Book Review: Launch Out into the Deep

I discovered Sarah Trent on Facebook. She interacts with scripture passages and provides inspiration and encouragement to those of us struggling in deep waters. The pace of her poetic offerings amazes me. She has a photography business and raises 3 children on their family farm. So many of her posts resonate deep within me and I've shared a few of her posts to my Facebook wall. As young as she is, she is clearly no stranger to suffering, yet relies on God to get through everything.

Launch Out into the Deep is a 31-day devotional. Each entry is followed by reflective questions to consider. I wanted to enter her contest to win a paperback copy of this book, so I purchased the ebook, read it in 3 installments, and left a review. [Side note: I have been frustrated by Amazon's review policies. Up until this point, I believed I could only leave reviews on my ebook purchases. Amazon requires a certain purchase amount to leave reviews, but always offered a review form at the completion of ebooks I read on my Kindle app. I would love to support authors I appreciate but my husband does not like me using his Prime account to leave my reviews. I rarely purchase from my Amazon account because he has Prime. Now, I discover that even those ebook reviews I thought I was leaving are not airing as expected because I have not met the purchase requirement. Frustrating!] 

I plan to revisit this book, reading through the devotions one day at a time next month. It is so good, it needs to be savored. Plus, I did not take time to ponder or write answers to the questions posed at the end of each entry. However, here are some snippets I gleaned to share:

- "In a world that tries to define you by your failures, your status, or your scars - Jesus defines you by your Father."

- "When I'm too tired to hold on, You don't shame me - You hold me."

- "He does not ask me to explain what aches beyond language. He knows."

- "Sometimes, the miracle isn't in the multiplying. Sometimes, it's in the offering."

Sarah has a beautiful way with words. Each sentence reverberates in my soul. She articulates what many of us feel but cannot adequately express. Her pieces are rich with biblical foundation and spiritual insight. I will continue to follow this author on Facebook and in her books.

* Yay, I won the contest! Sarah sent a copy of this devotional to me. I was able to send it as a gift to my dear friend, Lisa, who is struggling in very deep waters. How I pray it ministered healing to her weary soul!

Author Spotlight: Kyle L. White

Many moons ago, when we lived in DeKalb, Illinois, we attended the Evangelical-Free Church. I will never forget one memorable service when the then-youth pastor, Kyle L. White, delivered the sermon after witnessing the birth of his firstborn that morning. We were new parents as well, and ripe for his reflections. I have long wished for a transcript of that sermon. It was profound, and delivered with awe and reverence.

A few years later, I started a small writer's group at the church. I needed accountability to complete my Institute of Children's Literature course. I had hit an impasse in my final assignment of 3 chapters of a novel. Thus, began a wonderful stint of cameraderie and encouragement in the best writing group I've attended. We shared our work monthly, and even joined up to attend the annual Write-to-Publish Conference in nearby Wheaton, IL. Oh, the laughter during those hour-long commutes to the conference! Meeting Kyle through his sermons was impressive. But discovering his writing was equally so.

Kyle is an author/illustrator/storyteller. I think of him as a modern contemplative writer. His literary and artistic works have been published by Prism Magazine, Zondervan Publishing, Windy City Sports, and Door Peninsula Voice. He has written eight books, some of which include: Wisconsin River of Grace (2009), Neighbor As Yourself (2016), Haiti! Up! (2018), Bear. With Me {A Field Journal} (2019), and Freezing, Thawing: New & Revised Stories From the Midwest (2020). 

Several of these are available through his Amazon author page. He served as the 2022 Artist-in-Residence at the Sycamore Public Library and has had his books featured on Northern Public Radio. When not drawing or writing, he actively presents workshops on art, writing, and storytelling. Kyle graciously agreed to answer my questions to highlight his writings on my blog.

Q1: I scribbled stories as a young child and wrote poetry in my teens. Yet, I didn't really consider myself a writer until I completed my first National Novel Writing Month 50,000 word challenge. When did you first think of yourself as a writer?

Kyle: I think I’ve always thought of myself as a “creative”, since I was a kid. I don’t know if we still use “creative” as a noun. But writer, specifically? In junior high and high school I experienced the most academic success and encouragement in the areas of writing and journalism, so I think I must have identified as a “writer” to some degree. But, post-college, writing became a guilty pleasure or hobby. When I found myself underemployed in the early 2000s, tho’, I started freelance illustrating and writing–it’s then that I felt like a “writer”. But also at that very same time, the two of us became part of that writers’ group at our church. Thank you, because that community and rhythm did the most to restore or establish my identity as a writer. Because of that group I found more of my voice, began writing the things that were unique to me, started publishing essays, and then from those I published my first book. I wonder if your identity, Wendy, as a writer, was helped along at all by being involved in the NaNoWriMo community, and not only the completion of the task… ?

Q2: I'm sure you're right, Kyle, although there wasn't as much community in that as in our group. I never really had others cheering me on from the sidelines. Even my kids often teased about all that effort just to secure a Nanowrimo certificate. But, I think that was when I began leaning more into novel-writing (writing Christian YA at the start, a tough sell). And I felt I really was accomplishing something significant. For years, that was my chosen focus, until it shifted more toward non-fiction. What kind of writing do you prefer?

Kyle: I used to write these longer essays, to kind of justify my existence: how much “clever” can I pack in here? But when I began reading my writing in front of audiences, I got tired of hearing myself talk! So, I began simplifying and reducing. Like shifting from sermons to homilies. It felt more conversational with, and kind to, audiences. Short, humorous, reflective pieces, typically. I’m motivated by writers like E.B. White (his editorials), Louis Jenkins (prose poems), and Frederick Buechner (his creative non-fiction, in particular). I also pretend to write poetry once in a while. I want to leave space on the page for the reader to think.

