My Year in Books for 2022

 I've been waiting to share my book list from 2022, thinking I might finish the book I'm currently reading, but I have begun to realize that I just don't have time, so it will go on the 2023 list.  It is hard to believe we have arrived at the last day of 2022.  Time flies. Time flies, and I haven't written much at all on my blog in a long time.  I sure would like for next year to be different on that front, but I'm not making any kind of promises. Without further ado, here are the books I read this year, and as always, some I liked a lot, some not as much, and just because it's on this list doesn't mean it is necessarily an endorsement, just that I read it. 

January 2022

• Iron Lake - William Kent Krueger (F). 
• Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know - Malcolm Gladwell (NF). This was fascinating, an important discussion that needs to be widely held in our contentious culture.  He does a wonderful job explaining how and why interactions impressions about others that go very wrongly are much more complex than we often want to believe. Recommended.
• My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry - Fredrik Backman (F).  A wonderful book by one of my favorite authors.  I have truly loved every one of his books that I've read.
• In the Land of Blue Burqas - Kate McCord (NF).  This was a wonderful book and I learned a lot about the culture of Afghanistan and a greater appreciation for my Savior Jesus.  It is beautiful hearing the American author's stories of her experience working in the country for an NGO helping Afghan women and her love for the people she met. 
• A Drink Before the War - Dennis Lehane (F).
• The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead (F).
• Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions - Johann Hari (NF).  This was definitely a chew the meat but spit out the bones book for me.  I appreciated the helpful insights as far as they go, but, as a Christian, I don't always agree with the interpretation or solution. However, as far as the insights themselves about some of the causes of depression and our need for connection, there is much that I find useful and worth considering here.

February 2022

• Boundary Waters - William Kent Krueger (F).
• The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom - Andrew Peterson (NF).  I loved this - another beautiful book by Andrew Peterson.  I just love how he looks at the world and how he sees God's glory in creation, especially in trees (read the book, you will see what I mean). I especially appreciated his honest discussion about his struggle with melancholia and depression and how he grounds it all with his deep love for Jesus and the glory and beauty of His creation. As I read, I long for the beauty of a garden and a real sense of community. Highly recommended. 
• The Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (F).  I had not read this book before, even though it's a classic and it is referenced often in other books and in culture. I've thought through the years that I should read it, I mean, it takes place in Florida and Rawlings is famous for that, and when you grow up in Florida as I did, you hear A LOT about her, so I am a little confused about how I managed to get by my Florida upbringing without reading this, but I digress. Whenever I thought of it, it just didn't sound interesting to me - I knew that it's about a boy and a deer and the deer dies, how can you write a whole book about that, and besides, I still cry when I merely think of the end of Ol' Yeller, do I really need to read another coming of age book of sadness about the loss of a pet? ("He was my dog.  I'll do it."  That tears me up even now as I sit here typing this.) Well, I just finished reading The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson, and in it he talks about having some of those same feelings about The Yearling - he also spent his middle school and high school years growing up in Florida and that book was often recommended and he wasn't interested, until his young son read it and told him it was the best book he'd ever read. This intrigued Peterson, and as I read his account, I, too, was intrigued.  I loved this book. It is about so much more than just a boy and his deer (obviously, it won the Pulitzer, I should have known it would have more substance than I'd thought), and it is very well-written, and I found myself having a hard time putting it down.  That is a big deal these days when I am trying to retrain myself to read and concentrate in our perpetually ADHD world. (Have you noticed how much harder it is to concentrate these days - I am convinced all of our screen time and the way we live is re-wiring our brains and making it harder to read, create, concentrate, sleep, you name it.  I am not alone in observing this, as you'll see in a later book that will end up on this list soon).  Another thought I had after finishing this book is that we would do well to read more things like this which show us how hard life can be, and how heroic the triumph of the human spirit can be as people bravely face adversity and manage to hang on to decency and kindness and generosity in the midst of deprivation and actual hardship, and to learn from earlier time periods.  I was thinking about how fragile people are these days with being afraid of every minor little perceived offense and 'trigger words' and 'safe spaces' needed because we can't handle someone saying something we don't like. I heard someone say on a podcast that I was listening to recently that people who have actually had truly hard things happen to them don't need these manufactured outrages. Word. What wimps we've become. We truly need to learn to toughen up in this culture. I could say so much more on that, but I won't here. Anyway, I loved this book, and was pleasantly surprised by that. I'm glad I read it as an adult - I have a feeling I appreciated it much more now that I have lived a bit than I would have when I was younger. Then again, back to what I am processing as I mentioned a second ago, maybe if younger people would read more such things and think deeply about them, we'd be less likely to need 'safe spaces' for things that aren't truly hardships at all.  But, factor in our ADHD world, and you see how much harder it is for anyone to think deeply about anything anymore. Just a thought. 
• Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention - and How to Think Deeply Again - Johann Hari (NF).
• Purgatory Ridge - William Kent Krueger (F).
• Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America - Beth Macy (NF). Absolutely heartbreaking. 

