Confession: I enjoy poetry. Sure, I studied it in college, but more than analyzing and critiquing poems, I love to read them and hear them read. Poetry has a kind of music and expressiveness to it that delights my ears, and the powerful word combinations that condense a large idea into a few lines are an endless source of fascination. I want my children to love poetry, too, so we’ve been reading poetry together at the start of each school day. It’s one of our favorite parts of school, and when I finish reading, the kids invariably ask me to read more. (I often indulge them.) If you want to introduce your children to poetry but don’t know where to […]
Hoping for Real: Songs Inspired by The Velveteen Rabbit
I love a good children’s book. I mean, I *love* a good children’s book. (We’re planning a post to share some of our favorites with you soon, so stay tuned for that.) Just as much as I love a good children’s book, I love good music made from a good children’s book. Let me introduce you to my new friend Hope Kemp. Hope is a talented singer and songwriter who put her music career on the back burner as she stayed at home to raise and homeschool her kids. However, she never stopped working on her craft. Now that her kids are grown, she’s on the music scene again in a surprising and delightful new way. Hope’s daughter suggested she […]
The Advent of the Lamb of God
Thanks to a hack on our WordPress site, I have been unable to blog for the past couple weeks, which is sad because I have good things I want to share with you all! Forgive my back-to-back posts of favorite things, but I want you to hear about these before Christmas! First up is an advent resource I used last year to help prepare my heart for the Christmas season. With the hustle and stress of a busy month, I wanted to slow my heart down and engage with the story of Christmas in a meaningful way. I had heard good things about The Advent of the Lamb of God (published previously as Behold the Lamb of God), and I […]
The Wilderking Trilogy
Hello, friends! After a busy summer of travel, we’re back at it, and we’d like to share some new #favoritethings that we’ve discovered along the way. Up this week is The Wilderking Trilogy, by Jonathan Rogers. As a boy mom, I’m always looking for a good read-aloud that will engage my sons’ imaginations and stir them toward nobler thoughts. The Wilderking Trilogy most certainly delivers. The antics of our favorite characters elicited delightful giggles, and the action kept them asking for “please, just one more chapter!” But these books aren’t just a fun read–they explore themes like loyalty, friendship, courage, stewardship, and wisdom. The first book, The Bark of the Bog Owl, begins the tale of Aidan Errolson, the outdoorsy youngest […]
Slugs and Bugs – Sing the Bible Vol. 3
This week’s #favoritething is brand new, but we’ve been dying to tell you about it for months! Slugs and Bugs Sing the Bible Volume 3 was just released Friday. But thanks to Kickstarter, we’ve been listening since Christmas. 😀 We just can’t get enough of this music! (If you need no further introduction, here’s the link so you can get yourself a copy.) Here are a few reasons we LOVE this album: In keeping with the previous Slugs and Bugs albums, the music is delightful, fun, and REAL. (Sometimes I listen to it without my kids in the car. Just sayin’.) The lyrics are word-for-word scripture. Carrots are crazy. Volume 3 is all about Jesus! Voices we love have shared in the joy-making of this […]
Different, by Sally Clarkson and Nathan Clarkson
This week’s #favoritething is the biggest gift I’ve received this year. A gift I purchased with my own spending money the moment I found out it existed. The book is called Different. All you sweet ones who are worried about your adhd, odd, ocd kids, autistic, Aspergers, physically disabled, too loud, too quiet, difficult or “different in some way” child, know that you are not alone. This book was Nathan’s idea. “Mom, we need to encourage others who feel out of the box or have an out of the box child so they can be encouraged by our story.” And so Nathan’s idea is now this book. –Sally Clarkson, from her blog post about Different Apart from my own mother, […]
Love and Respect, by Dr Emerson Eggerichs
Today’s #favoritething is the one book that’s had by far the biggest impact on our marriage. Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs is a thorough, biblically-based look at the differences between a husband’s and wife’s driving needs. When those needs go unmet, the Crazy Cycle happens–a series of negative reactions that intensify conflict. Dr. Eggerichs teaches couples how to get off the Crazy Cycle and move intentionally toward meeting each other’s deepest needs, and he points them to the One who can help them to do so regardless of what they’re getting in return. It’s not a quick-fix book, but more of a way of understanding why we behave the way we do […]