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.
Parenting has taught me a lot about this idea of mercy. I think children need both discipline and mercy. Of course they need to learn obedience, but they also need to be shown mercy sometimes when they fail. They need to be shown mercy if for no other reason that to get a fuller picture of the God that created them. Mine need mercy so they won’t spend 4 hours in time out each day.
I am a daughter. I have a merciful heavenly Father. I am so thankful that he shows me great mercy every day. How often do I speed without getting a ticket? How often do I say something out of anger or spite to a family member only to be shown radical mercy and not what I deserve? How often do I sin and am not struck down dead like some in the Bible?
I think if we realized the holiness of God and the sinfulness of our hearts than we would always start every prayer with mercy pleas.
David knew a trusted communion with God and he know he had sinned greatly. That communion was broken. The only was David was going to be in a right relationship with God again was if that just God showered mercy down on him. So, he opens his heart wrenching psalm with this plea.
This mercy that God showed to David didn’t stop there. All of God’s mercy toward us was brought to completion on the cross. Christ took all of the wrath of God for us – in other words – he got no mercy from his just Father. He got penalty, he got death, he got the absence of His Father’s presence.
In Christ, let us also rejoice and plead for great mercy.
Psalm 51:1 ” Have mercy on me, O God.”
Other readings: Psalm 86:5; Psalm 145.9; Ephesians 2:4-5, Hebrews 4:16
I don’t think I’ve ever had and loved this type of cookbook – and I know now what I’ve been missing.
Cardamom. Pepper. Cinnamon. Cloves. Nutmeg. Etc.
All bound together in a photo-medium (only downfall, I love photos and the ones in it are amazing), story and explanation rich and colorful (a huge bonus), recipe infused cloth that is begging me to get a mortar and pestle. I don’t have one but if I were to have one I would want this one or maybe this one.
Like I said, the photos are gorgeous, I just wish there were more. I love the voice of this cookbook. The recipes would stretch me out of my comfort zone in what I usually cook – but it makes me want to.
I’m thankful for Blogging for Books for sending this to me for the review, and to Samantha Seneviratne for writing it.
And just possibly – I might be making the Coffee and Cardamom Shortbread for this wknd. Why not?
This is probably my favorite Fall recipe. I got it more than 10 years ago, and I finally decided to change it up, write it down, take more pictures, and have it more often.
I got this recipe from friends of mine – so really, food is all about community. My Mister can tell you how much this is true in my life. I love cooking for people – if people don’t like what I cook or don’t eat it at all I am really hurt (I know, I gotta get over that), and food is such a comfort for me. Really the saying is true that everything important happens around the table. The other night as we were picking out a place to go for our anniversary dinner, I got all mushy as we talked about restaurants. He definitely knows one of my love languages is food.
This is probably one of the first recipes I ever wanted to go on my old food blog. I always shared it with my college girls that I knew. It was warm and comforting. You eat it with a spoon. You put yummy stuff on top of it to make it better – like cheese, sour cream, bacon, avocados, cilantro – I mean – what could be better.
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: kcreatives
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Creamy and comforting with a hint of kick – this is a perfect white chicken chili
Ingredients
1 onion, diced
olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups homemade chicken broth (I don’t season mine at all, therefore I can season the soup as a whole)
1 can green chilies (as hot as you might like them), drained
1 can creamed corn
2 cans cream of chicken
1/3 cup whole milk
1 can great northern beans, drained
2 1/2 cups chopped chicken (I cook a whole chicken and chop up the meat and use the broth)
If I’m honest, sometimes I tune out the constant chatter of my boys. Either I’m trying to concentrate on driving through the city of Atlanta with getting us injured, or trying to follow a recipe, or I can’t understand what they are saying anyway.
I’m so glad to know that God never tunes out our humble repentant, constant, loud (or whispered), silent prayers to Him. His ears are always open.
The other night while putting our three year old to bed I was reminded again of how God – the Almighty Creator – listens and attends our prayers. The little was still wired and it was already past his bedtime. He wasn’t wanting to read and get settled in for the night. I finally just put him in bed and said let’s pray. I took his little hand and started to pray aloud even in my rushed and impatient state. About three sentences into the prayer of help and patience and need, my soul was quieted and my son was more still.
I can imagine the psalmist David praying this psalm aloud – maybe on his knees, maybe saying it all out the window as Nathan stood with him, or maybe it was after Nathan had left that he laid on his bed and cried these words to the God he knew so well. I can also imagine him experiencing the quick answer and favor of the Lord – the restoration and joy that he so deeply desires later in the psalm.
God listens to a repentant heart. He is not one to continue to play spiteful games when his children have requests the pure joy of his presence again. He doesn’t hold us at arms length when we seek restoration.
And for me, as a daughter of the King, that is so reassuring that he bids me come and also it helps me see my sin when I don’t readily respond to my husband and children when they seek restoration.
I often still hold contempt or make them work for my community again. I need to remember the sweet mercy of God – how he attends my prayers. I need to love to see that in my own life and relationships.
Other reads: 1 John 5:14, Psalm 66.19-20, Hebrews 4.15-16
