Night, Night Farm ~ FlyBy Promotions Review

We love books. My little girls (18 months and 5 years old) love to snuggle up and read a good book with momma.
So I was so excited to have the chance to review a copy of  Night, Night Farm. 

We have had this one in our house for awhile now and it has been a huge hit from the moment it arrived. It’s a traveling companion as we are out and about.

Its a favorite read for sure; we enjoy it at bedtime, even during the daytime hours! 🙂

Between teaching on thankfulness and on farm animals, there is so much we enjoy about this book.

 

This is a super sweet and very colorful book; the story is so simple and yet so powerful.

 

 

As we read, we see each little one,from the kittens to the cows, thanking God for those little things that are a part of our every day.

How often do we forget to thank God for those little things? Apples and good dreams (my daughter prays for good dreams every night now) and for momma and daddy; warm beds and baths and the moon….

 

This is a wonderful little board book; a soft padded cover and so many bright colors and images to see! Very eye catching  ~ this is one I would grab for a closer at the bookstore…  Just to see more  The illustrations are done by Virginia Allyn and they are so amazing.

 

 

 We have solutely adore this book! If we paid at the beautiful illustrations. And every page is such a sweet words. And let’s not forget the important lesson with in this little book. Let us thank the Lord for every little thing. Especially little ones.   

The Everywhere God Giveaway!

Have you heard of The Everywhere God?  I was so excited when I was invited to be a part of the mini-launch for this sweet new book!

The Everywhere God is a book of hope written for children. Originally done for his young granddaughter, Pastor Bob Nelson wanted to be sure she knew God was with her no matter what was taking place in her life. NO matter the circumstances, the message is clear, God never leaves us or forgets us.  His love never ends. More than 20 years after it’s original writing, Pastor Bob Nelson’s daughter remembered this treasured poem and feeling, as her father did, that its message needed to be shared, determined to make her fathers poem (and dream of publication) a reality. Full of colorful and fun images and such beautiful poetry, The Everywhere God is a simple and lovely story of a God that will never leave us.

 

 

 

 

This giveaway will have 4 winners. The grand prize winner will receive a new Fire 7″ Tablet loaded with the Kindle edition of The Everywhere God.  The Fire tablet includes:

• Beautiful 7″ IPS display (171 ppi / 1024 x 600) and fast 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. Rear and front-facing cameras.
• All-new Amazon Underground, a one-of-a-kind app store experience where over $10,000 in apps, games and even in-app items are actually free – including extra lives, unlocked levels, unlimited add-on packs and more
• Enjoy more than 38 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, apps and games
• 8 GB of internal storage. Free unlimited cloud storage for all Amazon content and photos taken with Fire devices. Add a microSD card for up to 128 GB of additional storage.
• Updated user interface – Fire OS 5 designed for quick access to your apps and content plus personalized recommendations that make it easy to discover new favorites
• Up to 7 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching videos, and listening to music
• Stay connected with fast web browsing, email, and calendar support

 

Three more winners will each win a print copy of The Everywhere God.

 

 

The Everywhere God is a book about hope for children of all ages. Written for his young granddaughter during a particularly difficult time, the late Pastor Bob Nelson wanted to be sure she knew God was with her no matter what else was happening. Despite people and circumstances, his message is clear, God never leaves or forgets about us and His love never ends. Upon it’s completion, he knew it was something special and wanted to make it a children’s book. Unfortunately, time passed and things never fell into place for his vision to come to life. He passed away in 2008 before he could see it happen.

More than 20 years after it’s original writing, Bob Nelson’s daughter remembered this treasured poem and like her father, felt it needed to be shared with the world. For many years she kept this special story in the back of her heart and always dreamed of making his vision for a children’s book a reality.

 

 

To enter the giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter below after reading the terms and conditions.

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Terms and Conditions:

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  Void where prohibited by law. Must be at least 18 years of age. This giveaway is in no away associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. No purchase necessary for entry. Odds are determined by the number of entries. Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn. Entry into this giveaway will subscribe you to The Everywhere God email list.

What More Do We Need?

