20 Jul 2015

Categorical Reading

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Books by Category

 

It is no secret that I love to read.  But, I need more time in my schedule to read.  And with two toddlers, a husband, a photography business, White Collar, West Wing, and lots of books – I have to do something to find more time!

One thing I am doing is getting more organized in my reading.  I am one of those readers that reads multiple books at once and always has a stack of books by my nightstand.  I have several books a month I’m reviewing for one publisher or another and that always keeps my mailbox full (and that is a happy mail day!)

So, since I have different interests and ways I need to read to fit my life – here is the deal.  I’m going to try each week to organize what I’m reading and let you know about it.  That way you can be introduced to new authors and books and you can also give me suggestions on what you are reading in those categories.

Christian Life: Newton on the Christian Life and Packer on the Christian Life (these two are both on my Kindle and they are both books I’m reviewing for Crossway).  I think I would highlight the whole book!  So good!

Creativity/Business/Photography: A Million Little Ways by Emily Freeman

Marriage: The Fruitful Wife by DiMarco

Food: A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones (a book review I’m doing for Blogging for Books) and My Life in France by Julia Child

Children: Just for Me Bible, Say and Pray Bible, and I Love You Even When (all book reviews for Tommy Nelson)

Parenting: My husband and I are reading through Shepherding a Child’s Heart together and even though I’ve read it is very important for me to re-read it now that I have children.

4 May 2015

Fear and our Children’s Boo-Boos (Book Giveaway)

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God Bless My Boo Boo

When our older son was born, he was rushed to the NICU at our hospital then eventually transferred to Duke NICU.  I was in a lot of pain from a hard delivery, but my husband knew enough to be really concerned.  For some unknown reason, our son was born without enough platelets in his body.

So that meant if he ever got cut or started bleeding he wouldn’t be able to stop.  Duke NICU doctors were puzzled and didn’t know the cause of this.  He was in NICU for 4 days before we could bring him home.  When you leave the hospital after delivering a baby and you don’t have your baby, there is a sense of loneliness in that moment.

We prayed for days and every time we went to the hospital we were grateful for the doctors and most importantly grateful for our God who heals.  After many blood transfusions, our son was on his way home in our car.  And at his next check up (1 week, he was seemingly perfect in the platelet count area).  We are thankful.

But, even after that scare when he was born, we aren’t out of the woods when it comes to more scrapes and bruises.  Even yesterday I was paged at the gym to go check him out after he had hit his head on the wall.  Nice bruise and tears and a mommy hug later – he was running around the gym like nothing had happened.

This new book about Boo Boos and our children teaches them many things about God’s character – that they need to know all the time, but especially when they are in pain and need a bandaid or a trip to the hospital.

1.  It teaches them the nearness of God throughout all of life – even when life hurts.

2.  It teaches them that God hears their prayers.  God is always listening – even when we fall down and hurt.

3.  It teaches them that God will indeed help them to persevere in the pain.

What is your biggest fear with your children?  Or share a story about when they got hurt and how you handled it.

Thanks to Tommy Nelson Mommies for this book and for a book to giveaway.  All opinions are my own.

20 Mar 2015

Parenting and Talking with God (Book Review)

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I’ve learned a lot about parenting.  I’ve learned a lot about my relationship with God the Father as I am his child.

Every time I share love or love through discipline to my two boys, I hear my Father saying the same thing.  Here are some examples:

“Why don’t you ever listen?”

“I love you, you are my son (daughter).”

“I can never love you any less, no matter what you did.”

“I can’t wait for you to wake up so we can talk!”

You probably have some statements of your own.

I got a book in the mail to review and while I loved the concept and examples in the book, I didn’t like the very little Scripture that was used in it.

Rachael Carman wrote a devotional to Moms entitled How Many Times Do I Have to Tell You?  She uses personal examples of some of the statement I’ve listed above.  Some include: “We don’t act like that.” and “Turn down the music.”  I love her heart.  She gives some good and useful insights.  She writes in such a relational way.

However, I would want a devotional to have more basis in Scripture.  She does use some and she definitely speaks from a Christian point of view.  But, she doesn’t point you to the one True Source as much as I would like.

If there is anything I’ve learned in parenting, it is that I need God more than I ever thought I would.  The one place that I find his Truth for help in life and parenting (and everything else), is His Word.  And I want to point other moms to that (not only my experiences) and I want to point my boys to that as well.

Disclaimer: Litfuse Publishing gave me this book for the purpose of doing the book review.  All opinion are my own.

 

3 Feb 2015

I am not a Middle School Parent…

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judahsmith

But some of you are, and many of you have been there (bless you).  I have worked with middle school students in the past via my church and Young Life – both where I was on staff for this particular age group.

I’ve learned a couple of things since that time (early twenties):

1.  I didn’t know anything then.

2.  What I know about teaching the Bible and the importance of the Bible – I wish I would have known then.

3.  Middle schoolers are all different – yet all the same.

4.  Some adults have a special gifting to reach middle schoolers – and some don’t.

5.  Jesus loves middle schoolers.

I think it is tough right now parenting toddlers – but I know in some ways it will be easier – and some ways harder, as they grow up.  Most people say that the middle school years are the hardest, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.

One thing I do want from my middle school boys (when they get there) is open communication, personal attention (not trying to force them to like and be the same as his brother), and for them to have a growing relationship with Jesus.  For them to own and search for their faith – not just take mommy and daddy’s faith as their own.

