Starting Out the Year with Good Books

It has been extra quiet here on my blog for a few months, but with much going on in real life. We had a wonderful visit from my older siblings (who live a distance away) in the fall, followed by the passing away of our youngest brother the first week of December. Loren suffered from Parkinson's for many years, and we were privileged to have him being cared for nearby in Omaha for the last two years of his life. Close by, where we could have weekly input into his life and care.

Christmas season was a mix of the joy of being with our three daughters and their families who live here in Nebraska (missing others who live a distance away), and also the grieving of our loss. 

The first half of January 2025 has started out with both my husband and I fighting off some bad colds and coughs. Maybe made worse by our exhaustion emotionally and physically. So this New Year has started out extra slow for us.

I love how God cares for us (and for you) in the midst of real life - in the midst of joy and also when in the midst of grieving. 

One of the evidences of His comfort and care comes through filling our minds with His Truth, and also in giving us good books to relax with.

Starting Out the Year with Good Books

On my pile at the start of January:

My (in)Courage Devotional Bible 

I love this CSB Bible - the design, the translation, and the space for a bit of journaling. Though I am reading chronologically through the Bible using the sequence from the Chronological Life Application Study Bible, I often read the passages directly from my Devotional Bible, as well. As of January 1st, reading chronologically, I was up to the Acts 15 reading. 

My husband and I love to have a devotional that we read together in the evenings. Last year we read through New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp - so very good! And this year, we are reading through Grace & Glory by Louis Giglio, also so very good.

For relaxation, I usually have a historical fiction book on my reading pile. My first book of the year, which I completed a few days ago, is A Bound Heart, by Laura Frantz, at the top of my growing list of favorite authors! Set in the mid-1700's, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

And last but not least, is my current inspirational/learning book ... Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton. Such an encouraging, insightful book on prayer. A good focus to start the New Year out with. 

I just love this quote from the first chapter of the book. We often try to make prayer so complicated, and something that we need "to do". And this may be the faulty thinking that keeps us from what prayer really is meant to be. I love how the author explains so clearly what prayer is at its core. The reason why Jesus Himself pulled away to just "be with the Father". And the reason why we are drawn to the same. Such a priceless joy and privilege!

What is on your book pile at the beginning of 2025? I love to get ideas from others on "Good Reads", as well, especially from some of our daughters who also love to read. Last year I read a total of 29 books, and have set my goal a bit higher this coming year! So much learning and joy from good books!

 

A November Collection: Our Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, A Good Book, and a Blessed Thanksgiving Day

Closing out the month of November with a little collection of memories from this beautiful time of year ...

This is the weekend where the fall decor will change to winter/Christmas decor. But some things do not need to change. I love these words (from Ann Voskamp) that I read this Thanksgiving week:

“Our Thanksgiving could be more than a holiday, but a lifestyle for all our days - our thanksgiving could become thanksliving - all our honest sacrifices of thanks to God moving our hearts closer to God, who is our very greatest good.

You get to just keep coming with your sacrifice of thanksgiving which gives you more of God.”

“We can be at rest right where we are because our ability to ‘be still and know that He is God’ (Psalm 46:10) is not dependent on whether our circumstances feel restful or light. It’s wholly dependent on where we turn for true rest. God made us to need Him, to turn to Him for the rest we seek … We are made by God, for God, and to be satisfied in God.” (Ruth Chou Simons)

These words have been so very good for me to read this month; it has been a month filled with many things. And I am learning and relearning to turn my heart and eyes to the source of true rest. It is so easy to look for rest in other places. But there is only one place to find real rest. And I am grateful.

We were blessed to have nine precious family members around our table for Thanksgiving Day! Whether it's our whole family home, or those who live close nearby, it is always such a treat, and a gift. We are so very thankful ...

An October Collection: Our New Deck, and a Few Autumn Recipes

Wow, time goes by so fast! Here we are almost at the end of October! The past two months were very quiet months here on my blog, but ... it was quite an eventful two months here at our home! Our days were filled up with several very amazing things. The first is that a dream of ours came to reality ... a brand new deck right out our patio doors by our kitchen and dining room!! It literally feels like a gift from God, made possible by a generous gift from our family during our 75/80 birthday year, and then followed by the most thoughtful and generous offer of dear friends in our CityGroup (small group from Citylight Midtown) to build a beautiful, amazing deck for us. We just love it, and are so very, very thankful!

