Review: A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider

Edited by N. J. Lindquist and Wendy Elaine Nelles, A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider is written by 37 members of The Word Guild, a Canadian organization of writers, editors, publishers and speakers who are Christian. The selections are nonfiction for the most part, and I couldn't agree more with the cover description, "words to stimulate the mind and delight the spirit." I enjoyed reading these devotional-like articles, found them very inspiring, and highly recommend this collection.


Description

Hot Apple Cider and A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider are collections of true stories, fiction, and poetry, which were created with you in mind. Together, these exceptional books offer dozens of honest stories written from the heart. They’ll remind you that God is at work in your life, that good will come out of the struggles you face, and that every person matters.


My Thoughts

How would I describe the writing in this collection? With descriptive phrases like . . .

Honesty and vulnerability, combined with hope
Real stories, real people, real faith
Gentle humor, warm encouragement, and motivational challenges
The Christian message shared with transparency and honesty
Well written and Scripturally sound

Some might try to compare this collection to the Chicken Soup series, but A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider is so much more. A few chapters are humorous, like the man trying to surprise his wife by remodeling their bathroom while she's away, but what unites them is their poignant expression of how God is involved in the very real circumstances of life that we all face at one time or another.

It is so easy to relate to these writers and their personal experiences. In "A Shout in the Dark," Heidi McLaughlin writes about how her friends became "the hands, arms and feet of God to give me the strength and faith to scuffle through one more hour."  I tend to be an introvert, and she challenged me to remember that God made us for relationships. Heidi goes on to write, "This belief - lived out by my brothers and sisters in Christ by showing up when I needed them - built my faith, held me up, and kept me moving when everything went dark."

In "A Glimpse of Heaven," Donna Fawcett writes with subtle humor of her 79-year-old mother's last weeks and how she said to each family member:  "'I'm going to heaven. I know it. The Bible tells me so. I want you there when your turn comes. Read the Book and do what it says.' No one argued."

I especially liked that there is a short bio of each writer at the end, as well as their blog or website, and I plan to follow up with several of them.

Also available is a companion discussion guide, which gives 5-8 thought-provoking questions related to each article. It is an excellent asset to this book.

A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider is a sequel to the original anthology, Hot Apple Cider. I often use these writings as devotional reading, but they would work well any time you want to read something short and inspirational. I appreciate the opportunity to review this book and am glad to highly recommend it.

To learn more, visit the website Hot Apple Cider Books.

This book was provided by BookFun.org and That's Life! Communications in exchange for my honest review.