Read Your Bible Through Using The Snowball Effect

Every couple of years I read my Bible through. I usually just start in Genesis and read a few chapters a day until I reach the end of Revelation. I've used other methods (chronological, daily mix of old and new testaments, etc.) but for the most part I just read it from beginning to end.

I was talking to some of my book club friends about it and by and large everyone said about the same thing. We all start out strong but then you quickly come upon Leviticus and Numbers. We all acknowledged that those books are important . . . but boy are they tedious to get through!

As I began thinking about ways to make reading through your Bible more doable a concept kept coming to the forefront of my mind. We've been working through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace using the baby steps he outlines. If you are familiar with the program you know that step 2 is creating a debt snowball.

To do a debt snowball you list out all of your debts and pick the one with the smallest balance and pay it off. Then you move on to the next smallest and just keep paying them off. You don't look at interest rates or things like that you just do the smallest debt first and keep going. Trust me when I say that this works! You quickly get a sense of accomplishment and motivation to power through the rest.

So . . . what if you used that same principle to read the Bible? Start with the smallest books and read them through and then move on to the next batch until you have finished the entire Bible. The more I thought about this the more excited I became.

I decided to put together a booklet for my fauxdori that I could use to track my reading. My dashboard is called "1st Things First". On the first page I printed the 2017 Habit Tracker from Illustrated Faith. I like the way I can hold myself accountable just by coloring in the dots for every day that I read.

For the rest of the pages I just made a table with the number of chapters for each book of the Bible. As I read a chapter I'll color the cell in. My booklet turned out a little wonky (I need to fix the margins) so for now I'm not offering it as a download. It would be quite easy for you to make your own and I'm betting you can be a bit more creative than I was.

Did you know that there are five books of the Bible that only contain one chapter? So if you think in terms of snowball effect you can easily read FIVE books of the Bible in five days if you only read a chapter a day. Now if that doesn't make you feel like you've accomplished something I don't know what else will! 

Here's the list of books by chapter length:

1 Chapter

Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude

2 Chapters

Haggai

3 Chapters

Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 2 Thessalonians, Titus, and 2 Peter 

4 Chapters

Ruth, Jonah, Malachi, Philippians, Colossians, and 2 Timothy 

5 Chapters

Lamentations, 1 Thessalonians, James, 1 Peter, and 1 John

6 Chapters

Galatians, Ephesians, and 1 Timothy 

7 Chapters

Micah

8 Chapters

Song of Songs

9 Chapters

Amos

10 Chapters

Ezra, and Esther

12 Chapters

Ecclesiastes, and Daniel

13 Chapters

Nehemiah, 2 Corinthians, and Hebrews

14 Chapters

Hosea, and Zechariah

16 Chapters

Mark, Romans, and 1 Corinthians

21 Chapters

Judges, and John

22 Chapters

1 Kings, and Revelation

24 Chapters

Joshua, 2 Samuel, and Luke

25 Chapters

2 Kings

27 Chapters

Leviticus

28 Chapters

Matthew, and Acts

29 Chapters

1 Chronicles

31 Chapters

1 Samuel, and Proverbs

34 Chapters

Deuteronomy

36 Chapters

Numbers, and 2 Chronicles

40 Chapters

Exodus

42 Chapters

Job

48 Chapters

Ezekiel

50 Chapters

Genesis

52 Chapters

Jeremiah

66 Chapters

Isaiah

150 Chapters

Psalms

If you follow this you will have read FOURTEEN books by the end of the first month just by reading a chapter a day. Now the truth is that some of these chapters are pretty short so you may wind up reading more than a chapter a day. Can you say SCORE? 

Let me tell you about one more thing that I do that I count in my booklet. I also count the chapters that I read in the devotionals that I follow along on a daily basis (as long as it is a full chapter). For example I am currently reading the book of Psalms with the Lifeway Women in their 40 Days of Prayer. I also read She Reads Truth every day and we are currently reading through the book of John. 

Doing this method has made me realize that I read more of the Word each day than I thought. Thank you Jesus for revealing this to me. Even though I'm a crazy reader (some might say addicted reader) I still need the affirmation that I'm diving into the Word daily. 

I hope that this will be an encouragement for you too. I'd love for you to share the idea with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest and Instagram but more importantly I'd love to hear what you think of this approach. I'm tickled with it and want to hear how it's working for you. Tag us @RambleSAHM so we can follow along on your journey to read your Bible through this year!

Family Bible Study Ideas {Giveaway}

A few years back our pastor decided that he would like to make some changes in our curriculum so that everyone from the babies in the nursery to the senior adults would be on the same page each Sunday. I wasn't sure at first if I would like it but after a few weeks I couldn't imagine it being any other way. 