Q3: Your writing has universality and depth. I'm impressed with how you take something that has inherent humor and then, suddenly, that humor drives a deep, spiritual insight. It is as if you think in metaphor. For example, in your book, Neighbor As Yourself, you have a piece about catching and releasing a fish. On the surface, it seems to be a sketch about the challenge of removing a hook from a large, shaking bass. Yet, eventually, the reader is contemplating emotional wounds and Christ's finger both poking and healing them. Do you keep a notebook of images and develop the metaphors later, or are you capturing both the insignificant and the significant simultaneously while it is happening? Tell us a bit about your writing process.

Kyle: Your questions are beautifully written and so encouraging–they make me want to finish some projects! As a kid, some of my earliest memories are of being in bed at night, looking out the window and wondering what’s behind that curtain of stars? I do feel as tho’ I’m always looking through a thing to the bigger story on the other side of it. Maybe that’s every writer? Louis Jenkins, one of my favorite poets, has this piece about retiring from his poetry business. In the closing line he says, maybe he’ll: “Take up golf. Spend more time with the family. Maybe I’ll just walk around and look at things with absolutely no compulsion to say anything at all about them.” I love it. My writing process is sporadic, but I am consistent with keeping a net out for metaphor. A sketchbook, or notebook, being my net. Most every day, in my notebook, I’m playing with some drawing, or bit of words.

Q4: I'm a big fan of your essay, "Circus World Museum," as it emphasizes the role of the church in this sin-sick world. It is one of my favorites. But then, I also love the lighthearted "To Whom it May Concern" (a job recommendation for Autumn) and "Funeral for Summer." There's also the "Quotidian Meeting of Insomnia Committee." Do you have any favorites from your writings?

Kyle: Thank you. I haven’t read those for awhile and I need to go back and take a look. One piece of mine that I am consistently satisfied with, and that I like reading to audiences, is “Wendell Planted a Tree for Me.” It’s from Freezing, Thawing: New & Revised Stories from the Midwest (2020). I like it ‘cause it has the elements that I’m most always digging for in my pieces: humor, community, mortality, God. There’s also a piece called “Geeses” from my upcoming book. It surprised me the way it came out fully formed, like it had been brewing underneath.

Q5: I'm always curious about the preliminaries various writers prefer. Like Dickens, I walk before I sit down to work on a novel. It prompts the creative juices and allows time to simmer in ideas and characters. However, I haven't worked on a novel in a long time, and the weather tends to foil my outdoor walking. Do you have specific locations for writing or tools of the trade? Do you begin each session with walking or with prayer?

Kyle: Yes, walking is thinking and that leads to writing for me. Any time I am afforded space to think–vacations, solo road trips, morning coffee–that leads to writing. Being in Wisconsin, my homeland, inspires me to write. I don’t necessarily pray before writing– I would say that the act of writing is prayer in my experience.

Q6: I love that! Yes, oftentimes writing is prayer. Several of your essays focus on writing. I'm thinking of "Hunting for Words" (an apt comparison), "The Muse," and "Postcards from the Edge of the Bluff." In that last essay, you say, "Why write? To love and to be loved. I write because 'I wish you were here.' The 'here' being inside my head. A scary thought? But my writing self is probably my truest self. I write to know and to be known. I write to send a postcard." Have you ever wanted to abandon writing or have you ever experienced a dry spell that lingered? What would be your recommendation for a writer in that liminal space, when the muse is silent and showing up is hard?

Kyle: Thoughts of abandonment come more when I’m trying to figure out how to reach a larger audience with my creative work. It’s such a social media game and can leave lots of artists lamenting, “What’s the point?” But in terms of writer’s block, the problem is more my inconsistency in taking time for writing. When I do need inspiration, walking helps to jog things loose, like you mentioned. And reading poetry–Louis Jenkins, Wendell Berry, Billy Collins–makes me want to play with words. Joni Mitchell, supposedly said: “Unlike some of my peers, I haven’t really hit a writer’s block. When I hit a block I just paint, which is an old crop rotation trick.” Sketching and drawing help stir up my writing, too.

Q7: Yes, you are not only a writer, but also an illustrator. I have one of your lovely prints on my wall to remind me to press on in my writing goals, stewarding whatever gifts God has given. That print, and other unique, contemplative art prints can be purchased from your art website (link here). What is your favorite thing about the intersection of your writing and your art? Do you sketch daily, or when you have something in mind? 

Kyle: All of my creative spark started with comics. Then, in high school and college, I was the schools’ newspaper cartoonist. So, my art interests mostly have to do with: How do I marry image with text, in small spaces, in the most meaningful way? I draw daily and think it’s the best way for me to pay attention in the world;  I often facilitate classes on “sketchbook as practice,” and on field journaling.

Q8: For the past few years, I've enjoyed receiving your newsletters. You invite interaction. You generate thoughts about creativity and art. If any reader would like to sign up for your newsletter, where can they do so?

Kyle: Thank you! People can find all my points of contact here: https://linktr.ee/kylewhiteink

Q9: What is your favorite method of getting your work out to readers and listeners?

Kyle: Favorite and effective are two different things apparently! The typical routes: Instagram; newsletter; etc. I also do readings on our local NPR station–they have a segment called “Perspectives” where locals can share opinions and thoughts on most-any topic. And I have had “story nights” which are interactive readings. I think those story nights are my favorite and most effective avenues.

Q10: Do you have a work-in-progress right now?

Kyle: I have a new book that released on 4/26/26 called Just Out There Somewhere: Thoughts About Moving On. Thanks for these wonderful questions, Wendy. And thanks for being such an advocate for writers.

