Recommendation: Keeping Holiday

Over the last couple weeks I have had the immense pleasure and privilege of reading Keeping Holiday to my children. When I heard about this book on the blog Girl Talk (highly recommend this one!) I assumed it would be a lovely book about Christmas for me to share with the children.  Oh, it was ever so much more!  This book drew all of us in and opened our eyes in a new way to what it means to have Jesus call us to Himself.  A regular quote in the book was "You don't find the Founder; He finds you.  He's not just the Founder; He's the Finder too."  As I contemplate each of our children's journeys with Jesus, it was very reassuring to be reminded that the ball is not entirely in their court (though of course they need to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit!)  Ultimately, the God of the universe is the One who takes them from the kingdom of darkness and brings them into His kingdom of light.  I think the target age for this book is 8-12 year olds, but having been deeply blessed personally by reading this book, I'd recommend that all parents find some excuse to read this even if your kids are a bit younger or older than that. Just pretend you're reading it to yourself and you can't keep quiet so everyone happens to hear you. :)  I was able to get this book from our library, but I already purchased a copy of it because it will be one we re-read and I'm anxious to share it with other families, too.

One Thousand Gifts re-opened

A couple years ago I read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  I loved it (stick with it and you will too!) and was profoundly impacted by keeping my own journal of one thousand gifts.  Very soon after we got the call that Emmery's little brother would not be joining our family, I felt led to pick up this book and re-read it.  It has been EXACTLY what I've needed to help me process this journey and has helped me wrestle through God's perspective on suffering.  Here are a couple quotes that have really ministered to me:
"All God makes is good.  Can it be that, that which seems to oppose the will of God actually is used of Him to accomplish the will of God?  That which seems evil only seems so because of perspective, the way the eyes see the shadows. Above the clouds, the light is always shining." (pg. 88)

Chilling in the stroller while her big siblings swim.

I recently had the privilege of reading Joni Eareckson Tada's most recent book, Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story.  Any of you who know Joni's story know that she has experienced all kinds of suffering in this life.  Stuff that doesn't make any sense at all.  And yet she has been used by God in ways that (even she would say) would NEVER have been possible if it weren't for the trials she endures.

As Ann Voskamp says, "That which seems evil, is it a cloud to bring rain, to bring a greater good to the whole of the world?  Who would ever know the greater graces of comfort and perseverance, mercy and forgiveness, patience and courage, if no shadows fell over a life?" (pg. 90)

I think we always try to interpret the "God works all things for good..." principle to mean that I have to be able to see that it is good right away in my own life, or else it's not true.  I'm learning that God sees a much higher, bigger picture and is working for the greater good of the whole world (which is what's best for me too. :)  He is always working for our good and for His glory.  If it doesn't seem like it, then it's my perspective that needs to be adjusted, and re-reading One Thousand Gifts has really helped me with this process amidst recent trials.  So thankful God led me to pick it up again!!

Yes, she really is enjoying a little toe snack!

Easter

We had several weeks of focused reflection on the life of Jesus and the heart of the Gospel leading up to Good Friday. Then, Easter Sunday was a fantastic, joy-filled celebration of our risen Savior!!! We love getting outside early in the morning to sing loudly (only one set of neighbors to wake up), and to imagine what it was like on that first resurrection morning. We sang "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," and Emmery joined in on the "alleluia" parts. :)

Some of our dear friends were able to join us for Easter dinner and it was so sweet to hear each child present share what character they would like to be in the Easter story. Calvin, Abigail, and Easton recited a portion of the Gospel in poetry form from this gem: A Gospel Primer for Christians.

We were also blessed to have Dan's dad join us for a couple of days!

I don't have any photos to blow you away, because Emmery is much more interested in seeing images on the camera than in being one of those images. :)

Easton grabs Emmery for a quick picture:

My attempt at catching a photo of my sweet children before we headed out the door to church:

Papa enjoying some time with his grandchildren:

Emmery loves her Papa and was happy to have him read to her from her ABC Scripture book!

