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How to Build a Habit of Rest - Part Two

2026-03-18T13:12:00.002-04:00

In September I wrote a post about building a habit of rest. I shared about our annual tradition of attending camp meeting. I stated that I'd write a second part to the post, and some of you have reminded me that I never wrote the second post.

As a reminder, here are the five steps I shared on building a habit of rest as they applied to our August camp meeting.

How to Build a Habit of Rest

1. Choose a busy time of year.

(For most of us, that is anytime! Rest must not wait for us to not be busy. It needs to be planned and fought for. Even on crazy August days.)

2. Ignore your work, and take time to rest and worship.

(For a mom with children, work will always be there, but the opportunity to spend time with your family may not.)

3. Repeat the next year.

(There are seasons that you need to adapt or change your routines. So don't be stuck on doing it only one way. But also, don't give up striving for rest.)

4. And repeat the year after, until it becomes a habit or routine.

(Building a habit isn't complicated. It just requires consistency. But consistency is hard when you are tired.)

5. To reinforce the routine, include your little people.

(They are great at giving accountability to do the things we want or need to do.)

But I know that most people don't have the opportunity to attend something like a camp meeting each year. Maybe they could find something similar to do with their family, but my situation with having a camp meeting nearby, that I attended as a child, that my children enjoy, and which works into our schedule of work and school is not a reality for most people. I'm sure there are ways that the basic idea could be adapted, and I'd love to hear your ideas, but most readers probably read that post and thought it out of grasp.

But as I sat by my campfire at camp meeting and thought about building a habit of rest, I thought of another routine that my parents had built into my life - resting one day each week.

Like most habits built in childhood, I didn't appreciate the routine of resting on Sunday for many years. I took it for granted and sometimes resented it. I grew up on a dairy farm, so it was impossible to stop all work on Sunday. Cows needed to be fed and milked twice a day regardless of the day of the week. But no extra work was done on Sunday, and often we did a bit extra on Saturday to make less work on Sunday.

I remember arguing with my mom on what constituted work. I was glad I didn't need to work in the garden on Sunday, but I enjoyed sewing, and thought I could sew on Sunday, but she said that was providing for our needs, even if it was an enjoyable hobby, and should be laid aside for one day. Now I'm glad for the model she gave me. No, there was nothing wrong with sewing on Sunday, but if I truly wanted to set aside a day and make it special, it would mean sacrificing some things I enjoyed.

I now know that Sundays aren't very restful for moms. Caring for children never stops. Meals need to be prepared every day. If we had guests on Sunday, which we often did, that required more work for Mom. But still Sundays were held special, with the rest of the week shaping the goal of resting on Sunday.

For my parents, church attendance on Sunday was expected. Even if we were traveling, they planned their schedule to be in church somewhere on Sunday. I had to be very sick to skip gathering with believers on Sunday (and every other time there was church during the week.)

As I got older and spent more time away from home, I realized how differently some families looked at Sunday. For some, Sundays were a day to shop and eat out - two things my parents avoided unless there was a dire emergency. I began to evaluate the habits I grew up with to decide what I wanted Sundays to look like for myself.

Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27) I don't believe that we are required to keep the Old Testament Sabbath laws. But did God create the human body to need to rest one day a week? For our grandparents, resting one day a week was culturally expected. Stores closed, and it was socially unacceptable to mow your grass on Sunday. But we are now reaping the result of several decades without a cultural Sunday rest habit. Recently there seems to be a revival of having a day of rest. As burnout becomes more common (or maybe more often admitted), many people, even unbelievers, are promoting some kind of rest day each week for physical and mental health.

When I married Ed, he helped me think more about preparation for Sunday. He never wanted to be out late on Saturday night. Sometimes I wanted to finish up a project, maybe mop my kitchen floor, after the children were in bed on Saturday night, but he always said that anything not done by 9:00 Saturday night could be finished Monday. His opinion was that if he came into Sunday so exhausted that he couldn't stay awake during church and had to take a long nap on Sunday afternoon, then he needed to change how he spent his week. He encouraged me to keep meals very simple on Sunday, which meant sometimes we ate leftovers. If we had company on Sundays, he would suggest easy menus that could be made ahead and reminded me that I wasn't trying to impress. When Ed became a minister, he tried to work ahead on his sermon so he didn't have to stay up late or get up early to finish it.

All of these practices helped shape my expectations of a day of rest. We had some crazy years with many little people in our house. I often felt chronically tired, with getting up at night with babies. We spent many Sundays during those years going to a park after lunch to run off toddler energy, in hopes that everyone would nap on Sunday afternoon. We had full Sundays when Ed preached at another church, so we needed to get up early, and Sundays that we had afternoon AND evening plans, and I looked forward to Monday to recover. I was grateful for the routines we had built early in our marriage of preparing on Saturday, getting to bed earlier Saturday night, and keeping Sunday expectations as simple as possible.

One of the habits we built was to sit down sometime together on Sunday with our calendars and talk about the week ahead. Not only did it help us communicate our wishes and needs to each other, but it also helped set the tone for our week. I began to value Sundays as a way to recalibrate my focus. The combination of time of worship with God's people, the opportunity to set aside my normal tasks, and the communication with Ed about what was important, not only gave me physical rest but also mental clarity for the week ahead.

After Ed's death, Sundays were hard. I was glad that we had built in some Sunday routines. It was easy to carry on habits of church attendance and halting regular work, but Sundays felt drab without Ed and were a reminder of all I had lost. No longer was the day a celebration, an anticipated family time. It was hard to not dread Sunday. I had to fight to keep viewing Sundays as a gift.

This winter I've been thinking more about rest. I'm not sure if it is because I'm nearing fifty or the craziness of parenting young adults, but I've felt soul weary.

I've been reading what other authors say about the practice of a day of rest. In The Common Rule, Justin Whitmel Earley writes about his experience with a breakdown and how creating habits helped restore his mental and emotional health. One of those habits was keeping a Sabbath each week. He writes, "Practicing sabbath is supposed to make us feel like we can't get it all done because that is the way reality is. We can't do it all....Sabbath helps me see how small I am. When I don't see that, I'm always prone to misunderstand the reality of who is dependent on who. The belief that we sustain the world and God doesn't is at the core of our unrest. The violence of that belief shows up as scars on the heart and the body."

Kevin DeYoung, in Crazy Busy, says, "God gives us Sabbath as a gift; it's an island of get-to in a sea of have-to. He also offers us Sabbath as a test; it's an opportunity to trust God's work more than our own. When I go weeks without taking adequate time off, I may or may not be disobeying the fourth commandment, but I'm certainly too convinced of my own importance and more than a little foolish."

Many other authors are talking about the need to slow down one day a week and detach from normal life. Some studies even claim that people in religious groups who keep the Sabbath live longer.

Many Sunday afternoons, I've sat on my porch and felt immense gratitude for the habit of a day of rest that my parents gave me. I can look at a weedy flowerbed, a bulging laundry basket, a long grocery list, an unsewn dress, and cobwebs in the corner with no guilt. I can stretch out on the couch with a book, take a long walk, and play games with my children without feeling like a slacker.

A day of rest each week isn't a legalistic rule; it is a privilege. But as I considered what I believe about a day of rest, I noticed that even though there are some things I choose not to do on Sunday, such as laundry, cleaning, or shopping, my personality still desires to use my time productively. I want to get to the end of Sunday feeling like I have accomplished something. That might mean taking a walk, having a good conversation with a friend, reading a good book, journaling, or writing a card. But if I didn't do any of those things, I felt like I wasted the day. Even having friends over could become a checklist.

I realized I was obsessed with productivity when I stopped reading magazines because if I read books, I felt like I was accomplishing something when I added a book to my reading list. There wasn't anything wrong with choosing books over magazines, but there was something wrong with finding my value in what I accomplished.

This winter I decided to push against my desire for productivity and choose one of the most fruitless activities I could think of - putting together puzzles. I sorta like putting together puzzles and my youngest daughter enjoyed doing them with me, so we began keeping a puzzle on the coffee table. Often I listened to an audiobook while I put together the puzzle. (Yes, I'm still trying to multitask. Maybe I'll work on that next.) When the puzzle was finished, we'd look at it for a few minutes, then crush our hours of work and place the pieces back in the box and dump out a new puzzle.

Choosing to do a puzzle was my small step of resistance against my desire to find my worth in what I accomplish. I still have a long way to go. I can still turn a walk or reading into a competition, even just with myself. (Can I walk a mile in less time? Read more books than last year?) While a drive to improve, to do more, to run faster, can be good, for me it has been unhealthy. As I think of turning 50 this year, I know that I'm eventually going to face the fact that I cannot do more, faster, better, than I did last year, because physically I will be forced to slow down. If my value is only in my productivity, I'm going to fight against aging, which is a futile task.

For me, a day of rest is a reminder that God is my Creator and Redeemer. He made me with a body with limitations, and He did the work of salvation on the cross that I was helpless to do myself. Living and working for Him is a process of surrender, denial of self, and rest in His work. Sundays can help me refocus on what is important - loving God with my heart, sould, mind, and strength. The other six days can hopefully flow out of the peace of heart found on the day of rest.

I'm still figuring out what it means practically. I've experimented with staying offline on Sundays and think it would be a good habit. Even though I've chosen to not visit physical stores, it is easy to place an online order, but can I push against consumerism for one day each week? How can I remember that God is my provider, and He invites me to lay down my desires, needs, and wants at His feet? Can I accept this gift from Him?

Here is the list again, with a few adjustments for a weekly day of rest.

How to Build a Habit of Rest

1. Choose a busy time.

(For most of us, that is anytime! Rest must not wait for the work to all be done. Instead we choose to be filled first, then serve in the power of the Spirit.)

2. Ignore your work, and take time to rest and worship.

(For a mom with children, this is hard. So much depends on you. Maybe you will need to be creative in carving out time to rest and worship.)

3. Repeat the next week.

(There are seasons that you need to adapt or change your routines, such as when you have new babies. But don't give up striving for rest.)

4. And repeat the week after, until it becomes a habit or routine.

(Building a habit isn't complicated, but it requires consistency.)

5. To reinforce the routine, include your little people.

(Children are good at saying, "We always..." They give accountability to do the things we want or need to do.)

This post contains affiliate links.

I'd love to hear how you prioritize a day of rest. What is your biggest challenge? How does a day of rest help you shape the rest of the week?

Light in Darkness

2026-01-25T14:53:00.001-05:00

I stopped in the lobby to get a coffee at Starbucks. Around me, nurses in scrubs grabbed their to-go orders. Bright Christmas music played over the speakers, and a tree glittered in the corner. As I walked the long tan hall, with that antiseptic scent that hovers in hospitals, I heard beeps of monitors from open doors, and I wondered about the stories of those I passed.

In the elevator I met the eyes of an older gentleman. "How is your day?" he asked with a smile.

"Better than yesterday," I replied.

He nodded. "Yeah, me too. Any improvement is the right direction." He exited onto the third floor, and the doors closed. I assumed he was visiting his wife. I wondered if they would be home by Christmas.

Between Thanksgiving and the middle of January, I walked that same hall, going up that same elevator, many times to visit my dad. It wasn't the way I had expected to spend December, but it was an honor to share that time with my parents.

Photo from Pixabay

Many mornings I left my house in the dark, driving east on the interstate, watching the Crayola rays of the sunrise. Hours later, I traveled the same road, this time heading west into the coral and copper glow.

Since I was a child, I always thought of heaven when I saw a sunrise or sunset. It seemed that glory was just behind the clouds, straining to peep through.

I didn't have the excitement that I usually experienced at the beginning of the new year. I love looking back over the past year and gazing forward at the new one. Ed and I always enjoyed making some goals for the new year - a habit I've continued. I try to be realistic when goal setting and revisit the list throughout the year.

But this year, I was just tired. A friend suggested that maybe memories of past hospital visits, with the sights, sounds, and smells, had worn me down more than I realized.

In December of 2018, I spent a lot of time at the hospital for Ed's doctor appointments - though at a different hospital in a different state than the one I visited this December. The cancer in Ed's brain was slowly overtaking him. I remember the contrast of walking into the medical center lobby with Christmas music playing and sparkling decorations swinging from the banisters while my spirits hung low. We tried to enjoy our time together, and Ed often stopped to buy a coffee in the lobby for the ride home. One afternoon we took some time to examine the gingerhouse displays showcasting the creative talents of the various nursing deparments - a contrast to dire brain MRIs.