If you'd like to sample/listen to one of Kyle's NPR Perspective pieces, you can click here. This humorous 90-second listen is called, "About That Book You Borrowed." I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce others to Kyle White's writing, art, and storytelling. Check out his work. You'll be glad you did! Now, I'm off to request Kyle's new book as a Mother's Day/birthday gift. Then, I'll check to see if Kyle lent me a book I've failed to return. Ha!

Mid-month Mention: Poetry Pharmacy

I'm in LOVE 💖💖💖with this idea and blown away with how cool this is! All photos and information come from a Facebook post I happened upon. Every time I want to abandon ship from Facebook, something like this shows up on my feed. Oh, how I wish I lived in England and could visit this new shop.

A Poetry Pharmacy! What a fabulous idea! If only I could get my prodigal parenting book onto their shelves.

Here's the description from the Facebook post:

At a time when independent bookshops are often framed as vulnerable in the shadow of big chains, the Poetry Pharmacy is attempting to rewrite the script. Opening directly opposite Waterstones on Coney Street in York is a bold move, a statement of confidence in being something entirely different. With its apothecary-style setting, prescriptions of poetry, pill bottles and cabinets of verse, we offer a sense of theatre and ritual that transforms browsing into an experience. Its clear specialism in poetry, words and wellbeing invites readers to engage emotionally as well as intellectually. We hope that, when rooted in care, craft and imagination, this experiment is not a risk but a compelling alternative. We hope you think so too!

Opens March 6th

Here are their accompanying photos:

If you live in England, please visit one of these (the above one is opening in York, but the website indicates there are also shops on Oxford Street in London and in Bishops Castle) and do tell me how wonderful it is. I'd love to hear from someone who experiences this unique shop! Gosh, I'd love to work there... one can dream!

Pamphlet Review: The Hound of Heaven

This was another small pamphlet I re-discovered on my bookshelves. What a gem! What a treasure! With no publication date listed, I searched for information online. Francis Thompson first published this poem, "The Hound of Heaven," in Merry England magazine in 1890. The first edition printed by Burns and Oates came out in 1909. Two new editions were printed in 1910 and 1928. I believe this was a 1910 edition (it says "New Edition" and is dedicated to someone with a date that looks like "Feb. '13"). 

I was struck by this dedication because I had a dear friend in London called David Mitchell. This is obviously not the same and my purchase notation indicates he did not give it to me. Amazing that I spent a total of 50 pence in Edinburgh for this treasure!

If you've never encountered this poem, seek it out now! In telling my husband about this, I learned that he is unfamiliar with this famous poem of God's relentless pursuit. Of course, since I was an English major it is understandable I would know of it, but he would not. I have often prayed that God would pursue my loved ones like the "hound of heaven" He is!

Here are a few famous lines:

"I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears I hid from Him, and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes, I sped; And shot, precipitated, Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears, From those strong Feet that followed, followed after... with unperturbed pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, They beat... (though I knew His love Who followed, Yet was I sore adread Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside.)... A voice comes yet more fleet--'Lo! naught contents thee, who content'st not Me.'... That Voice is round me like a bursting sea:...'all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me! Strange, piteous, futile thing! Wherefore should any set thee love apart?... Of all man's clotted clay the dingiest clot? Alack, thou knowest not How little worthy of any love thou art! Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee, Save Me, save only Me?'"

And the final triumphant lines:

"'Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, I am He Whom thou seekest! Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me.'"

The poem is a masterpiece! Praise God for that relentlessly pursuing God who claims us as His own! Though dingy, piteous, and unworthy of His love, we find our rest in Him when we stop fleeing Him and embrace Him fully.

Onthewing.org offers a pdf of the entire poem with some biographical information here.

2025 Recap

My writing friend, Amy Weinland Daughters, posted this hilarious spoof on the goals we set and the ones we actually achieve. I acknowledge my recap post will be somewhat like this. It won't really interest my readers (no offense if you skip it). I'm primarily writing it for personal reflection on my year's goals. 

Hoping to be intentional in 2025, I started a progress file where I tracked various things daily. I kept stats on my exercise, purging, letter-writing, fasting, and (towards the end) writing for publication. Although this was very helpful in many ways, I still failed to be as productive as I would have liked. You can set the goal. You can track the progress. But, you still have to put in the work to have something to write down. Ha! Sadly, I'm not the most disciplined person.

Exercise: I do believe tracking helps me stay committed to exercise. I'm not a huge walker. Many people put in 10,000 steps a day. I'm far too sendentary, but don't see that changing any time soon. Still, I try to get my treadmill time (or outdoor walks) in every morning. I exercised on 90% of the days (327/365) this year. My mileage declined when I got a new and more narrow treadmill. It declined further after I fell on that treadmill. Still, I walked over 400 miles and averaged 1.25 miles. As I threw out my 2024-2025 planner, I noted that in 2024 I consistently walked 295 out of 366 days (81% of days) for 472-1/3 miles (ave. 1.6 miles). Of course, that was when I was trying to lose weight for my son's wedding.

Purging: I'm a hoarder. I've always admitted this freely. However, I really had hoped to be more successful in my purging efforts. There are so many negative emotions associated with purging. While I enjoyed going through the minutia of past letters and school files, the actual process of getting rid of many items was draining. My year-end total was 102-2/3 hours. I only worked on purging for 51% [186/365] days. On those days, I averaged 33 minutes/day. It is better than nothing, but still feels like diddly-squat. Now that my husband has reduced the estimated time we have left living in this home, I'm wishing I had been far more diligent. May was a total wash, as was December. February was my most productive month (24 hours of purging in 25/28 days).

Fasting: My goal was to fast every Monday in 2025. I only missed the Monday of the spring break trip and the Monday of our 35th anniversary, but I made up for those dates by fasting on another day in those weeks. At the beginning, I started slowly with partial days (fasting until 2 p.m., then 4 p.m., then 6 p.m., then 8 p.m.). But in February, I aimed for mostly full days. By the end of the year, I had fasted 54 days (21 partial days and 33 full days). 

