Sleeth, Nancy. Almost Amish: One Woman’s Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2012.

Anyone who has visited an Amish community or read one of the plethora of Amish novels that are quite popular these days has wondered what it might be like to live like the Amish away from the hustle and bustle, fast paced world we live in. For most of us that wish will always remain just that. However, in her recent book, Nancy Sleeth shares how her family has chosen to become, in her words Almost Amish and live a simpler, slower-paced life. Nancy serves as co-director along with her husband of the organization Blessed Earth an educational nonprofit that inspires and equips people of faith to become better stewards of the earth.

Books on simplicity, sustainable living, buying local, reducing your footprint, clearing the clutter, reducing dependence on technology, enjoying nature more, and getting out of debt are everywhere you look these days. In Almost Amish, Nancy Sleeth takes a smidgen of all of these resources and adds a large dollop of why these topics are important to God and should be important to believers. As the title indicates, Sleeth draws frequently on examples from the Amish community. Yet, she does not suggest we all need to become Amish. Instead, she provides lessons we all may learn from the Amish including a theological statement which grounds the Amish practice and then suggests how average Americans can incorporate these practices into their own lives. While encouraging readers to take steps towards simpler, sustainable living, Sleeth does not disparage those who are not yet ready to take drastic steps and instead encourages readers to take small steps, working their way toward the goal of being Almost Amish.

Many of the suggestions given in this book are not completely new. Suggestions include the typical get rid of excess clutter and possessions, not going into debt, paring your calendar of activities, and enjoying nature. Shopping local and supporting local businesses are encouraged both as part of being simple and building community among friends and neighbors. The importance of school is encouraged alongside the caveat of not letting school run your family’s life. A strong dose of service to God and others is encouraged which fits with the emphasis on being involved in your community and a fellowship of believers, as well as having strong family ties. A newer idea includes being conscious of technology use and setting health boundaries with technology. Sleeth indicates she has chosen not to use FaceBook or Twitter although she uses the internet quite frequently for their organization. Obviously, I have chosen to use FaceBook and Twitter as a means to review this book.

Almost Amish is recommended for libraries where Amish romances are popular. Study groups who are interested in simpler living may find this a useful resource to study and implement together. In fact, much of what Sleeth suggests would be easier to implement in a community of like-minded individuals. Additional resources and tip sheets are available on their website for further study.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blessed Earth. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Traveler's Guide to the Kingdom

White, James Emery. A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom: Journeying Through the Christian Life. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012.

Reading A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom felt like sitting down with a friend to look through travel photos and hear the adventures and experiences which accompany the pictures. The travelogue includes places ranging from North Carolina to abbeys, cathedrals, museums, and a pub in Europe, and finally a monastery and museum in Africa. Each stop on this tour is specially selected for its significance to the Christian life.

As is often true when hearing of someone’s travels, the reader’s first response is to want to pack their bags and visit these places in person. However, short of going on an extended leave of absence from work and inheriting a tidy sum of money, most readers will not be able to do so immediately. While saving money for future travels, readers would be encouraged to delve deeper into the concepts presented. Many chapters note spiritual disciplines to practice or other actions to take to help individuals further their journey on the Christian life. The astute reader will turn from this book to the many sources mentioned throughout the narrative or listed in the notes.

The most pleasurable aspect of reading A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom is White’s warm, friendly, pastoral tone. Reading felt like chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. Throughout the book, White is very personable and transparent. In the course of relating several adventures, White openly shares his experiences as well as less than holy thoughts and actions. Doing so portrays him as a fellow traveler who has gone before rather than a tour guide.

A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom is recommended for book clubs, study groups, or individuals. With a brief nine chapters, a group or individual could choose to use each chapter as a spring board to further study and exploration into the person or ideas presented. Future editions could be enhanced by the addition of study or discussion questions and a recommended reading list for those interested in pursuing the ideas further.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Church & Culture. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Why I Love Being a Librarian

I serve on the school board for the K-8 elementary school my children go to. The individual who is currently serving as the part-time librarian recently asked for assistance in locating a system to automate the library's small collection. I researched several products and found some nice reviews. I also sent a query to several library related listservs I'm on to get some feedback from various users. The response was absolutely amazing in that I received multiple suggestions from a variety of librarians who currently serve in school libraries or are familiar with the needs of schools and other very small libraries. Today, I was completely blown away in that the librarian whom I've never met and lives in another state and who authored a review of a particular automation system emailed to give her input. After a few emails back and forth, she offered to provide consulting services via email as well. It happens that the product she reviewed is at the top of the short list I presented to our school system as suggested products and is reasonably priced as well so it is quite likely I will have questions for her. This is yet another example of the ways in which fellow librarians have responded to random questions posed to assist with purchasing decisions, technology help, and other needs. I hope I have been able to assist other librarians in similar ways.

