Hi there! 💛 I hope you’re having a beautiful day. 🙂 I have decided to begin writing mini reviews of books again. Sharing why I enjoyed the books I’ve finished reading is an encouragement to me to keep reading, which is a good thing, since I have bookshelves full of books!
Continue reading “5 Reasons Why I Loved Reading ‘Beautiful Poems On Jesus’”
Hi there! Happy Tuesday to you. ❤ I hope you’re doing well! Earlier today, I finished reading the first book I’ve completed this month, and I’d really like to tell you guys all about it!
On one of my many browsing adventures on Amazon (haha), I came across some books I haven’t read yet by the pastor and author, Dr. Charles F. Stanley. His teaching has been a huge encouragement to me for years, which is why I ended up buying the book I’m talking about today: God Has a Plan for Your Life. Many of Dr. Stanley’s other books looked really great, as well, but I knew that this one was definitely the one the Lord would use to speak to my heart – and He truly did!
So, allow me to tell you why I ended up loving this book. ❤
1. It is the perfect length. At only 148 pages, I thought at first glance that it would be too short of a read, but I was wrong! It definitely packed a punch, and I’ve walked away from its ten quick chapters feeling beautifully different about my life.
2. Its focus is right where it should be. Everything Dr. Stanley wrote about is full of truth, and the basis of his advice is centered, as always, in the Holy Bible – which is absolutely true! I loved seeing what he had to say about the future of believers, because I long for the security of faith in a future of goodness for me and my family. I deeply struggle with that because of fear and anxiety filling my thoughts when it comes to what the Lord has for me. This book, I can confidently say, calmed my heart immensely. ❤
3. He stressed the importance of taking life one step at a time. When I’m constantly focused on figuring out what is to come, then I have completely thrown away the present! It’s an awful mistake, and one I didn’t realize I was making – until now. I am thankful for Dr. Stanley’s godly wisdom, for I have thought for too long that the best times of my life lie ahead. With that mindset, then where am I right now?
I desire to live beautifully right here, trusting the Lord to lead and guide me, showing me what to do next in His timing.
4. He reminds readers that waiting on the Lord is an essential aspect of our future. We live in a day and age where everyone is able to receive most, if not all, of what they want, in a very short amount of time. Because we’re used to everything being quick, it’s hard (for me especially) to remember just how perfect the Lord’s timing is. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought before, If the Lord would just give me an answer to [this question], then I’ll know I’m doing the right thing. The truth is, the Lord doesn’t delay in telling us what we need to know – when the time is right, we will know in our hearts for sure! By putting our trust in Him, this leads me to my final point:
5. I have been reminded that when we trust in the Lord, we are right where we’re supposed to be in His will. I still have so much to learn, but by being open to seeing when I have faulty ways of viewing things in my life, I’m able to take so many steps forward! I hope and pray the same is true for you. There will be many quiet days in all of our lives, when we wonder if where we are is where we are supposed to be … and only through the peace that He gives us will we know that for certain. I now know that even in the most silent of moments of my existence, He is still good, and His plan for me is still very much there. ❤
Thank you for reading this quick review! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book, because I’m still slowly letting everything that it taught me to soak in. I’m truly looking forward to seeing where the Lord is leading me – I know that He will accomplish great things in my future!
Let me know in the comments below!
— Maggie
Hi there, and Happy Tuesday to you! ❤ In yesterday’s post, I shared some of the things I recently purchased at one of my favorite thrift stores, which you can see for yourself here! For today’s post, I’d like to share a more in-depth reason for why one of the books I got, called ‘Too Small To Ignore,’ is one of the best books I’ve ever read.
I usually find myself giving books a high rating, not because it was an extremely well-written book, specifically – my ratings and reviews revolve around what the book taught me, how it made me feel, and the impact on me. That’s what defines a good book for me! And it has been a good while since I found a book that was able to affect me so deeply, and I know that this was the Lord’s doing. 🙂 It blesses me so much when He uses other resources to speak to my heart!
