books – Page 2 – Laurel Luehmann

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

July memories – 2025 (and preorder announcement!!)

August 18, 2025August 16, 2025by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Hello, friends!✨

Man, July was a month for the books! And speaking of books…

Beauty Even Here is now available for preorder!!!

Scurry on over to Amazon if you’d like to order a copy. I am SO excited to finally share this book with you!!✨

Claim your copy here!!

Anyway. On to the regular content…

O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
psalm 89:8-9

Things worth remembering…

coffee and crocheting with my mom
dabbling in songwriting again
watching fireworks from my brother’s pickup
not completely missing my cousin’s bridal shower due to traffic…🫠
completing my twenty-third trip around the sun
enjoying the malt wagon and the county fair with siblings
TRAILER RACES
book club with sisters and friends
lotsss of music practice
playing country music over a football game (SO much more fun than listening to the announcer, hehe!)
my cousin’s wedding🥹🫶🏼
Getting ARCs of Beauty Even Here sent out (!!!)
riding a school bus for the very first time in my life (#homeschooled)
An Anne Wilson concert with my sister😍

Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
1 Peter 4:9

What I’ve been reading…

The Words We Lost – Nicole Deese

I’m not a fan of the romance genre, but I did so enjoy reading through this book with a book club!! Nicole Deese’s characters and prose were absolutely delightful…and the conversations and elephant pits that sprang up around it were certainly a highlight of the summer.

And honestly, that’s about all…there was so much life this July, I didn’t read too much. XD

Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
Psalm 34:9-10

From the journal…

May we be utterly surrendered to You and Your leading. Let our brokenness gentle us to hear Your voice and to joyfully heed.

I know that in making a way, You must clear out a good deal of brush…make our hearts and lives surrendered to Your purpose-filled demolition so You may build beauty here.

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on;
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene,
One step enough for me.
John Henry Newman

❤ Laurel

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

June memories – 2025

July 9, 2025by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Hello, friends!✨

As per usual with my writing this year, I’m a bit later in getting this out, but…here it is. This June was a joy to revisit.🫶🏼

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take my self and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Frances Ridley Havergal

Things worth remembering…

the bonfire that was carried across the yard
misty mornings and open windows
the first of the white clover blossoms
kayaking
raspberry jam from the farmers’ market
the Nerf gun wars
going to a favorite overlook with the youngest sisters
this liturgy🥺🫶🏼
learning that you shouldn’t attempt egg drop soup if the broth isn’t simmering
raccoon prints on my door🤔
a movie night with my mom
Beauty Even Here’s cover reveal
leading worship with a sound system again
more bonfire shenanigans
a successful trip to the guitar shop
blackberry lemonade

My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
Psalm 62:5

What I’ve been reading…

A New Song – Jan Karon

Back to good old Mitford! This series is a comfort read for me.

The Words We Lost – Nicole Deese

One of my dear friends started a book club, and we’re reading through this one! I’ve really been enjoying this reread…Nicole Deese has such a lovely way of wording things.

Without a Trace – Colleen Coble

I found the plot intriguing and some of the characters endearing…the writing itself not so much.

The Gray Poet – Caitlin Miller

This is a short story, and Caitlin doesn’t waste a single word. This was a beautifully written and powerful read…plus it’s free for her newsletter subscribers!

The secret of joy is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.
Elisabeth Elliot

From the journal…

I think of how I have come to recognize the voices of singers…by repeated listening. May I repeatedly listen to and choose Your song, O Lord!

Don’t let me despise the small, weighty quietness of this season.

Deepen my trust in and remembrance of Your goodness and mercy, for they do pursue me each and every day of my life. I have exchanged vows with You that extend infinitely beyond the veil of death, and have covenanted with the God-Man whose Word has never returned void.

My deepest vocation is to be a witness to the glimpses of God I have been allowed to catch.
Henri Nouwen

What made your June memorable?

