"Who's the kid that just got baptized? I've never seen him before, but there's a massive group of friends waiting to hug and congratulate him!" "You don't know him?" Graham asked, "He was in Hudson's room at ski trip. That's the weekend he decided to follow Jesus."...
I have this sweet set of three birds, clay painted turquoise, one of those purchases I didn't even have to think about when I spotted them years ago in a little shop. Birds. Turquoise. Perfectly imperfect in the hand-crafted design and paint. This morning I went...
Well, buckle up. This is not a book I would suggest for every person I know. But if you're interested a real, honest, guttural, and absolutely redemptive memoir, this story is for you. The writing is among the best I've ever read. And I absolutely could not put it...
“Is it our business to pry into what may happen tomorrow? It is a difficult and painful exercise which saps the strength and uses up the time given us today. Once we give ourselves up to God, shall we attempt to get hold of what never belonged to us - tomorrow? Our...
"I wish I could have a whole conversation with him about these things, see what he thinks about them." "Well, Dad, take him to dinner. If you offer Chipotle he won't turn you down, and you'll have his undivided attention over a grilled chicken burrito." "He has time...
I gave this book to three important men in my life last month ~ my father, Corbin's father, and our pastor. I was hoping at least one of the dads would pass it back for me to read, but no luck. My father has turned it into a stylistic reference guide for his own...
Wowzers - read this. Quick. Need a great read for a few wintry evenings? Or a birthday gift for your mom or sister? Or simply a pick-me-up for a friend? Put this little gem in their hands... but do make sure to get a copy of your own. Even for the non-reader, the...
My dear friend Krista put this book in my hand as I headed out on a trip several weeks ago. She’d read The Butterfly and the Violin last summer and told me right away I needed to read it. She was taken with the story and the writing, and couldn’t believe it was a...
Every spring my college girlfriends and I get away to some remote lake house or home to spend a few days together. Invariably, the conversation revolves around our kids and parenting. Last Spring, gathered around Cammi’s kitchen island, we were stumped with an issue...
The past couple of weeks I've been itching to write a review of Unbroken. We have some avid readers on Bran's baseball team (the parents, not the players), and earlier this summer a friend suggested I read Unbroken. Actually, she said I needed to read Unbroken....
Corbin and I got to meet author Paul Batura last fall while attending a Focus on the Family Couples' Retreat with our friends Steve and Lisa. As we landed in Colorado Springs and headed to lunch, Steve announced that he had already made an appointment for us to go...
During my senior year at Baylor, I found myself at a crossroads of what to pursue after college graduation: searching for a job in marketing and writing, or pursuing a Masters (and potentially a Doctorate) in English literature. I loved to write, and I could happily...
A sweet friend gave me a copy of Cross Roads last winter for my birthday. She and I shared an affection for The Shack, and she put Paul Young's new book in my hand hot off the press. It took me several months to read it, primarily because I didn't want to rush through...
I had just sat down in the living room last Saturday afternoon, feet up on the ottoman, laptop in hand. I glanced out to where Corbin rested on the pool float, reading the newspaper in the sun, and thought, “Here summer begins.” After an amazing, full week of CCBC...
I was with a good friend recently, who in describing her weekly cooking routine, said that her Sunday suppers were typically more gourmet, because that's the day she has free afternoon hours to spend in the kitchen. In that moment, I was reminded that I clearly missed...
I snagged Still Lolo last month from Costco's book table and stuffed it in my own Christmas stocking. Lauren's story caught my attention a little over a year ago when our local radio stations spread news of her horrific accident of being struck by an airplane...
I like this guy. I don't remember how I came across Jonathon McKee's site, probably from an article he'd posted somewhere else, but I have kept up with his writings now for awhile. What hooked me on McKee's blog is that this former youth pastor researches teen...
We're in Chicago for a few days, just Corbin and me, a welcome break from "normal" life. I just read John Grisham's book, Ford County, on the plane here. Like most fiction readers, I love Grisham's writings. I appreciate his legal insights as I'm married to this...
I woke up this morning to an empty calendar page. Clear of appointments and meetings, a day that stretched wide open for all those weighty "to do's." To do's like clearing the paperwork on my desk and sorting through boxes in the garage and sunroom, both areas...