That year I filled our December with as much family time as possible, knowing that it was likely our last as a complete family. I was struck by how many of our Christmas carols look with longing to a world when Christ will come back and make all things right.

"For lo, the days are hast’ning on,/ By prophet bards foretold,/ When with the ever circling years/ Shall come the time foretold,/ When the new heav’n and earth shall own/ The Prince of Peace their king,/ And the whole world send back the song/ Which now the angels sing." - Edmund H. Sears

Jesus didn't come to a world that was bright and happy, with cheery music, sparkly lights, and peppermint lattes. He came for the sick awaiting blood draws and CT scans. He came to an occupied country, with an evil ruler who would stoop to infant massacre to keep his power. Jesus came to world of slavery, predjudice, hopelessness, where even many of the spiritual leaders had lost their way. He came to world that was suffering disease and heartache from thousands of years of the curse of sin.

A world much like the one in which I live today.

Many mornings I began my day by checking my phone for updates from my sister who lived halfway around the world and was watching war creep closer to her home. I saw her photos of thousands of refugees in camps and grieved.

I was sitting in my dad's quiet hospital room when I received the startling call that a friend had been killed in a vehicle accident. I was crushed with the knowledge that his children were now fatherless, his wife a widow, and our church again faced the senseless loss of a good man.

Photo from Pixabay

That night I walked through the Christmas-decked lobby and shivered through the bitter cold to find my car in the parking garage. I drove out onto the interstate for the ride home and again the setting sun painted the sky with the indescrible beauty of fuchsia, magenta, and maroon until darkness descended again.

Life can be dark. Death and sickness, betrayal and pain are real. I know many of you have faced hard things these past months.

I don't want to share a pat cliche, but I believe it is true. Jesus came to earth to enter our broken human existence with all of its pain and tears. It is in Him that we can find life abundant despite the darkness.

I've spent January holding onto the slow and the quiet. Reading the book of John quietly in the early morning. Putting together a puzzle by the fire with my daughter. Deciding not to make any goals for 2026 until February 1 this year. (Because I do like goal setting, but there is no magic in January 1.) My dad is home by now and recovering well.

I keep watching for brilliant sunrises and sunsets and the reminder that heaven is just beyond view. But God is even closer, right here, in hospitals and homes, along highways and by headstones, in refugee camps and homeless shelters.

Emmanuel, God with us. The Light of the world.

Would I Be a Hero?

2025-11-26T17:45:00.003-05:00

When I was a child, I loved historical fiction. I soaked in adventures of slaves fleeing evil masters, helped by kind people on the Underground Railroad and stories of smuggling food to Jews who were fleeing Nazi soldiers. I imagined myself as a bold, daring rescuer, willing to risk my life to help others.

In the last several years I've read several books by adults struggling to find out details of their past and their parents and grandparent's roles in history. In Belongin g: A German Reckons with History and Home, Nora Krug searches for evidence of what her grandfather was doing during the years leading up to World War 2 in Germany. Where was he when the local synagogue was burned and their Jewish neighbors hauled away in train cars? Did he try to help? Or was he part of the Nazi mob?

Today, with social media, where opinions and beliefs are freely shared and recorded for all to see, it can be hard to imagine the silence of that time, especially with destroyed records and tight-lipped grandparents. Nora struggled with a deep sense of shame for her German heritage, though she had been born years after the Holocaust.

I recently read Soul Survivor by Philip Yancy, which records his struggle to recover from his upbringing in a white Atlanta church where he heard blatantly racist sermons and the deacons patrolled the church doors to make sure no blacks entered. Yancy faced the truth that the blacks in his hometown, with his same last name, had once been owned by his great-grandfather before the Civil War.

I remember looking at the photos of the first black students to integrate into all-white schools in the south and shuddering at the hate in the white faces. I wondered what it would be like to see that photo and recognize the face of my mother or grandmother.

I'll admit to feeling rather smug. My ancestors have been peace-loving, hard-working Anabaptists in Pennsylvania for over ten generations. They weren't slave owners or Nazi supporters, nor did they throw tomatoes at little black girls walking to school.

Somehow I assumed that if I had been living in the mid-1800s, I'd been part of the Underground Railroad, giving a ride and food to weary slaves. Or if I'd been in Germany in the 1930s, I'd have sheltered Jews despite the risk, just like heroes such as Corrie ten Boom.

But what makes me think I'd have been in that small minority who fought against the norms of their culture? I tried to do a bit of research, but the numbers were rather elusive. In Poland, the European country that had the largest population of Jews before World War 2, it is estimated that three million of Jews died, about 90% of the Jewish population. Many Polish people did help the Jews, and about 1,000 Poles were killed for their role in rescuing Jews. But the number of people who helped the Jews is very small, maybe one or two percent of the Polish population. If I had lived in Poland during that time, chances are great that I'd have been among the average, the 98%, who either didn't help or worse, actively hurt the Jews.

We all want to be considered above average, and the historical fiction books didn't help my view of the times. But most of us will be average; that is reality. We can't possibily all be in the one percent.

My ancestors lived just north of the Mason-Dixon line during the Civil War. The stone house that I grew up in was old enough that it would have seen General Jeb Stuart's cavalry travel up the Mercersburg Road to round up horses for the Confederate army. Family stories tell of hiding horses and blankets by the creek from General Stuart's raiders.

But there are no family stories about hiding slaves. With their location so near to the Potomac River, surely there were slaves traveling through the area. There is at least one house, a few miles away, that is said to be a stop on the Underground Railroad, but what role did my great-great-great grandparents play? Did they never happen to be at the right place to lend assistance? Were they unaware of the needs of those across the border, and instead focused on the daily work on their farms? Were they unwilling to help slaves, not wanting to get on the wrong side of the law? Or were they so humble that their roles in helping others were never spoken of or recorded for future generations? I'll never know.

As I muddled through these thoughts, I realized that no matter where and when I lived I would most likely been average, and not the heroic rescuer of my childhood dreams. And I need to repent of my pride that my ancestors were not evil slave masters or Nazi camp guards.

So what does it mean for me today? Though I claim to want to serve others, I usually choose modes of service that are convenient, comfortable, and personally fulfilling. I pat myself on the back when I help with the prison Bible study, but then go back to my comfortable home with no risk until my next scheduled evening. I enjoy helping with a children's Bible club, because the children are cute and sweet, even when they are a bit dirty, but I wish to ignore the adults in those same households, with their addictions, poor choices, and chronic health conditions. I'm am not the material of which heroes are made, not when I lack the patience for even long rambling conversations with mentally-unstable people.

I look in awe at friends who jump fully into serving others - loving a foster baby and her parents, walking with a neighbor bound by addictions, choosing to be family to a new immigrant. I admire those who form long-term relationships with broken people and selflessly give beyond convenience.

At one time I read stories and gloated about who I would be if I had just been born in another era. Now I see my own heart and know that without the power of God, I am a miserably selfish person. But I'm certain that Corrie ten Boom didn't view herself as heroic nor did she seek adventure, but she simply loved her neighbors because God gave her His love.

I have a choice to love, a choice to surrender, and choice to put others before myself. And those choices make us a true hero, even if our story is never told in a book.

This post containes affiliate links.

New Book! Every Girl's Journey

2025-11-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

It is always fun to share a big project with a friend who has a similiar goal. Whether it is planning a wedding, anticipating a new baby, or working on a home improvement project, we bond with friends who are facing similiar joys and challenges.

My friend Regina Rosenberry began her book writing journey about ten years ago, just like me.
Both our book journeys had numerous setbacks over the years. Sometimes we set aside our projects for months, or even longer. Sometimes we thought that the book project had completely died, but somehow it always resurrected. We sent each other chapters as we finished them, celebrated small milestones, and groaned together over delays. We never dreamed that we would both be holding the first copies of our books within weeks of each other. I'm delighted to share this journey with her and introduce Regina's book, Every Girl's Journey to you.

Regina caught the vision for her book when she searched for resources to share the facts of growing up with her pre-teen daughter and didn't like the options she found at her local library. She wanted a book that would celebrate the beauty of God's creation of the female body with practical tips and godly wisdom. So she combined her love of nutrition and care for our bodies with her passion for encouraging young women in the Lord into a lovely book to share with her daughters.

This book is beautiful! Regina and Hannah Lehigh combined their talents to design water-color paintings which give this book a feminine charm.

But it more than just pretty pages. Regina delves into all sorts of topics from acne to friendships. She even tackles some hard topics like eating disorders and abuse with tact and kindness. I love her motherly tone that is both matter-fact and warm. I think girls will love her stories where she bravely shares some of her embarrassing moments, showing that she is real and faced these changes in life as well. She even includes a few recipes.

As a mom of four daughters, I'm grateful for resources like these. I suggest that you read the book first and decide what age your daughter is ready for this material. Every girl is different and only you know when it a good age. You may want to share the first chapters with your daughter, but wait until she is a bit older for some of the later chapters.

You can get your own copy of Every Girl's Journey at Christian Light. If you are a local, you can buy one directly from Regina.

Also, if you hurry, you can enter a giveaway by our friend Nola and maybe win a copy of my book, Regina's book, or our friend Geneva's book. But it ends tomorrow (Wednesday). If you sign up for the giveaway, sign up to get Nola's emails as well because she is an excellent writer that I hope will someday have her own book.

And if you are the Lancaster area, Regina and I are doing a book signing on Friday. We'd love to see you.

And on another note...my sister Charity makes beautiful, hand-sewn, genuine leather journal and has a supply available in various sizes for Christmas gifts. Message me if you want more info.

Sisters' Summer/Fall Bookshelf

2025-11-05T13:45:00.003-05:00

I've always loved to read, but this year I've enjoyed reading even more and completed more books than usual. And I'm not sure why.

Since life was extra busy this year, my sister Charity and I decided not to do any Sisters' Reading Challenges as we have for the last four years. I worried that I might read less, but somehow I have read more. And I've read more books that I loved.

I'm not sure what to credit for the extra reading. The last months have been crazy busy, but being busy obviously doesn't curtail reading at my house. Maybe it is because I was given several giftcards to bookstores, and I bought books I was excited about reading. Maybe I'm doing better at picking books that I will enjoy. Maybe I've just been in the right mental state to love reading. Whatever the cause, it has been so much fun.

I asked Charity to share a few of the books she enjoyed reading the last few months, and I chose a couple books from my stack. It is fun to see the variety of styles in these few books. Biography, food memoir, nonfiction, classic novel, and even a graphic novel!

And please remember, this isn't a comparison game. Charity and I prioritize reading and consume more than the average number of books. We love helping others find good books, and we love talking about books. But if you read only a few books compared to our stacks, that is fine! There can be good reasons to read slowly and deeply.

But I do encourage you to consider putting down your phone (after you read this!), and pick up a book. I know that the phone is my biggest deterrent in reading books. I rarely regret reading a book; I often regret the wasted time spent on my phone.

Here are some of our favorite books read the last few months.

This post contains affiliate links.

Charity -

Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix

I stepped out of my usual genre by reading a graphic novel. It deserves the highest rating on my book list! Hendrix combines his incredible artistic ability with a truly fascinating story. The book is a combination of a typical graphic novel style with parts that are normal prose. Throughout the book Hendrix contrasts the life of Hitler with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the pastor spy. The author captures this difficult time in history in a way that is easy to understand but shows the internal struggle of a man who wanted to rescue his beloved Germany and also follow God. The life of this controversial man will have you wanting to read the next page. I also loved the book by the same author/illustrator, about C.S.Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien, entitled The Mythmakers.

The Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler

It's rare that I read a cookbook from cover to cover. I love a cookbook as much as most women but one without pictures isn't usually a page turner. But this food memoir is more of a philosophy of cooking, a way of life. I couldn't put it down. Who knew reading about how to properly cook a pot of beans could make my mouth water and seriously consider if I should give up buying canned beans for the rest of my life. I enjoyed her stories of food mixed in with recipes, tips, and a way of cooking that is wholesome and so much more than the mindless filling of mouths. I think I'll read it again the next time preparing food starts to feel like just another chore.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, in this classic novel,Wharton transports her readers back in time to a place and time she knew as a child. The author belonged to the wealthy society of New York City residents which means the world she is writing about is one she knew intimately. Newland Archer's world is turned upside down when his fiance's cousin arrives from Europe. Ellen is fascinating, straightforward, European, and fleeing an abusive husband. A lot of questions about society, marriage, and manners are suddenly called into question in Archer's life. The Literary Life Podcast was invaluable in helping me understand the story's time period, interpret the various references throughout, and know how to correctly read the story. If you don't get a chance to listen to the podcast just remember to read it as a parable of American culture and less of a love triangle.

