by Kimberly | Oct 23, 2014 | Books, Kids r Readers 2, mothering, parenting, Shepherding Children
Being a parent is amazing and hard and always full of new moments. But, this moment we are in right now is something I’ve waited for. “Mommy” then I get a little pat on my leg and I see my older toddler standing there in front of me with a book in his tiny hands. Begging for me to read to him. So, I do. Over and over again.
There is a certain train book from Usborne books (gift from Oma) that he has carried everywhere – coffee shops, hikes, car trips, gym kid’s club – and Daddy has even had to tape it up. It came with a little train – sometimes we can find it sometimes we can’t. But, no matter – he has other cars that will work on its tracks – or at least work for him.
One of the things I want to instill most in my kids (besides a love for God) is a love of reading. I love to read and I know how books take you to other places, teach you so much more than you could ever learn, and also put a desire in you to see the world around you. C S Lewis and L. M. Montgomery are two of those authors for me. I have a feeling the boys will love L. A. Wilder, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Andrew Peterson. We shall see. Can’t wait to actually read chapter books with them at night. But, that is a moment in time later to come.
How can you instill a love of reading in children?
1. Use the library. We go to the library some for story time. My boys are harder to sit still than some others but we still attempt it and its good song and play time too. The public libraries, especially in bigger cities, are great resources (and free)!
2. Buy them books. Buy them at thrift stores, online book clubs, ask for them for presents.
3. Read to them. Use some time before bed, or after breakfast to read to them. It teaches them to pay attention and sit still but also helps stir up an amazing appetite to read.
4. Be patient with them as they learn to read. My boys aren’t to that stage yet, but I have to be willing as their Mommy to be patient, let them stumble over words, help them when I need to, and listen to them.
5. Encourage them to write their own stories. This time will come too. I still have the first book I wrote in 4th grade – all about animals. I can’t wait to show it to our boys. I hope they will love it and not laugh!
6. Read different genres. As a gospel Christian, I do like to read boys about Jesus to them. But…I love to read them other books about the world God created and things that happen in it and teach them about a Christian worldview – seeing everything through the lens of the Gospel. That is so important to teach to our children early in their learning adventure.
My friend Leah is an Usborne consultant. They have delightful and interactive books for children of all reading levels. Here is a link to an online party I am hosting for her. I have been pleased with the Train book so far – and so has our toddler. I’m sure you will find some your children like as well.
What are your favorite books to read to your children?
by Kimberly | Oct 22, 2014 | Books, Women
Our days are so full!
As a Mom of two toddlers – and very active boys at that – I know what full days are. They are fun, encouraging, eventful, demanding, and days filled with laughter. We are always on the go, exploring new parts of our city or heading out to hang out with some friends or go see Daddy at work, or walk along the river or see animals at the zoo. I love cherishing times with my sweet boys.
But, something else I highly look forward to is either the days when they sleep in late and I get up to get some time in the Word in early – or their nap times – so I can again get encouraged by being in the Word.
The new(ish) book by Jen Wilkin, who serves at The Village Church in Texas, helps women with their understanding of how to better study – and fall in love with – the Bible (and more importantly, it’s Author).
I’m thankful for Jen’s organization, gospel-driven remarks, personal history with the Word, and imploring her readers to invest their time in the study of the Word – not just the glancing at it as you go along.
One of the hardest chapters for me to impliment on a daily basis if praying and the word. I love the pray – and have written journals for wives to pray for their husbands, working on a prayer journal for moms to pray for themselves as moms, but really to engage in the word – before, during, and after – by praying. Usually, I approach the Word quickly and haughtily and just start reading. I’m thankful that Jen included this in her book.
“Ask him to make his word come alive for you in such a way that you
know him better and see your own needs of him more clearly.
