I knew little about St Francis of Assisi until I went through a spiritual crisis a few years ago. I was burnt out on church ministry, disillusioned with church, fed up with evangelical subculture, tired of not being able to voice my doubts and questions without being labeled a ‘backslider,’ not to mention weary of telling people that just because I was a Christian wasn’t an ipso facto admission I voted Republican, owned assault weapons, or hated gay people.

At the height of my faith meltdown a friend invited me to visit him at his home in Bermuda to pray about whether I should remain in ministry or not. While packing I saw an unread copy of GK Chesterton’s St Francis of Assisi on my bookshelf, and without much thought threw it in my bag.

Over the course of the next week, I devoured it three times. It was a game changer. St Francis helped me realize how narrow my vision of Christianity had been. The more I read about him the more I thought, “If this is what being a Christian in ministry looks like, count me in.” More importantly, his life gave me a vision for how we might reverse our culture’s increasing disdain for Christianity, and inspired me to write the book Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale to share that vision with others.

So who was this winsome saint Time Magazine ranked 9th on the list of the most important people of the last millennia, whom Jack Kerouac dubbed the patron saint of the Beat Generation, and historian Sir Kenneth Clark called “Europe’s greatest religious genius?” What made him so extraordinary?

He rescued the Church from collapse.

Scandals wracked the church in the 13th century. Sexual misbehavior and shamelessly opulent lifestyles among clergy were commonplace. Christian leaders made the name of Jesus into a brand that helped move lucrative products (e.g. indulgences, relics, etc.), corrupt involvement in power politics, and encouraging people to kill Muslims to secure their salvation, led people to distrust the church, and by association, the gospel itself.

In response, Francis began a movement that restored people’s love for the person and message of Jesus, gave people reason to trust the church again, and brought a revival to Europe, the effects of which last to the present day.

How’d he do it? By more nearly mirroring the life of Jesus than anyone since New Testament days.

What would Francis tell us to do if we wanted to overcome the jaded impression our culture has of Christianity and the church?

Extravagant Love for the Poor

Francis and his followers were renowned for radically identifying with the plight of the poor. Their willingness to step directly into their world silenced critics of the church and the gospel.

When it comes to materialistic lifestyles, Christians and non-Christians are hard to tell apart these days. Why would anyone believe “Jesus is enough” when they see us “mall trawling” like everyone else; hoping some new purchase will fill our own gnawing sense of spiritual dis-ease?

If we want the contemporary church to flourish, Francis would tell us what he told his fellow friars, “It is faster to get to heaven from a hut than a palace.”

Peacemaking

Francis recovered the early church’s commitment to non-violence.

He traveled to Egypt hoping to forge a truce between Christian Crusaders and Muslims. Francis made the refusal to bear arms a condition of membership in his Order, a move that dramatically reduced violence in the Europe of his day.

Do we want to restore the credibility of the gospel in a culture that ‘s increasingly cynical toward our message? If so, Francis would tell us to turn our attention back to the early churches ministry of reconciliation, and make peacemaking at home and abroad a priority.

Love for Creation

Francis knew from scripture that all of creation, not just human beings, was waiting, groaning in expectation for the restoration of all things. This is why we hear one story after another about his beautiful, personal interactions with animals, how he preached birds, and befriended wolves. Whether these stories are factual or not is immaterial, they reveal an amazing theology of creation.

How might adopting Francis’ understanding of our relationship to the natural world reduce people’s impression that we are apathetic toward climate change, which is arguably the greatest crisis we face at the moment?

Contemplative Spirituality

One of the contemporary church’s problems is its uneasiness, and often outright, rejection of Christianity’s contemplative heritage. As vital as a rich intellectual life and the study of theology are to our faith, theological reflection alone cannot yield produce transformation. Fortunately, our tradition brims with the wisdom of contemplatives and, dare I say mystics, who wrote about the why’s and how’s of spiritual union with God.

Francis, a mystic himself, would advise the present-day church to revisit the practices and teachings of John Cassian, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Brother Lawrence, Jean Pierre de Caussade, Simone Weil and Evelyn Underhill, among others. People are hungry not only for good biblical teaching but for rich experiential encounters with the living God. Are we ready to lay aside our prejudice against the teachings of our contemplative mothers and fathers, and integrate their practices into our daily lives?

“Rebuild My Church!”

St Francis of Assisi’s ministry began when he heard Jesus say to him, “Francis, rebuild my church, don’t you see it’s in disrepair?” I would argue Jesus is saying the same today.

We are living in a kairos moment; a time when our culture is facing many of the same challenges St Francis faced in his era. Is it time we stopped thinking about what new, hip gimmick will reverse the momentum of our demise and look back to someone who succeeded in bringing revival to a church in crisis? As my friend Bob Webber said before his death, “The road to the future runs through the past.” Maybe it’s time to read a few pages from Francis’ playbook.
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Ian Morgan Cron is the author of the book Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale. His spiritual memoir Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me…A Memoir…of Sorts was a WSJ bestseller. He lives with his wife Anne and three kids in Franklin, TN.