March 2022

• The Door on Half-Bald Hill - Helena Sornensen (F).
• Talking About Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations - Isaac Adams (NF). Compassionately written, biblical, and a very timely, helpful word.
• Too Good to Be True - Michael Horton (NF). Finding hope in a world of hype.  This was biblical, Christ centered, and full of gospel encouragement. 
• The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) - Brandon Sanderson (F).  I waited until I was pretty well into my reading goal for the year before taking on this first very long book in a series of very long books. I was hesitant to start this since it is still in the process of being written, and after WoT, I wasn't sure I wanted to dive into another long epic fantasy series, but at the insistence of my son, Michael, who has read the four books that have been written so far and wants to talk about them with me, I took the plunge. And I'm glad I did. This is much better than Wheel of Time. Much better. Very strange, as epic fantasy often is, definitely not a Christian worldview, but relatively clean compared to many books in this genre, and fascinating, immersive world building and excellent characterization. I enjoyed this first book and the conversations I'm already having with my son about it very much, and looking forward to reading more.
• Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters - Steven E. Kooning (NF).  This was a bit technical, but very helpful and informative, aimed at helping the layperson understand better what the climate science tells us (and doesn't) and how to recognize red flags when reading or hearing reports and news stories and politicians, etc. discussing "The Science." I very much appreciated his passionate plea to move away from "The Science" back to science and learning to look more objectively at what the findings are and a more balanced approach to understanding and dealing with climate change.

April 2022

• Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, Book 2) - Brandon Sanderson (F).
• Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story) - Daniel Nayeri.  I loved this book. Beautifully written, and a heart wrenching, endearing view into the life of a refugee in America. I found myself not ready to be finished when I reached the end and wanting to hear more of his story.
• Name Above All Names - Alistair Begg, Sinclair B. Ferguson (NF).
• Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archive #2.5) - Brandon Sanderson (F).

May 2022

• Brave By Faith: God-Sized Confidence in a Post-Christian World - Alistair Begg (NF).
• Passport To Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew - Micah Wilder (NF).

June 2022

• Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive, Book 3) - Brandon Sanderson (F).
• Why I Stand - Jonathan Isaac (NF).
• Sacred Bond: Covenant Theology Explored - Michael G. Brown and Zach Keele (NF).
• Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archive #3.5) - Brandon Sanderson (F).

July 2022

• The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict - Ken Sande (NF).
• Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, Book 4) - Brandon Sanderson (F).
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - Susan Cain (NF). I wish everyone who is in a position to teach or manage people, especially those who are more outgoing and don't understand quieter temperaments,  could read this book and better understand how challenging it is to be an introvert in a culture that has so thoroughly embraced the "Extrovert Ideal." Susan Cain beautifully describes our experiences and the quiet strengths people with this temperament have. I cried while reading the last chapter of this book where she discusses "How to Cultivate Quiet Kids in a World That Can't Hear Them."  I saw so much of myself and so much of my children in that chapter.   More thoughts to come in a blog post I'm working on.
• Being the Bad Guys: How to Live for Jesus in a World That Says You Shouldn't - Stephen McAlpine (NF).
• The Devil's Bed - William Kent Krueger (F).
• Who Do I Think I Am?: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams - Anjelah Johnson-Reyes (NF).

August 2022

• Blood Hollow - William Kent Krueger (F).
• The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence - Gavin De Becker (NF).
• The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) - Brandon Sanderson (F).
• Mercy Falls - William Kent Krueger (F).