Gina -

Being Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn

This is the second in a two volume biography on Elisabeth Elliot. Being Elisabeth Elliot covers the years from when she returned to the United States from Equador until her death. The author used
Elisabeth's diaries and letters to write a well-rounded account of her life. I related to her experiences as a widow and was impressed by how much joy and delight she found in life as she raised her daughter. But then after her second husband's death, it was painful to read that her intense loneliness led her to terrible choices in her marriage to her third husband. Elliot's ministry was very influential on my life, especially when I was a youth and I was able to meet her in person several times. It was both inspiring and sad to read of the behind-the-scenes trials in her life. I now understand better why Elisabeth could write with such power about suffering and loneliness. This book is both a reminder to not put people on a pedestal but also that God can use imperfect people and redeem hard situations.

From Hollow to Hope by Sarah Weaver and Hannah Martin

I had seen this book, but didn't think it applied to me since it recounts the author's battle with a severe eating disorder. But this summer I met the authors and realized that their book was about so much more than eating disorders. Sarah (a pen name) shares her story about how God brought freedom from bondage in her life. In every chapter, her mentor, "Hannah," addresses topics relating to freedom and gives tools for things such as overcoming perfectionism and finding our identity in Christ. I have shared this book with women of all ages and each one has told me how meaningful this book was to them personally. I highly recommend it for all women.

Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey

I'm not sure how to categorize this book. Is it a art history? Bible study? Devotional book? Ramsey is a pastor, a storyteller, and a lover of art, and he skillfully combines stories of great painters with Scripture and personal application. Whether he is writing about grief, race, loneliness, or the importance of belonging, Ramsey contrasts the brokeness of this world with the hope of redemption. Often I'm disappointed by sequels, but Ramsey's second book, Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart may have been even better as he delves into the toipc of suffering. I loved these books, but assume there are only a few people who would pick up a book on art history and risk being attacked by a strong desire to visit an art museum.

I'd love hear what books you loved recently. Maybe I can start a list of books to read this winter.

On another note...my friend Regina Rosenberry just published a book! It has been so much fun to be in this book journey with her. I'll be sharing a full book review later, but for now I wanted to let you know that we are doing a book signing together. If you are in the Lancaster County area, come to Ken's Educational Joys on Friday, November 21 from 11-2! and say "Hi."

You can alsi find Regina's book and my book online.

Q&A - She Shall Be Praised

2025-10-10T07:40:00.006-04:00

A few days ago, I went to Holmes County, Ohio with my younger girls. We had a fun girls trip with lots of thrift stores and fabric shops.

But one of the main purposes of the trip was to pick up my book order at the publisher. It has been such fun to share She Shall Be Praised with friends and family.

I've loved hearing from some of you who have ordered the book or bought it at your local store. Thanks for sharing your photos!

Several of you have asked questions, and so I thought I'd do a Q&A.

Who is the target audience for this book?

I wrote this book for myself and my own wrestling with questions such as, "Who is the Proverbs 31 woman? Is this a checklist that I should complete? What about the days (weeks, months, years) that I fail and can't measure up to this ideal woman?

So I suppose the target audience for this book is the person who has asked similiar questions. Maybe a woman who has felt intimidated by Proverbs 31, even a bit ashamed at her inadequacy. If you love Proverbs 31, hate Proverbs 31, or know nothing about Proverbs 31, you will probably learn something.

Is this a book for moms or would a single woman enjoy it?

I'm a mom, so I write from my viewpoint as a mom. When I began writing this book, I was a also wife, but became a widow halfway through writing it. I began to look at Proverbs 31 a bit differently as a widow, not only because I no longer had a husband, but because I felt far more needy than when I began the book. I have had to be on the receiving end instead of the one serving, which made me doubt my whole identity.

As a widow, I've sat through sermons on marriage or family and wondered why I was there. It was important to me that those who are unmarried or childless would not feel alienated when reading this book, so I had a single friend read through the manuscript to point out places I should change. Hopefully women of any age and season of life can gain something from it.

Is this a devotional book?

That is probably a good description. I purposely kept the chapters very short, only a couple pages, for busy women. Each chapter concludes with an additional Bible passage reference for further study and a few reflection questions. There are thirty chapters, so you could use it as a thirty-day study, though I didn't list it as days since I know how frustrating it is to miss a day and get behind and have to "catch up."

Would this book be appropriate for a women or girls' Bible study?

That probably depends on how your Bible study is organized. The chapters are very short, so if you planned to read one chapter and then discuss it, you may not have enough to fill a whole Bible study. But if you study the additional Bible passage, and use the reflection questions, it would likely work. Or you could do more than one chapter at a time. Some of the chapters include additional historical or cultural information.

Can I get a copy of the book in Canada?

Living Waters bookstore in Ontario carries the book and should be able to ship to all parts of Canada (as long as the postal strike doesn't hinder delivery.) Living Waters also has an online store in New York, so US customers can also order from them online.

Can I order a signed copy from you?

Yes, I have several cases of books and would be glad to sign your copy. I would love if you'd stop in at my house and buy a copy or two. I give a discount for bulk orders.

But I am not shipping books. I'd prefer if you supported your local bookstore. Call and ask if they carry the She Shall Be Praised. If they don't have one in stock, they will likely be glad to order one for you from the publisher, Carlisle Press.

Or, if you don't have a local bookstore, you can order a copy directly from the publisher, Carlisle Press - Phone: 330-852-1900, Email: service.cpress@upwardmail.com Or online at Carlisle Press. They offer bulk discounts.

Do you have any other questions? You can read more of the history of how the book came about.

She Shall Be Praised - A new book announcement

2025-09-22T14:07:00.002-04:00

In the fall of 2009, I was asked to give a short talk on Proverbs 31 at a lunch to honor the older ladies at our church.

At the time I was a busy mother with four children ages five years to six months. We had just begun our first year of homeschooling and the week before the event, my father-in-law had unexpectedly died.

Life was full. Most days I enjoyed the challenge of mothering and had big dreams for the future, but I often I failed to live up to my goals.

I always enjoyed Proverbs 31 and the description of the Virtuous Woman. When I was a teen, I memorized the passage and looked at it as a checklist, a goal to reach toward. But by now, I saw my many failures as a wife and mom.

As I studied Proverbs 31, I looked up the word "virtue" and found that this English word was only mentioned a few times in the KJV Bible, and it carried the meaning of "power." In Mark 5, a woman touches Jesus in the crowd and the KJV states that Jesus knew that "virtue" (power) had gone out of Him.

I recently found my notes from that talk back in 2009, where I had written, "As God's daughters, we can be virtuous, not through our own efforts, I've failed often enough to know that doesn't work, but because of Christ's power in us." I've thought of those words often through the years. I need God's power, because I can't conjure up the character of the Proverbs 31 woman on my own strength.

In 2015, I decided to try writing an article for each verse in the Proverbs 31 passage about the virtuous woman. I didn't know how far I'd get, since I'm often better at starting projects than completing them. My goal was to choose a Biblical woman that connected to the Proverbs 31 verse and apply it to the New Testament and my life today.

I wrote the first two articles and sent them to the Keepers at Home magazine, printed by Carlisle Press, a small Amish publisher in Ohio. The publisher called to say he'd like to print the articles in their magazine, and suggested they could print the completed series in a devotional book for women.

The phone call came days after my sixth child was born, and I didn't know if I could write and keep up with normal life. I had no idea how crazy life would become. The next year, Ed was diagnosed with brain cancer, and he was gone two years later. But I kept reading and studying the verses from Proverbs 31 and Biblical characters, and the lives of women who faced danger, trials, and widowhood became even more meaningful. I'm grateful that I had a purposeful reason in those years to dig into these Biblical accounts.

In 2021, I finally completed the series and the publisher repeated his suggestion that we compile the articles into a book. I spent the next several years editing the articles and writing additional chapters.

Ten years after I wrote the first words, I'm excited to announce that the book is being printed. The designer did an amazing job, turning it into a beautiful, full-color book.

If you'd like a copy, and you live close to me, stop buy and pick one up.

You can order a copy directly from the publisher, Carlisle Press - Phone: 330-852-1900, Email: service.cpress@upwardmail.com or Online.

Or ask for the book at your local bookstore.

Here is a bit more info:

Title: She Shall Be Praised: Rediscovering the Proverbs 31 Woman

Full color photos and art on every page

Size: 8x8

168 pages

Retail Price: $18.99

How to Build a Habit of Rest - Part One

2025-09-11T15:26:00.001-04:00

1. Choose a busy time of year.

(Maybe August?)

2. Ignore your work and take some time to rest and worship.

(Ideally for more than a day, because most of us will take at least 24 hours to relax our tight shoulders. In severe cases, it will take a week. And, yes, you will probably have to leave your house.)

3. Repeat the next year.

4. And repeat the year after, until it becomes a habit or routine.

5. To reinforce the routine, include your little people.

Many parents have found that if you do something two years in a row, the children will say, "Every summer, we always..." If the children love it, you won't be able to quit even if you want to. (Case in point, I've attended a womens' retreat in August several years, and loved it, but have struggled to make it a routine, because I don't have my childrens' reinforcement for that event.)

Okay...so these steps were written half in jest. But I'm partly serious.

From the time I was an infant, my parents took me to the Brethren Camp Meetings held at a camp near our home every year. This event was nine days at the end of August to Labor Day each year and consisted of church services every evening and services all day on both Sundays. Family attendance was never debated, we were always there.

As dairy farmers, I remember many days of rushing crazily in from the barn to get ready in time for camp meeting. With school often starting over that time, and garden produce to can, it was a frantically busy time of year, but I never remember missing camp meetings. Even in the year my sister was born during camp meeting week, a few of the family managed to attend.

When I married and left the Brethren church to join my husband's Mennonite church, Ed made it a priority to attend the Brethren Camp Meeting each year. We both enjoyed connecting with friends each summer.

The year I was hugely pregnant with my second child, we considered not going, but I woke up Sunday morning and felt great, so we attended both the morning and evening service and enjoyed a campfire supper with friends. But I counted contractions during the last service and gave birth a few hours later, and had the fun of calling friends with the baby news and hearing "But we saw you just last night!"

I don't remember what year we started camping overnight on the second weekend of camp meeting, but I know that our oldest child was little. We rented one of the rustic cabins which was only a couple steps up from tenting, but at least had electricity and mattresses. Our children loved playing with their cousins, riding bikes, and playing on the water slide. Ed and I soaked in the messages and fellowshiped around the campfires. The children ran until exhausted, which allowed us to tuck them into bed and enjoy quiet conversation on the cabin porch. Camp meeting became a highlight for all of us.

But one year, as I packed food, bedding, towels, diapers, bikes, and clothes (so many, many clothes), I said, "I can't do this next year." I don't know how many children we had by that time, but I was exhausted. Camping anywhere takes a lot of packing, but combining camping with church services meant many more clothes and towels, and I couldn't keep doing it. But I also couldn't end the camp meeting tradition, so we compromised.

We only lived twenty minutes away, so several days on camp meeting week, I'd pack up the children, bikes, bandaids, and lunch, and we'd spend the day at camp meeting. The children would ride bikes with their cousins and friends while I sat under a tree with the babies, doling out water, band aids, and lunch as needed. Then in the late afternoon, we'd go home, where the babies caught a short nap while everyone showered. Then Ed would come home from work, and we'd all head back to the evening service. It worked wonderfully and became our new camp meeting tradition.

After Ed's death, I thought that now that the children were older, and I'd have help and didn't have to work around Ed's work schedule, maybe I'd try staying overnight at camp meeting again. Apparently someone heard our idea, because I was told that an anonymous person had offered to pay for a cabin for as much of the week as we wished to stay at camp meeting. And so began a new tradition.

