Books & Bibles for Kids: May Edition

May 22, 2013 By Erin 2 Comments

Welcome to our new monthly feature, “Books & Bibles for Kids!” I get so many great kids’ books and Bibles to review and I want you to know about some of our favorites each month! I hope you enjoy these new finds!

Books & Bibles for Kids May 2013

This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting this site!

Books

The Whale Tells His Side of the Story: Hey God, I’ve Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I’m Gonna Throw Up! - The boys and I are in love with this hilarious, comic-book style book telling the Jonah story from the whale’s perspective! There are more of this type of book in the works from B & H Kids and we can’t wait to check those out as well!

The Growly Books: Begin by Philip and Erin Ulrich - The very first night I started this brand new chapter book with the boys, it received the highest compliment it can get from them: “Keep reading, Mommy!” And that went on chapter after chapter until we had read for much longer than any of us had planned! The characters, the setting, the adventure – we are all enthralled and can’t wait for more!

Sammy Experiences God: An Experiencing God at Home Storybook - The Experiencing God series has been a powerful series for adults longing to have a deeper relationship with God and now there is a wonderful storybook for kids to help do the same! As you read about Sammy, the book has activities and discussion questions to help you as a family experience God together!

Bibles

My Learn to Read Bible: Stories in Words and Pictures - We have stacks of Bibles for the kids to choose from to read during Bible time. This is the on Little J {4 1/2} has been stuck on for a while. He is a reader already, but this Bible combines pictures with words to help kids explore and expand their reading vocabulary!

Brave Knight Bible {KJV} - We’re not a big King James family, but this is a COOL Bible for boys! I love any book or Bible for boys that highlights godly strength and courage! And I am a big fan of having several different translations in the house for reference and study!

Which of these books and Bibles for kids would your family love?

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Filed Under: book review, books & bibles for kids, children's book, faith, kiddos, reading, reviews

Get Outside with Your Kids & KidVentures!

May 7, 2013 By Erin 2 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting this site!

When one of your dearest friends launches an amazing ebook, it’s ok to get a little excited, right?!

That’s how I’m feeling about my sweet friend Jen and her brand new ebook, KidVentures! Words just weren’t enough, so we put together a little video…

{If you’re reading this in a reader or email and can’t see the video, just click over to the post here!}

KidVentures: 50 Outdoor Experiences of Wonder, Discovery, & Childhood Memories is a practical step-by-step ebook guide, full of creative, active, and hands-on learning activities for you and your family this summer! The book includes supply lists, detailed instructions, printables, diagrams, and resources to take each activity a step further!

And it is available RIGHT NOW! You can buy your PDF copy here or get your Kindle copy here for just $4.99!

And after you’ve snatched up your copy, make sure you like KidVentures on Facebook and tweet with the hashtag #KidVentures to share your family fun with the book!

I really can’t stress enough how much we love this book and I would say the same even if my talented boy mama friend hadn’t been the writer!

KidVentures is the perfect ebook to jump start your summer fun! Go get yours now!

In the video we mentioned our summer bucket lists…what fun outside activity is on your family’s to-do list this summer?

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Connecting Church and Home

March 29, 2013 By Erin 8 Comments

I mentioned in my post on Tuesday that I’m hungry to know more about grace, and one of the reasons for my renewed interest as of late is a fantastic book I just finished.

Tim Kimmel is well-known for his book Grace-Based Parenting, which is sitting on my shelf waiting to be read {but has moved up significantly on my to-read list}. His newest book takes a look a bridging the gap between families and church ministry programs and finding a way to partner together.

You know my heart for families. I want to see families better connected to God and to one another. This is exactly the heart Kimmel shares in Connecting Church & Home, adding the church as another piece to the connection puzzle.

My passion for encouraging families developed in part from seeing so many parents leaving the spiritual growth of their children up to the church. Many parents don’t feel “qualified” and look to the church to do the spiritual teaching and discipleship for them. Kimmel addresses this very thing in the beginning of this book, so of course I was hooked on his every word from there on out…

Typical parents not only don’t feel they know what they’re doing when it comes to leading their kids spiritually, but they also assume the job it too complicated for it to ever be intuitive.

