A Fresh Batch of Book Reviews #9

If you want to learn about simple hospitality or how to teach your little ones about Jesus, I have two books to recommend today.

The Turquoise Table will inspire you to reach out to your neighbors in fellowship, without all the hassle of a house party. Author Kristin Schell was inspired by the story of Ludmilla, an elderly woman in Prague, who opens her home to anyone who wants to talk. Kristin placed an ordinary picnic table in her Texas front yard, painted it turquoise, and neighbors began showing up. She’s built a ministry from this table, and in this book she shares lots of ideas for building community.

Kristin encourages you to keep it simple and just be present in your neighborhood. So many of us shutter ourselves inside our homes, and we miss out on potential friendships. But if we put ourselves out there, whether by placing a picnic table in the front yard, holding a barbecue in the back yard, or welcoming people inside our homes, we can change the world for the better.

She offers great ideas for icebreakers and encourages you to become a more intentional listener, all because Jesus calls us to create community. This is one of my favorite quotes from the book:

I believe most social ills can be healed or prevented by the simple act of talking to one another, face-to-face, at a common table.

I liked her light, encouraging tone along with all the quizzes and extra content boxes that sparked my thinking. The photos were beautiful and calming. She even includes several simple recipes, and I can’t wait to try her Easy No-Knead Bread with her Pumpkin and White Bean Soup, once the cooler fall days arrive.

Even though I live in the woods in a rural area, and my neighbors aren’t close by, this book opened my eyes to my closed-heart attitude. I can put on the Front Yard People attitude she describes, even though I don’t really have a front yard. I can become more welcoming to strangers, and I’m grateful that The Turquoise Table inspired me to have a healthy change in perspective.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from the Booklook Bloggers program.

52 Commands of Jesus for Children is a great resource for parents with children ages 4-8. If you’re looking for a new family devotional, Susan Shipe writes with an entertaining voice, using scriptures for fun, easy lessons with discussion questions. Each lesson is brief and to-the-point, ideal for shorter attention spans. Each lesson also includes a coloring page, and extra coloring pages are available at Susan’s website. This is a good resource for families or small group/Sunday school classes.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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