Real Change

Real change for students. I was expecting a bit more. However, I had to remember that this is a study meant for teens and young adults who seem to have a fairly short attention span, so they need to get the point across without taking up too much time or losing their attention. The book itself is less than 100 pages and and the study is less than half. It is very direct and to the point. Each week, has scripture, reflection sections and homework. Then the leader guide has pointers on how to conduct each week of the study and roughly how much time that is recommended to spend on each section each week.

So half the book is the actual study and the other half is the leader guide. The point of the study is to do internal change, transformation that leads to external change. There are six sessions in the study, which could be done one per week. The first four sessions are mostly internal change and the last two  sessions are where the internal work moves into external fruit that can be seen. And this is huge because Jesus said we will know them by their fruit and the fruit of our lives is what can actually be seen. So it doesn’t matter that Jesus knows my heart if the effects of knowing Jesus isn’t shown in my life. And THAT is the true purpose of this study to help the next generation produce fruit in keeping with being a follower of Christ.

(FYI, I received this book from the publisher, New Growth Press, in exchange for my honest review.)

The Moon is Always Round

Loss is hard. And just as it is hard on us adults, it is hard on children as well.

Simply written yet poignant in its message.

Little Ben notices the changes in the sky with the weather and times of day but then he sees that the moon always looks to change shape, yet Ben's dad always reminds him that the moon is always round. Ben's mommy becomes pregnant with a little sister and through it all, the moon is always round. As the come to Ben's baby sister being stillborn, dad reminds Ben that while we do not understand what's going on the moon is always round. At the baby's funeral, dad explains that the moon is always round is means that God is always good. No matter what happens in life, when we do not understand why things happen, God is always good and the moon is always round.

After reading this book I nearly wanted to cry. How beautiful of words to illustrate such a timeless truth.  And then to read that the story is true and based on the author's family. Tears. After going through loss this year, I greatly appreciate this book.

Family, have this book in your library. Adopt this saying in your family. The moon is always round.

God is always good. 

{FYI: I received this book from New Growth Press, the publisher, in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

New Children's Book Review: Why Do We Say Goodnight?

A common ailment to young children is a fear of the dark. Fear of the sounds and shapes of the night tend to plague children. And so here is a new book to address a fear of the dark.

In this book, a mother and daughter are engaged in conversation about why they say good night especially since the daughter is afraid of the dark. The mother then explains why we say good night or that the night is good. She explains that while we cannot see well in the dark, God can and He is with us even while we sleep. 

Looking at the images, you can see the progression of the story from being fearful to no longer fearing the dark and trusting that God is there even while she sleeps.

This is a good and different book. It's the first book we have in our collection to deal with the fear of the dark, and considering I have had a few children to help cope with this fear I'm glad to come across and review this book.

Mamas of littles, go ahead and add it to your library.

{FYI: I received this book from New Growth Press in exchange for my HONEST opinion of the book.}

New Review: Play to Their Strength

So our next book is a parenting book. I'm almost always up for reading someone else's take on parenting because as parents we don't know it all. And if someone has advice that can make me a better, more God-honouring parent then I'm all ears.

From the cover, this one promises both.

So in this book, we meet parents who have got it wrong then strove on how to get it right.  Their goal is to not parent from a place of fear but one of working to uncover what their children's gifts and talents are, then parent their children in such a way that nurtures those gifts and talents. Some practical tools they offer are to find the 5 e's (your child's enthusiasm, ease, excellence, energy, and enjoyment) regarding what your children are involved in; creating a vision board, which works with children the same way it does us, adults; and keeping an eye out for red flags that trigger frustration and keep parents from reacting and disciplining out of anger.

Then the last 80 pages of the book is the Bonus Playbook which helps parents actually used what they've read. There are practical tips to go with every chapter.

This book has been an interesting book to read, especially since we have five (5) children that span in an age range from 1 to 12. For me, Chapters 12 and 13 have been the most useful and implementor. I see this book as an ongoing reference book that would get a reread every so often for recharge. But all in all, I like their approach to parenting, its encouragement and cultivation at its best.

I also like that they encourage really learning our children and not taking the approach that we know them because we birthed them.

I definitely recommend this book to parents. 

{Also, please note that I received this book from the publisher, Harvest House, in exchange for my honest opinion.}

Good News for Little Hearts: Gus Loses His Grip

Our third book in the series! Such a good series so far. Each one is just as good as the last. 

