11 Mar 2018

Gospel-Centered Mom

by | posted in: Books | 0

(I received this book from Blogging For Books.  All thoughts are my own.).

Books for moms can be such helpful reads.  Believe me, go look at any bookstore and there are plenty to choose from.  For me, books on motherhood can be a source of mentoring or it can just be fluff that I don’t glean much from.

I would put Gospel-Centered Mom right in the middle.  I was hoping that it would be more, that I would find it to be one of the best mom books out there, but it fell short of that.

I did think that Brooke, who is a mother of boys like I am, gave plenty of real life and she didn’t sugar coat motherhood for anyone.

She gave good ideas to help when times get “hard to handle”.

I think for me it was more personal story, almost like a memoir.  I want more Gospel truth, less personal story.  Or some kind of balance there.  And for me it wasn’t balanced enough.  Though, what she said in the way of Gospel was spot on.  She wasn’t saying that we should always seek a break in parenting and she wasn’t saying that we can do it all.  She was saying that we need Jesus.  And so do our kids!

 

3 Mar 2018

Lettering the Psalms Day 3

by | posted in: Bible | 1

I was just listening to a podcast by Anne Bogel What Should I Read Next.  She was talking with her guest about the tone of a book.  What tone did she like to read?  Did it matter what tone the book took?  The guest went on to talk about her likes and dislikes with different tones of books.

Psalm 9 is a divided psalm.  Part of it is praise for the ways that God has worked.  Part of it is seeking God to ask him to act again.

But listen to the first verse: read it aloud, read it over and over.  Doesn’t it set the tone for the entire psalm?

As a mom, I have an obligation to my home.  Yes, to my house, to make it warm and hospitable and clean and functioning.  But, more to my home.  I get the opportunity to set the tone of our home.  I can set a tone of joyfulness or of grumbling.  I can set a tone of peace or of striving.  I can set a tone of prayerfulness or worry, of praise or of complaint.

What tone do you want to set in your home?  In your quiet time?  In your walk with God?

Tools: Pentel Sign Pen, Tuscan sun from Artistic Isle Watercolor

 

2 Mar 2018

Lettering the Psalms Day 2

by | posted in: Bible | 1

Prayer is not the easiest thing I do in my life.  Is it for you?

I once heard a pastor say that no one in the church would raise their hands if he asked if anyone had the prayer life they always wanted.

My prayer life currently is very much in the moment.  If someone asks me to pray, I do it right then.  I pray when I need help with parenting.  I pray as I read things.  I pray in the car when a song comes on that reminds me to pray about something.

And really, Psalm 6, is not about prayer.  Not really.  Its about confession.  Its about seeking the God who is able and willing to show mercy on us and forgive all our sins.

David, in his agony and turmoil, maybe in a depression, maybe feeling totally away from God, appeals to His character.  God’s faithfulness, His acts of redemption, His leading and mercy and grace.  These are the things that David knows God to be.  And even when David can’t feel God or even when David thinks he has nothing to bring and God shouldn’t answer Him, he calls out for mercy.

And God answers.

More Scripture to read: Psalm 51, 1 John 4, Romans 5

Tools: Artistic Isle Watercolor and Pentel Sign Brush in gray

2 Mar 2018

Lettering the Psalms Day 1

by | posted in: Bible | 0

Spring is a great time to try something new.  Just like January 1, right?  The days get longer, the weather gets warmer, the flowers are blooming!

Lettering is definitely not new to me, but I do like to do different things with it to keep me fresh and also practice.  When my custom order list is long, I warm up with lettering challenges that I find by different letterers on Instagram.

This March I’ll be sharing with you those letterings and my devotional thoughts.  I’m using James Montgomery Boice’s incredible commentary on Psalms to walk me through these each day.  And I’ll also be talking about my favorite lettering resources, too.

By the end of the challenge, I hope to take all of the ombre brushlettered cards and make them into a Psalms memory ring!

Day 1 (I was going to post this last night but my mister needed the computer, and I wanted to go to bed).  Psalm 3:3

I’ve loved this Psalm for about 15 years since I sung it as part of a choir at a church in NC.  This is one of my favorites.  I love this version by Brooklyn Tab.  My mister will be singing it this spring as part of a choir tour – encouraging pastors and church members.

