Celtic Wanderings by Cindy Thomson: Book Review

 

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

Daily inspiration from ancient Celtic voices.

Inspired by stories of ancient Celtic saints, this devotional will guide you and inspire you along the often winding path of life. Structured to be flexible to fit the natural flow of your day or evening, offering both challenge and wisdom, this devotional makes a great gift for others and for yourself.




Known for the inspirational Celtic theme employed in most of her books, Cindy Thomson is the author of six novels and five non-fiction books, including her newest, Celtic Wanderings: A 40-Day Devotional. She is co-founder of the Faith & Fellowship Book Festival and vice president of the Mordecai Brown Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to promote the legacy of this early twentieth century Hall of Fame baseball pitcher. She owns the team blog Novel PASTimes, a venue for readers of historical fiction mostly posting interviews with novel characters. A genealogy enthusiast, she writes from her home in Ohio. She often complains that her visits to Ireland are not nearly long enough. Visit her online at CindysWriting.com.



I have been fascinated with Ireland for quite some time now... perhaps it's the Irish in my blood, or the stunning imagery I have seen in pictures... whatever the case, something about it has always drawn me in. As such, when I was asked if I would be willing to review Celtic Wanderings, I was certainly intrigued and looked forward to checking it out. Unfortunately, I must admit that due to illness and other devotionals I was reading and life in general, this one just seemed to keep getting pushed down on my TBR. Several weeks back as I was thinking about the upcoming St. Patrick's Day, I knew that now was the perfect time to dive right in. While it certainly was great timing, I only regret not diving in sooner. This truly is a wonderful devotional, quite unlike others I have experienced in the past. 

While I may not be the biggest history buff, I found that I really liked the idea of looking at the lives of Celtic Christians from the past and discovering how they practiced their faith. This devotional is a fantastic blend of Irish history and faith that I couldn't help but enjoy. The author's knowledge and passion for the subject was evident, making it all the more enjoyable. Each devotion starts with a scripture, includes a brief devotion, a challenge to encourage readers to think about and apply what they've read and a short prayer. The actual reading itself took only about 5-10 or so a day, making it great for those who don't have a lot of time in their day for reading. Still despite it's short length, it offers a lot to think about within each page. The challenges certainly help to really cement what you've read, and allow you to spend more time with God than the devotion alone. 

At the time of this posting, I have not finished the devotional in it's entirety, but I am enjoying what I have read so far. It's a lot different than the devotionals I usually would choose for myself, but I find that I am enjoying the uniqueness of it and learning more about Irish history and tradition too.