Lessons Learned from Potty Training

I thought that since so much of life has been serious lately, it might be fun to lighten things up.  I hope you enjoy this peak into our home!

Y’all, here is some serious honesty and full disclosure.  My son was the HARDEST kid to potty train in the history of the world.  I’m absolutely sure of it.  He just didn’t get it. I tried everything!  I had advice from so many well-meaning friends and family.  I read every blog. We tried charts and stickers and candy and potty-parties.  We tried pull-ups and bare-bottom and everything else we could think of. And still, he wasn’t ready.  I gave up several times and endured all of the Facebook posts about other people’s 1 year olds who asked to go potty and hadn’t had an accident in a week.  I felt like a failure.  I truly believed he might be the first kid ever to start kindergarten in pull-ups.  

But guess what?  One day, he just simply got it.  I woke up one morning after not trying for about 2 weeks and decided that we would try again.  I made a cute little potty chart and showed him that he would get a sticker for each time he had success.  And after the chart was filled, he would get a toy that he had been wanting.  I have no idea why, but that day it just clicked.  He sat on the potty and went and within a few days, he had filled the chart!  He was way older that I thought was normal, but it finally happened!

I’ve been thinking a lot about those weeks of struggle (ok…months).  I wasn’t always the kindest, most loving mother through them.  But I did learn a few things.

*Patience is developed over time.  I am not naturally patient, I’m not sure many people are.  But I want to be.  The irony is that experiences which are hard and try our patience are the very ones that develop patience in us.  As frustrating as it can be, the only way to become more patient is by going through situations that cause us to wait.  I feel that I experienced some growth in this area, so I guess I should thank my little guy. And I’m going to continue to need to grow in patience because the stubbornness he displayed in potty training is in full bloom in his little personality now that he is 4!  

*My worth as a mother isn’t determined by what my children do.  You would think that with my 3rd child I would have learned this already, but motherhood isn’t a comparison game.  It just simply can’t work like that.  Every child is so uniquely different.  So just because a friend’s kid can read at age 3 or go potty at age 1 doesn’t mean I’m a terrible mother if mine can’t.  Let me be honest and admit that I struggle with this so much.  I think it’s made worse because I homeschool, so a part of me feels like I have to prove to the world that my kids are doing just as well as other kids.  God gently (or not so gently) reminded me through potty training that this attitude is sin and it is rooted in pride.  I literally did everything I was capable of doing to help my son learn to use the potty and it didn’t work.  His inability was absolutely no reflection on my abilities.  That’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s true. And I think some of you need to hear that.

*Forcing things isn’t always the best choice - MANY times I tried to force my little man to use the bathroom. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that more than once he woke up with a dry pull-up, I put him on the potty and then we sat there for an HOUR!  I just knew that he would eventually go but then would finally have to admit defeat.  (And of course, as soon as a pull-up was back on, he would fill it up within minutes. GRRR.)  I thought that my strong will could outlast his strong will, but I was SO wrong.  He just simply wasn’t ready.  He just did not have the understanding and physical ability to make it happen. Forcing him only made us both frustrated.  I was reminded that trying to make things happen just because it’s what we want isn’t always wise.  Sometimes God is calling us to wait and to trust Him.

*Seasons come and seasons go - By God’s grace, my little guy and I survived the potty training season.  Here we are nearly a year after starting the process and it’s over.  We succeeded.  What a precious reminder to me that in life, difficult seasons tend to be just that - a season…a period of time that comes and eventually goes away.  Not always, but most of the time.  I must remember that when I am in the midst of a hard time.  Hold on to Jesus and trust that the clouds will lift and the light will shine again.  And, in the midst of good times, we can’t take them for granted.  The days we are in will not last forever.

One day, when my son is off living his own life, I will probably long for the days that he was little and even the frustrating potty experience will make me smile (I’m not there yet).  So today I am choosing to breathe deeply, love my husband, enjoy my children and thank God for this day, the good and the bad.  Because tomorrow, things could be different.

And for those of you right now in the trenches of little kiddos, when every day seems the same and like you will never be through this phase of life:  I see you, I feel you, and I love you.  Keep doing the hard and good work God has given you.  Trust me, you will get through it and to the other side.  And it will be worth it.  I know this, because now we don’t have to buy diapers and pull ups anymore!! Praise the Lord!

