Thursday, July 9, 2015

What I've Been Reading Lately

If you stopped over for tea, some time or other, the conversation might get around to what I've been reading lately. 

(That opening statement is quite ironic, considering a friend was stopping for tea the other day.  I was SO excited to have some good chat time with her.  Then, Blossom4 came down with a high fever and I wouldn't even let my friend in the door.  She's got 4 kids too.  Since I didn't know what other symptoms came along with the fever, I wasn't taking chances.  The irony is that it was pouring down raining as I sadly requested a rain check.) 

ANYWAY, so here's what I've been reading lately:

The Book of Luke
One of the things I love about the Gospels is how it shares Jesus' everyday doings with us.  Luke was endeavoring to write an accurate account of all Jesus began to do and teach.  My favorite verse that I recently highlighted is Luke 7:10.

"When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health." 

I think it speaks for itself.  Jesus responded to the faith He saw and returned the man's slave to good health.  It's logical to assume that that is God's will for me.  It's comforting to know that I serve a God like that.  If you feel like you don't know what God would be like if He walked the Earth, read the book of Luke and you'll feel a little bit more acquainted with the human form of God.

Home Improvement
By Scott Turansky & Joanne Miller
I attended a seminar with this pair as the speakers and was also blessed by their books at the homeschool convention I attended in May.  I was able to borrow this book for free since I am an Amazon Prime member.  It was a terrific and helpful read.  So much parenting is only trying to correct our children's behavior.  As Christians, we want our children's hearts to be reached.  There were practical tips for how to end discipline sessions on a positive note.  It's funny because my parents did many of those things when we were being disciplined.  It just goes to show you that if you are humble and read the Word, God will lead you in the right direction, whether you were raising in a Godly home or not.  I love that Turansky & Miller encourage parents to talk to kids about what they did wrong, why it's wrong and what they'll do differently next time.  READ IT.  It was seriously the best parenting book I've read in a LONG, long time.  I'm looking forward to reading their book, Good and Angry.  It tackles parental anger (ahem.)

Pepper in the Gumbo
by Mary Jane Hathaway
I signed up for BookBub and love that I get almost daily emails on free or cheap Kindle books from genres I like to read.  When this book popped up and was described as being similar to You've Got Mail, I downloaded it immediately.  Um, if you have chores to do, get 'em done and THEN, download this.  It was clean and good.  If it were a movie, I'd definitely watch it (repeatedly) and ya'll know I'm picky about my movies.  Alice, the main character, learns some valuable lessons and the guy gets the girl in the end.  It was a good happy ending, set in Louisiana. 

Thanks for stopping in for tea with me.  I love sharing a good book with friends.