Daisy

Unwavering Devotion

May 14, 2023May 14, 2023Leave a comment

A Tribute to the Many Faces of Motherhood

Mother’s Day 2023

Unwavering devotion is a wonderful picture for motherhood. I don’t want it to add undue stress to your already tired state though. Instead I pray that it brings your rest, for the true Unwavering One is leading you. He wants to be strong when you are weak, not asking you to perform but to be. He will teach you to persevere as your love expands and becomes unwavering like His. Always though he begins with blessing.

This blessing is for the new mom with expectant eyes, for the mom who faced a miscarriage, for the mom who daily remembers an abortion, for the mom whose arms are left empty to the death of the child, for the mom whose womb remains yet barren, for the mom who has opened her heart to foster care, and for the mom whose children came through adoption. This blessing also reaches to the moms at different stages, the mom with busy toddlers, the mom with school-aged children testing their boundaries, and the mom with children leaving the nest. This blessing also belongs to the mom with a child whose rejection aches heavy, the grandmother who now finds herself raising another set of children, the mom caring for a child with an illness or special needs, the moms yet to be, and to those who know or may not know that the calling of motherhood also beckons them.

So, Dear Hearts, I and the Lord have been thinking about you and we bless you.

A Blessing for Mothering

A baby in arms a heart full
A smile that plays in the eyes
Unbelief that this one is yours and will call you mom
Blessed be the God who filled your womb
You are blessed mother, run to your strength.

A prayer sent to heaven above
A cry stifled with tears warm
What was to be
Has not come to pass
Blessed be the God who hears
You are blessed mother,
Morning, noon, and evening His ears hear your cry.

Unsteady you sit tears stream
Your heart yearning, longing
To be full just one more time
The emptiness threatens to overtake
Blessed be the God who sees
You are blessed mother,
His arms tenderly hold your broken heart.

A desert bare
A wilderness of unknown
Where is the promise of a life-giving womb?
Again confronted with a womb full
And your heart aches with longing at first
And then with desperation
Will it ever be?
Blessed be the God who knows
You are blessed mother,
For He makes known to you the path of life.

A gift given
To experience your spiritual adoption in the physical
Your heart swings open
And you embrace one whom your soul loves
For a brief moment they have found a home in you
Blessed be the God who shows how to love open handed
You are blessed mother,
He chose you from the foundation of the earth - you are His.

A family but children- just a desire
A joy to be with friends and inhale their giggles full
The beautiful souls unclaimed
Your heart couldn’t resist
The whisper, Love them
So you do and your heart almost implodes
Blessed be the God whose joy is our strength
You are blessed mother,
In His presence there is fullness of joy forever more.

The baby is on the move
The days seem to stretch
But nights are short and mornings come quickly
Frazzled, dazed, tired, hungry
Don’t numb, distract, or give in to indulgence
Blessed be the God who gives rest
You are blessed mother,
He invites you to come bathe in His rhythms of grace - Sabbath

A child vocal and strong
Curious explorer setting his own boundaries
Testing and prodding in whiny vocabulary
Your triggered-buttons pushes
A sigh of exasperation escapes
Is this even worth it?
Blessed be the God who shepherds
You are blessed mother,
As you guide your child, so as a lamb your Heavenly Father guides you to Quiet waters and restores your soul.

The long days turn to short years
And you look up and the child is grown
Where has the time gone?
Could it be time to completely let go and let fly?
Blessed be the God who bids us follow
You are blessed mother,
For the same God who calls you to follow Him, calls also your child.

Anger, resentment, rejection
Taking, withholding
Longing for a small piece - if even that
The longing of a sweet blossoming of friendship as you both grew up
Still just a longing
Blessed be the God who intercedes
You are blessed mother,
For you have an advocate who day and night intercedes for you and your son at the right hand of the Father.

Your grandchildren are a crown
But you did not anticipate their care
They have burrowed deep in your heart
Life is different then imagined
Though rich and full of joy
Blessed be the God who renews your strength
Your are blessed mother,
For they who wait for the Lord shall run and not be weary.

