I love when I read a good book. I love it even more when I can recommend a good book. I love it triple times more when I read a good book, get to recommend said book, AND get to call myself a friend of the author. I’m so proud.
Jerusalem is one of those women that makes everyone feel at home in her house. She takes people under her wing. She makes you feel like you could confide something shocking to her and her response would be, “Huh. Been there. More cake?”
She threw a party at her house this Saturday. She’ll never know how much I needed to be there, out of my house, not cleaning, not changing dirty diapers. It was lovely.
Now on to her book.
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of her book. It’s for sale April 1st, and you can pre-order your copy here.
I’ll start by saying that most books filled with beautiful photos, craft projects, and food make me feel a little bad about myself. They make me feel like I should be making tarts and sewing pillow cases on my Saturdays, instead of what I actually do, which is:
1. Yell at the Mabel for knocking Jane down.
2. Change Jane’s diaper.
3. Feed Jane breakfast.
4. Wash sheets and towels.
5. Yell at Mabel for knocking Jane down.
6. Balance the checkbook.
7. Put Jane in timeout because she’s playing in the trash can.
8. Change Jane’s diaper…
You see where this is headed. Obviously not to the land of beautiful homes and tarts.
But this book is different. Jerusalem is, above all things, beautifully honest with her struggles, the reality of life, and her relationship with the Lord. This is by far my favorite quote from the book, and it sums up her message.
“Looking back, it occurs to me now that God uses food and the domestic rituals that surround it to call me into his presence. It is his love language to me.”
This isn’t a book that will make you feel as if you’re not measuring up with the Joneses (or in this case, the Greers). This book calls our domestic lives into focus within the context of the Lord and our own personal spirituality. Instead of telling you what you ought to be doing, Jerusalem will make you feel as if you have PERMISSION to cook beautiful food on Saturday instead of doing laundry.
How’s that for mind blowing?
This book is inspiring. I don’t say that just because she’s my friend. I say that because as a (hopefully) Godly woman, it’s nice to take a step back and look at my domestic life with a different set of lenses. A rosier pair of glasses.
So please, buy a copy. Buy a whole bunch of copies.
And if you make some of the recipes in here, call me so I can come over and eat with you.
elizabeth-harrell.com 