Easter Stories includes time-honored favorites from world-famous storytellers such as C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Selma Lagerlof, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Goudge, Maxim Gorky, Ruth Sawyer, and Walter Wangerin – as well as many you’ve never heard before. Illustrated with original woodcuts. Everyone who believes Easter is about more than bunnies and eggs will be grateful for this new collection of short stories that shed light on the deeper meaning of the season. Selected for their spiritual value and literary quality, these classic tales capture the spirit of Easter in a way that will captivate readers of all ages. Parents and grandparents will find that children love to hear these stories read aloud, year after year. Due to Covid - 19 we were unable to meet on Tuesday, March 17th. As I write this Blog we are officially entering Holy Week. Holy week will be very different this year as we are all "staying at home" and practicing "self distancing". Today is Palm Sunday where children traditionally process down the isle and wave palm branches and we shout and sing Hosanna! Hosanna translates to "Save Please!" The picture below is of a dear family friend who embodies the joy of our faith. This morning she went out of the street corner with her palm branch and shouted Hosanna to the top of her lungs! It is my prayer that during these uncertain times we can all live by such faith. Below is a preview for you of Holy Week. What do these days mean to you? How are you going to make this week meaningful for your family? How are you living by faith in spite of Covid-19? Take some time this week to read a few stories from our Easter Stories book and share about your favorite below along with answering our other questions.
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Sometimes it is a good thing to read a book that is outside of your usually reads and even a bit uncomfortable. This book is not my typical read and definitely challenged my thought process. Some times when we live in a very sheltered world we can be narrow minded. Reading books like Exoneree Diaries can help us to be more understanding and accepting of people who come from a different walk in life than ourselves.
Through intimate portraits of four exonerated prisoners, journalist Alison Flowers explores what happens to innocent people after the state flings open the jailhouse door and tosses them back, empty-handed, into the unknown. As the journalist tells each exoneree's powerful story, Flowers vividly shows that release from prison, though sometimes joyous and hopeful, is not a Hollywood ending—or an ending at all. Rather, an exoneree's first unshackled steps are the beginning of a new journey full of turmoil and uncertainty. Flowers also sheds new light on the collateral damage of wrongful convictions on families and communities, confronting deeper problems of mass incarceration and the criminal justice system. The first story in this book especially touched my heart as I can imagine this story with many of the families of students I have taught over the year. Maybe after reading this story I will remember not to judge others. It serves as a reminder that we never know what others might have gone through. This book also makes me vividly aware of the importance of God’s love and personal connection for all inmates. The Bible references the ministries to prisoners all of the time. These stories make me realize that prisoners are worthy of God’s love and maybe we as Christians should be doing more to reach out to them. Rehabilitation does not come from the correctional system, rather the love and redemption of God. You can click on the following link to visit the author's web page and hear interviews from her investigative reporting on this book topic. alisonflowers.com/the-exoneree-diaries/ I really loved this book. I actually read it twice and used parts of it this summer for our Young Adult Sunday School Class. The book caught my attention right away in the first chapter with the following words by columnist Whit Hobbs, “Success is waking up in the morning, whoever you are, wherever you are, however old or young, and bounding out of bed because there is something out there that you love to do, that you believe in, that you’re good at – something that’s bigger than you are, and you can hardly wait to get at it again today.“ This immediately caught my attention. I want to be this person! Another section of the book that I really loved was her explanation of the Armor of God and how it applies to our lives.
The premise of the book is all about the fact that people's lives are more hectic today than ever. What we need is order; we need a plan for prioritizing what's important and sticking to it. Lysa TerKeurst has created Living Life on Purpose to answer this obvious need. It is a Bible study that helps us design a life plan based on seven main principles of the Proverbs 31 woman. Upon completion of this study, you will have goals to work toward, action steps to complete, and most importantly, a plan for living your life on purpose...God's purpose. Google reviewer M-J Jumkin stated “Living Life on Purpose is an excellent book for a "weathered" Christian woman who could use some refreshment in her life. This book has practical steps, focused questions, appropriate scripture references, and a Life Planning Journal to accompany the book. I highly recommend!” More about the author according to Amazon.com Lysa TerKeurst is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the New York Times best-selling author of Uninvited, The Best Yes, Unglued, Made to Crave, and 18 other books. You can access all of Lysa's products at amazon.com/LysaTerkeurst. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa and her team have led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey through their First 5 app, daily online devotionals, radio programs, online Bible studies, speaker/writing training, and more. Lysa was recently awarded the Champions of Faith Author Award and has been published in multiple publications such as Fox News and CNN online. Additionally, she has appeared on the Today Show as one of the leading voices in the Christian community. Each year, Lysa is a featured keynote presenter at more than 40 events across North America, including the Women of Joy Conferences and the Catalyst Leadership Conference. She has a passion for equipping women to share their stories for God’s glory through Proverbs 31 Ministries’ annual She Speaks Conference and writer training program, COMPEL: Words That Move People. Lysa writes from her sticky farm table and lives with her family in North Carolina Meeting the demands of your busy life may leave little time for you to focus on maintaining your personal well-being. But it is important to remember that each part of you-mind, body, and emotions-serves a purpose in God's exciting plan for your future. Embracing a healthier lifestyle will help you fully experience all the good things He has in store for you.