Fear grips your heart
Disease, incurable, not sure - more tests
This babe was supposed to be whole and healthy
Your heart pounds
No control
Only trust
Blessed be the God who heals
You are blessed mother,
For He gave his only Son by whose stripes we are healed.

The refinement of motherhood
Is not exclusive
It draws and attracts
The giving of ourselves
The unveiling of our souls to each other
Spiritual motherhood a calling
Strong resilient and needed
Look around and take them in
The ones placed within your boundaries on purpose
Blessed be God who sets our times and spaces
You are blessed spiritual mother,
For He has caused your boundaries to fall in pleasant places; surely you have a delightful inheritance.

Rejoice!
Light up in smiles
Clap, sing, dance, create
The blessings you have received
Are good and gracious
In beholding them you find more intricacies of Christ

It is His grace and kindness that leads us to repentance
In Him you have received everything you need
Blessed be the God who is pleased to reveal
You are blessed mother,
For He has made known to you the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure!

~DFD

‘The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.’
Psalm 16:6

I leave you with this quote by Gloria Furman from her book Missional Motherhood, “Mothering or nurturing is not just a calling for women who have biological or adopted children. Mothering is a calling for all women. Every Christian woman is called to the spiritual motherhood of making disciples of all nations.”

Gracefully,

The Art of Gathering helps you prepare your heart for simple yet beautiful gatherings.

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Breaking Bread and Building Bonds:

May 12, 2023May 14, 2023Leave a comment

The Power of Gathering Around the Table for Deeper Friendships

by Bethany Weaver

Sharing Meals Can Lead to Meaningful Connections and Stronger Relationships

Every move was exciting and I loved the idea of starting fresh in a new city and school. It made me adaptable, friendly, and resilient but it didn’t really allow for deep roots to grow in friendship.

Growing up I moved a lot. Every 2-3 years my dad’s job required him and I to move. I’ve lived in California, Florida, Indiana, all across the state of Ohio, finally landing for good in Dayton when I was 15. Every move was exciting and I loved the idea of starting fresh in a new city and school. It made me adaptable, friendly, and resilient but it didn’t really allow for deep roots to grow in friendship.

By the time I was 15, habits had already started forming in me to be somewhat guarded with who I trusted because friendships had always been temporary. Eventually Dayton became a permanent home for me: I met my high school sweetheart (now husband), I graduated high school and college, got married, and started growing our family. And yet, those habits in friendship I learned throughout my childhood continued to have an impact on my relationships.

Fast forward and I am a 28 year old mom of a young child and desperate for friendship. I felt the Lord stirring in me to leave my comfort zone and say yes to uncomfortable opportunities and in following that lead I found myself around the table with a group of women.

During that dinner, I heard women candidly speaking about life and God, not in a superficial way but in a deep and genuine way. I experienced a taste of grace and the word of God in Galatians 6:2 come to life as these women bore one another’s light and heavy burdens. From that moment on, I knew that this was the type of relational connection I wanted to seek out and be a part of.

In the last 4 years as we have continued to meet around the table, the table has gotten smaller and more intimate. This decision to sabbath together from striving and instead meet around the table to rest has changed everything. I can no longer hide behind doing but instead I have peeled back the layers of protection I had built around my heart like a fortress. My soul has room to breath and become more alive now.

In 2020 I wrote these words, “But even in the midst of uncertainty, I see glimpses of God’s grace in my circumstances—a compassionate husband, friendships I can admit my heartaches too (this is an answer to a many years long prayer), a reconciled relationship I had no idea was weighing so heavily on me, and a book by Emily P. Freeman called the Next Right Thing. All of these things have breathed life into my aching heart and have pointed me to the One who blesses, restores, strengthens, and gives abundantly.”

This has become even more evident as I have deliberately invested in my friend’s lives around the table. Each one of us has walked through grief and celebration in our time together. I have reveled in the absolute gift of experiencing joy and sorrow together. We have pointed one another to Christ and spurred each other on in doing good. I am forever changed and growing as we continue to do life in community together.