I am not well-suited for fasting. It was difficult in the usual ways, but was also difficult emotionally. It seemed like the full day fasts left me overwhelmed with despair rather than trust. As I poured out my groanings over difficult situations in our family/friends' lives, the focus on the darkness of our tunnel drowned out the consolation of the light God offers. I think, in my clinical depression, I struggle with staying positive and observing the light more than the darkness. I'm a glass half-empty kinda gal. 

Struggles with our prodigal, family tensions, the loss of my mother and subsequent new love my father is fixated on, health questions, the state of our world... it gets to be too much. I think I would have done far better if I had spent my fasting time in singing scriptural promises rather than outlining the various weights and burdens we carry. If I had it to do over again (and I'm not planning on this rigorous fasting in 2026), I would have taken more of the approach I used with my 2023 prayer project. I would incorporate scripture, pray for requests but also praise for answers, and spend more time focused on God's enduring attributes than on the encompassing obstacles before us.  

Writing: I'm not sure I kept accurate records for correspondence. I mostly charted letters sent by snail mail or from my personal email. By not recording letters sent from my author email, I know these stats are incomplete. In all, I mailed 21 letters or packages (sometimes with my book), and sent 51 personal emails.

The biggest victory was resuming writing projects after a stroke of luck with my first goal in September of just putting in 20 minutes finding markets. I wrote and submitted 2 pieces in September (1 of those was published in a digital magazine). I spent 12 hours writing on 13/30 days in that month. In October, I worked on writing research for 100 minutes. I worked on 2 separate projects on 15/31 days for a total of 11.5 hours (8786 words). In November, I spent an hour on writing research. I participated in the Rabbit Room's Poem-a-Day challenge, completing 20 poems from the 30 prompts. Plus, I started a non-fiction book project, working on 22/30 days for a total of 23-1/3 hours (24,867 words). This was nowhere close to the 50 thousand-plus words of Novembers past, but still an accomplishment. Then, as soon as Thanksgiving hit, I petered out to 1 writing day and 1 day reviewing the non-fiction work to date.

I set out to fast and pray, and to purge hoarded belongings. I suppose I met those goals, but wish I had done far better. If only I had known, at the outset of the year, that my husband hopes to move by fall of 2026. Yikes!

For the coming year, I'm not setting hard and fast goals (quantitative goals). At the end of 2025, I read an outstanding essay on Substack by Suleika Jaouad, called "Against Resolutions." The author argues that rituals are more effective than resolutions. "Where resolutions chase outcomes, rituals attend to process." Resolutions lead to all-or-nothing thinking. Michael Bierut said it is like walking a tightrope, where peril increases with each step, until you become convinced you'll never make it across. 

The author ends with this observation, "That's what ritual gives me now. Not a guarantee, not an outcome, not a transformation on a deadline, but a means of staying in motion without hardening, to keep my balance without gripping so tightly... no grand reinvention here--only the patient work of showing up, again and again, nudging myself millimeter by millimeter toward the person I'm becoming."

While I think I've already been focused on ritual, this year I am leaning into 3 words (not an annual word, but a word progression):

WATCH 🠊 WITNESS 🠊 SPREAD

WATCH, as in the sense of expectant anticipation. I want to watch for the return of Christ. I want to watch for God's intervention in our lives (and especially in the life of my prodigal son).

"The end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." - 1 Peter 4:7

"Therefore let us not sleep, as others; but let us watch and be sober." - 1 Thessalonians 5:6

"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." - Colossians 4:2

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." - Luke 21:36

WITNESS, as in what you see when you watch. I want to witness God's moving and transforming power.

"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today." - Exodus 14:13

WITNESS, as in give a testimony of the gospel's power transforming my life. I want to seize more opportunities (whatever He gives) to share my faith.

"Shew how great things God hath done unto thee." - Luke 8:39

"And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all." - Acts 4:33

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." - Revelation 12:11

SPREAD, as in disseminate God's Word into the world. I started this year's devotions adding a book by Cheryl Ford, called Triumphs of the Heart: The Pursuit of Joyful Living. In one of the first sections, she considers the watchful heart of Anna in the Bible. From this chapter, I found my verse for 2026:

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him." - 2 Corinthians 2:14

Mid-month Mention: Substack Fare

Since Just Between Us published my article, "When the Journey Becomes the Gift," on their Substack-based site, I have been frequenting Substack more than usual. It appears this is where all the creatives hang out. Although I don't like to be out of the loop, I'm not technologically savvy, so I feel mystified by some of what goes on. I gather writers post notes and articles and some people access this on a free basis, while others pay the writer to subscribe for more content. Personally, I cannot afford to subscribe to every writer I wish to read (thus, my great love of the library). 

I get it! As a writer, I want people to find my words. My main struggle has always been with that drive that seems imperative for writers, to establish "platform." Oh, how I hate that word. To me, it is like waving a flag that says, "Look at me! Look at me! Look at what I can do" (to quote a Saturday Night Live sketch with the obnoxious child who is always drawing attention to himself). When I put the Substack app on my phone, it began to offer up categories I might wish to explore. Through that, I have indeed found writers I enjoy.

I think I entered Substack Land originally to access the poetry of Randy Edwards, writings of Jeanine Joyner, and The Rabbit Room. Now, I have signed on for some Spurgeon. Spurgeon, in turn, recommended a new page with Advent content from one of my favorite prayer writers, J. C. Ryle (author of the outstanding pamphlet, Do You Pray?). This new Substack with J. C. Ryle content can be found here.