This quote made me so sad because I see it all over the place, as The Hubby and I spent many years as youth volunteers, in raising children alongside others, and even expressed by people I come in contact with here in the world of social media and blogging. Kimmel talks about this mindset creating a harmful dependency on the church to do the “heavy-lifting” of bringing kids to spiritual maturity. Dad & Mom assume they have nothing to offer their children in which the church wouldn’t do a better job. And in return, churches stop encouraging those same parents to be major players in the development of their own children’s faith, but instead “spoon-feed” them with just enough to go along with what the kids are learning in the children’s programming on Sundays.

There’s a lot of finger-pointing that could break out in all of this, but Kimmel wants to unite families and churches in the common goal of raising generations to love the Lord and live out grace {see, there’s that word again!}. This definition lays it all out…

A family is supposed to be “the domestic church.”…Dads and moms are supposed to be the pastors and pastorettes of a full-blown, albeit tiny, freestanding ecclesia. Their job is to do the work of the ministry throughout the week in their children’s lives and then make sure they bring their family to church on full rather than empty when Sunday comes around. The church (“a collection of domestic churches is supposed to come alongside mom and dad as an ally, mentor, and cheerleader…it’s supposed to be there to help families through the tougher seasons of life. So, the church does its normal teaching and training, but it’s supposed to be in complement to what’s happening at home, not in place of.

Okay, so I know that was a really long quote, but THAT is the heart of this book and I underlined that over and over and said, “AMEN!” out loud when I read it.

And as Kimmel goes on in the book about how to make this partnership work with grace as the unifying theme, I underlined probably half of the book. I love how he lays out WHY it needs to work and a basic framework of HOW to make it happen, including real-life examples of parents and churches living it out.

Parents and ministry leaders alike are in need of this message – it’s meant for a wide audience because the issue impacts a LOT of people! The book isn’t very long so you can read through it pretty quickly, but there is a lot of meat that you will want to go back over once you finish, from the role of grace in families and churches to an awesome “paper napkin family ministry” layout you will want to reread many times.

Connecting Church & Home was released in partnership with two great ministries focused on families – Family Matters and D6 Family. Make sure you check them both out for tons of great resources on this same topic!

I’ll leave you with one last favorite quote from the book…

Strong Churches Graphic Tim Kimmel

How do you see your church coming alongside families right now? How would you like to see that family-church partnership grow or change?

*I was provided this book to review. I was not compensated in any way for this review and all opinions are 100% my own.

**This post contains affiliate links.

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Favorite Family Easter Books {Old & New}

March 20, 2013 By Erin 9 Comments

Christmas is such an easy time to get the kids excited about Jesus. We celebrate His birth with much happiness and fanfare. The books and activities are full of joy and hope and wonder. It’s not hard to gather the family around to talk about such beautiful things.

Easter is a different story. It involves death. A really ugly, horrible death. The story also includes hate and betrayal and many other hard subjects for us as parents to explain and for kids to understand.

But as hard as it may be, the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus is the most important story we will ever tell to our children. And while the Easter season gets cluttered with candy, bunnies, eggs, and all sorts of other harmless fun, there are plenty of resources for making Jesus central to this holiday.

Easter Books

We have some old and new favorite family Easter books to help us do just that…

The Tale of Three Trees by Angela E. Hunt

I just keep this book out year-round because it applies to Easter, Christmas, and any time! I’ve read it many, many times, but I still got all choked up reading it to the boys yesterday! The thing I love the most about this book is that the dreams of each tree turn out differently than they imagined, but so much more wonderful because they happened with God and to glorify Him. Talk about God-sized dreams, right?!

The Easter Story for Children by Max Lucado

This goes along with The Story, which we are reading as a family this year. I feel like the illustrations in this book capture a lot of intense emotion not shown in other children’s books about Jesus’s death and resurrection. I found it very powerful.