…”I experienced a taste of grace as the word of God in Galatians 6:2 come to life. They were women who bore one another’s light and heavy burdens. From that moment on, I knew that this was the type of relational connection I wanted to seek out and be a part of. ”
Bethany Weaver

With an awe-filled heart and praise to God I see the roots of friendship deepening, it all started with uncomfortably accepting an invitation to gather around the table.

I encourage you to bravely accept that invitation from the friend who recently reached out. Let’s be brave together and invite a friend to join you for coffee, after all we have both wanted to do that for awhile. Let the table be a beacon of hope for you too. He will meet you there because meeting around the table is his invitation too. He prepares a table for you to grow and become who you are meant to be, what goodness!

Gracefully, Bethany

About the Author:

Bethany is an Etsy shop owner and wholehearted maker and crafter. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new foods and hobbies, embracing the joy of discovery, and always learning along the way. Her dream Saturday would be trying a new breakfast place, lazily perusing a bookstore, and stopping by a vendor market to pick up all the fresh ingredients for a new dinner recipe…and if it’s summer, a dip in the pool 🙂
Make sure to check out all her beautiful creations here.

Because we love to bless our friends we are running a sweet giveaway on IG! Go enter and tell your friends!

Gracefully,

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Soon

May 5, 2023May 5, 20232 Comments

Five Minute Friday

Pic:created in Canva

Every Friday, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. Five Minute Friday is a great place to hone my writing practice and be encouraged by other writers as I write. I will set the timer for five minutes and then write. Here we go! I am excited to invite you in, welcome.

Soon

I am finding my self in reveries. I am delighting in that tiny grace, because grief has clouded a lot of the last two months. Lately beauty has been a sort of buoy reminding me to breath when all I feel is numbness and fog. So, to find myself daydreaming of the future has me exhaling gratitude and smiling.

I am so grateful for my work with Noonday Collection, and this summer they will be taking me on a trip to Peru. What an unexpected gift. I am so excited that soon I will be surrounded by a culture that transcends time. I will soon hear Spanish mainly spoken, awakening dormant recesses of my soul. Soon I will taste the goodness that will be shared with me through the hospitable smiles as the table is set.

Soon, I will revel in the amazing skills of Artisans that make beauty a staple part of everyday life. Soon I will know myself in a new way, as I allow my heart to be transformed by the People of Peru. To travel with an open heart is always my goal. I have seen the shift in my heart as I approach a new place with grace and not over burden it with expectations to entertain me. Instead I allow it to wash over me, teach me to observe, and allow it to nourish me with its delicacies.

Gracefully,

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Cooking From the Heart

April 20, 2023Leave a comment

by Natul Middlebrook

Hosting to Connect Rather Than Impress

I began putting what I learned to practice by hosting his colleagues on a regular basis. Their “oohs” and “aahs” over dinner made my hostess’ heart sing and I knew hospitality would become a big part of my life.

I was in my late twenties when I began to spread my foodie wings. Rachel Ray was my cooking mentor and 6:30 pm was sacred time. I’d make sure my newborn son was bathed, fed and tucked away before the start of 30 Minute Meals and there I would eagerly watch with pen and paper in hand. My husband was doing his medical residency at the time and I began putting what I learned to practice by hosting his colleagues on a regular basis. Their “oohs” and “aahs” over dinner made my hostess’ heart sing and I knew hospitality would become a big part of my life.

Although I appreciated the Venezuelan comfort foods of my childhood, I wanted to cook impressive, more refined foods for my guests. Not that stewed chicken legs, black beans and corn-meal arepas weren’t delicious, they just weren’t fit for entertaining.

I pored through Food and Wine and Saveur magazines and cooked foods I had never eaten before. I learned to roast brussel sprouts and garnish salads with fennel fronds and pan-sear halibut. I dared to roast whole legs of lamb and toss fish heads into water to make my own seafood stock.

