My husband had a difficult time convincing me this book wasn’t actually scary. He read it first, so I kept checking in, “Are you sure this isn’t a horror story?” He assured me it wasn’t. He was right. Mostly. Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker is the perfect level of suspense for a light-weight like me. Thrilling, but not too gory. Scary, but not nightmare-inducing.
Through disarming prose and complex characters, Smucker entertains readers with a thought-provoking, engrossing story. Switching back and forth in time between the young and middle-aged protagonist, Cohen, Smucker guides the reader to explore the problem begging for answers: Who (or what) attacked Cohen’s father while he was at work in the morgue? (And the unspoken question: Did Cohen attempt to murder his own father?)
If you’ve read Smucker’s first young adult novel called The Day the Angels Fell, this book has some of the same shadowy parallels as he explores themes of death, guilt, the parent-child relationship, and the fears we struggle to overcome. While this novel is geared more toward adults, mature teens would also enjoy this story. Light from Distant Stars is the kind of novel that carries you away in the story and you don’t want to stop until you get some answers. The last quarter of the book kept me turning pages late into the night. Throughout the book, I kept asking myself, “Do I believe Cohen?” “What is reality?” and “Do I trust Cohen’s memories?”
And as for my husband’s confidence that this was not a thriller, I have to say I disagree. If it were a film, I’d put it at the Sixth Sense-level of spookiness. But even though the story concluded with plenty of unanswered questions, Light from Distant Stars was an entertaining, nuanced, and a satisfying read. The books that leave unanswered questions are usually the ones that keep us thinking for ourselves long after we’ve finished the book.
Click on this form to record the number of copies, receipt order number, and your email address.
You will be emailed a PDF of “Ideas for Inviting”–a list of nearly 100 ideas for practicing hospitality included in the back of your new Invited book.
For each copy you order, you’ll qualify for another entry to win one of five bundles of either ethical gifts or books related to Invited. (Details below.)
Winners will be notified by August 20th.
*only U.S. residents and Canadians are eligible for the giveaways, but you can live anywhere to receive “Ideas for Inviting.”
Pre-ordering a book on Amazon locks you in to the lowest price PLUS you’ll receive your book the day it releases, on August 13th.
Don’t forget to snap a pic of your new book and put it on social media (tag @leslie_verner on Twitter and @scraping_raisins on Instagram and use the hashtag #InvitedBook), and review it on Amazon when you get a chance!
***
I am honored to be partnering with some fabulous ethical gift companies (described below) who have donated items to give away for these pre-order bonuses.
BUNDLES:
Gift Bundle #1
Wristlet from Imagine Goods
Table runner from Dignify
Earrings from Grain of Rice Project
A pound of coffee home-roasted by Adam Verner
Shoe bag from The White Peacock
Mug from Papillion Marketplace
Extending the Table cookbook (I’ve used this for twenty years and this is a NEW edition!)
I’m Honored to Partner with These 8 Ethical Gift Companies:
I hope you take the time read some of the stories behind these inspiring companies (I’m usually in tears each year as I research them for my Christmas ethical gift list). Be sure to keep these companies in mind when you do your Christmas shopping this year!
Dignify helps women experience and share hospitality with their one-of-a-kind kantha blankets, sustainably made with dignity by vulnerable populations of women in Bangladesh.
Dignify donated table runners to the Invited pre-order bonus gift!
Grain of Rice Project empowers Kenyans living in the Kibera slum by helping them become self-sufficient through employment, education, and skills training.
Grain of Rice Project donated several gorgeous pieces of jewelry for the Invited pre-order bonus gift!
Papillon Marketplace provides jobs for Haitians and trains individuals to use metal, cardboard, aluminum, dirt, and paper to create jewelry and other products.
Papillon Marketplace donated mugs and a tote to these pre-order bonuses!
Sari Bari partners with women who have chosen to empower themselves by exiting the sex trade in India by providing jobs to create beautiful products using vintage saris from Kolkata’s largest red light district.
