Living Unabridged

I know, a quote about idolatry seems a little heavy for this time of year. But I was looking through my  commonplace book and this jumped out at me:

from Staci Eastin's The Organized Heart: A Woman's Guide to Conquering Chaos
It's ironic that the one season where we talk about "Peace on Earth" is often the most stressful for Christians. I think the disconnect comes because, apart from Immanuel (God with Us), there really is no peace on earth.

Traditions are good. Time with family is good. Giving to others is good.

But any of these good things (and so many more) can become idols to us if we are relying on them for our peace and happiness.

Recently Finished

I ordered The Pastor's Kid: Finding Your Own Faith and Identityby Barnabas Piper months ago as a Kindle deal but I just now got around to reading it. (A car trip is a great time to clear your Kindle backlog.)

I definitely have Thoughts on this one. Obviously, as a pastor's kid (and now a ministry wife) I can relate to many things in this book. But part of it struck me as more of the millennial nonsense I'm tired of reading and witnessing. "Special Snowflake Syndrome" and all that.

Yes, there are challenges that come from being a PK. Yes, our pastoral parents can alleviate or worsen some of those challenges. And it would probably be a good idea for church members to read a book like this just to get a clearer understanding of what their pastor's family may face and how to be part of a solution instead of part of the problem.

Anyway, it was thought provoking and I appreciate that, but it's hard to sum up in a few paragraphs so that may have to wait for another time.

I've seen The Seven Dials Mysterycompared to Wodehouse and that comparison is apt. Characters called Bundle, Codders, Pongo, and so on will definitely give a book a Wodehouse feel. But it's more than that because Christie brings her own inimitable twist to things.

Is this her best? No, maybe not. But it's fun from beginning to end.

Recently Added

Still working on clearing the backlog and I haven't had time to browse at the library lately. (sad sniff)

Current Read Aloud

We're reading our Christmas collection right now. I recently shared two different pictures of our Christmas book collection on Instagram so come on over if you want to see them.

Current Book to Review

Didn't accept any for December. I'm hoping for some great new books in January, though.

Current Kindle Deals

C.S. Lewis's The Space Trilogy, Omnibus Edition: Three Science Fiction Classics in One Volume: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strengthis $3.99 today. These are fascinating books and I plan to re-read them soon.
Grace for the Homeschool Momis FREE today. I read this a year ago and it's encouraging.
Simplify Your Homeschool Day: Shorten Your Day, Sweeten Your Timeis also FREE. I haven't read this one yet but it looks good.

What are you reading now?

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