September 2022

• The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family - Joshua Cohen (F).
• Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End - David Gibson (NF).  This was very good. One of my favorite sermons I've ever heard was from the book of Ecclesiastes, and this book was equally as good. 

October 2022

• The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2) - Brandon Sanderson (F).
• The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3) - Brandon Sanderson (F).

November 2022

• Making Room for Her: Biblical Wisdom for a Healthier Relationship with Your Mother-In-Law or Daughter-In-Law - Barbara Reaoch and Stacy Reaoch (NF).
• Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan (F).
• The Thrill of Orthodoxy: Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith - Trevin Wax (NF)

December 2022

• The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkein (F).
• The Dawn of Redeeming Grace: Daily Devotions for Advent - Sinclair B. Ferguson (NF).
• The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah (F). I very much liked this one.
• The Giver of Stars - JoJo Moyes (F).

A Few Thoughts and a Book Recommendation

 

A few weeks ago, my husband gently told me that his boss was having a drop-in open house, and knowing how uncomfortable these things are for me, he said that we didn't need to stay long but he felt we really needed to make an appearance. So, because I love him, I didn't follow my first panicky thought and beg him to go without me and we went, and I tried my best to put on my smile and make small talk with people I've never met before, something I really, really, really am not good at doing. Oh, how thankful I was for the kind woman there, who also didn't know many people at this particular gathering, who, whether she took pity on my discomfort or just saw me as a sympathetic ear, engaged me in conversation and kept that conversation going and seemed to enjoy carrying the burden of the conversation and drawing me in in spite of my own awkwardness.  I told my husband later, nothing makes me feel quite so much like the most boring, dull person on the planet as these kinds of gatherings, where there is no structure and I don't know anyone well enough to not have my mind go completely blank.  I am not good at small talk, no matter how much I try to make myself.  I have to consciously remind myself not to cross my arms in self-protective posture that telegraphs discomfort and to smile and to relax. It is all I can do to not show all that on my face and try to make my brain come up with reasonably chatty things to talk about so I don't come off like a complete ninny. At least that's what the angsty agony feels like inside my head.

So, when I came across the book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, and I tried to remember where I heard about it and I'm not sure if maybe it was recommended on Goodreads, or a podcast, or where I saw it, but it intrigued me. 

I love this book. I understand myself and my temperament and so many experiences from my past much better after reading it, and I understand my children better, too. We are a family of introverts, to one degree or another - and that is not a bad thing, not a thing that needs to be cured,  contrary to the constant, and I think often unconscious and well-intentioned, messaging our culture subtly throws at us all the time. Managed, probably so when it manifests as social anxiety like I had at that gathering, learn how to appreciate the strengths and shore up the weaknesses, absolutely, but cured and changed and forced to be something we are not (an extrovert) altogether, no. I especially liked the exploration of whether innate temperament is necessarily destiny, and the investigation of how the different temperaments are wired to process new information in terms of sensitivity. I resonated with a lot of that discussion. I won't rewrite it all here, but read the book. It is fascinating. 

In fact, I resonate with a whole lot of what the author explores in this book.  I found myself crying in the last chapter where she discusses "How to Cultivate Quiet Kids in a World That Can't Hear Them," especially in the look at how school is overwhelmingly geared and designed for the more extroverted person and how difficult it is for the introverted to shine under that structure and how often their special and unique strengths are overlooked and overshadowed by their louder, more outgoing peers.  I cried a little for how deeply I resonated with her scenarios from my own experiences,  and a lot for how close to home it hits from things my own children have experienced.  I am still struggling with anger towards  a certain teacher my daughter had last year and how her preference for the popular, more extroverted students led to my quiet, sweet, sensitive, intelligent daughter by the end of the year describing her struggle with the class participation part of that class and through heartbroken tears describing how hard she was trying to perform to the expectations and how demoralized she felt everyday and how she hated to go to that class and telling me she hates a subject that usually is a favorite one for her. Class participation grade was more about personality than about actual contribution, and that was obvious from several examples she shared with me. I found myself wishing I could hand this book to that teacher and plead with her to read it and have compassion and understanding for students like my daughter. In that last chapter, the author gives some practical advice for parents and for educators in how to nurture both temperament types rather than defaulting to the pervasive "Extrovert Ideal" which so defines our culture. This quote, from the thoughts for teachers that she lists, "Don't think of introversion as something that needs to be cured. If an introverted child needs help with social skills, teach her or recommend training outside of class, just as you'd do for a student who needs extra attention in math or reading.  But celebrate these kids for who they are," had me ready to jump out of my seat yelling, "YES!" She shared that the typical comment on report cards is how they wish the student would talk more in class, and that is so frustrating to me.  They always want more, but don't recognize when that introspective, quiet kid is trying to be more, it's never good enough.  You can see this is a sore spot for me. Enough on that from me. I appreciated this chapter very much, and I appreciated that the author's tone is much more positive and helpful than my little almost rant here. 