Need some ideas for books that no only keep the kids entertained, but also strengthen their reading skills and encourage them spiritually? We have some suggestions that would be great to share with your children:

Always Daddy’s Princess by Karen Kingsbury, illustrated by Valeria Docampo

From New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, a new children’s book about a very special father-daughter relationship.

A new children’s book by New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury poignantly captures the unique bonds of a daddy-daughter relationship and chronicles them in a fresh and engaging light. In Always Daddy’s Princess, Kingsbury’s playful, emotive prose follows a girl’s journey from birth to childhood to motherhood, illuminating her father’s supportive presence every step of the way.

Told through tea parties, soccer games, braces, and boys-and enriched by the whisper of God’s scripture on each beautifully illustrated page-young girls and their dads will see the treasured dimensions of their relationships reflected in this story and will be reminded of the many blessings they share.

An inspired addition to popular princess-themed titles, Always Daddy’s Princess offers a rich, spiritual alternative to more secular offerings. Perfect for gift giving and special occasions, this book can serve as a treasured keepsake as well as a compelling reminder of the influence a loving father can have in his daughter’s life and the supportive guidance found in God’s Word.

Dead Man’s Hand by Eddie Jones

Adventure and suspense thrill in The Caden Chronicles, a new series for kids ages 9-12 by award-winning author Eddie Jones. The series launches with Dead Man’s Hand and introduces fifteen-year-old Nick Caden as he travels with his family on a ghost town vacation, where travelers become part of the show. But within an hour of arriving, Nick’s convinced he’s witnessed a real murder. With the help of “Annie Oakley” and Nick’s newfound detective skills, Nick tries to figure out if he’s seeing ghosts or just losing his marbles.

A hilarious new series with unforgettable characters, The Caden Chronicles leaves readers anxious for the next installment, as Nick tries to figure out what’s real and what’s imagined. It’s hard to find answers when everyone thinks you’re going crazy, including your parents.

Jones offers a compelling tale that draws kids today, filled with real issues of faith and biblical truth, plus intriguing twists, turns and edge-of-your seat suspense, great for reluctant readers. Parents can also trust the wisdom carefully woven into these tales, featuring a teen kids can relate to-a guy with a great sense of humor and an imperfect but loving family.

The Blue Door by Christa Kinde

ZonderKidz launches an exciting supernatural series for kids 11 and up. The Blue Door, the first book in The Threshold Series, introduces Prissie Pomeroy, a teen who discovers she can see what others cannot: angels all around. Even more startling is the surprising secret she uncovers about people she thought she knew. As she wrestles with this unexpected ability she must come to grips with the spiritual battles surrounding her. Especially when she learns she received this gift because God has a unique role for her in his bigger plan. But if she’s to fulfill it, she’ll need faith like never before.This exciting debut by author Christa Kinde draws on the rapidly growing interest in angel stories, an emerging trend in teen and preteen supernatural novels. Boys and girls alike will appreciate her gifted storytelling that captures their imagination with things beyond human sight. And parents will appreciate the family-friendly tone and godly messages maintained throughout this intriguing tale of adventure and spiritual warfare.

Raising the Bar by Garbielle Douglas

After competing in the 2012 London Olympics and winning two gold medals, Gabrielle Douglas’s life changed forever … but in many important ways, it stayed the same. Inside these pages, Gabrielle shares an inside look at her day-to-day world, from the things that are still important to her—time with her friends and family, her favorite comfort foods, and her training routine—as well as what’s it’s like to suddenly walk the red carpet and interviewed by various people. Along the way, Gabrielle also offers tips on how you can raise the bar on your life and accomplish your dreams. Through candid photos taken by Gabrielle to exclusive images taken behind the scenes, experience what it’s like to be an Olympic Champion and a normal teenage girl balancing a life in the spotlight with a life in the gym.

The Berenstain Bear Storybook Bible by Jan & Mike Berenstain

Join Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear as they read favorite Bible stories together as a family and imagine what it would have been like to see Adam and Eve in the garden, watch Noah build the ark, and listen as Jesus tells a parable to the people. Told with words and pictures in the beloved Berenstain style, twenty-three Old and New Testament stories come alive for young readers.

I’m worn-out and the house is ragged, but my mind and heart are full from last night’s little celebration for Brannon’s baby, the fourth Cooking Club shower in a year.

It was a lovely, wild night—babies everywhere, dishes sprawled all over the kitchen, platters of brisket and plates of macaroons fighting for space among wineglasses and forks and ramekins that used to hold bread pudding.

Brannon insisted it wasn’t a shower—she insisted on no invitations, no fuss, nothing formal or showery. But we reminded her that she’s not the boss of us, and if we wanted to celebrate her baby boy, we could celebrate all we wanted. A compromise was reached: Cooking Club as usual, with a few extra friends and a special “mini” theme to celebrate the new mini-man who would join our little family in a few months.

The Cooking Club began when Aaron and I moved back to Chicago from Grand Rapids three years ago.

