritual slant. I come from the background that you can always learn something from reading someone else's story. I could especially relate well to Allison's story because I have a similar personality.  . .I don't take risks easily. . .and I would need a nudge to go on this type of journey myself without chickening out. Then the adventure itself was fun to read about as the girls f...

How to Be Rich by Andy Stanley offers advice on REALIZING that we are already richer than most of the world. He doesn't really offer advice on How to GET rich, which might be your interpretation of the title. However, the back of the book clearly explains Andy Stanley's premise that you are already rich and how best to "be good at it." Andy Stanley has a practical down to earth style that helps me clearly understand how to relate Scripture to my life and I truly appreciate that about this book.. I already knew this book was about becoming a more generous person and using whatever resources God has entrusted me with because I have seen Andy Stanley's sermon series on this topic. If you've also seen that sermon series, and are interested in the book, I would encourage you to get it. The book offers more details and examples. Andy Stanley encourages you to think about your wealth as God's and not yours, because, after all, you can't take it with you...