❤ Laurel

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

May memories – 2025

June 2, 2025by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Let your care and wish be to glorify God by your life here as long as He pleases, even though it be in the midst of toil, and conflict, and suffering, and leave Him to say when “it is enough”.
charles spurgeon

Things worth remembering…

finding rue anemone in the woods
a small road trip with my mom
COUSIN TIME!!!
guacamole
blossoms on the tree in the front yard
Reading Poppleton and Alfie with the aforementioned cousin
a random child at the lake sitting down next to me while I was reading
printing off a copy of Beauty Even Here for edits (!!!)
experiencing the temporary tattoo parlor that popped up around the dining room table one night
finding a solution for my lack of bookshelves problem…three cheers for double decker coffee tables!
watching Mrs. Miniver with Grandma and finding that it’s a new favorite
noodle soup and FaceTime with a dear friend
High, Low, No Goat
the first cutting of hay this year
an Anne of Green Gables movie night with friends
RASPBERRY CORDIAL ❤
hiking and good conversation

Now through a frosted pane we trace
The outline of His perfect will,
Content to trust His love until
We know and see Him face to face.
Amy carmichael

What I’ve been reading…

If I Live – Terri Blackstock

This was the final book in the If I Run Christian mystery and suspense trilogy. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first two…it got into the mind of one of the villains while he was doing his bad things and that’s something I personally don’t care for. I was grateful for resolution at last, though!!😅

Disclaimer: due to thematic elements, I personally will not recommend this series to anyone younger than 18.

The Lost Rose – Victoria Lynn

I got a hundred pages in (it’s ginormous!!) and it just wasn’t clicking with me yet so I set it down. I definitely want to come back to this one of these days because I’ve enjoyed the previous two books in The Chronicles of Elira, but I guess that day is not today!

The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Still on my end table, hehe!

Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly: How Ordinary People Can Change the World – Savannah Jane McCrary

I did a book swap with Savannah, and her book has been my tractor companion recently!

you only live twice – Hosanna Emily

Still reading through this one!

Dead and Buried – Cydnie Trenholm

Ahhh!!! I’m so glad I’m finally into this book. It’s a YA thriller, and a sequel to a book I really enjoyed. The banter is so. much. fun.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD,
Like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.
Proverbs 21:1

From the journal…

My life is not my own. It rests in the hands of my omniscient, omnipotent Father, who loves me so deeply, more deeply than I can be loved by anyone else. Therefore I don’t have to wonder if there is meaning or intention in where He has me now. I don’t need to fear that I’ve somehow missed an exit or an on ramp. I am not overlooked or crowded out by other items on His to-do list.

May I pursue You as You pursue me, day after day after day, filled with Your goodness, lost in Your love.

I thank You that Your goodness and Your mercy are truly running after me every day of my life…even on the ones when I feel that I’ve botched it.

O royal Giver, blessed be Thy choice.
Amy carmichael

What made your May memorable?

❤ Laurel

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

April memories – 2025

May 5, 2025by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Our own humour and appetite must not determine our practice, but the honour of God and the good and edification of the church. We should not so much consult our own pleasure and interest as the advancement of the kingdom of God among men.
Matthew henry

Things worth remembering…

my sister’s cinnamon rolls…AHHH!
announcing my next poetry collection
writing a bit more poetry
a race with my sisters
thrifting with sisters
playing Sorry with sisters
basically any time spent with sisters…XD
leading worship with a dear friend again
the firecrackers my brother set off outside my window
working in the woods with the aforementioned brother
the Christian Seder meal shared with family
listening to this album on the drive home from a Good Friday Service
Easter morning at home with the traditional Easter morning songs
walks and hikes and chats with friends
watching the world green up again
for some reason having a coffin recommended on Facebook Marketplace??
the smell of freshly-worked earth

Happy are they who know that discipleship simply means the life which springs from grace, and that grace simply means discipleship.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What I’ve been reading…

If I Run – Terri Blackstock

I listened to this one in two days during work. XD I hadn’t read a thriller/suspense novel in a while, and this was a fun one to get me back into that genre. You can read my full review here!

Disclaimer: due to thematic elements, I personally will not recommend this series to anyone younger than 18.

If I’m Found – Terri Blackstock

Of course I had to listen to the sequel…

The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Still reading through this one very slowly and sporadically, heh!