I laugh now looking back at many of these feasts and remember being elbow-deep in turkey trying to break up a scuffle between my toddlers with my feet. There were lots of tears shed, snapping at children and bickering between my husband and I before dinner guests arrived. Most holiday feasts involved multiple runs to the store because either I was missing ingredients or I made a mistake that could not be fixed. Whew! Those days were stressful!

Over the years, I’ve learned that hospitality is less about entertaining and more about connecting with people. It’s less about impressing people and more about impressing on them how much you care about them. You don’t need high-end ribeyes and roasted brussel sprouts to do that. A simple bowl of black beans and crusty arepas does the trick just fine.

With my oldest being 18 and my youngest 9, I see now how fast the days roll by. So I’ve found ways to reconcile feasting with the work it takes to get the food on the table. I’ve gone back to my mother’s cooking. I use simple ingredients and do my best to make them shine without adding all the fluff. I’m cooking what I know and I think my people are better for it. Turns out my kids would rather eat a well-fried egg over white rice and plantain than filet mignon.

…”I’ve learned that hospitality is less about entertaining and more about connecting with people. It’s less about impressing people and more about impressing on them how much you care about them.”
Natul Middlebrook

Cooking is sort of like writing, it’s more authentic (and good) if you cook what you know rather than cook what you don’t know. It makes for more honest food because you cook from the heart rather than from your head.

I encourage you to go back to the flavors of your childhood. Make some phone calls and collect recipes from family members that cooked for you. If you don’t have someone that cooked for you, make a list of the foods you love to eat. Find those recipes and make them your own over time. It will be these flavors that your kids will look back on with fondness and longing. Not because they were fancy, but because they were yours.

Gracefully, Natul

About the Author:

Read about Natul in her own words.

Yes, my name is a little like mysterious tamale pie meets American apple pie, but I’ve come to embrace that I am both a first-generation Latina and a proud Texan.Along with my husband, Dr.Dan, we are raising the family of our dreams in a place I’m proud to call my hometown. We have our frantic days as a family of 7, but no matter how hurried or disappointing some days can be— the table is our reset, our time to pause and praise together.

Because of a difficult childhood, I’ve advocated for the fatherless and abused for 20 years. You can learn more about my work here and here. Caring for vulnerable children has led me to understand the significance of family as the catalyst for doing good in our communities and in the world. I believe doing good in our communities starts with loving Jesus and loving family. I became a classically trained chef because as a kid my mom loved us through the food she served us morning and evening. Even though our immigrant family struggled, there were lots of gatherings and music and laughter and there was always delicious food to be enjoyed. Food was a soft place that broke up the hardness of our lives. I’ve learned so much from amazing mamas that God put on my path. From one, I’ve learned how to encourage my kids towards excellence. From another I’ve learned patience and gentleness and another I’ve learned to plan and shop for my kids more effectively. If I had to say what I’ve taught my friends, it’s how to be intentional about seeking Jesus in the hearth of our home— the place where we gather to eat and talk.

I hope you have enjoyed this encouraging story from my friend Natul. To make things even more exciting there will be a giveaway up on IG inviting you to care for your souls through flavor and fair-trade!!

Gracefully,

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Realize

April 15, 20232 Comments

Five Minute Friday

pic by the Talented Courtney Patch

Every Friday, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. Five Minute Friday is a great place to hone my writing practice and be encouraged by other writers as I write. I will set the timer for five minutes and then write. Here we go! I am excited to invite you in, welcome.

To Run and To Return

I want to run away from myself 
I want to run from my ability to hurt
To lose my temper, to raise my voice in anger,
 and even make the whole room feel tipsy turvy

I want to start over and bring back 
The lightness I felt this day held
But I can feel myself resist again
Why? 