Jesus Enters Jerusalem and He Is Risen: The Beginner’s Bible Easter Flip Book

This book tells the story of Jesus’s last days on one side, then the story of His resurrection when you flip it over, all in the style of The Beginner’s Bible. The book also includes stickers that represent each part of the story. I think this would be a great sequence activity with kids – cut out the stickers and have them line them up on paper in the correct order of the story! Great discussion opportunity! {The teacher in me never stops thinking!}

The Story of Easter

This is a new board book from Tommy Nelson this year and it is SO cute! The bright illustrations and little handle have our one-year-old carrying it around as he goes! The story is short and rhyming – great for keeping his attention – but it also covers the key parts of the Easter message. It’s never too early to help our children know of the love Jesus had for us when He died on the cross.

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

{As I’m writing this, the Kindle versionis only $1.99! These prices change without notice, so please check before buying! And you don’t have to have a Kindle to read it! There are Kindle apps for all devices and computers!}

Well, you already know how much I love this Bible and how we read through the first 24 stories leading up to Christmas, but the New Testament portion is just as wonderful and powerful. If you’re reading in the week leading up to Easter, start with “The Servant King” on Wednesday, “A dark night in the garden” on Thursday, and “The sun stops shining” on Friday. Take Saturday to reflect, and then wake up bright and early Sunday morning to read “God’s wonderful surprise” together! And bring your Kleenex. This story Bible makes me cry EVERY. TIME.

I learned of Resurrection Eggs at our MOPS group a few years back, but only last year did I learn of a book to go along with them! And this year, another Resurrection Eggs book was released. If you’re looking for a book to use as a guide, check out these two:

Lily’s Easter Party: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs by Crystal Bowman

Benjamin’s Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs by Melody Carlson

I also wanted to let you know about a wonderful new Easter family devotion ebook written by my friend, Katie Orr!

Find More Jesus: How to Make Easter All about Jesus is an 8-day devotional for keeping Christ at the center of the holiday. You can also do all of the activities together on Easter morning – it is very adaptable! Katie’s heart for helping children see the real meaning of Easter shines through in this easy-to-read, easy-to-use book for the whole family.

Katie includes a supply list, Scripture readings for each day, a personal focus to emphasize with each activity, and discussion ideas. I think this is the PERFECT book for families, especially those with young children just starting to learn of Easter and those who want to change the way they have normally celebrated the Easter holiday.

I look forward to starting this with our boys on Sunday and you can join us! The ebook is only $2.99 both for PDF and on Kindle!

And you could win one of five copies TODAY ONLY! Enter below to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided review copies of some of these books, but was not compensated in any way for their inclusion in this post. They were included simply because our family enjoys them! All opinions are 100% my own!

**This post contains affiliate links.

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Filed Under: book review, children's book, Easter, giveaway, kiddos, Uncategorized

Friday Favorites: March, Nickels, & Books!

March 1, 2013 By Erin 2 Comments

IT’S MARCH!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I just can’t contain my excitement because I. Love. March. Birthdays galore {including Double J, Samson (our Compassion child), Dr. Seuss, the state of Nebraska, and me!}, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter – so much to love!

Oh, and since it’s March that means our Nickels for Nets challenge wrapped up yesterday and we have a final tally for you!

Nickels for Nets Box

Our original goal was five nets, then a friend in a nearby city offered to collect there so we could double our goal to ten nets! We needed $80 total and we collected…

$86.65

WOOHOO!!! Big J and I were so thrilled when we did the final count last night! A HUGE thank you to all the old friends and family and new friends and librarians who donated this month! You made my big guy’s face and heart light up and you are changing the lives of the children who will receive these nets!

If you collected for Nickels for Nets, make sure you head over to Amanda’s place to share your total! You can either link up a blog post or picture with your total here or leave a comment with your total here!

Amanda is kicking off a new Monthly Mission on Monday – go check it out and get your kids involved! It’s a really cool one!

*****

Upside Down Prayers Book Club

Speaking of kick-offs, we’re getting the Upside Down Prayers book club going on Facebook today! Visit my Facebook page and Amanda’s to join the conversation! If you don’t have the book yet, get it for your Kindle so you can jump in right away!

*****

And one more exciting launch happening today…

Holley Gerth’s amazing book You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You is finally on sale for you to grab!