The deck was completed the end of September, just in time to plant some beautiful autumn mums in the built-in planter boxes. The weather has been unusually warm through the middle of October, perfect to enjoy the fall beauty, and also to host some very special days with my siblings visiting from Oregon and New York. Treasured memories together on our new deck! We also hosted a "thank you meal" out on our deck for our friends who built the deck for us. The weather that day was absolutely gorgeous, complete with the beautiful fall leaves falling as we ate together, thanking God for His goodness to us.

And as is true for so many of us, it has also been a joy to do some autumn baking! Pictured above is one of my favorite desserts for this time of year. In fact, I baked up this apple cream cheese cake for my siblings when they were here, and then again for our celebration meal for deck-building friends! You can find this recipe by clicking on this link: Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Filling.

I have also loved taking time for some sourdough baking again. My favorite thing to bake recently (besides my favorite artisan bread that I make each month of the year), was a Sourdough Apple Pie Focaccia! This was great to use for breakfasts when my siblings were here, but also could be used as a snack, or a dessert. Click for the recipe: Sourdough Apple Pie Focaccia. I don't have a photo of it at this time, but will add one here when I do have one. 

Another recipe that I have loved recently is a delicious pulled pork recipe from one of my favorite online food bloggers. Click for the link: Pulled Pork. I don't have a close-up photo of the dish, but here is one from a recent meal that I served it at ... on our new deck on a beautiful autumn day!

There is so much to be thankful for this beautiful autumn season!

My August Reading Pile

A glimpse of my reading pile during the month of August …

New Morning Mercies - an insightful devotional book, one reading for each day of the year. My husband are reading this together most evenings, all the year through. Morning, or evening, we are thoroughly enjoying the deep truths Paul David Tripp shares applying the Gospel to our everyday lives.

Soul Keeping - filled with insight into “Caring For the Most Important Part of You” (the subtitle of the book). I’m about halfway through this book, and am being encouraged much in this most important focus of our lives. This book is adding emphasis to our current intentional focus on taking a day of the week to pause from our tasks and responsibilities, caring for the most important part of ourselves.

Of Love and Treason - this historical fiction book by Jamie Ogle captures life in Rome around 270 AD, and specifically the life of St. Valentine, who stood up during tumultuous times, strong in faith, living out a life of love amidst the adversity of the persecution of Christians in Rome. An enlightening, heart-breaking, and encouraging read. (I completed this book mid-month, and now, am almost finished with another historical fiction book, The Paris Dressmaker, set during World War II.)

These books all wait in line after my primary reading of my (in)Courage Devotional Bible. My current rhythm is to read chronologically, using the sequence found in the Chronological Life Application Study Bible. I am absolutely loving reading chronologically, sometimes reading the chronological passage in my Devotional Bible, sometimes reading it in the Study Bible itself.  Currently I'm reading in Acts, and am deeply connecting with the narrative.

Reading books is such fun and so very relaxing, which is why I always have a historical fiction book or biography on my pile. Historical fiction is also a great source of learning from the past and other cultures. I also always have an inspirational or educational book on my pile. What is on your book pile?  I love to get ideas from other people, also from Good Reads where I get ideas from family, and from others.

Silence: The Condition for True Listening

Maybe some may think that silence is easier to attain during our retirement years. But yet, I am continually learning in deeper ways that real silence needs to be cultivated for it to happen in the heart no matter our season of life, no matter our circumstances. And I am being reminded even now in our retirement years of the importance of cultivating a quiet heart. To make it an intentional focus to carve out not only specific times each week for Sabbath Rest, but to also cultivate a Sabbath Heart in the midst of regular life. A life and world which seems to accelerate with noise and concerns with each passing day and year.

Quieting my heart for intentional extended times, and also for moments of time throughout a day to listen deeply to God first of all, and also to our precious kids and grandkids, and to all whom God brings our way.