Because I would have to be the one to say, “I’m sorry” 
I would have to pull down my walls 
And expose my vulnerable heart 
Risk getting hurt again

Because even when I apologize 
 I may never know if their heart is healed
I may never get all of them back again
I may have fractured us even more than I realized 

But I realize that when I return
That when I ask for forgiveness 
I give way to hope 
I cling to it and believe 

I believe that I will see 
The goodness of the Lord 
In the land of the living 

“So, return my soul 
Don’t run any longer 
Pursue my soul

Realize that your love is meant to mend
Your mistakes are meant to draw you in
And shame, it doesn’t get the last word
His redemption and goodness do

Come, heal my soul.”

~dfd

Gracefully,

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Free and secure: How God’s Boundaries Ground us

March 15, 2023March 15, 2023Leave a comment

A New Devotional on the Dawn Blog

Freedom and security. These are two of the most sought after commodities. We hustle and strive so that we can be so that we can be “free and secure,” yet we find ourselves in an endless pursuit of them both. The price we pay is a steep one; we have lost ourselves and the result is that we are hopelessly unhappy.

For instance, when we reach a milestone, where we predicted we would find happiness, we find ourselves empty and regretful. Yet, we pick up where we left off and find something else shiny, catching our eye, and make that the new goal.

What if I told you that your heart longs for boundaries? Would you believe it? You may say, “Come on! What my heart longs for is freedom and independence-not boundaries!”

Let me point you to three truths to help you embrace the security available to you; so that you can live out of God’s love. These truths will ground and secure for you the identity of belovedness He bestows on you.

Find the rest of this Devotional including the three truths from Psalm 16 on the Dawn app under the resources tab, and the writers devotions tab. It is a beautiful tool, created by my friend Angie Gibbons . This app is key in helping me slow down and be present in prayer. Make sure to check out the Dawn App and download it for yourself, you will love it.

The rest of the this devotional can be found on the Dawn App Blog. Come and be inspired but most importantly- come feast on the word of God in Psalm 16.

“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 16:6-8, NIV

Gracefully,

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Real Life Hospitality

February 10, 2023February 10, 2023Leave a comment

by Emma Carsey

Runaway Imaginations Damper the True Vision of Hospitality

“This belief (or unbelief) frequently keeps me from opening up my home. Because it’s not perfect. It’s not how I imagine it to be. It’s not the way I *want* to host or prefer to host. It’s not the beautiful experience I so desperately wish I could offer.”

Early morning sunlight streams through the large windows in the kitchen and dining room. The windows are almost the length of the wall. We wanted our home to be bright when we were in the process of buying and thus, we even opted out of window treatments. Coffee is brewing, the diffuser is going, and I hear the sound of little feet upstairs. Our home is open concept so from my kitchen I can see the bar, the dining room, and the living room. The kitchen sink looks out over our property so I’ll be able to watch the kids play outside later this afternoon.

I start cracking eggs for breakfast that our chickens laid. My sister-in-law and her girls will be up soon. I’m so thankful we have a space to be able to host them. Our guest room is a beautiful bedroom with a Queen bed with the most comfortable linens, more big windows, and a huge fiddle leaf fig in the corner. Plus, it has its own bathroom. Plus, it’s got extra space for cots and we keep a crib in there as well. They came to play for a couple of days. We love hosting them. And the chance for our kids to be able to just play.

I stop for a minute and stare out in our home. My heart full of gratitude. My husband made our farmhouse table. I love that table. There are only five of us in our family but it seats twelve. We have a large extended family (by blood and by choice) and there are almost always people coming and going from our home and gathering at our table.

It’s easy for me to believe that this needs to be true in order to be a good host. My current kitchen has one small window over the sink, it faces the side of our neighbors house. The paint around the window is peeling. I don’t have a dishwasher or counter space. My house is divided by walls so I can’t see my children play in our living room or our dining room unless I physically turn around or walk out to see them (mostly because I’m always doing dishes). My husband works from home in our bedroom so space there is tight. Our middle two kiddos share a room and the baby gets his own space because he wakes easily. While we have a liveable third floor, the temperature isn’t regulated and if someone were to stay up there, I fear they’d wake the baby going up the creaky old stairs in our 106 year old home.

