Jesus at My Side: 365 Reflections on His Words

Last night, I began reading  Jesus at My Side by my friend Julie Cragon. This little paperback book has been sitting on my dresser for an embarrassingly long amount of time. I will be using this as a daily devotional.

In this rich and thoughtful work, Julie offers us quotes from Christ and reflections for every day of the year. I felt compelled to start with January 1. The Scripture is  Luke 2, verse 49. "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know I must be in my Father's house?" As with all the entries, Julie begins with the Scripture, moves on to a personal reflection, and then ties it back to the life of Christ Himself.


On Jan. 1 she tell us: "If we want joy; if we want our day, our week, our month to improve, we must spend time in our Father's house."

I wish the publishers, Our Sunday Visitor,  had considered printing a companion journal to go with this book. I am going to keep a composition notebook by my side to write down reflections as I go through the daily devotionals.

Julie, mother of six who runs and co-owns a Catholic bookstore in Nashville, is giving us a tool to understand that Christ is at our side. She is helping us to spend time in our Father's house. While New Year's resolutions might have fallen by the wayside, it is never too late to walk with Christ.