Soli deo Gloria,

Jessica

Fear

I have always been a fearful person. I remember as a child lying awake until my daddy would get home from a late meeting at church, and until I heard the keys in the front door, I was petrified that he had been in a car crash.  I would go to sleepovers at friends’ houses and hardly get any sleep because I would be so worried about my family at home.  What if there was a fire, or a burglar?  How could I help them if I wasn’t there?

Unfortunately, this tendency of mine hasn’t gotten much better with age.  And for a long time I just excused it in my mind like this: “It’s just who I am…I can’t help it…It’s because I care so much…It’s how God made me…”  Until one day I heard a sermon that God used to open my eyes.  It was about the sins that Christians like to pretend aren’t sins…like anger, and worry.  Um, what?  Worry is a sin?  I kind of thought it was my spiritual gift!  

That day I understood for the first time that when I worried and feared, it was because I didn’t truly trust the Lord and His sovereignty over my life and the lives of those I loved.  I began a battle that day.  I made some serious changes.  I quit reading scary books.  I stopped watching crime shows and movies.  I got rid of anything in my life that led me down the path of fear.  I memorized scriptures that comforted me.  I filled my day with music that pointed me to Christ. And for a long time, I was in a season of victory.  I don’t mean I never worried about anything, but I was able to sort of keep it in check and give those thoughts and concerns over to the Lord.

Then, about 2 years ago, life started to get hard.  I mean, really hard.  Awful tragedies began popping up all around me, to people that I loved dearly.  I walked some very difficult roads with my loved ones and slowly, I started to feel the fear creep back in.  Somewhere in there, we moved and started over in a new town.  I began to worry about everything.  Will we find a home? A church? Friends? What about those we left behind?  Will they forget about us?  And on and on.

In my own strength, I have held it together…and that is a recipe for disaster.  Because eventually, we reach the end of our own ability, and boy did I!  Most of you know that on May 15th, Oran ended up in the hospital and had to get a pacemaker installed.  But you may not know how scary it was.  I watched him pass out twice before the paramedics arrived.  I watched his heart stop in the ER and the nurse begin compressions on him while they pushed me out of the room screaming.  I stayed awake for almost 36 hours straight, staring at his heart monitor until the pacemaker was put in and I could relax a little. And I can’t get those moments out of my head.

This experience brought ALL of my fear back, not just ones about Oran’s health.  And I have felt completely out of control.  I have been nearly paralyzed by fear in a way that I have never dealt with before.  I have even had a couple of panic attacks - shortness of breath, closing throat, the whole nine yards.  Let me be honest and say that I HATE this. I keep thinking that I should be stronger.  I keep thinking of all of those I know and love who are in so much worse situations and so I should stop being such a wimp.

You see, I’m usually the strong one.  I’m the one that all of my friends depend on for prayer and listening and advice.  I’m the one who holds everyone else together in the hard times.  And I’m happy to be that person.  I love being used by God to encourage and help others get through difficult times.  But, when the strong one is weak, it’s hard to be humble and say, “Hey! I need help!” It makes me feel as though I am letting everyone down, and most importantly that I am letting God down. It makes me feel like a whiner, and I try so hard to be a person who is full of joy not negativity.

So, writing this is hard for me.  I’d like to go on pretending that I’m fine, but I’m not.  I’m scared.  I know with my whole heart that God is good and that He is sovereign and that He has our family in His hands.  I know that He is trustworthy. He has proved it over and over again. And still, I struggle to keep the fear from overtaking me. I’ve considered keeping it to myself and not talking about it in order for people to continue to see me as strong, but God has convicted me of that pride.  Wouldn’t it be easier for all of us to just be honest?  I’m guessing lots of you have been through something similar and could offer scriptures and songs and words that would encourage me!  I’m tired of hiding my struggles when I could find freedom in being open. I know from past experience that when we share our burdens with each other, the joy is multiplied as God answers all of those prayers.  The introvert in me doesn’t want to post this, but I know God is asking me to be real.

I wish I had a happy ending for this post.  A sort of…”now everything is great and here is how I got to that point!”  But I don’t.  I’m still in the midst of it.  Here is the beauty of it though: I’m learning new things about God every day.  I’m experiencing His sustaining love every day.  My worship is more real and honest and genuine now.  I wouldn’t trade these lessons for anything and I am counting on the victory that will come some day.  I wish I knew when it was coming, but I don’t. Until then I continue to battle.  I will fight against anxiety, worry and fear and I will fight for peace, rest and trust in my beautiful Savior.  I know that nothing comes to me in this life that doesn’t first come through His loving hands.  And so I wait for this season of my life to conclude and look forward to the day I can look back and see how God delivered me from this struggle. I want so badly for my children to see God's goodness when they look at me and for them to know that they can trust Him!  This is a fight well worth the effort.