What blew me away, earlier this month, was finding a writer who understands and articulates the discomfort I feel with the marketing side of writing. Grant Herbel's Substack, called "The Writer's Calling," is another recommended site that I am so grateful to have found. He posted a two-part article on "How Christian Writers Can Use Substack Notes." In the first segment, he expressed my internal thoughts on how icky marketing makes me feel. 

He writes, "On the one hand, we feel the pressure of the internet age: the demand to be loud, to be everywhere, to build a platform, to 'stop the scroll.' Honestly, it feels exhausting. It often feels like the opposite of the quiet work we are called to do. On the other hand, we carry a fire.... You have been given a message that could help someone. And lighting a lamp just to hide it under a bowl doesn't feel right, either.... The answer lies in shifting our perspective from promotion to stewardship.... When we view visibility as stewardship--as faithfully carrying the bread to the hungry--all of that changes. We stop trying to be 'famous' and start trying to be findable."

His words articulate the internal struggle I have battled. His advice rings true. I hope to glean encouragement from his writing, so that my writing doesn't remain hidden under a bushel. I want to shine whatever light God has placed within me into a dying world, desperate for His light, and witness to His transforming power.

Of course, I don't even fully understand how all of this works, but am eager to learn. I really wanted to pay for a full subscription to Herbel's writing, but with lots of money going out for our prodigal and his needs, I will hold off on that for now. Still, I wanted to provide a link for my readers. If you follow this link to The Writer's Calling, I will receive a free month subscription for every 3 individuals who subscribe (paid or free). Win for you! Win for me! 

After so many months without writing, I am back to caring about where my words (the words God plants in me to bloom for others) land and grow. I am back to praying about my calling to write. If you are a regular reader, you know that I dedicated 2025 to fasting and prayer for my prodigal and other needs of friends and family. It has been rough going. Often, the extra time spent focused on the many impossibilities we face stirs exhaustion and defeat. Throwing a spotlight on the challenge, in spite of full belief that God's got this, tends to make me introspective and low.

This morning, I found a small note on Substack from Chloe Elizabeth. It is a Corrie ten Boom quote. She writes, "If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at Christ, you'll be at rest." Words to live by, indeed! And a fine example of how these notes/words on Substack provide something of value to the reader.

Midmonth Mention: Four Unique Literary Stories

1) I was mesmerized by the lilt in Scottish poet Len Pennie's voice as she read her poem, "The Vow." You can watch it here on You Tube (a short 2 minute recitation). I plan to recommend it to my nephew, Jack, who is getting married. How amazing, she's offering it for free! I'd love to purchase her book of poems, just on the basis of this one poem.

2) I'm hoping others are fascinated to learn what people read (hence, my blog). What a great story to learn about Dan Pelzer, who took the time to record every book he read. He died on July 1, 2025, and his family made public his 109 page list, which includes over 3500 books. Though I haven't taken time to do more than skim the website yet, it sounds like fascinating reading.

3) This next story made me take note because it takes place in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, where my cousin, Karin, grew up. A book, 47 years overdue, was returned to the Lake Elmo Library along with an apology and $200 to offset what fines may have accrued. Amazing!

4) I recently watched a memorial service for the step-father of my CBLI friend, Laura. Although I never knew him, it was a great blessing to get to know him through the father-to-daughter letters shared at the service. He was a delightful correspondent! Thus, when I came across "The Dad Letter Project," I thought I'd mention it here. You can view a brief video about the project here. Kind-hearted dads volunteer to write letters to people who could use encouragement. I love ideas like this. It makes me think, why didn't I think of this?

Book Review: You Are a Tree

I always appreciate learning about books that my friends recommend on Good Reads. My friend, Sarah Ilsters, posted about this book. I'm grateful I found an audio copy available on Hoopla. The book contained so much to glean that I also accessed the eBook version and took notes.

In You Are a Tree, Clarkson explores various metaphors we use for things like wisdom, depression, love, and faith. One reviewer found it too heady, but for this English major graduate, it was a pure delight to delve into the words we use to explain and understand our lives and our faith. Metaphors help us express profound concepts. In this book, the author explores seven metaphors, many of which feel very familiar (people as trees, wisdom as light, life as a journey). But her words, expounding on these ideas, are ripe with meaning. She discusses our drive to be productive, as we so often see ourselves as machines. The Bible is chock-full of metaphors to help us understand God and His ways.

I was eager to access the eBook besides listening to the audio. At the end of each metaphor chapter, Clarkson offers resources to explore in connection with the ideas she has presented. These sections provide a prayer, an activity, a list of paintings, films, poems, podcasts, etc. to consider, and an explanation of why she recommends them. They were rich and provided a great jumping-off place. Excellent books move you to incorporate and personalize what you've read.

What a joy to take apart words and examine how we use them to elaborate on what we experience! I loved how she used scripture to flesh out ideas of wisdom and light. Her words on journeys and sadness moved me. This is a book I would love to own to highlight passages and explore the suggestions for further consideration. At the end, Clarkson provides further reading to accompany each chapter. I could spend hours thinking about the metaphors discussed in this articulate and engaging book!

Book Review: Letters from the Mountain - Highly Recommend

Bob Hostetler is not only the author of one of my favorite devotionals, The Shakespeare Devotional, but he also lures me into other books through his twenty-word book review blog. Some recommendations sit in my "Books to Read" file for a while. Bob recommended Ben Palpant's Letters from the Mountain three years ago. Books often meet us right where we need them. That is true of this book. It was like a salve on my wounded soul.

In these letters, Palpant writes to his daughter about the generative act of writing. The very nature of this gift blows me away! The letters are full of wisdom and encouragement. They express his deep love for writing, for God, and for his daughter. Since he is a poet, his words dance and sing. As I listened from my library Hoopla app, I grew desperate to hold the book in hand and underline and highlight. I heard so many nuggets of truth; I want to own this book.

