"Live Fearless" Adult Coloring Book Review

As I've mentioned before, adult coloring is all the rage right now!  And its not hard to imagine why.  We live in a fast-paced, stress-filled world, and coloring is a stress-reducing activity.  But adult coloring has also become very popular in the Christian community.  Bible journaling (drawing in the margins of your Bible. (You can see examples of my Bible journaling pages on my Instagram account.) With this cross-over appeal, its not surprising that Christian coloring books are becoming popular.  Margaret Feinberg, however, has gone a step further - combining adult coloring with an actual Bible study!

Protecting Our Kids: Keeping Kids Safe From Physical And Sexual Abuse

As a mom to three young children, their protection is ALWAYS on my mind.  Because they are still young, they are still pretty insulated.  But no matter how hard my husband and I try - or how hard every other mom and dad on earth tries - we can't watch our children every minute of the day.  And so, its EXTREMELY important to teach them safety tips that will keep them from danger.  With that in mind, I thought I'd share with you, my precious readers, some of my favorite tips and resources (from the experts) for protecting our kids!  I go over these tips during homeschool time, ask them questions and give them scenarios to help them be prepared!

Let me start by giving you a few statistics. (Stats taken from netgrace.org , safelyeverafter.com , and https://www.nsopw.gov)
1.) 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men have been sexually abused as children.
2.) 1 out of 4 children are physically abused.
3.) 90% of child sexual abuse occurs by someone the child knows.
4.) It takes less than 1 minute for a predator to lure a child away.
5.) Approximately 1.8 million adolescents in the U.S. have the the victims of sexual assault.
6.) Not all perpetrators are adults - an estimated 23% of reported cases of child sexual abuse are perpetrated by individuals under the age of 18.

"Because He Bends Down To Listen..."

I'm a mom.  I have three precious, precocious little ones under the age of five.  What does that mean?  Well, my days are filled with screaming, crying, whining, and shouts of "MINE!" and "She's touching me!"  Don't get me wrong.  My days are also filled with giggles, songs, chants of "I love you, Mama", and lots of snuggles.  But the screams?  They happen daily. (I have a two year old.)

As my husband and I have grown in parenting knowledge and experience, we've figured out what those screams and cries mean.  We can usually tell the difference between the "I want that!" scream and the "I'm hurt!" scream.  Sometimes we ignore the former.  Why?  Well for two reasons: 1.) We want our kids to learn to work some of those things out for themselves, and 2.) If we got up for every scream we'd never sit down. (Have I mentioned that we have a two year old?)

One thing our kids know is this: if something's really wrong; if they are hurt or scared, Mama and Daddy will come running - right away, without hesitation - to find out what's wrong.  But its hard to get a two year old or a four year old to verbalize what's wrong when they're sobbing - or screaming - so what do we do?  Probably the same thing you do: we bend down and put an arm around them or one of us will sit down and place them in our lap.  Then we softly try to calm their cries and give them a safe place to voice their pain or fear.  Did you know that's just what God does too!?!

Psalm 116:2 (in the KJV) says,

"Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, 

therefore will I call upon him as long as I live."

But there's another translation of this verse that REALLY brings God's fatherly love into full light. The New Living Translation says,

"Because he bends down to listen,    

I will pray as long as I have breath!"

"Because He bends down to listen..."  Did you see that!?!  God isn't disinterested or half-hearted.  He loves you as a father loves their child - because you ARE His child!  So when you're in pain; when you're hurting or scared, He bends down.  He comes down close to you and listens.  He takes time to comfort you and gives you a safe place to voice your pain or fear.  He bends down to listen.  What an AWESOME Heavenly Father we have!  And oh how He loves us!!!

"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” - Ro. 8:15 (NLT)

For All The Moms... Hold on to the highs, and just breathe through the lows.

