Book Review: Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman

While browsing Instagram I frequently came across the book Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman. It looked good to me. It looked like a book I needed to read. The sub caption under the title is "Small-moment living in a fast-moving world." Yes, I needed that. My world has been spinning so fast the last number of months with moving, working, buying a house, remodeling a house, taking care of my husband and three children, that I definitely needed a reminder to slow down. I started reading the book and I felt I was sitting across the table having coffee with Emily, and she was simply just sharing her heart with me. I love reading books that make me feel like that. But, it was also like she was reading my mail my heart.

Small moment living isn't a bad thing. It's good.

It's stopping to notice the little things in life.

It's remembering what's important.

It's acknowledging that I don't have to promote myself or make myself or my life something big, grand or to even be recognized.

It's about making the selfish part of me small, and the God inside of me BIG.

It's determining to be at peace with not being known by people, but knowing that the God of the universe sees and knows me.

Being small is being humble. It's intentionally putting God and others before me and my agenda.

And, it's about not rushing things. Let things be small. Let myself be small like a child. I have a lot to learn from children.

This book was such perfect timing for me and I hope that everyone gives themselves the opportunity to read it.


Some quotes from the book...

"Small is the position of my soul, the posture by which I approach others, God, and myself. When I'm small, I know I can't control opinions, manipulate outcomes, or force my agenda on others. When I'm small, I can move into the world confident as the person I most deeply am because I know I don't move into the world alone. If this is true, then small is my new free."

"Tuesday is the week's producer. What happens here, if done right, if done well, leaves no fingerprints-dinner around the table, laundry folded in the baskets, the meeting with the boss over coffee, five hundred more words toward the deadline. The big stuff of life we save for the weekend. Tuesday holds the ordinary, the everyday, and the small."

"What gives moments meaning is not the moments themselves but the presence of Christ with us in the midst of them. To learn to live well in ordinary time is to keep company with Christ on our simple Tuesdays and remember how he delights in keeping company with us."

"Jesus doesn't say, Come to me, keep company with me, and you'll learn to do nothing, to be passive, to never work again. He says, Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. Being with Jesus brings a different kind of living and a different kind of working-the kind that starts with being."


Personally, what I take away after reading this book...

I don't want to promote myself in any way-in my thoughts, actions, social media, my conversations, my relationships with others, or in my heart.

I want to be "small" or humble...known by people. I want to be open, vulnerable and transparent with others.

I want to resolve to be happy with whatever place I am at in life. To be content and at peace, knowing God is in control and His timing is perfect.

I want to be free from all selfish ambition and know that my most important goals to accomplish are those that God has created and called me to. I can wait on God and let Him lead me.

I will continue to rest in the truth that God sees me, loves me, and has a great future for me. I can trust Him.

The Whole Hearted Parenting Manifesto ~ Brene Brown

The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto

Above all else, I want you to know that you are loved and lovable. You will learn this from my words and actions--the lessons on love are in how I treat you and how I treat myself.

I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness. You will learn that you are worthy of love, belonging, and joy every time you see me practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfections.

We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room in our home for both.

We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion with ourselves first; then with each other. We will set and respect boundaries; we will honor hard work, hope, and perseverance. Rest and play will be family values, as well as family practices.

You will learn accountability and respect by watching me make mistakes and make amends, and by watching how I ask for what I need and talk about how I feel.

I want you to know joy, so together we will practice gratitude.

I want you to feel joy, so together we will learn how to be vulnerable.

When uncertainty and scarcity visit, you will be able to draw from the spirit that is a part of our everyday life.

Together we will cry and face fear and grief. I will want to take away your pain, but instead I will sit with you and teach you how to feel it.

We will laugh and sing and dance and create. We will always have permission to be ourselves with each other. No matter what, you will always belong here.

As you begin your Wholehearted journey, the greatest gift that I can give to you is to live and love with my whole heart and to dare greatly.