There are six of us—my cousins Melody and Amanda, who are sisters and both teachers; our friend Casey, whom Melody and I have known since junior high; Brannon, my stylish and sophisticated college roommate and dear friend; and Margaret, an actor and screenwriter and friend from church. Our friend from South Haven, Josilyn, was an original member until she moved away.

We meet once a month, and sometimes more, and whoever’s hosting picks the theme and cooks the main course, and then the rest of us fill in around that — appetizers, sides, desserts. Or at least that’s how we started. It’s a little looser now. Amanda tends to remind us of the themes we keep saying we want to do. Melody and Casey cook main courses. I tend toward appetizers and side dishes. Amanda almost always does a salad and a dessert, often an ice cream. Margaret is also a baker, and Brannon always brings cocktails.

True to form, on that night, Melody brought mini-brisket sandwiches on soft white buns, and Margaret made tiny ramekins of chocolate chip bread pudding. I made mini mac & cheeses and cups of tomato soup with little grilled cheese sandwiches balancing on top. Casey poured her famous green goddess dressing into the bottoms of juice glasses, then filled the glasses with raw veggies — slim carrots and celery and cucumber. Our friend Emily came in from Michigan with mini loaves of her grandmother’s poppy seed cake, which I requested because I love it, especially with coffee, for breakfast.

There’s always a little chaos right when everyone arrives— bringing in hot dishes, shrugging off coats, lifting babies out of car seats.

We bump the oven temp up and down; we go into one another’s drawers for knives and cutting boards and platters. We chop herbs, assemble sandwiches, dress and toss salads. The once-empty spaces of our homes become overrun with baskets, coats, shoes, things we’ve borrowed and are now returning, cake plates, baby clothes, cookbooks. We swirl around each other, hugging hello, opening wine, lifting down glasses from the highest shelves.

Mel and Amanda are always early. Margaret is always late. Mel, Brannon, and I all collect red Le Creuset pans and bakeware, so it can get a little confusing, but Casey has orange everything, so you can always tell what’s hers. Brannon is always arriving with what seems like a truckload of furniture and bags—things she’s bringing for us to borrow, things she picked up at the store that reminded her of one of us, bassinets and baby slings and bottles.

That afternoon, as I got the house ready for Brannon’s “don’t-call-it-a-shower” shower, I thought that even though the Cooking Club always, always sits around the table, this time it might be nice to sit in the living room. I moved furniture, made a place for presents, and set up a buffet on the round table in the living room.

When everyone was assembled, when there was a fork or serving spoon on each platter and everything was sliced and warm and ready, I tried to move everyone to the living room, and it just didn’t work. I kept urging them toward the buffet, toward the couches and chairs in the living room. Finally, though, I admitted defeat, and we pulled a love seat up to the dining room table for extra seating and settled in happily.

That’s where we belong, it seems—around the table.

When Josilyn moved to Haiti, she wrote us a letter to say good-bye. And in that letter she wrote this line: I can’t imagine life without a table between us. Yes. Yes. Exactly that. I can’t imagine life without a table between us. The table is the life raft, the center point, the home base of who we are together.

It’s those five faces around the table that keep me sane, that keep me safe, that protect me from the pressures and arrows and land mines of daily life. And it isn’t because we do all the same things, live all the same ways, believe all the same things.

We are single and married, liberal and conservative, runners and adamant nonathletes, mothers and not. Those of us who are mothers do it differently, from cry-it-out to family bed, from stay-at-home to full-time work. Around this table we’ve mourned the loss of eight pregnancies, and even as I write those words, it seems a cruel and unusual number.

We’ve gone to funerals and birthday parties together, reported bad test results, gotten advice about sick kids, made trips to the ER, walked together through postpartum depression. We’ve visited each other’s babies in the hospital, and we’ve brought over meals and sleepers and blankets. We’ve talked about faith and fear and fighting with our husbands, sleeping through the night and anxiety and how to ask for help when we need it.

On the hardest days, when Brannon’s daughter Emme had surgery, or when Casey’s stepdad passed away, when something breaks apart or scares us, we send around a quick group email, even as our hands are shaking, even while the pain is slicing. We fill everyone in, ask for prayer, let everyone know how they can help with meals or with the kids, and at the end of the email, someone always says, Thanks for being my people.

Or, Glad you’re my people. Or, What would I do without my people?

That’s what this is about. This isn’t about recipes. This is about a family, a tribe, a little band of people who walk through it all together, up close and in the mess, real time and unvarnished.

And it all started around the table, once a month and sometimes more. We bump into one another in the kitchen, sliding pans in and out of the oven, setting and resetting the timer. We know one another’s kitchens by heart — where Casey keeps her knives and how many pans will fit in Brannon’s oven. It seems like we’ve been meeting together forever, but we realized last night that it’s been three years this month, and that’s worth remembering for me—that it doesn’t take a decade, and it doesn’t take three times a week.

Once a month, give or take, for three years, and what we’ve built is impressive—strong, complex, multifaceted. Like a curry or boeuf bourguignon, something you cook for hours and hours, allowing the flavors to develop over time, changing and deepening with each passing hour on the heat.