Each year since then, on Tuesday of camp meeting, we move into the cabin with a mountain of belongings. It feels a bit ridiculous to be this close to home and stay in such a rustic dwelling. When I'm packing, I feel like I've lost my mind, but now I have children old enough to help.

Yes, we bring about every stitch of clothes we own. Yes, I move half my kitchen to camp including the toaster, coffee pot, Instapot, and slow cooker. Yes, as soon as I arrive I remember something I forgot (this year it was trash bags) even after writing meticulous lists. But when the children help unpack the van, throw their sleeping bag on their bunk, then jump on their bikes, and I split some kindling, light the first campfire, settle into my lawn chair underneath the immense oak trees, and exhale - then I know the work is worthwhile.

This year was our fifth year spending almost a week at camp meeting. Life looks different than five years ago. Now my older children aren't riding bikes with their cousins. They are getting up early and going to work, then dashing to the shower house before joining us for supper.

But I still have a few children in the bike gang, and we've learned routines over the years that make life at camp simpler. We often invite family and friends to join us for meals and walk to the church service smelling of campfire smoke. Most days I go home to feed our pets, do a load of laundry, and pick up whatever we may have forgotten. Each day I enjoy walks with other moms, daily Bible studies, and long talks on cabin front porches. I soak in sunrise views from the porch while contemplating last night's convicting message. For a few days, I forget about the tomatoes in my garden or the pears that I could be canning.

We stay up far too late fellowshipping so come home with a sleep deficiency. As usual when camping, unpacking is worse than packing. The laundry heap is atrocious, with smoky church clothes and grass-stained jeans, but it is all worth it. And by year five, the tradition is so firmly grounded that I'd have a family mutiny if we didn't go to camp meeting.

I've been thinking of this yearly tradition of rest and how life giving it has been to me - even though it contains some hard things. When thinking of the list from the beginning of this post, here are things I've learned.

1. Choose a busy time of year.

(Rest doesn't wait for us to not be busy. It needs to be planned and fought for. Even on crazy August days.)

2. Ignore your work and take some time to rest and worship.

(For a mom with children, work will always be there, but the opportunity to spend time with your family may not.)

3. Repeat the next year.

(There are seasons that you need to adapt or change your routines. So don't be stuck on doing it only one way. But also, don't give up striving for rest.)

4. And repeat the year after, until it becomes a habit or routine.

(Building a habit isn't complicated. It just requires consistency. But consistency is hard when you are tired.)

5. To reinforce the routine, include your little people.

(Most of us need accountability, even to do the things we want or need to do.)

I know that some of you may not be able to spend several days at a camp meeting, and I hope this doesn't make you feel discontented. We all have different seasons and circumstances.

When thinking of building a habit of rest, I realized that camp meeting wasn't the only tradition of rest that my parents gave me. This post has become long enough, but I want to write about two more restful traditions - maybe ones more important than camp meeting, traditions I often under value.

So I'll be back. In the meantime, I'd love to hear if you have fought to make a restful tradition during busy seasons. Do you eat a leisurely family breakfast the Saturday before school starts? Or set a "family game night" once a week in December? Are there ways that you prioritize worship and fellowship during busy seasons?

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Ahhh....August Abundance

2025-08-25T07:38:00.004-04:00

Every August, there comes a week when I do a slow spin in my kitchen, fighting back panic, because I don't know what to do first. Garden bounty lurks from every corner, threatening to rot if I don't deal with it immediately. I stuff green beans in the fridge for tomorrow, watch the dance of the fruit flies, pull another batch of peaches out of the canner, and wonder if I have time to pick sweet corn for supper.

Ahhh...August abundance.

All year I look forward to this bounty, this feast of flavors. In February I daydream of meals with sliced tomatoes, fresh peaches, buttery green beans, and salty corn-on-the-cob. I could become a vegetarian in August. I love this month with the ping of sealed jars, a the picnic table laden with ripened tomatoes, and that first slice of fresh peach pie.

But... I'm tired. I need three extra hours each day. I must wear flipflops in my kitchen lest my toes stick on the grimy floor.

If all I had to do was keep up with my garden, I'd be fine. My garden is smaller than my mom's garden, and likely smaller than my grandmother's garden. But, as a friend said, "I'm trying to garden and can food like my grandmother, but keep the modern social schedule. And I can't do both."

That day that I did a slow spin in my kitchen? Somehow I had also signed up to take food to the Rescue Mission AND I was scheduled to teach the Ladies Bible study at the detention center. Terrible planning on my part, but this is August, and somehow these crazy conflicts are common. I chop tomatoes and plan a camping weekend. I pick up a bushel of peaches and pick up my daughters' friend to spend the afternoon playing in the creek.

In the middle of the August craziness, I listened to a podcast interview and heard the words "God is the God of infinite abundance."

Those words have circled my mind as I stirred pots.

I thought of August - this overfilled, overbooked, overladen month. This month of abundance.

August is crazy because it rained and rained and rained and the garden is lush, and my tomatoes never looked so nice.

August is crazy because I live in a community that values outreach and service, and I love sharing in this community.

August is crazy because my home is full of children who eat food and wear clothes and have needs.

August is crazy because we have friends who offer invitations, laughter, and connection.

August is crazy because I have been given much, so very very much, but I don't always have a perspective of abundance - of God's gift of infinite abundance. I could live in a place of famine, not knowing what I would feed my children. I could live in a place of loneliness, without people to feed, and love. But instead I often feel that I have too much.

So the last few weeks I've tried to quit listening to the lie that August is too much. Because I want, I need, I desire God's abundance. I want to view August abundance as a picture of God's abundance.

Yes, weeds too thrive in the August rain. And there are hard things in August. I'll always fight to find God's truth, goodness, and beauty because frustration, fears, and pride crop up to consume my time and mind as fast as weeds emerge in my green beans.

I want new eyes to see. I want wisdom to discern the ways I've distorted His abundance. I want courage to choose abundance, even if that means leaving the tomatoes to rot to sit by the creek and journal a gratitude list. Or invite a friend over for conversation, even if they may stick to my kitchen floor.

Because God is a God of infinite abundance.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

This was mostly written while sitting by the creek watching my girls play with their friends while ignoring my garden and my kitchen floor.

Geocaching: Treasure Hunting in My Hometown

2025-08-08T15:32:00.003-04:00

This was first published last year in the Hometown edition of Commonplace published by Daughters of Promise.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, my two youngest daughters and I tramped through the woods in our local park. We had visited this park many times for picnics and family gatherings, but until this occasion, I had been unaware of its extensive network of trails. One trail led to an overlook where we viewed our town from a new angle. We discovered a trail which connected to another park, and, running out of stamina, we saved its exploration for a future excursion.

If you had seen the three of us, you’d have noticed that we carried my phone, often checking it for directions. We may have acted like we didn’t know where we were going, for we didn’t—we had never walked this route. According to the Geocache app, a small container was hidden at a specific point, and we were on a mission to find it. As we walked, the app told us if we were traveling in the right direction and how close we were.

As we neared the spot, my girls started searching likely hiding places. Was it in a hollow log? How about those stacked rocks? Sometimes a cache sways on a string from a branch or hides in an abandoned stone foundation. The app tells us what size of container we are looking for, maybe a small cache—like an old mayonnaise jar or a micro one—such as a tiny plastic vial.

Then there is the thrill of discovery. “I found it!” Sometimes the cache contains trinkets, small items that can be traded. Some caches are so tiny that there is only room for a small paper log that we date and sign. We mark on the Geocache app that we found the cache, adding to our score of found caches.

And sometimes we can’t find it. Maybe the undergrowth covered the cache. Maybe the last visitor didn’t replace the box correctly. Or maybe we simply overlooked a cleverly hidden cache. We mark the cache as unfound, hoping to return later with better success.

Geocaching is a huge treasure hunt. All over the world, people have hidden containers in their communities and listed the GPS coordinates at an online site at geocaching.com. To join the fun, all you need is to download the app onto your phone, sign up for a free account, choose a cache, and start the hunt.

Geocaching is an inexpensive hobby. The basic app is free, though you can upgrade to the paid version, which gives access to more caches and a few extra features. Otherwise, all you need is a pair of walking shoes, a pen to sign the log book, and a little time. I love sharing the fun with children, but many adults also enjoy the hobby for their own pleasure. Each cache is listed by difficulty and challenge level. Some caches include puzzles or require searching for more information to figure them out. The first cache was hidden the day after GPS went public in 2000, and today over three million geocaches have been hidden and more are constantly being added.

Often when we go geocaching, I say, “I never knew that was there!” People usually place caches in favorite spots—places they’d like to share with others. We have discovered new-to-us parks, historical monuments, cute alleys, and natural wonders. I’ve lived just outside of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania for over twenty years, but usually I speed by, eyes set on my destination. Geocaching gets me out of the car, walking the streets and poking into corners of my small town. We’ve found caches stuck to stop signs, hidden at the drug store parking lot, and lurking in the flower bed at the borough office. Geocaches are always placed at public places that are open to walkers, so we never have to worry about trespassing.

One of my surprises, when we began geocaching, was the beauty found in local cemeteries. I had never walked in our town’s cemeteries before, but in addition to geocaches, we found huge old trees, fancy gates, and monuments to local residents.

Sometime we’d like to hide our own cache to add to the website. The process doesn’t look too hard, and I have some favorite spots that I think would be fun to introduce to others.

We have often geocached when on vacation, since it is a fun way to explore a new city. On a long road trip, stopping for an hour of geocaching gives us exercise before hitting the road again. Hiking and biking trails are more fun for children when they include geocaches.

But my favorite geocache excursions, though, are Sunday afternoons, rambling around my own hometown.

What are you waiting for? Find a geocache in your hometown.

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Lilias Trotter: Authors Who Have Impacted My Life

2025-06-07T07:21:00.003-04:00

This post contains affiliate links.

When I think of Victorian women from privileged British families, I imagine fashionable young ladies trained in the arts of embroidery, music, and dancing. These girls expected to attract a husband, so needed no practical skills or knowledge. But one of these refined young women shows us what God can do with a life fully surrendered to Him.

Lilias Trotter, born in 1853, had a comfortable childhood in a loving home with the advantages of a wealthy British family in London. Her father died when she was a young teen, which drew Lilias’s heart toward her Heavenly Father. Her love for the Lord and study of the Bible led her to volunteer at a hostel for young working women in London. With deep compassion for the lost, she would walk the dangerous streets at night, reaching out to prostitutes at the rail station and persuading them to come to places of safety and get job training.

Lilias showed extraordinary talent in painting, and her mother was determined to give her every advantage. In her early twenties. Lilias and her mother vacationed in Venice, Italy. Her mother discovered that the famous and very influential art critic, John Ruskin, was staying at the same hotel. Her mother sent Ruskin a sample of Lilias’s watercolor paintings, hoping that he would give Lilias some input. Ruskin was impressed by her talent and invited Lilias to sketch with him. Both Ruskin and Lilias loved nature and could be moved to tears by the beauty of the Alps. Amazed at how quickly she learned, Ruskin invited Lilias to study with him in England and they formed a life-long friendship. Years later he would say that he thought “women could not draw or paint” until he met Lilias and observed her rare talent.

But after several years, Ruskin was disturbed by how Lilias’s mission work in London hindered the development of her art. Ruskin invited Lilias to his country home and laid out a beautiful future. He told Lilias that with his skilled teaching and influence in the art world, "she would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be Immortal." But he insisted that she must devote her time wholly to her art and put aside her mission work.

Lilias didn’t take the offer lightly; she knew the value of what Ruskin was offering to her. After days of consideration, she made her decision. “I cannot give myself to painting and continue still to 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.’” Many of her friends and family were critical of her choice to throw away such a phenomenal opportunity and a chance for fame and acclaim.

Lilias continued her work in London, but after a few years her heart became drawn toward those who had never heard of Jesus in North Africa. She applied to a mission board but was turned down because of her weak heart. But, still determined, in 1888, at age thirty-five, Lilias traveled to Algiers in Northern Africa with two other financially independent young women. They knew no one, had no training, and spoke not a word of Arabic. Though they were accustomed to servants bringing them tea each morning, they rented a house and slowly began to learn domestic skills, study Arabic, and reach out to their new neighbors. They found creative methods, such as copying Arabic Scriptures on little cards and going to the cafes and asking, with their limited language skills, for the men to read the cards to them.