I will not teach or love or show you anything perfectly, but I will let you see me, and I will always hold sacred the gift of seeing you. Truly, deeply, seeing you.

Book Review: Make It Happen

Last year I came across Lara Casey's website, blog and book... Make It Happen. Her book jumped out at me because the theme of the book is to live a life on purpose. I began last year really establishing that I want to live a life on purpose rather than a life of perfection. I began to think and pray about what it really means to live a life on purpose. Along came the book Make It Happen.  

This book is ideal for any woman that seeks to dig deep into her heart and see what holds her back from her God given purpose and how to achieve it. Lara is extremely vulnerable and transparent as she shares her own personal journey of living her own life on purpose for God's glory.

Some quotes from the book:

"The enemy of taking action is the false belief in 'someday.' Do the good you know you ought to do-and start now. Do it knowing that you might not have as much time as you think. The alternative is to do nothing, and that does, well, nothing. Don't wait to live."

"Fear can hold us back from making what matters happen. Fear can create a false reality where we feel threatened even if nothing has actually happened yet. What do you feel could be threatened in your life?"

"If you want change, choose it."

"We are so quick to limit ourselves, deciding who we are and who we aren't and that's it. We define our identities-our strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, and beliefs-but this rigid defining can hinder us from seeing the potential that God sees. We stay in our little identity boxes, not allowing ourselves to be stretched or challenged. We accept the world's made-up rules for who we are supposed to be, and we believe we cannot break those rules."

"When it comes to our faith, we must choose trust over feelings. There are many times we cannot feel God working, but we can trust that He is. We may not feel loved by God, but we can trust that His love never changes."

"You are going to fail sometimes, and things won't always go the way you hoped. But here's the beautiful paradox about failure: failure will get you further than fear."

"The good you do today changes generations. Life is too short and too valuable to coast through, living by accident. Take your time writing down your goals, pray on them, talk them out with people you trust, and then commit."


Getting Personal:

I was deeply moved by this book. It was very challenging as I answered in my journal the many heart provoking questions that Lara asked throughout the book. I knew that if I am really going to see change and purpose in my life it begins with being honest with God and myself about who I am and where I'm at in life at the moment.

I think it helped me to write out these answers because it opened my eyes to what really holds me back from stepping out into what God has for me...like fear of rejection. It helped me to see what living a life on purpose really means for me personally and not letting my fear of rejection hold me back from it. I want to be open and transparent with people and not let the fear of rejection keep me from meaningful relationships.

For example, I shared with someone how much they mean to me and what a blessing they have been in my life. She responded, "I had no idea." My heart was grieved for the rest of the day. It made me so sad to think that someone so special to me didn't know it. I was reminded that people can't read my mind. I must speak out. I must live life intentionally and in all my relationships.

At the end of the book there are strategies for living a life on purpose that I found so helpful and practical. Some of them are to have a short list of 3-5 things I will accomplish a day, clearing out the clutter in my mind (distractions), and taking social media breaks. I finished the book thinking that I can live a more focused, purposeful, meaningful life. It's worth the read. You can make it happen in your life, too, with the help and grace of God!

Book Review: Women of the Word

I really enjoyed Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin. I read it in one day. It was powerful, challenging and encouraging. As Jen says in the beginning of the book, the goal of this book is "equipping women through Bible study."

Quotes from the book:

"We should study asking not just what a particular portion of Scripture wants to tell us, but how that portion of Scripture is telling us the Big Story of the Bible as a whole. Studying the Bible with purpose means keeping its overarching message in view at all times."

"The temptation to make the Bible applicable to our current experience without preserving its ties to its original audience is strong."

"Without prayer, our study is nothing but an intellectual pursuit. With prayer, it is a means of communing with the Lord."

Jen Wilkins does an excellent job addressing the variety of ways that we approach reading/studying God's Word, and showing how they may be faulty. I appreciate her simple, and yet thorough approach to Bible Study. Jen is very clear about the five steps we should take when studying the Bible: purpose, perspective, patience, process, and prayer.

