Praying and Journaling For Future Generations

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Crossway ESV Writer's Edition

Thank you to Crossway for sending me this Bible to review.  All opinions are my own.

I am in the thick of parenting.  I have a preschooler and a toddler.  I always have thoughts, prayers, questions, emotions – all about being a mommy. Being a mommy is by far the toughest job I’ve ever had.  So, I’m always curious about what the Bible – my source for ALL TRUTH when it comes to any thing I need to know about parenting.

If I have a question about my heart when it comes to parenting, or disciplining, or raising two young boys to be men of God – I go to the Bible.  When I have a question about my kids and what their heart should be, how they should pursue God, what I should be praying for their future – I go to the Bible.

Journaling and Praying for Future Generations

And, the new Writer’s Edition Journaling Bible is perfect for writers.  I can keep all my parenting thoughts in one place.  I write devotions for other mommas and want to keep my thought altogether.  So, how I’m using it is by color-coordinating my thoughts.  If I am writing something about being a mom – I will use a certain color ink.  Then I will use a color ink for each of my boys.  That way, over the years, I can fill it with thoughts and prayers for myself, but also for each of them.

Crossway puts out quality Bibles, and this one is no different.  There are two inches of lined space at the bottom of each page making it perfect to write in paragraph form to journal one’s thoughts.  There is a ribbon especially helpful if you are praying through a book of the Bible.  The pages are cream and thicker which is great to help lessen bleed through with certain pens.  I personally use Micron pens 01 for writing in my Bible mostly.

If you need other ideas about journaling, you can check out Donald Whitney who has written a great book on praying the Bible – which would be a great asset to you as you pray for yourself as a momma and for your children.

Sounds of Motherhood

I Will Follow Jesus Bible

There are many sounds to motherhood.  If you have been a mom for any length of time, you are quite familiar with them, and you know that they quickly change depending on your child’s age. Here are a few of mine:

  1.  Apple chewing.  Yes, I love to hear my two boys ask for a “big apple”, ask for mommy to “tut it”, and then chomp down on it.  That means that are craving healthy foods and I give them enough sweets to balance it out 🙂
  2. Crying.  We just took our younger son to the eye doctor for the first time.  Come to find out he is extremely near sighted and will need glasses (just like his older brother).  He is really clumsy even though he is a daredevil.  (His eyesight probably has something to do with his clumsiness.)  So, I know that when he falls and cries, than he is actually hurt.  He has busted his gums and caused his two front teeth to be completely gray now (because they are dead with damaged nerves), yesterday he was playing instead of napping and tipped over a wooden chair in his room and almost punctured his eye.  Thankful it was just the corner of his eye, and black eyes heal.  He has scraped the top of his head from spinning circles on the back porch, getting dizzy, and falling over.  He just loves to be crazy, but he knows when he cries mommy or daddy will come running – and usually his older brother will show great compassion on him.
  3. Mommy.  Honestly, some times this gets old because they’ve said it 20 times in a row, whining for something they really don’t need.  Any other mom our there know what I’m talking about?  But today, as I was reading to my boys in the car while we ate lunch (waiting for a showing on our house to be finished), my younger said Mommy.  Yes, he has said it plenty of times, but something just caught my attention this time when he said it.  I’m there Mommy.  I’m the one who loves them most in this world (with their daddy), and will be there for them, and play with them, and tuck them into bed at night.  I pray that through my imperfect love they will come to see the perfect love for their Abba.
  4. Singing.  Both of my boys have grown fond of singing.  The two songs we know perfectly are the ABCs (finally, it was delayed in our home), and Jesus Loves Me.  I’m glad the boys are learning that one in their SS class at our church.  We sing it all the time.  As my younger was awake at 6am this morning he was singing this.  As I was getting ready to head out the door, I saw his little fingers sticking out at the bottom of the door, and heard his little voice singing.

My favorite line of Jesus Loves Me is “for the Bible tells me so.”  Especially as I parent, and make mistakes, and don’t know what to do half the time, or how to balance everything that I need to balance, it is good to know that I have the perfect Word of God.

And Judah and Chelsea Smith just put out a great story book Bible for your kids (think grade school).  It is more storybook (like Jesus Story Book Bible), but it tends to be more concrete and practical, making it somewhat easier for younger kids to grasp and know how to implement.  This is an easy to use Bible, especially helpful to parents in leading Family Worship time in their home.  Remember, as a parent, it is your responsibility to teach your kids about God, and the church’s job is to come along side you and partner together.

If you would like to win this Bible (and believe me, you do), just leave me a comment on one of the verses you are teaching to your children or one of the songs that your children are learning right now.  Thanks Tommy Nelson Mommies for the Bible and the opportunity to pass it along to someone else!

Building Spiritual Disciplines in your Toddler (part 2)

Just for Me Bible

How many of you have more than 10 Bibles in your home?  That would definitely define our home – we have so many, and many in boxes.  The ones in boxes are probably from our childhood.  They are tucked away to help us remember what the Lord has done in our lives by the help of His word.  That is actually why I encourage note taking, prayer highlighting, etc in your Bible.

One of the ways to teach children, especially starting in the toddler years, even before they can read, to love their Bibles (the very Word of God) is by getting a little Bible made just for them.  The new Tommy Nelson Bible,the Just for Me Bible,  complete with round board book edges and a bridge red handle, is a perfect example.

You can teach your toddler to look in the Bible.  You can teach them to take their Bibles to church.  You can teach them to turn in their Bibles when the pastor instructs the adults to turn in their Bibles.  They may not even be able to read yet and yet they will be learning a valuable discipline of loving the Word of God.

If you would like to win one of these for your toddler: tell me what was your favorite Bible story when you were little.

Thanks Tommy Nelson for the book: all thoughts are my own.