by Kimberly | Mar 13, 2017 | Books, parenting
I’ve never counted them, but I would assume the parenting section at your local bookstore is probably one of the largest sections on the floor. You can easily find a parenting book to help you through and part of the parenting journey. From attempting to conceive, finding out your pregnant, how to birth the baby, how to swaddle your baby, how to get your baby to nap, get on a schedule, eat solid food, potty train, learn their ABCs. All of these books can be helpful to some degree.
When reading parenting books, I often say read whatever you can get your hands on, write down some notes that seem likely to work in your given situation, with your kids, or ones that you would like to try, talk it over with your husband or the people who help you parent, maybe run it by a group of other moms that you meet with or hang out with, and then try it. If it doesn’t work, move on. Don’t get so flustered. Not everything you read in every parenting book is going to be the right thing for your particular child or family.
Parenting with Grace and Truth, a new book by Dan Seaborn (I always think of West Wing when I hear the word Seaborn), is filled with practical help. To me, though, I felt it leaned more toward behavior and actions, rather than to the heart of your children, growing them with hearts that were pleasing to God. I know that there needs to be right actions. And at any stage of parenting you are working to get your kids to act right (we are working on manners right now, as well as many other things.
“Forgiveness was at the heart of Jesus, and as such, it is the foundation of the entire Gospel. God sacrificed His only Son for the forgiveness of our sins – past, present, and future.” – Dan Seaborn
He helps families work through many different things likes crises or trying to become a healthy blended family. He wants to help you discover what your kids talents and abilities are – it is helpful to know what drives them and what makes them tick and what they are good at. I did appreciate the questions that he gave his readers to think through at the end of each chapter. When reading any book, if you are given questions, at least take the time to think through them – it will help as you digest the book and try to implement what you are reading.
If you would liked to find some great tips in this book, just leave me a comment. I’ll be choosing a winner soon – and thanks to SideDoor Communications, you can get a copy of it!
Thanks to SideDoor Communications for the book. All thoughts are my own.
by Kimberly | Mar 4, 2017 | Books
I remember making my first trip to Amish country. I was attending a wedding of some friend’s in college…and the bride lived in Amish country of Indiana. It was neat to see a culture within a culture. One so different from normal American culture, yet nestled in the quaint neighborhoods outside of the city. The food was spectacular and the people were friendly. The horse and buggies were iconic.
Now, I read Amish lit because it is fun. Most of the books are filled with a culture I don’t know very well and are in some form religious. Most of them are about romances. Most of them have some form of “coming of age” story.
I think as I get older though, I’m realizing that I’m more removed from young adult fiction. I love a good story, don’t get me wrong. But, I have sensed that most YA fiction is filled with a little drama, but not much. So much of it doesn’t tend to hit on the real hard stuff that hits most of American families.
Home to Paradise was slightly different: stories of God’s acceptance, forgiveness, family, heartbreak, and friendships. Troubled hearts are clearly in this book. If you like Amish lit, you will like this third book in a series by Barbara Cameron and you don’t even have needed to read the first two books. It draws you in and gives you enough of the backstory. Hey, it might even make you go back and the first two.
Cultures are always intriguing.
Litfuse is hosting a giveaway (and thanks for the book). If you would like a chance to win, enter here.
by Kimberly | Feb 10, 2017 | Books
I don’t know of a single person who loves rejection. We may learn from rejection, but it isn’t fun to go through.
I remember having to wear army green orthodic shoes in 3rd grade. Yeah, that’s cool.
I remember being heavier than everyone in my class. Another cool factor.
I remember not making the music group in high school that I wanted to make. Tears for days.
Then I didn’t make the cheerleading squad the second year or the JV Volleyball team – more tears.
Then came guys. Not being the one your favorite guy (at the time) ends up marrying. Not having a real date all the way through college. Not being the one the cool kids want to hang out with when doing youth ministry.
And let me tell you, at the age of 40, it doesn’t get any easier. The rejections are just different. Sure, you may be more confident in who you are or you may be able to get over the rejection easier, but rejection still hurts.
Kari Kampakis writes a great book that would be ideal for mothers to go through with their pre-teen or teen daughters. You need to be talking about these things with your daughters. Know the biblical heart that they need to hear. They will find their worth somewhere and you need to teach them, lovingly, with full compassion, that their worth is set.
