Here is another installment of the absolutely delightful series Mr. Putter and Tabby. I have read and reread these books to my children as bedtime stories. They are just sweet, fun, and very funny. And you will get a warm-hearted feeling when you are done the book. The boys and I read one chapter a night.

In this one, Mr. Putter and Tabby are enjoying the winter snow fall while drinking tea and eating warm muffins. Mr. Putter goes out to get the newspaper from the mailbox because he wants to read the funnies, but he forgets his hat. He hopes he does not get a cold, but, alas, he does. 

And then he remembers. He remembers when he was a kid. He remembers the warm soup, minty tea, and adventure books that his mother gave him. He is remembering all this as Mrs. Teaberry, the next door neighbor, calls. 

Mrs. Teaberry thinks that Mr. Putter needs company, but Mr. exclaims that you do "not want to be old and catch a cold"! She calls back a while later and explains that Zeke, Mrs. Teaberry's dog, is going to come over.

Zeke comes through the snow, wagging his tail and carrying a thermos on his back. Mr. Putter checks the thermos and is delighted to find chicken soup inside. 

They are enjoying the chicken soup when Zeke comes back with another thermos of something on his back. Mr. Putter checks. This time he smells peppermint tea with honey sticks and he declares, "Yippee!"

Mr. Putter is remembering when he was sick with his mother many years ago. He decides to call Mrs. Teaberry and ask. 

"Would you perhaps have ...?" asks Mr. Putter.

"Would I perhaps have ...?" replies Mrs. Teaberry.

"An adventure book?" asks Mr. Putter.

"Of course!" says Mrs. Teaberry! "But the book really belongs to Zeke. It's about a brave dog. It's Zeke's favorite."

"Would he loan it to me?"

"Only if he gets to come along." 

Mr. Putter stops and thinks. Could he handle Zeke and a cold? 

"Of course Zeke can come with his book," says Mr. Putter. 

"Wonderful!"

A few minutes later, Zeke is at the door with a book on his back. What do you think Zeke, Tabby, and Mr. Putter do for the rest of the day? ;)

Again, this series is a delight! Enjoy! 

This book should be considered a classic! I am not exactly sure how Sally Lloyd Jones managed to take all these overly familiar stories and write them in such a fresh and original way, but I am so glad she did.

The first thing that she does is explain what the Bible is. It is not a book of rules. There are rules to follow in the Bible, but it is so much more. 

The Bible tells a story. It tells God's story. It's about a Prince who loses his first love and then goes to the end of the earth to get his princess back. In essence, it is a love story.

And that is just the beginning.

One of my favorite Bible stories is Jonah and the big fish. This book does a top-notch job showing how Jonah got in a book going to in the exact opposite direction of Ninevah! The description of the boat and being thrown overboard are vivid. 

Jonah is in the belly of the fish and he doesn't like it down there. He spends three days in the the belly thinking about the fact that he went in the opposite direction. He begins to feel very foolish and prays to God to forgive him. The fish gets some kind of tickle in his throat, opens his mouth, and throws Jonah on shore. Where does he go?

He goes to Ninevah. He goes to tell them God's message. 

What I love about this story, and other stories, is that Sally pulls out the link between Jesus and Jonah. Jonah was hidden in the belly of the fish for three days, before he miraculously shows up on shore to do what God originally asked him to do. Jesus was also hidden from the world for three days when everyone thought he had died, and then he came back to life. 

Sally Lloyd Jones tells each story simply and deliberately. It's perfect for little ears. It's perfect for big ears. It's perfect for anyone looking for a fresh take on so many Bible stories. 

If it were possible, I would love for Sally to write about the life of Paul. He has more than a few dramatic moments and I think her writing style could handle the beauty in the life of Paul. From him witnessing the stoning of Stephen, to his dramatic conversion of the road to Damascus, three days in darkness (again, like Christ), the myriad of meetings with other churches, Holy Spirit moments, and how common sense does not make sense at the end, Paul's life is vivid.

But it was the publisher who limited the stories past the life of Jesus.

The Jesus Storybook Bible is a classic. It should be read by the young and the old and everyone in between. It should be read by you! 

Go ahead and pick it up at the nearest bookstore if you haven't! 