Yesterday was Mother's Day and I couldn't help but think of all my friends who are experiencing new mothering challenges.  I have friends who just gave birth to their very first little blessing, friends who just had their third or fourth child, and friends who are about to take on a new challenge - multiples!  I have friends who have recently adopted, friends who are fostering to adopt, and friends who are caring for someone else's child along with their own - just because they saw a need and felt called to meet it.  I have friends who are on baby number five and friends who have struggled for years just to have one precious blessing.  I, myself, just added a third little person to the list of people who call me mom, so my husband and I have recently joined the ranks of the "parents who are outnumbered by their kids."

Great Bible Story Books for Kids

One of my favorite times of the day is the kids' bedtime.  If you have kids, you know what I mean!  Haha!  But its not just the promise of a little relaxation for myself that makes this one of my favorite times.  Its also the fact that, from the kitchen while I'm loading the dishwasher, I can hear my husband reading the nightly bedtime story.  That just blesses me heart!  Any opportunity that we have to plant and water the seeds of the gospel in their little hearts is a blessing.  So I thought I'd share some of my favorite Bible story books with all of my readers.  These are books that we personally own and use with our kids.  If you have any other suggestions of great Bible story books, please leave me a comment and let me know!  I'd love to see what everyone else is reading!

This first one is an ALL TIME FAVORITE.  Seriously.  Favorite.  As in, we've read it dozens of times and never get tired of it!  There are very few books that I would DEMAND you get immediatety.  This is one.  Its a must.  A MUST.  Its The Jesus Storybook Bible, written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago...

I can't say enough about this story book Bible.  From the words to the illustrations, its FANTASTIC!  So why is this book different from all the other story book Bibles out there?  Well, its Sally Lloyd-Jones' writing style.  She has a way of explaining the stories in simple, yet beautiful terms.  The subtitle for this book is "Every Story Whispers His Name" and the purpose of the book is to show how, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is the story of a great rescue.  And each Bible story ends with a glimpse of Jesus.  Sally Lloyd-Jones' writing is so poignant and touching that I cry at the end of each story.  Each. And. Every. One.  Why because she never lets you forget about Jesus!  Here's a passage from the Old Testament story of Joseph:

"One day, God would send another Prince, a young Prince whose heart would break.  Like Joseph, he would leave his home and his father.  His brothers would hate him and want him dead.  He would be sold for pieces of silver  He would be punished even though he had done nothing wrong.  But God would use everything that happened to that Prince - even the bad things - to do something good: to forgive the sins of the world."

Another great thing about this book is the illustrations.  Jago is an incredibly talented illustrator, and his talents are on full display in this collection.  His illustrations are colorful, fun,  and pleasant to the eye.

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The second story Bible that I'd like to share with you is The Gospel Story Bible, written by Marty Machowski and illustrated by A.E. Macha...

Once again, this is a Bible story book that centers around the story of Jesus.  Mr. Machowski ends each story with an explanation of how it fits into the "bigger picture" of the gospel.  Here's a excerpt from the story of David...

"Did you notice that the last line of Psalm 23 tells us that David will live in the house of the Lord forever?  There is only one way we can live in heaven with God forever, and that is by trusting in Jesus and what he has done on the cross.  Often David's psalms give us a hint of the Lord's coming salvation through Jesus.  And some of his psalms, like Psalm 22, are wonderful prophesies foretelling God's plan to save us through Jesus."

While this story book doesn't make me weep every time I read it like The Jesus Storybook Bible does, I still find it wonderful! Mr. Machowski does a great job of explaining the stories in a way that children can understand.  And I love that each story has a "Let's Talk About It" section at the end with 3 questions to help you get a conversation started with your kids.

This book is another one with incredible illustrations.  The pictures by A.E. Macha are bright and eye-catching - which is exactly what you want with little ones!  And not only are the illustrations bright and colorful, but the actual pages are too!  The look of this book is just wonderful!

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Next is Brave Girls Bible Stories, by Thomas Nelson Publishing ...

