Book Review: The Alchemist

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it. The Alchemist, pg 163 warning: spoilers ahead. also a lot of honesty/negativity because this book was essentially garbage. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho was the first book I began and […]

2020: The Year of the Book-Buying Ban

At the beginning of this year, I set two very specific goals for myself. And actually met them. Both setting and meeting goals are very unlike me, so please don’t think I’m boasting. 1. Read at least 20 books before January 1st, 2021.2. Do not buy any books for myself before January 1st, 2021. Thanks […]

Book Review: The Great Divorce

If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell. preface, The Great Divorce The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis was one of the most interesting books I read this year […]

Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I don’t know if you know this or not, but I am a fan of dystopian novels and movies. And my favorite so far is The Hunger Games. I picked it up nearly eight years ago at a recommendation from my librarian. When I checked it out, she said, “You know, the movie adaptation is […]

Book Review: Women of the Word

The heart cannot love what the mind does not know. Yes, it is sinful to acquire knowledge for knowledge’s sake, but acquiring knowledge about One we love, for the sake of loving him more deeply, will always be for our transformation. We must love God with our minds, allowing our intellect to inform our emotions, […]

Why I Listen to Christmas Music Early + Recommended Albums

We made it to November! I sort of feel like we’ve been breathlessly treading water and the tide finally brought us to the island – the island of holidays and the start of a new year. We’re going to make it. Things have been crazy but we’re all sort of winding down as the holidays […]

graceful resignation

Planning a wedding is a flurry of emotions, expectations, and sparkles. I knew I was going to marry this man, I knew it was God’s will, and I was just so ready to be married. So when we entered the pastor’s office for premarital counseling, I felt like I was just checking another box on […]

Book Review: The Chronicles of Narnia

They looked into a room that was quite empty except for one big wardrobe; the sort that has a looking-glass in the door. There was nothing else in the room at all except a dead blue-bottle on the window-sill. “Nothing here!” said Peter, and they all trooped out again – all except Lucy. the lion, […]

Book Review: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Ultimately, nothing in this life, apart from God, can satisfy our desires. Tragically, we continue to chase after our desires ad infinitum. The result? A chronic state of restlessness or, worse, angst, anger, anxiety, disillusionment, depression – all of which lead to a life of hurry, a life of busyness, overload, shopping, materialism, careerism, a […]

Book Review: Letters to the Church

I can’t help but see our own lameness in failing to see the beauty in God’s design for the Church. Heavenly beings are shocked by God’s Church, while many on earth yawn. The early church didn’t need the energetic music, great videos, attractive leaders, or elaborate lighting to be excited about being a part of […]

Book Review: Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues

If simplicity is a virtue, then living simple lives and cherishing simple pleasures are all that is required for our lives to have value. We need not feel guilty when we suspect we should be doing more for God’s kingdom, for when he needs us he will call us, and until then we can be […]

Have you done anything lately worth remembering?

We sat at Panera Bread tonight after church, outside eating salads and watching lightning bolts and googling “deep life questions” to spark discussions. I read aloud from my phone, “Have you done anything lately worth remembering?” Joshua scrunched his nose. “I don’t think so, really.” Of course I assured him of several things, but I […]

Book Review: Why Her?

When a woman struggles to understand the goodness of God in her life, she will always look at the success of another woman as a threat to her success. Listen, just like Rachel and Leah, God’s goodness is surrounding you. Even if it feels like everyone else is winning and you’re losing, the goodness of […]

we will never forget

we heard it in the distanceone country, two countriesit would be here soon it was a jokebut then —it wasn’t in a blink it was hereand we froze in its wakewhat would happen? tom hanks got itone hundred, two hundredthere would be more soon spring break canceledone event, ten eventseverything closed empty buildingsjobless peoplelonely people […]

SELF-CARE IN A SELF-LOVE WORLD

I cannot scroll through Instagram ONCE without seeing the phrase “self-care” or “self-love.” A few years ago, when #selfcare started popping up on social media and Pinterest, I sort of rolled my eyes because it seemed obvious that this was not a Christian movement. But that was years ago. Now, the lines between Christianity and […]