In order to accomplish his goal we began using the same passages of Scripture for all Sunday School classes and the Sunday morning message. Of course the adult classes were much more detailed than the nursery lessons but we all studied the same portion each week. 

Not only was this a nice thing for our church family, it was also very beneficial for our personal family. Have you every been on the ride home after church and asked your little ones what they were learning in Sunday School only to have them say "I don't know."? It has happened in our family more than I would like to admit. Now with the changes it is easy to give little prompts to jog their memory that can then lead to a full-blown conversation. This is especially beneficial for Granny and Poppy. We automatically feel connected because we know what their lesson was about. Sunday lunch conversations have taken on a whole new dimension and I for one love it!

Family Bible Study

In fact we enjoyed studying the same Scripture together at church so much that we decided to try something special in our homes during the Christmas season. We chose to Celebrate Advent with the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. The two houses that had children used the Jesus Storybook Bible and the two houses that were adult only used The Story of God's Love For You. The two books contain the same words but the illustrations are different (one being for children and the other for adults). You can read more about the specifics of how we did it HERE.

Daily Devotions

That was such a wonderful experience for our extended family that we began talking about practical ways we could incorporate this same concept into our daily devotional routines. At first the task of putting together something that would not only be meaningful to the adults but also work with the different ages and stages of our kiddos was a bit daunting. As much as we liked the idea not one of us had the time or motivation to take on the work of putting together the daily devotions.

Just when I was about to give up on the notion a brilliant moment of inspiration struck. I was sitting in the rocking chair with my four-year-old grandson and we were reading our new copy of the updated The Beginner's Bible. If you are familiar with this storybook Bible you know that it is intended for toddlers to preschoolers and walks them through the highlights of the Old and New Testaments with simplified storylines. 

As we were reading through a few of the stories it occurred to me that we not only had the toddler/preschool version of The Beginner's Bible we also had the New International Reader's Version (NIrV) designed for younger readers and the King James Version (KJV) designed for adult readers of The Beginner's Bible. 

 

After talking it over with my daughter this is the plan that we came up with. We're going to use The Beginner's Bible (preschool edition) as our guide. Each story gives the Scripture reference and that will be what we use for our older kids and adult readings. 

So for example the very first story is called The Beginning and it is on Genesis 1. That story will be read aloud to the preschool and under set sometime during the morning at the usual Bible time. Then the kids that can read will read Genesis 1 aloud from The Beginner's Bible, NIrV edition during their Bible time. (We homeschool so there is a set time each day for these activities.) Then in the evening Daddy will read Genesis 1 out of The Beginner's Bible, KJV edition. Granny and Poppy will also read that same passage at their house. 

I have to tell you that I am absolutely loving this new routine. Poppy and I like to read our portion in the early morning so that we can interact with the grands during the day. I know about when their Bible times are so I enjoy either calling the little ones or sending a text to the older ones about some portion of the Scripture that stood out to me. For me it is a special way to be connected to the grands while at the same time backing up and supporting the parents.

Now . . . how about a GIVEAWAY?!! Would you like to give Family Bible Study a try like we are? We've partnered with Zonderkidz to make a way for one of our readers to get their own copies of The Beginner's Bible (preschool edition), The Beginner's Bible, NIrV edition, and The Beginner's Bible, KJV edition.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Wednesday, October 19, 2016. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Giveaway Tools form below. All entries are optional.

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The Harder I Try The Bigger I Fail

I have said to God that I don't want to have too much or too little. I don't want to become so successful that I leave my faith behind but I also don't want to become nothing and grovel in disgust at my Creator. I know that He gives me exactly what I need but I find that I also need to vocalize it too. My fleshly side is just so stinking weak! My niece refers to being truly human as "humanlyness" and you know I have been using this as the perfect mental picture for myself.

Case in point, I was talking to my mother the other day and I told her that I couldn't take one more failure that day. I had all these good intentions and tried to jam pack my day and weekend with way more than my "humanlyness" could handle and then when it all came crashing down I sat there mad at all my fails. I started thinking, "Hey Lord, why so many fails today?"

Then He whispered "Why are you trying to be in control?" I felt like a complete FOOL. I felt like what I imagine the disciples must have felt when they were supposed to wait and pray in the garden of Gethsemane and instead fell asleep. (Matthew 26:36-46) EVERY time I hear that story it makes me hate my "humanlyness" I want to be there for Jesus but I know that I would have fallen asleep too.

Everyday I want to love Jesus but everyday I fall short and the harder I try the bigger I fail. I know He allows me to go through this because I need reminded daily of my "humanlyness". I cannot do this on my own. In fact no human was created to do it alone. Instead, God in His infinite mercy gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us and allow us to lean on Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

One of my favorite Hyms is I Need Thee Every Hour particular sung by Joey+Rory





The truth is I never want to not need the Lord. Today if you find your self sick with fails and just being caught up in your own "humanlyness"  lean on Jesus. He is EVERYTHING you need!

