A few of my favorite things...
Here you can find some of my favorite books, resources and people. I receive no compensation for listing this information. As a matter of fact, most of the people listed here don't know they are listed here. lol - This is just a place for me to let you know who I'm reading, listening to or following in case you might like them, too.
Photographer
Bella Lux Images in Steubenville, Ohio
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Brandi Birkhimer is the artist behind the beautiful images produced by Bella Lux. She took all the pictures of me for my social media and website. Her work will also be included on the cover of my upcoming book. She is so talented, so creative and so much fun to work with. I highly suggest you check out her work!
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Bible Study
Any Bible Study Produced by Walking with Purpose
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I was first introduced to Walking with Purpose when I signed up for a women's Bible Study at my church. I had never heard of their ministry or their founder, Lisa Brenninkmeyer before. It was a Walking with Purpose study, , Opening Your Heart, that our group leaders had chosen for our study. It didn't take long before I had to read and be involved with all things Walking with Purpose. It was at their annual conference, Flourish, that I would hear the call to write. Her ministry literally changed my life. It's a women's ministry (sorry guys) that has a huge heart and a strong desire to serve fellow daughters of the king. And they know their stuff! They have multiple studies covering various topics/issues. The Bible Study group to which I belong will be completing the WWP study Rooted and Radiant this fall and WWP's Ordering your Priorities in the spring. Check them out - you won't be sorry!
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Bible
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible from Jeff Cavins, published by Ascension Press
As a member of the Catholic church, I obviously have a Catholic Bible. Actually, I have several. My favorite by far is The Great Adventure Catholic Bible. While the scripture is the same as every other Catholic Bible, the content is not. This Bible classifies the books of the Bible as either narrative or supplemental and then color codes the books by chronology so you can read the Bible through as a full story understanding where and when the events took place. The books that don't directly tell the story (such as Psalms and Proverbs) are treated as supplemental reading for further insight and understanding. The other neat thing is that there is a section at the beginning of each time period in the story giving the reader insight as to what was happening in the world during the time of the story. It gives a better idea of the culture, political climate, traditions and beliefs of that time so that you can better understand the scripture and the story itself.
https://ascensionpress.com/products/the-great-adventure-catholic-bible
Podcast
Anything from Fr. Mike Schmitz
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Fr. Mike has several podcasts including: The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast, Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz, The Catechism in a Year and The Bible in a Year (he uses The Great Adventure Catholic Bible!) I first learned of Fr. Mike when a friend suggested I check out his Sunday Homilies podcast. I was blown away! He is engaging, very knowledgeable and completely down to earth. I've learned so much from him and can listen to him for hours. Honestly, nothing I could write here could do him justice. Just go and listen to him. Trust me!
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I listen to his podcasts on Spotify, but I'm sure you'll find him on your platform of choice. The Hallow app also has his podcasts, as does Ascension's new app. Or you can just "Google him" and you'll find him.
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