by Kimberly | Jun 27, 2015 | Books
I love animals. My boys love animals. We got to the zoo several times per month. We had pets growing up. I’m all for the humane treatment of animals.
Noah’s ark is not primarily about animals. Basically every children’s book or nursery theme I’ve ever seen about Noah is about the animals. Even songs that we sang at church camp are about the animals.
The main point of the Biblical account of the story of Noah is how God punished sin and showed mercy to sinners by sheltering them in the ark from his wrath. Yes, God commanded Noah and his family to bring in the animals. That was another part of God’s mercy to His creation.
The story is about God’s kindness to sinners (Noah’s family) and his judgment on the world because of their sin. It has about his promise to sinners by revealing to us a rainbow – to remind himself that he promised never to flood the earth again. Its not primarily about the animals.
That being said, Tommy Nelson sent me a book, Noah’s Noisy Zoo, and the way the board book fits together is adorable. You can make all sorts of animal noises with your toddlers as you read it to them. But, parents – no matter old your children are, please do not end the story of Noah and the ark with the animals.
by Kimberly | Jun 26, 2015 | Books
I love walking through antique malls. Shelf after shelf, booth after booth of other peoples stuff (or junk, or prized possessions). I went through one this week in Chattanooga, and some of the best stalls had shelves lined with cookbooks.
Cookbooks to me have to be more than good recipes. I can find those online. Cookbooks have to tell a story, have to link me to the food through more than just my tastebuds, and have to make me want to cook most of the recipes in the book. XX Dinners by Schori and Taylor entices me with craftsman pictures, gorgeous photographs that make me want to eat (especially the tomato section), and instills in me a love of new food – simple food, staple food.
I love having folks for dinner. Whether it is simply a bowl of soup and hot crusty bread, or an extravagant lasagna and a glass of wine – or just a bowl of ice cream – you can learn a lot about a person by sitting around a table with them. And I’m thankful that my husband joins in this love with me – a love of sitting, talking, eating good food, and looking at people in the eyes and leaning into their lives.
What I like most about this cookbook: the photographs, the wine/cocktail pairings, the menu sets, and the little blurb at the end of the book: “They (the authors) believe that great meals are as much about the people you cook for and with as they are about the food.”
Yup. Sip something and cook something. Its that simple.
(Blogging for Books sent me this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.)
by Kimberly | Jun 22, 2015 | Books, Shepherding Children
Last night I had the privilege of hearing a seasoned missionary, husband, father, son, and leader speak about some of the most life-changing times in his life. He mentioned that there was a period of time when he really questioned his ability to hear God – siting the Scripture “your sheep will know your voice” out of the book of John. He went on to explain several times over a period of years that he took silent prayer retreats. Each time never feeling like there was enough time – even two weeks worth. At the end of that dark time, he came away with this thought – God is always speaking – but never more clearly through His Word (the Bible) – Psalm 19.
Over the past five years there has been one staple book always at the top of Christian books for women: Jesus Calling. It has gotten rave reviews and some alarming reviews. I do not agree with everything that Sarah Young says about her book – the presence of Jesus talking to her and then she passes that on to her readers. But, I had the opportunity to review Jesus Calling for Little Ones thanks to Tommy Nelson Mommies. I was hesitant, but wanted to check it out. When we got it I love the board style book perfectly unrippable by little hands. I loved the illustrations and the size of the book. I took it to our Waffle House breakfast on Sunday morning before we head in to church.
She simply had a verse and then paraphrased it in her own way on the opposite page. I would equate this book to a Message Bible for little kids. Some of the posts on this book says that it is as if “Jesus is speaking right to little children.” I don’t put this book anywhere near the authority level as that. Except for the Scripture in it. That is the infallible true word of God. The paraphase, explanation, etc is just that – someone else’s thoughts on the verse. It is prone to human error. I wrote curriculum in my last ministry job before getting married. The only part of the curriculum that was free from error was the Scripture. I am not perfect – nor are my thought perfect.
So, if you want to hear the direct infallible perfect instructive voice of God – read the Bible. If you want a board book for little ones that has Scripture, pretty pictures, and some nice thoughts for kids that they will understand, leave a comment on the blog or on social media. Don’t confuse the two. Only Scripture, not anything the book author says) is authoritative in your life, for your soul, and for your children’s soul.
by Kimberly | Jun 18, 2015 | Books, Women
Reading a book by someone you know is very different than reading a book by an author whom you have no personal connection with. You read the book with an insight into the author, eyes from seeing the author in action, and know a little bit of her heart and stories that she displays in her book.