My Personal Thoughts:
It spoke to me the most that I should read the Bible to learn about who God is first, rather than trying to find something out about myself and who I am. She sums it up in this quote:

"Any study of the Bible that seeks to establish our identity without first proclaiming God's identity will render partial and limited help. We must turn around our habit of asking "Who am I?" We must first ask, "What does this passage teach me about God?" before we ask it to teach us anything about ourselves. We must acknowledge that the Bible is a book about God."

I felt really convicted when I read this. The strong pull of this world is to be narcissistic- to have everything revolve around self. I can see now that there is a temptation to allow our Bible study to become so self-focused, as well.

I now have a new perspective as I look forward to digging into God's Word and learning more about who He is!

The Sunday Search

I really liked an idea that Karen presented in her book Making Sunday Special. 

She talked about "The Sunday Search". 

"The Sunday Search is a spiritual discipline designed in the form of a game with three rules. We go to church, anticipating, How will Christ speak to me? (rule one) and How will Christ speak through me? (rule two). Then We must talk about it (rule three)."

I love this idea because it encourages all of us in our family to have an expectation to hear from God, to be used of God, and accountability in sharing both of them together as a family. It's so easy to go to church with no expectation that God is going to speak to me personally, or that God would use me to speak into someone else's life. Both of these have to be intentional in our lives and in our parenting. God uses worship, the time of greeting others, the offering, the sermon, the altar call, and the time of fellowshipping afterwards to speak to us. And, He can use us in a variety of ways to "speak" into someone else's life whether that be a compliment, word of encouragement, an act of service or even a hug.

So, early Sunday morning last week I told the kids that this is what we were going to do. They liked the idea. After church, when we were home and had eaten lunch we all met in the boys' room and shared our answers. It was powerful to hear my kids share what they believed God had spoken to them at church and how God used them.  They were just as eager to hear Josh and I share our answers.

I love this game and will continue to do it with my kids. It teaches them that God will speak to them at church and that they play a vital role as church members, too.

Be expectant as you look to see how God will speak to you and an opportunity to speak into someone else's life!

Quote from St. Patrick of Ireland

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

~St. Patrick of Ireland

Some Really Good Marriage Advice

This is an excellent book and I've read it more than once! My mother-in-law gave it to me early on in our marriage and I'm so thankful that she did! I have learned so much about being a godly, feminine, woman and wife. It has shaped my life and role as a wife. I love the countless, encouraging testimonies throughout the book, as well.

The author shares countless pieces of wisdom that I've found helpful. But, three chapters which profoundly impacted my marriage and relationship with my husband:

1.)  Accept him!

           Find the good in him, accept him as he is "today" and even if he never changes. Accept his right to be himself and accept his needs. Accept his faults (personal habits, use of time and money, social behavior, etc). Don't compare him to other men you see that would be great examples for him to follow.

2.)  Appreciate him!

This has to do with gratitude, respect and his ego. Show him appreciation daily. Appreciate his character, intelligence and what he does for you. Especially communicate appreciation for him when he's out of his comfort zone-doing something to bless me.

3.)  Admire him!

Respect his judgement, his abilities & his communication. Respect him in public and respect him in my assumptions of him

When I first read this book many years ago, I realized that I was having a hard time accepting some things about my husband. These were things that I wanted him to change and thought I had the power to change in him. These were the things that made me mad, frustrated, angry and resentful. These were the things that were my expectations of him.
So, I got out a piece of paper and wrote down each one of these things. Then, I prayed. I verbally spoke out loud that I accepted my husband for each thing as I went down the list. I relinquished control over my husband to God. I resolved that I would accept him for who he is. Then, I tore up the piece of paper, never to be seen again.  There was no need to hang on to that list anymore. God changed my heart. I can honestly say, today,  I don't even remember everything I wrote on that list so many years ago. But, I do continue desire to be a wife that would accept her husband. I'm so thankful God helped me to see where I needed to change. God is so good.