Writers should aim for the soul with patient urgency and keen attentiveness, seeing what others cannot see. He calls the writer to cultivate the soil of the imagination. Foremost, a writer must serve the reader and let it go out into the world. He writes, "Work! Leave the prosperity to God!" We should remember our writing brings God's light. The light is important, not the lantern.

I loved his illustration about God's timing. He tells a story of their visit to Oxford, where he hoped to find C. S. Lewis' cottage and gravestone. The day was fraught with complications and obstacles. His wife was ill. They needed to find an elusive clinic. He even prayed for rain to help him gain his desired ends. Instead, the sun beat down, stoking his frustration. In the end, God revealed perfect timing.

I loved his insight about valuing the "day job," because it provides a wealth of soil for cultivation in the imagination. It "equips you to serve." Also, I needed his words about gratitude. It adjusts your vision to focus on abundance rather than scarcity. Instead of keeping your eyes riveted on your empty left hand, recognize your right hand is overflowing with God's blessings. Oh, how my eyes linger on scarcity! He writes, "Worry reigns when we try to fix what only God can fix and know what only He can know."

The book is full of beautiful images of what it means to write for the Lord. He shares architectural principles that can apply to writing. He gives numbered lists of actions to employ. (As usual, walking makes the list!) He says that, as Christian writers, we are viaducts bringing living water and lanterns shining His light in a dark world. Our words can be life-giving if we will give them and leave the results to God. Those words, so often, come from places of deep pain.

Palpant points out, we should not fear suffering. It is often the soil that grows beautiful and true writing. His words remind me how important it is to nurture our gifts. This book has beckoned me back into the arena to pick up my weapons again. I have shared before that I have been in a spell of relative inactivity. Finding my son mid-overdose and walking through the subsequent descent into deeper addiction has somehow numbed my pen. I can pour out personal writing and have kept my book review blog going, but projects require more than I can give. For quite some time, I have been in a liminal space. That is okay. If God so desires, I will catch the spark again. Certainly, this book is full of embers waiting to re-ignite my dampened calling.

December 2024 This and That

Somehow I didn't finish a re-cap of events in December in time to post at the end of the year, so bear with me as I look back now.

POEM:

Early in December, my sister (who is an officer in The Salvation Army) requested I write up a poem for her to use for her 3rd Sunday in Advent when she would preach on the wise men and the shepherds seeking. Initially, it was merely a poem. But just before I sent it to her, my devotional mentioned the song, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing." What good fortune! It fit the meter and rhythm perfectly. So, they sang my poem, "Longing for Christmas," to that tune on the 3rd Advent Sunday.

I posted the lyrics on Facebook. A friend who lives in another country took me to task, saying I only shared part of the story. This person argued the emphasis should not be on the birth, but always upon the death of Christ, because that provides atonement. They said the Bible doesn't emphasize Christ's birth or provide a date. While I agree that atonement only was possible because our Savior died on the cross, I celebrate His birth, because without it, we would still be in darkness (and indeed, it often feels as if we are still in darkness in the current state of this world). I will give this more thought (couldn't during preparations for Bryce and Elizabeth's Christmas visit). Perhaps I will add a fifth verse to emphasize the Light willingly entered darkness and separation from the Father on our behalf to reconcile us to God when we trust Him and accept His gift of salvation from sin (as purchased through His death on the cross).

PURCHASES

Our old navy couch set was becoming unbearable because the pressure of reclining had caused the foundation to sag. In 2023, a friend and her chiropractor husband visited. He couldn't even bear to sit in our loveseat. He jumped up and made an excuse to stand during the visit. Thus, on Black Friday, we snagged a holiday deal. I'm thinking now, the pressure for a snap decision, within the sale window, was detrimental. 

I went in with two options in mind, but neither were available to sit in and try out (no floor models for those less expensive sets, of course). The sales clerk led us to the pricier models and encouraged us to buy a set with power reclining (our previous was a manual recliner). When I sat on the loveseat of the one we settled on, I could not believe the softness of the fabric. It was a lighter color than I'd wanted and more expensive than I wanted. Still, the window was closing, and we needed to decide. Because of the extra expense, my husband vetoed the protection plan. I'm a catastrophizer. The whole drive home, I had images of the dog vomiting on the couch or someone spilling a drink on the loveseat. But what's done is done.

The set was due for delivery on Friday the 13th. Hmm. What a fright we received when only the couch arrived. I again jumped to worry, envisioning our holiday visit with only seating availability for 3 people. Thankfully, my husband called and arranged the loveseat delivery on the Thursday prior to Bryce and Elizabeth's arrival. Once both pieces were in place, we realized the set didn't blend well with our carpet. We ordered an area rug, but it did not arrive until after Bryce and Elizabeth returned to Dallas. I'd love to say I feel no regrets, but I'm not sold on this new arrangement. Since the couch is so tall, my feet cannot touch the ground when I sit on it. The power reclining requires longer to right itself than when you just pull a lever. The color is not what I had hoped for. Again, what's done is done, sadly.

PUZZLES

In December, with extra time out of school, Sean and Claire and I worked on two puzzles. The first was a 1000-piece one with cereal boxes. Claire has wicked puzzling skills! If I couldn't figure out where a piece belonged, I'd hand it to her and within seconds she'd be popping it into place.

Our second puzzle was 3-dimensional and more difficult (I hardly helped at all). Here's the box and the final product of the Harry Potter Knight Bus:

PRESENTS

I received some fun presents this year. My husband gave me 2 purple t-shirts with phrases about reading, a book about C.S. Lewis's brother Warnie, and gift cards to my favorite fast-food restaurants. Bryce and Elizabeth gave me a wedding memento mouse pad, and a beautiful framed family photo (plus some chocolate - yum). Sean gave me a Harry Potter puzzle, so I see more puzzling on the horizon, but maybe not until spring break. Claire gave me a Harry Potter Monopoly game, which we played one day during the break (Sean won, but we all had fun, I think).