Joyce Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author, understands that modern life is hectic and has created a practical plan for achieving good health, one day at a time. Her easy-to-use 12-Key Plan for Good Health will help you develop life-changing habits for a healthier lifestyle, no matter what your current level of health. By following her simple, yet effective tips on eating, exercise, rest, and stress management, you will unlock a new level of well-being, empowering you to live the fulfilling life you were meant to lead. Derived from material previously published in Look Great, Feel Great. (Amazon.com) Although much of the advice presented in this book are things I already know about living a more healthful life it was refreshing and meaningful to hear it presented in a way that was not only about physical health but about spiritual health as well. I think we often overlook how much the two are truly dependent on each other. The author focuses on the flollowing 12 keys that will help your restore your life to a healthy balance. 1) Let God Do the Heavy Lifting 2) Learn to Love Your Body 3) Mastering Metabolism 4) Exercise 5) Balanced Eating 6) Water Your Life [drink water] 7) Mindful Eating 8) Curb Your Spiritual Hunger 9) De-Stress 10) Right Vision 11) Make It Easy 12) Take Responsibility. If you are struggling with those new years resolutions you made back in January or are looking for a little balance in your life this book will give you new perspective and just might help you get back on track. Launch Your Encore: Finding Adventure and Purpose Later in Life by Hans Finzel and Rick Hicks1/15/2018 In 2011, the first of the 76 million baby boomers--nearly a quarter of the US population--began turning 65. Every day for the next fifteen years, over ten thousand of them will celebrate that birthday. And for the first time in history, this generation will enjoy many years post-career pursing meaning and purpose outside of traditional retirement. What will they do with that time? One thing is for sure: most of them want to find something meaningful. This book lays out the choices to be made to find fulfillment in the encore years of life. Launch Your Encore is a game plan for life after one's main-act career. Hans Finzel and Rick Hicks show boomers how to enter this new stage of life poised for personal satisfaction and contributions to society. They offer tested advice on finding new life potential and thriving in these later decades of life. With real-life examples of people who have made the transition from full-time work to volunteering, ministry, or even second careers, Launch Your Encore shows boomers how to make an impact later in life.(amozon.com)
I found this book to be very helpful to me on several different levels. It does not matter if you are like me and dreaming of retirement and what you will do for your second act, getting ready to retire and trying to decide what to do, or maybe you have been retired for a while and are looking for you purpose in this stage of your life-this book is for you. A long with giving me some great tools for thinking and planning ahead, it also gave me some insight to my mom's life and how a long time retired person might see things. We are definitely living in a new era where people have plenty of time for act two. Pick up this book today and see what your second act might include. Wherever The River Runs: How a Forgotten People Renewed My Hope in the Gospel by Kelly Minter. UMW Reading List - Education for Mission
Kelly Minter invites us on a jungle adventure down a river teeming with piranhas, caimans, a beautiful people, and especially, the glory of God. Her honest and engaging narrative pulls back the curtain on one of the most captivating places on earth as well as on parts of the gospel we may be able to recite but have never fully believed. Click the link below to view a video narrated by Kelly about her trip and see her webpage about the book. http://kellyminter.com/wherever-the-river-runs/ I started reading this book last weekend and absolutely love it. Many times I have found myself wiping tears from my eyes. One of the moments that touched me most was when her group visits a church in a flooded village and she talks with a young boy after their service. This boy seemed somewhat detached from the events and she stopped afterwards to speak with him stating that she noticed him and asked if he needed anything. The boys comments back were that he didn't need anything, but he was overwhelmed that someone noticed him, that God noticed him! Sometimes that's all a person really needs is to know that God knows they are there! Pick up your copy today and start reading. You wont be disappointed. Leave a comment below and be watching for discussion questions to be posted soon. |
AboutThis blog was created by Christi Lenz so we can explore additional reading topics from the UMW reading list outside of our regular book club meeting. Please join in! Archives
October 2018
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