I don’t understand some folks. Why is it we need people like Sarah Young, Joel Olsteen, Beth Moore, Joyce Meyers (do I go on?) to feel good about His word?  I admit it, I am a purist. As much as possible anyway. I stick with my Geneva and my King James – No other “version” for me.

I keep a concordance handy; I strive to study Greek and Hebrew as I can. I don’t say that to give the impression I am smarter or better than anyone else – I have a hunger though for the truth. I don’t want anything but the truth. Half a truth will not set me free; a partial truth will not bring me joy or peace. HIs truth will free me! It can free you too.

 

Why do we tolerate and go to these false prophets, with their false gospels? Why can the Word, the pure Word of God, not be enough for us?  I cannot imagine Paul or Peter or Mary seeking out another to tell them what His word said about something. I cannot fathom them looking past the One with the answer, for something better or easier. They knew the Word and the truth and they never once needed a different version.  If they did not understand, they had faith in His timing. If they needed an answer, they sought God through prayer and fasting.

 

Consider 1 Kings 13: There was one prophet, a man of God who lied to another; the second was deceived and died because he listened to the prophet, who lied, and put aside what God had said! How many are listening to these voices and putting aside God’s word and using others that seek to inspire rather than speaking the WORD OF GOD?  It not about how it makes us feel but about what is true.

 

I am so tired of people sharing these tidbits that they say is “God’s word for them” ~ How soon so many are deceived…The Word of God is pure. It is true. The Word was God and is God. Do we really believe HIs word or is it something we just say? And if we believe it, if we are led by His Spirit, why do we need anything more than His Spirit and the Bible to understand and get the answers we need.

 

There are two sides in this, we cannot forget that there are many voices that speak to us – Can we please get wisdom, get understanding and discern His voice from all of the other ones out there?  We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted, we cannot allow ourselves to be too busy for study of the Word, for prayer.  We must, in these dark days, give ourselves wholly and fully, to Him. Seeking Him in all things.

 

Are we seeking out devotionals?  Books like The Message, even the ESV and NIV versions that are not really HIs word at all but merely man’s interpretation of His Word (which the scriptures say is not for any private interpretation)?  Have faith, be patient, wait on the Lord and keep His way – He will give us all we need to know as we need to know it. It is far too dangerous, in so many ways, to seek out answers from those who do not have the truth and are not filled with His Spirit born again believers.

 

 

Be wise…Be discerning….Know His word – if His word is not enough to inspire and motivate you … you have some bigger problems which no devotional is going to solve!!

(said in love)

Give Them Grace ~ Chapters 5-6 {Book Discussion}

Okay, I am a bit behind in this 3 month discussion of  Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson in the Family Discipleship Facebook group. If you missed the discussion of the foreword, intro, and chapter one, you can find that here, and chapters two through four here. I’d love to hear your thoughts—here and on Facebook. Below is the schedule we’re following in the group.

In Chapter Five discipleship is broken down for us into five separate categories: Management, Nurturing, Correction, Training and Promises. I love charts myself; I need those visual reminders (I admit it) if I am going to stick with something! So the fact that they have charts in this book which direct us to the scriptures relating to a given incident s well as examples and references for each area of discipleship – Its so very helpful to me!  And there are questions too in case at times you struggle with which category of discipleship, exactly, you are dealing with in your circumstance.

 

 

Honestly, this is all so new to me, and yet so exciting for me! But I feel such a strong desire to follow this more and more in my home.  And the timing, some things really are of God, this I do believe is one of them. When I seek after, and ask Him to guide me, in a better way, for my children, He provides. All that I have read thus far, it reminds me of His love and training with each and every one of us.

 

One of my absolute favorite quotes thus far is:

 

Paul’s command to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” means this: that parents are to think about and remember Jesus Christ and then train their children to understand how everything in their life—their joys and sorrows, their trials and labors, their doubts, sin and shame—is to be understood in the light of Jesus Christ, who descended from David rather than from Levi, died, and rose from the dead. That is the best news any child could hear. Distinctly Christian parenting must be accomplished in the environment of the good news about Jesus Christ or it is not Christian parenting. It may work for a while, it may make your life manageable, and God may use it, but it is not “of the Lord.” (Give Them Grace, page 93-94)

 

Our children need to know and understand the Gospel for themselves. We need to bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of their journey, their experience, with the one true living God!