Lilias spent the next forty years in Algeria. At the time, Algeria was a French colony, and the English were looked at with suspicion, which sometimes hindered her ability to travel within the country. Many of the new believers were banished or beaten, and some were killed. Lilias spent weeks traveling by camel into the Sahara Desert, visiting places never before reached by a European woman.

Lilias used her talent of painting to produce tracts and booklets to reach the color-loving Arabs. Her poor health often forced her to rest, and on some of these mandatory visits to England, she wrote and illustrated devotional books. Others joined the work, and by her death, in 1928, the team included thirty workers and thirteen mission stations.

I was first introduced to Lilias Trotter years ago when I read Elisabeth Elliot’s book, A Path Through Suffering. In this book, Elliot began each chapter with an excerpt from Trotter’s devotional book Parables of the Cross with a description of her paintings. Trotter’s words were beautiful, but reading about a painting is a bit disappointing. I searched for a copy of the original book, but could only find old exorbitantly priced collector’s copies. I gave up on finding more information about Lilias.

Thankfully, Miriam Huffman Rockness prompted renewed interest in this amazing woman when she wrote Lilias’s biography in 1999 and helped produce a documentary about Lilias a few years later. Reproductions of Parablesof the Cross and Parables of the Christ-Life with Lilias’s paintings can now be purchased from Amazon or read online at Project Gutenberg.

Today you can’t find Lilias’s painting in famous museums. She died mostly unknown. But she continues to inspire those who work in areas that are closed to the Gospel. Since she couldn’t use traditional evangelistic methods, such as building churches, she searched for new methods, some of which are considered to be a hundred years before their time. We can continue to read her words about the joy of surrender to Christ and know that Lilias lived out this message.

Resources on Lilias Trotter

(Some are out of print, but may be found through online used book sellers)

A Blossom in the Desert by Lilias Trotter– a compilation of Lilias’s paintings and writings

A Passion for the Impossible: The Life of Lilias Trotter by Miriam Huffman Rockness (biography)

Daringin the Desert by Irene Howat (middle-grade biography)

Lily: The Girl Who Could See by Sally Oxley and Tim Ladwig (children’s picture book biography)

Liliastrotter.com (A website dedicated to sharing Lilias’ life and legacy)

ManyBeautiful Things – film documentary on Lilias Trotters’ life available on youtube

This article was first published for the Brighter Winter email newsletter.

What Is in a Word?

2025-05-09T06:53:00.003-04:00

May: Brain Cancer Awareness Month

Eight years ago: May 2017

Diagnosis:

Ed has headaches.

(But he has always had migraines; surely they aren’t serious.)

Ed has a brain tumor.

(It is in a safe location for surgery; surely he will recover.)

Ed has brain cancer.

(He is young, hearty, and strong; surely he can fight this.)

Ed has glioblastoma.

(What?)

I open Google.

Definition:

Glioblastoma glee-ow-bla-stow-muh

(The word struggles on my tongue.)

GBM

“Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor that invades and destroys healthy tissue.”

Aggressive, fast-growing, fatal

Villain, monster, murderer

“Those with untreated glioblastoma live an average of four months.

With treatment, those with glioblastoma live an average of fifteen months.”

(Lord, have mercy.)

Oh that I had never heard/seen/felt/smelled/tasted this word.

Glioblastoma means no hope.

No hope from Google, no hope from doctors, no hope from science.

Glioblastoma produces loss.

Loss of personality, loss of mobility, loss of vitality.

Glioblastoma brings death.

Death of a father, death of a husband, death of a friend.

I feel desperate, despairing, defeated.

I open God’s Word.

Deconstruction:

“I will not leave you”ⁱ

(Promise?)

“I will wipe away all tears” ⁱⁱ

(When?)

“I will destroy the death enemy.”ⁱⁱⁱ

(Even glioblastoma?)

“I came to give abundant life.”^iv

(Now?)

Dominion:

Choosing to believe a diagnosis is not final,

words have power,

but the Word prevails.

“O grave, where is your victory?

Death, where is your sting?^v

Thanks be to God for victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”^vi

(Amen.)

i John 14:18

iiPhilippians 1:22

iii 1 Corinthians 15:25-26

ivJohn 10:10

v1 Corinthians 15:55

vi1 Corinthians 15:57

With Us

2025-04-27T13:51:00.003-04:00

Each winter, I attend a widows' retreat where I relish connecting with other widows. Some have been widows for many years; others are beginning the journey. Some are grandmothers and empty nesters; others have babies and preschoolers. Some lost their husband after a long illness; others faced the trauma of sudden death. But regardless of the specific details, we bond on the common loss of our husbands.

I have many many caring friends and family. I am surrounded by people who I can connect with in many ways. But I'm always surprised how I feel understood when I gather with this group of widows. These ladies never met Ed, and they don't know my children. They've never been in my house and don't know my church family or my siblings. But they understand me in ways that surprise me, because they are walking the same road.

This winter I worked through a study of the book of Matthew using God With Us, a Bible Study published by Daughters of Promise. It was fascinating to delve into what it means that Jesus is called "Emmanuel, God with Us" and the wonder of His birth, life, death, and resurrection as God in human form.

God created the human race, but He didn't walk away from His creation, even when they broke his commands. He continually reached out to humans. He walked with Enoch, rescued Noah, talked with Abraham, called to Moses in a burning bush, and led the Israelites with a cloud. Again and again, God met His people - in dreams, by angels, on mountains, in a quiet voice, in thunder, by priests, by judges, and by prophets.

Then came years of silence, barren times, with no recorded messages from God. But the silence is broken with a startling proclamation from an angel.

You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins...they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:21,23

God, the Son, on earth. With us. Startling. Unbelievable.

In a human body, Jesus battled temptation, suffered hunger, faced rejection, and became tired – like us. But unlike us, He never sinned, he never complained, he never gave in to self-pity, fear, worry, envy, or hate. He was holy, perfect.

But in His perfection, He didn’t stand aloof from the problems and pain of this world. He walked beside hurting, limping, broken people.

Reading through Matthew, I was struck with how often it specifically mentions that Jesus touched broken people - lepers, blind, paralyzed, even the dead. These were people who were shamed, shattered, outcasts, marginalized, and considered hopeless. Each were separated from others because of their needs - a disease, handicap, or failure. But Jesus reached out and touched their broken bodies to prove that He could heal the ugliness of sin inside each of us.

At the widows' retreat, I feel understood and loved because others are walking the same road I am. They gave me a tiny glimpse of what it meant for God to come to earth and walk this earth with humans. God with us, God who walked with us, ate with us, died as a human, and rose again - this is a God who can transform our brokenness today.

Jesus didn't leave us alone when He returned to heaven. He sent His Spirit to continue to walk with us. And it is His Spirit at work in us that allows us to reach out to others today.

The book of Matthew began with a proclaimation of Christ's birth - God with us. Matthew ends with another proclaimation from Jesus.

Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:20

Life can feel heavy. This past week I've watched a number of people that I love face hard things. I need reminded of the living power of God who is working in and through the lives of His people. I need to reread the Gospels and rejoice in the revelation of God shown in its pages. I need to spend time with God's people and hear how God has walked with them. I need to allow God to use me to touch the brokenness around me.

Emmanuel, God with us. Today and always. Until the end of the world. All praise to Him.

The photos on this post are from the Inn at Sabbath Rest in Altoona, Pennsylvania where we held our widows' retreat. If you are looking for a lovely old home for a gathering, I highly recommend this Airbnb. The setting was perfect for a time of reflection and sharing.

Sisters' Bookshelf - Poetry

2025-04-10T07:58:00.002-04:00

Two years ago, I wrote about my goal to read slower and my struggle with reading poetry. Poetry had always been something that I wanted to enjoy, but didn't. But I realized that I needed to read poetry slowly, savouring the words instead of inhaling them, in order to enjoy them.

Last year, a friend challenged me to read a poem every day. I haven't quite accomplished that habit yet, but I have been more deliberate about keeping a poetry book nearby and dipping into it occasionally. I keep reminding myself that poetry isn't like prose, and one page is adequate, probably even preferred.

I've also decided that I enjoy modern poetry more than classic poetry. This sorta surprises me since in general I enjoy old classic books. I do enjoy some poets such as Christinia Rosetti, but I struggle to appreciate great poets such as Tennyson, Wordsworth, Poe, Yeats, and Coleridge. And I decided to be okay with that. I occasionally push myself to read out of my comfort zone, (such as my attempt at Paradise Lost by Milton last year), but I don't apologize for enjoying some modern poets. (And there is LOTS of modern poetry that I don't enjoy!)

I also found that I most enjoy poets who write on nature and Biblical themes. Maybe this is because these are two categories that I know something about so don't feel as lost. I enjoy how these poems can help me look at Biblical accounts and the natural world with fresh eyes.

I know opinions on poetry vary widely, but if you have simular poetry preferences, maybe you'll enjoy some of the books Charity and I have enjoyed.

This post includes affiliate links.

Charity-

Water at the Roots by Philip Britts

I am a new explorer into the world of poetry. So often I find poems overwhelming and over my head. This book ( a recommendation from my brother) is perfect for anyone who feels intimidated by poetry. Philip Britts joined the Burderhoff community in Costwald, England during World War 2. Eventually he immigrated with the colony to Paraguay. His life story is narrated between his poems, with journal entries and other writings. Not only is Britts an inspiring man, the poetry is beautiful. I devoured this book and definitely will be coming back to it in the future.

Habitation of Wonder by Abigail Carroll

Do you notice a theme? My favorite poetry is about nature. These poems range from an Ode to Onions to How to Prepare for the Second Coming. As I flip through the book the phrase that comes to mind is "a celebration of words.” I find myself filled with wonder as I read these poems and long to get out and enjoy this beautiful world. If you love words and nature and God, you will love Carroll’s poetry.

Gina -

Calling Your Name by Janice Etter

Janice is a German Baptist mother and grandmother from Indiana. Her poetry is relateable as she examines life, nature, and faith through the power of written words. I like poetry that is approachable without being trite, and this book fits this goal perfectly.

Accompanied by Angels: Poems of the Incarnation by Luci Shaw

Last year I was on a huge Shaw kick, reading several of her prose books as well as several poetry collections. This collection, which follows the life of Christ from the Annuciation to the Resurrection, is my favorite so far. These are poems that prompt worship. Shaw is now in her mid-nineties and still writing poetry with a new book coming out this spring, so she has decades of poetry for us to enjoy.

If you want to add a bit of poetry to your day and don't know where to begin, grab a hymnbook. Hymn lyrics are poems and many of them are beautiful. This is an easy way to add the beauty of words and spiritual refreshment to you day.

April is Poetry Month. Even if it is out of your comfort zone, try reading at least one poem this week!

Do you have favorite poets or poetry collections?

Sisters' Favorite Bright Winter Books

2025-03-22T14:50:00.000-04:00

In January and February, Charity and I took part in the Brighter Winter Reading Program. We've done this every year since it began, and it is one of the highlights of our winter. Not only do we get stretched a bit out of our comfort zone, we also love connecting with other readers over books and discovering new-to-us books.

We are each sharing three of the favorite books that we read for Brighter Winter this year.

This post contains affiliate links.

Charity-

1. Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

(Classic by a female author, book from my unread shelf)

A masterpiece of Golden Age detective fiction, this mystery was everything I love about Sayers. She didn't just write a murder mystery but included the humor and depth of human character that all her books contain. Sayers worked in the advertising world in the early 1900s, which makes the setting of an ad agency all the more realistic. This is one of my favorites so far in the Lord Peter Wimsey series.

2. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tezmach Lemmon

(Book set in Asia, book that features clothing or sewing)

The Taliban has gained control of Kabul and all women are suddenly thrust into a new way of life. The city is ruled by fear--don’t say the wrong things, talk to the wrong person, and, if you’re a women, become invisible. Suddenly countless Muslim women working to support their families find that those jobs are almost all illegal for women to hold. This is the story of Kamila, a young women who becomes a successful business owner, risking much to support her family and provide jobs for other women. This true story had me marveling at how God made humans to be incredibly resourceful and creative even in the most oppressed situations.

