Good Good Father (a book review)

posted in: Books, Kids r Readers 2, parenting | 8

Good Good Father

In the back of our car there is a kite.  My mister has had the kite since he went to the OBX in Carolina.  I wonder if he bought that kite thinking he might one day have boys that love to spend time with their daddy and fly kites together.

Chris Tomlin, worship songwriter and dad, has writtten a great book for littles that starts out with a kite.  But, more importantly this story is about many of the ways (God is inexhaustible) that God loves us.  It is beautifully illustrated.  It is so true

One of the best things about my husband is that he is a good Father.  We had such a short courtship before we got married that I rarely got to see him around children.  I knew from his character that he’d be a great Father.  And, now I witness it.  My men love to fly a kite during the week at a local park, always scouting out the new parks to hopefully catch the wind.  He is more patient with those boys than I will ever be – which they desperately need.  He is loving and plays with them on the floor or with toys.  He is so caring toward them.  They resemble him.  He teaches them the truth about Jesus.

These are all good ways in which hopefully the boys will see God the Father in my husband, their earthly dad, so that one day they might come to know God.

This book by Tomlin is available to you.  Tommy Nelson is giving one away to a reader!  Get excited because this will make a great addition to your at-home library, wonderfully teaching your children about God.

One question: what is one activity your children love doing with their dad?

Experiencing God Through His Names (a review)

posted in: Books | 0

Experiencing God Names

I will never know God as fully as I can.

I definitely won’t know him perfectly this side of heaven, because of sin.  Even in Heaven, God is eternal and so big – that every day in heaven (which will never end) will bring me new wonder of God – so I will always be in new wonder of him. I can’t wait.

This year, as I’ve been reading through the Bible (I’m in Joshua), I’m writing down in the margins of my ESV journaling Bible all the ways that I see God as He has revealed Himself to me.  It is beautiful to see and know that God is the same God today as He was in the days of Moses, Joseph, and Job.

Sheryl Giesbrecht has written a really good study on the names of God.  She takes God’s character and let’s us know how we can experience it in our lives.  I found it helpful as I’ve been walking through the Bible to find out what the meaning of some of these names are.  And they are short – so you could do a month study on the names of God, and add this to a little journal, a quiet time, and knowing God more in his perfection.

I hope you pick this book up and find out more of God’s beauty.

Thanks Litfuse for this book and all opinions are my own.

Teaching Your Kids to Trust God

posted in: Books, Shepherding Children | 2

One of the most important things in any relationship is trust.  Once that trust is broken, it is hard to get back.  And one of the most important things in training your children to love and know God is to teach them what God says about Himself.

I was so excited to get this new book from Tommy Nelson because I’m going through the Bible this year pulling out what truths God shows me about Himself.  I want to know everything about who God is so I can be like Him (1 Peter tells us that).

I also want my boys to know God as well.  And so, as they get older (this book is perfect for grade school kids), I will get to use this in teaching them during family worship time who God says He is and how they can trust Him.

Diane Stortz goes through 40 reasons why kids can trust God.  Illustrated so kids will be pulled the pages, and written so they might know the Word and the truth that God wants to teach them.

She includes some of the Hebrew names so kids can learn (includes pronunciation), Scripture readings, questions to ask, and application.

I hope you like this little book as much as I do.  You can win one for yourself (your child of course) by answering this question: what is the attribute of God you love the best.  Mine right now: that he welcomes me into his presence through Christ!  He is the ultimate host!

Glory and Grace : Psalm 42

posted in: glory and grace | 0

Drink God up!

I want to drink God,
    deep draughts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.

Psalm 42

On your good days – do you think you can get by without thinking about God at all?

On your not-so-good days – do you cling to your pity and failures?

What about drinking down God?

You will always be satisfied and yet thirsty for oh so much more!

Glory and Grace Psalm 42

Knowing God #OT14

posted in: Uncategorized | 0

God in the Wilderness

God has been so kind and gracious to me, teaching me more about Himself even in the books of Leviticus and Numbers. Here are several things that I learned in this week’s readings:

1. The Lord demands offerings. He demanded, commanded, offerings from his people. Even though we as post-Cross Christians don’t live under the demands of the Law, we still serve a God who desires us to make offerings. This may be our very lives. Our church is having a missions conference coming up. Serving in foreign countries may be exactly what God is wanting you to do – but it may be sacrificing and offering your gifts and talents to those less fortunate in an opportune way to share the gospel.

2. The Lord desires acceptable worship. He has told us already what he desires of us: Micah 6.8 How are we living that truth out as acceptable worship in spirit and in truth under the freedom of the gospel?

3.  God frees us!  We are no longer in Egypt.  We no longer make bricks with no straw.  We are free to love Him and serve Him and follow Him because He first loved us!  Isn’t that glorious news!

4.  The Lord sanctifies us!  I’ll be talking about this more when I do a write up on Ephesians 5 – but let this be a gracious thing in your life – not one that you despise!  He is a good and gracious God in his sanctification of his children.

5.  The Lord desires rest for his people.  In Hebrews it says that’s what Jesus us.  In the gospels it says that Jesus wants us to come to him and rest.  Don’t you see how Jesus fulfills all of the Old Testament – everything that was prophesied of him or that we can’t do for ourselves – the answer is Jesus!

6.  The Lord speaks to us in our wilderness.  Do you ever feel like you are wandering?  Call out to him!  He hears us.  He speaks to us in the dry and dusty places where there doesn’t seem to be any water!

7.  The Lord requires a Mediator.  See #5.  Christ is that wonderful forever mediator for us!

8.  The Lord does what He says He will do.  He is faithful.  If he says he will do something, even though we don’t know the when or how – we can rest assured in his character that he will do it!

In your reading of the Word this week, what has God been teaching you about himself?

Believing God for Future Faith Because of Former Faith

posted in: Uncategorized | 0

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Do you believe God? Not – do you believe in God, but do you believe God?
So many people (but not enough) believe in God, especially here in the Bible Belt. But, how many of us live our lives every day as if we really do believe God.
We read of this belief in the Christmas narration in Luke’s gospel.
Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth who was barren but now was going to the mom of John the Baptist, declared the God’s redemption plan had happened. That’s right…past tense…and he hadn’t even met Jesus yet. This was 33 plus years before the cross. How was this man so confident in the redemption work of God?
Because God had ALREADY DONE great things for him. God had given him a son. Not just any son either. Sons were big deals in the time of the Bible.
So, what do we as post-cross Christians need for us to believe God? I’m not talking about saving faith – which actually only comes as a gift from God (Eph 2), but living, active, everyday faith.
1. We need to know the Bible. For us to know the God of the Bible, and to take Him at His Word, we need to know His Word. How can you claim what God has said He will do for you if you don’t know what He said? He has already told us what He will do for us.
2. We need to reject doubt. Doubt is sin. We doubt because we don’t trust. We don’t trust because we allow the cares of this world to crowd out the truths that God has already given us.
Look at all that God has already done for you. Hasn’t He come through? Hasn’t He been good to you? Do you really think He is going to stop now? You can look at the ways God has worked in your life in the past and believe Him for what He will surely do in the future. Your future.
What do you want God to do for you, in you, through you? Has God already said He will do it? If so, then you can count on Him to do exactly what He has said.
Take Him at His Word.  Hebrews 11.6 lived out!