Whew! I’m taking a deep breath as I sit down and type this. The last couple of weeks and last month have been fun and busy and a flurry of prep and busy and plans and busy and baking and busy and looking forward to and busy and gathering and busy and outside work and busy and laughter and busy and some sleep and busy and some stresses and busy!!! π We held a graduation celebration for our daughter the first weekend of May. Books and blogging and pages and projects have been on the back burner, simmering away and waiting patiently!
I missed them! It was nice in some ways to have a little break from blogging and Instagram, but overall I missed typing out words and taking pictures and sharing things I love!
We celebrated the graduation and we had family from out-of-state visiting and it’s been a whirl-twirl. Fun times and more memories, but I don’t mind settling into routine again and {maybe} finding a few relaxing days before harvest and golden grain fields hail us!
I didn’t take a single picture of the graduation celebration. Too many other things to do! I hired a friend to take pictures for us and I hope to post some here later this summer. Sooner rather than later, but we’ll see!
Every week seems to pop up some unexpected thing that I didn’t have scheduled and my time really only goes so far! Ha!
Let’s think BOOKS! Today I have a couple of B&H/Lifeway reviews for you.
First up, this inspiring read from Emerson Eggerichs, The 4 Wills of God. I read Love & Respect years ago and very much loved it and the concepts to apply to a marriage between two good-willed people. His description of the Crazy Cycle is spot on in my opinion!
Here are the 4 Wills Emerson Eggerichs touches and teaches on in this book.
Believe in Jesus Christ {John 6:40}
Abstain From Sexual Sin {1 Thessalonians 4:3}
Give Thanks In Everything {1 Thessalonians 5:18}
Submit in Doing Right {1 Peter 2:13-15}
I grew up in a home that believed and practiced making plans and stepping forward, Lord Willing. This book touches on that concept too and on verses that state if the Lord Wills or if God permits. I believe this is an important part of living our life with God as our Father and guide. I appreciated the paragraphs about this in the book.
This book digs in deep and stirs up some very good food for thought! Here’s a question from Chapter 2…..”If Jesus Christ appeared to you and asked you to do something you didn’t want to do, would you do it?” Are we praying as Jesus did in the garden, “Yet not as I will, but as You will.” or are we reversing it and saying to God, “Yet not as YOU will, but as I will.”
In Chapter 8, I appreciated this reminder…..”When we submit to God’s four wills, we must prepare for tough times. The book of James teaches that trials come to all of us and the Apostle Paul shares numerous trials and hardships he endured. The idea that God’s will removes difficulties overlooks reality and the Bible.”
I appreciated this because I believe God blesses His people and loves us and God is good all the time, yet that doesn’t mean life will be easy and always exactly how I want it. I need the reminder that God is there in the trials and He has not forgotten me or cast aside His will for my life.
The 4 Wills of God was a truly inspiring read to me.
This cute little Bible is my other review. The pictures are so dear! Soft, lovely, cozy pictures draw me every time! {I’ve said that before. π }
Just look!!!!! π
This Bible has a ribbon book marker and it has a few pages scattered through it to record memories and firsts and favorites. A few examples ~ it has a place to list favorite toy, song, book, place to sleep, people, places to go………
It lists first smile, laugh, tooth, first time you crawled, waved, walked etc……..
Then there’s a page to write a bit about first Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthday.
The title page has the poem All Creatures Great and Small printed on the back.
And again..the pictures!!!! π There are a few sprinkled through the pages.
The words of Jesus are printed in red letters.
And the back cover of the Bible has this Psalm printed on it..
Psalm 115:12-13
The Lord remembers us and will bless us….
small and great alike.
I received a copy of The LifeGiving Parent from Tyndale to read and review. I was super excited because I love Sally Clarkson’s books The LifeGiving Home and The LifeGiving Table. I appreciate her practical wisdom and careful and thoughtful insight.
This book is by Clay and Sally Clarkson together.
Here’s a few sentences from the preface that grab the heart of this book ~
“This book is about what we did to bring God’s life into our home for our children to see and believe. That’s what it means to be a lifegiving parent – to introduce our children to the living God of Scripture and to give them the life that we have found in Him. We offer no special or secret formula that will make you a successful Christian parent, and we would counsel you to avoid any parenting book that does. We offer only our personal experience and insights, and the promise that God’s grace will be in abundant supply for anything you decide to do in faith in order to become a lifegiving parent for your children. That will be the real story of this book-how God comes alive in your family.”
I love the heart of this paragraph. If I’m completely and bluntly honest, I will say to you that I’ve read articles or started books that were written in an OUR-WAY-IS-THE-ONLY-WAY-DO-THIS-CHECKLIST type of style and I never got far with them. I’d come away with a bad taste in my mouth or a feeling that something was off and often, I didn’t even finish them.
That’s why these sentences resonate so deeply with me. I am all about learning from others and gaining wisdom and insight and inspiration, but I am not about heavy-handedness or harsh outlines or my-way-or-the-highway attitudes.
That may sound a bit judgy and harsh in itself, but I do feel strongly about it! π
Here’s the table of contents.
Here’s a brief excerpt from the fourth chapter ~
“Sally and I often talk about the path of parenting, one marked offΒ by our growth in Christ and faithfulness to God’s instructions to parents. We teach that successful parenting is simply figuring out where you should be on the path, stepping onto it, and beginning to move faithfully toward the ideals of godly parenting from there. It doesn’t matter where you start-at the beginning, in the middle, or further on-it is your faithful progress that makes you a successful parent.”
Chapter 9 is definitely one of my favorites! Titled “Forming Your Child’s Imagination”.
I have always loved imagination and creativity and love watching and hearing what children come up with. I believe that imagination is very important!
The LifeGiving Parent is a treasure of a book! If you’re looking for a new book on parenting to inspire your own parenting journey or one to gift to new parents or soon-to-be parents, I recommend this one highly!
Have you read it? I’d love to hear!
What are you currently reading?!
Friends, I hope your week is full of good books, grand spring weather and a whole lot of gladness!!!
I’ll be popping in tomorrow to share the reveal for the teacup/mug exchange I was part of! It was so very much fun!
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