You don’t always know what’s going to come of it, but you put the time in anyway, and then, after a long, long time, you realize with great clarity why you put the time in: for this night, for these hours around the table, for the complexity and richness of flavors that are so lovely and unexpected you’re still thinking about them the next day.

That’s how I am today, still kind of mesmerized by last night, by the taste of Amanda’s butterscotch budino and the little pile of baby clothes for the boy who will be born later this month, by the laughter and the baby noises, by the faces of my people, feeling like this is what life is for, this is what Sunday nights are for, this is what the table is for.

Mini Mac & Cheese

This is a mash-up of Grace Parisi’s three-cheese mini macs from Food & Wine and another Food & Wine macaroni & cheesecalled, appropriately enough, Macaroni and Cheese.1

Be generous when you dust the Parmesan, both in the empty cups and on top, because that’s what holds them together—that and the egg yolk.

These can be made gluten-free, obviously, by using brown rice or corn pasta, which is usually what I do. Watch the cook time on the pasta, as gluten-free pastas seem to be a little more unpredictable than conventional pastas.

Ingredients
½ pound elbow macaroni (or 4 cups cooked)
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for pan
1 tablespoon Dijon
2 dashes Tabasco
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese Smoked paprika

Instructions:
In a pot of boiling water, cook the macaroni for about 5 minutes, to just al dente, which is just a touch firmer than how
you’d like to eat it. Drain.

Brush mini muffin pan with melted butter, then sprinkle half the grated Parmesan into the muffin cups.

On medium-low heat, warm butter and cheddar cheese, and whisk till smooth.

Off heat, add Dijon, Tabasco, egg yolk, and whisk again.

Add macaroni and mix until well coated with cheese.

Spoon into muffin cups, making them slightly rounded and packing them lightly. Top with grated Parmesan.

Bake at 425 for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden on top.

Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving, because they will set as they cool. Sprinkle with smoked paprika.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKES: 24 mini macs — the perfect amount for an appetizer at a dinner party for 8. For a cocktail party, double the recipe, using a whole box (1 pound) of pasta.

“Three-Cheese Mini Macs” recipe, first published in Food & Wine magazine, December 2007; “Macaroni and Cheese” recipe; first published in “Quick from Scratch Pasta,” 1996.

Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. Written by well-loved writer and blogger, Shauna Niequist, this is a funny, honest, and vulnerable spiritual memoir about our life around the table—the celebrations, traditions, and experiences that we share, and the ways God teaches and nourishes us as we nourish the people around us.

Shauna Niequist is the author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread and Wine. Shauna grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and then studied English and French literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. As an author and blogger, Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life—friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God. Shauna is married to Aaron, who is a pianist and songwriter. Aaron is a worship leader at Willow Creek and is recording a project called A New Liturgy. Aaron and Shauna live outside Chicago with their sons, Henry and Mac.

On the surface, everything’s quiet. Peaceful as a summer day. Mrs. Naomi Pomeroy and her children are running errands on Main Street—post office, bakery, library, bookstore, pharmacy. Seven-year-old Prissie and her brothers only see what any of us would expect from a small town. But there’s more going on than meets the eye, for an invisible battle rages around them.

Angels All Around is a Threshold Series prequel that takes readers back seven years, to that providential summer day when little Miss Prissie Pomeroy first meets the town’s brand new mailman. Readers of The Blue Door will recognize two of West Edinton’s angels-incognito, Harken Mercer and Milo Leggett. But what makes this story especially special is that it crosses over with Rough and Tumble, the Threshold Series companion story that updates every weekday on my website.

There’s a natural overlap. Rough and Tumble follows the adventures—and misadventures—of a young Guardian named Ethan, the newest member of the Hedge surrounding the Prissie’s family’s farm. He’s Zeke Pomeroy’s guardian angel, and as Angels All Around opens, Ethan is distracted by worries for his little charge. So much so, that he doesn’t react quickly enough when the Fallen swarm out of the shadows and attack.

Pain seared across Ethan’s senses as the first dart
caught him right above the knee. Barbed bolts
fizzed through the air, a rain of blackened thorns.

Every author wants their readers to see the scenes in a story as they unfold. Usually, we trust our words to kindle the imagination, but I was delighted by Zonderkidz’s decision to bring in an illustrator. Anna Earley and I had already worked together a few times in the past. In fact, her early sketches of Conrad and Ethan ended up influencing how other artists depict my angelic cast.

Back in January 2012, when I first commissioned Anna to create Blade of a Master, I was gratified when she complimented my take on angels’ wings. But to my chagrin, she dubbed their raiment “boring,” and set out to liven things up. That’s why her Ethan’s cowl doesn’t quite conform to the storyline. But I really liked the sashes she gave my warriors, so I wrote them in. They’re canon now. I enjoy giving artists the leeway to interpret a character or scene. You could look at it as having faith in their creativity. Author and artist both bring unique skills to the table. We’re working together to bring the story to life for readers. It’s teamwork!