Are you struggling today?  I hope that my honesty encourages you to reach out.  Tell your family and your friends.  Let’s stop pretending we have it all together and let’s come together and bear each other’s burdens.  Life is SO much better when we do.  And, if you think of me in the night time, will you pray for me?  Night time is the hardest time. 

The pastors of our church encourage everyone to memorize scripture together over the summer and of course, the passage they chose is exactly the one I need to have in my heart right now.  Psalm 46.  May it fill your heart with peace and rest today. And may we join hands and look to Christ in every season.

Soli Deo Gloria, 

Jessica

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.  Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah                

 

Doing the Hard Thing

As most of you know, our family recently became a foster family.  While we have been licensed for a year and a half, we just received our first placement in October, a precious little baby girl. This experience has been completely different than I expected.  In some ways, it’s been easier than I was prepared for.  I assumed we would have young children in our home, and I prepared for their behavior issues and their trauma.  But, since the child that came to us is just a baby, there is none of that.  The transition to having her in our home has been relatively simple and most of the “issues” with that have been just adjusting to having 4 kids and to having a baby again.  

However, in many ways, this has turned out to be MUCH harder than I prepared for.  I had no idea how emotional it would be.  I had no idea how much parental visits and court dates and doctor appointments would affect our daily schedule and comfort.  I had no idea how much drama there would be in her birth family or how hard it would be for her fate to be completely out of my hands.  Friends, this is tough.  

I never in a million years expected to be a foster parent.  In fact, Oran and I have always felt called to adoption, not fostering.  But for some reason (that I don’t fully understand) God led us to adoption through the road of fostering.  Each road to adoption is complicated.  In order for adoption to even be a possibility or a necessity, there must first be brokenness.  But fostering to adopt has a unique set of challenges because the truth is we don’t know if we will ever adopt this little girl.  It isn’t even up to us. It’s completely out of our hands.  So all we can do is love her and take care of her and if in the end there is no one else left, we will be her family. And if she does go back to her family, we will have to start all over again with another child.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and questioning lately.  I’ve done a lot of talking to God, and I am so thankful He can handle that.  I have told Him that this is too hard, that I’m not strong enough to do what He is asking.  I’ve begged Him to heal this little girl’s mother so their family can be whole and in the same sentence, I have begged him to let her stay with us.  Ultimately I just continue to say, “not my will, but Yours” over and over because I truly do trust in God’s sovereignty in every situation.

And in all of my prayers, God has continually placed this thought in my head and you may need to hear it too. “Just because it is hard doesn’t mean it isn’t good.”  Let that settle in.  I think we often think that hard equals bad.  When it hurts, we get out of it.  Just look at the culture we live in: Marriage is too tough? Get a divorce. Don’t want to have a baby? Get an abortion.  Church not meeting your needs? Find another one. Anything that is a struggle, anything that brings us pain, our first instinct is to run.  And, I’m not judging here.  My instinct is the same.  I’ve been thinking it too.

But then God whispers truth to my heart.  He says:

“I am with you always…”

“You can do all things through me…”

“Nothing can separate you from my love..”

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness…”

“Come to me, and I will give you rest…”

“Be strong and courageous…”

“Rejoice in me ALWAYS…”

You see, sometimes the very thing God wants us to do IS the hard thing.  It’s the thing we simply can’t do on our own apart from him. And because of that, He gets the glory.  Any good that is coming from our efforts isn’t because of us. It’s because of Christ IN us.  We aren’t better than anyone else or more holy.  He is the one giving us the daily grace to endure. 

We have a long road ahead of us.  This sweet baby girl could go home in 2 months, or 2 years, or never.  We could have to send her away to what we KNOW is a bad situation and we will have no control over that.  The only way we will have the strength to do it is because we also know that the one who truly decides her fate isn’t a judge, it’s God.  And He loves her even more than we do.  We are placing her in His hands…and there isn’t a better place for her to be.

Can I ask you a question?  What is your hard thing?  What is the thing God may be asking of you but your fear of hardship is keeping you from stepping out in faith?  It might be fostering (the Lord knows more loving families are always needed!) but it might also be reaching out to a neighbor who intimidates you or moving across the country and out of your comfort zone, or letting go and forgiving that person who has hurt you.  I have no idea what your hard thing is.  But I can tell you this for sure: obedience is always better than disobedience in the end.  

