How is it the last day in September? This year is going so fast! This is the post where I share anything noteworthy I have been reading this month. I discovered an amazing fiction series that I devoured and as always there are several articles from other blogs. Happy reading!

Rethinking “God Hates The Sin But Loves The Sinner”

“The Bible teaches that every person is guilty of crimes against God and deserves to be punished, but that message doesn’t give non-believers a warm, fuzzy feeling. So, we attempt to soften the blow of this bad news with a cliché.”

10 Family Worship Ideas For Busy Families 

This is a great list. For reference our family reads the same story out of the The Gospel Story Bible for a week (I also use the companion book Old Story New) and we go over a new question each week from New City Catechism. This takes about 15 minutes during breakfast.

I’d Really Just Like To Be In Control

“I am anxious when I am not in control.  Yet I am never in control, I only deceive myself into thinking I am.  Which is probably one of the reasons why God continually puts things into my life to remind myself of this fact.  Like the Israelites in the desert, often I don’t trust the manna will come the next day, even after years and years of experiencing it.  Even though he’s promised it.  And proven himself trustworthy.”

10 Things You Should Know About Chrisitan Meditation 

“Unlike eastern meditation, which advocates mental passivity, Christian meditation calls on us to actively exert our mental energy. This is nowhere better stated than by Paul in Philippians 4:8. Here he encourages us to “let our minds dwell on” whatever is “true,” “honorable,” “right,” “pure,” “lovely,” and of “good repute.” Those things that are “excellent” and “worthy of praise” are to be the targets of our mental aim. It isn’t enough merely to acknowledge that things and ideas of moral and mental excellence are important. Merely affirming such truths and virtues will avail little in a time of testing. We must energetically reckon, take into account, and give deliberative weight to these things. Our minds must be captivated by them in such a way that the tawdry, sleazy, fictitious, and fanciful fluff of the world loses its appeal.”

Online Tribalism Threatens Women’s Ministry

“Discipleship requires more than inspiration—it requires confrontation. But because online platforms rely on maintaining consumer goodwill and group cohesion, it’s difficult to offer an alternative perspective without unsettling the tribe—the very tribe on which the entire platform rests.”

Out Of a Dream (Sandy Cove Series Book 1) by Rosemary Hines

This was such a good series. Yes, I read all 8 books this month. I was really sick for several days and laid in bed and just read. It would have been amazing had I not been sick. This series weaves a the story of a family over the years and the stories transition smoothly from one book to the next. The characters were relatable and felt like good friends by the end of the first book. These novels deal with issues such as the prevalence of New Age beliefs and practices in today’s society, the tragedy of suicide in families of all walks of life, the struggles of children from broken homes, the heartache of infertility as well as unwanted pregnancies and abortions, and the difficulties of aging. And if you have Kindle Unlimited read can read them for free!

Dark Power Collection (Forbidden Doors) by Bill Myers

I had read this series when I was in junior high and thought I had saved the books. Unfortunately, I think they were lost in one of our moves and I really wanted to read them again. I was surprised to find that the author had combined several of these stories into different collections under the Forbidden Doors title. These books freaked me out in a good way when I was younger and really educated me on the occult, witchcraft, reincarnation, ouija boards, and shamanism. I am constantly thinking ahead to when our kids become older and how Josh and I can have ways to start more in depth conversations and to continue our children to think about these topics from a Biblical worldview. If you have later elementary school or middle school aged children these are faced paced, short novels, that are entertaining and educational at the same time.

The Forgotten Trinity by James White

This is a short and easy to understand theological book on the topic of the Trinity. I learned so much reading this book and it made me dig into my Bible deeper. Which is always a good thing. I gained new insights on scripture, learned about the early church, and have more love for God’s truth. Worth the read!