You Can't Piggyback

 

I've had a lot of time to think lately and really process our move. One concept that has been on my mind is that of relationships and specifically the ones we had to leave behind. I find myself looking up old friends and seeing what they are doing and missing their familiar faces and the friendships we shared. We have a lot of memories in our hometown. It's where our family began. 

It's kind of funny how I go between wanting to live through old memories and wanting to fast forward here in our new place. I want to have a church home and real friendships and be settled. But there is no fast forward. Relationships that are real and lasting are never rushed but built over time with a lot of trust.

I am trying to be balanced by looking back to treasure all the blessings that we had in our hometown. But I'm also trying  to move forward to grow and blossom here. Easier said than done! ;)

Here is what I am learning though, you cant piggyback other people's lives. Back in my blog post on Choosing Joy When Life Gets Busy I mentioned surrounding myself with driven and joyful people. The best part of those relationships is that they all have wonderful lives that are full and inspire me.

While it's wonderful to hear their stories I can't forget our own story and part of our story is leaving our old life there to make new memories here. If I don't move forward our story will not grow and that is not healthy and the exact opposite of who I want to become.

Time to write a new chapter!!!

  

When You Are Not Everything Someone Wanted

I love this video above, it is everything I have wanted when thinking about being a parent. Watching my babies play and toddle around and just adoring their little curiosity.

Isn't that what life is all about? Parents doting on their kids, first trips to the beach, making videos, taking photos, kids falling down and parents there to pick them up. I am this (sorry, not sorry) and I am surround by other parents who are like this.

Well, until recently that is. God has broadened my circle and along my path I found deep brokenness. It won't let me go and it's in my thoughts. When I bake and kiss booboos and all those everyday SAHM tasks I do I find my deep thoughts going elsewhere.

What happens when you grow up and you are not everything someone wanted? You didn't grow up with parents and life was scary and you never felt wanted by anyone. Instead of a gift you were just a result of someone else's choices.

Then what happens when no one sees this and you look around at the happy families and all you have ever wanted is that but for whatever reason it's not going to happen?

As a Christ follower what am I supposed to do with this brokenness? How can we change a life when we come across this? I can't be everyone's parent legally or physically. So why has God shown me this and put it in my path?

Then the answer comes and it's what I have always known, Jesus. Yup, the always right Sunday school answer . . . Jesus!

Jesus wants us. If Christ Himself values each and every one of us then what does it matter for mere mankind to want us? It's not just a cliché answer it is the ONLY answer and sometimes that means we need to show people Jesus. We need to be Jesus to people. I can still hear my old precious neighbors voice, "Christ like, Christ like, be Christ like."

We need to be the one to say you are wanted, you are so so so precious. You matter. This is going to mean we slow down, we make an extra spot at the dinner table, we get up early and we give up ourselves so we can be Jesus for people who are desperately wanting to be everything someone wanted.

Who's with me? One person at a time let's end this brokenness!

Choosing Joy When Life Gets Busy

Well Hello blog! Glad to see you are still here right where I left you. 

It's Whitney and I am ready to jump back into Mommy Rambles. I want to say a million thanks to Brandi for keeping things going on the blog while our family transitioned into another child, a new career and finally to a new home in South Carolina.

I am not sure where to pick up our story but, the blogging bug has bit again and God has begun whispering that it's time to share a little about our journey. I have learned so much from the blogging world and fully believe God can use it for His glory if we allow. My plan for now is just to blog about our story. Even, though I am a private person by nature I do know there are times when God asks us to share our story.

This past year has been so very hard and even writing that seems a big understatement for me. However, it hasn't been without God's blessings. At times I wondered if He had forgotten about our little family. If I only knew then what I know now. He was just faithfully working behind the scenes. Not a moment of this journey was wasted, every struggle was used for His glory and our betterment.

Hopefully you all can follow a long with these rambles and possibly a few rabbit trails. ;)

Shortly after our third baby was born life began to move in fast-forward and it is just now slowing down . . . I think! 2015 was the fastest year of my life and I try not to let mommy guilt get the best of me when I think of my youngest being a year-old already, or that my oldest is 7! I don't feel old enough to have a 7 year-old, but apparently I am! Then there is our middle boy who is 4 and keeps us on our toes with all his whys and hows. 

I love it and I love them and in the midst of the madness and crazy I try and stop and just choose JOY! Motherhood is hard and if you are not careful Bitter Betty can become your middle name and then become your legacy.

