Someone told our lovely cool spring that summer had arrived and I would like a word with the management. This afternoon I spent an hour outdoors with a small team of people hanging vinyl banners on a construction fence—as one of our artists at church described it, we were “beautifying the construction process.” When you have to undergo massive renovations, you might as well bring some beauty into the process, right?

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Brewing Unlikely Friendships

Annie Beth Donahue considers a lesson she’s learning from a new novel.

• In Not to Be, the main character, Kathy Waters, is a literary young woman who lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her artist sister, Liz. Kathy is working full-time as a journalist at a local paper, and Liz is finishing up college while holding down a side job. Their neighborhood is slightly sketchy, their bank accounts are slightly pinchy, and they are running on dreams and caffeine. Faith and religion don’t even enter the equation when the definition of a good Sunday morning is sleeping in.
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*John Calvin’s Illustrated Institutes by Martin Williams and Joy Williams

You didn’t know you needed a graphic novel version of Calvin’s Institutes, did you?

• A graphic-novel version of Calvin’s Institutes? Why not? The authors begin at the beginning, with Calvin’s appeal to the King of France upon his book’s first appearance in 1535. Readers should already know something about the Reformation and the spiritual, social, and political upheaval it caused before cracking this book’s soft covers, but Calvin himself will take it from there. 
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40+ Bible Verses for Children—God’s Truth for Toddlers to Teens

A great resource for kids of all ages.

• Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us that our only weapon against the brokenness of our world is “the sword of the Spirit, that is the Word of God.” Scripture is often the anchor for my soul when life gets hard. As a parent, my greatest challenge and mission is to equip my kids to know where to turn when they see the struggles of the world. 
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Wasteful Thinking

Susan Bennett reminds us to keep our thinking on track.

• We have been hearing a lot lately about cutting wasteful spending from our nation’s budget to reduce the debt burden on taxpayers. But waste isn’t easy to trim—whether it’s extra pounds, finances, or even our thinking. Wait, what? Wasteful thinking? Who said anything about that?
  Yet, a person’s wasteful thinking can be just as burdensome as out-of-control spending or eating. The problems that arise when we neglect our thought life are huge—and sadly, some have eternal consequences.
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The Biggest Story Family Devotional

Théa Rosenburg reviews a lovely family devotional.

• Ages ago, when all of us moms had family blogs and the predominate color schemes were chocolate and teal—and chevrons were on everything—a friend and I had tea together while our combined half-dozen kids scattered Duplos around her house.
  “Have you ever noticed,” she asked, reflecting on her own blog, “how every time you post about something it stops happening?”
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He Loved the World: A Short Biography of E.B. White

Kelly Keller tells the tale of a beloved author.

• “‘Where’s Papa going with that axe?’ said Fern.”
  If you’ve read it, you recognize it. The opening line of Charlotte’s Web ranks among my very favorites. Behind the beloved story of best friends Charlotte and Wilbur is the man who created them: EB White. There are so many features of Charlotte’s Web that speak loudly about White’s real life: the pig, the farm, the barn floor, the spider, and a love affair with all of them.
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Something to Do with Your Kids

Need a family activity to fill the summer evenings? Check out these suggestions!

Something to Watch

What happens when you’ve got one chance to get a key video shot that you spent $10,000 on…and you miss pressing “record”? 

Thanks for reading. We’re on your side. 

–The Story Warren Team

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Carolyn Clare Givens

Carolyn Clare Givens is a displaced Northerner exploring the foreign ways of the South. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her literary cat, Lord Peter Wimsey. She's the author of The King's Messenger and Rosefire and in her free time helps run Bandersnatch Books.

You can find her at carolyncgivens.com or on Facebook or Instagram at @carolyncgivens.

Latest posts by Carolyn Clare Givens (see all)

• The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 38 - October 11, 2025
• The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 37 - October 4, 2025
• The Warren & The World Vol 13, Issue 36 - September 27, 2025