She gives you a great tool here. And you can win a copy of this book – just leave me a message telling me one thing you like about yourself! 🙂 . Thanks to Tommy Nelson Mommies for this giveaway opportunity and the book. All opinons are my own.
by Kimberly | Dec 19, 2016 | Uncategorized
Back in high school, I worked at a Christian bookstore. Some of the best memories were concerts and friendships and knowing when all the new DC Talk, Steven Curtis Chapman, and 4Him music came out. I loved seeing all the new Max Lucado books and cute Pass it One cards. One of the downsides were all the cheesy Christian t-shirts (ripped from secular companies) and the cheesy books (some of which are still out there).
As a teenager, even though I had been saved for over a decade at that point, I was just learning how to pray, interact with Scripture, have a quiet time, share my faith – all the things that a growing Christian does. Some of the books that were helpful were those little “Scripture” books that were a list of scriptures you could pray if you : were afraid, needed advice, scared of people, didn’t know anyone, had spaghetti on your tie (well, not really but you get my drift). Some were helpful, some verses were pulled out of the context they were in in the Bible. But, really, they helped you learn to pray God’s Word for any situation you were in.
What I know now that I didn’t know then, is how cruel this world could be. How much sin totally affects and effects our lives – every bit of it. And if sin affects my heart, it must affect those around me. Now, that we are more than two decades out from my Christian bookstore days, I know even more of the people around me and the pain and reality that intersect their 24/7.
Amelia Rhodes, in her helpful prayer book, Pray A to Z, doesn’t teach us how to pray, but she gives examples of prayers that could be prayed for your community : your family, your neighbors, your co-workers, your church members, your friends – and gives a verse and sample prayer that could help you – jump start or continue – in how to pray for these.
Here is just a sample:
Adoption (I know so many in this process right now)
Abuse (unfortunately, I know some who have been or who are in a type of abuse)
Law Makers (are there any lawmakers that you know?)
Law Enforcement (the Word speaks to their lives as they protect the community, especially with all the violence escalating in our communities)
Pain (physical, mental, chronic)
Prince of Peace (especially around Christmas time, people are in search of peace more than usual).
What a great way to engage your people this holiday season – ask them how you can pray for them. And, if time permits, stop and pray right then. If you are just passing them and have a brief second, please pray later (don’t forget) and shoot them a text or a snail mail letter recording that prayer, or just telling them you prayed. Maybe it won’t seem like a big deal to them in the moment, but I’m sure they will remember your kindness and gospel opportunity later.
This is also a great way to teach little ones some practical ways to pray – it is systematic and has verses and prayers right there, on one page. It will teach kids to invest in the lives of others so they know what to pray and it will teach them how to include God’s Word in their prayers back to Him.
Thanks to Litfuse for this book and all opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Dec 16, 2016 | Books
It is just 9 days before Christmas, everyone is hurrying around, crossing items off their lists, getting dressed up to attend Christmas parties, and drinking eggnog. Maybe blaring Christmas music from the ipods and car radios. Making peppermint bark and addressing those family Christmas cards.
It is definitely meant to be a joyful season – the reason being is that Jesus came to earth as a baby and we celebrate that at Christmas time.
But, what do you if your holidays are mixed with sadness? This world is full of sadness, and maybe, as you look back over 2016, you realize that your life is more sad than happy, not going quite like you wanted or hoped it would.
Sadness is not a sin. We see throughout the Psalms (especially) that the writers were sad: they were saddened by the events going on around them. They were sad because of things happening to them. They were just sad. And that was ok. We need to dwell on what is going to happen with our sadness? Do we have to immediately dismiss it and never deal with it – no. We need to think about it, think about why we are sad, maybe get someone to help think through our sadness, and let God have it. Let Him take away your sadness.
You may be sad because of relationships that are broken. You may be sad because you’ve lost loved ones over the past year. Maybe you are sad because you were hoping to share Christmas with a new baby but that baby was lost to a miscarriage. There is so much sadness. We need to be mindful of other’s sadness and have compassion on them.
Tanika Fitzgerald, in her book Miscarried Joy, helps point women to the gospel who have suffered a miscarriage, but the truths that she encourages women with would be applicable to anyone who who has been dealing with hurt and needs some help helping your heart. You need to hear these gospel truths that God is for you, delights in you, and is working in you even through pain. This season of Advent and Christmas can help you realize that there will come a time when Jesus makes everything sad become untrue (thanks Sally Lloyd-Jones for that one).
You can win a copy of Miscarried Joy and other goodies before Christmas!