Before I begin, I’d like to share a bit about me: I’m the oldest sister of five kids (there are three girls and two boys), and since Samuel was about four years old (he’s 6 now), the Lord has been teaching me to love children. Being a nurturing, loving older sister is something I’m constantly working on, a work of art He is consistently pursing within me. As well as this, I also have a heart for other children (especially Guatemalan children!), and since I read the first few pages of ‘Too Small To Ignore,‘ the Lord has made it real to me how important it is to Him that I love children as He does.
Whether I’m caring for my younger siblings, or working with children around the world, and one day having little ones of my own – He is teaching me to love them as He does, and I find that absolutely beautiful. ❤
So, as you can tell by the title of this post, I am sharing with you today the seven reasons why I’m loving ‘Too Small To Ignore.’ It is a beautiful book, and at only a third of the way through it, I eagerly anticipate reading what the rest of its chapters beholds.
Let’s get right into this!
1. Its subtitle. These seven words remind me of the part in the 10th chapter of Mark when Jesus brings that group of children, one by one, up onto His lap and invokes a blessing upon them. This book stresses the importance of how great the love of our Lord is for the least among us, and why they truly matter the most!
2. The real love the author feels for children. The reader can see it in how Dr. Wess Stafford speaks of his childhood friends, his own children, and the countless others he has had the pleasure of being with – it is absolutely contagious!
3. The awareness it brings to readers just how much children matter. For years, I have known of how tenderly Jesus cared for the children His apostles thought would bother Him. It turned out that those men keeping the young ones back was what ended up bothering Him! Throughout my adolescent years, and into adulthood, as well, my love for children has gotten so much stronger – especially with the birth of my three youngest siblings – and I can’t wait to work with children on the mission field one day, too.
4. The author’s focus and his call to us to ‘rise up and teach the next generation.’ He stresses the importance of including young ones in our lives now, and of not waiting until their childhood is over to teach them the great work they can do for the kingdom of God. Just as Jesus said in Mark 10:14,
” … Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
5. Learning of the importance to teach young ones about the Lord. In this book, Stafford shared the staggering statistic that 9 out of 10 Christians accept Jesus into their heart before the age of 18.
If an individual is not open to knowing Him past this age, there is only a 23% chance that he or she ever will.
This is one of the biggest reasons why the Lord has such a huge heart for children – it is the time in their lives when, if given the opportunity to learn of Him, will be open to accepting Jesus into their hearts.
This fact gives me even greater reason to love little ones – it is the most important time in their lives to be told about the Lord!
6. The author’s tips and words of advice. Stafford has such a unique, sound way of encouraging others to love kids, and this aspect of the book especially has been helpful to me. I desire to be the best big sister and encouragement to young ones that I can be!
7. His encouragement to those of us with/around children to do right by them. He mentions in one chapter that uplifting a child through praise and attention just once can impact their entire lives!!! Words and actions make or break a person, and the positive influence of others is extremely important to little individuals. One smile, one statement of praise … that encouragement could stay with them for a very long time to come.
Thank you sooo much for reading!
I hope that you may be convinced not only to check out this book for yourself, but also to simply be more open to loving little ones … for to such belong the kingdom of the Lord. ❤ ❤ ❤
— Maggie
Hey there, guys! I’m praying that your week has gotten off to a great start. 🙂 ❤ As some of you may have seen in another post, my main personal goal for this year is to simply read more. While I would love to apply this to my part in the blog community, as well (I could always read more blog posts, haha), this semi-resolution is a reminder for myself to read great literature. Whether that’s a work of fiction, a Shakespearean play, or a biography, I’m up to reading whatever I find at the library that interests me, granted that I make time out of my day for it.
In this post series, which may become a bi-weekly or monthly post that I share, I will be going over, put simply, what I have been recently reading! I have taken some lovely pictures of the books I’ve been enjoying, and I wanted to share them with you guys.
Let me know in the comments below if you’ve read any of these books yourself! ❤ Now, let’s check them out. 🙂
This is a lovely wedding short story collection I found while browsing my favorite library at the beginning of this month. It was by absolute chance that I came across it, as I was pushing Elizabeth around in the stroller so that my mom could browse freely without Elizabeth crying. The title happened to catch my eye as I breezed past it in my task of keeping the stroller moving constantly, haha, so I turned back around and grabbed it, reading the summary as I went.