This past year God placed certain women in my life. These women were faced with circumstances where they had the choice of becoming bitter or choosing joy. These weren't minor situations they were life altering situations, such as death, loss of a job, loss of dreams, an unplanned child, unplanned move, etc.

At first I didn't realize what all of these important women had in common. I thought they were just driven people, and they are, but what drives them to sucess is JOY. While I was being surrounded by these beautiful joyful women another thing started happening as well. All the bitter people in my life began to fade into the background. I wasn't running into them as much and much to my delight  life became a little less complex and definitely less drama to deal with.

We all have our choices in life and the people in your life matter. The people who you keep company with are where your destiny lies. I fully believe that. As a Christ follower I am called to use wisdom and discernment when choosing whom I spend my time with.

So with all that said, I am asking you and myself . . . who are you surrounding yourself with that makes you bitter and not better? Are you, yourself choosing bitterness? What would happen if we started choosing JOY daily? Would we be better moms, wives, employees, and most importantly would it change our relationship with Christ? I know it has made all the difference in my current situation. 

With God's help I am going to consciously surround myself with people that allow me to be joyful. Life on earth is short in the scope of eternity. We don't have time to be bitter . . . and why should we? We serve a God who created us to enjoy life and I for one plan on doing just that.

Summer Boredom Busters For Kids Using Electronic Media

A couple of days ago I was visiting with my oldest grand girl and she informed me that she had been out of school for a total of three days and she was already bored. Can I insert in here that I am so thankful that it’s my turn to be the granny rather than the momma? The dog days of summer can be a nice change with the slower pace but they can also be taxing when the normal activities of the school year are no longer in play.

I began to think about what my kids used to do during the summer and ways we could update the activity to be relevant today. One of the things that all of my grands have in common is their love for anything involving electronic media. Even the two youngest ones gravitate to any smart phone that is lying in reach!
With that in mind I came up with a few ideas that worked for me and can still be useful to today’s mommas. I hope you’ll find them as helpful as I did.

1. READING – One of the first summer programs we would sign up for each year was the Summer Reading program at our local library. It’s such a fun way to keep the kids reading. Our library offered prizes and incentives that appealed to my kids. It was also a good opportunity for my kids to explore new genres and authors to expand their knowledge and imagination.

For my oldest grand girl’s recent birthday she received a Kindle of her very own. Something about reading from an eBook seems so much more interesting to her than reading a normal book. The price of eReaders has plummeted and made them very affordable. If you don’t already have one now might be the time to think about it.

Finding books for the eReader has become more affordable as well. Most local libraries have eBooks that you can download to your device and read for free for a set amount of time. You can find free and cheap eBooks from sites like The Vessel Project.

I’m very picky about what I send my grands to read. I like to stick to the classics and inspirational fiction and nonfiction. For my tween grand girl I’ve found some wonderful eBooks from the Faithgirlz line that I think you can trust for content.

2. MOVIES – For whatever reason my kids loved to watch movies in a dark closet. They would pile in pillows and then we’d use an extension cord to plug in our smallest TV and DVD player. (Okay so it was really a VCR, but that makes me sound old!)

With the use of a tablet or laptop and a streaming service like Netflix you can achieve the same result. Don’t forget to check out the selection at your local library. It’s free and a good way to introduce your kids to some classics that you loved as a child. Just add some popcorn and juice boxes and you’ve got an activity that all of your kids can enjoy together.

3. GAMING – My boys loved video games so I wasn’t really surprised when my oldest grandson started talking about them as well. We own a Wii and have enjoyed hours of entertainment with it as a family.

My grandson really likes the Wii but what has him all stirred up right now is this game called Minecraft. When he first showed it to me I just didn’t get the appeal of these squared-off pixelated characters. But then I received a copy of the Minecrafters Bible from Zonderkidz and a lightbulb went off!

If you have a Minecrafter in your midst you already know that the purpose is to build your own imaginative world using characters that you create. If I were the momma I would capitalize on that and combine the game with the Bible.

This is what my daughter is now doing with my grandson. Each morning they read a particular Bible story from the Minecrafters Bible. Then my grandson is given the laptop with Minecraft on it and allowed an extended amount of time to recreate the story. It’s an absolute delight watching him refer back to the Bible as he expands the details in the game. I think this is a brilliant way to capture the attention of your kids while solidifying Biblical truths that will last a lifetime.

Now . . . how about a GIVEAWAY?!! We are loving how the Minecrafters Bible is helping us to teach our kiddos important Biblical truth. So we've partnered with Zonderkidz to make a way for one of our readers to get their own copy.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Tuesday, June 14, 2016. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Giveaway Tools form below. All entries are optional.