3. Miriam’s Kitchen by Elizabeth Ehrlich (book by an author of Jewish heritage)

This memoir combines Elrich’s family story and her mother-in-law's memories of the Holocaust, intertwined with Jewish food. The author explores her Jewish heritage and her journey back to the kosher lifestyle of her grandmothers and mother-in-law. It is a book I won’t soon forget, and it may be a favorite of 2025!

Gina -

1. Under a Silent Sky by Claudia Lehman

(Two books by the same author, book from my unread shelf)

I've had this book on my shelf for years but somehow never read it. I find books about persecution hard to read, even though I know they can inspire deeper faith. Set in the 1200s in a Waldesian community, this historical fiction asks questions about following God even when He appears silent. Quote: "There's no truer worship than to honor Him for who He is when everything He's doing disappoints you."

2. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

(Book mentioned in another book)

I love reading time management books, but this one is unlike most. Burkeman begins with the fact that our time on earth is fleeting (only four thousand week, give or take a few). He shows the futility of thinking that we can control time and the flawed goal of productivity. Though Burkeman doesn't approach life from a Biblical perspective, he had a valuable perspective that I needed.

3. By Searching by Isobel Kuhn

(Book about someone converting to Christianity)

A teen enters college, where her parent's religion is scorned by her professor, so she rejects God and lives for the next party. When she finds that her fiance is cheating on her, she becomes so depressed she plans her suicide. This may sound like the story of a modern teen, but it happened over one hundred years ago, in the 1920s. In By Searching, Isobel tells of her spiritual journey and how God led her from a depressed college student to missionary to China. God's leading in her life is inspiring.

Sisters' Reading Plans in 2025 -

For the last four years, Charity and I enjoyed sharing the Sisters' Reading Challenges. It has been fun to have some of you join us, and we enjoyed stretching ourselves to read different books. We always enjoyed discussing the books we read and laughing during a bookish photo shoot. You can find all the past reading challenges and books reviews on the Book Tab on the Home Joys blog.

But since Charity is busy with two little ones, we do not plan to set any reading challenges for 2025. But we know that we will still be reading, and we always love talking about books, so we plan to do a post once a month or so and chat about books we are reading and give book recommendations.

So here is a question for you...

What kinds of books would you like us to discuss?

Are you looking for middle grade fiction, memoir, picture books, gardening books, or ??? Let us know and maybe we can put it on our list of topics.

And as always, we'd love to hear what books you are enjoying. What was one of your favorite books that you read this winter?

Sisters' Fall Reading Challenge

2024-12-21T13:32:00.001-05:00

A report on our reading this fall.

This post contains affiliate links.

1. Duet Challenge: Read a classic book and a biography of the author.

Charity- The Joy of the Snow and The Rosemary Tree by Elizabeth Goudge

Goudge is an author that always beckons me to linger and savor her books. I’ve always wanted to read her autobiography with the hope that I would understand why her novels have that certain flavor and feel. The Joy of the Snow does not tell about every part of her life, but Goudge shares about the people and places that most influenced her. Through her story I realized why houses often feel like characters in her novels since the homes she lived in were important to her. I relished her stories of her mother’s island home and what life was like in wartime Britain. I didn't agree with her theology and a few other ideas, so take that into consideration, but if you love Elizabeth Goudge’s novels I think you will enjoy this glimpse into the author. The Rosemary Tree is set in post World War 2 England. Once again Goudge creates a place you wish you could visit and fascinating characters with complicated past. It left me longing to grow an English-style garden and to treasure my home and beauty even more.

Gina - The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford, Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens

For years, I read Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol each December, but I didn't know much about his life. Standiford's short biography gives an overview of his life, but focuses on the time around when Dickens wrote his most famous Christmas story and the affect that had on his life and on English society. It is hard to imagine just how popular and influential Dickens was in his time. I was surprised to find that after the success of A Christmas Carol, Dickens wrote a novella every Christmas for four more years, probably hoping to capitlize on the initial success. I decided to read them all. Maybe I wasn't in the mood, but I found the Victorian tales to be rather sentimental and struggled to engage with the stories. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the last one The Haunted Man, the most. In that story, Redlaw is promised by a spirit that he will forget his sorrowful memories of the past and have the gift of allowing others to also forget the past. The result of this "gift" brings all sorts of misery to those around Redlaw and eventually it becomes obvious that forgetting the past, even the hard things, doesn't bring joy.

2. Read a conversion story.

Charity - Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis

I have mostly read Lewis’ fiction and found his story of childhood until conversion fascinating. All of our life is woven together and influences what we believe. Lewis shows that as he tells of his loss of faith and his eventual return to Christ. I was touched by the influence friends had on his life for good and for bad often in ways they may have never known.

Gina - Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber

Weber was given the opportunity of a lifetime - to study at Oxford. There she met Christians who talked about God and the Bible in ways she had never heard before. Steeped in literature and in the setting of the ancient Oxford buildings, Weber confronts the truth of Christ that will change her life. This book is just delightful for those who love literature and listening into conversations about faith questions.

3. Finish a book you started, but never finished.

Charity- The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawling

It is Florida in the 1930’s, a time and place I know little about. Jody Baxter is the only living child of his parents and often lonely. This is a story of growing up, a father’s love and wisdom, and a beautiful fawn that stands in the way of survival. The story is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Gina - Watership Down by Richard Adams

I had trouble getting into Watership Down and had abadoned it and wondered why it was a favorite of so many people. But I picked it up again, and eventually I hit the point where I was staying up far too late, reading about the escapades of a group of rabbits in England. A classic tale of journey, danger, and search for belonging that somehow allows these rabbit characters to burrow into the heart..

4. Read a book together with a friend.

Charity - Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

Such a small book but packed so full of life. Seventy-year-old Hannah tells of her life in the small farming community of Port William, that Berry has skillfully created many stories about. The time period is not long ago, and I find it intriguing to be given a glimpse of a life that my grandparents would have been familiar with. Her story reminds us of the importance of community and how it often holds us together in ways we never realize. But I can’t help but feel a sense of sadness, because Jesus is sadly absent in the story and so hope is also absent. (I couldn’t resist reading Nathan Coulter right after this book, and they deserve to be read close together!)

Gina - Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

I was delighted to find two used copies of Hannah Coulter which made a perfect book for Charity and I to read together. I had already met Hannah in some of Berry's other books, but in this one, Hannah gets center stage as she shares the story of her life as a twice widowed matriarch in the Port William community. Her journey is echoed by many women in rural American who watched a community disapear with changing times. Even though this book is fiction, it shows the long-term impact that our choices. And Berry's beautiful writing makes me want to linger over the pages.

5. Memorize a chapter of the Bible.

Charity- Ephesians 1

Why is it so hard to decide what to memorize? Or am I just revealing some procrastination? Most likely that is the answer. Needless to say I am barley half way through the chapter. But I am so glad to be memorizing again and I won’t be stopping just because the end of fall has arrived!

Gina - Ephesians 1

Charity and I had not talked about which chapter we were memorizing and were surprised to find that we chose the same one. I too had procrastinated and lacked discipline to work faithfully on this chapter so didn't complete it. I would like to get in a better habit of memorizing because I know that time spent thinking deeply on the Scripture is time well spent.

Did you read anything memorable this fall?

Sisters' Cozy December Reading

2024-12-02T14:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I turned the calendar page and pulled out a stack of books to enjoy for the new month. If there is anything as much fun as reading, it is planning what to read.

Charity and I decided not to set a reading challenge this month. Charity is busy preparing for the arrival her baby in the new year, and we don't want any extra stress. But, of course, we will both still be reading. We are selecting some favorite cozy reads to finish out our reading year. There is something delightful in opening the book of a favorite author such as Dickens or Elliot and finding a friend.

Here are a few recommendations if you want too enjoy cozy December reading.

This post contains affiliate links.

Children's story books

Charity - My little boy is only eighteen months old so most of my Christmas/winter book collection is too advanced for him, but we've already starting reading these.

The Hat by Jan Brett

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

The Mousery by Charlotte Pomerants

Cozy Reads

Charity: I love a good reread during December. Something makes me want to sip tea and curl up under a blanket. Here are a few I'm considering dipping back into this December.

At Home in Mitford and Shepherd's Abiding by Jan Karon

Pilgrim's Inn by Elizabeth Goudge

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Gina: A few of my favorites that I'd love to reread this winter.

Suncatchers by Jamie Langsdon Turner (Every since reading Turner's newest book, I've wanted to reread Suncatchers and be reaquainted with Eldeen.)

Emma by Jane Austin

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger

Poetry

Gina: Winter gives me a longing to linger over beautiful words. I actually have four poetry books by my bed that I'm dabbling in and thoroughly enjoying.

Waiting on the Word by Malcolm Guite (An advent book with a poem and short explanation for every day in December.)

Every Moment Holy: Volume 3, The Work of the People (Prayers for all sorts of times and places.

Accompanied by Angels: Poems of the Incarnation by Luci Shaw (Poems on the life of Christ)

Hope in the Dark by Geneva Eby (Advent poems and thoughts on the Biblical characters who awaited Christ's coming.)

Planning for Next Year

Charity: I love to dream about flower gardening and these two books are perfect choices for some cozy dreaming. Even if the garden never gets planted in the spring!

The Garden Maker by Christie Purifoy

A Home in Bloom by Christie Purifoy

What are you reading?

Half of One

2024-10-24T07:37:00.001-04:00

Thoughts After Attending a Wedding

Image by prostooleh on Freepix: Image by p

In my five years as a widow

I’ve attended many weddings—

siblings, nephews, nieces, friends.

I’m grateful to be included,

invited to celebrate,

part of a community that values marriage,

honors commitment,

assumes permanence—

“until death do us part.”

But weddings are hard.

My presence feels like a pallor,

rain on a picnic,

a reminder that marriage isn’t forever.

It only lasts until death,

and death comes for all.

(Sometimes to the young.)

I wish death would take us together,

but usually one is left to walk alone.

The wedding service comes to the holy moment.

Hands clasp, vows spoken, promises made—

a mystery.

Two people, two individuals, two humans—

now one flesh

for life.

I said “I do.”

I’m still living,

but Ed is not.

I was one flesh, but now...

What is half of “one flesh”?

No wonder it hurts.

Should there be a ceremony

to signify the end of a marriage?

Something more than a funeral—

all dead have funerals.

Something more than a trip to the bank

to remove his name from our checking account.

Something…

but what?

I watch this love-struck, starry-eyed couple

say their vows.

They won’t feel any different

the moment they become one.

What happens in an instant,

takes years

to grow into oneness.

My marriage was rent

the moment that Ed breathed his last,

but maybe it takes years

to grow into a single person again.be I’ll limp for the rest of my life.tooleh on Freepik

: Image by prostooleh on Freepik

: Image by prostooleh on Freepi

: Image by prostooleh on Freepik

More in Number Than the Sand

2024-09-30T21:58:00.001-04:00

I remember the day I realized that the world didn't revolve around me.

Of course I knew in my head that I wasn't the center of the universe. I knew that only a tiny number of people on earth even knew of my existence. But somehow I viewed my life on center stage, with the spotlight on me, with my dreams, my griefs, my plans in the forefront and everyone else circling around me.

On that day, I was shopping and looked at the many people, and realized that, just like me, their lives were consumed by their dreams, their griefs, their plans. I wondered if others also had a ridulous sense of self-importance. Maybe each person I saw, and all the billions of other people in the world, also viewed their life as in the spotlight on center stage, with all other people as the extras of the set. Maybe we are all self-centered and wake each morning with our dreams, griefs, and plans as the most important thing in the universe.

I am responsible for my thoughts, motives, words, and actions, so these things are necessarily important to me. But ever since that day, I've often looked at those I pass on the street, the driver of the car beside me, the strangers I elbow in a crowd and feel small. My dreams and plans, which feel so big to me, are unknown and unimportant to them. As one of the billions, my life is tiny.

Earlier this month we spent a week at the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Each morning I woke at my normal hour, peeked at the alarm clock, and considered my options. I was on vacation and could roll over and sleep a few more hours. But how can a person lay asleep at sunrise on the beach?

I scrambled into clothes, grabbed my Bible, and headed to the top deck of our rental house, where the ocean was just barely visible. But the pounding of the waves continued to pull me. I popped in my earbuds, turned on my audio Bible, slipped on my sandals, and spent the next hour walking along the surf as the sky was painted pink and orange by the rising sun.