 

It reminds me of something I heard this morning that said: Worship involves all of our life… 

Worship is more than just a moment. Its more than this thing we do for a couple minutes before service or a few words uttered about how great and mighty God is. We worship Him in all that we do and say, every moment of our day.  We worship Him when, in difficult times, we seek Him and love Him.  We worship Him when someone wrongs us and we pray for them and love them anyway. We worship Him when we show our children the grace and mercy and love He pours out on us every day. Because we too are sinners. We too need to endure to the end to be saved.

This chapter is such a powerful reminder that love covers all sins. And that without love, we are nothing but noise….

Chapter Six is another very meaty and rich chapter. There were tough questions asked of us, such as: “Is this sin or weakness and immaturity?”  We need to realize how simple our teaching can really be.  It is broken down into four steps:

1) Teach your kids to respect authority

2) Teach them the gospel

3) Trust God to work in your children

4) Confess your own sins

These are very valuable, powerful methods. So simple I am a bit embarrassed I did not see these things before now. But I thank Jesus for this book which helps me to see these things today. Because today is a blessing ~ As is His wisdom and grace. ❤

“We are not telling you to ignore bad behavior; nor are we saying that sinful behavior should not be corrected. We are saying that we should teach our children that sinful behavior does not alter their relationship with us. If our parenting is modeled on the gospel, then their sin, hardness, and unbelief will grieve us, we will seek to discipline and correct it, we will pray for them about it, and we will continue to love and welcome them in spite of it. But we will not demand a show of repentance before we welcome them back into relationship.” (Give Them Grace, page 105)

 

 

Ouch! I don’t know about you but I admit I am guilty of focusing on rules more often than not. With a new baby and a to-do list a mile long…I tend to forget that there are more important things than having a perfectly tended yard or garden. I look past the sad or hurting child to what we have to do right now. *sigh*  This was such a revealing chapter for me. SO much truth that I needed to read. And as I read I was reminded again and again of how important God says it is for us to have that right relationship. With Him, with our husband, with our children. It matters so much more than we know. Our children need to know that no matter what, we still love them. They need to hear, in their times of trials, that they are loved. When we are struggling, we need them to see us, show love and repentance too.

 

I really appreciated this chapter’s constant emphasis on the need for gospel-motivated instruction and how it differs from so many other approaches out there that we use. We need to bring about heart change. It does not matter what we do, or how we do it, if ultimately we do not have a “first love”.  Our children need that relationship, just as desperately as we do, that they may know Him and love Him.  It starts with love.

  

 

 

Leave a comment with your thoughts or feel free to join discussion at Family Discipleship Community!  It’s not too late 🙂

Give Them Grace ~ Chapters 2-4

As you know I have been reading Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson in the Family Discipleship Facebook group. If you missed the discussion of the foreword, intro, and chapter one, you can find that here. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you are reading along. If you care to join us this is the schedule we’re following in the group. Although as you can see I am a bit behind. No pressure though; join in as you can and where you can~

In Chapter Two, these ladies talk about How to Raise Good Kids.. this was so very revealing, and difficult, for me.  Fitzpatrick and Thompson discuss here the difference between goodness and righteousness. And what a huge difference there is.  But how many times are we tempted to tell our kids they are “good” or that they need to be “good”? How often do we shower them with praise? Yet if we are honest with them and ourselves, apart from Christ, there is no good thing to be found in any one of us. Romans 3:9-13 (KJV) says:

 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

And then in Mark 10:18 Jesus says:

” Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”

 

Jesus alone is good. Whatever we have, be it finances, home, family, peace, health or righteousness  – it comes from Christ alone. It is through Him alone that we have our salvation. If we praise our kids for being “good”, are we not then giving them a false sense of righteousness? —What can we do to encourage and inspire them to do well, without giving them the impression that it is them alone who can do “good”?

