A functional, if not groundbreaking, Christian devotional.
A debut monthlong devotional offers prayers for older parents.
Parents require prayers at all points in their lives, not just when their children are small, according to Hodgins. As children grow older, they make more of their own decisions, and these choices can cause their parents both headaches and heartache. Oftentimes, it is the parents of adult children who require the most guidance, the author asserts in this volume: “How does God use us to reach our adult children who don’t know God or who have strayed from their godly upbringing? He uses us primarily through prayer and by our own godly example of living and loving.” The topics, arranged alphabetically, cover concerns like coping, encouragement, finding joy, guilt, letting go, self-control, and waiting. Each subject contains a prose introduction with relevant quotes from Scripture, a prayer, and a notes area called Meditation Moments, in which readers are encouraged to write down how the lessons contained within that topic relate specifically to their lives. In the Finding Rest section, for example, Hodgins discusses the importance of peaceful moments, citing Exodus, Psalms, and other sources. “Lord, thank you for reminding me that I need to rest. Help me to use my time wisely and bring honor to you,” begins the prayer. The book concludes with lists of useful prayer tips, inspirational Bible verses, and a few more requests for parents to make on behalf of their children. Hodgins’ prose is so woven through with Bible verses that she doesn’t have much room to establish her own voice, though she is capable of occasional moments of lovely lucidity: “Time in God’s economy is totally different than ours. We don’t seem to consider that as we rush through our days.” The wide range of subjects covered means there are prayers for almost every occasion, and they are broad enough to remain relevant month after month. The prayers themselves are rather boilerplate, and the author’s Christian worldview falls definitively on the society is “getting further and further away from God” end of the spectrum. For readers with similar beliefs, this book should serve as an accessible and handy guide for reaffirming their faith on a daily basis.
A functional, if not groundbreaking, Christian devotional.Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5127-9840-1
Page Count: 110
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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