I am just eating this book up! If you need someone to cheer you on as you go after your God-sized dream, Holley is your woman and this book is just what you need.

Not sure what your dream is? Get this book.

Thinking your dream is small or insignificant? Get this book.

Afraid of failing and being rejected? Get this book.

If you’ve been following my God-sized dream journey at all, you know I’ve felt all of these things. Holley has spoken to each of these areas through You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream, with love and encouragement and even a kick in the pants when I needed it, but done with lots of grace, of course!

I really do hope you’ll pick up your own copy and be inspired to draw closer to God through the dreams He has for you to pursue!

*****

Now for the important question of the day…

What is YOUR favorite thing about March?!

*This post contains affiliate links.

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Filed Under: book club, book review, friday favorites, God-sized Dreams

I Love You No Matter What: The Story of the Prodigal For Kids

February 21, 2013 By Erin 20 Comments

The story of the prodigal son is popping up all over my world right now.

Nathan Clarkson has written some FABULOUS posts about it over at The MOB Society lately – this one is my favorite.

We talked about it at our Bible study this week as we’re going through Desperate. We even watched The Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s, the Veggie Tales retelling of the parable!

And then this book from Tommy Nelson arrived…

I Love You No Matter What

A little bit about I Love You No Matter What:

Prince Chirpio likes growing up as royalty, but his selfishness and thirst for adventure prompts him to leave the kingdom and fly off to where he can make his own rules. He soon discovers that adventures can be lonely, and he misses the love and protection of his father. Can he go back home? Will his father still love him? Luckily, his father the king is eager to welcome Chirpio back and to convince his young prince that he will always love him—no matter what.

I became very emotional as we read this book because THIS is what I want my children to know, both about my husband and I, and about their Heavenly Father.

The story is sweet and adorably illustrated, but more importantly is offers an age-appropriate illustration of unconditional love. We’ve been talking about love all month because of Valentine’s Day, but not romantic love. We’ve talked about loving one another through actions, loving each other with words, loving our enemies, and this love that God has shown us.

I was so pleased when the boys recognized this parable from reading it during previous Bible times, but even if your children have not heard it before, I Love You No Matter What is a great introduction to the story of prodigal son for young children. And it is a great way to end a hard day, reminding your children that YOU love them no matter what they have done!

I would love to bless one of you with a copy of this precious book! Just enter the giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I received this book to review as a Tommy Mommy. I was not compensated in any other way for this review, and all opinions are 100% my own!

**This post contains affiliate links.

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Upside-Down Prayers for Parents is Here!

February 19, 2013 By Erin 11 Comments

Today is a very exciting day! One of the books I’ve been wanting YOU to read is being released today and I have all sorts of fun stuff to share with you to go along with its launch!

Upside-Down Prayers for Parents: Thirty-One Daring Devotions for Entrusting Your Child–and Yourself–to God is the newest release from one of the loveliest, most personable authors on the planet, Lisa T. Bergren. I love her children’s books. I love her novels. But this is my favorite book by her and I think it will grab you as well.

It’s all about praying brave prayers for your children – prayers that put them in God’s hands and not tightly in your own. It will take guts to pray through this book for your children, but as Jen Hatmaker says, “Brave moms raise brave kids.” That’s exactly why this book changed my prayers for the boys in a very good way.

I feel extremely honored {and super giddy, to tell you the truth} to have my endorsement included in the front of the book. Yep, right there along with Tricia Goyer and Karen Ehman and Barbara Rainey…totally out of my league, but thankful to be able to share how important this book is to me!

Also included in the endorsements is one of my dear blogging best friends, Amanda, and we have lots of fun and community planned to go along with this book. We want YOU to join us in praying through this book for your kids!

First of all, we’re having a little shindig over on Twitter this Thursday night, February 21st to celebrate the launch! Join us on Twitter from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. CST by tweeting with the hashtag #UDPrayers and be entered to win one of ten copies of the book being given away that night! Make sure you are following Lisa {@LisaTBergren}, Amanda {@oohamanda}, and myself {@homewiththeboys} to catch all of the questions and giveaways!