PARTIES

After Christmas, I went to a birthday party at a tea shop about a half hour away. They offer a British high tea and other such options. How thrilling to get a scone with clotted cream. We all wore tiaras, which was fun!

PROJECTS

I have gone back and forth about a project for the year. It feels empty, not picking up the prayer project I tackled two years in a row. I decided against printing out the whole Bible. My wrists can barely manage my morning pages (daily free association writing/journaling I do after my devotions each morning). Perhaps I could type a Psalm a day. That idea falls flat for me, too. 

Another goal is to spend time in fasting and prayer for my sons. I am starting slow, with liquid fasting (allowing only liquids). Then, I plan to build into more complete food fasting, until I'm fasting one day a week for the whole day. Again, I'm not sure I have the discipline and fortitude to see it through, but I hold the goal, nonetheless. Nothing is more important than lifting my children to the Lord.

I guess my primary goal is to purge excess junk throughout the year. I started off the first 3 days well and then fell off the wagon, forgetting to find 10 to 20 items to purge. On day 6, I managed my goal, only because I purged items as I put away the Christmas decorations. This is why a plan with structure is so important. I am trying to note how many items each day, so perhaps that will help me maintain the momentum.

How about you? Favorite presents? Puzzle exploits? Writing accomplishments? Goals or projects for 2025? I'd love to hear them. It might jumpstart my discipline and commitment.

Mid-month Mention: Rabbit Room and Poets

 

Perhaps a year ago, I stumbled upon the Rabbit Room Chinwag Facebook group. What a treat! Like-minded creatives and individuals who seek to honor God.

It was here I discovered a poem by Christopher Owen that I appreciate on many levels. I love the rhythm and sound. I appreciate the description of God's intention for His creation and for the glory He will assume when He returns to reclaim us for His kingdom. The poem is called, "This is Beginning to End." Follow the link to watch him recite it because it has a wonderful "spoken word" feel. I sometimes listen to the Button Poetry offerings when they come up on my Facebook feed. How I wish for a Christian equivalent! If there was one, Christopher Owen's poem would fit perfectly. I am with him in his desire for Christ to come quickly! We are waiting!

Randy Edwards is another poet from the Rabbit Room group. He often shares his poetry on his Backward Mutters blog (see the blog for the title's reference). Or find him on Instagram: @backward.mutters - Randy is the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Kernersville, North Carolina. I immediately fell in love with the first poem I heard him recite, a poem about luck and grace, full of beautiful images with deep meanings:

When Craig Stapleton jumped

Into 8000 feet of space

He thought himself lucky

To do this thing he loved.

But when his parachute

Tangled and twirled?

He fell like some

Lafayette Escadrille

Shot down by the Red Baron.

If he was able to feel

(Let alone think)

More than terror, he knew

His luck had turned.

But when his backup did the same?

He knew it was for the worst,

That he must be the unluckiest

Skydiver on earth.

He hit the flat ground

Of California’s Central Valley

With a splat, doing around

30 miles an hour—

A field where the farmer

Had just tilled the earth

And thought himself the

Luckiest one around

To be catching the rain

At just the right time.

Where water soaked furrows

Swole the clods up like pillows.

When Craig came to his senses,

When he realized

The sound of that splat

Was just the mud? That

This man who’d fallen

In a death-spiral like a winged duck?

When he realized that

He had not died?

But in fact alive and had survived?

It was not Luck he thanked.

It was personal.

Now this don’t mean

Luck ain’t no thing,

Nor that he didn’t feel lucky.

True luck is like grace,

Is an unlooked for blessing

That breaks as a smile on a face

Breaks a fall of certain death

And gives you back

What you’d thought you’d lost

Or worse, had left.

For further exploration, here's an article about the harrowing 8000 foot skydiving fall that prompted this poem's contemplation.

Here's a link to a recitation of another Randy Edwards poem called "The Dragon's Mouth," based on Revelation 12:15. The focus of this year's Bible Study Fellowship is the book of Revelation. I will have to remember to share this poem during the week we discuss chapter 12.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Christopher Owen and Randy Edwards!

Compilation: Poetry

"Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting with the gift of speech." - Suetonius 

What better month to provide a compilation of poetry reads than during National Poetry Month! Here are some links to reviews I've written for poetry books (in roughly reverse chronological order from when read):

1. Winter is Scissors by Kyle L. White
2. Freezing and Thawing by Kyle L. White
3. Prodigals and Those Who Love Them by Ruth Bell Graham (memoir/poetry)
4. These Fevered Days by Martha Ackmann (biography of poet)
5. Things Pondered and Further Still by Beth Moore (memoir/poetry)
6. Footprints of a Pilgrim by Ruth Bell Graham (memoir/poetry)
7. Walking Home by Simon Armitage (more memoir than poetry)
8. The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane (beautiful children's nature poetry)
9. Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen (YA novel with poetry)
10. Neighbor as Yourself by Kyle L. White
11. Poetry: Starting from Scratch by Michael A. Carey (on teaching poetry)
12. The Bard and the Bible by Bob Hostetler (devotional with lines from Shakespeare's poetry)
13. Real Love: Guaranteed to Last by Anne Peterson (memoir/poetry)
14. Wisconsin River of Grace by Kyle L. White

As an addendum, I offer up two reviews written for my poetry book, Watching the Wayward: Psalms for Parents of Prodigals:

Here is Rebecca Goldsmith's review in the British War Cry magazine.

Or you can read my blogging friend, Maria Novajosky's review on her blog, La Dolce Vita: The Sweet Life with Three Sons.

Mid-month Mention: A Passel of Poetry Posts

During National Poetry Month, I wanted to focus on a few former posts on various poets. I would be remiss to neglect mentioning my own poetry out the gate. Travelling all the way back to 2009, I shared a poem I had written for an exercise on another poet's site. It is called "At the Corner of Now and Then," and provides images of the merging of lives when we moved into my husband's grandmother's house (in 2006). The poet who inspired that experiment was L. L. Barkat, author of Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places (reviewed here). I loved finding the old post reviewing her book because it contained a little illustration I had forgotten about. The illustration reminds me to tend the talents I've been given.

In 2022, I tended those talents and self-published a book of poems for parents of prodigals. Titled Watching the Wayward, it puts expression to the many emotions experienced when you discover your teen/adult child has departed from your desired path for them. You can find links in the sidebar or on my author website. If you love podcasts, check out this podcast interview for my testimony and the story behind my book.

Here are 3 books that have inspired my creative life: 

1. Andrew Peterson's Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making, 
2. Annie Dillard's The Writing Life,  
3. Nicole Gulotta's Wild Words: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms for Braving the Writer's Path (I think I'm in the "liminal" space right now).

In preparation for working on my poetry, I consumed several books by (or about) favorite poets. Here are a few of those: 

• Emily Dickinson's biography, These Fevered Days
• Ruth Bell Graham's Footprints of a Pilgrim and Prodigals and Those Who Love Them
• Beth Moore's Things Pondered and Further Still

And, I wanted to mention my favorite personally known poet:

• Kyle L. White - especially his book Freezing and Thawing: New and Revised Stories from the Midwest - Kyle is also an illustrator and creates prints available on his prints website. Right now he's promoting a set of 6 prints based on the rhythm of the church calendar. Here's the blurb in his advertisement: "Bring a peaceful rhythm to your household's year with this unique series of reflective art prints. The six artworks come with an easel, a background story, and an explanation for each season of the liturgical calendar. All illustrations will be hand printed on the vintage presses of Mordecai book building in Middleton, Wisconsin. And when you preorder the bundle by May 15th, you'll receive a 7th art print. It makes for a good reflective gift for people all around you too."

I recently saw a post on FB about an influential high school teacher who listened to a girl spill her problems and at the end of the year left an inspiring phrase in her yearbook. The post was written by Elaine Jarvis. Her daughter made a bookmark with the teacher's oft-remembered phrase (teacher: Everett Thomas):

(photo credit: Elaine Jarvis)

Mid-month Mention #2: Lew Wallace Author Fair

If you live in the West Indianapolis area and love to give books as Christmas gifts, have I got a deal for you! This coming Saturday, you can attend the Lew Wallace Hoosier Author Fair in celebration of Crawfordsville's Small Business Saturday. Here's a brief introduction from the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum:

"When Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was published in 1880, Indiana wasn't known for its literary culture. In the following forty years, however, Hoosier authors became popular. During this Golden Age of Indiana Literature, more best-selling books came from Indiana than from any other state except New York. Writers like Meredith Nicholson, James Whitcomb Riley, Lew and Susan Wallace, Maurice Thompson, and others put Indiana on the literary map. The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum is proud of that literary legacy Lew helped create. We host the Lew Wallace Hoosier Author Fair to honor that legacy."

This author fair takes place Saturday, November 25th, 2023, from 5-8 p.m., on the 3rd floor of the Fusion 54 Coworking Space (101 W. Main Street, Crawfordsville). It is free and open to the public. I attended for the first time last year, selling and signing my book, Watching the Wayward: Psalms for Parents of Prodigals. (Also available from Amazon) Two authors seated to my right, Josh Brewer and Tony Brewer, offered a fascinating, unique opportunity called Poetry on Demand. For a small fee, they composed a poem for you, on the spot. How cool is that! You'll find a variety of genres available from nearly twenty local Indiana authors. Since I'm still in the stages of getting word out about my book, I'll be raffling off a free copy that night.

While in Crawfordsville, why not visit a historic home decorated for a Victorian Christmas?

Maybe you're more into fashion. Attend the Lew Wallace Holiday Tea & Fashion Show:

This December 1st fundraiser event is hosted at the Elston Homestead at 400 East Pike Street, Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Enjoy any of these three opportunities to jump-start the holiday spirit! If you cannot attend any of these, I direct you to a video or two of the lights in London. It always boosts my holiday mood! I often hook my laptop up to fully immerse myself by watching on my television screen. Welcome to the holiday season!

Discount Days - Just in Time for Mother's Day

 My poetry book: 

Available at DISCOUNTED PRICES on Amazon on Saturday, May 7th and Sunday, May 8th:

May 7th - $  .99

May 8th - $1.99

On May 9th, the normal e-book price resumes at $2.99. Why not take advantage of these sale dates and gift a mother you know who may be parenting a wayward child? Amazon makes it easy to gift others with the book - all you need is their email address. 

Perhaps you don't fit the target audience, but are curious. What better time to catch this deal!

Or support me directly by buying the $10 paperback from my publisher, Book Baby.

My Book - Watching the Wayward

 

If you've faced the unknown of life with a rebellious child, you might relate to the prayer poems in my book, Watching the Wayward. The book not only provides 62 psalms for parents of prodigals, but also offers further scriptural supports and journaling questions. Thus, you can dig deeper and explore personally the topics presented in each poem. My prayer is that these words will soothe your soul and prompt personal reflection that helps you process an often isolating path.

The book is available now on Amazon as an e-book or on Book Baby in paperback form. Amazon has that nifty little option of reading a sample, as well.

Perhaps you know others on this journey. Any further word-of-mouth publicity would be greatly appreciated and a review might make me burst into song (I promise, I'm not too bad a singer).