Story Warren

Kindling Imagination for Kingdom Anticipation

The Warren & The World Vol 12, Issue 24

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I’ve been watching a LOT of soccer the past few weeks, between the EuroCup and the Copa America. I’ve watched favored teams go home and underdogs make it further than expected. I’ve seen one of my favorites knock out early, and two other favorites make it to the final. The drama of international soccer is one of the best things in the world, and I commend it to you all. The finals of both tournaments are on Sunday, July 14. See if you can watch!

Around the Web

How to Have a Better Second Half of Your Life & Your Year

Ann Voskamp reminds us that second acts are valuable.

  • Turns out your second act can turn the whole story around. The second half of the year — or second act or half of your life. 
    And as long as there’s breath in the lung and any time on the clock, there’s always still time for the dream, for things to change, and there’s no such thing as too late.   
    Sure, the calendar may say that we’re just now half way through 2024, and who knows what your last birthday cake was saying about where you are in life, but the reality is that you can still all the regrets — because even now there is still time. 
    Read more

The Uncomfortable Art of Enjoying Poetry

Melissa Woodruff shares her uneasy journey into poetry.

  • Last week I was cleaning out our slimy kiddie pool with my 7 year old and we started taking turns saying silly rhyming sentences. It went something like this:
    This pool is slimy
    Don’t be whiny!
    Maybe we’ll find a frog
    Hopefully, not a hog!
    Mommy, you are so silly
    Maybe, but at least my name’s not Billy!
    This went on for a significant amount of time and the giggles that ensued were the highlight of my day, probably even my week. 
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Look up in Faith

Jessica Roan reminds us to lift our eyes.

  • It was another early morning. The 5:20 alarm went off as it always does, waking me for another day of teaching. On my way to school, I drove with my eyes fixed on the road, praying I would be ready to meet my twenty-six early morning students in just a few minutes. And then I saw it, a pinkish orange hue highlighting a sky full of cotton puffs. I couldn’t believe it. How many years had I been making this drive and I just now noticed?
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Cry the Beloved Country

Betsy at Redeemed Reader shares a starred review.

  • A modern classic, Cry, the Beloved Country movingly illustrates how faith and culture intersect in Apartheid-era South Africa.
    Read more

Around the Warren

How to Read Less This Summer

Carolyn Leiloglou has a new way to address the summer slide.

  • I’ve been there. I’ve heard all the statistics about “summer slide,” been anxious for my kids to love reading, gotten caught up in all the reading contest prizes. 
    Look, kids, free books! 
    But as a mom with older teens now, I’ve realized sometimes those reading contests can feel more like a burden than a gift to our children.
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Why You Should Read the Chronicles Of Narnia Again

Karis Anne has a recommendation for us: Narnia. Again. Here’s why:

  • I’ve always been puzzled when people tell me that they have read a book more than once.
    “It’s that good!” they might say, “I’ve read it five times! You should read it…”
    There are a lot of great books in the world, I always think to myself, and we can only read so many of them. So, why would I take the time to read the same book twice?
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Accidentally Raising Readers

Melissa Woodruff accidentally raised her kids to be readers.

  • As a parent, I have always desired to instill good and healthy habits in my children. I want them to have better habits than me. I want them to make better choices than me. I have invested so much time and energy in so many different areas to get them on board with these good habits and choices. I buy them bright-colored water bottles, hoping they will drink more water if they love them. I buy and make food with better quality ingredients hoping to give them healthier options and higher standards when they’re older and can make more of their own food choices. We take our kids to church and study the Bible with them as part of their homeschool day. We talk through all of the emotions and how to regulate and process them. I work so hard to do all of these things with the simple hope that some of it just might stick in the long run.
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I Think I Think A Lot

Théa Rosenberg reviews a picture book for overthinkers.

  • Bedtime at our house involves a fair amount of bustling, some snuggling, some tooth-brushing, and a lot of talking—so much talking. I like to joke that I’m a part-time counselor these days, now that all four girls are fluent conversationalists facing challenges that grow right along with them. Often the things they worry about step politely to the side during the day, when there is so much else going on. But at bedtime these worries stride down to the footlights and demand to be heard, and so one daughter or another will drift downstairs and sidle up to one of us, hoping we’ll ask them what’s wrong.
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Something to Do with Your Kids

Need some summer art fun for the whole family? This list purports to have the twelve best summer art activities for kids, so I recommend it as a starting point.

Something to Watch

If you’ve been around here for more than two years, you might remember my obsession with videos of the Olympics. Saddle up—more are coming. But before we start, let’s take a look back. My coworker hadn’t ever seen the 2008 Men’s 4×100 Free Relay and I had to show her this week. Which reminded me just how awesome that moment was.

Thanks for reading. We’re on your side. 

–The Story Warren Team

Carolyn Clare Givens
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