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... 

Christmas 2012

This was my best Christmas yet. I had just finished reading Anything by Jennie Allen. I devoured it in less than 48 hours.  I'd waited months for my turn to get it through the library but now I have to buy my own copy so I can go back and highlight and loan it to as many of my friends as possible. Reading this helped to soften my heart before God and make me hunger for Him more.  It reminded me of what I already knew...that I'm wasting my few breaths on earth if I live for my own comfort and happiness.  I've got all of eternity to be comfortable and happy.  Right now I'm here to live out my little part in God's story and I good and well better be listening to Him each day to hear what that is.





 I've been reading in Isaiah where God makes it clear that we are here for His glory, and we watched some Louie Giglio sermons that reminded me in powerful ways how big our God is.

So with a softer heart and a hunger for Him to increase and me to decrease, Christmas was a time of worship and joy.  On Christmas Eve Day we had our shepherd's dinner (actually a lunch) and remembered their part of the Christmas story.  Then we went to church and worked in children's ministries. When we got home we gathered around for some fun holiday snacks and read a special story.  Christmas Day we slept in, ate incredible food, exchanged stockings (we sent the kids on a treasure hunt for theirs), selected gifts for Gospel for Asia, watched How Great is Our God by Louie Giglio, and had a candlelight worship time singing praises to the King who came as a Babe. This year we enjoyed a little Advent book by Nancie Guthrie, Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room.  It's one of the best advent resources we've discovered!

 I've not been very successful with my camera recently, and I also didn't want to be so busy trying to take pictures that I wasn't fully present in the moment.  So although I don't have a ton of photos, I'm grateful for how God blessed our season of celebrating the gift of Jesus and wanted to share a few of our treasured resources with you!  Hope you and your family had a blessed Christmas!

Getting ready for our Shepherd's Lunch

Shepherd's Lunch by the fire

Emmery examining her new doll

Checking out an art book from Grandma

Verse of the Day

For a few years I have subscribed to Bible Gateway's verse of the day, and it has been a great way for me to find another way to get God's Word into my life.  So many times the verse that shows up in my e-mail is just what I needed to challenge or encourage me that day.  It's free, and it's quick to sign up.  Here's the link to sign up if you'd like to! 

Source

Recommendation: Kisses From Katie

A few friends whom I highly respect recommended this book to me, and I just had the privilege of reading it to our children.  Wow!  What an inspiring, challenging, eye-opening book about a young woman who is living as though God really did mean what He said in His Word regarding loving others.  I know it looks different for each person, but this book left all of us with a greater desire to listen to God and seek out ways to love those around us.  Why do we so often live as though life is all about us?

We regularly read missionary biographies to our kids (George Mueller, Amy Carmichael, etc), but it was great to be able to read them a story of someone who is currently living so we can pray for her.  I noticed that this book left us all with a heightened sense of gratitude for what God has blessed us with, and we pray each day that He will show us how we can give.  For we definitely have much more than we need!!!

I highly recommend Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis.  We were able to get it through our library system!

Recommendation: One Thousand Gifts

Over the past few weeks I've had the privilege of reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  This book is  a dare to LIVE FULLY right where you are.  As she shares from her own life, she shows how the act of giving thanks is the key to joy.  It took me a bit to adjust to her writing style, but I deeply appreciated this book and have begun my own list of One Thousand Gifts!  Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"While I may not always feel joy, God asks me to give thanks in all things, because He knows that the feeling of joy begins in the action of thanksgiving." (pg. 176)

_____________________________________________________

"It's impossible to give thanks and simultaneously  feel fear."  (pg. 203)

I highly recommend this book because no matter what you're going through in life, it shows you how to live out one of my favorite scripture passages:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Top Picks

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to share some of my favorite books with the Mom to Mom group that I have attended for three years.  Do you know how HARD it was to narrow it down to just ONE book on marriage, ONE on parenting, and ONE on personal discipleship?  I also distributed a handout with additional recommendations under each category, but I knew that people might not be as eager to listen as I was to share, so I restricted myself to a top picks list.  Do you want to know what they were and hear my sales pitch for each one?  If not, STOP reading!  (Hope you're enjoying all the CAPS.)