And the conclusion of the book was beautifully written, also making me cry. Overall, though I may not agree with every single jot and tittle, I resonated with almost all of this book. I highly recommend it.  I really wish everyone who teaches or manages or spends time with people at all would read this and understand that both extroverts AND introverts have beautiful strengths and weakness that are worth cultivating, understanding, and nurturing, not seen as a detriment to be fixed.  We need each other, we need the varied ways of looking at the world. A balance of both temperaments is necessary and we need to be better at understanding each other, learning from each other,  and giving each other space to be. This very positive, well-researched and wonderfully readable book is a gift, and I recommend it. 

Lord, Have Mercy

 One of the things I hate about social media as it exists at this moment in our cultural context is that when something Big happens in our country or in the world, those of us who are on Facebook, Twitter, etc. feel a compulsion, almost an obligation, to respond, and to respond on our personal timelines immediately. You start to feel that if something Big is happening, and you choose not to post about it then you aren't Doing Something or you aren't Caring enough. Unfortunately, what you see from many who post their support, chagrin, grief, whatever the response, is that they tend to come off seeming like they are jumping on the bandwagon, but often people don't really understand the issues, but, hey, posting about it is Doing Something. Because to not post anything will be interpreted by all the followers that we Don't Care. 

Here is the thing, though, I think we need to be careful not to assume that just because someone who is active on social media isn't posting about the Big Thing, does NOT mean we aren't at home praying, watching the news, caring a great deal - we just choose not to jump too quickly to share an opinion or stance on the bandwagon of social media until we can suss out all the nuances and complexities. And even then, sometimes social media IS NOT THE PLACE for all of our reactions to be shared. 

The longer I'm on Facebook and Twitter, the more I'm realizing they are hurting our ability to think deeply about serious issues. Most Big Things are not summed up in pithy soundbites. Most Big Things have many complexities and angles to them, and in order to understand them sometimes we have to move away from black and white, stark right and wrong snap judgments, to a place where we can hold two or more thoughts in tension at once. There usually isn't one totally good actor vs. one totally bad actor.  Very often there are complex issues. And social media is tending to lead us to think we can soundbite our way through understanding and it is narrowing our abilities to have nuanced discussions, and that is also polarizing us into various camps that end up unable to understand each other or even able to assume the best of each other or find common ground with each other anymore. 

That was all very vague, I know. the first part of this post isn't about one specific instance, but more my view from the perimeter as I have been on social media for more than 10 years now and as I've been watching how these things play out. 

But now, more specifically, I am thinking about this most recent Big Thing, the Russia invading Ukraine thing, that we are all watching unfold before the world stage. Early on, I saw some amazingly stupid reactions on Twitter and Facebook and saw some colossally stupid hashtags in response to it all. My daughter was bemoaning  how frustrating it is when the teenagers and influencers she sees on Instagram start hashtagging and posting and it's obvious they think they are so morally superior and Doing Something with their posts, yet they obviously don't really know what they are talking about at all. I agreed. Frustrating for real. And the sad thing to me is that people don't seem to want to go beyond the initial Do Something kind of reaction to think deeply and start to really understand the issues - of this or of whatever the next Big Thing may be. It is Enough to have made a post, preferably one that goes along with the popular narrative. Allie Beth Stuckey said the other day something along the lines of how liberal progressive white girl social media is the worst.  I tend to agree with that - most of the stupidest of the stupid hashtags and responses I saw were from that quadrant, two of which left me just gobsmacked at how embarrassingly naive and ignorant they were, and I'm being vague on purpose. My point isn't to call out anyone, just to make an observation. And I am acutely aware that it is a bit hypocritical of me to post my qualms about the nature of social media discussion on....social media. 