The Boys in the Boat – Daniel James Brown

I’ve come back to reading this one and am almost done!! It’s gotten me so interested in rowing that I’ve looked up videos of Olympic regattas on YouTube. XD

you only live twice – Hosanna Emily

One of my dear friends released an Easter-y poetry collection this April!! I’ve been enjoying reading through it…I love both her imagery and her heart for Jesus!

and the waiting will be remembered as
a very little while.
hosanna emily

From the journal…

Lord…You know what must be done, and You are never short on time.

I was struck yesterday by the poetry in John’s gospel of Jesus drinking sour wine before declaring “It is finished.” He drank to the dregs the cup from which He had begged to be delivered. Thank You, thank You, my precious Jesus. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

Oh, Father! May it be enough for me to be held in Your hand, smack-dab in the middle of Your will.

…the demand and the gift of Christ.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

March memories – 2025

March 31, 2025by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Happy Monday, friends! And happy last day of March! It’s hard for me to believe that we’re already one-fourth of the way into 2025…I think my concept of time needs some help. XD

Anyway! Here’s a recap of this month. I always love putting these together and remembering the random wonderful (and wild!) moments that may have slipped my mind. I hope you can enjoy it a bit, too!

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
job 9:4a

Things worth remembering…

random FaceTime messages from my brothers
tapping season and time in the woods with siblings
quite literally spilling the tea with a dear friend
working on poetry things behind the scenes
the magic of fresh flowers in bringing homeyness to a new space
culinary adventures, in which chicken cooks faster than anticipated…numerous times
reading Bonhoeffer while babysitting the boiling sap
late night ice cream and chats with sisters
watching the grass begin to green up
setting a reading goal for myself at last and meeting it
sharing one of my favorite poems from Clarion Hope in video form
community.🫶🏼
spaghetti and a steer chases with sisters
sitting on the floor with my journal and a guitar

Lord, I would not be a citizen where Jesus was an alien.
Charles Spurgeon

What I’ve been reading…

The Colors of Rain – Abigail Hayven

I read this book last summer, but reread it this month, marking it up with colored pencils to gift to a sister. It was so much fun to read it again, not just to enjoy the story but to savor the beauty of the prose and the nuances of the characters’ personalities. I highly recommend…again!

My Dearest Dietrich – Amanda Barratt

I listened to the audiobook, and shocked myself by giving it five stars. XD (If you’ve been around for a bit, you know I don’t usually enjoy romances.) I appreciated the historical richness of this book and the glimpse of the moral difficulties that were faced by German Christians during WWII, and the courage with which the Bonhoeffers met them. And Dietrich’s intolerance of misunderstanding?? It delighted my soul.

The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Yes, the audiobook inspired me. I’m only on the first chapter…it’s so rich!

Little House in the Big Woods – Laura Ingalls Wilder

I’ve started crocheting and listening to audiobooks most evenings, and I’m working through the Little House series. It was such a delight to revisit this book! It’s interesting to listen to it now, being closer to Ma and Pa’s ages, and seeing it with new (or older? Ha!) eyes. It really makes me remember just how much the ordinary moments and rhythms of life mean to young children.

I know whate’er befall me
Jesus doeth all things well.
fanny Crosby

From the journal…

Jesus, I leave regrets in the Hands that work outside of time…

Nothing is too hard for the Lord…if He wants something mended or fulfilled in this moment, He will make it happen. But there has never been a circumstance in my life in which He can only sigh and say, “That’s really too bad.”

Awaken in the hearts of Your people a remembrance of the glory of Who You are. Break us out of the ruts of our self-importance…

Open eyes! Heal breaking hearts. Show us a way out of this brokenness, and show us You in the midst of it.