And remember that Jesus loves you with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love!
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I remember watching the movie and reading the book based on my mother's recommendation. I followed this coming of age story of Scout and Gem, and was inspired to do the right thing, like Atticus Finch. He stared racism and prejudice in the face and I became a more thoughtful person because of the book. I learned about the South in terms of it’s weaknesses. And I had new understanding of a minor character, Boo Radley, by the end of the book.

If you have never heard of this book, I recommend it highly. It was one of the inspirations for my own Advent book (not published yet) on the named trees in the Bible. Three trees dream of what they want to do when they grow up. Things do not work out as imagined, but God had an even better plan in mind!

The magical world of Narnia! The characters of Edmund, Lucy, Susan, and Peter still live in my mind as they deal with the witch and learn to love Aslan. A beloved classic for many, including me!

This was my first introduction to literature in English about another culture! I remembe this beautifully written travel memoir won an award in Canada when it was published. The writer really did have a transformative Thai experience, and I still follow her writing...

Anne Shirley let me visit the other side of Canada at a time when many people just stayed in their own province or the one right beside them. Anne, Marilla, Matthew and Gilbert are well loved characters that continue to live in my mind. It's a bonus that it's also a story of family love and forgiveness.  (I still smile when I think of the slate Anne broke over Gilbert's head!)

Of all the books I’ve known and loved since childhood, one has carried me farther than all the others combined: the Holy Bible. Its stories and characters are the ones most deeply ingrained in memory: Jonah swallowed up by the great fish. Noah building an ark and floating above the mountain peaks in it. Baby Moses, found in the river by an Egyptian princess, and shepherd boy David, whose slingshot and fearlessness slew giants. 

Then there are the Gospel stories—the most magical ones of all—where Jesus walked and talked, and water became wine, and fish and loaves multiplied in one great picnic with leftovers galore. Where blind men got their sight back and where the wildest waves imaginable were tamed by a word from the one who made them. 

My other books did indeed take me worlds away, but only the Bible had the power to bring its Protagonist into my world and change it—and me—by his presence. Other books were for a time, and that time has come and gone. But I can’t imagine a day when I won’t ask this book to tell me its old, old story all over again. 

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish. JOHN 1: 14, MSG

I would love to hear back from you. What books have allowed you to travel? What books have changed you in some way?

Leslie Leyland Fields edited this gem and it truly is something to inspire women over 40! It’s a book to encourage those of us who are older and dealing with aging, dying, and the challenges and gifts that later life offers.

I love pomegranates and this book was full of pomegranate seeds. There are tons of favorite sentences and life lessons. I tried to find a favorite but it’s just too hard. Each one speaks to me in a slightly different way. Moving from one essay to the next was like eating a pomegranate one seed at a time reflecting on the virtue of each: each was delicious but different from the last. Try one more. Read one more. Yes. I recommend this book to anyone woman who dreads turning 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80. There's good news; there is even wonder as time passes.

It is an anthology of women authors who are navigating firsts, lasts, and always in life. Firsts in the authors’ second half of life includes embarking on adventures, learning skills, embracing new professions, missions, and relationships, pulling up roots, caring for older family members, and making peace with their own aging. Lasts encompasses letting go of child-bearing, grown children, bikini bodies, perfection, jobs, regrets, and loved ones. Then there were the always: enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, spending time outside, finding joy wherever you can, talking with neighbors, taking care of yourself and one another, and keeping on the move—mission. Though I prefer essay collections over anthologies (4.5 would be my truer rating), this anthology is a lovely collection. 

I would also like to mention Leslie Leyland Fields brilliance as an author. I was first introduced to her in The Spirit of Food, another collection similar to this. Her last book, Crossing the Waters is another book worthy of your time. This woman who is familiar to modern day fishing techniques has great insight into Christ as a fisherman! Go get the book and be blessed by wonder!

I'm a mother of three boys and a Children's Ministry Director and I have looked at many different Bibles. I've been excited to introduce my children to the Bible, but totally overwhelmed with finding a Bible that would faithfully communicate the Scriptures at a level that made sense to young children.

The Jesus Storybook Bible seeks to show how God's plan of salvation is unfolding through each story, and largely succeeds in doing so. Let me try and demonstrate what I mean.

