by Kimberly | Dec 6, 2013 | Books, Women & Books Together
Favorite author. Great gospel topic. 10 weeks. Women studying, growing, and learning together.
Starting January 6, we will begin the second installment of Women and Books Together. A weekly blog post where we discuss a chapter of a book together. Doesn’t matter where you live, how fast you read, or what church you go to. Thankful for blogs to do this – and the book!
Elyse Fitzpatrick’s latest book (came out in October) is Found in Him. All about learning and celebrating our belonging to Christ. This is a marvelous aspect of the Gospel. One that as women we should know and celebrate.
So, we will start on January 6 with discussing chapter 1. I will post my thoughts and some discussion or thought-provoking questions.
If you don’t have the book yet, put it on the Christmas list or buy it with gift card money!
by Kimberly | Dec 3, 2013 | Books
Parties. Christmas events. Shopping. Mailing packages. Standing in lines. Cooking goodies. Wrapping Presents.
Christmas is so busy.
Love what Kevin DeYoung says: (Crazy Busy, pg 54-55)
(Jesus) was busy, but never in a way that made him frantic, anxious, proud, envious, or distracted by lesser things. Jesus knew the difference between urgent and important. He understood that all the good things he could do were not necessarily the things he ought to do.
by Kimberly | Dec 2, 2013 | Books, Kids r Readers 2, parenting
We aren’t farmers. I’d love to have an herb garden, but there isn’t enough time in the day. Maybe later!
But, this book is on our sons’ bookshelf. Given to us by a friend, The Carrot Seed is about a little boy who waits patiently, despite much discouragement, for his carrot seed to bloom.
A very simple book but one that can teach many traits to your children:
1. Perseverance. The main character, a child, waits for this carrot seed to sprout. His parents and sibling are not very positive that it will, but he watches every day and never gives up. Our children will need to learn perseverance. We can help our children learn it, but it is also a fruit of the Spirit. Long-suffering. Bearing up under the pressure when the going gets tough.
2. Patience. I have already said this many times to my older son: “Patience is waiting for what you want with a happy heart.” The child in the story has to wait a long time for his carrot to come up. Your children may even think that a week until vacation is a long time, or sitting in timeout is a long time. Carrot growing takes longer. If children learn patience early on (also another Fruit of the Spirit) it will go well with them.
3. Faith. This little boy never gave up on his carrot. He believed that it would sprout. Faith is important for children to have. Not only faith that the sun will come up, his parents will protect him, or that the chair will hold him up when he sits upon it, but more importantly – faith in God. But, what is harder to teach your children is that faith is a gift from God. They can’t muster faith in God. They can’t be saved on their own. Grace and faith both come from God – they are both gifts. God allows us to grow our faith (and help nurture our children’s faith) by reading the Word of God.
Verses:
Ephesians 2:8-10
Galatians 5:22-23
Romans 10.17
by Kimberly | Nov 26, 2013 | Books
Do you live by faith? Really? My last boss asked me a question soon after I started designing and writing a church curriculum: have you ever done anything that could only be done by faith? Honestly – no. Now, 3 years later, I would have to put parenting in that category. That’s why this book appealed to me.
Faith has got to be big and bold. Why? Because our faith is in a big and bold God.
Owen Strachan, Boyce College prof and the new director for CBMW, an organization dear to my heart, has written a book on how to live out the gospel in a risky fashion. A gutsy fashion. A bold statement.
I would liken this book to Don’t Waste Your Life or Fresh Faith. One that is true and solid and encourages you to step out of your comfort zone (wherever that zone may be) – and live big.
Not live big to make your name great, but live big for the sake of a bigger Someone.
I would recommend this book for its readability and its truth filled prodding to live life bigger.
“When redeemed sinners take on a great task that glorifies him – like entering into marriage and the formation of a life together – God is kind to lead.” (pg 107)
Whether you are like me – and you need a bigger, riskier faith in building your family of small boys. Or you are a young man or woman starting out and you need to own your job as a mission field for the gospel. Or whether you are a person who has lost what it means to live on mission for God. Or whether you need to step up and live in a community – authentically live in a local church and serve that church.
We all need to know a risky gospel. Not risky in the sense that we can lose it or that God can ever lose us – because He is faithful and true. But, risky in the sense that we can be bold and live bold for the God who gave everything for us!
PS. I think this recent blog post by a former pastor and friend, J. D. Greear, would make a great read too on this subject!
*I was given this book in return for a book review, but all thoughts are my own.
by Kimberly | Nov 12, 2013 | Books, Kids r Readers 2
It is no secret that I love books, writing, and reading. Most books I read are biographical or non-fiction, with the occasional classic or fiction.
Being a Mom now of 2 boys (14m and 1m) I want to also instill in them a love for books and all things adventure, reading, characters, etc. Books can open up an entire new world for them (and kids of all ages).
But, also being a believer, I want to instill a love of God’s truth in my boys from an early age. I don’t want them, however, to just read Christian books, but look at Literature through the eyes of the Word. Tony Reinke taught me well with his book Lit!
So, here begins a series of books that I will read to our boys and take a few points of how to turn them back to truth – especially if that truth isn’t apparent.
The first book is The Little Squeegy Bug by Bill Martin, Jr.
Why I chose this book: It was on the table at our local library in the children’s section.
Synopsis: A “squeegy bug” doesn’t know what he is supposed to be and sets out on a journey to find out who he is.
Age: 3-7yo
Truths to teach your children:
1. We are meant to find God’s purpose for our lives. Jeremiah 1:5 is a great purpose verse and is easy for children to learn (especially the first half). And we don’t have to be prophets for us to have a purpose. All of us, created by God, have a purpose – to live for His glory. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism says “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever”.
2. God created you! Whatever God’s purpose is for you – He created you to do just that. He is sovereign over everything (kids can learn big words) and He is creator. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks Who made you? God did! Genesis 1:26-31 and Psalm 139 are perfect Scriptures to teach that truth!
3. Godly friends help you be who God created you to be. God did not make us to live in isolation. He made us to be in relationship. Not only with Him but also with others. Friends are very important to our story. Proverbs 17:17 is also a good verse for memory work and how to live out the Word.
by Kimberly | Nov 8, 2013 | Books
Do you ever struggle to believe the Gospel? If you are a Christian or non-Christian your answer is or should be YES! Even as believers, I think we tend to struggle in believing the life-giving hope of the Gospel that is ours in Christ.
One of my favorite authors put together a month-long book of devotions going through the first 8 chapters of the book of Romans. Not only is it theologically solid, but it is also easy for anyone to grasp, and full of hope for sinners like me.
I hope you find hope in these quotes as Elyse points us to Christ – and if you haven’t picked up this book, then I urge you to do so.
“He (Jesus) emerged into the dim light of our world, bringing with him the ineffable brightness of a universe remade, having reverses the curse and defeated the power of darkness forever.” (pg 20)
“He absolutely delights in demonstrating his mercy and love. Rather than our failures frustrating him, our sin simply serves to make his mercy more beautiful.” (pg 29)
“Our gospel inheritance is meant to cause us to rejoice and to live out each day in grateful obedience.” (pg 55)
“In both our justification and our sanctification, Jesus Christ must remain in our minds where he is in Paul’s: completely, utterly, permanently, gloriously, preeminent.” (pg 101)
“God no longer has any wrath left for us because we’ve been justified by faith.” (pg 130)