Oh man, this will make you think. Or at least, it should. This is the first I’ve read from Jen Hatmaker. To be honest, I read it with a little reservation. Not only was I hesitant to ingest Jen’s message (a journey of releasing security, comfort, familiarity, and...
"Mom, I had a moment." "Huh?" "Tonight. A moment. You should have seen it. I was called on stage to do the rap, and it was AWESOME..." Bran continued another five or so minutes, recounting in detail the thrill of performing in front of several hundred 6th-9th graders...
I've met a new friend this week. She is adventurous and interesting and enthralling. Best of all, she reminds me of my Granny, so I can't get enough of her. Anne Morrow Lindbergh died in 2001, but her stories and thoughts stay very much alive through her books,...
If you have children, particularly more than one, you might want to grab a copy of Close Kids. This book was passed on to me by a friend, and I'm so glad to know about it. In an effort to parent proactively in such a way that his three daughters would have close...
Friends - as many of you know, Dr. Dobson has officially transitioned from his role at Focus on the Family to his new radio ministry, Family Talk. Obvious from the ministry's name, Dobson's vision and passion for helping families thrive continues. Check out...
Head in hands, forehead pressed into my palms, I sat hunched over in a chair on the back deck. Despite the sunny, glorious spring weather, my heart fluttered while I fought to gain control of my floundering emotions. The swelling of my pregnant tummy reminded me that...
It's all too familiar to me - what I call the treadmill syndrome of waking and eating and sleeping with life rushing by in my peripheral view. How many nights have I laid my head on the pillow resolving that tomorrow will be different? Tomorrow I will sit down to read...
My friend Lori passed this title on to me, not necessarily something she deemed a "must read," but interesting food for thought. What she appeared mildly enthusiastic about has provided a very interesting and engaging read for me. I started this book on our beach...
I think I might be the last person in Tarrant County to read this book. Despite my anticipation to read it - for literally years now - for some crazy reason I've just now gotten around to picking it up. Wow. I've heard that response from others - family, friends, and...
Have you read this? If so, would love to hear your thoughts. Of all the books I read in '08, this stands out most. Don't know if it's the absolute best literature I read, but I'm putting it down as most memorable. And most invigorating. I really, really like Mark...
So how do you, in a couple hundred pages, capture the story of your oldest son's near-death drowning and the ensuing years of recovery and healing? Throw in the combined grief and helplessness of enduring it as a family of five, maintaining your marriage, questioning...
Agh!!! I LOVE this book! First, I love the layout. A collection of 4-5ish page essays, easy & entertaining to read whenever and wherever. Second, I love Niequist's insights into the spiritual snippets of every day life. She dives deep into the motives and...
I love it when friends pass books on to us. This one came highly recommended, with good reason. Read it yet? In Family Driven Faith, Voddie Baucham challenges parents to disciple their children in such a way as to instill a multigenerational faith that stretches from...
In June 1783, three-year-old Sarah Whitcher wanders into the woods and disappears. Got your attention? Enough to make you want to read this children's book describing the true story? What about when you read on that for three long days friends and neighbors search the...
If you send your kids to public school, or are considering sending your kids to public school, you must, must, must read this book. Going Public - Your Child Can Thrive in Public School, by David and Kelli Pritchard My friend Heather told me about the Pritchards after...
She writes devotionals every day on her Morning Coffee blog. Every day. She simply moves verse by verse through books of the Bible and expounds on them, adding her thoughts and personal stories. And she does this in her free time as a pastor's wife and a homeschooling...
I read The Gardener to my kids recently, an inspiring children’s story about a young girl’s courage and optimism in the face of adversity. Lydia Grace Finch is forced to leave her family’s farm and move to the city with her unsmiling Uncle Jim who owns a bakery. Her...
Years ago a college professor encouraged me to write letters in my prayer journal from God to me. That’s right. To write out what I think the Creator of the universe would say to little ‘ol me. I’ve done that off and on for about ten years now. Usually these “letters”...
Last weekend I attended the North Texas Christian Writer's Conference. I found out about it this summer and Corbin pushed me to register - what a guy. Yet another weekend he got to maneuver four kids to soccer games and birthday parties... with a little help from...