by Kimberly | Dec 19, 2015 | Books, food
Who doesn’t like bread? Ok – I know some people can’t eat it for health reasons or allergies, and some people don’t eat much of it because they don’t want to gain a lot of weight – but seriously – the smell of yeast in my kitchen mixed with melted butter, or garlic, or cheese – bread is a good things.
Blogging for Books gave me the book Hot Bread Kitchen – the new cookbook that not only teaches you how to make bread in many different forms, but also trains and helps women with skills that will improve their futures.
I love the philanthropic nature of Hot Bread Kitchen and what they have set out to accomplish. And I can’t wait to try their breads. The cookbook is not only a book full of recipes and pictures, but stories of women who make them and where they come from.
So, its a little bit of history, bread, photos, bread, women, bread, stories, bread. Can’t go wrong?
by Kimberly | Dec 17, 2015 | Books, Shepherding Children
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!
by Kimberly | Dec 11, 2015 | Books
Th
is is a season of Advent – of hope, of awaiting, or mystery. Of incarnation.
One of the beautiful things about the incarnation is that God the FATHER sent His only perfect beautiful son into the world. I can’t even imagine giving up one of my boys.
Back to the story…the men in our lives play several roles. Man, husband, father, employee, friend, son, brother if applicable (my husband is an only child), worshiper, etc. The list is pretty inexhaustive just like our list is.
But, for me, I think two the most important at least in my husband’s life is husband and father. There is such a burden on him to provide, protect, lead well, shepherd all of us to know Jesus. He just isn’t living for himself anymore. On no given day can he wake up and say, “I think I’ll do what I want to do today,” but instead he wakes up to snuggles, cries, diapers, commuter traffic, my texts complaining about the disobedience of our boys, etc. There is always so much crowding his heart and his mind.
I long for him not only to have an intimate close relationship with his heavenly Father – but use that relationship to guide his relationship with his boys. Our boys are incredibly blessed with a father who is gentle and patient and one who loves Jesus more than he loves them. He plays cars and basketball with them. He takes them to the park. He provides for them. His desire is for them.
Isn’t that so the heart of the Father for us? That His desire is for us – to know him and be found in Him?
Pete Alwinson’s new book, Like Father Like Son, is a good read that goes through different aspects of a relationship between the Father and his children, men. I think some of the concepts can definitely be applied to men and women. I think, honestly, that the book might be more with a female tone in mind, I don’t know. I don’t know if I can see my mister reading this book or really any of the men that I know.
But, I do see it as useful for wives to pray for their misters. That’s why I got this book. I want to be more knowledgeable about how to pray for my mister and his relationship with his Father as he seeks to know his boys and lead them to the Father.
Thanks to Litfuse for the book in exchange for my honest review.
by Kimberly | Dec 8, 2015 | Books
If you are looking for a great new cookbook that is going to be perfect for that new cook – but one that is looking for knowledge, adventurous recipes, and helpful information, and beautiful pictures – then this cookbook is for you.
I picked this cookbook out from my choices at Blogging for Books. There are a couple of things I love about this cookbook (besides the recipes):
- The pictures. I want to cut them all out and hang them in my kitchen. Better yet I want to go take pictures of farm fresh eggs and berries and everything in between.
- The information. This gives you ways to make a variety of the same things (like the difference between jams and eggs) – and teaches you the things you need to know when picking out poultry, or other types of foods, etc.
- I love the story-telling. That is the best part of any cookbook. I want to curl up on my couch and wrap up in a warm blanket – and sit down and read it word for word.
by Kimberly | Nov 30, 2015 | Books, Shepherding Children
One of my favorite times of the day is when I get the chance to read to my boys. I usually read to them by themselves – so I get that one on one interaction with them and can read stories that might appeal to them more than the other.
Like I know my younger one loves the Sandra Boynton books. We’ve been reading those every night and each night he just giggles away. He also has been loving a book about his hands and what he can do with them to help. Most of all – I think he loves to just being close to the person reading to him, because he is a snuggle-monster.
Our older boy loves animal books, especially his daddy’s book from when he was young. He can flip through and always point out new fascinating things about the animals he sees. Even if he has seen them 50 times before.
I may not have stayed with my education major in college, but I can still think of a few good reasons you should read to your children:
- Build a love for reading. If you start reading to kids when they are younger, most likely they will be readers when they are older. Then they will hopefully read to their children and grandchildren.
- Increase their vocabulary. My children seem to learn new words every day. I know they definitely pick up some of these words because their are seeing them in the books we are reading, and hearing them when they are read aloud.
- Reading to your son or daughter builds intimacy. Any time you can spend one on one time with your children, or even with them altogether, you are telling them that you care about them. You are telling them that no matter what else you could be doing right now (and that is usually a lot), that you would rather spend it with them. And do you ever regret spending time with your children in a meaningful way?
- Reading is a great way for you to teach your children about the gospel. There are so many great books. And a good way to teach your children about biblical concepts (that may be difficult for their little minds to grasp) is by using parables (I mean, Jesus did it, right). Liz Higgs has a new book out for early school age kids, or late preschool that is really neat. It teaches biblical concepts in parables that are centered around kids. And it goes through the seasons which is a neat idea to even teach kids about that.
Tommy Nelson is giving away one of these new books and it would make a lovely Christmas present for your child! Or a gift to a child you know. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment telling me your favorite book to read with your children.
by Kimberly | Nov 28, 2015 | Books, Shepherding Children
Well, most of the turkey in your fridges is probably eaten – we have some about to get into a casserole for lunch tomorrow. You may have some pie left – but I guarantee if it is good pie than it is already gone. We have one piece left, but I’m sure my mister will eat that when he gets home in a few.
But, now we move on to Christmas. Some of you have already been playing carols in your car. My mister starts listening to Christmas music in the summer because he always puts together the Christmas cantata at our church so he needs to know the music before Thanksgiving. There are only a few Christmas cds that I can listen to all year, but mostly I just listen to them in December.
This year I’ve been receiving texts from friends asking what we are going to do with our boys and Santa. I give them what we are doing – and then couch it all in – Bring Christmas back to Jesus where it belongs. No matter what you do with Santa.
Tommy Nelson has a new book out for Christmas and your preschoolers this year. I was reading through it with mine tonight and it really has some good illustrations to help you tell the Christmas story – couched in many of the things we know and experience about Christmas. It helps us to continue thanksgiving into the holiday season of Christmas. I love how it talks about snow and forgiveness. And even our warm beds and the manger. This book leaves a little bit to be desired in its depth of Christmas. It is a little generic, maybe secularized or weak so as not to offend, which can lead to a false theology of Christmas. Its missing a specific reference to why Jesus had to come to earth. The parent would have to further explain more to their children about what Christmas is – but it is a good start.
You too can read this book to your child. All you have to do to win it is tell me what is something you are looking forward to doing with your kids this Christmas. We are going to ride the Pink Pig at a mall in ATL – a long-standing tradition for many Atlantans. And we are going to start making a Happy Birthday Jesus Cake.