Each book takes place in Mulberry Meadow and introduces another animal family. We've met Henry and Tori, now we meet Gus. 

Now Gus is a going through a sneaky phase. It starts with disobedience, eating candy in his room, which is a no-no. Then it delves into stealing candy at the market. All of this falls around Easter.

When Gus confesses to his dad he says he just had to have it (candy). So when he was offered a piece without any supervision he did what the kids next to him did, took more than he was told he could. Gus also confesses to eating candy in bed and hiding the wrappers knowing it was against the rules.

But the best part? His dad's response. His dad acknowledged what Gus did was wrong then self-reflected that even he as an adult needs to practice restraint and self-control. Then his dad tells him to return the candy, confess to the shopkeeper and apologize. 

Parents, a book that deals with disobedience, lying, and theft in a godly manner? Win!

Again add it to your home library for when the situation arises.

{I received this book from the publisher, New Growth Press, in exchange for my honest review.}

Good News for Little Hearts: Tori Comes Out of Her Shell

So we started this new series of books, we have 3 of 5 or 6 in the series.

While the first book dealt with loss and how to overcome grief. This book covers shyness and feeling lonely. And more specifically moving and being the new kid at school.

I so wish we had this book last year when we moved from Texas to North Dakota and our children were experiencing what Tori feels in this book. 

Tori's family moves to a larger log home and with that comes a new school, new friends and a new church. She also lands in Henry's class with Miss Minnick. She struggles with fitting in as well as being afraid of falling and being laughed at. Then comes Miss Minnick who helps Tori see Jesus as that invisible friend who's always with her. Then at church the message repeats. And at school the following week Tori meets Gertie Gecko who wants to have a shell like Tori so she wouldn't be exposed when she feels lonely. Tori is then able to pass along the message Miss Minnick gave her . Tori also invites Gertie to church. 

This message: tugs at the heart strings! Having a friend who just picks you up and holds you close is every child's wish even if they never say it and especially so for shy children.

OK, two books in and I'm starting to think this is just a must-have series.

Highly recommend for those with shy children.

Also, the pocket bible verses in the back (perforated so you have take them out) is AMAZING!

{I received this book from the publisher, New Growth Press, in exchange for my honest review.}

Good News For Little Hearts: Henry Says Good-bye

So we have TONS of new children's books to review from New Growth Press.

So Good News for Little Hearts is a very cute series that helps children address their feelings.

First Up: Henry Says Good-Bye

This is one of the  BEST books. It deals with grief and how feelings are real and how many times we can be mean when they are grieving. Henry's pet ladybug dies while he is at school one day and he's so sad and grieving, that even at times he takes it out on his friends. But then his parents help him to address his sadness and to grieve. They have a memorial service for Lila and all of Henry's friends come to say their good-byes he starts to not be so sad because he realizes his friends loved Lila the Ladybug too. 

Parents, this book is good to just have. Keep it on the bookshelf because death and loss are inevitable and as parents, we have to help our children through the losses that are sure to come. Even if the good-bye isn't due to death but perhaps moving and having to leave behind friends and family, a loss is still loss and our children need our help navigating the waters.

A must-have.

{I received this book from the publisher, New Growth Press, in exchange for my honest review.}

New Kid's Review: Scarlett's Spectacles

So I am super excited about a new children's book I received to review. What makes this book so awesome is that it uses glasses for a metaphor for our perspectives.

So we're introduced to beautiful young Scarlett. She grumbly and whiny while wearing a boring pair of brown square glasses. With all of her grumbling and complaining, she misses out on the blessings in her life. Her mommy points that out to her, that if only she would change her "glasses" then perhaps her attitude would change as well. And behold that's exactly what occurred. When Scarlett decided to change her glasses, she stopped whining and complaining about everything instead of simply being grateful for what she has.

So my first reaction: ALL of my kids need to read it and for it to be read aloud so that we can have a house discussion on it.  My second reaction: ALL of my friends with children need to read this book and have a family discussion about it. It's that good.

Highly Recommend.
You can purchase a copy here.

{FYI: as always I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.}

New Cookbook Review: In the Kitchen with Grandma

Such the sweetest cookbook for grandmas and mamas to try with their kids/grandkids.

