Hopefully you are able to stay cool this week! We've been having 90's coupled with humidity, so we are staying indoors each afternoon. Since summer came, my reading has certainly slacked off. I keep seeing these posts about people's summer book lists since they aren't busy with school. Do you read more in the summer or winter?
Speaking of books, I just finished a delightful book by one of my favorite authors, The Middle Matters. Lisa-Jo Baker wrote this book as a series of essays or love letters for the middle years of raising kiddos. We certainly live in an age where 'more', 'better', 'faster' is pushed, and there's a plethora of information available to us on how to improve our life. I know I'm constantly pinning things or saving them to boards on Instagram. But what if we stepped back and just marveled at the beauty of our current season, instead of rushing to the next one.
This is not a deep read (you know the kind you read with a notebook in hand, which are good but take you a really long time to read), no this is a relaxing read. The kind you can totally read while you rock the baby swing, hold a kid, squeeze into a few free moments between kitchen duties, or relax with an ice tea in the evening. It was an easy, refreshing read that was like small moments with a dear friend tucked into the busyness of life. :-)
Here's some of the nuggets I loved:
"This throbbing harmony of how loved we are. If only we would listen. If only we would stop listening to our measuring sticks and scales, these voices that we need to quit, and start listening to our promises. For God Himself says, "I will never leave you or abandon you" (Hebrews 13:5, CSB)."
"Forty, I discover, is a new beginning, and my friends hold the door wide open for me. A welcome arrival into a time when we get to choose more of what we love and less of what we used to think mattered. More friendship, less comparison. More generosity, less competition. More slow, less rush. More savor, less striving. More gathering, less hosting. More casual, less stressed. .....Where you can make room at the table for your sisters coming up behind you, as well as those already further down the road. ...Where you know deep down in your bones that we are better together because we are all part of a body infinitely valuable to the God who names each one of us priceless."
"Compassion leans in and listens. Fear screams and chases us away. Fear is a terrible teacher and an even worse parent."
"We live in a world where the Enemy wants to trick us women into building walls between one another. Walls of comparison and insecurity and jealousy. But we are mentored by a God who builds walls of protection around His friends. A God who willingly walked into the dark to trade His life for the lives of His friends. Those who betrayed Him, denied Him, and abandoned Him. Those who hadn't been born yet and those who don't even know His name. He laid down His life and in so doing raised a fortress of protection with walls thicker than the castle of our fairy tales-solid and unshakable."
I don't know about you, but most of the posts I save on Pinterest or Instagram are snapshots of the life I want to create with my family. Often dreams can seem far away and difficult to reach. But I've been realizing lately, that truly we have arrived. Our goals for our littles are to love Jesus, care for family and friends, and care for this world around us. When I hear them sing our memory verse songs, see them help me unload the dishwasher, and watch them marvel over ants and butterflies, I realize this is the moment we have dreamed of. Everything else is a progression from this moment. And as much as I'm excited to see how they grow, I'm celebrating this season of adventure and exploration. :-)
As Lisa-Jo talks about in her book, there is such beauty in friendships proven through time and shared grief and joy. There is inexpressible joy in seeing your child develop in his/her character. There is romance in faithfulness and steadfast serving of one another. There is beauty in the ordinary moments of life lived together.
Pick up this book if you want an easy light reading that celebrates the beauty of life, children, marriage and friendship. It reads like notes from a dear friend that you can sneak into quick 15 minute breaks in the busyness of life.
Celebrating each season with you,
Felicia
This book was given as complementary copy by NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah, in exchange for my honest review. However all opinions are mine (I have the highlighted sections to prove it!).
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