Time Out for Friendship

Noah took time out for friendship. It is my hope in Well-Read Mom that we take time out for friendship too. Why friendship? When you really think about it, almost everything that is good, true, and beautiful in life is better through friendship.

Read More

“One Cannot Become Holy All at Once…”: Brother Lawrence’s Guide for a Recovering Perfectionist

And while there is nothing wrong with wanting to avoid sin and seek spiritual perfection, if not motivated more by the love of God than by personal pride, we can vitally miss the point. “The Practice of the Presence of God,” by Brother Lawrence—a 17th-century Discalced Carmelite who offered spiritual direction to others through his counsel and writings—emphasizes the importance of serving God in trust and love rather than cowering before him in fear and inadequacy.

Read More

East of Eden: The Bad, the False, and the Ugly

three books between two potted plants

As I snuggled up on the couch, a cup of rose tea steaming in my favorite mug within arms reach and my newborn baby asleep on my chest, I opened the newest Well-Read Mom book selection. I hadn’t had a chance to read any of the book selections during the first half of the year due to moving and welcoming our newest child, so this was a long-awaited joy. It was a new book full of new characters to meet, places to explore, and thoughts to contemplate. I was ready!

Read More

The Hard yet Fruitful Components of Literature

A cross sign on a book lying on a bed

When we read literature, we consider hard questions. What should the character have done? What would I do in his situation? Which character do I want to emulate? From what must I repent? Over and over again, Well-Read Mom offers us beautifully challenging books that force us to consider these questions.

Read More