I don’t like to describe books in full detail, because my joy as a reader has been dampened many times by a too-thorough review or back cover, lol. However, I will say that if you would enjoy reading about weddings, this is the short story collection for you! The first story has great characters, the second one has a great plot, and the third has great characters and a great plot. I highly recommend it!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
GUYS. I accidentally found this book while browsing a library I don’t usually go to, and on a whim, without even knowing what it was about except that it looks like a western, I decided to give it a chance. I doubt I have ever been more delighted in a book before!
There have certainly been great novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading in the past, but since I knew not a thing of its plot or characters going into it, everything is a lovely surprise in The Virginian, and man, the humor of the author/narrator is extraordinary. It is so many genres wrapped into one novel, but the running theme is still certainly western.
This book is to me, as one of my favorite librarians calls it, a “lost classic” – why I’ve never heard of this novel, which was written in 1903, is beyond me. It is too good to be lost among other great books!
Current rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Haha, I call this an ‘honorable mention’ because I’ve read the first multiple chapters, but have yet to really get into it. I have a funny relationship with learning about history, because while I love discovering new information and insight into the ways of the past, I have a harder time getting into the wording and focus than other areas of literature. Still, this one is worth mentioning, and I will make my way through it if it takes me a month, because the focus of this American history book is on how our country was formed on godly principles. It’s unlike any other book I’ve read, and I LOVE it. If this sounds interesting to you, it’s written really well. I’m definitely enjoying it!
Current Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
One of the side goals I have for this year is to read at least one book that I own once a month. This would help me to make my way through new reads or re-reads I’ve been putting off for the longest time, and would also encourage me to donate books I don’t enjoy anymore, haha! While I wouldn’t consider myself a book collector, there are definitely titles I’ve kept on my shelf longer than others would deem necessary. Still, with this encouragement, I hope to have read every book that I own, because it’s rather pointless to have so many books in my room still unread. xD
As you saw in the picture, Poirot and Me is the book I’ve chosen for January. If I really don’t like it, I’ll pick another book to read, but I’ll give it another shot.
Thank you so much for reading! I enjoyed compiling these books, as reading has become a hobby of mine again over the past month, which is so wonderful. 🙂 If you’ve decided to read more this year, as well, you’ll have to let me know what you’ve been reading in the comments below!
Happy blogging – and reading!
— Maggie
Hey there, and happy Monday! ❤ I’m praying that your new week will get off to a wonderful start. 🙂 I just finished reading my first book of 2018 this morning! That’s one down, about 51 left to go, haha. Reading one a week (or thereabouts) should be interesting! I’ll share a post about what I’ve been reading at some point, but for today, I’ll be talking about a classic book I absolutely love!
I’ve written a few posts like this so far, covering Hamlet and also The Hobbit. For this masterpiece spotlight (unofficial title, haha) I’m very happy to tell you all about my love for The Great Gatsby! If you enjoyed reading this novel as much as I did, you’ll certainly enjoy this post. xxx Happy reading!
1. East Egg and West Egg. These are the fictional towns, which are a short distance apart, where the main characters live. The ones who don’t live in either of those areas, are always visiting these rich couples / individuals, whether they show up at their parties uninvited, or they come over for afternoon tea. I learned just recently that “egg” was a term used in the 1920’s to describe rich folk – very fitting for the settings of this novel.
2. Gatsby’s parties. As seen above, I mentioned that parties were held in these towns, and the main ones mentioned in the book were carried out at Jay Gatsby’s extravagant home. Everyone is dancing, eating, drinking, swimming, and having a jolly good time – they definitely sounded like fun! I love reading these segments, and watching them on movie renditions, as well. You can just picture the women in flappers and the men in their best suits, dancing and talking the night away.
3. All of the main characters. It’s so easy to enjoy a book when you can warm up to the main people the story’s about! The only one I didn’t particularly like (but she was alright) is Jordan Baker, the [sort of] love interest of Nick Carraway. Her character is aloof, and her presence in various scenes is unknown to me.
