Terribly Interesting

Last week, on the banks of the Kentucky River, I read Connilyn's latest book. I have to tell you, I always enjoy her work. I don't think it is exemplary writing that draws me in. Sometimes I have questioned how a quick plot change came about. I just roll with it because her stories are good and redemptive. They are well researched. The most beautiful thing I pull from them is that they are infused with a rich love of God's word. Watching her characters conform (or not conform) their lives to God's teachings gives this new longing to know it more. It's not just doing what is right, but a love of honoring God and cherishing life. She clearly shows the exquisite compassion of God's character. Every single time I read something she has written, I am deeply thankful that God has given us his word to shape our lives. We are no longer bound to the sinning in ignorance. I think we can often forget what a miraculous gift this is. Thank you for the reminder, Connilyn. ...

My Lulu and I received a book to review from the publisher. If you know her, you know she read this 6 times the week she received it. I had her write out her synopsis of the book. Mostly, she loved that it was written by a girl not much older than her.  Lulu tells about Hello Stars by Alena Pitts. Hello Stars is a great book. It's about a girl named Lena Daniels. She has three little sisters. There's an 8 year old named Ansley and 6 year old twins named Amber and Ashton. 28 days before school ends, her friend Savannah, went to her, Lena, and their other friend Emma's favorite singer, Mallory Winston's concert. Savannah tells Lena that Mallory is going to be in a movie and wants a girl between the ages of 10 and 12 to be in it with her. All they have to do is make a video talking about themselves and send it to Mallory Winston. Lena's video doesn't go so well because she has fruit snacks between her front two teeth. Mallory picks her anyway. She has to b...

"It starts with us. If we are not moved by the Spirit of God, why on earth would anyone else be moved? If we don't experience His forgiveness and His grace on a regular basis, then how could we give away his forgiveness and grace to anybody else?" —Jennie Allen, Nothing to Prove What do you do? It's the question we are asked when we meet people? Sometimes that can feel like our worth is being sized up by our occupation. What if we don't have one? What if we are quietly serving people the world deems unimportant? Will we ever be enough to impress them? No, but we can make peace with that. It seems that we have all taken up the occupation of trying to create light when we are not meant to create light. We are meant to reflect it and wield it. The pressure is off when we remember who Christ is and go to him to accomplish his desires. That's why Jennie brought a breath a sweet, fresh air into my life. She reminded me over and over to just ask Jesus, to ...

What Are You Creating? You  know those things you have always wanted to do, but just never did. That was me with painting for a decade or so. Over the past few years I have created thousands of things. I made a commitment to make something new every day this year. You can follow along on my Instagram or purchase pieces at thegospelmom.com. All of the proceeds go to benefit missions and adoption. Part of it will be funding my trip to Haiti in December. Thank you kindly for following along. The Bible study I attend just began a study on Sabbath. I keep clinging to this idea and trying to set healthy boundaries and create margin to enjoy and see the Lord working in my life. Our culture idolizes business. Crafting a rhythm of life that balances work, prayer, play, and rest truly is something only God can do. One question in the study asked how we were going to teach the next generation to rest and take time to delight in God. My answer became a prayer. Let me model it, J...

Over the Christmas break, I read the updated 20th Anniversary edition of Under the Tuscan Sun. Is it possible that it has been twenty years since this book came out? Surely there is some miscalculation on the publisher's part. No. I got old. So, I can review this story for you as a 19 year old and a 39 year old.  This book  includes many of my favorite things. It's about hope, hard work, restoration, food, and a culture that revolves around friends and family. I thought it was interesting following the Italian version of a  remodel. It seems much like the one I have experienced. Slow. Workers come and go whenever they feel like it. At least we have three things that help us keep our minds full of hope. God. Food. People. I know the real question is how people think it compared to the movie. The basic premise of her story is there. She had been through a terrible divorce and decided to buy a villa in Tuscany. In the movie she was single. In real life she was a...

I was at a Christmas party recently sitting at a table between my  husband and a man I had never met, a lawyer. I asked him every sort of question and his answers were equally deep and hilarious. I asked him if being a lawyer was his dream job or if he had something else he’d like to do with the next leg of his life. You know there were wild dreams in his heart. He turned the question back to me, quid pro quo. First, let me say that I have something I am working on for the next season of my life when my kids are grown. This question he asked was about the work we do at our house. Do I ever want to not do that anymore. That hit me. I couldn’t imagine a life without hospitality. I looked at him maybe a little too serious and said, “I can’t imagine a life not sitting among the broken.” There is this sacred space that pain brings us to. It’s a rare window when the walls come down and the heart opens up. You don’t find people like that often. In the quiet of the home, I am humbled to ...

I chose this book to review because it is about a woman who does restoration for a living. Restoring a one hundred year old house, that piqued my interest. In the beginning, I trudged through it somewhat. I do not like things that are designed to manipulate me emotionally and this felt like that typical romance novel. Sad girl gets swept off of her feet by an Italian man and moves to Italy with him. As the story went on, I started to embrace it more. It became about family and how loving people in all of their imperfection is part of our beautiful story. Sometimes we get stuck in a textbook version of life and forget to love people through and in their messes. . . and ours. It's how we grow.  I thought the end of the story was rich and powerful as it slowly revealed Jesus and forgiveness. Most of the story purposefully barely leads to church. Its a seeking and finding. Of course, Italy is lovely too. You can follow the family through truffle hunts, wine pairings, pasta makin...