Sari Bari donated these napkins as well as a table runner for our pre-order bonuses!
Author Emily P. Freeman is not only a podcaster and business woman, but a modern-day contemplative who shepherds readers into inner peace as she provides practical, reflective solutions for making decisions. The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions is a book for the uncertain, the undecided, or the anxious. It is both practical and reflective, grounded and imaginative. Freeman confronts decision fatigue and provides the reader with ideas on untying the knots that bind and prevent us from moving forward. Freeman expertly guides readers into more freedom, peace, and confidence.
I wish I had read this book between 1996 and 2006, when I was making decisions about college, my major, dating, and whether or not to move overseas. But even now that I am a forty-year old married woman with degrees and kids, The Next Right Thing reminded me to live life on purpose, pay attention, and filter my seemingly unimportant decisions through a simple sieve: Is this life-draining or life-giving?
Freeman begins each chapter with an inspirational quote from another author, but largely shares her own reflections on decision making in twenty-four compact chapters. So many authors flood their books with quotes from others, not trusting their own words, but rather than borrow from others, Freeman contributes her own wisdom to the world. Freeman concludes each chapter with a prayer and a spiritual practice, reminiscent of what a spiritual director might prescribe. Rather than reading straight through quickly, this book lends itself to being read slowly and thoughtfully, perhaps reading a chapter a day or even one a week.
If you struggle with making decisions, or simply need a book to remind you to pay attention and do some soul work, then this book is for you. Reading The Next Right Thing felt like opening a window and welcoming a breeze into a musty room.
EMILY P. FREEMAN is the author of Simply Tuesday and A Million Little Ways. As host of The Next Right Thing podcast, she helps create space for the soul to breathe, offering fresh perspective on the sacredness of our inner life with God. Emily and her husband live in North Carolina with their three children.
Iām giving away a copy of The Next Right Thing, so head over to my Instagram post. To enter, simply like the post, follow me, and then sign up for my newsletter in my profile (and Iāll send you the first chapter of MY book!!!). If youāre already a newsletter subscriber, then tag up to four friends you think might enjoy this book and youāll receive one entry per friend that you tag (no tag backs, please!). Giveaway ends Monday (6/24/19) at midnight (MT). This is not sponsored by or affiliated with Instagram.
Sign up for the monthly-ish newsletter and I’ll send you the first chapter of my book!
My new book Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness is now available for pre-order! You can read about the book as well as some of the advance praise for the book by visiting this page. Sign up for my newsletter above to keep up-to-date on pre-order bonuses, book recommendations, and more!
Many of us are disconnected, lonely, and isolated even though weāre surrounded by neighbors, strangers, and living, breathing human beings all around us. My husband and I recently attended a meeting in Denver called āReimagining Neighborhoodsā where Tim Soerens and Paul Sparks, in partnership with the Navigators, discussed this issue. As the writers of the book The New Parish and founders of The Parish Collective , they challenged us to seek community right where we live.
The evening opened with a short film about neighboring well; then several individuals shared tales of intentionally pursuing relationships with people outside their immediate comfort zones. One man told of seeking out his āthird placeā (besides work and home) where he has developed relationships over time by frequenting a Thai restaurant.
Another woman mentioned that her dogs help her make connections, but also shared how their neighbors enjoy a fantasy football league, a fire pit-in-the-driveway tradition on Halloween, and use Facebook to promote neighborhood gatherings. Another described their neighborhood as āa place where I belongā and someone else said ācultivating a life in commonā was of utmost value to them. The speakers shared about other friendās involvement in farmers markets, coffeehouses, garage sales, community gardens, and giving away popsicles, dessert, or meals in the local park.
