Every Day a Blessing: A Year of God’s Love Devotional {Review and Giveaway}

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Tommy-Mommy-pinkEvery Day a Blessing: A Year of God’s Love Devotional is one of the cutest children’s devotionals that I have ever seen! It’s put together in such a cute way at the top of each page it says ‘my blessing for Monday’ ‘my blessing for Tuesday’ and so on until the weekend where it says ‘my blessing for the weekend’ so cute!  In addition it has cute little illustrations scattered throughout the book!

Every Day a Blessing is put together just like an adult devotional with Devotion Title, Bible verse devotion… but instead of a final prayer it ends with a final thought, idea or task. {I personally wish they added a prayer too}si5

Devotions cover such things as God’s bedtime promise

  • My Country
  • God’s Love Letter
  • Beautiful Words

Beautiful Words happens to be one of my favorite so far!  ”Like a fountain of water, the words of a good person give life.” Proverbs 10:11
After the devotion it leaves the children reading with this final thought “Use your words to make a fall poem” perfectly sweet and simple for little ones!

I really like the size for my preschoolers. Not too big or heavy they love carrying their devos around with them.

si2The very last page has an adorable little prayer

Dear God,

Thank You for creating me and for blessing me in so many ways.

I am so thankful for your never-ending love!

God, help me to be a blessing to others and love them like you love them.

I love you, Lord! In Jesus’s name,

Amen.

I highly recommend this devo for anyone with kids or grandkids! retails for $16.99.

Want to win a copy of this devotional for your little one? Click below to enter!

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God’s Little Princess Bedtime Devotional {Review and Giveaway}

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Tommy-Mommy-pinkI’m so excited to share God’s Little Princess Bedtime Devotional by Sheila Walsh with you!

At first glance I knew that this devotional is going to be amazing…because when is Sheila Walsh ever not amazing? I absolutely adore her!

God’s Little Princess Bedtime Devotional is the cutest little sparkly book that any little girl would love!

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This devotional has 106 daily devotions and covers 36 different topics including:

  • anger
  • friendship
  • happiness
  • prayer
  • selfishness.

Each devotion is two pages! It starts with a Bible verse then the devotion & prayer…but that’s not all! Within each devotion is  ’Good- Night Giggles and Grace’ this a fun little interactive activity for your little princess to do before prayers and bedtime! One of my favorites is on page 77 in the God’s job for you devotion.

“You can learn to tell Bible stories to others. Line up Teddy and your other stuffed animals on your bed. Pick out your favorite Bible story and practice telling all your little listeners as well as mom and dad.”

All the devotions are super easy for the littlest of girls to understand and retain {my daughter (4) LOVES it!}

gb2Sheila Walsh did awesome with the headings of each devotion their fun headings like

  • How to Sparkle like the Sun
  • God Knows Everything
  • Mumble, Grumble, Grump
  • What Does Love Do
  • God Makes You Strong

I absolutely love the devotion entitled: ’God Never Changes’ for this devotion Sheila used James 1:17 “Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the creator of the sun, moon, and stars. God does not change like they’re shifting shadows.” Sheila continues from there with the Good Night Giggles and Grace: “Shadows are always changing. They can be long and tall, and then short and fat. Take turns making shadow puppets on the wall with your mom and dad. Can you make a bunny? A dog? A bird? See how the shadows change as you move? Shadows may change all the time but God never does!” The devotion ends with this precious prayer “Dear God, all around me, things are changing. But, God, you never do. It makes me feel so safe to know I can always count on you. Amen.”  My Daughter LOVED it all! EVERYTHING from start to finish!gb3

What do I love about it? I absolutely love this devotional!  I love that it is so girly and targeted just for girls. I love the fun little before bedtime games and prayer! My daughter and I can have special mommy daughter time where she is the number one focus, because it’s really hard to be in a house full of boys sometimes! This Devo it such a wonderful addition to our bedtime routine! I think any mom that has a little girl or girls will love this book!

God’s Little Princess Bedtime Devotional is perfect for little girls between the ages of 4 and 7! The devotional is hardcover and sparkly with jewels, and retails for $14.99.

Soooooo how’d you like to win a copy for you and your little princess (or princesses)? Well you came to the right place! Click below to win your very own copy of Sheila Walsh’s God’s Little Princess Bedtime Devotional!