Faith, trust, and cooperation also happen to be strong themes in Angels All Around. The story unfolds from three different perspectives. Prissie is an ordinary little girl, with a child’s insights and innocence. Ethan is a guardian angel, whose every instinct tugs him to be there for Zeke. And Milo is the newly-grafted Messenger who suddenly realizes how tough it is to be caught in the middle. As the Faithful battle the Fallen, all three of them must have faith in someone other than themselves. And ultimately, they must place their trust in God.

Trusting a teammate—even his mentor Conrad—with
his charge’s safety was probably the most
difficult lesson Ethan had learned since being Sent
to guard little Zeke. It was more accurate to say
it was a lesson he was still learning.

At first blush, it’s a simple equation. Christa’s words + Anna’s art = AMAZINGNESS. But we thought it would be fun to break down that process for you. Because any time you put two creative minds together, stuff happens. And some of it’s pretty funny.

Let’s take a for instance! The first illustration in Angels All Around began as a single line from me: “Vignette #1 – Trumble wrapping Ethan’s leg with his sash while shouting orders.” Of course, I also provided Anna with character descriptions, setting notes, and photo references. And she responded with an initial sketch, line art, and flat colors. At every stage, we were turning up in each others’ inboxes. Questions. Corrections. Requests. Clarifications. “Which of Ethan’s legs is wounded? Could you toss his sword onto the grass instead? Did you know some varieties of trees have red leaves in summer? Can you lighten Ethan’s hair? Think caramel!”

I think the funniest kerfuffle with this first piece is plain to see. What I took for the inward curve of Trumble’s right wing, Anna intended for the trunk of the tree. Whoops? Since my mental image of Ethan leaning into Trumble’s protection was too strong to un-see, Anna graciously humored me.

Throughout Angels All Around, there’s a stark contrast between the visible and invisible. Everything’s sweetness and light, princes and perfection from Prissie’s perspective. She’s blind to the enemy and deaf to their threats. But Milo is keenly aware of the danger he’s in. I think Anna captured this duality beautifully in the story’s third illustration. Look closely. Do you see what Prissie cannot?

Finally, Anna and I included something fun. There’s a game of hide-and-seek underway, and readers are invited to join in. Every illustration includes a yahavim, one of Christa’s tiny, fairy-like angels. In the Threshold Series, these little guys are heaven’s manna-makers. We hope you’ll enjoy the hunt … the story … and the series!

Author’s Note…
Christa Kinde’s Threshold Series begins in Book 1: The Blue Door. Prissie never expected to stumble into an adventure on her way to the mailbox. Invisible doors, angels in disguise, kidnapped comrades, demonic minions, divine messengers, sword fights, winged rescuers, shared dreams, and apple pie. Book 2: The Hidden Deep releases on April 23, 2013! Rough and Tumble, the companion story about Ethan and the other guardian angels who surround the Pomeroy family updates every weekday on Christa’s website. Angels All Around is available now and FREE to download!

Christa Kinde, Storyteller | Anna Earley Illustration

Sherry Gore is the author of Simply Delicious Amish Cooking and is the editor-in-chief of Cooking & Such magazine. She is also a weekly scribe for the national edition of the 120-year-old Amish newspaper, The Budget. Sherry is a year-round resident of Sarasota, Florida, has three children, and is a member of a Beachy Amish Mennonite church.

As a huge THANK YOU to all my reader friends and those who’ve supported me over the years, I’m giving away an AUTHENTIC hand-stitched, queen size Amish Quilt to celebrate the release of my book Simply Delicious Amish Cooking, which comes out MAY 7 through Zondervan Publishers!

Use the Rafflecopter widget on my blog to enter the contest and who knows, this beautiful Amish quilt could be all yours!

Hi friends. I’m Sherry Gore, and here’s a little peek “behind-the-scenes” about the making of a few cooking videos my publisher is posting online in anticipation of the May 7 release of my book Simply Delicious Amish Cooking.  Hope you enjoy!

About a month ago, I get a call while filming a segment about Pinecraft for NBC’s Today Show that my publicist at Zondervan wants me to travel up to their offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to film some cooking videos. I’m of course thrilled, and so I hop on a plane the following Tuesday afternoon. Now I’ve filmed cooking videos before, so I’m thinking that this will be just like those other times, nothing new: a big studio (or restaurant), three or four hundred people in an audience with plenty of interaction, and plenty of back-and-forth with a news correspondent or on-air talent of some kind (“talent” is the TV or film term for “actor” or “on-camera personality”).

The biggest lesson I’ve learned of course: Rule #1–NEVER look at the camera.

Well the night before the shoot, my publicist drops a big bomb on me (I’m certain she had no idea) when she tells me “Oh, there won’t be any audience or correspondent–you’re going to be on camera by yourself.”

Un ferstundich! [Oh my Goodness!]

Me. By myself. Talking directly into the camera. By myself. By myself.

I’m horrified. I don’t know what on Earth I’m going to say when it’s just me, alone, with the camera in the kitchen. What do you say? “Here’s a spoon”? “This is a bowl”?! I have to be honest; I slept very poorly that night.

