Always Grace (Book Giveaway)

posted in: Books, Shepherding Children | 5

Always Grace

One of the sentences I most say in life is “I’m sorry.” Well, maybe sometimes I insert,”I’m such a failure.”  This is so true in my marriage and parenting.  This parenting this is so difficult most of the time!

But, then I come to the title of a book (you can win one, stay tuned) – Grace for the Moment.  How crucial is this to remember.  I grew up on Max Lucado (in my spiritual walk I mean.)  I started reading his books in late middle school and read them all the way through seminary.  Still one of my favorite books on the incarnation is God Came Near.  And that incarnation is what makes God’s grace so real to us because that was God the Father’s best gift.

One of the areas I need most encouragement in is my communication with my boys.  As God speaks his grace to us, to my soul, I can therefore speak it to my boys, who are sinners and desperately need to hear God’s grace and truth in their souls.  This set from Max, including Grace for the Moment for Kids is a great way to fill your soul with a quick daily devotional (because all moms will tell you that one of the hardest things is to get prolonged quality time in the Word) and then read something similar on the same day to your kids.  That way you are filling your soul with similar truths!  How perfect for family devotionals.  This is a great devo for older children and has some practical applications for them to live out the truth they just learned.

Here is how you can win this set of books – perfect for starting out the new year with truth from God’s Word: tell me one thing you are looking forward to doing with your kids in the new year.  Me: cooking more for them instead of always grabbing fast food in the car.  Thanks Tommy Nelson Mommies for hosting this giveaway and for my free books!

Billy Graham Devotional for Children

If there was one name that most of the world knew, both Christians and non-Christians, it would be Billy Graham.

Billy Graham, nearer to the end of his earthly life than at the beginning of it, has ministered to millions with the truth of the Gospel.  He has no doubt had such an impact on so many children throughout his ministry.  And now there is a devotional for grade school children that bears his name.

What I like about God’s Good News Bible Storybook is that variety of Bible stories included in it.  There are some that aren’t included in other story books for children.  I wonder how often people get to the battle of Jericho or David and Goliath and don’t know anything in the Bible after that until you get to the birth of Jesus.

In the stories you are given nicely illustrated photos which will especially help keep the attention of younger children, if you are attempting family devotions with a variety of ages of children (aren’t most of us?).  In each, you are given the Bible passage, and I would encourage you to open up a real Bible and read it out of there with your children – and let them read it for themselves.  And in most, you are given a short devotional from BIlly Graham – encouraging devotion to God and the telling of the Gospel.

This would be a great addition to your books for family devotions.  Great for school age children.

If you would like to win a copy from Tommy Nelson (who sent me this book in exchange for this blog post and review, all opinions are my own), then all you have to do is answer the question: how would you like to encourage your kids in evangelism?  Might be with their kids at school, or taking them on mission trips when they get older, or doing neighborhood activities that engage other kids with the gospel.

 

Family Ministry Today: Meals and Media

Meal time has often been considered one of the most needful times when connecting with your family.  Whether you eat at home at the table, in the living room, in the car, or at a restaurant, meal time is important.  You can make it either meaningful or literally a waste of time (except for filling bellies).  What are some issues concerning meal times and what can we as parents do?

1.  Media.  Mostly I mean television – and I’ll start with home.  Rarely do my husband and I eat in front of the television.  I can probably count on one hand the times we’ve done that in 19 months of marriage.  But, growing up we did that more times than we didn’t.  It was acceptable and counted on to eat while watching a Mets game, the news, or sitcoms.  Television watching at home provides a means to have no conversation and to also not think about what you are eating.

2.  Social Media or Telephones.  I rarely remember a meal when the phone didn’t ring in our house growing up and someone didn’t get up to answer it.  It speaks of what is more important: the person on the phone or those you are eating with.  There may be times when emergencies happen and you must do that – but I would say those are rare.  Parents: leave your phones in another room or turn them off.  Eat with your family: be all there.  If your children do have phones or other handheld media devices, have them turn them off or don’t allow them to interact with them during a meal time.

3.  Restaurants.  Last night my husband and I went to Carino’s for dinner.  We sat in the bar area and I sat facing the news channel.  They were focusing on a sex crime/murder trial.  I didn’t know anything about it but caught myself glancing up every now and then.  By the end of the meal I had mentioned it to Eric just as a way of soundbite.  It didn’t do anything to fuel our conversation, but sometimes it does.  If you are out with small children: go to a place without a tv or sit in a place where they can’t see it.   You usually have no control what is going to be shown and therefore can’t be on guard against what your children (or you) might see.  I often am saddened by couples or families that sit in almost silence at restaurants.  They rarely talk with each other and are instead engrossed in their phones or just staring at their meals.

4.  Use meal times strategically.  You can teach young children responsibility and what is important.  You can make meal times a priority for your family and a chance to have great conversation about their day and your day and what you read in the Word that day or use some books to fuel conversation.  Nancy Guthrie has a book on dinner table devotions that would be an excellent choice.  Eric and I use a grouping of memory verses to read and pray through before the meal.

Whatever you do, don’t let meal times be stolen away by society.  Use them for your family’s strength and God’s glory.