After these individuals shared about their experiences with opening their homes and intentionally seeking community among their neighbors, Tim Soerens began his talk with a quote from William Blake: āWe become what we behold.ā He described our small, faithful actions of simply showing up in our relationships with the people around us. He talked about healing democracy not by starting from the top, but from the bottomāin our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods and cities. Soerens said, āall the systems that shape usāweāre also called to shape them as well.ā
Paul Sparks said we know the gospel has broken through and shalom has prevailed when the world can look at Christians and be struck by our love for one another. He quoted Manuel Castells, who talks about the āspace of flows,ā where people often miss one another in a life of busyness and movement. Sparks has visited many communities where people are experimenting with good news, and when he visits, he often looks for ways the community is solving conflicts and diving deeper into humility and grace for one another. He concluded by saying that this commitment to learning how we belong to one another isnāt rocket science, but it does take commitment, presence, and a miracle, because āturning to face one another takes divine grace.ā
During our short discussion time at the end, one woman pointed out that this all seems so obvious, and yet in our culture of disconnection, individualism, and independence, we almost need to re-learn how to be humans with one another.
Finding connection right where we are is both the easiest and most difficult way to cultivate community. It requires intentionality, availability, and humility. And yet I believe thereās a movement of God to stop leaving āministryā and movements to clergy and missionaries, and remind us we are already standing on holy groundāeven if that ground is our rock-covered lawns (like in Colorado where I live), our third floor apartment buildings, or our ranch in the country. God wants us to notice the people right around usālook them in the eye, speak to them, and remember that weāand they–are not alone after all. When we begin to reimagine our neighborhoods, we begin to reimagine Godās vision for a connected kingdom.
Resources:
Parish Collective: You can learn more about Parish Collective here. Parish Collective identifies, connects, and resources followers of Jesus that desire to grow the fabric of love and care in, with, and for the neighborhood.
Book List: Their website also links to a fabulous list of books relating to developing community, relationships, and neighboring well.
The New Parish Book: Check out the book The New Parish: How Neighborhood Churches are Transforming Mission, Discipleship, and Community, by Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens, and Dwight J. Friesen (IVP). About the book: āPaul Sparks, Tim Soerens and Dwight J. Friesen have seen in cities, suburbs and small towns all over North America how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place, at the intersection of geography, demography, economy and culture.ā (Amazon)
Prayer Walk Guide: The Navigators offered a brochure to do a prayer walk in your neighborhood. I couldn’t find that one online, but I did find this neighborhood prayer walk guide that also incorporates observation and accommodations for different seasons of the church calendar.
Sign up for the monthly-ish newsletter and I’ll send you a free list of hospitality resources!
My new book Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness is now available for pre-order! You can read about the book as well as some of the advance praise for the book by visiting this page. Sign up for my newsletter above to keep up-to-date on pre-order bonuses, launch team, book recommendations, and more! The LAUNCH TEAM is open until Thursday, June 13th. You can sign up here.
Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of And in an Either-Or World is an invitation to probe into the mysteries of faith in Jesus. If youāre looking for an ambitious book written by a wise woman, this book is for you. Michelās writing is sharp, intelligent, and sincere. She doesnāt pull punches, but she does offer plenty of glimpses into her own humanity and struggles. Within her biblical exegesis, Michel quotes from theologians, philosophers, and historians such as Willard, Tertullian, Spurgeon, Tozer, Rutledge, Bonhoeffer, Chesterton, Athanasius, and Wright. Far from fluffy, this book is engaging, intellectual, and meaty. Michel gives literary legs to abstract ideas.
Divided into four major sections–incarnation, kingdom, grace, and lament–with questions for discussion and reflection at the end of each section, Michel confronts a quandary in each chapter that people often pose in the Christian faith. She considers questions such as: Should we live for heaven or live for earth? Should we be sacrificing more or enjoying more? How should Christians engage with politics? How is grace different from leniency? Whatās the role of lament in the life of the Christian? What about suffering? In the introduction Michel says, āThis is a book about faith in its lived-in conditionāas it abides complexity rather than resists it.ā The promise of āAndā in an āEither-Or World.ā
Michel is candid about her sexual struggles as a teenager and the tragic death of her brother. She also confronts many questions about politics, race, and some of the other divides that plague our churches. Michel acknowledges the elephant(s) in the room and urges us to describe our view. Surprised by Paradox invites us back into conversations with one another. Michel is a high-stakes writer who bravely peels back the curtains we use to guard ourselves and seems to say, āIāll go first.ā
This was the first book I read by Jen Pollock Michel. Itās hard to believe she has written three books in five years, because this one is so chockful of golden nuggets, I wonder how she had so many left over after writing the last two books. My one regret in reading is that I read it too swiftly. This book is best savored, sifted, and ruminated upon. It would make a fabulous book to discuss with a spouse, friend, or small group.
