The Chosen: A Novel by Chaim Potok

As my daughter started digging into the Hebrew language, I remembered Chaim Potok’s beautiful book, The Chosen, which follows to young Jewish boys in their journey of friendship in New York City during World War II. This book provides a glimpse into two different Jewish families as they wrestle with retaining their faith and religious…

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Surprised By Oxford: A Memoir

“A favorite former teacher of mine claimed that books become more alive not only when read, but when shared,” says Carolyn Weber in the beautifully transparent memoir of her journey in finding the Lord, Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir. A sweet friend shared this book with me, and I totally agree with Weber’s teacher. The…

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Gearing Up for Gardening

While we are far from professional or even proficient gardeners, we try to grow herbs and vegetables every year. Our yard doesn’t offer much room for these endeavors, so we must get creative. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite resources that I look to when planning out our garden.  We recently ran across this…

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Our New Home Library: Making Room for Creative Pursuits

In 2017 we enclosed our back patio to create a home library where we could homeschool our children. It has been such a blessing in so many ways, but it’s time for a change. My youngest is nearing the end of her high school education, which means I’m nearing the end of my homeschooling career—or…

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Betsy Strauss: By the Books

I recently ran across this interview with Wendell Berry, an author I thoroughly respect, and while I’m not a well-published author, these questions are just the kind that I like to know about people. His answers surprised and challenged me, and I thought it would be fun to share my answers to these questions with…

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