The Church That Built Me

At six years old, sitting on the couch between my dad and sister, across from my mom who was expecting a baby, I read aloud a letter Dad had written explaining to us that we would be going to a new church where he would be the youth pastor. It was a small church perched […]

Book Review: Tolkien: A Biography

After a while, Tolkien is satisfied he has judged the exam paper fairly and places it on the right-hand pile before plucking another from the pile to his left. For a further few minutes he reads the opening pages of this new paper and then, turning the page, he is surprised to see before him […]

This Is My Story

“If this is how my story is going to go, so be it.” I wrote that in my journal about two weeks ago, and I’ve both said it aloud and thought it to myself many times since. Sometimes I have a resentful tone, sometimes simple resignation, sometimes restful. I don’t know really know what I’m […]

Book Review: Fahrenheit 451

“You must understand that our civilization is so vast that we can’t have our minorities upset and stirred. Ask yourself, What do we want in this country, above all? People want to be happy, isn’t that right? Haven’t you heard it all your life? I want to be happy, people say. Well, aren’t they? Don’t […]

Book Review: The Magician’s Nephew

Wow guys, I started and finished this book within 24 hours. No joke. I think this happened for a couple reasons. Allow me to share them with you. First of all, and this is the same reason I chose to read this book when I did, I have been so hungry for fiction! I had […]

Book Review: What Happens When Women Pray

Even though He Himself was God incarnate, He thought it necessary to withdraw to a mountain to pray all night . . . If He, why not us? pg 82 What Happens When Women Pray by Evelyn Christenson is an older book, originally published in 1975. But the principles and truths contained within this book […]

Not a Waste

That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. Psalm 104:28 April is over. Truthfully one of the oddest months I’ve ever experienced. April 2020 is a month I’m sure I’ll tell my babies about someday. Why? Because April was our first complete month of shelter-in-place. (Hopefully the last full […]

Audiobook Review: The Road Back to You

Audiobook number two is complete! I enjoyed this one as an audiobook more than I enjoyed Real Food for Pregnancy as an audiobook. (That does not necessarily mean I prefer the book itself over the other.) The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile is fairly well-known, since it is about […]

Audiobook Review: Real Food for Pregnancy

Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols, RDN was my first audiobook! And I have to say. . . I don’t think I like audiobooks. That being said, I already started another one and I’m enjoying it more than I enjoyed Real Food for Pregnancy as an audiobook. So I think that audiobooks aren’t for […]

Guest Post: Punctuating the Crucifixion

This is a guest post by my lovely sister in law, Autumn. I appreciate her heart and willingness to share some thoughts from her devotion today, and I know it will encourage you as we prepare for resurrection sunday at the end of this week. Somewhere in the midst of all my years of celebrating […]

These Are Simple Days.

These are simple days. Sleep in, slow wake up.Read the Bible, sit on the couch for a few more minutes petting the dog.Put kettle on for coffee or tea.Breakfast.Put away clean dishes.Load dishwasher with dirty ones.Listen to an audiobook.Light a candle.Play the piano.Put in a load of laundry, listen to the rumble of the washer […]

Book Review: Destination Simple

So much of simple living is in the art of noticing. . . if I had to sum this book up in one idea it would be this: become a noticer. Brooke McAlary is a blogger and podcaster at Slow Your Home. She wrote this tiny book as a great place to start for simplifying […]

Book review: Awe

Forgetting the awesome and glorious One Who made it all and holds it all together by the sheer power of His magnificent will, will always insert me into the center. This means that no story will be more important to me than my story. . . Awe of self, worship of self, underlies every form […]

ornaments: a minimalist story

I don’t know about your family, but it seems that as far back as I can remember, my family has been exceedingly sentimental about Christmas ornaments. Every year when we pulled the Christmas decorations out at the Wilson house – after bringing home a freshly cut tree from Cherry Grove Tree Farm – the adorning […]

Book Review: ordinary

My thesis in this book is that we must turn from the frantic search for “something more” to “something more sustainable.” We need to stop adding something more of ourselves to the gospel. We need to be content with the gospel as God’s power for salvation. We also need to be content with his ordinary […]