Secondly, Amanda and I are hosting a Facebook book club of sorts so we can all pray through the book together in the month of March!

Upside Down Prayers Book Club

It will be super easy to join in! Just make sure you do the following…

1. Buy the book! WaterBrook is offering the book to you for 30% off and free shipping – snag this deal now so you’re ready when March 1st rolls around! Click here to order and use the code LEADER30 when you check out! It should be even cheaper than buying from Amazon!

2. Start reading! You’ll obviously want to read Amanda and I’s endorsements, right?! Oh, and maybe check out the introduction from Lisa before March 1st as well

3. Join the conversation on Facebook March 1st! Upside-Down Prayers has 31 chapters – one for each day of March! Read Chapter 1 on March 1st, then hop over to my Facebook page and Amanda’s to chime in on our discussion and find other goodies, such as Scripture to share and the occasional comment from Lisa herself!

4. Lather, rinse, repeat #3 for the rest of the month!

Oh, we so hope you will join us on this journey of laying bold prayer requests for our children at the feet of Jesus!

And lastly today, as special treat, I have a little interview with Lisa herself about praying for our kids! I was so blessed by her answers and hope you are as well!

Q: How have your prayers for your children changed over the years?

Lisa: When they were small, I think my prayers were more centered on basic physical and emotionalwell being–let them thrive, get over this illness, etc. And on me too–show me how to be patient when I’m at the end of my rope, Lord…Mold me into a better example for these little ones…

But now that they’re older (17, 14, and 9) I find myself more focused on that spiritual well being that this book, Upside-Down Prayers for Parents, really goes after. I want them to truly be brave and courageous for Christ, fully submitted and trusting in the One who loves them most. And part of that is my own journey of submission to our Savior…I’ve finally gotten far enough that I’m willing to relinquish any pseudo-control I have over my kids’ lives, and trust them to God. I want them to be rich, deep disciples, rich in the faith, and that means trusting that God will sustain them even through the tough stuff of life. Just as I trust him to hold me.

Q: What kinds of things do you pray for WITH your kids?

Lisa: We’re getting better about going right to God about things we’re wrestling with. It was awkward at first, but now I’m better at saying, “Let’s pray about that right now,” and then doing it with them. It’s tempting to say, “we should pray about that,” and then move on, but it’s really important to model for our kids how to pray “about that.” So we’ve prayed about kids that are causing problems for them, kids struggling with something, my own child’s struggle, direction, healing, peace, even the need for sleep when faced with insomnia. It’s all fair game!

Sometimes the older one will say, “not now,” and I honor that space she needs. But it’s a good example of starting early. As they get older, they might get less and less open to this idea. But if it’s always been a part of their experience (which it wasn’t in my eldest’s), it’s harder to introduce. My Middlest and Youngest will be less adverse to it, I think, because it feels more natural. We’ll see!

Q: What is your best advice for parents of little ones overwhelmed with where to start in praying for their kids?

Lisa: Start small. Prayers they memorize are a good start. But each night, add in one special sentence that tackles something that happened that day, someone that touched both your lives. You can show them how to make God relevant and present in the real conversation of prayer, in the space of 30 seconds!

Good stuff right there, isn’t it?!

A HUGE thank you to Lisa for bringing me along for this journey of prayer discovery! I can’t wait for all of you to join the adventure as well! We’ll see you at the Twitter party THIS Thursday, February 21st, and on Facebook starting March 1st!

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Filed Under: book club, book review, faith, motherhood, parenting, prayer

Praying God’s Word for Your Husband

February 7, 2013 By Erin 5 Comments

We’re over a month into the new year and I’m curious…

Have you established any new good habits so far this year?

Research has shown that it takes about 21 days to establish a new habit, so assuming you’ve been working on something since around the first of January, you could have a new habit all set in stone by now!

I’m really excited about mine because it’s something I’ve wavered on back and forth for almost ten years now. I’ve prayed about being more consistent, but I haven’t really felt a long-standing success until now!

What is it?

Praying for my husband!

