What I'm Into (April, 2015 Edition)

Reading: 

Fiction:

I read three fiction books during April: Joy Fielding's Someone is Watching - a good mystery; Katherine Center's Get Lucky - a purely fun piece of chick lit, perfect for someone like me who's currently pregnant; And my favorite from the month, Marisa de los Santos' The Precious One.

Non-fiction:

This month I also read four non-fiction books I really enjoyed. Rachel Held Evans' Searching for Sunday is her best yet. Paul Angone's All Groan Up: Searching for Self, Faith, and a Freaking Job! is a great read for young adults. Timothy Keller's Jesus: The King is the best book on Jesus I've read in the last several years (which is saying something because I've read a ton!) Lisa-Jo Baker's Surprised by Motherhood: Everything I Never Expected about Being a Mom was delightful, offering me great encouragement about becoming a mom. Look for full reviews of the last two soon!  

Watching:

TV:  Turn, Call the Midwife, The Good Wife, Madame Secretary, American Idol, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, The Black List, Modern Family, and The Amazing Race.

Movies:  Exodus: Gods and Kings 

Things I Love: 

Easter 2015

Easter: I love how my congregation worships throughout Holy Week - including my favorite service of the year, Saturday night's Easter Vigil. I also loved the small, simple Easter celebration we had this year with my parents at their house. 

Youth Sunday 2015

Youth Sunday:  I love how formational Youth Sunday has become in the lives of those who participate in it. This year, eight of our high school seniors shared reflections that truly wove together their story with God's story. 

Magnolia

Glimpses of Spring: It's finally warmed up in the Chicago-area. Throughout April, I loved seeing the emergence of spring flowers. Even better, I've enjoyed almost daily walks at the Morton Arboretum, basking in the wonder of God's creation. 

Nursery

Nursery Renovation: Thanks to some help from the Grandparents-to-be, we managed to get Baby Girl's nursery ready in April. I'm kind of in love with it. 

Jen & Doug Maternity

Maternity photos: My husband and I haven't traditionally done many professional photos in our life together. But, unsure as to whether we will experience this stage of life again, we opted to do maternity photos. We got a perfect day - beautiful weather with both the blossoming trees and daffodils in full bloom at the arboretum. Our photographer was great - making the experience relaxing, enjoyable, and even reflective for us. 

What I'm Into Button

Today I'm linking up with Leigh Kramer to share what I'm into. You can join the conversation here. 

Jen Bradbury on Youth Ministry

Jen serves as the Minister of Youth and Family at Atonement Lutheran Church in Barrington, Illinois. A veteran youth worker, Jen holds an MA in Youth Ministry Leadership from Huntington University. Jen is the author of The Jesus Gap: What Teens Actually Believe about Jesus (The Youth Cartel), The Real Jesus (The Youth Cartel), Unleashing the Hidden Potential of Your Student Leaders (Abingdon), and A Mission That Matters (Abingdon). Her writing has also appeared in YouthWorker Journal, Immerse, and The Christian Century. Jen is also the Assistant Director of Arbor Research Group where she has led many national studies. When not doing ministry or research, she and her husband, Doug, and daughter, Hope, can be found traveling and enjoying life together.

More about Jen

Jen's Books

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A Mission That Matters: How To Do Short-Term Missions Without Long-Term Harm

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Unleashing the Hidden Potential of your Student Leaders

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The Real Jesus

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The Jesus Gap

What Teens Actually Believe About Jesus

Based on National Research

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