I encourage every woman to read this book!

Highways For Youth

Young men, it matters but little

The burdens you carry in life,

For it isn't the load,

But the choice of a road

That determines the stress and strife.

Don't follow the highways of pleasure-

The ones that look broad, smooth, and fair-

For they only deceive

All those who believe

They will lead to a treasure somewhere.

True joy is found only in service

To God and one's own fellowmen;

Being honest and true

Will bring joy to you

As you least will expect it and when.

And as the swift seasons roll onward,

The years bring your life to its end,

Your reward will be great.

In the hereafter state,

If the Father and Son call you friend.

~Author Unknown

A Tale of Two Households

"I got two A's," the small boy said.

His voice was filled with glee.

His father very bluntly asked,

"Why didn't you get three?"

"Mom, I've got the dishes done,"

The girl called from the door.

Her mother very calmly said,

"Did you sweep the floor?'

"I mowed the grass," the tall boy said,

"And put the mower away."

His father asked him with a shrug,

"Did you clean off the clay?'

The children in the house next door

Seemed happy and content.

The same things happened over there,

But this is how it went.

"I got two A's," the small boy said.

His voice was filled with glee.

His father proudly said, "That's great;

I'm glad you belong to me."

"Mom, I got the dishes done,"

The girl called from the door.

Her mother smiled softly and said,

"Each day I love you more."

"I've mowed the grass," the tall boy said.

"And put the mower away."

His father answered with much joy,

"You've made my happy day!"

Children deserve just simple praise 

For the tasks they're asked to do.

If they're to lead a happy life,

So much depends on you!

~Author Unknown

as quoted in The Power of a Woman's Words by Sharon Jaynes

Journal For My Love

I found this journal at Barnes & Noble a few years ago and just loved it! And, as I'm getting older, my memory isn't what it used to be! I love having things written down to read over & over. It has many prompts to answer about your relationship and the one you love. I worked on filling it out over the course of a few months. I gave it to Josh as a gift on our 14th wedding anniversary. He loved it!

Christianbookmom is now on Instagram!

Quote from Anne Lamott

"I heard a preacher say recently that hope is a revolutionary patience...Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work:  you don't give up."

~Anne Lamott

5 Books On My Nightstand

Quiet by Susan Cain is a look at the introvert in our culture and understanding more of who they are.



Make It Happen by Lara Casey is a powerful book on making the God given dreams you have into reality. It's a look at what hinders you from stepping out into your destiny-such as fear and perfectionism. Lara is very down to earth and transparent as she shares her journey to living a life on purpose.


Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne focuses on living out the dreams you have for your family, which may mean simplifying your life, material clutter, or pace of life in order to accomplish them.



God As He Longs For You To See Him by Chip Ingram takes you deeper in your perspective of God and how you see Him. Ingram sheds great light on God's goodness, sovereignty, holiness, wisdom, justice, love and faithfulness.



Wheat Belly by William Davis talks about the negative impact wheat has on our bodies.  It is full of history, research and examples showing how wheat effects insulin resistance, pH balance, heart, skin, the aging process, and much more. Davis encourages a wheat free lifestyle, and gives lots of help (and recipes) to do so.

My Cross to Carry

A troubled and burdened man prayed and prayed that God would lift his burden. Day after day he prayed that his life would be easier and he begged for God's intervention.

One day, Jesus came to the man and asked, "My child, what troubles you?" The man replied that his life was full of turmoil and that it had become too much to bear. He again asked for help stating that he just couldn't continue to go on.

Jesus, feeling the man's anguish, decided help was in order. The man was so happy that his prayers were about to be answered that his burden already felt lighter.

Jesus took the man to a room and stopped in front of the door. When he opened the door, what the man saw was amazing. The room was filled with crosses; little crosses, big crosses, giant crosses. The man, bewildered, looked at Jesus and asked how this would help him. Jesus explained that each cross represented a burden that people carry; small burdens, big burdens, giant burdens -- and every burden in-between.