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Teaching Toddlers: Begin At The Beginning {plus a GIVEAWAY}

by @Fitzysmom

We’ve all heard about the terrible twos. I’m here to tell you that it’s not the second year that will have you begging for mercy but rather years three and four. By then your little darlings will have developed the skills of a master manipulator with a killer smile to boot.

So what’s a worn out momma to do? Begin at the beginning.

For me during those turbulent years it meant running straight into the arms of Jesus. Every. Single. Day. The days I missed were the days I would sink. I love the popular advice of getting up before the kiddos to have a quiet time . . . a little bit of coffee and a whole lotta Jesus. (Cold can of Coke for me thank you very much!) The problem was that I was blessed with a boy that woke up with the first rays of light. And this night owl momma had usually gone to bed just a few hours before. Guilt was my cloak of choice. Why couldn’t I love early mornings? Why did I need an hour or so of just being before I could coherently function?

Here’s where I’m going to urge you to loosen those chains that hinder your morning meeting with Jesus. Do what you have to do to make it happen even if it is mid-morning rather than the crack of dawn. Just like you should put on your oxygen first in an airline emergency, you should also equip yourself first to face what is ahead of you. So put a DVD on, plop your little cherub in front of it and then run to Jesus. Grab your Bible and coffee and absorb His words of life-giving power.

After that mountain top experience you get the privilege of doing what you were called to do . . . train up a child!

So where should you start? Begin at the beginning.

The wonderful thing about toddlers is their insatiable curiosity. The most taxing part of a toddler is their insatiable curiosity. (And the tantrums . . . oh the tantrums!) Toddlers love to discover how things are made and how they work. Encourage that curiosity by teaching them the creation story in Genesis.

There are literally thousands of resources of books and music and coloring sheets that you can use to teach your little one what happened on those first seven days. Make it fun and enjoyable for both of you. I happen to be a brand ambassador for Zonderkidz so I have had the privilege of scouring a ton of their toddler books. One of my favorite new books is the Read With Me Bible for Little Ones. It does a nice overview of some of the main themes in the Bible.

Once you’ve conquered the creation story you can move on to many other stories that reside in the Old and New Testaments. My favorite teaching outline comes from Hebrews 11:1-39. We affectionately refer to it as the great Hall of Faith. Spend time teaching your children about each of these great men and women. It is perfectly acceptable to leave out the gruesome parts at this point. A three-year-old is probably not ready to learn about Cain killing his brother Able. But they can begin to learn about obedience to God by presenting acceptable offerings. And above all else begin teaching them about Jesus.

I’m so excited for each of you mommas as you journey this path with your little ones. You are called to this and our faithful God is equipping you for it. You can do this. There’s a great cloud of witnesses surrounding you and cheering you on. And all the grannies said . . . AMEN!

Now . . . how about a GIVEAWAY?!! We loved Read With Me Bible For Little Ones so much that we wanted to make a way for one of our readers to get their own copy. To do that we have partnered with Zonderkidz to give one of our readers a copy of the book.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Giveaway Tools form below. All entries are optional.

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The Third Sunday of Advent - The Shepherd Candle

Tonight on the third Sunday of Advent we gather to remember what Christ said in John 8:12, " I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The first week we lit our first candle, The Prophecy Candle. Tonight we light it again and remind ourselves of the symbolism it represents. Long, long ago the prophets foretold of a coming Messiah. Isaiah 9:6 tells us that a child will be born and His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 7:14 went on to tell us that the Lord Himself would give us a sign: A virgin will conceive and have a son. His name would be Immanuel.

Last week we lit our second candle, The Bethlehem Candle. We light it again tonight to recall that long ago night in the tiny town of Bethlehem. Luke 2:1-7 recalls the story of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and their search for a place to stay. When no suitable arrangements could be found they settled for a simple stable where the Christ Child was born.

Tonight we light The Shepherd Candle and recall the story of the Shepherd's search for the newborn Christ. Luke 2:8-20 says,

"In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Don't be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.' Suddenly there was a multitude of heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors! When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. After seeing them they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told."

Father, we thank you for your gift of Jesus to the whole world. As the shepherds found Jesus in a manger, may we find Jesus in the love and joy that we share together. Help us to love one another. Help us to do our share to bring happiness, goodness and peace to the world.

At this point we sing The First Noel and Joy to the World! as we close our evening together.

It is our hope that your family will join ours in rejoicing in the real reason for the season . . . it is Jesus the true Light of the World.

A Season to Reflect {Five Minute Friday}

By @Fitzysmom

One Word Prompt ~ Five Minutes of Writing ~ No Editing

Today's Prompt: REFLECT

Go!

