books
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Book Review: How Can I Make the Most of Sunday Services?
I received a copy of How Can I Make the Most of Sunday Services? by Erin Wheeler early this week. This was perfect timing, as it allowed me to read it in preparation for Sunday—which is exactly the point! (Plus, due to its brevity, it helped me get ahead on my GoodReads Challenge.) About &… Continue reading
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Review: The Story of Grace
I returned from a much-needed vacation in Arizona to the best sort of mail: book mail! The first book I dove into was The Story of Grace: An Exhibition of God’s Love by 19th-century Scottish poet and pastor Horatius Bonar. This reprint of a Christian classic provided marvelous devotional reading, particularly for the beginning of… Continue reading
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Every Book I Read in 2024 Reviewed in Ten Words (or Fewer)
I read a wild variety of books, from sci-fi to biography, Christian living to classic literature, memoir to investigative journalism, books on aging to books for middle-grade readers… That said, there’s probably something on this list for everyone! For a fun challenge, I decided to review every book I read in 2024 in ten or… Continue reading
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Review: The Story of Katie Luther
About The Story of Katie Luther: The Nun Who Escaped to True Freedom by Gretchen Ronnevik is a brief, accessible biography of Martin Luther’s bold, resourceful, faithful wife. This book is part of Crossway’s “Lives of Faith & Grace” series, which “engages middle-grade readers (ages 8–13) with the real-life stories of Christian men and women… Continue reading
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Early Christmas Gifts + Road Trip Entertainment
Happy Thanksgiving week! Since this week marks the start of the Christmas season for many of us, I wanted to share a few recommendations to get you in the holiday spirit and—for those of you who are traveling—to help pass the hours. In the spirit of early Christmas, I’d like to give you a few… Continue reading
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Review: “Ecclesiastes: Finding Meaning When Life Feels Meaningless” by Lydia Brownback
Ecclesiastes: Finding Meaning When Life Feels Meaningless is part of Crossway’s Flourish Bible Study series. The series author, Lydia Brownback, is an accomplished writer and conference presenter. Accordingly, she writes like a speaker—with a friendly and clear tone. She distills biblical information into an understandable and applicable format, making this study on Ecclesiastes a great… Continue reading
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Review: “What is a Healthy Church?” by Mark Dever
What is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever was first published in 2005 and the 2024 revised edition just came out—testifying to the continuing need for books on church health and the continuing influence of this book in particular. What is a Healthy Church? is part of the IX Marks series, which identifies and exposits… Continue reading
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Book Review: “Send: Loving Your Church By Praying, Giving, or Going”
In Send: Loving Your Church by Praying, Giving, or Going, pastor and church planter Jim Essian identifies God’s vision for his global kingdom and helps Christians discern how they and their churches are equipped to fit into this vision. From sweeping panoramas of international missions to practical advice for serving our local communities, Send is… Continue reading
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Finding Comfort in Smallness: Lessons Among the Oak Trees
I needed to go stand beneath my oak trees today, to be reminded of my smallness. No, to be reassured of my smallness. You see, I spend the bulk of my days alone: tidying my house, running, practicing music, planning services, reading, and, of course, writing. I love my life. It is ideally suited to… Continue reading
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How to Read More Jane Austen
I’ve always professed a love for Jane Austen’s novels, but I admit that, at first, my love was feigned. Before college, I loved to be seen reading Jane. I did genuinely enjoy Emma and Pride and Prejudice, but often the effort outweighed the joy. In the last few years, though, I’ve found myself devouring Jane… Continue reading
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Publication Update
The last few months have brought wonderful opportunities for writing. Among these was the opportunity to pitch and write an article for The Gospel Coalition. I’m so honored that TGC chose to publish my little article and hope it encourages readers that a simple way to build one another up is to sing more old… Continue reading
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5 Times Flannery O’Connor was an Introverted Icon
Last year, I read Brad Gooch’s marvelous biography of Flannery at a time when I felt (to be honest) very crummy about my writing. It was exactly the encouragement I needed. For instance, I found out that when someone asked O’Connor what if she collected anything, she replied, “Rejection letters.” Her bluntness was balm to… Continue reading
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