– Jen Wlkin
If you are looking for a way to learn how to study the book, or need encouragement in how to love the Word – turn to Jen’s book. It is for women, new believers and the believers who’ve known Jesus a while.
by Kimberly | Oct 20, 2014 | Books, mothering, parenting
Sometimes it may take me a while to get to a book, but God knows why he had me pick it up at that moment. I’ve had this book for a while, and just really picked it up in earnest this weekend. As you can see by this review – I’m done with it and it has many underlines and !!! sections!
Kimm Crandall is a mommy of four – and a funny one at that – and one who knows her weaknesses and is steeped in the Gospel. And even though she has written a helpful and gracious book, she would probably tell you herself that she needs to practice and rehearse the gospel every day (even after she wrote the chapter on rehearsing the gospel).
I liked this book because she shared stories I could relate to – even though her kids are definitely older than mine. She pointed me not to my mistakes and where I fail every day as a Mom, but instead she pointed me to Jesus – who is perfect in every way and intercedes for me as my Great High Priest.
I liked it because it was short and practical – two things I need as a Mom to two active toddler boys.
I liked it because she encouraged women to be honest with other women – and to use wisdom in sharing – but not to hold on to this idea of perfection that we seem to do so well in many of our churches.
I would recommend this book to any mom but especially ones who are :
1. Like me, in the throws of teaching two boys what it means for mommy and daddy to have authority and how they won’t get everything they want just because they throw a temper tantrum.
2. Like me, who loves their to do lists and hates it when everything isn’t marked off by the end of the day.
3. Like me, who knows the Gospel but still needs help in accepting it every day and also passing along that acceptance to their husbands and children. Oh, ladies – how I struggle with that. Teaching my boys to obey and listen and accept authority – and doing it with the love of Christ in my actions, words, and tone of voice.
Here are some of my favorites from the book:
“God’s faithfulness is not measured by tangible blessings. It’s measured by his character and his promises to us.” (22)
“God’s grace leaves us with nothing of ourselves but all of Jesus.” (32)
“Grace is a mystery so disturbing I can’t bring myself to look away.” (44)
“When you know you are being pursued by a merciful admirer, the lure of sins’ crude pleasure loses it’s sparkle.” (51)
“Take off the strong mother mask and embrace your weakness. Stop hiding the very inadequacy God wants to use to display the Gospel.” (61)
“Everything in Scripture points, not to our obligations, but to our Redeemer,” (67)
When you live in light of the Gospel – you are set free from your incessant need for approval.” (93)
Live in light of these truths – grounded in the Word and the Gospel.
(Thanks Kimm for providing me with a copy of this to read. All comments and thoughts are my own.)
by Kimberly | Sep 10, 2014 | Books
I’ve always been told if you want to learn how to write…then read authors you want to write like. For that to be true in my life: I need to read Elyse Fitzpatrick and Shauna Niequist.
So, I supposed the same is true if you want to photograph, cook, design, create, etc…be inspired by people you want to emulate. Not copy them – but look at their work, and learn from their craft. We all need mentors in the area we want to be better in – so pick good ones!
Bread & Wine was given to me (2 copies actually) by sweet friends at our former church. I loved getting the little brown book boxes on our Rainwood front porch. Surprise! And I was then able to mail off a sweet happy package to a sweet dear old friend who loves family, wine, and food just as much as I do. That always makes me happy.
The cover of this book alone makes me want to read it – and that is a great thing. Why have a boring book cover? Don’t you want people to open it and devour its contents? I would. And Shauna’s cover makes you want to pull up in a comfy chair, have a chilled glass of wine, and settle in for the night.
This book was written – not so everyone can copy Shauna’s life, love, and pursuit of the table – but so that they can dream a little bit of their own: to happy family dinners, to good meals cooked for one – or 10, to life whether good times or bad – but learning how faith, family, and food (and maybe some wine or beer) interacts with that. One of the criticisms I read about Bread & Wine was that not many people can have the charmed life of Shauna and she seems to flaunt it. Well, can’t the same be true of Mark Twain and the Adventures of Huck Finn? Who wouldn’t want a carefree life of being always an adventure? Or can’t we say the same thing of every cookbook – thinking that every meal is going to turn out photo worthy and perfectly tasty and never burnt? Plateau status was not Shauna’s desire with this book – and nor should we be envious of any other life. God has given us our life to live, and I’m sure we never know everything about everyone else’s life.