Anyway, now that I've got my rant out of the way, I did have some thoughts about the whole Russia invading Ukraine thing, but I'm not going to make the mistake of thinking my sharing this is Doing Anything, except that it helps me to hash out my thoughts in this space, and I am not going to assume I have any kind of solid grasp on what is a fluid and evolving situation. My son is pursuing a double major in Russian Language and Culture and History - where he tends to focus on European History, and he has been really helpful to me in trying to get some understanding of what is happening in our world. The thing is, that help is coming in the form of very long and complex conversations, because these things are not easily understood, and not easily explained in a sentence or two, and certainly not in a hashtag or soundbite. 

I tend to process heavy things with music, and there are two songs that often come to mind when Big Things come across our attention and I'm trying to process them. The first one is this:

I like this one because, honestly, when I go to pray about things - and though right now it is Russia and Ukraine that are weighing heavily on my heart at the moment, there are also many other things going on in the world that I'm feeling heavy about as well (like what's been going in Canada, for one, wowza, and many other things, too) - often I just do not know how to pray, and my most urgent prayer is often, "Lord, have mercy." I am thankful that the Holy Spirit groans with groanings that are too deep for words and when I do not know how I ought to pray, He intercedes for me. The greatest comfort that exists is to know that God is sovereign, He knows what the need is and what the desired outcome is much better than I could ever imagine or put into words, and if He allows even this, He has a purpose in it, and I can pray for His mercy, and I especially pray for His people who are in the midst of turmoil today.

Next is this one:

I can't listen to this one without tears, because whenever there is turmoil in the world, children and the vulnerable will suffer most grievously. We are already seeing heartbreaking things from Ukraine, and it should hurt all of us who hate tyranny and the immorality of what is transpiring there. 

So, I guess my thoughts I'm processing today, if I sum them up are:

1.) Maybe we would all be wise to be slow to hashtag respond and quicker to seek to understand the issues.

2.) For myself, I need to be slow to judge those who are quick to respond and assume the best - we really do care, maybe it isn't just for show.

3.) For all of us, don't assume that just because someone doesn't post about Important Things on Facebook that they Don't Care. Many of us are watching the news and caring and praying deeply, but, I know for me, I just don't choose to use my Facebook for it most of the time.

4.) Learn to think deeply about things. Don't just listen to the headlines of one news source or the hastags of so-called influencers. Look at complexities and realize people and motives are more complex and nuanced than hashtags, and ALL media outlets have biases, I do not know of any neutral sources, and, to be honest, there are very few trustworthy voices left these days. Learn to weed through bias and seek to understand.  It will take work and time. 

5.) Pray for Ukraine.  That's never wrong to say, and for most of us it is very much the right and best thing we can do today.

Time is Weird, Sing for Joy

I was on my way home from dropping my daughter off at high school the other day and I saw a sign advertising for a local flag football team.  Out of the blue tears threatened and I thought, “We don’t have anyone in our house that can apply to anymore, and we haven’t for a while now.”  Here’s the weird part, do I want right now to be running kids around to flag football, upward basketball, and all the other stuff we were busy doing when they were little? Not really. But sometimes I am hit with a kind of wistfulness that we are past having kids that age now. 

Time is so weird. When I started this blog, my youngest was not even a year old. That little one is the 15-year-old high school student I was dropping off the other day, and her brothers are basically mostly out of the nest, away at college, the oldest just starting grad school this semester. In some ways the me I was when, with trepidation and trembling fingers, I hit “post” on that very first tentative venture into the great unknown of sharing my thoughts from my little corner of the internet and I started this blog seems a lifetime ago - so much growing, maturing, and so many moves and packings and unpackings and joys and sorrows and more great unknowns and just living were still ahead of us then. And even blogging was a whole different thing back then. The lonely mom with three busy littles at home needed that little blog community we had back in the day. That kind of blogging doesn’t really exist anymore, and sometimes I miss it a little.  