This belief (or unbelief) frequently keeps me from opening up my home. Because it’s not perfect. It’s not how I imagine it to be. It’s not the way I *want* to host or prefer to host. It’s not the beautiful experience I so desperately wish I could offer. Instead it’s a blow up mattress in our living room and metal folding chairs at our table to seat additional guests.

This weekend we actually hosted my brother and sister-in-law and their four children. It was not ideal, simply in that it’s not my ideal vision. But it’s ideal in the fact that my home does not dictate my hospitality. I read once that hosting is about you but hospitality is about them. And I can be (hope I was) incredibly hospitable in the home the Lord has given us now. Yes, it’s more work. But grabbing their favorite foods, leaving out glasses for water at night, having extra blankets and pillows, making them meals – none of that requires a big, beautiful farm house. It simply requires a heart that says “what’s mine is yours and you’re welcome here.”

…”none of that requires a big, beautiful farm house. It simply requires a heart that says “what’s mine is yours and you’re welcome here.”
Emma Carsey

With this renewed vision I will focus instead on what I can offer. I can offer a place to sit and gather around healthy food. I will let my creativity run wild in helping other busy moms put beautiful and affordable meals around their table so they can enjoy their loved ones. I will enjoy the sweet presence of Jesus in each one of the guests I welcome in, knowing that I would not have known that facet of God’s character but through them.Will you join me? Let’s embrace real life hospitality and remind our imaginations of the beauty that each interaction holds, set there especially for us.

About the Author: Emma Carsey is a wife and homeschool mom of 3. You can typically find her in the kitchen baking sourdough, cooking from an actual cookbook, or fetching snacks. She says, “If we were to grab dinner, I’d suggest tacos. We’d stay until closing and I’d ask you a ton of personal questions. I love drinks – all the drinks – red wine, black coffee, oat milk lattes, margaritas, white apple juice, ice water, mimosas, craft beer, hot tea, I love ‘em all! I’m just as much a breakfast enthusiast – breakfast burrito, waffles, frittata, grapefruit, donuts, oatmeal bake – yes, please! Also, a big fan of being outside, audiobooks, true crime, house slippers, hotels, Valentine’s Day, fleece pullovers, and of course, avocados.”

She is the master mind behind Avocado Meal Plans. At the heart of Avocado Meal Plans is coming together around the table. She believes that at tend of the day serving a healthy meal is a beautiful way to serve our loved ones. Emma knows that taking her passion and knowledge for planning affordable, healthy meals gives moms more time to gather around the table with their families. You will be glad you checked out her meal plans and find yourself having more time to savor the people around your table.

I hope you have enjoyed this encouraging story from my friend Emma. To make things even more exciting there will be a giveaway up on IG inviting you to savor life everyday!
Gracefully,

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Kindred Spirits Book Friends

February 4, 2023February 4, 202311 Comments

by Rachel Dodge

Finding Kindred Spirits

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

I received this text from a dear friend who joined my family for dinner recently. She doesn’t have a family of her own to share meals with and her message reminded me to value something I typically take for granted. I’m fortunate to have nightly meals with my husband and two children. Around the table, we talk about our days, sometimes laughing, other times commiserating, but always sharing our lives together. While these meal times meet our physical needs, this table fellowship also meets our emotional and spiritual needs.Gathering around books has always been a natural and necessary part of my life. When I was little, my father read the newspaper to me after work while my mother cooked dinner. Before nap time, during long car rides, in doctor’s waiting room–even in the middle of the night with the chicken pox–my mother read whole books to us. Everywhere we went, she kept a book (usually atattered copy of one of Laura Ingalls’ Little House on the Prairie books) tucked under her arm. It didn’t matter where we’d left off last; she just opened the book and start reading.

I supposed you could say we were the original read-aloudrevival family!