The Dreamy Hubby

Ahhh…isn’t he dreamy?! {Just give me a second…}

Ok, actually, it’s praying for him and the boys every morning. During my quiet time, I do my Bible study in my journal, and then I follow up that page with a handwritten page of prayers for all of my guys. I don’t know why this is clicking for me now, but it is one of my favorite parts of the day now!

I’ve had a renewed passion for praying for The Hubby specifically lately and a great resource has come my way from one of my favorite authors to fuel that passion even more!

Kathi Lipp, author of The Husband Project and The “What’s for Dinner?” Solution, has just released Praying God’s Word for Your Husband and I almost did cartwheels when it showed up at my door!

I’ve been praying God’s Word for our boys through Brooke’s Warrior Prayers book for a while now and was looking for something like it to pray through for my husband! This book is the answer!

Here’s why I really love it: Kathi encourages wives to pray BOLDLY from God’s Word for our husbands in a wide range of areas, but she also keeps the book fun and conversational in her signature style I have come to love! You’re going to read this book and feel encouraged and inspired!

I feel like I need to make this point today: The reason I feel passionate about praying for my husband is NOT because something is wrong with him. I mean, we’re all sinners, yes, but I’m not praying for The Hubby because he is a bad husband or going down the wrong path or anything! He is a FABULOUS husband and I can’t believe I’m so blessed to have been married to him for ten years this May!

Prayer is for the good times and the bad – can I get an amen on that? It’s just as important to pray protection and safety and blessing over our husbands during times of blessing as it is during times of suffering and hardship.

Kathi covers the good and the bad in Praying God’s Word for Your Husband: praying for his dreams and health, as well as praying for him when he is overcome with worry and feeling inadequate. Any wife will be blessed by the prayers Kathi offers up in this book!

Here is a favorite prayer of mine Kathi has written out in the book based on Deuteronomy 7:6….

Thank you, God, that my husband is set apart and made holy by you. Help me to look at him as you do. Help him to feel how special and treasured he is. As he goes about his day, I pray that you would shine your love into his life.

I know it’s not anything material you can physically give to your husband, but I can think of no greater Valentine’s gift for your husband this year…

Praying God's Word for Your Husband

…than to get Praying God’s Word for Your Husband and start praying everyday for that man with whom God joined you on your wedding day!

What Bible verses are your favorite to pray over your husband?

*I received a review copy of this book. I was not compensated in any other way for this post, and all opinions are 100% my own. So are the happy hearts on the book photo

**This post contains affiliate links.

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Filed Under: book review, marriage, prayer, reviews, the hubby

LullaBible: Baby’s First Bible Stories & Songs {Giveaway!}

January 31, 2013 By Erin 13 Comments

When I was pregnant with our first child, I dreamed about rocking him to sleep, singing lullaby after lullaby from the vast repertoire of children’s music in my music-teacher brain…

Big J Sleeping

It was a sweet thought, but after he was born, mommy brain set in and, even though he loved to be held and rocked, I would sit in that chair with not a single song coming to mind! Not. Even. Kidding.

Little J Sleeping

Little J didn’t like to be rocked and didn’t really care whether I sang to him or not, so I was kind of off the hook there!

Double J Sleeping

And fast forward to baby #3 – he won’t have anything to do with being rocked to sleep either, BUT he loves it when I sing to him, so I am loving the adorable LullaBible: Baby’s First Bible Stories & Songs from Tommy Nelson!

LullaBible

This sweet book is full of Bible stories and lullabies to share with your little one! To make it a special keepsake, the LullaBible also includes journaling pages to record those beautiful memories you make with your child! Go ahead, take a look inside the book by clicking here!

The lullabies in the LullaBible include hymns, old favorites, and some new songs by the author, Stephen Elkins. I have so enjoyed curling up in the rocking chair with Double J to read and sing about our wonderful God and His love for us as we get him ready for bed!

For music types like myself, the sheet music is included for each song. And for those who would rather not sing the songs themselves, all of the songs are on the enclosed CD as well!

You can purchase the LullaBible on Amazon or Christian Book!

