Terribly Interesting

The Rescue: Seven People, Seven Amazing Stories… by Jim Cymbala My rating: 4 of 5 stars These six stories are soul stirring and faith building. Each story is the worst case scenario of perpetrators and perpetrating. There is deep sin with a great foothold. But, when God writes a story... there is redemption. The thing that stood out to me the most is how simple acts of kindness brought these people to Christ. It was not some great movement, it was simple words and gestures. One man living in an alley heard a tv from one of the apartments above him saying that Jesus was the only way. He was able to get off drugs and out of homelessness after this encounter. It spoke to me because it is so easy to be discouraged and not feel like small acts of kindness do anything. These six stories help us remember that no act is to small to be used by Christ. I am a big fan of Ann Spangler and the stories that come out of the Brooklyn Tabernacle via Jim Cymbala. View all my reviews P...

A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have recently realized that I have been following Connilyn from the beginning of her career as an author. Every thing I have read from her has been gripping and hard to put down. This book is no exception. I was tied in knots the entire time. There were so many interesting facts that I learned reading this book. I knew what cities of refuge were, but had no clue about the complexities of the law. If you accidentally killed someone, you could go to a city of refuge and ask for trial because the next of kin could legally kill you. I never thought about how hard or treacherous these journeys could be. If the avenger beat you there, he could kill you at the gate. The romance sometimes seemed over the top to me, but it definitely kept me tuned in to the story. It also showed what happened to these people who were forced to leave their families and live in these cities when an accident had occurr...

What a great book on parenting! I underlined or took notes from almost every page. I found some nugget that I could pray for in nearly every paragraph. This is one of the best practical books I’ve read on parenting by faith to infuse faith.  If you are like me and had little guidance in this area, this is a book for you. So often we feel like we don’t have it together and the time we have to train our children is slipping through our hands. Phil and Diane give practical, thoughtful, timely guides for igniting a passion in our children for Christ. Of course, only Christ can give faith, but we as parents can make delighting in him so much easier. I don’t know about you, but I need reminders to reach through the chaos and remind me to pray, teach, love.  This book is broken up into sections according to age and the basic areas of character you are working towards in each. I can see many areas where I could use some help and some where I am thriving. The main t...

I’m sitting in my church late at night because I’m sleeping here with my favorite homeless ministry, Family Promise. I brought along my classic to read for 2018. I am trading in La Mancha for Baker Street. As Don Quixote and Sancho Panza ride into the sunset, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson appear on the scene. I’m reading A Treasury of Sherlock Holmes compiled by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s son, Adrian Conan Doyle. I learned so much simply by reading the introduction. It is said that by reading one book a year that you are among the world’s most educated. What will you be reading in 2018? #drwatsonipresume #books #bookstagram #bookworm #drwatson #sherlockholmes #classicliterature #volunteer #familypromise #rocks A post shared by Stephanie Cherry (@heystephcherry) on Jan 2, 2018 at 9:24pm PST In January of this year, I picked a classic out of a set my dad bought us when I was a little girl. I had never read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Let me just say that I was capti...

If you have ever wanted to know more about the Maccabees, this is a fascinating read. This story occurred during the silent years between Malachi and Matthew.  In the narrative of I, after  Antiochus  IV issued his decrees forbidding  Jewish   religious practice, a rural  Jewish  priest from Modiin,  sparked the revolt with rebel Jewish warriors against the Seleucid Empire by refusing to worship the Greek gods.  I remember the first time I heard this story and I can see now that it was quite slanted. AS I read the story and studied the history, some things had been omitted and some details had been added. For instance, I had no idea how brutal these Jewish warriors were. They were beheading people and slaughtering people who oppressed Jewish worshippers. I had no idea how many battles this revolt entailed and how gruesome they were. The small Jewish army defeated large opposing forces with superior weapons repeatedly. The Jewish fe...

I have been homeschooling for ten years so I wasn't expecting to find much new information when I began reading this book. Thankfully, the thing I have learned in homeschool is to always be learning and willing to learn. Often we need to hear old things in a new way again. That is what Erin's book did for me. From teaching philosophy, to socialization, to the very heart of why we do this, I was encouraged. She breathed new life into an old game. I think everyone should read this. It's full of wonderful ways to facilitate learning and the true end goals of education. It would be great for an educator as well as a prospective homeschooler. Truly the objective is to instill a love of learning. Erin's book is beautifully thought out and backed up with research. If you are a beginning homeschooler or needing a boon in your spirit to press on, pick up this book. I personally highlighted about fifty sections. I thought I would share a few.  9 Publisher Desc...

Many of us feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with our personal finances. We wonder if we will ever experience financial freedom. We want to make wise decisions and spend money on what matters, but we just don’t know how. Financial advisor Emily G. Stroud is a mom, businesswoman, and entrepreneur. She has two decades of experience with helping people make smart choices about money. She knows that money can be one of the great causes of stress in life—but that it doesn’t have to be that way. Finances, in fact, can be a great source of joy, security, and hope. In  Faithful Finance,  Emily comes alongside you to: Develop a savings plan based on your unique goals Make a monthly budget that actually works for you Reduce your overall debt burden Plan for your children’s college years Insure your life without fear Leave a legacy through estate planning Encourage you to give generously And most importantly, discover the source of true wealth Prese...