As the cover states, this book celebrates the women of the Bible.  I love that they've included well-known women, such as Eve, Rachel and Leah, Esther, Sarah, and Mary.  But I especially love that they've included lesser-known women, such as Shiphrah and Puah (the midwives in the story of Moses' birth) and Rhoda (from Acts 12).  If you have a little girl and you want her to learn from some great biblical examples, this book is a must!  (Plus, what girl wouldn't want a pink bible story book?)

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Another GREAT and BRAND NEW Bible story book is the Believe Storybook by Randy Frazee (Zonderkidz)...

Written by Randy Frazee as part of his "Think, Act, Be Like Jesus" program, this Bible story book has a unique format.  Instead of a section of Old Testament stories followed by a section of New Testament stories, Mr. Frazee has divided the story book into 3 sections.  The "Think" section gives 10 chapters on the beliefs of the Christian life.  The "Act" section gives 10 chapters on the practices of Christian life.  And the "Be" section gives 10 chapter on the virtues of the Christian life.  Each chapter has an Old Testament story AND a New Testament story to help answer the "Key Question."  And there's a "Jump to Jesus" section and a "Jesus Answer" section to help kids see the "big story" of salvation throughout the Bible.  Its wonderfully simple and yet beautifully done!  I'm really loving this one!!!

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Next is The Beginner's Bible, by Zonderkids, illustrated by Kelly Pulley...

This is an adorable little story book that's perfect for small ones.  Each story is several pages long, but each page only has a few sentences, so its not too much for little minds - or little bottoms - to endure.  Haha!  The storytelling is also very simple and easy to understand - perfect for toddlers.

The illustrations are also very simple, yet adorable.  Little ones will love looking at these cute characters with big eyes.

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The next is The Story-Time Bible in Pictures, by Kenneth N. Taylor.  We received this story Bible has part of our oldest's homeschool curriculum and we love it. The stories are all 2 to 3 pages and are very quick reads.  Each story ends with several questions to help you begin a discussion with your kids, and then there's a Bible reference so that you can follow up with the actual Bible reading if you wish.

The illustrations in this story book are not as bright as some of the other books, but they are just as lovely and compelling.  In fact, the illustrations were the first thing my husband commented on when he saw this one for the first time. They remind me of the pictures from the story book Bibles I had as a child - almost as if they were paintings.

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The NKJV Adventure Bible.  Its actually not a "story book Bible," but an actual study Bible.  This is perfect for an older child (upper elementary age) because its a Bible they can read and study on their own.

This study Bible also has little study sections for kids to read.  A "Life in Bible Times" snippet gives them a little explanation of how certain things were done in bibilical times. A "Live It" section brings what they've learned into focus and helps them apply it to their own lives.  There are also several lovely, colorful pages with helpful things like: "Two Week Reading Plan on Jesus' Life" and "How To Pray."

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Since I mentioned the Adventure Study Bible, I thought I'd also mention The Adventure Study Bible for Toddlers.

This is a board book, so its perfect for toddler hands!  And its also harder to tear apart!  The theme of this story book Bible (and the theme of the NKJV Adventure Bible) is that the Bible is a great - and TRUE - adventure!  

The pages are bright and colorful.  The text is simple and easy to read. And it starts with creation and ends with Jesus ascension into Heaven.  I love that the last page (where Jesus is taken up to Heaven) says, "The adventure wasn't over when Jesus went to heaven. The most important thing has yet to happen!  Jesus is coming back!"


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The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible

I LOVE the Berenstain Bears!  And so do my girls!  So I was thrilled to get this storybook Bible! This storybook Bible tells 23 Bible stories, from creation to the story of Paul. But what makes this Bible storybook different than others is that it starts out like a Berenstain Bears story.  Brother, Sister, and Honey can't agree on what kind of bedtime story they want Papa to read to them, so he suggests a Bible story.  He tells them that "the Bible has all kinds of stories - exciting ones, nice ones, happy ones, even serious ones."  Then he begins with creation and tells them the 23 stories.  