And you could win one copy here today! Just follow the directions below to be entered!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I received a copy of this book to review as a Tommy Mommy. I was not compensated in any other way for this post, and all opinions are 100% my own!

**This post contains affiliate links.

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Filed Under: baby, book review, children's book, faith, giveaway, motherhood, music, reviews

Reading “The Story” Together

January 10, 2013 By Erin 4 Comments

There is no greater joy for me as a parent than sharing Jesus with my children. I am humbled and challenged and blessed {and even entertained sometimes} by the conversations we have about God and Jesus and sin and heaven and all that comes along with our faith.

We have been blessed to read a variety of children’s Bibles and story Bibles and family devotionals, each with unique qualities we have enjoyed. Some have become a bedtime standard and some are part of our holiday traditions.

This year, we’re trying something a little different! Have you heard of The Story? I hadn’t until late last year, but apparently a lot of people have already discovered this telling of the Bible in story form. I’m a little late to the party, but better late than never!

Well, I got all excited about The Story because there is a version for everyone in the family: adults, teens, children, and preschoolers! And each version has the same number of chapters, so as you each read through your own book, you are reading the same story as the rest of your family in a way that is age-appropriate!

The adult version is actually selections from the NIV translation, arranged in chronological order, with short transitions added to connect the story.

There are timelines throughout the book to help the reader see the events unfold in time. Discussion questions for each chapter are at the end of the book, along with short bios of important people, and a list of the charts included in the book.

I may be 31 years old, but can I just admit I kind of like the teen edition? The selections from the NIV are the same, but there is extra information in the transitions, plus two features I think are totally awesome:

Timeline tabs – Along the sides of the pages, you will find tabs that help you remember where you are in the story, with sections including “First Families,” The Promised Land,” “The Early Kings,” and “Jesus,” just to name a few. I really like “big picture” things so knowing where I am in the grand scheme of the story is something I really like!

Flip feature – In the lower right hand corner of each page, there are little drawings. When you flip through the book quickly from front to back, you will see The Story unfold in picture form! IT. IS. SO. COOL.

There are four different sets of pictures that change throughout the book and I just love this for all of the visual learners of the world! Ok, I think everyone will love it!

There is also a DVD curriculum available for churches to use for both adults and teens!

Now for the kids…

As I said before, The Story for Children {with selections from the NIrV} is divided up into the same chapters as the adult and teen versions, but some longer chapters have been broken down into smaller sections {to go along with shorter attention spans, I’m sure!} and beautiful illustrations have been added. Each section within the chapter ends with “God’s Message,” a great way to wrap up what God is speaking through His Word for the children!

The Story for Children is intended for ages 4-8, while The Story for Little Ones is a more abbreviated picture story Bible and meant for children ages 2-5. The Story for Kids is laid out like a chapter book and it is the version you will want for 9-12 year olds!

The Deluxe Edition of The Story for Children also comes with audio CDs read by Max Lucado! I love the audio option for road trips or even longer drives across town! My friend Amanda also told me about The Story Trading Cards! I think the boys will be getting those for Easter this year – how fun and a great way to reinforce stories and Bible verses!

I know I’m going on and on here, but I am just loving all of these coordinating resources for the whole family! I’m almost done – I promise!

ZonderKidz has also published two little extras for kids to go along with The Story materials!

The Story of Jesus for Kids tells of Jesus’ life as one continuous story in seven chapters. This short book is very inexpensive and would be great to go through with kids leading up to Easter!

God’s Messages for Little Ones is a sweet set of 31 devotions made for the youngest kiddos in your family. Each devotion has a short verse, lesson, and message from God. The book also includes a salvation prayer and an ABCs of Salvation section!

I would love to tell you that I have a plan all drawn up for reading through The Story as family this year, but I don’t. There are 31 chapters and plenty of weeks left in 2013! We haven’t read through this before, so I want to just let it unfold and see how it goes! I’m just excited to spend time reading and discussing the great story of God’s love for us in this format TOGETHER!

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Have you read The Story? What are your favorite Bibles or devotionals for family Bible time? Are you trying anything new this year?

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Filed Under: book review, family, kiddos, reading, Scripture