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The Variety Page

Life's too interesting to pick a niche

The Justice of Jesus: Book Review

12/27/2025

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Book Cover for The Justice of Jesus by Joash P. Thomas
CEFR Level B2-C1
This is not​ a sponsored review. I completely read any book I write a review on.
The Justice of Jesus by Joash Thomas (2025) is a thoughtful consideration of what it means to live like Jesus Christ. This is no academic treatise, though! Nor is it a restatement of ideas commonly found in books shelved under “Christianity” in a bookstore. In accessible language, with plenty of section headers and a clear table of contents, The Justice of Jesus would make a good companion to personal devotions, a book for high school or college discussion, or to use in a group Bible study. I think it would be especially useful in a seminary class focused on the theology of the church or as assigned reading during a church-based internship.

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Justice, Grief, and Celebration

12/6/2025

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Suburban street at night filled with Christmas lights

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The Cross and the Lynching Tree Book Review

11/29/2025

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A graphic with the book cover of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone on the left and The Justice of Jesus by Joash Thomas on the right
CEFR Level C1-C2
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone is an intense read at the beginning, especially if a reader has been taught to avoid saying anything that will make others uncomfortable or to use euphemisms or vague references if it is necessary to talk about such things.

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It's Such a Shame (It's Such a Hope)

11/8/2025

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A young woman holds a sign that reads
CEFR Level B1-B2

It's Such a Shame

It’s such a shame that grandmas who as teenagers

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Fiction Is Where…

10/11/2025

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ALA 2025 Banned Books Week Banner Image reading
CEFR Level B2-C1
Words, especially in fiction, were how I learned about myself and the world outside my context. Fiction is where I learned that other people felt what I felt and those feelings were called "anger" and "I don't fit in." Fiction is where I learned that life is usually better when you say what's true for you, even if saying it causes tension and conflict. Fiction is where I learned that just because a friendship doesn't last your whole life long, that doesn't mean the friendship wasn't real and the natural end of a friendship doesn't take away from how meaningful the relationship was. Fiction is where I stopped breathing in horror and when I started breathing again could only say, "God, we need you." Fiction taught me the human impact of history far more than any history class or biography ever has.*

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Am I A Nosy Neighbor?

8/30/2025

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White ambulance with orange stripes and blue labels is parked in front of a lawn with green trees. Part of a house can be seen behind the trees.
CEFR Level A2-B1
While getting in my car for a hair appointment, I saw an ambulance parked in front of a neighbor’s house. Naturally, an ambulance is concerning, even though I don’t know this neighbor beyond chatting a few times when she is out working in their yard. Despite my curiosity, I continued to my appointment, which was in the opposite direction.

Half an hour later, I returned to see the ambulance still there. Would it be too nosy to drive past to see what was happening?

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How Do You Talk to Preschoolers?

7/19/2025

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Young Black girl smiles and holds up a vanilla ice cream cone

Read ESL Version Here: A2-B1
Original CEFR Level C1-C2
I went into the new ice cream shop to get a milkshake.

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Change Is Exciting

7/12/2025

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A green sign in front of a blue sky with clouds. The sign reads
CEFR Level B2-C1
I love change. Apparently, that makes me a weirdo.

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Is A Two-Week Vacation Normal?

6/28/2025

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A white American woman stands in the rain in front of the Royal Palace of Brussels. She is wearing dark pants and a black raincoat over a forest green winter garment.
Royal Palace of Brussels: Was I traveling or on a vacation? Are the terms synonyms?
Listen on YouTube
CEFR Level B2-C1
In early June 2025, I saw a HARO request for industry experts to share their opinions on why people are choosing 10-day vacations instead of two-week vacations. From the details of the request, it didn’t look like the topic was about taking time off of work. Rather, it appeared that the topic is leaving your house and staying somewhere else as a way to have fun.

​Is it normal to take a two-week vacation? 


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How I Learned to Drink Coffee

6/21/2025

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A disposable dark grey coffee cup with a white lid and brown heat sleeve stands against a light gray background
Read ESL Version Here: B2-C1
Original CEFR Level C1-C2
I passed the age of 40 without learning to drink coffee, even though I grew up in the United States where everyone, including my parents, drinks coffee. Despite these cultural influences,

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Jill Hames, Writer and Musician
Jill Hames is a writer, musician, biblical studies teacher, and ESL tutor who finds life too interesting to pick a niche. She has a B.A. in Music and Spanish, a Masters in Library and Information Science, is TEFL.org 168-hour certified to teach English as a second language, and is working towards a Master of Divinity. Jill is a member of Delta Omicron and the International Women's Writing Guild. 

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