BLOG REVIEW: The Story of King Jesus

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might, and these words which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall TEACH them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.  And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.  And you shall write them on your doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:5-9  (NASB)

This school year in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), we have been studying the Life of Moses.  Our study has taken us through the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and finally Deuteronomy.  I have been moved immensely by the WORD and these old testament books have profoundly impacted my daily thought life.  One of the recurring themes throughout these books is the importance of passing on faith in the ONE TRUE GOD to the next generation.  We have learned there were always consequences for not passing down their faith.

MY REVIEW:  We want the best for our children, don't we?  We want to see them blessed beyond all measure!  One of the best ways we can provide for our children is to share the FULL story of God's plan for redemption.  The Story of King Jesus does just that in a short, concise way with beautiful illustrations to captures a child's heart and mind.  I love that Ben Irwin scripts a book with such rich truth in a perfect amount of pages to read during one setting!  He quotes "God's redemptive tale can't be reduced to a few memory verses from Scripture.  It's not a formula or a plan or a prayer you recite.  It's a drama that you life, and it's woven throughout every book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation."

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our Jesus Storybook Bible and the other Bible storybooks we have, but you can't sit down and read the whole thing in one setting.  My experience is that preschoolers and early elementary kids don't have long attention spans, so something that is concise is perfect!  It is short enough that it can be read over and over again, with different parts of the story impacting the kids lives at different times.  The book is written in language that our kids can understand perfectly.  It also, focuses on Jesus as KING, which is so crucial because that is what transforms our life.  Overall this book is an excellent "launching point to explore the Bible together."  It has generated additional conversation with my oldest two children.  We discuss the pictures in the book, which then leads to additional bible teaching.

Ben encourages us as parents, "Show your children --- with your life and words -- that this is your story, and it can be theirs too."

One of my favorite lines is towards the end of the book ... "God gave us the King we needed."  Isn't that so true?  He didn't give us the type of King we wanted, because He knew that wouldn't be the best.  So often in my life, God gives me what I need and not what I want.  Thank heavens He knows better than I.  Jesus is God's Best and because of His sacrifice, we have the opportunity to once again be in a restored relationship with God.  And that my friends is GRACE!


Question to ponder: What has God given you recently that is what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANTED?  


Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not monetarily compensated for this review.

Toss the clock?

A friend of mine shared a WONDERFUL blog post with me yesterday after she read my "Raw Confessions" blog on sleep!!  I am a firm believer that God places specific people in your life at specific times to share wisdom to help you along in your journey! I hope you will pause reading this blog, head over HERE and read "Counting the Hours," then come back to read my thoughts and reflections!


Here are a few excerpts that were especially meaningful in the midst of my current trials!! (Yes, I say current because after writing Raw Confessions, we are back to horrible sleep for the past two nights.  I am hoping I can blame it on a new cold, but scared about the possibility of that not being it!)


"When I was a younger mom, I used to count the hours.  I counted the meager number of hours I slept each night, the number of hours I spent rocking a screaming baby, and the number of hours I spent nursing.  I counted the number of hours I spent making meals and cleaning up the kitchen, the number of hours spent folding laundry and vacuuming.  I counted the number of hours my boss was late in picking up her son, and how many hours I spent in traffic trying to get home.  I counted the number of hours I spent editing my husband’s papers and the hours he spent away at class each day.  I counted the hours until he came home. With all the hours counted, I knew just how tired I could be, or irritated, or unproductive.  I knew how much to require of other people and how much to coddle myself.   I knew what I could or could not do."  


Have you done that?  Do you count the hours??  I do this every day, all day LONG! I start my Itzbeen timer for naps, night sleep, etc.  I start, check, reset, start, check, check, check!  I never thought how mentally taxing that could be on a mama?  Or how it could really work against you throughout the day!  Until reading this blog post, I thought of it as "collecting data," but now, it seems like a very self-centered practice!!  It was so convicting when she said, "I knew what I could or could not do."  YIKES!  She put into words what I have been thinking!


Here is a final excerpt that really spoke to me ...


"I couldn’t even handle two.
“The first two are the hardest,” Bryn said apologetically, as if she could read my mind.  The cry room had emptied out and we were alone.

Her words melted me.  Stupid super-powers.

“How do you do it?”  I blurted out, even though I didn’t really mean to.  “When was the last time you got any sleep?”

Bryn brushed a wisp of long hair behind her ear thoughtfully.  “I don’t know.  I’ve never really worried about that,” she said quietly as she rocked her baby back and forth.  “I figure God is big enough to give me just what I need for each day.  Maybe it’s not as much as I would like or as much as I think I need, but I have to believe that it’s sufficient for the moment.  He promises that, you know?”

Once again, I am learning that He is sufficient and His mercies are new every morning!  I have to admit it is hard not setting the clock.  Out of habit, I did it today for an afternoon nap, but quickly remembered this most meaningful blog post!  I think it is time to return my Itzbeen timer to my dear friend Jenn so that I do not have the temptation.  I also need to put the clock in my drawer, and forget about how long of a stretch I get from Jackson, and dwell on the fact I am ONE VERY BLESSED mama that has the privilege to get up with a healthy baby boy at night!  

If you haven't done so yet, please head over to "Five In Tow" and read her whole post!  You will be blessed!  It is so beautiful and please make sure to have some tissues for the end!!  It is a tear-jearker!!

Trying to be more like Jesus

I am quickly learning how God has an awesome way of humbling us through the innocence of our kids.  Many of you probably read my previous blog post Raw Confessions.  I mentioned I have been really short on patience over the past two months.  It seems that Sophia always knows what buttons to push at that perfect time!  I am sure your children probably know your "zero to very hot" buttons to push as well!  I have been so disappointed in myself on how I am handling her "button-pushing."  I know I have been short with her, which then leads to many tears and frustrations!  Nevertheless, I am fighting clear disobedience and disrespect, both of which need addressed, but in a better manner.

I can't remember what she did (or didn't do) yesterday that irritated me, but I told her she needed to go sit in her bed for a reflection time.  A dear friend of mine shared with me that she uses the word reflection time, but she wants her daughter to reflect on what she SHOULD be doing, instead of what she did that was wrong.  She said that she felt reflection time provided for learning and growth.  I told Sophia she was to pray to ask God to help her to be more respectful and obedient to her mommy!  I always tell her that she can get out of her bed when she can come out and show me a happy heart.  She honestly will sit in her bed until she can come out with a happy heart (= a huge smile).  It is hard to be in a bad mood when you are forced to smile!

She had been back in her room for awhile and I went back there, peeked my head around the corner, and found her praying to God that she would be more obedient!  It just melted my heart.  I gave her another 10 minutes, then asked her if she had a happy heart.  She said "No mommy I don't have a happy heart yet.  Can I please get my bible and bring it into my bed so that I can learn how to be more like Jesus."  I was so humbled by my 3 year old.  I told her she could read her bible in her bed and she came out 20 minutes later with a delightful attitude and very happy heart!

Wow, if only I took the time to search myself and have a happy heart when I am frustrated with my day/situation/life.  I need to take my 3 year old daughters advice and learn how to be more like Jesus!
 

Playing babies and acting like the mommy!

Has God used your children to humble you?