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The Bible in a Year NCV {Bible Review and Giveaway}

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Tommy-Mommy-pinkHaving an independent reader is wonderful and having Bible Study and prayer time first thing in morning is a MUST. As parents is has always been our desire and goal to help our draw closer to the Lord. We daily encourage quiet time to grown in the Lord by letting our children see us spending time with the Lord. They see me through out the day praying for friends, studying for my women’s bible study. Our oldest son sees his dad reading and studying at every single Tae Kwon do class {My husband studies and writes his sermons for Sundays there ;) }

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The Bible in a Year {New Century Version}  is set up in four portions to read each day: one from the Old Testament, one from Psalms, one from Proverbs, and one from the New Testament. It starts on January 1st, to December 31st (however, Leap Day is not included) it is designed to read one day’s reading at a time {each day is about 3-4 pages} For example the readings for March 18th {my birthday} are:

  • Numbers 33:1-34:29
  • Psalm 35:11-16
  • Proverbs 12:2
  • Mark 15:1-20

If you feel like that is a bit much for your kiddos this bible could very easily be adapted into a two-year bible {for example March 18th your child could read Numbers and Psalm then March 19th Proverbs and Mark} This Bible is intended as a study/devotional bible and because of this it is not like normal bibles that start in Genesis and end with Revelation. Instead all the reading {old & new testaments, Psalm and Proverbs are all together for each day. This Bible would not be a good choice if you wanted something to pick up and read through from Genesis through Revelation. The New Century Version is written for a 5th grade reading level which is wonderful. I absolutely recommend this to parents who are looking for a bible for their 8-12 years olds…however it would be great for older and younger children! This is a hardcover bible…which I love for my boys!el

From the Publisher:

Kids can read through the entire Bible in one year!

Our children need to make every day God’s day, and nothing will help them do that more than reading His Word. The unique Bible in a Year with New Century Version® text guides kids to easily read through the entire Bible in 365 days. The simple-to-understand language is divided into daily portions that include selections from both the Old and New Testaments, as well as Psalms and Proverbs.

This Bible also offers 16 pages of color inserts that allow for personalization and reinforce biblical knowledge. Features include: presentation page, Bible timeline, My Favorite Bible Verses, How Do I Pray?, Why Should I Read the Bible?, How Do I Forgive?, Bible Verses to Know, and more!

The retail price for this Bible is $19.99.

How would you like a copy of your very own? I’m giving away a copy to one lucky winner! Click below to enter!

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My Friend Jesus: The Gospel for Kids {Review and Giveaway}

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Tommy-Mommy-pinkMy Friend Jesus is wonderful. The story of Jesus is told with the clarity and simplicity perfect for young children! This book takes a very complex story and relays it in a way that children can understand, Love and enjoy! The colorful illustrations add so much to this wonderful little book. The prayer at the end of the book provides the beautiful opportunity for the reader to experience the joy and blessings of knowing Jesus! I love that about this book! mfj1

From the Publisher:

Introduce your children to the greatest friend they’ll ever know.

All Christian parents want their children to know and love the Lord. My Friend Jesus not only tells little ones the gospel story about Jesus, but also gently introduces them to a personal relationship with Jesus. Written in fresh, clear, easy-to-understand language for children of all ages and denominations, this beautifully illustrated book ends with a tender prayer that guides children into that life-changing friendship with Jesus. Share the good news with your children, and let them discover the greatest friend of all.

Our Family was excited to add My Friend Jesus: The Gospel for Kids to our bookshelf. I highly recommend it! It would make a WONDERFUL gift for Christmas and Easter!

mfj3About the Author:

She is the author of MY FRIEND JESUS: The Gospel for Kids (Thomas Nelson), HEART SONGS: A Family Treasury of True Stories of Hope and Inspiration (Guideposts Inspiring Voices), LOST & FOUND: One Daughter’s Story of Amazing Grace (GuidepostsBooks), IF I COULD ASK GOD ANYTHING: Awesome Bible Answers for Curious Kids (Thomas Nelson), GRANDMA I’LL MISS YOU: A Child’s Story about Death and New Life (David C. Cook), THE GRACE TO GROW: The Power of Christian Faith in Emotional Healing, and A BRIGHT-SHINING PLACE: the Story of a Miracle. Her popular children’s book THE GOSPEL FOR KIDS (David C. Cook) has more than 100,000 copies in print in nine languages. Kathryn is also a contributing author to numerous “Best of” Guideposts anthologies, and writes the “Kids’ Question of the Week” blog for Tommynelson.com, and is a “Local Voices” blogger for The Patch.

This 32-page, hardcover book retails for $12.00.

You can win a copy right here! Click below to enter!

MFJ

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The Answers Book for Kids Volume 5 & 6 {Book(s) Review}

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This month I’m thrilled to be reviewing ‘The Answers Book for Kids” volume 5 & volume 6 by Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge!

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Once again master books & Ken Ham have hit a home run!!