This song came on my play list yesterday and it took me back to when my middle boy was about 4 years old and he would sing this thing with joy while strapped in his carseat in the back of the minivan. I would be lying if I said there weren’t moments when I miss that little guy singing in the back of the minivan. One of the weird things about time is that when I get these wistful feelings I can sometimes spiral into wondering, did I make the most of those years? Did I enjoy them enough? Was I too serious about things I should have been able to laugh about more? Did I do all I should have done to train up my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? But those wistful moments don’t last long. They don’t last long because I look at the young man that little guy has become and the young man his older brother has become and the sweet young lady their little sister is becoming, and I realize that these precious people have moved from being my littles who I got to raise to being friends I get to enjoy and to enjoy watching them spread their wings and shine, and I’m thankful.  So incredibly thankful.

Time is weird because in some ways it goes so slowly when we are in the moments, but when we look back it almost takes our breath away to see where we’ve come and how quickly it seems to have gotten here, and how different we are today from yesterday. I really can’t wrap my head around the fact that this little blog has existed on this little corner of the web for 15 years. I really can’t even wrap my head around how fast those 15 years seem to have gone. And I can't really wrap my head around how different I am from the me I was in those yesterday years. The days are long, but the years are swift. 

As I’m thinking about these things, I am also remembering a dear friend who went home to be with the Lord this week. She was one of the most joy-filled people I’ve ever known.  She loved Jesus so deeply, and she took her walk with Him very seriously, and man, she knew how to live.  She just overflowed with the fragrance of Christ and she lived and loved and laughed so well.  I want to remember my friend and I want to be more like her. 

I heard a sermon several years ago that very much has stuck with me, from Ecclesiastes talking about how we can enjoy the portion God has given us. My friend did that so well. 

When I was younger, I struggled a lot with some not great teaching from certain Christian circles about how we need to do big things for God, do more, try harder, do better. I wasted much time worrying about missing my calling and that I didn’t know what big thing I was supposed to be doing and I felt so much pressure about that.  Then one day I realized, my big thing was right here, raising my littles, being the wife my husband needed, taking care of our home so he was freed to do the things he needed to do to take care of us, and I realized, the big thing I need to be doing is to honor God in all I do, to live full out for Jesus right where He has planted me. As I look at my kids who aren’t littles anymore and who have become treasured friends, I realize this is has been, and still is, a good portion. 

So, as I’m thinking about the weirdness of time and that weird wistfulness I feel sometimes, I’m reminded again of the joy of knowing that I can find joy and glorify God with the portion He has given me today. I can live this life with joy and fullness, loving Jesus every step of the way, and in every season and twist and turn of life. What abundance His joy and grace and new mercies are every single day.  And I’m so very thankful. 

Singing With Thankfulness in Our Hearts

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

After opening with singing Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee and prayer, we got to sing this song today in church.  What a wonderful way open worship on this first Sunday of a new year! We were introduced to CityAlight at our last church and we have loved adding their songs into our repertoire of the newer hymns that are being written in recent years.  I’m thankful for the wealth of newer hymns that are rich in biblical language that we can add to our library of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we can sing with thankfulness in our hearts to God.

I recently went through a bout of the blues where I felt low and couldn’t really explain it. 2021 was a year with a lot of challenges and griefs one on top of another that felt overwhelming at times. I have found that when that kind of pressure starts building and I may have trouble focusing on reading my Bible deeply and well in some of those moments, one of the best comforts I’ve found is to put good music with Christ-exalting lyrics and thoughts on repeat and fill my heart and mind with them. I am extremely thankful for the gift of music.  Often these rich spiritual songs minister to my soul in a deep and resonant way. I am thankful that God is bringing new hymn writers to us, people like Keith and Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend, Matt Papa, Andrew Peterson, CityAlight, Sovereign Grace and many others who are writing music we can sing, even when our hearts are broken, which take us out of ourselves and to the very throne of God, bringing light to adorn the darkness and lifting the sprit in times of trouble. 

Today was a good day to start this new year, also, because we were finally able to formally join our new church.  We have known for a while now that this church is to be our new home and church family, but life circumstances kept happening that hindered us from going forward. Today we finally got to make it public that we want Northwest Hills Baptist Church to be our new church family here. We are excited to join in the life and work of this little body of believers and we are thankful for the deep and solid teaching, gospel and grace-centered encouragement, and rich friendships we are already developing here. 

God is so kind to us. And I am grateful.