Thanks to Crossway for sending me Courtney Reissig’s new book, The Accidental Feminist, and I have loved it and been so praying that the Lord would search my heart while reading this book. I’ve known Courtney since moving to Louisville in 2007 when we both worked at SBTS, then our husbands were on staff at local churches in Little Rock for about 2 years. I’ve seen her handle marriage and motherhood with more grace than most people I know. Grace is not saying she does it perfectly, but she understands her need for the Gospel and dishes out the Gospel with such poise. That is also what comes through in this book.
I’ve taken to doing something my husband does when he reads books: he starts with the last chapter. So, for this book, I read the first, then the last chapter, then went back to chapter 2. I think doing that in some books gives the reader such a proper perspective. She starts with what she aims to do – then in the last chapter declares our need for the Gospel to do any of what she just wrote – and the in the middle pointed us to what godly womanhood in today’s world looks like (in light of our culture and our need for a Savior).
What I think Courtney does better than most authors who are seeking to write a womanhood book – is she taps into whatever stage of life you are in. I think its because she realizes two things: she has struggled with biblical womanhood and God’s ideal plan for it in singleness, marriage, and motherhood (and infertility and miscarriages), and also she knows that she is writing to a wide audience and many women in different stages need the truth of God’s word for their lives right now.
In every chapter she gives practical and theological and cultural implications for what biblical womanhood looks like. She focuses in on relationships, church life, home life, work life, our relationship with our physical bodies,
I loved how she did end it. Talking about restoration. As Eve, the first woman, was called by her husband the mother of all living (before her kids were born), there is something restorative and life giving about being a woman. This world needs so much restoration. And ultimately we are not the ones that give restoration – but we, uniquely designed by God as women who bear his image, can bring life and restoration and healing to this world.
Court – thank you for your personal insights and your living out such a beautiful picture of grace to your boys, husband, church family, and readers.
by Kimberly | Jun 17, 2015 | Books
I am a sucker for good cookbooks with great photography. I usually use the internet, but give me a new cookbook, and I readily enjoy it while sitting down with a diet coke and a snack.
This one is definitely narrow in its field, but the dishes you can then make with its recipes is endless. These are just basics that can be used for absolutely anything: paleo, whole30, deep fried, etc. If you like to have a homemade cocktail or a bowl of popcorn or a fresh green salad – this book is your go to. Just keep it open on your counter and mix away! Or shake away!
Thankful for Blogging for Books so I can try new cookbooks.
by Kimberly | Jun 17, 2015 | Books
Over the past few years with the pick up in social media sites, I fear that more people (mostly women I’m writing about here) are better friends with the people on their social media networks than they are with people in their daily lives. I am not saying those online friendships are bad, I just want to make the case that they are insufficient.
I would say that the main way I see this dominating the circles I follow are online Bible studies. Again, I’m not saying these are bad – I’m just saying they are insufficient. You can only be so real with people you only know through a computer (that’s why I think there are great problems with online dating). The good thing about these online Bible studies is that you study the Word and you get to know people…but that can’t take the place of real life Bible studies if you have access to good ones.
Neither can these online friendships take the place of real life friends. Since I’ve traveled a lot and moved a bit since being an adult, I have plenty of my best friends that don’t live in my immediate area. Social media is definitely a way I keep up with them and know what’s going on in their lives – and they know how they can pray, encourage, and help me along in my sanctification process by loving me and loving the Gospel.
I’ve been reading a surprisingly good book A Friend in Me by Pamela Havey Lau. It is about friendship – but more importantly, an older generation of women being grace-imparting friends to younger women. Sounds very much like Titus 2. I found this book for women to be refreshing because its deeper than most books on friendship. This has been a convicting read to me in getting to know knew women, continuing relationships with women I already know, pursuing Gospel love with them, encouraging them in whatever stage of life God has them in right now, and even in my parenting and imparting the Gospel to my boys who are so little.
Thankful for this book on friendship, real life friends, and yes, social media where I can keep up with all my friends spread throughout the world.
I received this book from LitFuse in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
