All is Bright

Okay, I will confess that I haven't been into the whole adult coloring book phase but I had to check this book out. This is a Christmas coloring book but also so much more. It is truly a devotional journey through the holiday season and a beautiful way to share the story of Christ's birth with your kids.

Nancy Guthrie wrote an entire month of devotionals full of scripture that you can read alone or share each day with your family. I think I want to read one each night at dinner. I can let my older girls decorate the more intricate pages with the devotional and then let the little ones do the pages in the back. There are so cute crafts for any age.

This is a large book and would be so fun for grandparents to share with their grandkids or to put out at a family party for all the kids to join in. The coloring pages are beautifully illustrated. Grab this book and slow down to worship the savior this season.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale House.

Moments and Days

There are a few books out there that every Christian family needs to keep in their home library. A few of mine would be "The Five Love Languages", "The Total Money Makeover", "The Case for Christ" and a handful of others come to mind. Every once in a while a book comes around and fills a new spot on this shelf.

This new addition is "Moments and Days" by Michelle Van Loon and it is a beautiful journey through the history and celebration of holidays and holy days. As a Messianic believer in Christ, Michelle takes us through the Jewish observations of the Old Testament and how we can incorporate a celebration of God's goodness and faithfulness into our yearly calendar. She also goes through the importance of each holiday in the Christian faith and how those can have a deeper meaning.

I found her description of how Jewish people have in history and currently honor the Sabbath to be so incredibly convicting and challenging. This book is full of scripture and you can tell Michelle did a great amount of research. This would also be a great reference for homeschooling families to use before each Jewish or Christian holiday.

This book made me want each holiday to have a deeper meaning in our home and I will be sharing it with my husband and kids so that we remember God's unfolding story throughout history.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale House

Next Door as it is in Heaven

I was very excited to receive this book to review because this is a subject that has been on my heart for a while. This book is packed with scripture and convicted my heart about how to share God's love in my neighborhood. The best part is that it isn't just a theological narrative to be pondered, it is full of real ways to make a difference. The authors, Lance Ford and Brad Brisco, take the reader through the ways that American neighborhoods have changed and how we have morphed from living and working in social villages to cocooning in isolated suburban homes.

They quickly move from the historical to the practical as they show countless examples of how to be a light in your neighborhood. The one that all of us can do right now is to pray for your neighbors. My husband and I have already started this part and now we are looking for new ways to interact.

I opened an email from Nextdoor.com where a neighbor just posted looking for a prayer group and feeling like God was opening a door, I offered to host the first one. I'm looking to hosting an ice cream social before school starts. There is also a monthly coffee group that meets in our neighborhood and I'm planning on attending my first one this weekend.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for ways to be a light right where you are. One of my favorite parts is where they discuss hospitality and how our homes really belong to God and should be used for His glory. It was a convicting and powerful read.

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:31

I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House.

Perfect Marriage Artwork with Freebie!

I went to a painting party the other day and decided to make something I could use in combination with my Silhouette machine. My master bedroom is in yellows and grays so I made this simple bird painting and left room for a quote I love about marriage.

I will be honest and confess that forgot how hard it is to get vinyl (Oracal 651) to adhere to canvas. You have to go slowly, burnish hard and I think using a blow dryer helped a little. I am adding the free file of this quote here: perfect marriage (studio3 file)

This would be a beautiful wedding gift on a mirror, shadow box, or anything for the newlyweds!

I love this quote because it states so much truth. We are imperfect and the best marriages are between people who know that about themselves and walk in humility. I'm currently reading this book by Dave Harvey and it is a great picture of how we need God's grace but also need to give that grace to our spouse. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to have rough days. As Christ followers though, we can remember that we are far from perfect and ask for forgiveness. Each day is a new opportunity to love and live better.

“A great awareness of one’s sinfulness often stands side by side with great joy and confidence in God.” 
― Dave Harvey, When Sinners Say "I Do": Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage