2025 Books

Here are five stories I have read and loved this year that I will gladly suggest:

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm - a beautiful historical fiction telling of an American-Finnish girl with a wild spirit

Not My Will by Francena Arnold - a very good contemporary story of learning to surrender 

The Green Ember series by S. D. Smith - these were written for people much younger than I, but the entirety of the series and its sub-series is all about swords and rabbits and courage and community, and reading it was wonderful. 

Marmee: A Little Women Novel by Sarah Miller - some of the content would call for an older audience; however, I absolutely loved every minute spent reading this. It's the Little Women account in the form of Marmee's diary.

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler - one of those books written in multiple perspectives; based on a true story, it is such a good, bittersweet tale about three friends during the Holocaust.

I highly recommend using a free afternoon to stay at home, brew some tea, have good music playing, and read a book.

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." — 1 John 4:10

There is no other god, no king, who lays down literally everything, his glory, his divine power, his life, for his people. No other ruler loves his children to the extent that the Father does, who sent His one and only holy, beloved Son, devoid of any wrongdoing or speck of dirt, to sacrifice Himself through death, out of pure love for us. 

What a King.

Jólabókaflóð

In Iceland, every evening on Christmas Eve, it is tradition to gift books to each other, then spend the remainder of the night reading them while drinking hot chocolate. Does that not sound wonderful?

Caroling

I sang Christmas carols in three different languages this evening, and it was beautiful. 

Candle lights in hand, our young group walked door to door of fellow missionary friends to saluer them with hymns and smiles. Carols are so common this time of year, that the words and wonder of singing them are sometimes overlooked. 

Allow me to share my highlighted one for this year.

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is based on a poem ("Christmas Bells") written during the Civil War by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. At the time, he was grieving his wife's death and was coping with his son having been wounded in the war. The nation was engulfed in anxiety and darkness. Christmas had come, but where was the peace and goodness? The joy and hope? 

However, when the bells chimed louder, Longfellow was reminded that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to men."

Revisit the song, listen to the lyrics, and remember that peace is promised even when the world seems so dark. Let this Christmas remind us that Christ came to lowly earth to give us that peace, and we should honor Him with songs of praise. 

Eulogy

So little were you that came to my door.

Your brother was timid, but 

You were determined.

You came lacking nourishment,

And we fed and cleaned you,

Even if your little body struggled to live.

You snuggled with us day and night.

You slept in our arms and

Ate from our hands.

You kissed us with your whiskers and

Licked us with your tongue.

Your curious ears perked

As you followed us around our home.

You were brave, my boy, to open up to us. 

You had no mother to raise you, and you 

Watched your brother fade away 

Under the Christmas tree.

You were so strong, little one,

To let us hold you and

Watch over you, with all your family gone;

And to have lived this long 

In our care is beyond reason.

Thank you, my dear, for letting us have you 

For this bit of time.

You were so small, but your 

We loved you no matter. 

Studying and writing about the wonders of the present and coming kingdom of God, and then later singing "Days of Elijah" brings much hope and and happiness to my heart.