Many of her chapters come along with delicious recipes. Here are some I want to try:
Blueberry Crisp (but I can’t keep them in the house long enough without Elijah eating them all)
Breakfast Cookies (always looking for quick breakfasts for the boys)
Goat Cheese Biscuits (hmmm, I do have goat cheese in the fridge)
Green Well Salad
Maple Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Simplest Dark Chocolate Mousse
This book, while I didn’t agree with everything from the theology perspective, gave me many great things to think about. Here are some of my favorites:
“I feel honored to create a place around my table, a place for laughing and crying, for being seen and heard, for telling stories and creating memories.” (251)
“A heart of hospitality is creating space for these moments, protecting that fragile bubble of vulnerability and truth and love. It’s all too rare that we tell the people we love exactly why we love them – what they bring to our lives, why our lives are richer because they’re in it.” (176)
“Soup…it’s the cardigan with elbow patches.” (LOVE THIS QUOTE, 161)
So, go pull up a favorite glass, and enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more of Shauna’s writings.
by Kimberly | Jun 2, 2014 | Books
Do you live a life in a glass bubble where everything is rosey and lively and romantic, free of trials, every day? Since when do we not know of hardship, trials, anger, feelings of worthlessness or just mad at what others have done to you or what you have done to others?
God doesn’t promise his children the perfect life. But, He has promised to always walk with us. That is a treasure in hard times. Life, in these almost three years of marriage (and Renee and I got married in the same month) have not been perfectly photographed and stages. My husband and I have had the greatest joys of our life (children) and some of the greatest hardships of either of our lives (dealing with personal sin and then the dealings of other sins to us). It has been a marriage of joy and hand-holding, and months of tears and hard conversations. I wouldn’t trade my husband for anything in the world and am so glad I said yes to him almost 3 years ago (Thursday, to be exact).
Hardships are real. If you know any of that, then you want to pick up Renee’s Kindle devotional: Dream Devotional.
What I like about Dream Devotional:
1. Renee is real. I love being a real friend and person. Sometimes, that has come back to bite me, but I hate being artificial and fake.
2. Its free until June 5. Amazon. Kindle. Thank you!
3. Readability. You find yourself in the stories and thoughts that Renee shares and you can find hope in the truths that she finds hope in. And they are short. When you are a mother – you don’t have time to read long chapters – so I like short ones!
4. Hope. We are not stuck in our hardships. We are not stuck where the going gets tough. God uses hardships to grow us more like Christ. And we all need that.
by Kimberly | May 22, 2014 | Books
If you check any seminary bookstore – you will find a plethora of theology books. I suppose that is a good thing because we need to study theology and most of us, like me, love to have help in that department.
I remember being in seminary at Southeastern, I was asked to read Erickson’s for my theology class, and Thomas Oden. But, when I got out of seminary and started teaching a college girl’s bible study, I wanted to read Grudem’s Bible Doctrines.
I like a theology book to be solid and based on the gospel – of course. But, I also want it to readable for the every-day person – meaning a person who doesn’t have seminary background necessarily and they can still understand it. And I also want to know something of the author and know that he is applying this study of theology to his own life. I remember working at SBTS where Dr. Hamilton is a professor, seeing him walk down the hall, interact with students and colleagues, and witness a humility that can only come from studying the Scripture and knowing the God of the Bible.
Hamilton’s What is Biblical Theology isn’t going to be a starter theology book – I would highly recommend Grudem’s that I mentioned above. However, it will take you to a deeper love and trust and knowledge of your Bible if you dare go there. Especially as a writer, Dr. Hamilton points out the Bibles literary pieces and bigger themes. God was the writer that we should all strive to be! You can trust this book. You can learn from it. And Psalm 119 tells us that knowing the Word of God is a blessed way to live a life that pleases God!
