My friend, Ellen Senechal, (one of the bright souls of this world) is releasing her devotional, The Whispers God Gives, on April 21st! In case you all don’t know the date anymore, like the rest of us, that’s this Tuesday.
I’ve got your back. đ
The cover alone is enough to make my aesthetic side swoon. đ Besides being a skilled writer and a lovely human, Ellen demonstrates spectacular taste in book covers.
*swoons again*
*remembers not to be Victorian and just hides emotions by eating fries*
LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFULNESS:
my heart is //happy// â¤
Also…this cover got me thinking.
In the devotional, *VERY MILD SPOILER ALERT BUT IT ISN’T REALLY A SPOILER* Ellie mentions a bird building its nest by her house.
(I know you guys were looking forward to finding out that information in your first read, so please forgive me for spoiling that experience for you.)
But, y’all, we need to know more about this mysterious little bird.
This has got to be a whole bonus side plot. What is the bird’s story? Why does she look so pensive? Why is she standing there with a flower in her beak? Is the flower for someone? Why is she pink? Did she accidentally fall into some pink hair dye? Does she have a secret identity? And most importantly–does she like french fries?
You guys are going to have to give me the answer to that. I don’t know what’s going on there, but I definitely think it’s important.
After all this distraction, I implore you to read the endearing book blurb:
Hear God whisper as you read! Have you ever found yourself questioning Godâs will for your life? Are you battling things nobody else seems to relate to? What about bitterness after losing a friend? Perhaps youâve scoured the Internet and came up dry because you couldnât find anything that spoke directly to your teen or pre-teen heart. If you answered âyesâ to any of these questions, this book is for you. In The Whispers God Gives, teenaged author Ellen Senechal speaks from her heart and from Godâs Word. She longs to share what she couldnât find no matter how hard she looked â a clean, wholesome Christian devotional thatâs short, sweet, and to the point. A book centered around strengthening your relationship with God your Savior, Counselor, and Friend in thirty days. Let Godâs whispers begin!
It’s time for đľLegit Thoughts by Emma đľ
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In my private Bible study/time dedicated to the Lord, I don’t usually read devotionals. I prefer theology books that unpack key Biblical concepts by authors like Spurgeon, Sproul, etc. This is one of the only devotionals that drew me in and kept me interested all the way through. It was also one of the only devotionals that felt real and avoided cheesy messages.
Ellen tackles some tough struggles that many tween/teen girls go through including body image shame, betrayal in a friendship, hurt/bitterness when losing a friend, chronic physical pain, and anxiety attacks. I was impressed with Ellen’s vulnerability and courage in addressing these topics. And through all of this, she weaves themes and messages from her everyday life.
What makes this devotional feel relevant is Ellen’s honest depiction of the themes she is passionate about. She doesn’t reach for topics that she doesn’t relate to but beautifully illustrates with the truths she has experienced.
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Secretly the best part of this devotional: the adorable stories involving tHE CUTE LITTLE SIBLINGSSS.
Go have a book-frenzied riot on Tuesday (that’s tomorrow, peeps) at Ellen’s blog: Ellen’s Musings.
Note: I received a complimentary e-ARC from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.
What is your favorite devotional? And most importantly, what is the secret life of the little bird on the cover??
Thank the blogger who nominated you. Thank you, Chalice!!
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If your life story had a moral, what would it be? Always go for it, even if it scares you.
Whatâs your favorite kind of chocolate bar? Straight chocolate is overrated. According to the rest of the world, I’m pretty sure this is my greatest character flaw.
Whatâs something that always makes you laugh? Veggietales songs/Larry the Cucumber being a dork. In January, I may or may not have been on a car trip with a voice major and herd of choir teenagers singing Veggietales songs all the way home.
//quality music//
Veggietales remix, anyone?
What is an activity that you have a love-hate relationship with? Exercising. I’m dying the entire workout, but I’m ridiculously happy with myself afterward. As a weak individual, I am glad to live in the twenty-first century. Otherwise, natural selection would have (wisely) eliminated me pretty early for the good of future generations.
What is your most embarrassing moment (that you are willing to share)? I was with a bunch of friends playing Pandemic in my friend’s basement. (fun fact: he’s a lil British tadpole) For some reason, his family owns a poker table with an assortment of poker chairs. They don’t play poker, but they play their board games on top of the table cover because of its convenient shape. I had never been in poker chairs before, so I was intrigued by how I could lie back and the back of the chair would bend with me. Apparently, I didn’t realize how far back the chair went, and I was like, “Whoah, guys! Look at how far back this chair goes!!” Then I promptly toppled the entire chair over and my friends were all crying with laughter while I lay there with a sprained dignity.
I’m pretty sure anyone who invites me to a party has a whole event scheduled on the plan like: “Emma does something stupid by accident” or “Emma tries to do something and it’s actually hilarious.”
Y’all, I was born to entertain. Call me. đ
Whatâs something you wish more people knew about? I’m pretty sure the good Christian answer for this question is Jesus.
It is very likely that you guys already knew that, so I shall provide a second choice: Most successful people are not actually “talented” at their skill, per se. They just worked hard. More respect for work rather than talent, my peeps.
My questions:
What is something your mom does that makes you feel loved?
What is your favorite natural phenomenon? Why?
What are three of your quirkiest habits?
What do you and ducks have in common?
What to people overestimate/underestimate about you?
Do you believe in penguins? (This is a very controversial topic, so please be thoughtful in your answer.)
Seven Billion Smiles 