As I got older, my parents and brother and I continued to read out loud, swap books, and talk about literature around the dinner table and everywhere else, but I rarely found other people who liked reading as much as I did—and certainly not the sweet, old-fashioned books I enjoyed. At school, I was the one with my nose in a book, the one who loved to dress up as favorite literary characters, the one who liked the “olden days.” In high school and college, I was the reader, the writer, and the English major. Everywhere I went, I always kept eyes peeled for “kindred spirits”—those who shared my love for beautiful books, charming characters, and heart-warming stories.

Perhaps that’s why I find it so enchanting to have found so many kindred spirits, in recent years, who love to gather online to talk about books. I kind of feel like Anne Shirley when she said, “Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” (Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery)

I used to think I just needed to grow up and let go of my quaint ideas about life and literature, but now I know that I just needed to find my people.

Thanks to the ability to gather online to discuss books, I now know I’m not the only one who loves old books and old-fashioned things. Other people love to read treasured classics over and over again, too! In fact, I found out that many people read for comfort, are “mood” readers like me, and love to discuss favorite books. Best of all, many of my bookish friends are also sisters in Christ, which means we get to fellowship together . . . and talk about books!

For those looking for ways to gather with others and foster genuine community around books, I think the best place to start is a buddy read (or group read-along). I’ll never forget readingLes Misérables in 2020 with a group of women from all around the world. That experience was epic in so many ways! I could have never slogged through it alone, but with my faithful reading buddies beside me, I knew I couldn’t give up. I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite books now, but I don’t know if I love Les Mis because it’s so good or because I have so many great memories attached to it. Gathering online like that for over six months was about so much more than just the challenge and victory of reading a really, really long novel; it was about grasping hands with other women across continents when the world was shut down and life was filled with heartache and unknowns.

‘Reading together creates community and friendship. It’s a way for women to connect with other women and do something that nourishes the mind and the soul. It’s a valuable investment for those who find deep connection with others through shared reading experiences.
Rachel Dodge

Since that first buddy read, I’ve continued to bond with awonderful group of bookish friends online. I’ve participated in buddy reads, launch teams, giveaways, and group chats. Many of the women I’ve met online have become my sister-friends and prayer partners. I have even met some them in person while traveling for vacations, events, and conferences!

Best of all, as an author of classics based devotional books, I also have the unique privilege of writing books that provide a space for women to gather together to talk about their favorite books and grow in their faith. I can’t imagine a more wonderful thing!

Books have provided a gathering place for me my whole life, and I’m so thankful. I honestly can’t imagine a life without books—or my bookish friends.

About the Author: Rachel Dodge is the bestselling author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Rachel’s newest book is The Secret Garden Devotional! Rachel teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for the popular Jane Austen’s World blog. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel enjoys books, bonnets, and ball gowns. You can find her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

I hope you have enjoyed this encouraging story from my friend Rachel. To make things even more exciting Rachel and I are so excited to partner for a Kindred Spirits Giveaway just in time for Galentine’s Day! Visit both of our IG communities and find how to enter there! Rachel’s IG

Gracefully,

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The Ministry of Table Fellowship

January 30, 2023January 30, 2023Leave a comment

by Rachael Adams

An Open Table Opens Up Hearts

“Thank you for welcoming me to your table. I can’t remember the last time I shared a meal like
this.”

The value of sharing meals with people was modeled by Jesus. We read about Him reclining at tables and hosting dinner parties along the shoreline. He had intimate gatherings with seven for breakfast (John 21) and with twelve at the last supper (Matthew 26). He also held larger gatherings, feeding crowds of five thousand (Mark 6) and four thousand (Mark 8) with a few fish and bread that He had multiplied.

The early church practiced coming to the table together just as Jesus did during His earthly ministry. This is one of the simplest ways the gospel spread. We read about this in the book of Acts as well as in another ancient source called the Didache. This early church document, compiled between 50-70 CE and used during the time before the four Gospels became prevalent, served as a practical manual to teach early church members how to live as followers of Jesus. Interestingly enough, the second largest section of the Didache focused on what believers did when they ate together at a table.

