Jennie is a native Kansan who works four part-time jobs, including serving as director of the Western District Conference Resource Library. She loves reading, scrapbooking, and trying to figure out what it means to live out her faith every day. She also tries to remember to blog at Prairie Rose Ramblings.

1. Books by Julie Klaassen: Apparently I’m into regency novels these days. After finishing the Whispers of the Moors series by Sarah Ladd, I continued with Julie Klaassen’s stand-alone novels. More than just another regency romance writer, Klaassen’s books feature themes of guilt, shame, and redemption; torn loyalties; and plenty of social rules and class distinctions between the “upstairs” and the “downstairs.”

2. This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman and Pamela Zagarenski: In our children’s literature class earlier this week we were identifying different types of poetry books and students were sharing poems aloud. This book was a favorite with several students and is a great discussion starter for all ages.

3. Picture Book Theology Blog: I love this blog! Hanna Schock does a fantastic job of highlighting high-quality picture books that can be used to convey theological concepts.

4. MCC School Kits: My husband and I visited a new church this past Sunday and were invited to the fellowship hall after the service to help pack school kits for MCC (Mennonite Central Committee). According to MCC’s website, “89,958 [kits were] shipped last year to Jordan, Syria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, Haiti, U.S., Serbia, Honduras and more.” We heard stories about the recipients of these kits breaking pencils in half so more students have a pencil to write with, and how some draw an extra line in the spiral notebooks so there are more lines. I felt humbled to help provide a child with the tools necessary for them to grow academically. Let’s all stock up on items for school kits now while they are on sale!

5. College Students: I’ve had college students on my mind a lot lately. Especially for freshman and transfer students, this is the time of the year where it starts getting difficult. The shiny newness of the college experience has grown dim, tests and projects have begun, homesickness has settled in, and skipping class and having fun can be much more appealing than getting work done and showing up for class. Let college students know you’re thinking about them and supporting them as they face daily choices that have lasting impacts!

Editor’s Note: For other suggestions on ways to pray for college students, check out Elisabeth Wilder’s recent blog, Supporting College Students 101.