Every word we say to (our children) during the day will be shaped by our view of their ability to be good and how to get them there. Every responsible parent wants obedient children. But if we’re confused about their ability to be good, we’ll end up lying to them about their desperate lostness outside of Christ. We’ll tell them they are good and that they can obey God’s law. (Give Them Grace, page 47)

Certainly as I train up my children, I want them to see their need for a Savior.  I want them to know that we can not do any good thing without Him! The truth of the Gospel can be so powerful if we allow His Word to speak for itself. Let us not interpret it or water it down for our children. Let us trust that as He works in their lives they will gain an understanding and love of His Word.  The truth is what sets us free and it shall set them free as well if we trust in Him.

What IS the Hope?

It saddens me when I post something, meant to inform, and a firestorm of anger breaks out. People begin fighting; words are thrown around sarcastically and the meaning and purpose of the posting itself is lost.  My post this morning was about living for God; being aware of what His word says so that we are not deceived. And yet one line within that video caused a friend, to become angry and tell me I am speaking “the devils words” to her….. We need to be humble, we need to be teachable. Always. If I am in the church for 2 months or 20 years, I pray I will always remember His calling ad keep that hope in me. How important it is TODAY or us to be aware of His Word, and to live it and speak it BOLDLY.

 

I hope this timely reminder inspires you, and sets a fire within your soul, to live in a greater way today, than you did yesterday ❤

 

Oswald Chambers writes:
“…that you may know what is the hope of His calling… —Ephesians 1:18
Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.

 
You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must “workout your own salvation” which God has worked in you already (Philippians 2:12). Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it “out”? If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.

 
God is the Master Designer, and He allows adversities into your life to see if you can jump over them properly— “By my God I can leap over a wall” (Psalm 18:29). God will never shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. First Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you….” Rise to the occasion— do what the trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body.

 
May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality— a readiness to face anything He brings our way. The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others.”

 

Are you Sure?

(10) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

 
“Conventional wisdom” is not really wisdom! It is what is generally held to be true by many, yet it may, in fact, be fictitious. Some may be able to convince themselves that they will be safe from what lies ahead because they are with the right church—rather than being right with God. This is extremely dangerous, as it indicates do you trust in the wrong thing?

 
The letters to the seven churches each are concluded with Jesus saying, “he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”—plural—meaning we should glean all that we can from each letter rather than focus on just one.

 
One cannot conclude that, just because he fellowships with a particular faithful group, he will be carried along in its positive momentum and benefit from the promises of protection and other blessings. An unfaithful individual in a faithful group will reap what he sows, not what the rest of the group sows.

 

Are you sure you’re on the right side? What evidence do you have that you know Jesus? How will Jesus respond to your laundry list of “Christian” activities?

 

Please understand…I ask for the same reason Jesus gives the warning. It is the most loving thing I can do!

 

“Many” will go to hell even though they thought they’d waltz into paradise. Jesus will say to them, “Depart from me, I never knew you (Matt 7:23). The most frightening thing is that word “many” …. Will you sound like the “many” calling out in desperation, “Lord, Lord, did I not….in your name?” (Erasing Hell, Francis Chan)

 

Be sure you are on the right side. We CAN know.

 

Matthew 10:22: “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved”.

 

He makes it clear, this is an individual thing – How is your relationship with Jesus?

 

 

What Grade? Why?

My son was asked recently while we were out why he wasn’t in school.  Of course, he explained that he is homeschooled.  That got a *gasp* but another, greater one came, after he was asked what grade he was in. And my son looked at me…Confused, curious….and said, unsurely, “fifth I think?”

This response scares most of our family and friends, very few support our decision to homeschool, and truth be told, for quite some time it really bothered me as well. I mean, we have to have something to go on right?

 

And then it hit me – This is what we have been taught to expect; children learn and perform at specific tasks and skills at certain ages, it’s how we know thy are in the “right place”  and its how things have always been.  We never question it because for as long as we remember, this is how its been done.

 

But if we dig further into the real history of education, how wrong we are!  Those old textbooks from the days of the one-room schoolhouse confirm that children were not in “classes,” but in levels. When a child grasped all that was expected at each level of their education, they moved up to the next level. If they were not showing themselves to have a strong grasp of the topics they were given more time to gain a greater understanding of each subject.

