Books by Barbara

Rustic wood, wrought iron, vibrant color, and tantalizing patterns: the homes of Mexico blend native tribal styles and Spanish architecture with warm, textured simplicity. Dive into inspiring and remarkable abodes in this updated, compact portfolio of villas, casitas, haciendas, cabanas, and palapas, featuring many unpublished images that paint...

Many adopted teens eventually question why they were given up, and may grapple with feelings of isolation, abandonment and broken trust. This workbook is designed to help them work through this journey

How well are the psalms understood? The parables seem more accessible, but are they? And as familiar as we are with the texts of the psalms and the parables, how open are we to new perspectives on them?The studies in Like a Tree Planted, the first volume in the Connections series, encourage readers to deepen their understanding of the psalms and parables and to grow in their relationship with God. Like a Tree Planted invites reflection on eight pairs of psalms and parables by highlighting their shared metaphor. These images, familiar from our everyday lives as well as from both testaments, encourage fresh insights from familiar scriptural texts.The psalms presented here, all from the first book of the Psalter, and the parables, selected from Luke's Gospel, speak deeply and collaboratively through figures of the tree, our stature and status, searching faces, feelings of entitlement and responsiveness, the ecosystem, shepherding, the storehouse, and "the other side."An introductory chapter in Like a Tree Planted introduces readers to the process of reading metaphorically, and a concluding chapter draws implications from the reading of these particular psalm and parable texts as a set.

Questioning how readers construct meaning, this work focuses on the character Jonah and explores the variety of ways in which the prophet and the book have been represented and understood by various interpreters.

Who should lead us? Who should we, as a community, look to for guidance? These questions followed the Israelite community upon their return from the Exile: Should they return with Davidic kingship or without it? Their answer was King Saul. Reading Israel's first king as a riddle or the epitome of Israel's experience with kingship, King Saul's Asking explores the characterization of the figure Saul, the question of the apparent silence of God, the multiple complexities of responsibility for kingship, and the readers' opportunities for transformation. It is not only an in-depth character study but also an interesting, insightful read, and opportunity for transformation.

My story begins about 4 years ago when my grandson, Brandon, was restricted to a diet free of gluten, wheat, eggs, dairy, and peanuts. I was totally bewildered. How could I possibly cook properly for him and his family? I only remember once that I wept in my kitchen pantry out of frustration, but many times I felt that inadequate. Brandon's mom gave me a couple of recipes, which I prepared on every visit. I also had a house rule that no one was allowed to eat forbidden foods in his presence. I felt that I was doing all that I could until one innocent remark changed my life. We were in a grocery store and Brandon took my hand, led me to a display, and said longingly, "Look, Nana, those are called muffins". It brought tears to my eyes, and I vowed to myself that I would learn to cook delicious foods - gluten, wheat, dairy, egg, and peanut free. It has been a journey of trial and error. I cannot tell you that I have successes every time, but imagination and persistence has paid off. I have felt led to write this book, and it is my wish that it will help your family as much as it has helped mine. Barbara Wells