4. The relationships and intertwining friendships. These two characters are related, and those two are past lovers. That guy’s actually interested in that woman, not the one you think he should be, and that lady seems to be a friend of everyone …. Needless to say, there are so many connections, past and present, that everyone blends somewhat and the friendship circle is pretty complete. Oh, if only they could show love toward who deserved it … the characters would be happier.
5. Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby’s extravagant homes. The descriptions F. Scott Fitzgerald gave are just fantastic! Gatsby’s is the perfect place for holding parties, a massive home to waste the hours away in, exploring its rooms and being treated to the endless delicacies. The Buchanans’ seems more like a summer home, which could be quite right, as they are just up the hill from a lake …
6. The juxtaposition of these two ways of life. The wealth in East Egg that has no source, and the extravagance in West Egg, just across the lake … as well as Nick’s shack, which is the next yard over from Gatsby’s mansion. Throughout the novel, one is constantly aware of the author bringing to light the minute differences of these towns, and of the people who reside in them.
7. The green light. Only a reader who loved this novel enough to remember details like this will understand. Can you picture Gatsby, standing at the end of his dock, hands slowly fidgeting in the pockets of his richly-textured pants as he zones out across the water? The only object his eyes have to focus on in the early morning fog is a faint green light, one that ebbs and flows amid the dense air, its pulse matching that of his own. The light he watches is a reminder to him of a love from the past, one which once was, one that he wishes could simply be again … (I should write Gatsby fanfiction, honestly)
8. Gatsby’s yellow car. At first glance, to reader and character alike, it is a gorgeous, unique automobile … but what is obviously just a mode of transportation soon reveals itself to be the unsuspecting victim of a much different matter.
9. The use of language. The whimsy way in which the characters talk, as well as their bluntness and aloft state of being, is a perfect blend of fictional personalities and wonder.
10. The narrator. That would be Nick Carraway, another unsuspecting victim, who is unintentionally around for many important scenes in the lives of his neighbors and new friends.
Thank you sooo much for reading! ❤ I loved writing this, as this book is absolutely fantastic. Its imagery, plot, and characters are extremely likeable. I’d happily read this masterpiece over and over again!
Let me know in the comments below:
Happy Monday!
— Maggie
Hey everybody! I hope you’re all doing well. (: I have a very fun post to share with you today! One of the books I was required to read for school a few years ago was The Hobbit, and I’m so happy that it was! It had its slow moments for me, but as a whole, it is an amazing adventure novel, masterfully-written, and has some of the most memorable characters of any book ever. If you’ve never read this book by J.R.R. Tolkien, I highly recommend that you do! Introduction aside, I am happy to share with you 10 reasons why I love The Hobbit.
1. The plot’s pace. I have noticed that adventure novels can be more drawn-out than they need to be at times, but The Hobbit had me hooked from the very beginning, all the way to the end! It has a strong, interesting plot, one that isn’t resolved until Bilbo returns home. (Hence the subtitle of the book, Or There And Back Again.)
2. The dwarves. If I’m remembering correctly, there are six sets of dwarf brothers, there’s one that isn’t related to any of them (or maybe there’s one set of three brothers?), and then there’s Thorin Oakenshield. Either way, haha, they are so much fun to read about, even when their similar names start blending together. (Except for Thorin, because he’s too cool to have a name like the rest of them.)
3. Hobbits. This especially refers to their eating habits and cozy little homes. I desperately want to visit The Shire, it’s unfortunate that it’s not a real place. Hobbits seem like the sweetest little people, and like I just mentioned, the fact that their favorite thing to do is eat and have tea time multiple times a day says to me I’d quite get along with Hobbits!
4. The descriptions. J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the best writers I’ve ever read, and I can understand why his literature is so deeply appreciated in the book community. The reader legitimately feels like they’re going on an adventure with Bilbo, too, and while I have yet to read any LOTR books, I’m sure they’re the same way. I love books that do a fantastic job of transporting the reader to right where the characters are, and Tolkien’s writing does that easily.
5. The focus. Some books will stray from the main point, whether because it was too weak to begin with, or they pick a sub-plot to cover even though it’s confusing to readers. In The Hobbit, however, you always know exactly where the characters are headed and what their mission is, even when encountered with trials and situations that at first seem unrelated. In the end, everything ties in together masterfully.