 

If I didn’t learn from college, that children’s development and learning styles and abilities vary from child-to-child, I surely would have figured it out shortly after having my kids.   Children are unique; each one different than the other in how they see things, their perspective and processing of information.  My oldest cannot hold still; he has to touch and move and feel and experience it all.  My younger son is a builder and a fixer; he likes to sit and study how things work, putting it together and taking it apart.  And my daughter?  She loves to read and color, she listens; she is all about pretend play too.

 

How could all of these children learn in the same way? Gather the same information and skills and understanding of the same things, all at the very same age?  It seems preposterous to me!

 

And this is why, as homeschoolers, we have so much liberty; we can be free of all of this.  We can let go shake off those chins that bind us and really experience what it means to live and learn. This is how, our kids discover a love of learning and how we see joy in their discoveries.  This is how they find their passions and truly spread their wings (cheesy but true kay?).

 

SO how do we do this when all our life we have had it drilled into our heads the other way?

 

First things first:

 

• forget the grade level expectations that we are told and taught ~ forget about em !
• relax and spend some quality time studying each of your children to discover their learning style; their talents and skills and strengths and weaknesses
• Set goals/pillars based on each child’s ability and life in general and as a child of God, as one gifted with a unique purpose from the Lord
• we use McGuffey readers, lots of living books, non-fiction books and materials that are not defined by age or experience – encyclopedias, woodworking magazines, How Stuff Works, etc (Khan Academy is great for this kind of learning too!)
• how about unit studies? what a great way to focus on one specific book or topic while learning across the board, from language arts, science, math and character/virtue building. consider lap booking even; thesis such a fun way to learn and create, in a way that is more personal for each child.
• take a break and learn how to Teach from a State of Rest; he says often that: ” In order to educate a child well, we must teach from a state of rest.”  

 

Do we really think that we need, or that there is, a perfect curriculum for our children? How do we not see how impossible, and improbable, it is for one thing to fit all our children? And if we are homeschooling in faith why do we think that God needs us to have that anyway ? If we are doing this for the right reasons, for His glory, for our children to learn His Word and His way, lets be honest….If we are in prayer, in the Word, seeking His will for our children and our family He WILL bless that. In whatever state its in.  🙂

 

 

As we begin to wind down for the year (we homeschool year round but summer certainly is a time that is different in how we are learning) I have to remind myself that what the charts say does not matter. Who are they to determine at what age my child should be able to do these things? I need to remind myself as I plan, as I seek other ways to encourage learning in my children, that His will needs to be tantamount to all that we do.  After all, we chose to homeschool for so many reasons, this being one of the many, and if we are going to be faithful in what I feel my family has been charged with, I need to have faith in this journey both the highs and lows, remembering that every one of those, is a chance for us to grow.

 

 

 

 

Trusting Him Tomorrow

My husband doesn’t go to the doctor very often. Truth be told, neither of us do. We have been quite blessed in our health.

But shortly after we came home from the hospital with our latest little blessing he was telling me of a racing heart; he could feel it like it was going to jump out of his chest or explode or something.  A heart beating that fast – we all know (its common sense) that no good comes from that.  Only so long before it stops.

 

He went to the doctor two days ago and they reported that his heart rate was 170. His doctor is calling it supra ventricular tachycardia.  According to what I read this means that from time to time his heart beats very fast for a reason other than exercise, high fever, or stress. It is said most episodes are caused by faulty electrical connections in the heart.  There was no mention of any type of treatment other than surgery.

 

He had to go in the day after that as well for an appointment with the cardiologist who determined that it is actually a narrow complex tachycardia he has.From what little I could find on this, it basically means that there is a rapid activation of the ventricles via the system itself, in turn suggesting the arrhythmia originates above or within the bundle (ie, similar to the a supraventricular tachycardia). The site of origin may be in the sinus node, the atria, the atrioventricular (AV) node, the His bundle, or some combination of these sites.  That’s quite a mouthful.