Now mind you I'm not a grandmother and likely won't be for a long time. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book as they are recipes I can do with my kids.

So, the recipes in this book are organized into sections around seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Then there are the Year-Round and Holiday recipes.  And there's a section on how best to share your faith with your grandkids/kids complete with hand motions and all. Like how awesome is this? A cookbook that seeks to add just a touch of sharing the gospel.

I like that the author identifies how difficult recipes (represented by the number of spoons) are and gives gluten-free options for most (if not all) recipes. The recipes (in my opinion) are all fairly easy to replicate and enjoy. I love that all the recipes are kid-friendly and can please even the pickiest of eaters. And there are margins for note-taking! Absolutely brilliant to have a note section with each recipe so that each mom/grandma can note down her little tweaks to the recipe that make it a family favorite.

The only thing I wish was different is that the interior was as colorful as the exterior. The interior is for the most part grayscale with few touches of a deep rose.

However, I think it could be loads of fun throughout the year with new recipes to try.
You can purchase a copy here.

{As always I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.}

Soaring Through the Bible

How awesome is a Bible overview book made specifically for kids?? I think it is awesome and it helps with actually teaching the bible.

So this book goes book by book explaining who wrote it, why they wrote, who they wrote it to, and how it relates to the BIG picture of the Bible: The Gospel. Each chapter is about 4-5 pages long and encompasses helping with learning little tidbits about the Hebrew language and how the words really translate from Hebrew to English. And of course, it wouldn't be a Bible overview if each chapter didn't share a summary of the book in question, generally by theme.

My plan is to incorporate this book into our morning basket this school year as it will help my kids learn the books of the Bible, where to find them in the bible and how they relate to the gospel and God's overarching picture. 

I do recommend adding this book to your library for your kiddos too.

And if you choose to do so, you can get a copy on Amazon.

{As always I received this book in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Student Planner Review

So this may be my first time reviewing an academic planner, and this one is a student planner which I am totally excited about because we are back homeschooling this year so the planner will be used by my oldest who will be starting 7th grade in a few short weeks.

So this is what the exterior of the one we received looks like. It is hardback with the ability to lay flat to write in. It isn't super bulky so she can drop it down into her backpack to take with her when we go on road trips or to the library.

These two pages are to set up what courses the student will take on a weekly basis and which days each week as well as a semester overview. This is awesome for us because as homeschoolers we can use these pages to keep up with (for record-keeping purposes) exactly what was learned throughout the school year.

The each month's calendar is spaced out over two pages which allow the student to keep up with activities. Especially for the busy kid who may be involved in extracurricular activities like our kids are planning for. There's a notes column to jot down notes and things to remember. And down in the lower right-hand corner is a monthly memory verse for the student, so over the course of the school year they should be able to memorize at least 10-11 verses.

And last is the weekly planning pages which have a check-box layout rather than a time slot layout which in my preference is better because we often do not always adhere to a time schedule but we do tend to maintain our routine. With the checkboxes, I informed my student that she would write down all of her assignments the weekend before and check off each one as she completed them and I would review and grade the following weekend. My goal is to allow more self-governance for our oldest and give her more responsibility for keeping up with her assignments and chores.

So for me, this planner gets 5 stars!! It is well thought out and simple enough to use without too much explanation. I definitely recommend. And if you want one a little more feminine they do have another cover option:

{FYI: as always this planner was provided to me for FREE from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Easter is Coming

Board books are some of my favorite books to have in my library since we have 3 girls under 5 years of age. And they are ROUGH on books.

The colors are vibrant and inviting. So this book is of course about Easter and it visits different stories in the Bible (Adam & Eve, The Old Testament in General, then the last supper and other events in Jesus' life) and states that while people acted in ways that did not please God, they were unaware that Easter, the Resurrection, was coming. This book generally exchanges the Resurrection with Easter. 

My personal opinion: It's bright and colorful. It's vibrant and inviting. It's a board book, meaning sturdy enough to withstand the hands of a 4 yr old, 3 yr old, and 11 month old. However, on a theology level, people could easily have an issue with the world Easter being interjected for Resurrection. While we have come to easily exchange the two, they are actually two different events. However, I do understand what the author is trying to do, which is get our children to look beyond the bunny, eggs, and baskets to see Jesus & the cross.

{FYI I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible

EEEEEEKKKK!!!!