Michel ends her epilogue with an invitation to wonder. She writes, ālet us have certainty when itās available, let us have humility when itās not.ā This statement is the crux of her entire book, an invitation to ask the hard questions and welcome wonder and mystery to fill in the cracks when we canāt arrive at easy answers.
I devoured books on motherhood in the months when I was pregnant with my first child. That was seven years ago. Since the addition of two more children, time has accelerated, flinging schedules, old hobbies, brain cells, and predictable anythings (like reading parenting books) to the fan. So when I come across parenting advice in places I don’t expect, Iām pleasantly surprised. In this case, a priest named Henri Nouwen, and another named Father Gregory Boyle.
Though Iām a long-time fan of Henri Nouwen, I hadnāt read this particular book, called Reaching Out, until last year when I began researching more about hospitality, community, and living out this upside-down faith in Jesus. In it, Nouwen, who himself was childless, tells parents that children are strangers who God has brought into our homes for a time.
He writes, āIt may sound strange to speak of the relationship between parents and children in terms of hospitality. But it belongs to the center of the Christian message that children are not properties to own and rule over, but gifts to cherish and care for. Our children are our most important guests, who enter into our home, ask for careful attention, stay for a while and then leave to follow their own way. Children are strangers whom we have to get to know. It takes much time and patience to make the little stranger feel at home, and it is realistic to say that parents have to learn to love their childrenā (81).
My children are not ālittle Adams (my husband) and Leslies,ā they are little strangersāthey are unique individuals. These tiny guests are the first tier of hospitality in my home. Do they feel welcome?
In my holier moments Iām able to remember that my children fit the definition of the āleast of theseā Jesus calls his followers to serve in Matthew 25. My children are the neediest humans I know. And they live under my roof (practically under my feet and in my hair on most days). Do I serve them with the same level of dignity I might serve anyone else? Do I speak to them with respect? (The answer, sadly, is usually no.) When I feed, clothe, wash, and carry these little ones, Iām feeding, clothing, washing, and carrying Christ.
The other priest who illuminated the next few steps of this messy maze of motherhood was the author of Tattoos on the Heart, a potty-mouthed priest whom I absolutely adore. His latest book, Barking to the Choir had me crying and cackling aloud on every page. What struck me most was the revolutionary way he approaches his ministry with gang members, drug dealers, and those seeking a different life at his ministry, called Homeboy Industries.
Boyle writes, āHomeboy receives people; it doesnāt rescue them. In being received rather than rescued, gang members come to find themselves at home in their own skin. Homeboyās message is not āYou can measure up someday.ā Rather, it is: āWho you are is enoughāā (84). Boyle says, āWhen we are disappointed in each other, we least resemble God. We have a God who wonders what all the measuring is about, a God who is perplexed by our raising the bar and then raising it even higherā (27).
I was surprised that my mind immediately applied his words to my children. Am I rescuing them or receiving them? Am I disappointed in them, raising the bar to impossible heightsāor accepting them for who they are, affirming my belief that they are enough? Boyleās central message is that the greatest conduit for Godās love is tenderness towards one another. Am I tender towards the littlest guests hunkering down in my home?
For Motherās Day this year I took each of my kids out for a date. (Last year, my greatest wish for Motherās Day was to be alone All. Day. Long., but this year I had a change of heart.) At one point, my four-year-old daughter turned from her dandelion-seed-blowing to say, āI know Iām your favorite.ā While my first thought was to panic because Am I showing favoritism?, my second thought was that I want to make it my goal to lead each of my kids to believe they are the favorite.