Hard doesn’t equal bad.  Sometimes hard equals best.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jessica

What Love Looks Like

I recently saw a meme posted on Facebook that I can’t get out of my head.  It said, “I won’t have known true love until someone runs through an airport to stop me from getting on a flight.”  I keep thinking about that because it is just so completely untrue.  And it is part of a larger culture we have created about romance that I believe is wrecking marriages and setting up our kids (especially our daughters) for great disappointment and confusion.  Here is what I mean: if a little girl grows up thinking of romance and love being only grand gestures and passionate moments and that is all she knows of love, she will most likely feel let down one day when she begins to experience real life.  And it’s a shame because real, true love is such a beautiful thing and it has nothing to do with running through airports, even though that’s what we see on TV. 

It has gotten me thinking about what I teach my children about love.  I want to point out to them that they see evidence of real, godly love every day, all around them.  The Bible teaches us what love is.  It is patient and kind. It isn’t full of envy or pride.  It is self-sacrificing and forgiving. And true love doesn’t give up and walk away, but NEVER FAILS. Those aren’t easy descriptions to live out.  It takes a lifetime of learning and growing and we still won’t do it perfectly.  I have been blessed with many examples in my life of this kind of love.  I hope these thoughts will help you to recognize true love in your own life.

True love is…

getting up with the crying baby at 2 in the morning so your spouse can have a break.

taking out the trash without being asked

sharing dreams for the future

holding hands 

making his favorite supper just to make him smile

shoveling the snow

taking care of each other when you are sick

praying together over your children

smiling when you see your love walk through the door

kisses before sleep

feeling safe when you are together

knowing each other's likes and dislikes

sacrificing your own wants and putting their’s first

sticking with each other through the hard times

catching each other’s eyes across a crowded room and feeling home

working hard day after day to support the family financially

inside jokes

working hard to keep the home to provide a safe, clean and comfortable refuge

encouraging each other’s gifts and talents

open and honest conversations

lovingly pointing out each other's sins

humbly admitting your own sins and being willing to do the hard work of healing and restoration

forgiving one another over and over again

clinging tight to each other and weeping together as you grieve

being willing to submit to boundaries and accountability in order to protect your marriage

laughing together

pointing each other to Christ

I know that each of you could probably add so many other things, and so could I.  Let’s purpose to honor and celebrate what real love looks like.  It isn’t always flashy or grand.  It’s more often quiet and faithful.  I want to be an example of that kind of love to the watching world in the way that I love my husband and my children.  Because when others see that kind of love in us, they will see Jesus.

On a personal note, I want to say to my husband, Oran: Thank you for being such a wonderful example of godly love to our children.  I'd follow you anywhere.  :) And I love you more than I could ever say.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is LOVE.”

Soli Deo Gloria, 

Jessica

My Anchor

I haven’t written a blog in several months.  And it isn’t because I haven’t had things to say.  It’s been because so much has been going on in my life and in the lives of those I love that I have been overwhelmed.  So many thoughts, so much confusion, so much pain, so much change.  Honestly, it has been hard to sort through it all and make sense of what’s going on.  

Over the past few months, I have been feeling what I can only describe as the earth moving beneath my feet.  Some people I love dearly have been going through the darkest of circumstances.  And as I have held their hands, wept with them, prayed fervently for them and just in general tried to walk through the darkness with them, I have felt shaken.  How could things so tragic and difficult happen so close to me?  How would I handle it if they came closer to me, right into my family?  Would I be able to honor God they way I was seeing my friends do?  

And then, right in the middle of those questions and confusion, God asked something hard of our family.  He asked us to move.  To leave our family, our friends, our church, our home, our COMFORT, and step out in faith to a new place.  Again, I felt like the ground beneath me was shifting and I had trouble standing and catching my breath.  The next few weeks were a whirlwind of telling people, tears, packing, praying and more tears.  I feel like I am only now coming up for air.

So here I sit, in my new home, in my new town and I am reflecting on all that has happened in the last few months.  I’ll admit, I’m still processing.  It almost seems like a dream, like I might wake up tomorrow and be back where I was before it all began.  But the truth is, I don’t want to wake up.  Because as hard as it has all been, there has also been evidence of God, in such a strong way, and I wouldn’t want to trade that away for anything, even the comfort I was living in before.  I know Him deeper now, I have experienced His faithfulness in a new way.  The amazing thing is that when things are going well, you can easily say you trust that God is enough.  But when things are hard, and tragedy strikes, you get to experience that He actually IS enough!  

