My cat has, I think, forgiven me for leaving town last week. Or—at least—he’s determined to make sure I know he’s here. He’s been meowing or chirruping at me all day and now is looking at me from the floor, considering jumping on my laptop. I think everything is back to normal.

Around the Web
6 Prayers of Gratitude for Moms
Alicia Searl points our hearts toward thankfulness.
- Have you ever been in communion with God and truly wondered if He understood the depths of your gratitude? I know I have. Many times, I feel so abundantly blessed as I look around at His faithfulness and endless promises, especially as I watch my three daughters grow up, that it seems a simple “thank you” isn’t nearly enough.
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Alyosha Karamazov and Janner Igiby: Answering the Call to Faith and Sacrifice
Jackson Greer draws connections between Dostoevsky and the Wingfeather Saga.
- Fyodor Dostoevsky’s masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov, opens with the above verse from John’s Gospel. In his preface, Dostoevsky notes that while Alyosha Karamazov is the story’s protagonist, he is, by the author’s own admission, “no great man.” Alyosha is eccentric, but if the reader can withhold certain judgements, then they’ll learn much from the monastic novice. In a dark world surrounded by troubled characters and circumstances, the humble Alyosha offers a small but powerful light.
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Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung
Betsy at Redeemed Reader reviews Kevin DeYoung’s new book.
- Impossible Christianity is a breath of fresh air for those Christians feeling weighed down by false guilt over unbiblical expectations.
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Idioms in Children’s Books to Make You Laugh, Think, & Wonder
Geralyn Westervelt dig into fun idiom books.
- Let’s not beat around the bush, idioms can be confusing. If the thought of explaining or teaching idioms makes you feel like you are up the creek without a paddle, don’t despair. Here are wonderful children’s books to help you wrap your head around it.
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Around the Warren
The Mountain of God
Millie Sweeny reminds us to lift our eyes.
- Our current home rests in a valley, a green and lush space between two stretching mountain ranges. The peaks rest in the background, shadows against every sunset and sunrise, and we mark the changing of the seasons by the snow they gather. My kitchen window looks northeast where, across the fields, rises Mount Jefferson. It is rough, tall, a western rock-and-snow wilderness that stands in contrast to the green, green valley.
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The Heroines of Emma Fox
Lindsey Murphy introduces us to Emma Fox.
- I have a conundrum. Perhaps you’re in a similar pickle.
(I’ve talked to many of you out there about this issue, so I feel like I’m in good company.)
I have a daughter that is a voracious reader. She’s 12 now, and she’s been through Narnia, Middle Earth, and Avonlea. She knows all the American Girls, has read the whole Rabbit Room canon, (Wingfeather, Wilderking, Green Ember, Fiddler’s, etc.). She’s existed for months in the worlds of Harry Potter and Keeper of the Lost Cities. Katniss is old news, and Laura Ingalls Wilder was so 3rd grade. She’s devoured the Gateway Chronicles (put that one on your radar if it’s not) and much of what Read Aloud Revival, Redeemed Reader, and Story Warren has recommended so far.
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Here Shall Your Proud Waves Be Stayed
Kathryn Butler reflects on a hard season.
- Our family had a rough summer.
It began typically enough. The hurried school wrap-up of mid-June ceded to languid, lazy days, replete with swim lessons, books, and sticky watermelon slices on the back patio. When July struck, however, grief stormed into our lives, barreling in as if riding astride the broiling summer thunderheads. One dear friend died suddenly. Then another. Then another dear friend suffered a devastating loss. Then yet another endured the same. One after the next, tragedy struck those we love like waves rolling in and shattering against the shore.
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Book Club for Kids: No Stress Fun with Stories and Friends
Rebekah Levake provides a guide for fun with stories and friends.
- Last fall my boys and I made an early morning run to the dollar store to buy 21 balloons. We ended up standing behind the counter helping the lone, frazzled worker with our unusual order. One cut the string, one tied the string, two held our growing bunch of brightly colored balloons. When we got home we tied them in groups of two and three onto the backs of the sunroom chairs. That being done we were ready to welcome our book club friends in to wrap up the discussion of –can you guess the name of the book? – The Twenty-One Balloons!
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Something to Do with Your Kids
Interested in making your own homemade candy as we head into the holiday season? Here’s a great guide to get started.
Something to Watch

- The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 4 - February 1, 2025
- The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 3 - January 25, 2025
- The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 2 - January 18, 2025
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