Judah Smith, a fabulous communicator about Jesus, has a student edition of Jesus Is ______.  In it he explains his writing style (a little ADD) and hits on the main points of what he is trying to teach middle schoolers: that knowing Jesus for who He is will radically change your life.

This book is interactive, uses timely illustrations that middle school students will relate to, and teaches the truths about Jesus on a level most middle schoolers will understand.

I’m glad I have this book – that I can keep and have as my boys get older (ok, a decade away), but you can have one for your very one by leaving a comment here or on facebook (Tommy Nelson is glad to give a copy of this away – as I am a part of Tommy Nelson Mommies – but all opinions in this review are mine). So, here is the question you have to answer in the comment: what is one way you engage your son or daughter with the gospel.

22 May 2014

Read This: Jim Hamilton’s What is Biblical Theology?

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If you check any seminary bookstore – you will find a plethora of theology books.  I suppose that is a good thing because we need to study theology and most of us, like me, love to have help in that department.

I remember being in seminary at Southeastern, I was asked to read Erickson’s for my theology class, and Thomas Oden.  But, when I got out of seminary and started teaching a college girl’s bible study, I wanted to read Grudem’s Bible Doctrines.

I like a theology book to be solid and based on the gospel – of course.  But, I also want it to readable for the every-day person – meaning a person who doesn’t have seminary background necessarily and they can still understand it.  And I also want to know something of the author and know that he is applying this study of theology to his own life.  I remember working at SBTS where Dr. Hamilton is a professor, seeing him walk down the hall, interact with students and colleagues, and witness a humility that can only come from studying the Scripture and knowing the God of the Bible.

Hamilton’s What is Biblical Theology isn’t going to be a starter theology book – I would highly recommend Grudem’s that I mentioned above.  However, it will take you to a deeper love and trust and knowledge of your Bible if you dare go there.  Especially as a writer, Dr. Hamilton points out the Bibles literary pieces and bigger themes.  God was the writer that we should all strive to be!  You can trust this book.  You can learn from it.  And Psalm 119 tells us that knowing the Word of God is a blessed way to live a life that pleases God!

 

8 Nov 2013

Favorite Quotes from Comforts from Romans

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Do you ever struggle to believe the Gospel? If you are a Christian or non-Christian your answer is or should be YES! Even as believers, I think we tend to struggle in believing the life-giving hope of the Gospel that is ours in Christ.

One of my favorite authors put together a month-long book of devotions going through the first 8 chapters of the book of Romans. Not only is it theologically solid, but it is also easy for anyone to grasp, and full of hope for sinners like me.

I hope you find hope in these quotes as Elyse points us to Christ – and if you haven’t picked up this book, then I urge you to do so.

“He (Jesus) emerged into the dim light of our world, bringing with him the ineffable brightness of a universe remade, having reverses the curse and defeated the power of darkness forever.” (pg 20)

“He absolutely delights in demonstrating his mercy and love. Rather than our failures frustrating him, our sin simply serves to make his mercy more beautiful.” (pg 29)

“Our gospel inheritance is meant to cause us to rejoice and to live out each day in grateful obedience.” (pg 55)

“In both our justification and our sanctification, Jesus Christ must remain in our minds where he is in Paul’s: completely, utterly, permanently, gloriously, preeminent.” (pg 101)

“God no longer has any wrath left for us because we’ve been justified by faith.” (pg 130)

6 Jan 2011

Book Review: J I Packer’s Praying the Lord’s Prayer (Crossway)

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Of course during the new year time we see a lot about New Year’s resolutions and most from what I’ve seen this year have to do with reading and memorizing the Word more.  These are crucial to a Christian’s growth.  Another key discipline in the life of a Christian is prayer.  I’ve been flipping through this little gem of a book for a while now, but then decided to sit down and read it.  J I Packer is usually known for his deep theology books like Knowing God (which I also love).  But, this one, though rich in theology, is more pastoral and practical than other ones I’ve read by him. 

He walks through each phrase of the Lord’s prayer which has taught me more ways that I can pray like Jesus, and reminding me of the hope there is in praying the very words of Christ.  My life verse, Colossians 3:16, says to let the words of Christ dwell richly…how much more so in my prayer life?

At the end of each short, read-in-one-sitting, chapter has a list of study questions (perfect to use in a small group setting) and a few other passages of Scripture to broaden your understanding of the subject matter.

In matters of adoption: “Jesus directs us, however, to do it – in other words, to seek access and welcome to God’s presence on the ground that we are children in his family and he looks on us with a father’s love.” (21)

In the matter of sinful nature: “Were we left to ourselves, any praying we did would both start and end with ourselves, for our natural self-centeredness knows no bounds.” (41)

“I cannot sincerely ask for the doing of God’s will without denying myself, for when we get down to the business of everyday living, we regularly find that it is our will rather than his that we want to do, or to see happen.” (58)

On matters of food: “The Christian way is not to deify them (bodies), making health and beauty ends in themselves, as modern pagans do, nor it is to despise them, making scruffiness a virtue, as some ancient pagans once did.  It is rather to accept one’s body as part of God’s good creation, to act as its steward and manager, and gratefully to enjoy it as one does so.  Thus we honor its Maker.  Such enjoyment is in no way unspiritual for Christ’s disciples, for them, it is like their salvation, the Lord’s free gift.” (73)

On the will of God: “Christians look at their lives God-centeredly.  They see God as the one whose action has been the decisive factor shaping their lives, and as the only one who is able to assess what they have achieved.” (96)

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