 

Anyway so they sent hi home with instructions to take aspirin daily; they scheduled an ECHO for later this month.  They advised him to go to the emergency room immediately when this happens again so that they can see this “in action” before determining any definite treatment (thus far surgery is the treatment from my understanding).

 

In all of this, we have a wonderful group of prayer warriors praying and believing in a good report!  Its a reminder though, tomorrow is not promised. Today is the day of salvation. Today.

Certainly we would love for God to give us a glimpse into His plan for us in all of this.  We would love for Him to tell us that He is going to heal his heart and all will be just fine again as of May 3rd at 2:44 pm.  But we all know thats not how this works.  And thats okay.

 

“Those who wait for the Lord gain new strength.” (Isaiah 40:31)

 

This is the time to surrender, completely, to His will.  This is the time to give it all to God.  To give him my husband’s heart and body and mind and soul because – he is God’s child.

This is the time to dig deeper into His word, the time to worship and praise more than before because while His plan is not always our own, it is good because He is good.

 

And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who are His.  Now is the time to show some faith:

Because”faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

And  trials can only make us stronger; they build up our perseverance,  perseverance builds our character, and character hope. (Romans 5:3-4)

There is no testimony without the test.

Let us fix our eyes on Him; remembering that He goes before us.  Where we are going, He is already there.

 

When we falter, when we feel like we are growing let us remember how far He’s brought us. His love never fails.

It may sound crazy but I look forward, a bit excitedly, to seeing what He will do in all of this.  What report will we have to share with the many we know who so need to know our great God.  How is He going to use us, use this, for His glory?

 

We all know He is into “the impossible”whether its miracles or healing, or grace, the impossible is His specialty. 

 

Interestingly my husband  mentioned that the clock on the doctor’s office wall stopped around the very same time he was told all of this information, on his very first visit.

 

Prayers are greatly appreciate; of course we are trusting God in all of this. ❤

52 Little Lessons

     I love musicals.  I remember the very first time I saw this on stage; I was in love.  From that point on I read and studied the story, the history surrounding it all – I learned how to play the music, I learned every word to every song.  It was such a beautiful and powerful experience for me.  To this day I still remember, almost word for word, the songs within this musical.  🙂

 

So when I came across this book – how could I possibly pass it up? This, Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, has never grown old. I do not believe that this story will ever lose its value. At its core it speaks of sin, love and redemption. It shows sacrificial living; it is in many ways an excellent example for us as to how we ought to live.

 

Author Bob Welch, states he did not seek out to analyze this story but rather he sought to answer a question. Not just any question; it did not have anything to do with France and the time period in which Les Miserables historically occurs, but rather a most simple question:“What can it say to me where I am right now?”

 

These real such simple lessons. Short reads to ponder for our own life. For example: Lesson 6: “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit”; Lesson 26: “The Past Can Be a Springboard to the Future” and Lesson 40: “Self-Pity Morphs Into Selfishness”  and one of my favorites,  Lesson 38:  Perspective Changes Everything.  These are just a small sample of the lessons within this book. Certainly we all have much to learn as we grow in Christ. 🙂

 
Typically lessons begins with a short quote from the original story and then continues discussing a specific event or scene, then moving on to “real life” examples as well as scriptural references  Each lesson concludes with a thought provoking question, something that helps to show its application to our own life. They really encourage you to stop and take inventory, and reflect before moving forward.

 

A good example of this is seen in the character of Valjean; his story and even the characters of those like the Bishop and Enjolras. Fantine and Cosette.  There’s so much life within the pages of this book all full of lessons and ways we can grow ourselves in our own lives.  I love the depth in the one simple line: “even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”  Doesn’t that take on a greater meaning when you really stop to consider it?

 

Such a sweet, simple, valuable read. I do believe this would be wonderful to use as a devotional even.  I plan in the near future to space this out, one lesson to ponder over several days. To really seek His word and way in those pages; there is a greater depth that I do not want to miss!  Certainly this one is overflowing with the most precious of lessons if we only take the time to really allow the words to sit, just as our tea bag steeps in the cup. I definitely will be reading this one again, as a steeping teabag, that I may gain a greater and stronger understanding from every word.