At this point, Jesus offered the man the opportunity to choose his burden. The man, so excited that he was finally able to have some control over his life, looked around the room for just the right cross. He saw a tiny little cross way back int he corner. It was the smallest cross in the room. After a bit of thought, he pointed to the cross and said, "That one, Lord. I want that one." Jesus asked, "Are you sure, my son?" The man quickly replied, "Oh, yes Lord. Most definitely, yes."

Jesus turned to the man and replied, "My child, you have chosen your own cross. It is the burden you already carry."

~Author Unknown~

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

"...if you've got young kids, it doesn't take long to realize that there won't be many Christmas seasons when the little ones will race downstairs in the morning to see what Santa brought. They won't always be eager to bake with you, spilling flour on the counter in their excitement. Eventually they won't care if you don't put up a giant tree or go caroling or make hot chocolate. They'll allow you to beg off making a snowman because you're tired. But there are only a few winters-and only a few days each winter when it's snowy and you all are home together-that your children will ask to make snowmen with you. Someday, perhaps, you will be staring at the snow from the too-simple room of a hospital or nursing home, dreaming of the days when making snowmen with your children was an option. This realization leads to a different question than that suggested by all these tips on simplifying the holidays. Namely, what are you saving your energy for? This is all there is. Anything could happen and you are not guaranteed another snowman. So make a fuss. Make a show. Spend your energy now."

~taken from What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam

Quote from Aristotle

"We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

~Aristotle

Helpful Tip Tuesday: Questions to Ask Yourself about Praise

1.  Am I a "fair-weather Christian" who praises the Lord only when all is well and my circumstances are ideal? (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

2.  Does my life lack that overflowing spirit of praise that characterizes those who are rooted, grounded, and established in the faith? (Colossians 2:6-7)

3.  Have I submitted myself to the Lord to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, by "continually praising and blessing God"? (Luke 24:53)

4.  Am I a "draw-back Christian" in whom God has no pleasure, because I withhold joyful, unceasing praises to my Lord? (Hebrews 10:38)

5.  Am I neglecting the thanksgiving and praise that are essential to an effective prayer life? (Philippians 4:6)

6.  Do I fully comprehend that every time I offer words of praise to God, I am truly glorifying Him? (Psalm 50:23)

7.  Am I experiencing the victory in spiritual warfare that can only be brought about through praise? (2 Corinthians 10:4)

~taken from There's Dynamite in Praise by Don Gossett

Helpful Tip Tuesday: 11 Questions Kids Can Ask A Grandparent

"If the conversation doesn't flow freely between your kids and their grands, consider these ways to jump-start it.

 1.  What was Daddy like as a kid? What was your favorite thing to do together?

 2.  How did you and Grandma first meet?

 3.  What jobs have you had? What was the        worst? The best?

 4.  Whom did you look up to when you were a      kid?

 5.  Can you tell me about the day Mommy was      born?

 6.  What kinds of toys did you like to play      with when you were little and what          activities did you do for fun?

 7.  What was your hardest chore as a kid?

 8.  Did you or Grandpa play a musical            instrument or a sport? Were you good at it?

 9.  In what ways are you and I the most          alike?

10.  Did my mom give you any trouble as a kid? Can you tell me a story about it?

11.  How did your family celebrate the            holidays when you were a child?"

~taken from Parents Magazine, pg. 183, Sept. 2014

Real Love

"A person who feels loved, lives with relief that they do not have to perform. They live with joy to know they are acceptable as they are. They live with hope because they are not alone."
~Sally Clarkson

Power Of Praise

Praise unlocks heaven's portals;

Praise causes doubts to cease;

Praise brings precious blessings;

Praise leaves the sweetest peace.

Praise breaks all bands asunder;

Praise sets the captives free;

Praise lightens every burden;

Praise is the master key.

Praise changes circumstances;

Praise establishes the heart;

When praise becomes perpetual,

Praise is a Holy Art.

-Francis Metcalfe