The next morning I show up on a very professional set. We’re filming in a beautiful kitchen on a serene horse farm heading away from Grand Rapids, and by the time I arrive, two expensive looking cameras are already mounted: one faces where I’m to stand and one points to the ingredients for the whoopie pies I’m to make. There are poles and lights and sound equipment and wires and everything else scattered about, all just waiting for me to step in front.

It’s quite exciting.

Two or three young men buzz around calibrating all the technical minutia that goes into capturing quality video, and heaven sakes do they make me feel at ease. They are so nice and so patient. Later on in the day, I would wonder aloud if they had noticed my nerves when I arrived.

“Nope,” one of them said, “we knew you could do this from the start.”

But I don’t feel that way as the lights flash on and the seconds count down. I have to be honest with them.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say,” I finally admit.

“It’s ok,” they say, “just start cooking and tells us some stories about where you live.”

Luckily, Pinecraft is one thing I do know how to talk about. And whoopie pies are a dessert I’ve probably made hundreds of times; even sold them at farmer’s markets at one point. And so as soon as I get that spoon in my hand I am off. I forget about that camera. I forget that I’m by myself. I’m just Sherry Gore talking about her home while making a tasty treat. How can that go wrong?

Pretty soon, voila! There are the whoopie pies.

As I finish up, one of the camera guys says to me, “You’re destined to have a cooking show, because you’re just like the nice auntie that everybody wants to live next door to.”

“Why thanks,” I say.

“My Mom’s going to love you,” he says.

Well I sure hope that she does–after buying my book of course

Watch Sherry’s video on how to make Whoopie Pies:

***

Sherry Gore is the author of Simply Delicious Amish Cooking and is the editor-in-chief of Cooking & Such magazine. She is also a weekly scribe for the national edition of the 120-year-old Amish newspaper, The Budget. Sherry is a year-round resident of Sarasota, Florida, has three children, and is a member of a Beachy Amish Mennonite church.

Bobbie and Robert Wolgemuth are co-authors of the new book, Couples of the Bible. Through their shared journey of marriage, fighting cancer, and writing books, the couple have grown not only closer to one another, but closer to God as well. The following piece was originally posted on Christianpost.com.

I loved her for her heart.

From the first February 14th of our courtship, I knew that Valentine’s day was a big deal to the girl I would marry. Heart shaped notes, cards filled with x’s and o’s, poems, Valentine cookies in my dorm mailbox…my Bobbie bubbled over with

love and spilled her Valentine excitement over me.

We’ve been married almost 43 years and the love gifts keep coming from My Valentine…smiles, happy morning hugs and goodnight kisses.

But Valentine’s Day 2012 we were handed a gift we neither asked for nor expected. Although it was mercifully wrapped in the love of God, this gift was presented to us fromthe voice of an oncologist at MD Anderson hospital in Orlando. Dr. Veronica Schimp’s words were straightforward, yet somehow gentle and kind. “Your Bobbie has Stage IV ovarian cancer.”

Tingles raced from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I tried to breathe. Would I lose the love of my life?

After a few hours, I was standing next to Bobbie’s sleeping form in ICU. I leaned over and kissed her.

“Hi, honey,” I whispered.

She pried open sleepy eyes and squeezed a smile, repeating the same words to me through her drowsiness. Then almost immediately she seemed to grow more alert.

“Do I have cancer?”

“Yes.”

“How bad is it?”

Waiting an instant and wondering if I should tell her right now, I decided to go ahead. “Stage IV,” I sighed.

“How many stages are there?” she asked, the little furrows across her forehead begging for reassurance.

“Only four,” I said.

“Bum,” she replied.

Thus began an amazing year-long journey – and a path of deepening love for one another. So amazing, in fact, that a few weeks ago Bobbie said, “If I had it to do all over again…I would.”

How could a catastrophe have become a catalyst for joy? How could something so perplexing produce an ever deepening love for each other?

Leading up to the Valentines Day 2012, Bobbie and I had invested more than two years researching and drafting and writing a manuscript. Although we have both authored and co-authored other books, we had never written a whole book together…just the two of us.

Married tennis players joke about the challenges – perils – of partnering with your spouse when playing doubles. And do-it-yourselfers strongly discourage wallpapering your kitchen – or any other room in your house – with your spouse. But Bobbie and I accepted a writing project and tackled every sentence of a 130 thousand-word manuscript entitle Couples of the Bible (Zondervan, April 2013)…together.

She did most of the research and the first draft alone. I embraced the second sequestered in my upstairs office. But the third and fourth drafts, we did side by side on the dining room table. We read the sentences aloud and fixed them. And this editing, reading, and centering on God’s dealing with couples in the Bible became the backdrop to our adventure with cancer that was about to begin.

As we wrote and rewrote, every couple we studied convinced us that there is an overarching plan to history which God directs – and that we are part of it. We learned to look at the character of a wise and wonderful God who worked in the past on behalf of those who trusted Him. And we believed that God continues His sovereign plan for a larger work than we may be able to see. That His purpose is always to show love and mercy and bless others through our lives.