I'm in awe of the power of the rhythmic waves. They are consistent, persistent, unrelenting. It didn't matter if I was watching or lying in bed. All over the world, day and night, year after year, the waves crash on the shore, moving methodically up and down with tide schedules so dependable they can be made years in advance.

Sandpipers on twig-like legs, dance along the shore, always staying one step ahead of the wave, poking their beaks into the sand for some morsel. Three large birds (pelicans?) skim in silent procession just above the crest of the wave, disapearing in a silent dive then suddenly reappearing to skim the waves again. Crabs watch me warily, then scuttle into their holes. Each creature is consumed with its life, its survival. In each tiny brain, the spotlight is turned on it. Its life the most important existence in its universe.

All over the world these motions are echoed - waves, birds, crabs - with a stunning sunrise as the backdrop. Usually no one watches; no one applauds. The astonishing colors exist without help from humans. The creatures follow their created instict with no orders, no recognition.

In the extravagance of the sunrise and the power of the waves, I feel tiny, miniscule, inconsequential. Just as when I was shopping and suddenly knew that each of the billions of people on earth had dreams, griefs, and plans just like me, I feel insignificant.

I believe God created this splendour, the amazing world of sunrises and sandpipers, pelicans and crabs. I believe He created the billions of people who walk this planet. The vastness of the universe and God's power overwhelms me.

But I'm even more astounded when I read that God knows each sparrow and numbers my hair. (Matthew 10:29-31) He knew me before I was born and His thoughts of me are more than the number of the sand. (Psalm 139:14-18) I'm only one of the billions, but I'm known.

I walk the shore, gazing at the glory of His creation, and want to weep at the glory of being a daughter of this God.

***

Here are links to two old posts, both shared when I felt overwhelmed by current events in my own life and in the world. It is a little startling to see how much my children have grown in just a few years. It is also comforting to remember that God is still on His throne. In each post I shared a meaningful hymn.

November 2020 - Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

March 2022 - O Who Is Like Jehovah God

Sisters' Summer Reading Challenge Report

2024-09-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

Charity and I both had a great reading season this summer. Here is our reports on the summer reading challenges.

This post contains affiliate links.

1. Choose a topic and read two books about it.

Charity - Topic: The White House domestic staff

Upstairs at the White House by J.B. West

The Residence by Kate Anderson Brower

All the President’s Pastries by Roland Mesnier

I am intrigued by the behind the scenes of famous places and homes and especially serving staff throughout history. These three books cover the years from Franklin Rosevelt to Barak Obama and give a glimpse not only into how the executive mansion operates but also the personal lives of the first family and their staff. J.B. West recounts his experiences of working closely with the First Ladies during his years as assistant and head usher. He tells his stories with humor and a respect that makes the book worth reading. Kate Anderson Brower interviewed and read the memoirs of countless former staff and even members of the first family, to compile a glimpse into how such an important establishment operates. Mesnier tells about his own journey from rural France to pastry chef at the White House. His elaborate desserts were hard to imagine!

Gina - Topic: Limitations

The Gift of Limitations by Sara Hagerty

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Mangement for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

This book duet was a happy accident. Both Hagerty and Burkeman were confronted with their human limitations. Hagerty explores the Scripture and what our limitations can teach us about God. Burkeman looks at studies and research to show that our drive for productivity has not added meaning to our lives. Together the two books helped me understand the beauty that accepting our limited time can give to our lives.

2. Choose a location and read two books that are set in that location.

Charity - Location: Africa

West with the Night by Beryl Markham

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Beryl Markham writes with a beauty that had me savoring the words. Her father took her to Africa as a young girl where she grew up around tribal people, wild animals, and horses. Later she would become one of the fist female pilots in Africa. Her stories left me fascinated by the land, the air, and the people of Africa. The second book is a novel set in Africa. It is the first in a series of detective novels. I loved how the detective is the most unlikely woman to have the job and found the glimpse into life in Africa intriguing but also heart breaking. Recommended for the mature reader.

Gina - Location: England

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters

Amberwell by D.E. Stevenson

The Fight for English by David Crystal

My goal was to read books I already owned, and I had a number of books set in England on my unread shelf. Reading these four gave me an enjoyable scope of English history. The Eagle of the Ninth is a book of high adventure set in Roman England in the second century. Marcus sets off into the wilds of northern England to restore the lost eagle from his father's doomed legion. A Morbid Taste for Bones is the first in the Brother Cadfael detective series. Set in the 12th century, a Benedictine order wants to acquire relics for the honor of their abbey, but then there is a suspicious murder. Amberwell is listed as historical fiction, but Stevenson wrote it just after World War 2 so she knew the time well. The book follows the lives of the five Ayrton children as they grow up at Amberwell and how life scatters them. The Fight for English shares the history of teaching English grammar and spelling. To say that I loved the book probably tells you I'm some kind of nerd. Immersing myself into such different well-written books, set in widely different times, was quite rewarding. And now I have several authors to find more of their books.

3. Read a book about animals or a book that animals play a large role.

Neither Charity or I completed this challenge so are using this for our unfinished book challenge in the fall.

4. Read a book of the Bible and for each chapter, write down three words that describe the chapter.

Charity - Philippians

I loved this challenge but also found it to be somewhat difficult. But if I made a habit of studying this way, I would remember so much more about the main points of the chapters and even entire books.

Gina - Jeremiah

I was deep into the prophets this summer and this challenge helped me get more out of these chapters. I too want to practice this more as it helped me pay attention to my reading.

5. Write a note to someone and include a quote or verse.

Charity - I was writing several little notes for a niece who moved far away. I rummaged through my journal for encouraging and thought provoking quotes. Sharing words from other authors is a way to pass on little treasures I have read along the way.

Gina- I have the goal of sending one card of encouragement each month. This was the perfect time to record some of the verses I have found meaningful.

Books that we enjoyed this summer that didn't fit any of the challenges.

Charity -

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

Create Anyway by Ashlee Gadd

You Are My Sunshine by Sean Dietrich

Gina -

Where Is God When It Hurts by Philip Yancy

You Who? by Rachel Jankovic

Written by Bec Evans and Chris Smith

I'd love to hear what books you loved this summer.

Sisters' Fall Reading Challenge

2024-08-31T11:15:00.002-04:00

Fall is approaching and I'm seeing the school buses again. I love to choose some new-to-me books for fall, maybe something a bit stretching. So here are the challenges that Charity and I chose for the next three months.

This post contains affiliate links.

1. Duet Challenge: Read a classic book and a biography of the author.

Fall is a great time to tackle a longer book, like a classic. Some classics seem more difficult to understand because they are written in an unfamiliar language from a time period different than our own. Often reading a biography of the author can help me understand the setting and time in which the author wrote his books. Kipling's books couldn't have been written if he hadn't went to India. Alcott's books may have been different if her family hadn't faced financial struggles.

For this challenge, choose a classic, then find a biography about the author. Your library should have several options, or you could ask them to get in a biography of a favorite author. Dickens, Tolstoy, Twain, Tokien, Austen, Alcott - there are so many options.

If this challenge intimidates you, choose a children's classic. There are some great children's author biographies.

Here are a few examples of biographies that I've either read or heard recommended.

Invincible Louise by Cornelia Meigs (Lousia May Alcott)

Jane and Dorothy by Marian Veevers (Compares and contrasts the lives of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth)

Some Writer! by Melissa Sweet (a lovely child's book on E.B.White)

The Trouble Begins at 8 by Sid Fleischman (a wonderful children's biography of Mark Twain)

P. G. Wodehouse by Frances Donalson

Beatrix Potter by Linda Lear

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

2. Read a conversion story.

I love to read how a man or woman met God and how He changed their life. Here are a few of our favorite conversion stories. I don't agree with all the choices these individuals made, but their stories show me the work of God.

Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry

Miracle of Miracles by Mina Nevisa

The Great Good Thing by Andrew Klavan

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi

I Dared to Call Him Father by Bliquis Sheikh

Born Again by Chuck Colson

By Searching by Isobel Kuhn

3. Finish a book you started, but never finished.

Charity and I didn't finish the animal book challenge this summer. Here is your chance to pick up a book you abandoned or complete a challenge that you missed.

4. Read a book together with a friend.

I find so much joy in discussing a book with a friend. This summer a friend lent me Leif Enger's new book I Cheerfully Refuse, and I read it in two days because I couldn't wait to discuss it with her.

Also this summer I was reading The Gift of Limitations by Sara Hagerty and thought of a friend who might enjoy it. I bought her a copy and look forward to getting together this fall to talk about it.

For the last couple years, a few ladies from church have been choosing a book each winter to read and discuss together. I get so much more from a book when I hear others' perspectives of a book.

Hopefully you have a reading friend that you can read a book with. The book can be fiction, nonfiction, a classic, inspirational, or whatever.

A few months ago, I found two used copies of Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. Charity and I have both had this book on our wish list, so this challenge will give us a good opportunity to read it together.

5. Memorize a chapter of the Bible.

I haven't been doing much memorization so this challenge will hopefully encourage more attention to God's Word.

I'd love to hear what you plan to read this fall.

Next week Charity and I will share our summer reading. It was a great reading season for me!

When a Great Tree Falls

2024-07-13T13:35:00.007-04:00

One summer evening, when I was a girl, a bad storm hit our house. We quickly ran through the house closing windows against the rain. The wind whipped and roared, and we gathered in the back room of the house looking across the field at the galloping storm. The electricity blinked off, someone walked into the kitchen, and their shout brought us all running.

Between the house and the barn stood three large maple trees. Or had stood three large maple trees. In the few minutes that we had stood in the back room watching the storm, they had toppled, roots torn from the ground, huge branches now stretched across the lawn. No other damage had been done. Apparently the wind had twisted between the house and barn, laying those three trees neatly between the buildings, not touching the many large trees in the front yard.

Chain saws roared, hacking the tree branches, forging a path through the debris. Today, over thirty years later, when I read of a war-torn country, such as in Ukraine, I still imagine the view out the kitchen window that day, a landscape transformed by destruction and wreckage.

My brother now lives on that farm. A new generation is playing in the yard, one that doesn't remember those large maples. Maybe I'm the only one who remembers the way it used to be, the hours spent playing in, and under, and around those maples. Today young saplings are slowly gaining status as shade trees, filling the void left by their ancesors.

A friend sent me Maya Angelou's poem "When a Great Tree Falls." Because of copyright, I won't share it here, but go to the link and read it.

Go ahead. I'll wait.

*****

In May it was five years since Ed's death. I wanted to share something meaningful and profound on such an important milestone. But how do I put into words the last five years of living with grief - five years as a widow and single mom? Besides I was too busy living in May and June. Those months were full of activity, responsibilities, and events - for which I am grateful. Life is full and beautiful and loved.

When Ed died, our children were ages three to fifteen. I didn't know it then, but life propells forward as if on steroids when your oldest is fifteen and her siblings are not far behind. For fifteen years I had a been a homeschool mom, at home with all six of my children nearly every hour of every day.

Five years later, I barely recognize my life. Not just because I'm now a widow, though that too. But as a mother of six children, now ages eight to twenty, life looks different. Phones, drivers' licenses, and high school diplomas have transformed my oldest children's lives. And mine.

Next week my oldest plans to travel halfway around the world, planning to spend the school year in southeast Asia helping a missionary family. My oldest son works in construction with my brothers, and I occasionally run into his pleased customers who tell me of their new porch or remodeled bathroom. My third child recently graduated from high school and began a job he loves.

Would Ed recognize our family?

Our driveway looks like a used car lot with vehicles my husband never drove. They have busy social lives which mean cars pulling out the drive, it seems, any hour of the day or night.

Five years ago I taught my children their knowledge and skills, but now my older children have skills and knowledge I don't have. My sons repair things that bewilders me, understand tech that confuses me. One daughter crochets adorable animals and another has TESOL certification. They are stronger, taller, smarter than me.

Even I have changed in five years. I've attempted new projects, accepted new tasks, and gained new friends. Some responsibilites were thrust upon me; some were chosen, even pursued. My calendar holds regular events that Ed never attended, my phone has contacts he never knew. My hair is gray, I wear glasses, I drink coffee, and I've become an early riser.

Would Ed recognize me?