That was me being UBER excited about this children's story bible. This has to be the first one I've EVER encountered where ALL of the illustrations are brown people. 

I have come across many Bible storybooks in my years of book reviewing and this is the FIRST time I've come across one where the characters are accurate. They are all beautiful shades of brown. While this may not seem like a huge deal, it really is. Most illustrations of Jesus and different people from the bible has been hugely white-washed even when you see movies on Joseph or Moses it is rare for us to see the Egyptians (who are African) portrayed as actual Africans (which is people of color, brown/black). And so to have an ENTIRE Bible storybook filled with people of color where my kids can see themselves in the Bible, that's huge. It's representation where we often have none. 

The stories are not too long and the illustrations hold our little ones' interest.  There are about 20 Old Testament stories and 20 New Testament stories.  Now don't expect it to be completely accurate (it isn't), that's why I described it as a storybook and not a Bible as the writer liberally adds to it to make it fun and engaging for kids. One of the stories is titled in such a way that children can connect the story to the holiday, The First Christmas.

If you choose to grab a copy for your kiddos, head over to Amazon.

(As always, I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.)

The Silent Noisy Night

A new children's book!

Perfect for this Christmas season!

So I absolutely LOVE this book! It's so bright and colorful. And baby Jesus is a beautiful brown skin baby (won't go into a debate on this). The author takes into account that Jesus was born in a barn and laid in a manger (a feedbox for animals). So if he was born in a barn, he could have easily been surrounded by farm animals and if he was, it is quite believable that they were not quite. They may have been excited about his birth.

I love that the author uses such amazing verbs and sounds and it rhymes. So when we read it (almost every day since it arrived), I tend to sing the last few pages to my kids and (surprisingly) they love it!

And what mom doesn't love a board book. Soft enough for little hands to hold yet sturdy enough that those little yet rowdy hands cannot destroy it.

Look below for an excerpt:

Definitely recommend!! Why not read it during advent with your children?

{As always, I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.}

You are....

 This book!! 

So "you are" is a children's board book, which means its sturdy enough for the hands of my 7-month-old and 2 year old, to play with, without any damage. And the bigger girls love it.

It is FULL of affirmations to speak over our children and scripture that confirm those affirmations. As a mom, this brings me so much joy because simply reading it aloud daily, affirms my children. It reminds them of who they are in Christ. My hope is that it becomes a family favorite, even as they grow older and need a reminder of who they are, of who God says they are.

It is well illustrated and quite colorful with animals because what kid doesn't love animals?
And the words are powerful.

The cover....speaking God's Word over your children

 A truth along with Scripture (excerpt)

Back of the book.

Sacred Holidays: Less Chaos, More Jesus

Sacred Holidays, what started as a ministry to bring advent and lent bible studies & reading plans have morphed into a book about making the holidays sacred. There are some things Becky Kiser gets right and there are still some things I feel she misses the mark on.

So let's start with what she gets right. She offers solid planning ideas and space to plan your holidays and birthdays. She offers grace about being different and doing holidays differently. She's adamant about learning how to say no so that you can say yes to the valuable things. I love that she wants us to plan 30-60 days in advance the holidays and birthdays, which would make my life so much easier, as we have 5 children and birthdays can be quite hectic since they seem to come back to back (March 4, May 3, May 7, May 30, & August 9). 

She helps us tackle budgeting because while some are natural budgeters, some of us are not (*raises hand*).  She helps us set realistic expectations of ourselves because it is easy to try to do it all the first year and it may not happen or it may not be consistent. And the goal is consistency. 

So, baby steps (Becky's words). 

So, with all that said, what could have possibly gotten wrong?  For me, it lies in the chapter on Halloween. That's one holiday I refuse to celebrate. Regardless to how you dress it up as having some Christian roots, it is a day that satan worshippers revere & celebrate as much as we, Christians, do Resurrection Sunday and Good Friday. I can appreciate what she attempts to do by suggesting that we engage our neighbors on the holiday and share the gospel.

Maybe we're those Christians because for us it's simple either you serve God or you serve satan by turning from God. Revelations is quite clear, being warm isn't acceptable to God. You're either all in or you're out.

For what this book intends to do, for the most part, it hits the mark: to have less chaos and have more Jesus during the holidays.

