Beautifully Poor

A lot of nights at bedtime it is just my son and I, so we listen to Keys for Kids on my phone (a short devotional) and sometimes Adventures in Odyssey through OnePlace.com . Tonight, after my boy fell asleep, I started scrolling through Facebook and came across this video: Tears silently fell down my face. Not just because of the story itself, but because of an incident that happened yesterday in my own life, with another person.  My son and I had just left one of my OB appointments, and usually when I'm in the cities I grab groceries at my favorite stores. One of those stores is in Vadnais Heights, so we were headed there. I saw a man at the corner with a sign right off of the exit and saw the car next to me give him something and in my head I was so negative. I hate admitting any of this, but since moving here it is such a common sight and not knowing whether or not the person truly is in need or if they are just panhandling does eventually make me stupid when it com

A Spectacle of Glory  by Joni Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby is a daily devotional that is meant to be encouraging, especially to those living in hard times or going through them. Each day starts off with a verse to look up and read, followed by the author's take on it or a story relating to it and then a short prayer.  I found that a lot of these have come from Joni Eareckson Tada's own life experiences. If you don't know anything about her, she is a quadriplegic and is founder and CEO of Joni and Friends, a Christian organization that is an outreach to the disabled community. She is a great inspiration seeing all that she has been up against in life and I find great respect in her ability to overcome the obstacles that have been thrown her way. The devotionals don't really inspire deep thought and are very simple and to the point. The short prayers are also more her prayers, which I would suggest saying a prayer that means something to you, these just he

Under the Tuscan Sun  by  Frances Mayes  is a widely popular New York Times Bestseller. Given the chance to actually read such a popular book I have heard so much about, I had to take it!  The edition I received is the 20th Anniversary Edition with a new afterword - some thoughts from Frances Mayes herself on the book she wrote 20 years ago. I have to agree with everyone, that it is a beautifully written memoir that really brings you into the life in Italy, the remodeling of an original home, and my favorite - the food. I absolutely adore that she included recipes in the book. There is actually a chapter called Winter Kitchen Notes  that contains quite a few recipes including Wild Mushroom Lasagna, a variety of Bruschette and Chestnuts in red wine.  Under the Tuscan Sun  is said to have inspired many into taking journey's of their own. To take a risk and travel and learn about something out of their own ordinary. I really can see that through the beauty of the pages an

I thoroughly enjoy devotionals that make me think.  Devotions For A Deeper Life by Oswald Chambers  does just that. The author, Oswald Chambers, is a world renowned theologian and well known for his other book, My Utmost for His Highest , which is also a great read.  Devotions For A Deeper Life by Oswald Chambers  is a beautiful hardcover devotional book with an attached ribbon book mark for keeping one's page very easily. This is a daily devotional, starting with January 1st and ending on December 31st. Each devotion starts with a scripture, followed by a short devotional and ending with a prayer thought and suggested reading from the Bible. Whether keeping for yourself as a beautiful devotional, or giving as a gift, I really think anyone looking for a great devotional would enjoy this as much as I do. It really is gift ready and perfect for the nightstand, whether doing devotions in the morning or evening. You can purchase it here  Zondervan Publishing  or at your l