Parenting
Don’t Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman

Brief, practical.  Takes the philosophy of Shepherding and shows you how.  Teaches you how to ask questions that get to the heart of your child’s actions and guide them to be self-governing.  Shows you how to incorporate Scripture in your training in a positive way, showing the blessings of following God’s ways, not just the consequences of disobedience.

Personal
Living the Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney

Life-transforming.  I didn’t get how much the Gospel means in my every-day life until I read this.  We are in no position to disciple our children if we’re grasping at all the wrong things ourselves.  And trying super hard on our own never works.  This book shows how desperate we are for the cross every single day. I can’t encourage you enough to actively pour God’s truth into your own life, for only then will His truth flow out of you into your children's lives.

Marriage
Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian

Can anyone think of something you wish you could change about your husband?  Ever tried nagging?  Begging?  Manipulating?  Read this book instead.  It will be the greatest blessing to your husband, to your marriage, to yourself!  Powerful prayers taken from Scripture to guide you in praying specifically and biblically for your husband.  I have other marriage books that I LOVE, but if you can only read one, start here.



It goes without mentioning (though I did mention it) that THE number one pick is the Word of God and I would encourage you to diligently find ways to fill your heart and mind with the Bible each day. Vacation season is around the corner, but don't take a vacation from this treasure!!

I also took the opportunity to share a few of our favorite resources to teach God's Word to our Children:

Bible for Littles

Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm (ideal for ages 2-5)

Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones (ideal for ages 5-9)

Word & Song audio Bible (tapes and book) by Stephen Elkin (for ages 3-5)

FREE: A Praying Life

A Praying Life is an INCREDIBLE book on prayer!  Convicting, practical, motivating, easy to read, and now - FREE!  I saw this offer today and since it's a book that was very helpful to me, I wanted to recommend it to you!  Dan is reading it now and also really appreciating it.

Click HERE for the link to download your free copy.

Lovin' The Word

This morning when I came downstairs I saw this:

How precious is that?  Digging into God's Word together!!!   (They usually read the Bible alone, but they didn't want to wake Easton, so they were staying quietly in our study.)

And here's Easton showing you what he's using for his devotions now - the Bible on tape.

In her book, Treasuring God in our Traditions, Noel Piper talks about the importance of having little ones begin the habit of personal devotions at an early age.  It makes so much sense to start when they're young!  Our kids all began with the Word and Song Bible and tapes which was perfect for non-readers.  Easton recently transitioned to the NIV on tape, and he literally listens to chapters at a time.  He loves it! Since his tape recorder is in the corner of the kitchen, we're all blessed by his devotions. :)

I'm sure all parents can relate to the deep satisfaction that comes from observing your children taking in God's Word and enjoying it.  We pray that it takes root deep in their hearts.  We love this promise God makes about His Word:

It is the same with my word. I send it out, 

and it always produces fruit. 

It will accomplish all I want it to, 

and it will prosper everywhere I send it.  

Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)

Nagging Eliminator

In August we implemented a new system to streamline our mornings WITHOUT endless reminders from Mom (me. :)  I was excited right away about how well it worked, but I'm even more pleased that eight months later it continues to work for us!  Since it's "stood the test" for our family, I thought I'd share it for those of you with children in the house.  (I've also had some grown ladies say they'd like one of these for themselves, so don't be bound by age limits.)