In the coming year, I hope my kids will feel more singled-out, adored, and received for who they are. I pray theyād know their value isnāt tied to what they do, but to who they are as beloved children of God. I know I need to believe this for myself as well: God is tender towards us, receives us, and welcomes us as strangers. Weāeach one of usāare Godās particular favorite.
āHow do we bond despite our differences? We do so when we grasp and share the most basic need of all humanity: the need to eat and drink,ā Kendall Vanderslice writes in her book that released last week (p. 157). I first heard Vanderslice share a lecture on a LāAbri podcast called A Sacred Story of Meals. So when I heard she was writing a book, I was eager to read it because I knew it would be smart, relatable, and inspiring. I was right.
We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God summarizes itself in the title. Itās about food, gathering as followers of God, and how a bit of creativity can reorient us toward one another. The book is organized around Vandersliceās experiences at several different dinner churches around the United Statesāfrom New York City to California, Michigan to Texas, among othersāthat she visited over the course of one year. Far from a simple summary of those experiences, she draws us into meals together around tables, in gardens, pubs, or at potlucks, allowing us to imagine a different kind of life together.
She weaves her expertise as a baker into each tale, expanding on communion, feasting, and the theology that connects us to one another. She writes that āworship around the table is a communal search for every glimmer of goodness in an aching worldā (p. 167). This book offers that glimmer of goodness, granting a glimpse into other peoplesā windows of experience that may differ from our own.
If youāre looking for a hopeful book about church, this book for you. If youāre looking for a book that breaks open the boxes we squeeze God, the church, and worship into, this book is for you. And if you need refreshment, encouragement, or affirmation that community can still be found within the church, then this book is definitely for you. This book will make you hungry for steaming bread and savory soup, but especially for deep connection and intentional community. It will remind you that when we gather, we experience just a bit more of Godās presence in our midst.
Sign up for my monthly(ish) newsletter and I’ll send you a list of hospitality resources for uncertain hosts (as well as book/article/podcast recommendations).
What if we lived as though we actually believe Godās strength is made perfect in our weakness? Alia Joy considers this question throughout the pages of her new book Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack.
Through lyrical, wistful prose, Alia Joy braids personal stories of poverty, mental illness, and identity with reflections on the Bibleās proclamations about weakness. Alia paints a picture of how the gospel is less about power, strength, and victory, and more about humility, weakness, and death. The Beatitudesāblessed are the poor, meek, and weakāare, in fact, the canvas of the gospel.
Messages
about weakness are not always en vogue in Christian (or any) circles. In fact,
as I read this book, I found myself humming the lyrics of an old worship song: āLet
the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has
done for us.ā Glorious Weakness emphasizes
the exact opposite of these words, highlighting the value of the strong
admitting weakness and the rich confessing poverty. The paradox of the gospel
is that we live through dying.
But despite the melancholic tone of the book, Alia offers hope in every page. Jesus. Love. Mercy. Enough-ness. Instead of the popular message peppered throughout social media memes that if we just rely on ourselves, listen to our hearts, or trust our judgment, then we can be our best selves, Alia offers a surprising reversal.
She writes, āMaybe being poor in spirit is the invitation to truly see the kingdom of God as one who is so loved, so valuable, so recognized by Jesus, a person can come reeking with need and not be found wanting. I meet God most often while splayed not on the altar of my offering but of my povertyā (199).
As a writer
myself, I appreciated how Alia Joy activated my sensory experience of the prose
through her poetic sentences, imagery, and striking metaphors in ways that many
Christian books are deficient. This book demands the reader to slow down and
savor each word and sentence and enjoy the beauty of language arranged just-so.
Alia Joy begins her introduction by saying this book is not for everyone. I disagree. I canāt think of a single person who wouldnāt benefit from the message that strength emerges when we first admit we are weak.
*I received a free copy of Glorious Weakness from Baker Publishing House, but this review reflects my honest opinion. This post includes Amazon affiliate links.