Each story is illustrated with Berenstain Bear characters as the Bible characters.  So cute!!!
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Words to Dream On: Bedtime Bible Stories and Prayers by Diane Stortz

This Bible story book is lovely!  The illustrations are incredible - colorful and beautiful!  Each story begins with a Bible reference.  I love that because you use it to go to the Biblical text if you wish.  Each story also has a "Words to Dream On" section, which is a relevant Bible verse.  After the story (which is just a couple of pages long) there's a "Sleepy-Time Prayer" and then a "Bedtime Blessing," which is a recap of what the story teachers.  For example, the "Bedtime Blessing" for the story of Jesus' birth states, "God sent Jesus to the world - and to you."  This is a lovely, colorful, fun Bible story book to read to your kids at bedtime. 

How To Destroy Your Husband - Step 2

Last month I started a series called "How To Destroy Your Husband."  (You can check out step 1 of this series HERE.)  Step 1 was on criticizing your husband in public.  Step 2 is similar - humiliating your husband in public. 



The picture above is an attempt to start things off with a little humor, but humiliating our husbands publicly is serious business.  Many women would never "disrespect" their husband in public, but they are quick to tell a "hilarious" story - where their husband comes off looking stupid or inept.  Its so easy to do - especially if we are more concerned with getting a laugh (or "likes" on Facebook) than we are with our husband's feelings.  And its so much easier these days - with the invention of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.  Often, we post things instantly - without thinking. 

How To Destroy Your Husband - Step #1

WARNING: This blog post is written from a biblical perspective. If you do not agree with the biblical view of marriage, this post may be hard to handle. But read it anyway. You never know what you might learn. :)



Before I start this post, let me just say that I hope you understand that the title is sarcastic. - At least, its partly sarcastic. I don't want to teach anyone how to destroy their husband. I'd rather help you learn how to build them up! We're systematically destroying and defeating our husbands, and many of us don't even realize it. That's why I decided to write this series - in the hopes that it will help you with your marriage - and me with mine!

Let me also say that I am FAR from perfect in this area. Far. FAR. F.A.R. I mess up in this area ALL the time. In fact, I've fallen short several times while writing this series - and I'm only on Step One! I confess all of this so that you will hopefully realize that these posts come from the heart.  So let me give you some "Easy Ways To Destroy Your Husband" -

WARNING! If You're Posting Photos Online From Your Smart Phone, Ipad, or Ipod, You NEED TO READ THIS!!!

     I just recently got an Ipod Touch.  I LOVE it!!!  Seriously!  Its great!  I can listen to music, take pics and videos, play games, etc.  Its been great for taking quick pics of my little one or the food I just made or the craft I just finished.  I also love the GPS inside!  As long as I have internet access I can search for the nearest Chick-fil-a or the nearest Target.  It ROCKS!!!

     But there is one SERIOUS DOWNSIDE.  That little GPS in my ipod also affects the camera.  That means that every time I take a pic with my ipod and post it on the internet it includes location data.  Now, the data is imbedded, so most of us don't even know its there.  But it can be found pretty easily.

“Any 16 year-old with basic programming skills can do this,” said Gerald Friedland, a researcher at the International Computer Science Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.

- Quote from "Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live"

Kate Murphy, New York Times

"The Holy Spirit Is My Seat Belt"

As I mentioned before, this is not my first foray into blogging.  I started blogging a couple of years ago.  Anyway, while looking at some old posts from my original blog, I came across this post.  Since this post was about Proverbs31, I thought I'd share it again here:


Sunday, January 9, 2011-
"MAN! was God teaching me today! This morning didn't start off great.   In fact, I started this morning off with a fight with my husband.   Basically, I wasn't being very submissive.   Of course, my haughty heart didn't want to admit that at the time.   After the fight, I decided to have a seat and read my Bible.  (You know, while I was patiently waiting for God to show my husband how he was wrong.)