The Psalm is written by David.  To say the least David is having a rough go of it.  His life is in danger – by his son.  When I’m anxious about anything I can tell you I don’t sleep very well.  It is a fitful night of tossing and turning.  And yet David says he woke up because the Lord was with him.  That says he was very calm.

When we are being pressed in, have people that are after us, or accusing us, or being mean to us (yes, bullying happens as adults too), or we just are having a rough time, we can look at this verse and know the same God who rescued David is the same God who shepherds and rescues us.

He is a shield.

He lifts your head.

He is a near God who protects you.

“When a believer gazes too long at his enemies, the force arrayed against him seems to grow in size until it appears to be overwhelming.  But when he turns his thoughts to God, God is seen in his true, great stature, and the enemies shrink to unimaginable proportions.” (JB Psalm 3)

Tools: Artistic Isle Watercolor, watercolor paper 140lb, large round brush (I get mine at Target), Crossway Psalter

For any custom lettering, comment here or head over to my instagram page.

Day 2: Psalm 6

Day 3: Psalm 9

1 Mar 2018

The Saturday Night Supper Club

by | posted in: Books | 0

Food.  Books.  Two of my loves of my life.  And this book is a great combination of both worlds.

Tyndale House sent me this book as part of their blog review program.  And the book by Carla Laureano is one of my favorite reads this year!

It is a fictional story of a chef, an essayist, and dinner parties.  Food and time together is a perfect setting for love to blossom.  I mean, my own relationship with my husband started over a 4 hour dinner.

I loved Carla’s characters, dialogue, setting in Colorado.  I had just read a book with a similar story line, but the romance without the sex in this Christian fiction was much better.

If you like food, dinner parties, and romance fiction, this is definitely the book for you.

This would be a perfect book to read with a book club.  Have dinner.  Drink some wine or just coffee…and talk about the book.  There are even discussion questions in the back of the book.  And her next one is due our next spring!  Can’t wait!

 

 

27 Feb 2018

Our Favorite February Read Alouds

by | posted in: Books, Kids r Readers 2 | 0

The time has come to share our favorite February read alouds.  The more time our boys spend reading books, the more they enjoy them.  Don’t think we never let our kids watch TV because we spend a lot of time watching their favorite Netflix shows.

But we also read, play outside, run errands, do chores, dance, ride scooters, etc.  But, we do enjoy boys.

So, here we go!

Are You Ready to Play Outside . A friend of mine suggested this book as she quoted it in her instagram caption.  I’d not heard of it.  It is 10 years old.  And I think it is really cute.  It can also teach our kids about not complaining and enjoying things even when the circumstances might not be perfect.  And to enjoy doing things together!

100 Things I Love to Do with You . I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and especially the rhyming part of it.  I think this would be a good book to do a “bucket list” for your kids for the summer.

The Monkey and the Crocodile . We read this twice in one donut outing.  It was super fun and the illustrations were unique

Baby Wren and the Great Gift What a sweet spring book written by our favorite author.  Read the whole thing, my boys enjoyed it as we went further along in the story.

Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes Yes, it is another Pete the Cat book.  I even took this book to read to my younger’s school and they enjoyed it as well!

For more books for February you can check these out:

Read Aloud Revival February Books

Barnes and Nobles List

Raising Lifelong Learners February List

25 Feb 2018

Sunday Funday

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Hey yall.

So, I’m home from church this morning because I woke up with a killer sore throat and ear ache (probably tonsillitis again like I had in December).  I took a low-dose oxycodone because I didn’t want to walk downstairs and get tylenol.  And with little sleep and on meds, I locked myself out of my house.  Had to wait for the mister to be done with playing for the service to tell me where our spare key was.  Now, I’m fading, but thought I’d have some fun.  If this post makes no sense, you’ll know why.

Just thought I’d share some things I’m loving right now!

This book.  It has be a good primer for me in drawing flowers.

These little cute things.  They will go over my desk when we get a curtain rod, so right now they are in our dining room. I got them from a local nursery.

Friends who know more than I do about DIY projects.

These chocolate chip cookies.  They are perfection.  I like them with dark chocolate to cut the sweetness just a little.

Dreaming of summer and day trips to visit friends.

This book.  I just finished it.  A must read.

What have you been loving?  Please share!

22 Feb 2018

Curious Kids and Faith

by | posted in: Bible, Books | 1

(This post is brought to you by Tommy Nelson Mommies and all thoughts are my own.)