Each child begins the morning with several slips of paper in their "Do" pocket.  Once they have completed the task, they move it to the "Done" pocket.  When all the papers have been moved, they are free until school starts.  When they ask, "Can I go outside?"  I can just glance at the pockets and know right away what the answer is.  I wanted to keep this as simple as possible, so one paper simply says "chores" and then they have to refer to the chore chart to see what their chores are for the day.  The other papers say Piano, Independent School, Morning Routine, and Breakfast/rinse dishes/brush teeth.

This system has encouraged our kids to use initiative and to manage their time (instead of passively fulfilling directions given daily by parents.)  They get to choose the order they do things in, and that often requires some healthy discussion with siblings of who will use the vacuum or the piano first. 

Laminating would be a good idea.  And cardstock would be sturdier than the construction paper I used.

If you are interested about how to use the system, just let me know if you have any questions!

Recommendation: Walking With the Wise

This year I am on top of reminding you about Sovereign Grace's huge February sale - it started today!  Fantastic resources, great sales, and free shipping with orders over $15.  Their most recent children's CD has been a huge hit in our family: Walking With the Wise.  It's based on Proverbs and the catchy tunes stick in our heads (yes, even the parents'!) and help us to apply the wisdom from Proverbs to our every day lives.  It's on sale now for only $6!  We also love their other kid's CDs: Awesome God and To Be Like Jesus.

Recommended Reading: George Mueller

We are studying a different missionary each term in school, and our current one is George Mueller.  This book was one for Dan to read aloud to the kids, but after I overheard an early chapter, I said, "Don't read anymore without me!"  Every night at dinner the kids would ask, "Can we read George tonight?"  Over and over through each chapter I would find myself saying, "Amazing!" and "Wow!" as Dan was reading to us.  I HIGHLY recommend this book, no matter what your age or stage of life.  You will not regret the time you spend reading it.  George Mueller's faith in God and dependence on prayer is inspiring, convicting, and motivating. 

I believe reading books such as this is one of the most effective ways of passing on the faith to our kids.  Last night Calvin told us he had a "George Mueller story" to share with us over dinner.  He told us about a challenge he had faced in the afternoon, how he prayed about it, and how God answered.  Hearing Mueller's story made a far greater impact on Calvin than any number of mini-sermons we could have preached to him about prayer.  What a great blessing to read the story of a life well-lived for the glory of God!  Hope you can get your hands on this treasure soon!

Goodreads

Have you heard about Goodreads? It's a website that allows you to track the books you have read, are reading, and want to read. It also enables you to share this information with friends. This has been the best way for me to make note of books that I want to read so I don't forget about them. I've really appreciated this resource and have received some great recommendations by seeing what a few of my friends are reading. It's free, so I'd encourage you to check it out. If you sign up, let me know. I'd love to see what you're reading!

Reccomendation: World's Greatest Stories

At lunch today the kids were so full of giggles and silliness, then rowdiness and craziness. I'd already tried "quiet down, please" and "stop that." They really weren't being bad, but they were getting carried away... And then I remembered that I had the perfect solution right in my own house! I grabbed a World's Greatest Stories cassette and popped it in - and silence reigned.

These tapes/CDs are amazing! They are stories that come word-for-word from the Bible (options of either NIV or KJV) and are told in a dramatic way that holds the listeners captive. I love that I hear God's word in a fresh new way while I'm listening, and that my kids are enjoying the Bible so much that they don't want to make any more noise! (Well, I will tell you that I also had to move the youngest one to a separate table to really quiet things down. :)

I highly recommend this as a resource for kids of all ages. You can listen to sound clips on their website in order to get a feel for the outstanding quality of these recordings. Let me know if you order any to quiet down a lunch at your house! You won't regret it!

Recommendation: Living Beyond Yourself

I recently completed the Bible study Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit by Beth Moore. I've done many Beth Moore Bible studies and enjoyed them, but this one was especially amazing! It was convicting, insightful, and very practical. If you're looking for a study to do, I highly recommend this one!

Summer Reading Picks

Need a suggestion for a good book to read over the summer? Here are two that I just finished and greatly enjoyed!