There is a picture that God has repeatedly put in my head.  It’s a picture of a ship, being tossed about by wind and waves, but held in place by an anchor.  I have been thinking of that anchor a lot.  It has felt like I’ve been in that storm.  My ship has been rocking and rolling, and it has made me feel unsteady and scared.  But through all of that, the anchor has stayed secure.  Christ is that anchor.  The book of Hebrews describes our faith as “an anchor for the soul” and that is exactly what I have experienced.  Even though everything around me has seemed shaky, God is strong and faithful and never changing. I can trust my life to Him completely. 

Honestly, I feel nervous about what lies ahead.  I’m nervous about finding a new church home.  I am uncomfortable meeting new people so the thought of making new friends is daunting to me. Starting over is hard, but God is good.  With Christ leading the way, and my husband and kids by my side, I know we will be ok.  Even when the ship rocks, He will hold us firmly where we are supposed to be.  I’m praying that one day I can share in more detail all of the things God has been teaching me lately, but it’s still too raw, too fresh. I’m just not ready.  But please hear this:  you can trust God with everything.  Even death, even doubt, even addiction, even fear. 

This song (My Anchor by Christy Nockels) is my anthem right now.  My kids know every word and sing along because I play it all the time.  Take comfort in this truth, no matter what is going on in your life.

Here within the struggle

And every crashing wave

You are more than able

And your hand is strong to save

My anchor, forever

My shelter in the storm

You’re my deliverer, You never falter

You’re the rock I stand on. 

Undeserved Gifts

This past Christmas something different happened to me that I don’t remember ever happening before.  Usually, I get a few little gifts from family and I am always so thankful! But, at the age of 35, I hardly ever get big surprise gifts.  I’m just past that stage of life.  This year, however, I got not one but two!  

My husband and my mom each gave me thoughtful, wonderful, expensive gifts that I had wanted for a long time and never would have bought for myself.  Both of them remembered comments I had made way in the past and planned for months what to get me.  I was shocked and completely touched when I opened each gift.  It also reminded me how underserving I am. I am not the best daughter in the world and I certainly fail constantly at being a wife and mother. Yet, somehow, these precious people in my life love me anyway and showered me with completely unwarranted blessings.

It got me thinking about God.  Isn’t that just like Him?  I fail everyday.  I go back to the same sins over and over.  I doubt. I wallow.  BUT. GOD. 

He has given me so much.  Most importantly, He has saved me and given me new life.  If nothing else good ever happened to me, that would be enough.  And beyond that, He continually blesses me with good gifts that too often I take for granted.  I’ll be honest, I’m in a time of frustration in my life as certain prayers aren’t being answered.  I am struggling with God. I am asking Him “Why” so much I’m starting to annoy myself.  I needed this simple reminder at Christmas.  The reminder that no matter what is confusing right now, there is so much to be grateful for.  Everything I have is a gift from God, and I didn’t earn any of it.  

Psalm 144:15 says “Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!”  I know this to be true in my life.  Even thought I don’t always “feel” that way, I am choosing today to cling to the promise.  Will you join me?  Let’s purpose to see God’s good gifts each day.  Even the things that are hard. The waiting, the questions and the confusion are blessings in the long run.  They teach us to depend on God alone for our strength and peace and not on circumstances.  They make us stronger in Christ.  I wouldn’t trade what I am learning in this time for anything.  One day I will look back and see His guiding hand through this time of waiting. I don’t want to miss the beautiful life I have right now just because I am looking ahead to what I don’t have yet.  

So here are a few “gifts” I have been reminded of in the last few weeks as I have been pondering these truths.  May they encourage you to look around and see God’s hand in your life too. And may they spur me on to consider what gifts I can give Him in return.

*baking homemade bread with my daughter

*a hardworking husband who always puts family time first

*loving family and friends who showered my little girl with love for her birthday

*a warm and cozy home

*actual conversations with my little boy as he is learning to talk

*time spent with family grieving and celebrating my Grams

*hearing little voices say "mommy"

*indoor playgrounds

*the joy that comes when I sit down at the piano 

*a mom and dad that are nearby and involved in my family

*hearing my oldest reading

*dear friends who love and encourage me daily

*peace that can only come from Jesus

Soli Deo Gloria, 

Jessica

Children's Book Recommendations

I thought since time is beginning to march quickly towards Christmas, it might be a good time to share some of our favorite children’s books with you.  We try hard to limit gifts at Christmas so it doesn’t become a time of crazy consumerism in our home and to help us focus on Jesus. Because of that, we have adopted this guideline as we buy gifts for our children: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.  This means each child gets a book every Christmas and I love to try and make each book meaningful! Trust me, we have lots of silly, fun books full of Disney characters and Elmo!  My kids love those and I have no problem with that.  But I also love to have some books that help us to teach Biblical truths, and there are so many good ones. Here are a few that we have stumbled across and absolutely LOVE!