It's mid December and our house like many others are in the midst of the Advent season. Each year we trace the lineage of Christ leading up to His birth with a different story each night. Our immediate family is made up of four separate households. Two have kiddos and two don't. The houses with kids are using The Jesus Storybook Bible with ornaments that we made and the houses without kids are using The Story of God's Love For You. Both books are by the ultra talented Sally Lloyd-Jones and the readings are the same. 

If you are familiar with the books you know that the subtitle say, "Every story whispers His name." Such an appropriate thing to say! Every single story in the Bible points us to Jesus. This year as we reflect back on these things I'm intrigued by what sticks. For me I'm still stuck on day two.

Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and discovered that they were naked. God came along and clothed them and then removed them from the garden. (That's obviously the simplified version.) But what I've been reflecting on while I'm doing the dishes or making the bed or taking a shower, is that covering their nakedness (a.k.a their sin and shame) brought about the very first death. An animal was sacrificed to clothe them. Here's how Sally Lloyd-Jones puts it:

"But before they left the garden, God made clothes for his children, to cover them. He gently clothed them and then he sent them away on a long, long journey--out of the garden, out of their home." (The Story of God's Love For You, pg. 12)

I'm completely struck by the gentle love God has for us His people. At this very moment He knew all that would enfold and He still chose to cover them. I weep as I write this because our sin is not solitary unto itself, it always costs somebody else something. In this case it was an animal but ultimately it would be Jesus.

Let me leave you with the final words from day two's reading:

"Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve. 'It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I'm going to do battle against the snake, I'll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I'm coming back for you!'

And he would. One day, God himself would come." (The Story of God's Love For You, pg. 14)

Stop!

Feeling inspired to write? Link up with us here at Kate Motaung's Five Minute Friday.

The Second Sunday of Advent - The Bethlehem Candle

A week has passed in this beautiful season of anticipation and waiting. Today we find ourselves at the second Sunday of Advent.

Last week we lit our first candle, The Prophecy Candle. Tonight we light it again and remind ourselves of the symbolism it represents. Long, long ago the prophets foretold of a coming Messiah. Isaiah 9:6 tells us that a child will be born and His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 7:14 went on to tell us that the Lord Himself would give us a sign: A virgin will conceive and have a son. His name would be Immanuel.

This week we also light the second candle, The Bethlehem Candle. We light it to recall that long ago night in the tiny town of Bethlehem. Luke 2:1-7 recalls the story of a decree being sent out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire needed to register. Joseph and a very pregnant Mary set out from Nazareth in Galilee and traveled to Bethlehem in Judea.

Once they were there they found the town to be filled to bursting with people. Though Joseph looked high and low he had no luck finding suitable accommodations. Finally an innkeeper took pity on them and offered his humble stable for the couple. Before the night was through Mary gave birth to her firstborn Son. She wrapped Him up snugly and laid Him in a feeding trough.

One day that tiny Baby would grow up and live a sinless life only to be crucified for us all. Three days later He would conquer death and then make His way to the right hand of the Father. Until then we cling to the hope of His words in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Father, help us to see those around us and recognize those in need. Thank You for the friends and strangers that You have put in our path. Help us to remember to extend hospitality to those who are lonely or afraid or just plain weary. You have done so much for us may we extend that same compassion to others.

At this point we sing O Little Town of Bethlehem and Silent Night as we close our evening together.

It is our hope that your family will join ours in rejoicing in the real reason for the season . . . it is Jesus the true Light of the World.

The First Sunday of Advent - The Prophecy Candle

It's finally here. The season my heart has been longing for even when my head didn't recognize it. Today is the first Sunday of Advent and with it a time of slowing down and reflecting upon what the true meaning of the season is.

Today we set up our Advent wreath. We use this as a symbol to commemorate the significance of what has happened and also a way to look forward to what is to come. We use a wreath because of it's circular shape. It represents the Eternal God because it has no beginning or end. We use five different candles within our wreath. The candles put off light which grows increasingly brighter as the weeks get closer to Christmas. This reminds us that Christ is indeed the light of the world and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5 HCSB)

On this first Sunday of Advent we light one of the outer candles, The Prophecy Candle, or the candle of hope. This candle reminds us of the hope that the prophets had in the coming Messiah. It also reminds us of the hope we have of the returning King Jesus.

This is what the prophets hoped for when they prayed about God sending the Messiah:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; daylight has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. For You have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as You did on the day of Midian. For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:2-6 HCSB)

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14 HCSB)

Our current hope is in the risen Lord and His imminent return. Here is what He says:

Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 HCSB)

Heavenly Father our world is filled with darkness. We need the light that only comes from You through Your Son Jesus. Remind us of the One who was born in Bethlehem and the one who also said "I am the light of the world". May our hearts and minds turn toward You in this season where You chose to give the greatest gift of all. Amen

In honor of this prophecy we always end the evening with singing Away in a Manger.