About Alia Joy:
Alia Joy is
an author who believes the darkness is illuminated when we grasp each other’s
hand and walk into the night together. Her first book, Glorious Weakness, Discovering God In All We Lack, (Baker
Publishing 2019) is a deeply personal exploration of what it means to be
“poor in spirit.” Alia Joy challenges our cultural proclivity to
“pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.” while helping readers
reclaim the ways God is good, even when life is anything but.
She writes
poignantly about her life with bipolar disorder as well as grief, faith,
marriage, poverty, race, embodiment, and keeping fluent in the language of
hope.
Sushi is her love language and she balances her cynical idealism with humor and awkward pauses. She lives in Central Oregon with her husband, her tiny Asian mother, her three kids, a dog, a bunny, and a bunch of chickens.
Since I began writing online several years ago, I’ve discovered many tools along the way that I use daily, weekly, or monthly to share content on my blog and on social media. As a former teacher, I’m a huge believer in not reinventing the wheel, so if you, too, are a writer, I hope you can save yourself some time, money and effort by using this list. Feel free share other ideas in the comments!
I mainly go to Canva to create Pinterest images. If you’re new to blogging or writing online, then you may not know that your Pinterest images should all be oriented as portrait, not landscape. Canva can also be used to create images with text for any type of social media.
When Facebook is not showing the correct image for my blog or if it’s not showing any image at all, this site will help reset it so it will display the correct image (I have NO IDEA what “debugging” means, I just know it works!)
When links are too long to include on Twitter, this will make your link a more reasonable length. For example, Amazon links are incredibly long, so when I want to share about a book, I usually shorten the link before posting it.
I prefer this to Pixabay mainly because I think the images are a bit more artistic, but it tends to have more upright (portrait) images, which is good for Pinterest but not best to use for blog images.
This free little program strips away formatting before you copy and paste text to use on your website, in emails, or social media posts. I use it daily.
I started a newsletter list in 2018 using Mailchimp and I think it’s been a great tool for connecting with readers. It’s free up to the first 2,000 subscribers (which I am far from hitting, so this is not an issue for me).
I wrote my book using Scrivener last year and LOVED it. You can easily move between Word and Scrivener. The advantage is that you can see your whole book at once and move pieces around like a puzzle. As a visual person, that was super helpful as I wrote.
Though this seems to be unrelated to writing and blogging, I have connected with many writers using Voxer. Most people don’t have the time to sit down and email you, but they are usually more than willing to leave you a five minute message about their writing process, tools they use, or to share their expertise.
I started my blog with a free site in Blogger and wish I had started it in WordPress so it would have been easier to transfer over when I started paying for my site. It’s been fairly intuitive and I haven’t had any issues in the three years I’ve used it.
Which websites and programs make your life easier as a writer? Let me know in the comments! For more writing resources, check out this list of books on writing and podcasts for writers.
Sign up for my monthly(ish) newsletter here and I’ll send you a list of hospitality resources for uncertain hosts!
I compiled another list! Surprise, surprise. (Perhaps a procrastination technique to not actually write. . . ?) There are millions of online journals, but sometimes it’s hard to know which ones are worth your time. I’ve published at some of these places listed below, but the rest come by recommendation from writing friends. Can people of faith publish in secular journals? Of course–and I hope you do! But for those of you looking for a niche, I hope this list nudges you to submit your work to the world.
Most do not pay, but maybe I’ll share in a future post about why publishing for free is still valuable for new writers. Please let me know if there are some sites you would recommend that fit the flavor of this list and I’ll consider adding them. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for more helpful information like you see here. (I don’t always curate lists, I write sometimes, too.)
You’ll notice the list runs the gamut “side”-wise, and not every publication listed is a site for people of faith, so read each publication before submitting to ensure that it’s a good fit for you! These links will take you to their submissions pages. Happy writing and publishing. May your rejections be few and your acceptances many.
Subscribe to my monthly-ish newsletter and I’ll send you the first chapter of my book Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness for FREE!
