Story Warren

Kindling Imagination for Kingdom Anticipation

The Warren & The World Vol 11, Issue 30

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I made a conscious decision last week to set aside my many podcasts (all of which I really enjoy) for a time and focus instead on audiobooks in my car rides. I used to listen to audiobooks almost exclusively in the car, but the rise of the podcast pushed the habit aside and reserved it for road trips. But I found that I was missing long-form storytelling and decided that—for a little while at least—I’m back to being an audiobook gal. Currently I’m catching up on a few books from authors I’ll hear speak at a conference next month, but I also have the Lord of the Rings trilogy on my app ready for listening this fall. It’s been many years since I spent time in that series, and I’m looking forward to digging back in.

Around the Web

Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan

Janie at Redeemed Reader reviews Gail Donovan’s novel.

  • Sparrow Being Sparrow introduces a likeable heroine with some impulsive ways that are open to correction.
    Read more

Pulling a Dream into the Daylight: A Conversation with Wild Harbors

The Wild Harbors are friends of mine and musicians I enjoy. Their discussion of dreams is good fodder for exploring the idea.

  • Being a self-described dreamer, I can tell you that having a dream is a complex predicament.  It’s one of the strongest forces in our lives and sometimes gives us purpose and direction.  It can also be as fragile as a dried leaf, at times crumbling between our fingers to be blown away by the wind.  Dreaming isn’t just wishing on a star; it’s vision-casting, planning, implementing, perspiration, and perseverance.  And even those who take the right steps in the right order are not guaranteed that the dream won’t hit a dead end or a major detour.
    Read more

5 Reasons Your Family Needs a List of Values

Alicia Searl recommends creating a family motto or values.

  • Does your family have a list of values, standards, and expectations you strive to live by? Maybe it is a family motto, a few phrases, or particular Bible verses that are often said to help lead and direct your family. Why is this important, you may ask? Valid question. Why I can’t speak for everyone, I can tell you how having a list of values has shaped our own family. 
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How to Know if You’re Doing Enough 

Sarah Mackenzie explores that pesky word: enough.

  • There is one question that plagues every homeschooler: Am I doing enough?
    Have you asked yourself that lately? Maybe in the last 15 minutes? 🤪
    And here’s the kicker: we all ask it. Whether you’re relatively new to homeschooling or a seasoned veteran, we ask it on repeat.
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Around the Warren

Review: God, You Are

Millie Sweeny reviews William R. Osborne’s God, You Are: 20 Promises from the
Psalms for Kids.

  • Simple and beautifully illustrated, William R. Osborne’s God, You Are: 20 Promises from the
    Psalms for Kids is a small but worthy little volume. Based on twenty “You are _” prayers and
    praises from the Psalms, each identifier is drawn out into a simple meditation followed by a
    sentence prayer.
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Review: Hesselman’s The Golden Key

My friend Stephen Hesselman has created a wonderful graphic novel. E. G. Runyan reviews.

  • George MacDonald has been my favorite author since I was eleven years old, and he’s been in my reading life almost as long as C. S. Lewis has. Unfortunately, a lot of his works are hard to find, and when I have found them they often have typos or errors. I was delighted when The Rabbit Room began to release some of his short stories with beautiful illustrations and binding. 
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Some Keller Family Favorites

Kelly Keller shares some family favorites.

  • Last month we took a trip together, which gave me some extended time with our older kids. I asked them what they would say if I asked them about all-time classic picture books of their childhood. It was interesting to observe the difference between them and my younger kids; it almost appeared that they’d had an utterly different upbringing, even though there were just shy of eight years between oldest and youngest.
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Review: Beneath the Swirling Sky

Our own Carolyn Leiloglou has a new book out and Kathryn Butler reviewed it.

  • Have you ever lost yourself in a painting? Perhaps when looking at Monet’s haystacks you’ve heard the wind whispering through the grass, or when gazing at one of Renoir’s party scenes you could almost hear the clink of the glasses and the din of laughter. Maybe, dizzy and awestruck, you’ve steadied yourself against a wall before one of J.M.W. Turner’s seascape paintings, with the waves crashing against the prow of an imperiled ship and the sky broiling with storm clouds.
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Something to Do with Your Kids

Blowing up balloons with baking soda and yeast? Science and fun? Yes, please!

Something to Watch

A little bit of Fry and Laurie for you

Thanks for reading. We’re on your side. 

–The Story Warren Team

Carolyn Clare Givens
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