It is our hope that your family will join ours in rejoicing in the real reason for the season . . . it is Jesus the true Light of the World.

Are You Weary? {Five Minute Friday}

by @Fitzysmom

One Word Prompt ~ Five Minutes of Writing ~ No Editing

Today's Prompt: WEARY

Go!

From 1983 to about 2007 my middle name was Weary. God had blessed us with three great kids and He’d also called us to educate them at home. All around me my friends were happily dropping their kids off at school and then pursing things like coffee dates and lunches and art classes. Me, well I was just trying to get my youngest to sit still long enough to learn math.

During this period of my life 2 Thessalonians 3:13 became my life verse. “Brothers (and sisters of course), do not grow weary in doing good.” If you remember the context Paul was encouraging his fellow believers not to grow weary when all around them others seemed to not be doing what they should. I’m not saying that homeschooling is for everyone, but for us it was what God had required.

Do you remember that old hymn that starts out, “O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?” Yes that was me. At times I would become so buried in the darkness that there felt like there was no light. But the next line would remind me of something important. “There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free.” There’s always light to look towards the Savior!

The chorus would point out the problem and point to the solution as well. When I grew increasingly weary it was because I had turned my eyes away from Jesus and put them on the things of this earth. Things like coffee dates and art classes that were completely about me. Instead God was calling me to be about Him and the work He would have me do.

Stop!

The rest of the story . . .

My middle name has mostly gone back to being Jo. Now my daughter and daughter-in-law have taken up the moniker. Between those two families they are raising eight of my grandbabies. I see the same weariness overtake them at times. This time around God has called me to gently come along side of them and sing into their ears.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior

And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

Feeling inspired to write? Link up with us here at Kate Motaung's Five Minute Friday.

BACON: both repelling & compelling {Five Minute Friday}

by @Fitzysmom

One Word Prompt ~ Five Minutes of Writing ~ No Editing

Today's Prompt: BACON

GO!

There are some scents out there that are just distinctive and frying BACON is one of them. It is compelling and repelling at the same time. I’m compelled by it because I know how it tastes. I’m repelled by it because I know it can be messy.

My walk with Christ can be the same. I’m compelled to follow Him because He not only scooped me up out of the pit I was in but He cleansed me and made me whole. When I’m walking with Him closely my life is savory like the taste of BACON.

But if I’m honest there is a repelling part of the Christian life as well. Sometimes I’m like Paul and I find myself doing things that I know I shouldn’t be doing and shirking the things that I should be doing. Just like BACON it can be a messy walk. And I find myself looking over at the grilled chicken wanting that seemingly clean meal.

But oh the joy when I just sit back and savor the flavor! Don’t get me wrong I’m really not comparing life in Christ to BACON, but the metaphor does seem to work. Sometimes the path He leads me down is a greasy grimy mess but the feast at the end will be worth it every time!

END!

Feel inspired to write? Link up with us here at Kate Motaung's Five Minute Friday!

There Are Always Flowers ~ Changing My Perspective On A Tough Situation

by @Fitzysmom

Photo courtesy of @ChaseFitz5

Six weeks ago my life took a dramatic change. My husband accepted a position with a new company and we packed our suitcases and embarked on a new adventure. From the start I knew this would mean spending six weeks living in a hotel before we moved to more permanent housing.

To make the most of our money I went on bargain hotel websites and booked a room every two weeks. (We were able to go home every other weekend.) Some weeks we hit the jackpot and got ultra nice accommodations but other weeks we got rooms that were adequate but that's about it.

At first this little adventure was fun. I enjoyed the cable TV, uninterrupted time for reading and painting, and the hotels' workout rooms and pools. But by week five I was just done. I wanted my own home with my own bed and my own shower. I wanted to see my kids and my grands several times a week rather than every other weekend. I didn't care that this was an answer to a prayer that we had been petitioning God about for several years. I just wanted my life back.

In the midst of my pity party I came across a quote from Henri Matisse that I love.

There are always flowers for those who want to see them.

I can't say that I was instantly receptive to the thought. In fact I was pretty cynical as I looked out the hotel window at the parking lot below. No flowers there that I could see. But God is gracious and He peeled back the layers covering my eyes and allowed me to see the blooms.

The first was in the lobby. This particular hotel was across the street from a cancer treatment center. As I exited the elevator I saw a group of people gathered around a woman that was obviously fighting the awful disease. She was frail looking but the serene smile on her face was just beautiful. She was most likely in the battle of her life but at that moment she was surrounded by loved ones and she was breathing in their life giving aroma.

