by Kimberly | Mar 11, 2018 | Books
(I received this book from Blogging For Books. All thoughts are my own.).
Books for moms can be such helpful reads. Believe me, go look at any bookstore and there are plenty to choose from. For me, books on motherhood can be a source of mentoring or it can just be fluff that I don’t glean much from.
I would put Gospel-Centered Mom right in the middle. I was hoping that it would be more, that I would find it to be one of the best mom books out there, but it fell short of that.
I did think that Brooke, who is a mother of boys like I am, gave plenty of real life and she didn’t sugar coat motherhood for anyone.
She gave good ideas to help when times get “hard to handle”.
I think for me it was more personal story, almost like a memoir. I want more Gospel truth, less personal story. Or some kind of balance there. And for me it wasn’t balanced enough. Though, what she said in the way of Gospel was spot on. She wasn’t saying that we should always seek a break in parenting and she wasn’t saying that we can do it all. She was saying that we need Jesus. And so do our kids!
by Kimberly | Mar 3, 2018 | Bible
I was just listening to a podcast by Anne Bogel What Should I Read Next. She was talking with her guest about the tone of a book. What tone did she like to read? Did it matter what tone the book took? The guest went on to talk about her likes and dislikes with different tones of books.
Psalm 9 is a divided psalm. Part of it is praise for the ways that God has worked. Part of it is seeking God to ask him to act again.
But listen to the first verse: read it aloud, read it over and over. Doesn’t it set the tone for the entire psalm?
As a mom, I have an obligation to my home. Yes, to my house, to make it warm and hospitable and clean and functioning. But, more to my home. I get the opportunity to set the tone of our home. I can set a tone of joyfulness or of grumbling. I can set a tone of peace or of striving. I can set a tone of prayerfulness or worry, of praise or of complaint.
What tone do you want to set in your home? In your quiet time? In your walk with God?
Tools: Pentel Sign Pen, Tuscan sun from Artistic Isle Watercolor
by Kimberly | Mar 2, 2018 | Bible
Prayer is not the easiest thing I do in my life. Is it for you?
I once heard a pastor say that no one in the church would raise their hands if he asked if anyone had the prayer life they always wanted.
My prayer life currently is very much in the moment. If someone asks me to pray, I do it right then. I pray when I need help with parenting. I pray as I read things. I pray in the car when a song comes on that reminds me to pray about something.
And really, Psalm 6, is not about prayer. Not really. Its about confession. Its about seeking the God who is able and willing to show mercy on us and forgive all our sins.
David, in his agony and turmoil, maybe in a depression, maybe feeling totally away from God, appeals to His character. God’s faithfulness, His acts of redemption, His leading and mercy and grace. These are the things that David knows God to be. And even when David can’t feel God or even when David thinks he has nothing to bring and God shouldn’t answer Him, he calls out for mercy.
And God answers.
More Scripture to read: Psalm 51, 1 John 4, Romans 5
Tools: Artistic Isle Watercolor and Pentel Sign Brush in gray
by Kimberly | Mar 2, 2018 | Bible
Spring is a great time to try something new. Just like January 1, right? The days get longer, the weather gets warmer, the flowers are blooming!
Lettering is definitely not new to me, but I do like to do different things with it to keep me fresh and also practice. When my custom order list is long, I warm up with lettering challenges that I find by different letterers on Instagram.
This March I’ll be sharing with you those letterings and my devotional thoughts. I’m using James Montgomery Boice’s incredible commentary on Psalms to walk me through these each day. And I’ll also be talking about my favorite lettering resources, too.
By the end of the challenge, I hope to take all of the ombre brushlettered cards and make them into a Psalms memory ring!
Day 1 (I was going to post this last night but my mister needed the computer, and I wanted to go to bed). Psalm 3:3
I’ve loved this Psalm for about 15 years since I sung it as part of a choir at a church in NC. This is one of my favorites. I love this version by Brooklyn Tab. My mister will be singing it this spring as part of a choir tour – encouraging pastors and church members.
The Psalm is written by David. To say the least David is having a rough go of it. His life is in danger – by his son. When I’m anxious about anything I can tell you I don’t sleep very well. It is a fitful night of tossing and turning. And yet David says he woke up because the Lord was with him. That says he was very calm.
When we are being pressed in, have people that are after us, or accusing us, or being mean to us (yes, bullying happens as adults too), or we just are having a rough time, we can look at this verse and know the same God who rescued David is the same God who shepherds and rescues us.
He is a shield.
He lifts your head.
He is a near God who protects you.
“When a believer gazes too long at his enemies, the force arrayed against him seems to grow in size until it appears to be overwhelming. But when he turns his thoughts to God, God is seen in his true, great stature, and the enemies shrink to unimaginable proportions.” (JB Psalm 3)
Tools: Artistic Isle Watercolor, watercolor paper 140lb, large round brush (I get mine at Target), Crossway Psalter
For any custom lettering, comment here or head over to my instagram page.
Day 2: Psalm 6
Day 3: Psalm 9
by Kimberly | Mar 1, 2018 | Books
Food. Books. Two of my loves of my life. And this book is a great combination of both worlds.
Tyndale House sent me this book as part of their blog review program. And the book by Carla Laureano is one of my favorite reads this year!
It is a fictional story of a chef, an essayist, and dinner parties. Food and time together is a perfect setting for love to blossom. I mean, my own relationship with my husband started over a 4 hour dinner.
I loved Carla’s characters, dialogue, setting in Colorado. I had just read a book with a similar story line, but the romance without the sex in this Christian fiction was much better.
If you like food, dinner parties, and romance fiction, this is definitely the book for you.
This would be a perfect book to read with a book club. Have dinner. Drink some wine or just coffee…and talk about the book. There are even discussion questions in the back of the book. And her next one is due our next spring! Can’t wait!