Is not God enough for thy need, or is His all-sufficiency too narrow for thy wants? Dost thou want another eye beside that of Him who sees every secret thing? Is His heart faint? Is His arm weary? If so, seek another God; but if He be infinite, omnipotent, faithful, true, and all-wise, why gaddest thou abroad so much to seek another confidence?
charles spurgeon

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

P.S. If you’re newer here, here’s a reminder to sign up for my weekly newsletter! That’s where I share the majority of what I used to share on the blog…plus this week’s newsletter *may* have an announcement…👀 You can join the newsletter gang here! (You get a free short story, too.🤭)

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

February memories – 2025

March 3, 2025by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Four short and everlasting weeks later…

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.
c.s. lewis

Things worth remembering…

fake snake shenanigans
having an all-sisters outing to a favorite coffee shop
finding that the instant camera I dug out of a thrift store actually works (!!!)
skating past bloody ice 👀
getting a dear friend‘s poetry book in the mail
getting to use a new skid loader for work
being pleasantly surprised by a successful attempt at adapting a cheesecake recipe
finding out that Amazon had significantly marked down Clarion Hope (!!!)
writing strange typewriter haikus about my siblings
surviving The Coldest Day
finding that the combination of gravy, pasta shells, and mozzarella cheese tastes way better than it looks
a weekend near Duluth with friends…so very good for the soul🫶🏼
creating the Play-Doh Red Sea crossing
seeing Lake Superior for the first time
all of the memories made on the road…and on the side of the road…and in the ditch…
the world smelling like spring again
picking up crocheting again
time in the woods

We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven.
Charles Spurgeon

What I’ve been reading…

Three Men in a Boat – Jerome K. Jerome

To be honest, I didn’t read much this month. But I did start reading this book, and the humor is so much fun!

In the Shadow of a Sunbeam – Rachel Rowbottom

I have mixed feelings about this book. I did break them down a bit in my Goodreads review, though, so you can check that out if you’d like.

What We Hide – Colleen Coble, Rick Acker

THE EPILOGUE, PEOPLES!!!

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this story, but I was really disappointed with how the issue of divorce was handled so flippantly by a Christian couple. The “do I love him, do I not, should I divorce him, should I not,” was littered with Scripture references, and that really saddened me. I know that approach isn’t unrealistic in the least, but I would have appreciated a wiser character being able to bring some clarity to the situation and to the reader. Please and thank you.

(I did get invested in Hez’s story, though, and the epilogue got me, so I may give the sequel a listen when it comes out…)

He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
psalm 107:9

From the journal…

The Fall came because Eve was not satisfied with the abundance God had allowed her. Oh, Jesus, let me not fall into the same trap of believing that my ways are better!

It is a gift to suffer and long deeply on this earth, for in doing so we are given a clearer picture of the brokenness of this world and our sinful nature, and our desire for our Redeemer and Savior is strengthened in a way that those who know little trial can only dream of. Thank You for this opportunity, Lord, to know just how deep Your love for me runs.

Let me expect my daily sustenance from You and You alone so that I may be able to love deeply and truly with no conditions.

What’s the best that could happen?
Many people, I’m sure, but one of my dearest friends in Particular 🙂

Ah, February…the month in which joy and struggle love to coexist.:) What thoughts/memories are you taking away from this past month?

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

January memories – 2025

February 3, 2025by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

Hello, friends! It’s the first post of the year!!!

I know it’s been a bit quieter on the blog these days, but it’s been with intention! While life off the page was very exciting this month, I’ve been intentionally shifting away from the blog to focus on building a consistent and meaningful newsletter. You can sign up for that here if you’d like to keep reading new things that aren’t just monthly updates! XD

Anyway. Let’s get to the fun stuff.

How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it.
G.K. Chesterton

Things worth remembering…

New Year’s Day tractor adventures
God giving back the opportunity to lead worship regularly
a friend’s poetry speaking directly to my heart
enjoying my first latte with actual latte art!
attempting to be a responsible plant mother
my first time being an Urgent Care escort
HIKING!!!
glorious sunrises
a cutthroat game of Monopoly (I did not win)
a video chat with a dear friend
surviving the brutal cold snap
discovering Pride and Prejudice read in a southern accent
lots of quality time with my grandma
flying through the hay field in my car
encouragement from friends
ice skating for the first (official) time
fake snake adventures

I want to be free of self-pity. It is a tool of Satan to rot away a life. I am sure that this is the perfect will of God.
Barbara Youderian

What I’ve been reading…

Out to Canaan – Jan Karon

The fourth book in The Mitford Years…another gem. These books are just so good for the days when I need a cozy read that is heartwarming and entertaining…and not too hard to follow!

Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer

I’ve decided to stop being such a reading purist and start claiming audiobooks I’ve listened through as “read” in these recaps. XD This one, however, I would probably have absorbed better if I’d actually read it. It was a fascinating story! Krakauer is a gifted writer, and I appreciated his vulnerability and humility in sharing about such a difficult experience. However, I don’t recommend it for younger readers because of consistent language throughout (ugh) and a bit of content.

What Is a Healthy Church? – Mark Dever

Man, this has been such a good and convicting read.

A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

Home, sweet home…I love Dickens’ work, and this is my favorite of his. So far! Rereading it this month has been a blast…I’m catching all the foreshadowing and appreciating it for the first time as someone who’s already familiar with the entire story. In a way, it’s better the second time around!

In the Shadow of a Sunbeam – Rachel Rowbottom

I was blessed with an ARC of this book! It comes out in February, and I’ll be sharing my review when it releases. Meanwhile you can follow Rachel’s literary adventures through her Linktree!

What We Hide – Colleen Coble, Rick Acker

I ran out of audiobook hours in the middle of this one! To be honest I’m really frustrated by one of the main characters, but I’m intrigued by the mystery and have to know what’s going on. So back to this one I go! (When Spotify renews my audiobook hours. XD)

If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.
Exodus 33:15

From the journal…

Again God will be the same merciful God I have known and loved, and at the end of this year He will still be worthy of my soul, my life, my all.

I trust You, Father, even with my blunders.

Oh, the power of the Resurrection!! Among so many other things, it gives us the power to live self-controlled, to happily trust broken lives to the God Who makes all things new.

oh, wondering soul, time is a measurement of hope
as for a wedding day.
Hosanna Emily

How was your January, friends?

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

Uncategorized

December memories – 2024

January 6, 2025by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Goodness sakes…the last blog post of the year!

To hope is to wait with your heart intertwined, knotted up, tied to God Himself.
To be a people of hope is to let go of hoping in all the things of this world, and have all your hope, all your heart, all your aching, waiting expectations, bound to Jesus.
Ann Voskamp

Things worth remembering…

Building a book tree with a sister
Studying Malachi
Seeing Sidewalk Prophets in concert at last!!
The drive home with sad songs and 40 ounces of Nighty Night Extra
Chik-fil-a, Barnes & Noble, and the guitar shop
Christmas lights!!
Finishing my short story and getting it out to my newsletter gang
Honest, tearful conversations
My sisters’ Christmas program
Hot cocoa and gift wrapping
Savoring the white Christmas while it lasted
Singing in five-part harmony around the bonfire
Walks on soggy gravel roads when the snow melted
Jigging with the youngest sisters
A misty moisty morning
Several outrageous rounds of Who What When Where Why

That was hope. Not a violent jolt or reawakening,
But the constancy of living as though each moment was worth it,
Rising up under pain because by the power of the living God it will not end us –
It will not end us; it will not end here.
Hannah Hodgson

What I’ve been reading…

The Boys in the Boat – Daniel James Brown

It’s taking me awhile to finish this one, but it’s brilliantly written! I’m just easing into non-fiction again. XD

The Greatest Gift – Ann Voskamp

I didn’t end up reading this one all the way through like I did last year, as I was reading another Advent book (see below).

Advent: a collection – Hannah Hodgson

If only Hannah’s books were available for purchase all the time…her poetry blesses me so much and I want to share it with the world. If you want to catch a glimpse of her poetry, though, go follow her on Instagram!

A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

Oh, goodness, this book brought me so much joy!

A Thousand Mornings – Mary Oliver

I so wish Mary Oliver had had a better grasp of theology, because if that had been the case this collection would be absolutely flawless. The beauty of her thoughts and way of expressing them is so natural. I adore her poetic style.

A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes…and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.
dietrich bonhoeffer

From the journal…

Oh, Father, help me to catch a vision for something greater than my own life story!

You’re never late, I know.

You have never skimped a single one of your children, Father, and I pray that I would know that deeply, even if Your richness and generosity meet me in this same position of life next year.

Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
Luke 10:21

What are you tucking into your book of memories from this December?

Stay the course!

Laurel

P.S. My short story, Grace Werner’s Perfectly Imperfect Christmas, is available to you for FREE when you sign up for my weekly newsletter! You can do that here. ❤

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

reading, Short Stories, writing updates

I’m releasing a short story!

December 12, 2024December 12, 2024by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Hello, friends!

I’ve been quieter on the blog lately because I’ve been working to pour more into my (mostly)weekly newsletter. I’m so grateful for my newsletter gang, and this Christmas that group gets a special gift: a short story with all of the cozy, nostalgic Christmas-y feels.

All Grace wants is to make Christmas 2001 absolutely perfect for her family. Is that too much for a seven-year-old to ask? But she can’t wrap gifts as well as her mother, or decorate cookies that look as nice as Grandma’s, and to top it all off the sky won’t yield even a single snowflake! Her dreams for a perfect Christmas seem to be crumbling as fast as her sugar cookies, but could it be that there’s more to a perfect Christmas than perfection?

This Christmas, join Grace and her family in their blustery corner of the Midwest for a chuckle-inducing adventure that will warm your heart and possibly leave you craving a plate of sugar cookies.

I didn’t think one could get so excited about such a simple story, but here I am, proving myself wrong. XD I adore these characters (borrowed from the novel I’m prepping from publication), and seeing them in a Christmas setting and through the eyes of a seven-year-old has been such a delight. I don’t think you want to miss it.:)

You can also add it on Goodreads here.

I hope you’re having a wonderful December! ❤

-Laurel

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal

June memories – 2024

July 1, 2024July 8, 2024by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

This June was sunshine and thunderstorms and wildflowers and good books.✨

And mosquitoes. Lots of mosquitoes.

When he bares his teeth,
Winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane,
We shall have spring again.
C.S. Lewis

Things worth remembering

the start of the local farmers market
flower shopping with a brother
kayaking with the same brother in the rain
wandering through a newly-discovered cemetery
savoring slow mornings on vacation
reading on the dock
sand volleyball and Crossnet
Facetiming a dear friend
hayrides with cousins
wild costumes and Uno in the rain
late night cousin chats
scrounging wildflowers from the ditches

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works…”
Revelation 2:4-5a

What I’ve been reading

Morning and Evening – Charles Spurgeon

Jesus says, “take freely.” He wants no payment or preparation. He seeks no recommendation from our virtuous emotions.

I think this is the best daily devotional I’ve had yet. ❤

A Light in the Window – Jan Karon

“What don’t you love?” he asked, looking at her intently.

She gazed back at him. “Oh, soggy mittens, chocolate without nuts, a man who can’t find it in himself to hold your hand when it’s sticking right out there in plain view.”

He took her hand that was resting on the table. “What else?” he said.

I finished this one on our family vacation, and it was a delight. I’m so glad there are so many more books set in Mitford!

The Colors of Rain – Abigail Hayven

Her life was pretty normal, but normal through rose-colored glasses. Normal with abstract colors thrown in. Normal in an intentionally romanticized way.

This book is a masterpiece. Both the pacing and narration are absolutely brilliant, and Rain is one of those characters who deserves to go down in literary history with the likes of Anne Shirley and Jo March.

Holy Hygge – Jamie Erickson

When you’re brave enough to show your scars to others, you declare that both your celebrations and your sufferings belong to the Lord. In doing so, you steward them both well.

Yes, I’m STILL reading this book! XD It’s still good.

(I’ve also been beta reading a short story that will be published in this anthology!)

LORD, my heart is not haughty,
nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.
Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with his mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
psalm 131:1-2

From the journal

It is His strength within me. His love. His heart. His mind.

It was glorious this evening, and beauty is pulsing stronger on the horizon. God, You are so good to carry Your weak ones and give them hope’s whispers in unexpected places.

Let me not long for the cup You have not given.

What stood out to you from this June?

Oh! Just a note…I’ll be sending out a newsletter with some writing updates in a week or so here that you might not want to miss. You can click here to join my mailing list if you haven’t yet.

Stay the course!✨

❤ Laurel

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)