If you are not familiar with The Answers Book for Kids let me introduce you…

The answers book for kids series answers questions from children around the world in this multi volume series. Each volume won’t answer over 20 questions in a friendly and readable style appropriate for children 6 to 12 years old; and each covers a unique topic:

  • Volume 1– 22 questions on Creation and the Fall.
  • Volume 2– 22 questions on Dinosaurs and the flood of Noah. Volume 3– 22 questions on God and the Bible.
  • Volume 4– 22 questions on Sin, Salvation and the Christian life. Volume 5– 20 questions on Space and Astronomy.
  • Volume 6– 22 questions on Babel and the Ice Age.

Each book cost between $5.99 and $7.99 depending on where and sales!

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One of my favorite things about these books is the size, they are about a 6×6, perfect for little hands! My kids love the size as well!

Volume 5: 20 Questions from Kids on Space and Astronomy…

If you have every read my blog you know my oldest son LOVES space and astronomy, so when these books arrived he could barely contain his joy and excitement!

This little book (and all the books in this series) is jam-packed with questions from kids! As we read through my son kept saying “hey I’ve wondered that same thing!”

This volume covers a wide assortment of questions like:

  • Is Jupiter stormy?
  • How many planets are there? What is the smallest planet? Could planets hit each other?
  • What’s the big bang?
  • Did Christians believe that earth was flat?

What I ABSOLUTLEY love about the answers is that they are perfectly in depth for kids and have bible backing! Ken & Bodie do an awesome job!

Referencing the question is Jupiter storming? I love the way that cannon and Bodie use Psalm 148:8 “Fire and hail, snow in Highlands; stormy wind, fulfilling his word.” Then they go one to explain the make up of Jupiter: “Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Unlike Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, Jupiter is a giant gas planet, but deep inside it’s likely made of rock and metallic gases that have been compressed and solidified.” Wow that paints such a clear picture!

At the end of each answer page there are bible reference look up verses and chapters! We   this!

At the end of the book there is a yearly meteor shower dates page and the table of planets and the first five dwarf planets page. There is also definitions page that defines words like asteroids, Dwarf Planets, Quasar, Nebulas, ect. Again right up my feature scientists alley!

Volume 6: 22 questions from kids on Babel and the Ice Age…

  • This volume covers questions like:
  • Where was the Tower of Babel built?
  • How many languages come from battle?
  • Has anyone ever found a frozen person from the Ice Age?
  • How did animals make it to America and to Australia after the flood?

These were questions we hear in our home on a regular basis!

I love the answer to this question what was the extent of the Ice Age? Ken and Brody reference Job 37:10  in the answer “by the breath of God ice is given and the broad waters are frozen.”

“During the Ice Age, the ice extended in a downward direction from the north and Asia, Europe, and North America. It covered most of Canada, and parts of the upper United States as far as Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. In Europe, it extended over most of northern Europe like Sweden, Norway, and Finland, and most of England.”

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There is something really cool in this volume and it comes on the very last page…

Answers are always important!”The Bible is truly filled with some amazing answers for some of our toughest feed the questions. If you would like to know more about how the sons and grandsons of Noah are at the heart of man man’s earliest history. Now trace your culture history back to survivors of the great flood” www.answersinGenesis.org/assets/pdf/2013/chart-of-people-groups.pdf

Needless to say I’m totally and completely in love with these books…so is my entire family! My son has already asked for the entire series for Christmas! Psst…he’s getting them!

The answer books are more than just for kids there is also a complete adult serious as well called the new answers book 1, book 2, book 3 and book 4 are all available at Answers In Genesis 

Exploring the World of Astronomy {Book Review}

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Arrow-HeaderThis month I had the privilege of reviewing Exploring the World of Astronomy for the Moms of Master Books Team!!

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This 170+ page book is amazing!!

With 13 chapters including

  • Exploring the Moon
  • Mars
  • Terrestrial Planets
  • Jupiter Saturn
  • Jovian Planets
  • and the list goes on!!

My son who is only eight is absolutely in love with everything  astronomy! He has been very interested in the planets and stars and since a very young age! Although this book is more for middle school and high school age it worked perfectly well for us!

At the end of each chapter there is a questions or reading comprehension page with anywhere from 10 to 12 questions and explore more category that gives all kinds of fun to little extra questions. We like to call the challenge questions. (The back of the book has the answer key)photo 4

Throughout each chapter there is a cute little “explore”clipboard picture! Each chapter is also chock-full of pictures! Now, I’ve heard a few people mention that they did not like how this book only contains black-and-white photos but honestly it didn’t bother us one little bit. If we want to see some of the pictures of the galaxies that surround us or the planets in color will just search them on the Internet. I think that this book is amazing black-and-white pictures and all!