“Our speaking comes out of our listening. 

What we say comes out of what we hear.” 

(Mark Buchanan)

We need to be people who listen, day and night, most of all, to God, quieting our hearts so we can really hear.

Be still, and know that I am God.

(Psalm 46:10 ESV)

A Collection: Sabbath Rest, In the Kitchen, and July 4th Memories

One of my favorites ... a little collection, a quick glimpse of a few of the many things that have given me joy recently. Life goes by quickly, and it is good to pause and to thank Him for His gifts to us ... 

The books pictured above have been capturing my mind lately, the bottom two I read in May and June, and currently I'm reading The Rest of God. It's quite evident that I am drawn to books on rest, on Sabbath Rest,  and on cultivating a Sabbath heart these past few months. So much to learn, and I am thankful. My husband and I are continuing to intentionally set aside a day or two each week, and pockets of time within the rest of the days of the week, for life-giving rest and soul-feeding. This is needed even in our retirement years, as we continually have a lot on our minds! 

A few great quotes from The Rest of God:

Without rest, we miss the rest of God: 

the rest He invites us to enter more fully 

so that we might know Him more deeply. 

 Be still and know that I am God. 

Psalm 46:10

Sabbath is both a day and an attitude to nurture such stillness.

It is a day we enter, but just as much a way we see. 

Click here for more thoughts on rest in a recent post.

My kitchen has been filled with more baked goods than usual this past week as we are preparing for some special family days coming up soon! Pictured above are delicious Sourdough Blueberry Muffins. 

Also, I made two kinds of bar cookies, my favorite ones to make during  summertime. I probably have been baking these at least once each summer for quite a few years now. We love these Blueberry Bars, and S'mores Bars.

It's always a joy to use my sourdough starter each week for bread, and this Classic Sourdough Bread is my favorite. I make it most every week, and here's my most recent one! My preferred way to bake it is in my oval-shaped dutch oven. So delicious ...

And this digital scrapbook page that I completed this past week captures some of the joys from our first full week of July ... our beautiful growing veggie garden, the first grilled meal on our new grill on July 4th, some time with our granddaughter Ali on her 17th birthday, and time with daughters three days in a row at grandson Cruz's baseball tournament over 4th of July weekend!

Much to thank God for, and most of all, for His faithful love and presence through all the things of life, the good and the hard. Our greatest gift: His presence with us, each day all the year through!

Digital Scrapbooking: Memories from May and June

May and June held some significant events for us, and what better way to preserve them, and also share them, than through digital scrapbooking! And such a treat for me to scrapbook a few pages again, after a much longer break than I had thought. I started up again after about a six-month break, with these memories ...

We traveled to our daughter Cristy & Mark's home near Dallas the very end of April to see granddaughter Brianna in a school play (she did amazing!), and then again the end of May we made a quick three-day trip to TX again! This time it was because our oldest granddaughter Abigail & her husband were there with their sweet 16 month-old daughter (our great-grandbaby)!! And because they live in Japan and were just back very briefly for a wedding, how could we resist seeing them?! We had to squeeze the trip in between several severe thunderstorms with tornado warnings, and were so very grateful that God blessed us with this trip to spend time with family.

Back home we enjoyed a relaxing, fun month of June, caring for our yard and gardens, and also celebrating Father's Day together.

And a most significant event took place on June 23rd ... my dear hubby turned 80!! How can it be that that number belongs to us now? Together with my birthday coming up in Sept. when I turn 75, we call this calendar year our 75/80 year! We have much to be thankful for, and look forward to celebrating our birthdays together with our family in July!

Note for those who ask how I create these pages: About twelve years ago I switched from paper scrapbooking to digital scrapbooking, and took some online lessons from Digital Scrapper to learn how to digital scrapbook using Photoshop Elements. You can also click here for some great tutorials on the Digital Project Life website - this is probably a quicker way to learn than the site that I used eleven years ago. I recommend using these tutorials. Most of the page templates and digital products that I use are purchased from Digital Project Life. Also, besides being able to share my completed pages online, I also print them out at home in 8x8 inch size to fit in the albums that I purchase from Michael's.