A great tree fell. It hurts to see young saplings stretching alone into the open air, sky he once filled, wearing shoes his size, doing tasks that were once his. But I'm grateful that "after a period peace blooms" "spaces fill." We will never be the same for Ed "existed," he was planted here, in this place, in our family. He left his inprint, on me, on my children, on our community.

Five years is long enough to pick up the debris, to replant grass, to stake the saplings that are now buffeted by the winds that took down the great tree.

Five years is a long time. Long enough to almost forget how it felt to be shaded by a great tree.

Five years is a short time. So short that sometimes I feel the shadow of the great tree, as if he were still standing tall.

A long time? A short time? I don't know. I don't know many things. Not about living and thriving in grief. Not about parenting teens and young adults. But five years showed me that life is full and beautiful and loved.

Because God is here. And a great tree once shared our life.

Did you read this far and still not read Maya Angelou's poem? Here is the link again.

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Walking with a Friend Through Stormy Days

2024-06-27T19:31:00.000-04:00

After my husband’s funeral, my sister asked, “What should I say to a grieving friend?”

“As little as possible,” I replied.

Many friends shared meaningful condolences at Ed’s funeral, but I’d already heard the common Scriptures and platitudes during his two-year cancer journey. I wasn’t in the mood to hear more. What meant the most was the presence of friends.

We long to take away a friend’s pain, but nothing we can say can make it better. Sometimes my attempts result in bumbling words that sound coarse or ridiculous. Other times I may ignore a friend’s hurt because I don’t know what to say. But turning a blind eye to pain is even worse than saying the wrong thing.

Here are some things I’m learning about supporting a friend—whether at a viewing, in a hospital room, or in a sympathy card.

What To Say:

“I am sorry.”

Don’t pretend it isn’t awful and attempt to sugar coat their grief. Acknowledge their loss is devastatingly terrible, and you wish it were different.

“I’m praying.”

If it is true, there are no better words. I often didn’t feel capable of praying, and was relieved to know others were praying.

Consider praying out loud. One friend asked if she could pray for me at the viewing. You can pray on the phone, in a text message, or in a card.

We often forget to continue to pray for ongoing grief. I cried when a lady I barely knew told me I was still on her prayer list, three years after Ed’s funeral.

“I remember…”

Some of the most meaningful words spoken to me after Ed’s death were memories of Ed, especially ways Ed had blessed their lives. Most people want to talk about their loved one, so don’t avoid using their name in conversation. I also loved when friends wrote down memories for me to reread later.

What NOT To Say:

“At least…”

We all want to look on the bright side and count the blessings. “At least it is treatable.” “At least he didn’t have to suffer long.” “At least you had twenty years together.” “At least he is in a better place.” Those things may be true, and some day your friend may see the blessings, but saying “at least” can minimize their pain or shame their current state of grief.

“God has a plan.”

When faced with a tragedy, we want some higher purpose. Acknowledge that evil brought suffering to the world, and, though God can redeem our suffering, He didn’t create a world with accidents, cancer, and death.

“All things work together for good.”

We love stories of how God took something terrible and brought about good through it, such as Joseph, Elisabeth Elliot, and Corrie ten Boon. But when your friend’s life has crumbled, quoting verses like these can also feel cold and heartless. I preferred verses that acknowledged grief such as “God is near to the brokenhearted.”

“God won’t give you more than you can handle.”

The Bible shares stories of humanly impossible situations such as Gideon, David, and Elijah. Cancer, widowhood, and solo parenting were my Goliaths, and I needed assurance that God would walk with me through events I couldn’t handle alone.

“You are so strong.”

I was glad I didn’t fall apart at Ed’s cancer diagnosis, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to care for my six children even when I felt like staying in bed. When told I was strong, I couldn’t be honest about how weak I felt. Your friend doesn’t need more pressure to pretend she is capable.

“Have you tried . . .”

Of course you want your friend to find a cure, but please don’t give health advice unless you are asked. If you had the exact same diagnosis and have personal experience that may be helpful, share the information with a family member (not the sick person themselves). Then support whatever decision they make.

What To Do:

Be Present

One of my friends said she didn’t know what to do or say because she had never experienced deep grief. But when we were sitting by Ed’s bedside on the last week of his life, she stopped in several times and gave the gift of presence.

Cry

Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus, even knowing Lazarus’ death would lead to resurrection and God’s glory. Never underestimate the value of shutting your mouth and weeping with those who weep. After Ed’s diagnosis, I had friends call on the phone who were unable to speak through their tears. Not everyone is a crier—I’m not—but at Ed’s viewing, I valued tears more than words.

Ask thoughtful questions

Asking, “How are you doing?” is better than ignoring their pain, but consider asking specific questions such as, “What is the hardest adjustment of losing your husband?” “How are you sleeping?” “What worries do you have?” “What do you miss most about your mom?”

Not everyone is comfortable sharing deeply, but many long for a trustworthy friend who is willing to truly listen. These aren’t questions to be asked flippantly when walking out of church. Choose the right time, the right place, and the right words.

Help

When friends asked if we needed meals or other help, I often declined. I was either too proud or bull-headed to accept help. But thankfully, friends still brought food, sent checks, and helped in many practical ways. I don’t know how we would have survived without casseroles in our freezer and financial help.

A widow’s need for casseroles may abate, but the practical needs around the house might grow in upcoming years. One of my widow friends appreciates toolbox-toting friends who offer help with minor house repairs.

Walking with a grieving friend can and should look differently for each person, but if you share tears, a hug, and prayer, your friend will feel loved, even if you don’t know what to say.

******

This post was shared first in Commonplace: In the Company of Friends, published by Daughters of Promise Ministry

I'd love to hear how friends walked with you in your stormy days.

Sisters' Spring Reading Challenge Report

2024-06-08T09:19:00.002-04:00

Our spring reading was so fun! I loved how the duet challenges pushed me to look at books in a new way.

This post contains affiliate links.

1. Duet Challenge: Read two books that are by the same author but in a different genre.

Charity - Andrew Peterson - The God of the Garden and On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

In The God of the Garden, Peterson explores beauty, home, trees, and poetry in this well-written collection of thoughts. It filled me with the longing to dig deep into the earth around my home and create. The second book is a totally different genre and target audience. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is a middle-grade fantasy novel, the first in a series of four. I loved the theme of the battle between good and evil and the way he threw humor in to make the reader chuckle. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Gina - Luci Shaw - God in the Dark, Life Path, The Green Earth

A few years ago, a friend introduced me to Luci Shaw's poetry. I love how her words drew me to God and the beauty of His creation. But I didn't know until recently that Luci also wrote nonfiction. God in the Dark is compiled from her journals over her husband's cancer journey and her first year as a widow. I related so much to her words. Life Path shares the value that Luci found in journal keeping. The Green Earth is a compilation of poetry, organized by season. All three of these books were much different from the others, but each celebrated the beauty of words and the presence of God.

2. Duet Challenge: Read two books connected to the same author.

Charity - Paradise Lost by John Milton, The Truth and Beauty by Andrew Klavan, and The Chid from the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge

Reading the well-known and often-referenced Paradise Lost (I’ve only read part of it so far…) has made me so excited. I find it mentioned by so many authors and speakers. Klavan’s book about the Sermon on the Mount and England’s poets, mentioned Milton and I was so pleased to understand the references more fully. The Child from the Sea is an historical novel about the secret wife of Charles ll and spends much time talking about the English civil war. Milton also was living at this time and supported Oliver Cromwell. Reading several books that connected in some way was fascinating.

Gina - Jane and Dorothy by Marian Veevers and Darcy's Story by Janet Alymer

This winter I finished reading through all of Jane Austen's novels and I wanted to learn more about Austen. Jane and Dorothy compares and contrasts the lives of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth and their contribution to literature. I knew almost nothing about Georgian England in which these two ladies lived. The author delves deeply into the social context of single women of that time which sheds light onto Austen's beloved book characters. Then, just for fun, I read Darcy's Story, a retelling of Pride and Predjudice from the perspective of Darcy. The author stayed very true to the original, even quoting passages.

3. Read a book that celebrates beauty.

Charity - Garden Maker by Christie Purifoy

A beautifully bound book filled with words and photos from Purifoy’s own garden has left me with the longing to plant roses and host a garden tea. This book is for the garden lover, wanna-be gardener, or just a lover of the Creator who has given so much beauty for us to enjoy.

Gina- Calling Your Name by Janice Etter

I wanted to read a poetry book as my book that celebrates beauty and chose Janice Etter's Calling Your Name. The book is divided into sections with poems celebrating nature, children, and grief. The latter section was probably the most meaningful to me.

4. Take some notes every day about your Bible reading.

Charity - Journaling along with my devotions is a habit I plan to continue. Often I only write a sentence or two or sometimes just a verse that I want to think about, but the practice of slowing down and thinking has enriched my quiet time.

Gina- I enjoyed jotting down a few notes with my Bible reading in March and April, but then the busyness of May dropped the habit. But I began again in June and hope to continue. Reading with a pen helps me read with more intention.

5. Place a book in a free library box.

Charity -The excuse to slip a book into one of the many Little Free Libraries I pass was so fun. Maybe I’ll do it again soon!

Gina- This spring, I've been going through some of my shelves and clearing out some books to make room for new ones. I got rid of several boxes of books at a homeschool book swap/sale. But when I dropped off a few books at the free library box, I brought home several books, so I'm not sure that worked very well!

I'd love to hear what books brought beauty to your life this spring.

Sisters' Summer Reading Challenge

2024-05-31T09:59:00.000-04:00

Spring was crazy busy, but I managed to read some excellent books. Now I'm looking forward to summer reading! We are trying to keep it a bit lighter, but still looking forward to traveling to new places and meeting new people through books.

This post contains affiliate links.

For summer, we have two new duet challenges, one solo challenge, a Bible challenge, and an activity.

A duet challenge is two books that connect in some way.

1. Choose a topic and read two books about it.

This could be two nonfiction, fiction and nonfiction, or whatever. I think the best way to do this is to choose a book that you want to read, then pick another book also about that topic. You could choose grief, gardening, Civil War, or whatever topic has your interest right now.

A few examples:

Alzheimer's- Still Alice by Lisa Genova and APromise Kept by Robertson McQuilkin

Jewish history - Miriam’sKitchen by Elizabeth Ehrlich and The Chosen by Chaim Potok

2. Choose a location and read two books that are set in that location.

This could include a travel memoir, a biography, nonfiction, novel, historical fiction, a middle-grade novel, or a foodie book. You can find a bio of a famous leader or a missionary for about every area of the world.

Again, the easiest way to do this challenge may be to find a book that you want to read then find another book set in the same location. Ideally they wouldn't be the same genre. I could easily binge read on several books by one of my favorite English authors like Elizabeth Goudge or D. E. Stevenson. But I'd probably benefit more from adding a nonfiction also based on England.

There are many historical fiction books set in Europe, especially World War 2 stories. These could be paired with travel memiors such as Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (France), and Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (Italy).

You could also choose an area of the United States. There are great books set in California, New York City, and the South. Pick your home area, or somewhere you'd love to visit, or maybe some place you hope to never visit. Some well-written examples are Virgil Wander by Leif Enger (Minnesota), My Antonoia by Willa Cather (Nebraska), To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Alabama), and A Place on Earth by Wendell Berry (Kentucky).

A few examples of location book duets:

China: Peony by Pearl S. Buck, Safely Home by Randy Alcorn, Chu Ju's House by Gloria Whelan, or a bio of a Chinese missionary

Haiti: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder and Kidnapped in HaitiKidnapped in Haiti by Katrina Hoover Lee

Afghanistan: In the Land of Blue Burqas by Kate McCord, Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy, or The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Lemmon

Africa: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton and The #1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Yorkshire, England: Miss Bunckle's Book by D.E.Stevenson and All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

3. Read a book about animals or a book that animals play a large role.

This could be nonfiction, fiction, fantasy, or middle-grade.

Ex. Wind in the Willows, JamesHerriot, Summer of the Monkeys, Where the Red Fern Grows, Watership Down, The Yearling.

4. Read a book of the Bible and for each chapter, write down three words that describe the chapter.

Don't stress about finding the perfect three words. Just three words that sum up the chapter to you or share something about your impression of the chapter.

5. Write a note to someone and include a quote or verse.

Ideally handwrite it and mail it, but if you must, share it by text.

Happy Summer Reading!