A man by the name of Thomas O’Laughlin who studied the Didache said this: “What set this community (the early church) apart was the sharing of food cut across the social stratifications of the ancient world and its dining practice. The poor and the rich ate together, the slave shared a table with their master, women ate with men, the outcast with the religiously pure, the Gentile sat next to the Jew, and all prayed to the Father and thanked Him for sending His Son.”

Isn’t this a beautiful picture? I imagine it’s a little taste of what heaven will be like—where we are all invited to the feast God is preparing for the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9). Everyone is welcome at God’s table, just as the early church invited and embraced everyone at their tables too. But do we do the same?

Who sits around our tables? My prayer and challenge for us is to invite people beyond our biological families to gather with us because we are all family in God’s eyes. It’s exciting to think about how our gatherings could eventually even add to the number in God’s family as happened through table fellowship in the days of the early church (Acts 2:47).

‘And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.’
Acts 2:46-47

Our tables could be the places God does His best work. We don’t have to be gourmet cooks to make a meaningful impact. Store-bought dinner or restaurant takeout can be as impactful as homemade because the significance of the meal lies not in the food but in the people and conversations we have. Whether it’s simple or extravagant, a meal can go a long way toward growing bonds of love between family and friends.

How will your table become your ministry? Invite someone to break bread with you and see what God will do. Because where two or three gather, God promises to be there with them also (Matthew 18:20).

Rachel is a writer, podcast host, and true southern mama. When she is not mothering her two children or navigating living out of an RV (true story), She’s dreaming up ways of how to remind women like you that your life matters.

Gracefully,

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The Secret Garden Devotional

December 27, 2022January 8, 2023Leave a comment

A chapter-by- chapter companion to the beloved Classic

Book Review in the Art of Gathering Series

Gathering Together Through Books

“I’m going to see everything grow here. I am going to grow here my self.”
Colin, The Secret Garden, Chapter 21

We all need a place to grow. I know you believe this too. It’s inherent in us and we know that the places where we grow healthy and strong are the places where we belong just for being there. We don’t have to prove ourselves or make others want us we simply are at rest and free to grow and become. Books were the first places to provide this knowledge for me. I began to grow in confidence believing that my story also belonged here with me. I was encouraged by stories like The Secret Garden, to believe that the past didn’t define my hope for a better future.

My friend Rachel has written a brilliant devotional companion to the this treasured story. She has a gift for writing Christ centered companion devotionals for our treasured reads. You can find my review for Little Women here and how it touched my heart as a young Mama. The timing of reading these devotionals has always amazed me, they have come into my life at a time when I needed a treasured story but also hope for the future amidst uncertainty. I know the pandemic is still fresh in our minds with all the uncertainty it held but the soothing balm of reading stories that ultimately point us to Jesus was a sweet gift. I first read through Anne of Green Gables and then through Little Women with our kiddos in our homeschool and I just smile at the cherished moments of togetherness and prayer.

Over the last few weeks I have been writing and inviting writers to share about their experience with gathering together in the good times and bad times. So, it just made me giddy to read that Chapter 21 in the devotional focused on the importance of gathering together and how it creates space for us to grow and thrive. I love how Rachel describes this, ” The secret garden in full bloom provides a picture the thriving Christian community God desires for each of us- a place where we can flourish and grow. the body of Christ isn’t trimmed and perfect; it’s full of variety and gifting and imperfections. It’s a place where weakness and growth coexist, burdens are shared, and hearts are tended…And where the family of God builds one another up and invites others in.” What a breath of fresh air, we are meant to be together for our benefit, the building of the Church, and for the glory of God.

‘And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.’
Acts 2:46-47

I urge you to pick up a copy of this gorgeous devotional as we head into the thick of winter. I know this sweet story along with the devotional will provide for you a lattice of hope on which to grow in endurance as you wait for spring. The deep roots that are built in community will not only tether you to truth but they will also nourish you in the dead of winter. Be encouraged Dear heart you are meant for belonging, community, and thriving.

Gracefully,

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