104 Days of Summer Vacation

Actually, at our house summer vacation is only 89 days, but that doesn’t quite sound as cool. As of yesterday, my children are officially 2nd and 5th graders and our summer has started! Our summer kicked off with a quick trip to Chicago along with my daughter’s friend on Wednesday. All the kids had a great time although mom and dad were definitely worn out but the end. A variety of activities are on the summer agenda for the kids. I like to keep them busy enough that they keep learning and have fun, yet allow enough down time that they are ready to go back to school in August. My son's first question after getting his report card was if we can do "mommy school." We use that opportunity to review the last year's concepts and get a bit ahead on the next year. Both children will be attending a variety of camps including 4-H camp, church camp, and Cub Scout camp. We plan to do some camping as a family as well. Of course, if you are going camping that also means a lot of swimming and swimming lessons. Other mainstays of our summer are Vacation Bible School and participating in the summer library reading program. Both kids will also spend a week at grandma's house on the farm. Our oldest will spend a lot of time working on her 4-H projects. We signed up for quite a few, but fortunately, there is some overlap between projects. I’m really excited to supervise a vast amount of cookie baking (and eating) for her foods project. She also has a sewing project, several animal projects, child development, citizenship, leadership, photography, and several nature related projects. We will begin working on my son’s Wolf Cub Scout requirements for next year as well. Fortunately, a number of the requirements are activities that are easily incorporated into summer fun such as planting a vegetable garden and flower and planning an outdoor meal. Both kids have been troopers in helping to plant and weed our vegetable garden which has moved from our front yard to a community garden plot. Our front yard is going back to a more respectable flower garden. The highlight of our summer is our planned summer vacation in July, but we’ll keep that destination under wraps for another post. Of course, countless other activities will be experienced “before school starts this fall!”

Dictionary of Christian Spirituality

Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, just released by Zondervan, is another wonderful addition to their growing line of reference works. General Editor, Glen G. Scorgie of Bethel Seminary San Diego, along with Consulting Editors Simon Chan, Gordon T. Smith, and James D. Smith pulled together over 200 contributors which include most of the top names in the field of Christian spirituality/spiritual formation.

Upon hearing dictionary, individuals usually think of an A to Z list of terms and subjects. Dictionary of Christian Spirituality includes this and so much more. Upon first opening this volume, readers will find the first 240 pages of the book actually consist of 34 chapters which introduces major concepts and provides a brief historical introduction and insights into the future growth of this field. Each chapter in this section titled “Integrative Practice” is written by experts in the field and includes through works cited and further reading suggestions. This section would lend nicely to being used as a textbook for an introduction to Christian Spirituality class.

The remainder of the 850+ page volume contains standard entries on every topic one can think of concerning Christian spirituality and many more. Topics include not only historical and current spiritual masters, spiritual disciplines, and a variety of theological concepts but also a variety of topics related to the fields of Christian counseling. Careful attention has been made to include a broad cross-section of topics from around the globe and from many theological streams. Each entry is a minimum of one column long with several extending to several pages in length. Each entry is signed and most include suggestions for further reading. Extensive see also suggestions are included to assist readers in making the most of this book.

The combination of the typical dictionary entries and the integrative practice section makes this volume useful for a variety of contexts. As indicated previously, this volume would be highly useful as a textbook. However, unlike many textbooks, at the end of the course this volume would continue to be valuable as a reference tool. Users will find themselves reaching for this volume repeatedly as a companion when reading other works or preparing lessons and sermons. Dictionary of Christian Spirituality is highly recommended as a inter-disciplinary work which will be useful to anyone who is serious about becoming more like Christ.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Zondervan (via Koinonia blog) for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Whirlwinds of Fall

Fall has started with a bang. In between the new school year for the kids and the new school year at the higher education institutions my husband and I both work at, August is come and gone before we know it and now September is almost at the half-way mark.

Beyond the hubbub of school beginning, we also have the difficult decisions of what extra-curricular activities to have the kids participate in. Boy child is finishing up flag football through the Y this week. We're glad he was able to play but don't think he'll want to play again. Later this week we are checking out Cub Scouts as he ventures into the world of organized activities. Girl child has changed piano teaches which seems to be going well. She is also continuing in 4-H and horse back riding lessons. The big question mark in her life right now is whether to add Girl Scouts to the mix as well. A great deal depends on when the troop meets although there is an individual option. We're trying desperately to have balance but yet offer a variety of opportunities to allow the children to explore a variety of experiences. Their activities combined with the community involvement and outside of work activities my husband and I are involved in makes for a very busy life. The question is do I want to look back and regret we didn't participate or regret that we didn't spend time at home?

Regrets of Summer

I've concluded that summer is my least favorite season. I enjoy the many opportunities summer can provide for camping, vacation, gardening, bike riding, and enjoying the outdoors. Unfortunately, life seems to afford little opportunity for those activities. For me personally, that's not too big of a deal. The larger regret comes for my children. I regret that since I work, and I do have to work through the summer, my children don't get the opportunity for just plain down time in the summer to ride their bicycles (which neither can ride yet), go swimming, go to the park, and just hang out. Although I know I have the three day weekend during June and July, I find that extra day is filled up with housework and garage sales instead of summer fun. Summers were different for me as a kid since I lived in the country and had more freedom. However, I really would like for my kids to look back at summer as enjoyable instead of simply going to the sitters house everyday.