Grab this Eye-Opening Book on Hospitality!
Friends! Don’t miss the opportunity to grab this brand-new, hot off the press release for yourself and for your friends and family! (Yes, I’m going to suggest it as a potential Christmas gift. Don’t shoot the messenger.)
The book? Elbows on the Table: Simple Ways to Make Gathering Fun by Judy Russell
Many of you know Judy from when her husband, Bob, preached at Southeast Christian Church here in Louisville, for forty years. But my guess is you have no idea the lengths to which Judy has gone in offering hospitality to fellow pastors, authors, sports figures, celebrities, politicians, family (of course!), friends, including unexpected unknown visitors. (Don’t miss a couple of unannounced guests Bob brings home.)
Judy’s stories she shares with us readers are numerous. (The book includes forty-three chapters!) Some experiences went off without a hitch, while others threw one challenge after another her way. Hearing how she handled these is downright funny and sometimes exhausting. How she survived some of them is unbelievable. (I’d have long ago thrown in the towel.)
Not only are we blessed by learning how Judy juggles all the necessary details that come with offering hospitality, we are the beneficiaries of her famous recipes. She’s my only friend who has an entire canister, on her kitchen counter, filled to the brim with chocolate chips. (Yes, I grab a handful when no one is looking!)
Don’t miss the importance of Nana’s Chocolate Chip Cookies! (And yes, the recipe is in the book!)
What I especially appreciate about the book is how Judy incorporates the importance of prayer bathing each event she’s about to host—whether it’s just family coming or an important dignitary. Oftentimes I get so caught up in the preparation, the thought to pray for our guests escapes my brain. I’m certain things would’ve gone a lot smoother had I done this.
Judy also says even when they may have been in a time crunch for one reason or another, they still take time to pray over the meal they’re about to eat. She asks, “Did you ever think WHY we pray for our meal? One is acknowledging God’s goodness and greatness. Expressing thanks for God’s provision , our homes, and food. And realizing how much He loves us.” Later in the book she adds, “Before guests arrive, why not pray and invite our Lord and Savior to be part of the guest list?”
Judy says more than once that it’s your company who’s most important, NOT your preparation or the meal. They even have a plaque in their kitchen that says,
We get to learn different aspects of hospitality (also the difference between entertaining and hospitality), coupled with fellowship and the importance of the table (See Chapter 8), most of which I’d not considered before. The statistics Judy relays are staggering. Lord, may we stop and be more intentional with our family mealtimes.
Numerous quotes are sprinkled throughout the book. One of many that jumped out to me is,
“One of the most important spiritual disciplines for us to recover in the kind of world in which we live is the discipline of table fellowship.”
- Barry D. Jones
In addition to quotes, we readers are blessed by pertinent Scripture Judy includes, many times as epigraphs to kick off a chapter. This is one of my favorites:
We readers get to SEE Judy in action, thanks to her vivid descriptions—it’s like getting to be right there with Bob and Judy and their guests, pulling up a chair to their table. Often her guests help with various tasks, including placing new rugs?!!! Don’t miss this story!
My friend, Matthew Sleeth, one of Judy’s endorsers, describes his time at Bob and Judy’s table like this:
“The root of hospitality is hospital, and that is exactly what being a guest in Judy Russell’s home is—a healing experience for mind, body, and spirit. As a physician, friend, and appreciative guest, I can attest that fellowship around the Russell’s table offers medicine our world desperately needs.”
As the years have rolled by, Judy’s learned several time-saving tips that will also bless us readers. “Hunting and gathering” is one of my favorites. Many chapters also include lists of ideas you’ll return to over and over. That’s why I call this book an invaluable resource. (Judy quips her lists may make you want to throw the book at her!)
So, before another minute, hour, or day evaporates, RUN, DON’T WALK to your nearest bookstore and buy this book for you and your friends! As our friend Becky Pippert says, “Buy it by the case and distribute it widely!”
FYI: You can find a copy of Judy’s book at the Southeast Bookstore in Southeast Christian Church, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.
‘Til next time!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.”