My next glimpse was in the parking lot. There was a man on his cell phone sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck. He had most likely just gotten off of work and was calling home to talk to his family. My husband made the comment that he knew he had a little girl. When I asked how he knew that he said the My Little Pony stickers on the dash gave it away. I said I felt sorry for him because he was away from his family. My husband said he was proud of him for working so hard to provide for his family. As we drove out of the parking lot we could see the man with his head tipped back belly laughing at some antic that was conveyed to him. He could obviously see the bouquets planted all around him.

The final bloom I'll tell you about is the lovely housekeeper we had. While my husband is at work I spend my time at the hotel so I regularly ran into this woman. She was performing a job that was backbreaking and most likely disgusting at times. Yet she went about it cheerfully singing. The day we checked out she actually hugged me and said a blessing over me. Not only did she see the blooms she chose to pick them and hand them out.

What marvelous examples these people are. They were each just going about their daily lives but they allowed the beauty to shine rather than the ugly to cover it up. I'm so thankful that God worked through them to change my perspective in the midst of a tough situation. I pray that I will continue to look for the flowers amidst the weeds and I pray that you'll be able to do the same. May God's glorious creation speak peace to our weary souls.

Tell Me More . . . Yolonda Sanders {Author Interview}

In today's Tell Me More feature I want to introduce to you a new-to-me author Yolonda Sanders. The third book in her newest series recently came out and it is a spine-tingling suspense thriller. If that is the genre that you love (like me) you should check it out!

I began to wonder just who this mystery woman was behind these intense story lines. I wanted to know the important things that a curious sort like myself wonders about. I decided to reach out to her and ask her to tell me more . . .

If you could invent something that would make life easier, what would it do? 

I would invent a time suspender so that, when there are not “enough hours in the day,” I can pause time around the whole universe to complete my daily tasks without having them carryover into the next day.

What two items would you grab if your house was on fire?

I would grab my Bible and my laptop.

If you could travel back in time to a specific moment in history, what would it be?

I would go back to the Garden of Eden to try and convince Eve not to eat the fruit.

If you had three wishes,what would they be? (You’re not allowed to wish for money or another wish!)

My first wish would be to live a long, healthy life. My second wish would be to make a valuable contribution to our world through some new discovery that will make people's lives easier or cure a deadly disease. My third wish would be to successfully complete a marathon by running the entire way.

What’s the one thing for which you’d like to be remembered? 

I would like to be remembered for my compassion for others.

There you have it friends . . . the important things we need to know about Yolonda! If you had the opportunity to ask her anything what would it be? Leave your curious questions in the comments and we'll see if we can get her to chime in and end the suspense.

www.YoProductions.net

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Let's Talk Dishes! ~ Building Relationships Around The Kitchen Sink

by @Fitzysmom

This morning I was washing up some pots and pans from last night (DON'T tell my grandma that I left them overnight!) and it got me to thinking about dish washing. Do you wash by hand or use a dishwasher? (Yes, kids count as dishwashers! I say if they dirty the dish they are more than capable of washing said dish. It builds their skill set.)

I have a dishwasher that I use but I don't put my pots and pans in it. I do those by hand. I've not always had a dishwasher and at times it did feel like a tedious chore but for the most part I don't mind it. Washing dishes is a time of mindless thought for me. I can just ponder at will whatever comes to mind.

Sometimes I plan out in my head the next art project I want to work on. Other times I pray for my kids and grandkids. I've also been known to prop my Kindle up on the breakfast bar in front of the sink and read while I'm washing! (Hey a reader's gotta read.)

The main enjoyment of it is some much needed alone time. There's something soothing about plunging my hands in that hot soapy water and just letting all of the chaos around me go. If you've still got toddlers at home this probably isn't an escape . . . they have no concept of personal space and alone time. But if you've got kiddos old enough to do dishes this will work every time. Just start filling the sink with soapy water and they will avoid you like the plague!

There is another benefit of hand washing. It can also be a great time of conversation. Some of my husband and I's best conversations have occurred over the kitchen sink. We've shared hopes and dreams and burdens while scrubbing a stuck on spot. Who knew a man could be so handsome with soap up to his elbows?

I grew up in a large extended family environment. Almost every Sunday we had dinner at my grandma and grandpa's house. After the meal the men would sit around and discuss crops and livestock and the kids would head outside. That left the women to clean up. I was so thrilled when I was old enough to be included. It was such a nice time of visiting with a favorite aunt while washing, rinsing or drying.

Now that my kids are grown and in their own homes I enjoy the times when they come for a visit and my daughter or daughter-in-law and I clean up. Such an intimate time of sharing our hearts while everyone else is busy somewhere else.

So what about you? Do you find washing dishes to be a chore or a way to build relationships?