Sometimes, we, as a family of 4 with two littles under the age of 6, have some interesting conversations at the dining table.  We use the table as a place to get to know our children, let them talk about their days, what they learned that day, and to teach them manners (ha, they are both boys).

Especially on Sunday afternoons, we like to ask what they learned in Sunday School.  They are using the Gospel Project in their classes, so I know the teaching they receive is spot on, but sometimes what comes out of their mouths is humorous.

Moses is the Father of lies.

All snakes lie.

Paul and Barnabas went on a walk.

Those are just a few of the things I have heard in the past few weeks.

I want to have open conversations about faith and Jesus and the Gospel and let it be a normal part of our every day conversations (not just relegated to Sundays or in their beds as they say their nightly prayers).  Deuteronomy 6 teaches us this.  As parents, we are to talk about Jesus all the time.  This will come from a heart that loves Him!

As my boys little minds grow, they will get more curious about faith and Jesus and the stories they hear in the Bible.  Even though I went to seminary, wrote Bible curriculum, and read a ton, I may not always know the best way to communicate God’s truth to my littles.

This post is about Kathryn Slattery’s 365 Bible Answers for Curious Kids.  This is a resource to help young grade school kids know more about the questions they have.  It is an easy to use q/a book with Scripture and a prayer.  If you have a curious little one, this will be good to use at the dinner table, during family worship, or as you are putting them to bed (though, doing this may prolong bed time).  Keep reading…

Here’s where my caution comes in: some of these questions aren’t answered how I would answer them.  Can we pray for our pets?  (Yes, I think it is ok to thank God for our pets because they bring us joy, but no, I don’t think pets can be saved and I don’t think all dogs go to heaven.  If you have a pet you will need to deal with this question by your kids.) . On the question of Adam and Eve’s sin, she doesn’t say that all men have sinned because of that, but instead just says that God still loved them even after they sinned.

So, as with every book review I give, take every thought you read in this book and line it up with the whole counsel of the Word of God.  If something doesn’t line up, you must go with the Word of God because that is your perfect standard of Truth.

If you want to win a copy from Tommy Nelson, just leave me a comment telling me one fun question about God your kids have asked you!

31 Jan 2018

God Bless My Family (Giveaway)

by | posted in: Books | 1

If you asked my older son what his favorite thing in the world was: he would probably say dogs.

What is so funny is I think every one in his class knows it.  Such a sweet little friend as his school brought him a stuffed animal doggie because he wanted him to have it.  So, sweet, right?

The hearts of little preschoolers!

We’ve enjoyed the God Bless My (Series) by Hannah Hall.  The latest one is a sing-songy rhyming book about family and it is illustrated with dogs.  So, even though this book is definitely more for babies and toddlers, I knew I had to get it because of my son’s affinity for dogs.

So, thanks to Tommy Nelson Mommies, you have the opportunity to win a copy.  So, whether you have babies or toddlers or even older kids who love dogs – this would be a great book for your family.

Just leave a comment here to be entered!

Thanks Tommy Nelson for the book and the giveaway!

31 Jan 2018

January Read Aloud Favorites

by | posted in: Books | 1

One of our favorite times is sitting on the couch and reading together with our boys.  Mostly me, as we are killing time in the middle of the day, or waiting to go to school in the morning – we will pull out our pile from the library and read through some.

Here are our January favorites.  I hope you find some here that your children love as well.  Reading with your children bonds them to you, promotes snuggling, and engages their minds.

Waiting for Winter : I love the unique illustrations in this one.  And it builds so much anticipation for snow.  We live in the South, so every snow fall is greatly anticipated!

The Wish Tree – What you wish for may actually come true in new ways that you’d never thought of.  Helps kids think about other people other than themselves.

Blizzard

Pete the Cat Snow Daze (we love all Pete the Cat books)

Pug and Doug : Anything with dogs is a favorite of one of our boys.  If you find what interests your children, I guarantee they will read!

The Reverend Thomas’s False Teeth : This is one my husband read with our boys, they thought it was great.

Arthur’s Dream Boat : I love books that encourage imagination and creativity.

Too Many Chickens 

Emergency (Carry-Me) : I found this at Goodwill and we read it all month.  Frequent your local Goodwill – you will find some great books and chapter books for your kids.  I’ve collected almost 2 entire Little House sets just from Goodwill trips.

I hope by reading to them early, that when they learn to read, they will love to read.