First of all, there are children's Bibles like the Read With Me Bible that are simply bland. Granted, toddlers are not going to pick up on every nuance of a story from the Bible, but the Read With Me Bible often chooses the wrong points to emphasize, entirely leaving out important points of narrative along the way.

One story simply lists miracles Jesus did with no context, failing to communicate that Jesus' miracles actually anticipate and begin to realize a new world, a world where God's Kingdom and rule are breaking into the world in a new and exciting way. Now, children obviously won't grasp the entirety of this message (indeed, even the most mature Christian is still growing in their understanding) but Jesus is more than a magician, he is more than simply amazingly powerful, so why drain the miracle stories of their power? If salt loses its saltiness, what is it good for?

The Jesus Storybook Bible works to explain the big idea, and big picture of the Scriptures at every turn. The focus is on God's love for the lost, the great problem of sin, and the great hope we have in Christ. So, for example, the story of the Exodus is told not as the story of God's great magic show, but instead on the great, mighty, and terrifying rescue of God's people from their slavery, pointing forward also to humanity's slavery to sin and coming rescue in Jesus. That is why the subtitle to this Bible is "Every Story Whispers His Name." Every story anticipates the coming of Jesus and the great rescue he brings to those who put their faith in him. This is a great concept, and a great work for children. 

Now is this Bible perfect? No, and no translation is, much less a paraphrase. Other have commented on some of the shortcomings of this Bible. Sometimes the language and tone is a bit casual, although casual doesn't necessarily mean disrespectful. Every story doesn't say as much as it could, although this is a strength rather than a weakness for a paraphrase (See: The Message). Not all of the theology expressed in the paraphrase matches perfectly with my own, but I see that as a teaching opportunity rather than a fatal flaw, not to mention that I think children should know early on that there are many ideas in the world, and not all of them are equally valid, and certainly not all of them are true. But again, the strength of this Bible is that it gets the story right, interpreting the main idea correctly and always pointing toward Jesus.

This is the point. It continually turns you toward Jesus. From the beginning to the end, everything points towards Jesus Christ.

Here are a few other opinions:

“I LOVE to give people The Jesus Storybook Bible because from the very first chapter it paints a powerful picture of God’s epic love for each one of us. Sally Lloyd-Jones has a unique way of inviting the reader, young or old, to dive in and discover for themselves the truth and hope of the greatest story ever told.” Amy Grant (Amy Grant)

“Sharing the Gospel with The Jesus Storybook Bible has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.” Ann Voskamp (Ann Voskamp)

“I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian–from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians! Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God’s revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning–a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned.” – Dr. Timothy Keller, NYC (Dr. Timothy Keller)

The last thing I want to mention is that the pictures for this are incredibly well done. Jago is one incredibly talented artist and this book is beautiful.

I would be so bold as to recommend anything by Sally Lloyd-Jones. She has a real gift for communicating truth to the very young or the very young at heart.

This little gem was recommended on one of the read-aloud-revival podcasts and I am so glad I took the time to read it!

Like Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and the Green Ember series, this story has more going on than what is obvious. And don't I love it when I run into a story like that?  You will too.

Can you and your friends agree on what is delicious?  There is a discussion in the book of what is delicious on its most basic level, and wouldn't you know it that people just don't agree!  And it needs to be added to the dictionary. Thus begins the search for what is delicious for everyone...

Gaylen, the King's messenger, a skinny boy of twelve, is off to poll the kingdom, traveling from town to farmstead to town on his horse, Marrow. At first it is merely a question of disagreement at the royal castle over which food should stand for Delicious in the new dictionary. But soon it seems that the search for Delicious had better succeed if civil war is to be avoided.
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Gaylen's quest leads him to the woldweller, a wise, 900-year-old creature who lives alone at the precise center of the forest; to Canto, the minstrel who sings him an old song about a mermaid child and who gives him a peculiar good-luck charm; to the underground domain of the dwarfs; and finally to Ardis who might save the kingdom from havoc.

This really is a worthy read for the child in all of us!  An adventure, a quest, a lesson learned, and a homecoming!  It really is a beautiful book!

And out of curiosity, what foods do you consider delicious? ;)