So, how can we possibly claim that last Valentine’s Day we received a gift that was more valuable to us than any colorful bouquet or box of sweets? Here are five things we learned about facing a trial as husband and wife:

1. When your Joy is on Trial, Guard your Thoughts

We used music and Bible verses to sing and settle our mind. We decided not to complain. What we have is what we have. And we chose not to compare our situation with any other people or to read about survival rates on Google. Believing that God had in eternity past already mapped out the day of our births and the day of our deaths gave us confidence that our future was in His very capable hands.

We used the lyrics of songs and sang our favorite hymns to keep our minds focused on what really matters – faith, hope and love. We read aloud every morning, allowing our voices and our ears to speak and hear Scripture. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The guard was stationed at the door of our minds every moment of the day.

2. We’re in This Together

It was after two chemo treatments and the morning of our 42nd anniversary. I walked into our bathroom to discover Bobbie crying. She wrote about the experience that week in her journal:

On Friday my hair began to fall out and it has been a difficult and revealing experience for me. Even though I knew it was coming and I tried to brace myself for it, there is a certain sinking reality and sadness over the loss of my identity. From the time the girls were small, I have enjoyed styling my longish hair and they used to call it my “Tea Party Hat” when I’d wear it up in a bun. To stand at my sink and watch it come out in handfuls as I brushed was overwhelming. Robert walked in and stood behind me as I cried and held handfuls of my formerly thick hair. He leaned over and kissed my head and told me I was still beautiful to him. “We are in this together” he said, “and nothing will change my love for you.”

We are teammates. All of life’s journey is to be shared, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health…with or without a headful of hair. The smiles we offer each other and the love of Jesus in our hearts is the beauty that encircles our marriage. I’m focusing and trying to remember that this week for my downcast heart. And that will continue to be my prayer for mymarriage…two strong hearts for Jesus, bound together in selfless love that will go the distance.

3. Accept the Love Gifts Offered

From the first phone call to family and church friends, we were the grateful recipients of more love than can be contained in any Valentine cards or candy hearts. Bobbie’s Bible study circle brought meals and signed up to pray hourly for her. The women set their cell phones to ring and later told us that their children joined in praying for “Miss Bobbie” when the alarms went off. Neighbors visited with chicken soup and warm get well wishes. Cards, calls and emails streamed steadily into our home and encouraged our hearts when we became faint or fearful. A circle of friends near and far become a bastion of strength for our hurting hearts. There’s no better Valentine than friends who surround you with prayer and love. They are among God’s finest gifts.

4. Put It in Writing

It helped both of us to journal the journey. Bobbie wrote early morning entries into her diary while sitting on her red chair. Almost weekly, I sent out a blast e-mail to extended family and close friends, updating and posting what we were experiencing. Sometimes I would attach a photo documenting Bobbie’s progress. Because words force you to be exact, the process of putting thoughts and emotions down on paper gave us both a powerful chance to process what was going on. Pouring feelings onto paper made a dramatic difference in our ability to identify and validate what we were both going through.

5. Welcome Suffering as a Teacher

The strongest steel and the purest gold have something in common. They are both perfected by fire. What we’ve wrestled with and experienced since our last Valentine’s Day has been both perplexing and precious. Yes, God allowed cancer to come to our home and we have learned that God provides more than enough grace to cover any circumstance.

J.R.R. Tolkien coined the word “eucastrophe,” translated “good catastrophy”. There were lots of eucastrophes in Tolkiens stories, where a terrible event viewed in terms of overall Providence turns out to be something good – when it looks like everything is going to collapse, something wonderful comes out of it.

We have learned that “All things work together for good to those who love God and fit into His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Because Bobbie’s not much of a chocolate girl, I’ve never given them to her for Valentine’s Day. But even if she loved the dark, tasty stuff, the gift we’ve been given this year is even sweeter. More precious.

One more day…together. Gratefully.

For more information about Couples of Bible, please visit the book’s webpage. You can also download a free section from the Couples of the Bible here. 

Why not send them off to the great outdoors with God’s Word? The Adventure Bible is perfect for kids who are on the go outside and want to have a companion book that has their same sense of adventure and curiosity. The Adventure Bible’s hard cover is perfect for rugged treks, and the inside illustrations match perfectly with any nature explorer’s sensibility:

And there’s also this super fun backsack they can use to tote their Adventure Bible, water bottle, sunscreen lotion, and more!

How cool are these backsacks?

Whether the kids are exploring the backyard or miles away at camp, give them a companion that won’t ever fail them: the Word of God!

Looking to get a copy of the Adventure Bible? Check out these links:

Find more info and purchase The Adventure Bible
Download more pages from The Adventure Bible
Find more info and purchase The Adventure Bible backsack: Tan Backsack or Purple Backsack

This time of year we also celebrate with fun, colorful traditions, like painting eggs and hiding baskets full of treats for children to find. And while candy can be a delicious surprise, wouldn’t it be nice to give something that lasted longer and will have more an impact than a piece of chocolate?

How about giving your kids something that you can share together, is fun and entertaining, and also reminds them what Easter is really about? A book or a Bible can be a perfect gift to give and share with your little ones, and we have a couple suggestions:

Lily’s Easter Party

An explanation of each egg and accompanying scripture reference is included.

Click here to see some of the beautiful illustrations inside Lily’s Easter Party

Fruit of the Spirit Bible Collection, NIV

Don’t you love the taste of fresh fruit? God likes fruit too, but not the kind that comes from orchards. The fruit God loves best grows within you: qualities such as love, joy, peace, and kindness that delight God and can make you the kind of person others simply love to be around.

The NIV Fruit of the Spirit Bible will help you cultivate all nine “Fruit of the Spirit.” Twelve special, full-color pages tell you about each kind of fruit: what it is, why it’s important, and how, with God’s help, you can grow it in your heart. You’ll love the handy, take-anywhere size, and since this is the complete, bestselling New International Version, you know it’s easy to read and understand.

Nora’s Ark

Noah welcomed a host of animals two-by-two. Nora’s passenger list includes two backyard spiders, a pair of battery-operated monkeys, and a couple of unimpressed cats. Nora also employs her little brother, some dusty wooden boxes, and a sizeable dose of contagious imagination in her distinctive re-creation of the timeless story.

Charming and inventive, Nora’s big voyage, and its stirring conclusion, provide entertainment and inspiration for readers of all ages.

Click here to see some beautiful illustrations from inside Nora’s Ark

The Easter Story For Children

This article is an excerpt from the New York Times bestseller America the Beautiful by Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Carson recently gained national attention for his speech at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. He is the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins and the author of five bestselling books.

Some readers may be thinking, I have worked hard and achieved a lot in my personal life, so why should I worry myself about the well-being of people who are too lazy to take advantage of opportunities to succeed?

However, for every one of those young people we can keep from choosing a self-destructive path, that’s one less person we have to be afraid of or protect our families from, one less person we will have to pay for in the penal system or the welfare system, and one more productive, taxpaying member of society who may discover a new energy source or the cure for cancer. Every person is endowed with God-given abilities, and we must cultivate every ounce of talent we have in order to maintain our pinnacle position in the world.

Our nation’s founding fathers certainly believed in the task of educating the populace as foundational to a nation’s health. In a letter to George Chapman on December 15, 1784, George Washington wrote, “The best means of forming a manly, virtuous, and happy people will be found in the right education of youth. Without this foundation, every other means, in my opinion, must fail.” James Madison added, “A popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: and a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

These statements by some of our founding fathers emphasize how essential a solid general education is to all the constituents of American society. By remaining ignorant, we shirk our democratic duty and open ourselves to slick politicians who would usurp our rights. Some of the segments of our society who are most easily led astray are those with the poorest general education, which makes one wonder if those seeking political advantage are happy to maintain the status quo in order that the uneducated might be more easily manipulated.

The founders also believed that education is crucial to offering checks and balances to governing leaders’ power. Otherwise, the insidious loss of freedom, quite relevant to us today, will follow. For “enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm,” James Madison noted in The Federalist Papers. He also pointed out in a speech to the Virginia ratifying convention on June 16, 1788, that “there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

We can certainly see a gradual erosion of hard-won rights everywhere around us today. For instance, a recent regulation imposed by the Department of Veterans Affairs banned the words God and Jesus during funeral services at the Houston National Cemetery. This obvious violation of the Constitution is being challenged legally by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the National Memorial Ladies, who fortunately are educated enough to know their rights and are brave enough to fight for them.

I’m sure our nation’s founders hoped and prayed that we would not stray from the freedom they fought and died to provide. Reading about their vision for a unique nation inhabited by people with unprecedented freedom is truly inspiring, and we must be careful not to allow those who like to rewrite history to silence the voices of those God-fearing visionaries who founded America. We have a very rich history of placing tremendous value on education, and there is no reason that we cannot once again become the world’s most educated nation.

We have a tremendous amount of technology available to us that can help us quickly close the achievement gap that exists between our children and those in many other advanced nations. One such technology currently being developed is a computer program that analyzes the way a student solves math problems to figure out where there are gaps in that student’s knowledge. The computer then tutors the student in his or her area of deficiency until the student is able to solve problems correctly. This is, of course, the same thing that a good teacher can do, but computers provide the ability to tutor a whole classroom simultaneously as opposed to one student at a time, allowing the teacher freedom to focus energy on students needing personal attention.

We also should put a great deal of emphasis on the concept of virtual classrooms. Although the technology is only in its infancy, it will provide the ability to put the very best teachers in the world in front of millions of our children on the same day. It will allow children to virtually explore the pyramids of Egypt, or the Amazon Basin, or even the surface of the moon. This kind of education should also be available to parents and other adults who want to know what their children are learning and desire to increase their own value, because knowledge is power. Not only can we do this, but we must do this in order to remain a potent worldwide leader in this age of information.