6. The various settings. As the traveling party of many dwarves, one Hobbit, and a wizard get closer to their goal, they visit, pass by, and see various mystical places. The way Tolkien describes each one is just amazing – you’d have to read it yourself to understand. He goes over the appearance and mood of every place, leaving the reader no space to wonder what something might have been like.
7. The sub-plots. They are relevant, intriguing, and I’d have to say that my favorite one is when Bilbo gets lost in a cave and meets Gollum. At first, the reader wonders if the poor Hobbit is going to be eaten by this strange creature, but that isn’t what happens at all, which is why I found that scene entertaining.
8. Gandalf. It took a good amount of will power to include this character near the bottom of my list. I didn’t want to come across as obsessed with this wizard, even though I totally am. haha I have a sketch I drew of him near the doorway in my room! Gandalf the Grey is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. I really can’t tell you why I love his personality and presence in The Hobbit so much, aside from the fact that I tend to appreciate magical characters, and he certainly is one.
9. The conclusion. Some stories struggle to have a good wrap-up scene and ending purpose, but this book definitely has one. As you can tell by the whole of this review-type post, I’m not wanting to give too much away for future readers, so I won’t go over exactly what the conclusion is; just know it’s a good one.
10. The included maps and illustrations. It depends on which copy and edition you pick up, but most have fantastic illustrations, and I think all of them have the literary maps, giving readers a great way to visualize where the travelling party is going. I appreciated having the ability to peruse them while reading because I was able to see where they’d just been, currently were, and were soon headed.
Thank you for reading! I love writing posts like this; it’s a fun, interactive way to talk about my favorite books (and hopefully movies sometime soon!). Have you read The Hobbit? It’s such a good book!
Let me know in the comments below:
thanks to jirah and elline for my signature! xx
Hi guys! I hope that you’re all doing well. ❤ I have such a fun post to share with you today! On the last Saturday of October, I got to go to Goodwill with my dad and my brother. I had a cold at the time, and as I had been hanging out at the house those past couple of days, I appreciated being able to be out and about that afternoon, running little errands and browsing at Goodwill. (Thank you for convincing me to go, Mom! ❤ ) I found some books that I’m excited to share with you guys!
The reason I called this a ‘rainy day book haul‘ is because when I was checking out, it had gotten quite dark outside, and by the time I finished up at the register, it was pouring down rain. lol Also, I’m sure that all of these books will be fantastic future rainy day reads!
First up, we have …
Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer! I read this beautiful book (and reviewed it, as well) a couple months ago, and as I thoroughly enjoyed it, I knew that owning this like-new copy would make me very happy. It’s a historical fiction romance, and I just love all of the main characters! (The pretty cover just makes this book that much more wonderful.) I definitely recommend it if you’re into reading either or both of the genres I mentioned above!
Next, I found …
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien! This was assigned reading for school a few years ago, and I couldn’t have fallen more in love with it. All of the characters are fantastic, and the plot and settings are crazily awesome. It’s a great adventure fantasy novel! If you haven’t already read it, I highly suggest that you go do so. haha
The third book I found is …
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen! I have been wanting to read this for a few years, but kept putting it off. Each time I’ve come across a copy at thrift stores, I’ve wanted to buy it, but finally did this time because this one had the best cover. (No joke. I don’t know who picks the covers for these great books!) A few years ago, I watched the movie with my mom and I absolutely loved it, and I know that I’ll love the actual book, as well!
The last one I found is …
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald! This is the first splurge purchase I’ve made in a long time, as I already own a copy of this awesome classic lol, but it has such a BEAUTIFUL cover! I couldn’t pass this up! At such a cheap price, it was absolutely worth it to me.
I am so happy with what I found at our most recent visit to Goodwill! I don’t usually come out with this many items, I promise, haha, but either way, this was such a nice little haul. I’d like to thank my dad for funding this post; it was so sweet of him to buy this stuff for me! ❤
Thanks for reading, and I hope that you all have a beautiful day!! Let me know in the comments below:
thanks to jirah and elline for my signature! xx
