Adventures in Reading: REST

Rest
by: Keri Wyatt Kent
Reviewed by Jeannie S.

When Rest arrived in my mailbox, it was with some discipline that I refrained from delving into the pages, simply taking a peek to see the layout & chapter titles had to suffice. I completed reading the final pages of a book in one night & eagerly jumped into this book the next day.

My eagerness in part was due to previous experiences with this author. Although, I have never met her outside of books & email, I have a sense of camaraderie. This is the 5th book that I have read that was written by Keri Wyatt Kent - I have recommended her writings extensively & lead small group studies using 3 of the books with a dear group of women. They have helped to shift my relationship with Jesus increasingly toward relationship & away from religion. While I have found her writing style easy to follow & *do-able* as a mom of young children, I have also found that it challenges me to grow & change, as a daughter of Christ, wife, mother & leader. So starting to read this new book was a bit like sitting down with an old friend that I haven*t seen in a while & jumping into conversation where we left off a year ago when we were last together.
In the book Keri invites us to place Sabbath practices into life, not just on one day set aside for Sabbath, but throughout each day. Upon recently re-entering the work force outside my home, I have found the suggestions helpful getting through my most intense days of work.

I am eager to delve into this book with a small group of women. Keri Wyatt Kent*s style is one that has been very readable even for moms who proclaim that they are *not a reader*.
What I found most striking about this book though is that it is written to a broader audience than primarily mothers in the earliest of this authors books that I have read. My husband has enjoyed portions of it & would no doubt benefit from reading it in it*s entirety.

I would recommend this book to all individuals interested in being challenged to consider & broaden their Sabbath practices - female or male, single or married - Enjoy this inviting conversation.

ADVENTURES IN READING-Book Review!

Date Night in a Minivan
Revving up your Marriage after Kids Arrive
by Lorilee Cracker

Review written by: Nancy M.

I got this GREAT book from the MOPShop and wanted to share it with all of you fellow mommies... I have to say honestly, I have taken the time to read a lot of books lately, even really good ones. Keeping busy with the older kids and a toddler, plus trying to keep up with family adventures, camping, cooking and cleaning the house (What? Did I clean this summer, not sure you can tell??) ... I didn't have a lot of time for reading. Then this book came in the mail. The cover makes it look like it would be a book I could relate too... I peeked inside at a couple of pages... hmmm... in less than 1 minute I was LOL (laughing out loud)...

Here is part of the reason I kept reading...

"Me and my man just haven't been getting along like we were before we added our darling third child into the Cracker clan... one issue had cropped up since Baby 3... an exacerbated case of the ol' Time-Off Tug-O-War. With new and intense demands on our time, both of us were pulling our ends of the rope for a pocket of freedom. Don't get me wrong: were were gaga over our baby girl, and pretty crazy about her big brothers too. But with her arrival came new challenges to our relationship."

"I read once that with each child added to a family there's that much more stress between the parents, and that much more distance to cross to being close again. I believe it." (me too!) "What's stressful about raising those darling little cherubs we love and adore? Well, for starters, how about the never-ending labor it takes just to keep an active, just walking turbo tot unscathed and germ free?" (Does she know LIV too??!!) "Often at the end of a day filled with basic child preservation, like most moms I need a break in the worst way. Unfortunately, on such days my husband will end up having an equally harried day at work, and he needs a break too. Harassed, strung out, and stick-a-fork-in-me-I'm-done DONE, we are not our best selves when we greet each other at 5:30 p.m. On such a crazy day we can be worn out, unhinged and just trying to keep all the important balls in the air, at least until bedtime. Yet the kids still need to be fed, bathed and generally nurtured, so guess where our marriage relationship ranks on the totem pole of life? Low people.... LOW."

"We need to figure out ways to rise above the mayhem that comes with family life and still care for each other, and cultivate stronger ties to get us through the crazy times. Don't even get me started about romance! Though our baby is adopted (ie: no physical recovery) we still are surprisingly tired, irritated and disconnected, not exactly the poster couple for parenthood and passion that we had hoped... Clearly we need to get it goin' again. Do other couples with little ones face the same sticky wickets? I talked to my MOPS friends... everyone chimed in, kvetching about the difficulty in maintaining warm friendships with one's man..."

"Mom and Dad CAN get it goin' again. You and your main man can rev up your marriage, along with that beautiful minivan, and recapture some of that pre-kid dating buzz. Put your key in the ignition, my friend, and together we'll figure out how."