Book reviews

Maybe it’s because I’m solidly in middle age, maybe it’s because I’m sandwiched between caretaking for my own young children and my aging relatives, maybe it’s because I see my oldest children launching into their adulthoods, or maybe I’m just broody lately. Whatever...

Have you ever noticed how packaging can change the appeal of an item? Wrap it in sparkly paper, adorn it with a fun ribbon, and hand it to someone. I’m fairly certain they’re going to savor the item inside,even if it winds up being a box of aluminum foil. Or when you...

My day started at 11:56 pm on the day before when my 3 year old woke from a bad dream related to a lion. It began again at 3:13 am when the door to the garage swung open in the wind and tripped the house alarm, and really got going at 6:43 am when people began...

When I think back on my early years of life, what I remember most are the everyday rhythms. How our lunchtime sandwiches were sliced on the diagonal, what the plastic feet of our footie pajamas felt like, the sound of my grandparents’ dog walking across the kitchen...

I am known for changing around the furniture placement in my home or in my classrooms with regularity. I like how a small tweak causes my brain to rewire and refresh how we use the space. It’s akin to having a toy rotation for children; bring out a few toys from the...

The longer I continue in life, the more I see that there are so many different responses to disagreements. Some people like to engage and reason, some like to yell and shut down, some like to ask where we can agree, some like to call in authorities, some like to talk...

I have learned that, despite all the research I do before choosing or writing curriculum, scheduling sessions, and creating materials to help carry faith formation into the home, if it isn’t presented properly, it’s not going to get used. If I’m going to sink human...

If you’ve ever been in a classroom, a meeting, or even around a dinner table with me, you will know that I’m a big fan of sitting in a different seat each time we come together. I like seeing how the regular experiences get changed up when you shift your position....

Holy Week can be a tricky time to be in ministry with children and families. Worship services are usually at times that are challenging for young children. The content is graphic. The actions are, at best, harsh. We have a generation of parents that are not as...

By the time you get to my age, you’ve had the benefit of years to experience many different types of devotionals. So many of them are written from the point of view of the author, working with Scripture and research to help you see why they support their ways of...