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall is an amazing true story that convicted me of how I view people who are different than me. Here is the product review from Amazon: "Meet Denver, a man raised under plantation-style slavery in Louisiana in the 1960s; a man who escaped, hopping a train to wander, homeless, for eighteen years on the streets of Dallas, Texas. No longer a slave, Denver's life was still hopeless-until God moved. First came a godly woman who prayed, listened, and obeyed. And then came her husband, Ron, an international arts dealer at home in a world of Armani-suited millionaires. And then they all came together.
But slavery takes many forms. Deborah discovers that she has cancer. In the face of possible death, she charges her husband to rescue Denver. Who will be saved, and who will be lost? What is the future for these unlikely three? What is God doing?
Same Kind of Different As Me is the emotional tale of their story: a telling of pain and laughter, doubt and tears, dug out between the bondages of this earth and the free possibility of heaven. No reader or listener will ever forget it. "
I read Heaven at Home a couple years ago, but decided to re-read it, and I'm glad I did! I enjoy Ginger Plowman's writings (she also wrote Don't Make Me Count To Three which I highly recommend), and she does a fantastic job of reminding the reader of how the grace of God gives us the power to please Him. It's a big picture book, touching on various aspects of being a wife, mom, and homemaker, so it does not thoroughly address any one topic. But it's a great refresher of things you might already know, and a powerful presentation of things you might not yet have heard! It was worth my time to read it - both times.

Easter Resources (and do you have any to share?)

We love this time of the year - when we can focus specifically on our Savior's life, death, and resurrection! We have been using Lenten Lights for our readings. It's a great (free!) resource from Desiring God Ministries. We started out with seven candles, and are counting down the weeks to Easter, snuffing out one candle each week, so that there is less and less light. Then, on Easter Sunday, we'll light all of the candles!
The kids love to have all of the lights turned off, so it looks like this:
But with the flash on the camera, you can see Dan and the kids singing from Passion Hymns for a Kid's Heart. We pull this book out each year for the weeks leading up to Easter and we love singing along with the CD songs like The Old Rugged Cross, At the Cross, What a Savior, etc.
We have also used Family Life's Resurrection Eggs in recent years. This year, we're going to have Abigail and Calvin use them with Easton the week before Easter. It will be perfect for Easton, and a great teaching opportunity for Calvin and Abigail.

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter is an excellent compilation of various sermons/writings pertaining to the Easter story. Dan and I appreciated using this on our own (not with the kids) last year and plan to read sections of it again this year.

What are you doing to celebrate this Easter season? We always love to get new ideas, so please share any resources/readings/etc. you've found to help make the most of this season. Thanks!

A Swagbucks Tip (How to set Swagbucks as your search engine)

Here's a tip for anyone who signed up to earn swagbucks to get Amazon giftcards, etc. You'll definitely want to install a plugin so that Swagbucks shows up as a search engine option within the menu at the top right of your Firefox (or Explorer, etc.) window. Sounds hard, but it's not at all. Just click on this link, scroll down to where it says "swagbucks plugins" and you'll be able to add the plugin quickly. Your search engine is probably currently set to Google, Yahoo, or the like, but if you click the tiny down arrow next to the Google (etc.) logo, you'll be able to select swagbucks and that will be your default search engine, so it'll be easy to start earning your prizes! If you didn't get to set up a Swagbucks account yet and still want to, just click here.

Easy way to get Amazon gift cards!

Have you signed up for Swagbucks yet? I use swagbucks as my search engine for all the research I do on the internet and it automatically rewards me with swagbucks - usually a couple a day. When I accumulate 45 swagbucks, I can get a $5 Amazon gift card which I love to use toward books, or items for our kitchen or schoolroom. (If you sign up through me, the first 100 swagbucks you earn will put 100 swagbucks in my account too.) So if you haven't already tapped into this fun way to get free gift cards, just click here. No extra work, just great rewards!