The Lightlings by RC Sproul

This precious story is my absolute favorite, and Abigail brings it to me frequently to read it.  Whenever I start off by saying, “God is light…” she easily finishes with, “in Him there is no darkness at all.”  It is a beautiful book and the illustrations are just captivating. The story is about a King of Light and his created beings, the lightlings.  Basically, it is the story of the gospel.  One of the best things is that at the end there are discussion questions for parents to use with their kids.

Favorite quote: “You see, Charlie, we’re afraid of the dark because we were made to live in the light!”

The Donkey Who Carried the King by RC Sproul

Another book by the same author (he has SEVERAL great ones) is this sweet story about a Donkey who dreams of doing something great with his life.  One day he gets to carry a king through Jerusalem (spoiler alert: it’s Jesus) and after that he thinks he is too important to do any of the mundane donkey tasks. The book is a great tool in teaching our children to be willing to serve. 

Favorite quote, “If the King was willing to carry that terrible beam, I will not complain about carrying our master’s olives.  I will follow Jesus’ example and be a willing servant.”

God Gave Us Heaven by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Around the time Bethany was 3, she started asking us about Heaven.  I think it was brought about by discussions of her grandma Sheila who passed away before she was born.  Bethany is quite a thinker and she has asked many questions since then, some that are really hard to answer.  I began to look for a book to help her with her curiosity about Heaven. We have the book God Gave Us You by the same author so I thought we would try this one.  It is very sweet and tells the story of a little bear asking his Papa questions about heaven (perfect for our little questioner!)  She loves the book and so do I!

Favorite quote, “ ‘What else will we do in Heaven?’ ‘Worship God and explore the best place we’ve ever seen.’ ‘Will we get bored of that?’ ‘I doubt it! Heaven will be a million times better than even this!’”

 You Are Special by Max Lucado
This amazing book tells the story of a group of people called the Wemmicks.  The spend their time judging each other.  Whenever they like someone or think they are special, they put a star sticker on them.  If they don’t like someone, they put a dot sticker on them.  The book tells of one particular Wemmick, Punchinello, who is covered in dots.  But when he meets the Maker, he begins to learn that the dots are meaningless.  It is such a wonderful story and is great in teaching children that it doesn’t matter what other people think of them, only what God thinks.

Favorite quote, “Remember, you are special because I made you. And I don’t make mistakes.”

Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers by Joey Allen
This is actually a set of three books on The Gospel, The Trinity and The Mission.  We have all three and the girls love them!  They take some difficult theological truths and explain them in a very child friendly way, but without watering down the truth.  I highly recommend these to help you in explaining some difficult concepts to your kids.

Favorite quote, “When you ride in an airplane, you don’t need to flap your arms or jump up and down. You cannot help the airplane fly. All you need to do is trust the airplane to get you where you need to go. In the same way, there is nothing you can do to get to heaven on your own. You cannot save yourself. All you need to do is trust Jesus to save you!”

Jesus Story Book Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
I truly cannot say enough about this wonderful Bible.  The tellings of each story are beautifully written and rich in truth.  The illustrations are lovely.  But, the best part is that each story ends by pointing to Christ.  The author weaves Jesus throughout the whole thing making it so clear that the Bible isn’t a set of unconnected stories.  It is ONE BIG STORY. 

Favorite quote, “Mary and Joseph wrapped him up to keep him warm. They made a soft bed of straw and used the animals’ feeding trough as his cradle.  And they gazed in wonder at God’s Great Gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. May and Joseph named him Jesus, Emmanuel, which means “God has come to live with us.” Because, of course, he had.”

I hope these books give you some ideas for your family!  Praying that we have a wonderful Christmas season filled with family, love, and most of all, CHRIST!

And as a bonus, here are the books I am ordering for our kids this year for Christmas gifts:

What Happens When I Talk to God? by Stormie Omartian

The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village by Francis Chan

If Only I Had a Green Nose by Max Lucado

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jessica