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Beginner's Bible Bedtime Collection

This is a collection of Bible Stories for Bedtime Stories. So instead of the Mother Goose rhymes or other books for bedtime stories, we can further impress God's Word on their hearts.

The cover DOES glow in the dark. It's one of my younger kids favorite features of the book. The stories are from both the Old and New Testaments. And the book is organized in such a way that the stories are placed in the order that they occur in the Bible.

As you can see from the table of contents above, the Old Testament stories are the more popular ones amongst children and the New Testament ones are all about Jesus. The longest story is about 6 pages long, so you can easily incorporate it into your bedtime routine and yet short enough for the little listener to not grow bored. I enjoy that it is very bright and colorful. It's great little ones. 

I see this book as a great early discipleship tool to help children understand God's love for us and the gospel.

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.}

The Lifegiving Parent

There are some authors I instinctively turn to for parenting advice. Sally Clarkson is one of them. She has a remarkable way of showing parents, especially mothers how our motherhood is ministry work even if we never actually serve in a ministry at church. And here we come to the finale of a trilogy of books (the review for book 1 will come after this one). 

The Lifegiving series is one that seeks to transform the way in which we live, in how hospitable we are, and how we parent our children. It's not pushy as you must do these things but is more of showing different ways that she and her husband are doing it and have been doing it for decades. 

The Lifegiving Parent is a joint effort between Sally and her husband, Clay. Prior to reading, I thought it would be equal writing between them as I absolutely enjoy Sally's writing style. However, after reading, I realize that this is really Clay's book. Sally contributes at the end of each chapter little tidbits of momoirs of her take on what Clay has discussed in the chapter.

I'll be honest, it is a fairly good book when it comes advice on parenting. It has 8 touchpoints of ways we as parents shape and give life to our children. Each one is equally important to the parenting of our children and each one plays a huge part in who they will eventually become. And as parents, especially as Christ-following parents who want to be intentional about raising our children to have a strong foundation and faith in Christ, this book is a good point in the right direction for accomplishing that goal.

My only drawback is that I expected more of Sally's writing. Much of the promotion on this book is that it is a Sally Clarkson book, only to realize once you start reading that it is really a Clay Clarkson book and it banks on Sally's name to draw the audience. Clay is a good writer, however, for me, he doesn't have the charm and drawing in the reader quality like Sally does. Sally's words do more than tell a story and convey a message they illustrate the imagery she wants you to see and helps you to imagine the sights and smells that she's telling you about. Clay's writing does not quite have that effect and that's OK because it's what distinguishes him from Sally. 

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Adventure Bible Book of Daring Deeds and Epic Creations

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So how awesome is this??? First, off let's backtrack. This is the Adventure Bible Book of Daring Deeds and Epic Creations. It is apart of the Adventure Bible series (bibles geared towards children) It's a book full of experiments for your children to try out. And there's usually a Bible verse to go with each craft (generally at the end of the craft). This has been quite popular on my Instagram, with one mom even asking me to do a flip through so she could see what the book contained. The book is quite thin and can easily be carried around in hand or a backpack for outdoor adventures and crafts.

So take a look below.

Table of Contents, as you can see these are very outdoorsy type of projects, which I love because it encourages our children to get out of the TV and electronics.

See the bible verse. For this one, it is Philippians 4:19

If I remember correctly, this craft continued onto the next page and had a bible verse there.

Here's the back cover.

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Little Critter Little Blessings Collection

Ok, as a mom I absolutely LOVE when we can receive these collections to review. It is an awesome deal to be able to get four full stories in one hardback book. Even better is when the books are completely God-centered. And these books are!

So the four books included in this collection are:

• You Go First, 
• Being Thankful, 
• It's True!, and 
• We All Need Forgiveness. 

Each one has a clear moral and lesson for readers to learn. In We All Need Forgiveness, Little Critter learns that he needs to be forgiving, however, he learns this the hard way after he has been unforgiving and unkind to his friends when they needed forgiveness THEN he becomes the friend who needs forgiveness and they all do no immediately give it. It is then that he realizes (with his Mom's help pointing to the Bible) that in order to receive forgiveness, he must also give forgiveness. And they mention God by name, eek! Even better!

And that is an awesome message for a book to provide to children. Because children can be irrational and selfish and even mean at times. But they have to learn early that just as they want to be forgiven when they make mistakes, they have to forgive when others make mistakes. 

{FYI: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}