One of our favorite chapters is the chapter on Saturn. This chapter talks about ‘why did Galileo think Saturn have handles’ ‘what it is a shepherd satellite’ ‘do only planets have atmospheres’ plus so much more! There are some really fun of close pictures of Titan which is one of Saturn’s moons and my son is all about the planet that have multiple moons! So this was a big hit!!

photo 3-1I know that I mentioned in my eight-year-old son is very interested in astronomy and stars but he gets it from me starting a very young age I became very interested in the stars and constellations and my mom gave me an antique book that showed all of the early 1900s constellations that have been documented, because of this star is chapter is absolutely fascinating to me! In the chart stars chapter you learn about the French astronomer Pierre Janssen and English astronomer Joseph Lockyer! In this chapter we also learned about all kinds of different telescope including the 26 inch linens from the Naval observatory! There’s a picture in a pretty fantastic seeing how giant this telescope is!

photoChapter 13 is the starlight ignite this chapter is full of constellations…it’s really cool! There is even an entire northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere breakdown of all the constellation the north polar constellations the south polar constellations the northern hemisphere autumn the northern hemisphere winter in northern hemisphere spring in the northern hemisphere summer so we are able to look at this and see where each constellation is going to be during the season…it’s really awesome! I think that if my son and I were to pay our absolute favorite chapter it would be this chapter it’s just really a lot of fun.

After chapter 13 there are ‘explore more’ pages and it has each chapter broken down and

how to explore more of what you learned from each chapter after that there is the whole book review!

Needless to say we are pretty impressed with this book and I think they it would be awesome for every homeschool families library and of those who don’t homeschool as well!

photo 5We are looking forward to adding to our library the rest out of the books in this series…

  • The world of Biology
  • The world of Physics
  • The world of Chemistry
  • The world around you
  • The world of Mathematics
  • Planet Earth
  • The history of Medicine

SIGG

Homeschool Mom’s Bible {NIV} Review

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photo 1-1As moms we are used to meeting everyones needs and making sure that our families spiritual life is growing…as homeschool moms we are used to having over filled plates. Not only do we feel we are responsible for our children’s spiritual journey and their education and making sure that our children are socialized without being taking over by socialism! Then add in daily schooling, activities, church, ect… I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was to get a copy of The Homeschool Mom’s Bible to review! It was in March when my husband and I were having the every important “without the kids” Barnes and Noble date! We were perusing the tiny Bible section and I came across The Homeschool Mom’s Bible. I flipped through it and feel in love…alas…we are home owners, parents, and have bills so the bible was not in our budget. So I prayed that somehow I would be able to get the bible. There was more than once when our budget had to go to repairs, shoes for the kids, you know…THEN I got an email…The Homeschool Mom’s Bible would be available to review then very next week!!!!! I was BEYOND thrilled…yes I cried! Ok, enough about that!

About the Homeschool Mom’s Bible

It comes in either NIV or KJV with 366 Days of  Devotions by Janet Tatman {a veteran homeschooling mother with more than 25 years of homeschooling experience}!

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Janet did an amazing job with the devotions, they are extremely encouraging almost like chatting with a “been there, done that” friend! They have been spot on every single day. I truly felt like the Lord spoke through Janet’s words to the depths of my heart weather I was happy, sad, overwhelmed or discouraged.  On the cover of the bible there is a little tag that says “Encouragement” and that is exactly what this bible doe, it encourages homeschool moms in their day-to-day life. I really recommend this Bible for all homeschooling women. I think it is very important that women/moms stay in the Word and this is perfect! If you {or someone you know} wants a bible that gives daily encouragement, you will not go wrong with the Homeschool Mom’s Bible.

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Please note that the Homeschool Mom’s Bible is NOT study Bible, so there are not footnotes and extras.

What the publisher is saying:

Heartfelt Inspiration to Revive, Encourage, and Strengthen the Homeschooling Mom

If you’re on an airplane, you’re instructed, in the event of a loss of cabin pressure, to put on your own oxygen mask before helping your child. The reason? If you don’t have a supply of oxygen, you won’t be able to help anyone else.

The same is true for the rest of life: you can’t give what you don’t have. And as a homeschooling mom, you pour yourself out every day for the sake of your children. Yet how do you fill yourself up? Where do you get your spiritual oxygen?
Now you can be filled and restored by the original Bible for homeschool moms—with a full year’s worth of encouraging daily devotions placed alongside the clear, accessible text of the NIV Bible. These heartfelt, practical readings written by Janet Tatman, a former homeschooling mom, cover topics such as finding strength to keep motivated, avoiding burnout, staying focused and committed, navigating the needs of toddlers while educating siblings, managing schedules, delegating tasks and chores, setting boundaries, and most importantly, maintaining proper soul care while juggling educational and household responsibilities.

The words of these devotions will breathe life into your soul so that you can successfully run the race.

I received a copy of the Homeschool Mom’s Bible from the publisher for free in exchange for my honest opinion. I was in no way persuaded to give a positive review.

SIGG