God’s Little Devotional Journal for Women from Honor Books.

Greg gave me this devotional book about twenty years ago, but I never got around to reading it until 2022, and that year I read it on a daily basis as part of my quiet time. For each day’s entry, there’s a scripture verse, a short passage that illustrates the verse, an inspirational quote, a personal question related to applying the scripture, and an area devoted to writing your answer. I never journaled in it, because I expected not to like the book. I thought I would read it once and then give it away. I assumed it would be similar to other devotional books, and it was. Also, I was miffed that the publisher did not credit the writers of the devotions.

To my delight, the daily readings were occasionally very profound and impactful. Some days it was very hard for me not to write down my thoughts in the journal sections. At the end of the year, I found I couldn’t part with the book. It was a good enough experience that I plan to reread it another year. I may actually use it as a spiritual journal, and it might never be given away.

Bright Evening Star: Mystery of the Incarnation by Madeleine L’Engle.

My Bible study group read this book during Advent 2022, finishing it in early 2023. In her foreword to the book, Addie Zierman recalls a caveat her college writing instructor, Judy Hougen, gave her class about L’Engle’s book Walking on Water:

“Sometimes Madeleine writes things that are a little . . . out there. Just say to yourself, Ha, ha. Oh, that Madeleine, and keep reading.” She said Oh, that Madeleine endearingly, as though talking about a wacky but lovable aunt who has visions of glory and also, occasionally, food on her chin.

Hougen’s advice works well while reading Bright Evening Star, also. You might not understand what she’s saying sometimes, but keep reading. The insights will be worth it.

My two takeaways from the book:

• The Christian faith is full of mystery. It’s okay if you don’t understand parts of it. That’s the point—embracing the unknowable. L’Engle says she had to “let go all my prejudices and demands for proof and open myself to the wonder of love.”
• God, the all-powerful, gives away His power. He allows humans free will when He could easily just control them. L’Engle calls it a magnificent paradox: “God’s loving plan for Creation will ultimately be fulfilled, God’s will and ours working together.”

At the end of the book is a reader’s guide with discussion questions.

Ferocity Summer by Alissa Grosso.

I can’t remember when or how I stumbled across artist and author Alissa Grosso on the internet, but I enjoyed her work so much that I bought her book Up the Creek and liked it. I eventually signed up for her newsletter and recently entered a drawing for four of her Young Adult books—and won! Ferocity Summer is the first book of the bundle that I’ve read.

At first, I didn’t like the characters at all and had no sympathy for them. I don’t like it when teenaged characters engage in self-destructive behaviors like drinking, using drugs, and having casual sex. I think it gives kids ideas that everybody’s doing it. I know teenagers try things out, but not every kid does it, or does as much of it as these kids do.

The main characters are high school juniors Scilla and her best friend, Willow. Willow has a brother, Randy. These three hang out together and get themselves into trouble. In the opening chapters, they mention August, and you get the impression that something distasteful is going to happen in August. The story is told from Scilla’s point of view.

I’ve never been acquainted with the drug scene, so I’m not sure if ferocity was ever a real drug or if Grosso dreamed it up for this story, but it plays a major role.

Scilla is failing history, and her guidance counselor recommends she talk to her teacher for suggestions on how she could raise her grade. He challenges her to tell him the most fascinating thing they studied in history that year, and she comes up with Sherman’s March to the Sea. So the teacher assigns her the task of researching Sherman and figuring out “How could a man who had once issued orders against any looting by soldiers suddenly turn around and completely ransack the South?. . . find out what makes him tick and hand me a report in September.” Scilla takes the assignment to heart, and Grosso skillfully weaves Sherman’s story with Scilla’s.

It wasn’t until it’s revealed that the event in August is a trial to determine if the friends are guilty of killing someone that I began to care about the characters. How could such a thing happen?

There are more complications as well. An FBI agent approaches Scilla and pressures her to help him incriminate a drug dealer. That’s as much as I am giving away.

This is not a pretty story, but I found myself rooting for Scilla and compelled to read to the end.