The Absolutely Enormous List of Christian History Books {By Grade and Time Period}

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 The Absolutely Enormous List of Christian History Books

There are so many important things our kids can learn from Christian history. Studying men and women of the Christian faith and the movements of the Church gives depth and weight to history, allows kids to develop real-life heroes, and gives children a better understanding of the sovereignty of God.

Christian history is one of my very favorite things to study personally, as well. I’ve made you a great, big, ENORMOUS list of Christian history books. They’re sectioned by age range, and then by historical time period. We’ve used these resources ourselves, and I highly recommend them!

I’d also be honored if you’d take a look at my youth biography, When Lightning Struck! The Story of Martin Luther. It’s perfect for middle school and high school students, and a great read aloud for 3-5th grade as well. You can download FREE resources, like a discussion guide and a 12-week unit study, and learn more about the book at the above link.…. [Read more…]

Parenting with the Windows Open: Gospel Centered Parenting

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Parenting with the Windows Open: Gospel Centered Parenting
It’s that time of year here where everyone ventures into the sunshine, blinks, and smiles. The rain is gone, the weather is warm, and the windows are thrown open.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we celebrate our beautiful, short summer by living outside to the best of our ability.

It’s also the time of year that parenting is on display. There are parents at the water park, at the zoo, on the hiking trails, and in every house surrounding mine. More often than I’d like, I hear things said to children that make my heart wince. Things that should never be said to children, or ordinary things said in ways that they should never be said.

Gospel centered parenting doesn’t demean–it edifies.…. [Read more…]

A Gingerbread House Playdate

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A Gingerbread House Playdate
Looking for a fun way to engage the neighborhood kids–or just your own tribe?

Try this fun “gingerbread” house craft. We’ve even had teens get in on the action with these. After all, what “kid” doesn’t love frosting and candy?

This is not a gluten-free craft, but you can always make it gluten-free by using cardboard as the sides and hot glue as the cement. It won’t be edible, but it would still be fun. (I’ve done it! You can frost cardboard!)

A Gingerbread House Playdate…. [Read more…]

What to Do When Your Child Breaks Your Heart

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What to do when your child breaks your heart
It’s an age-old story: we bring our children into the world or into our home, we raise them, love them, pour our lives into them. Then, they break our hearts.  You don’t have to look too hard to find a parent with a story of heartbreak.

Maybe your preschooler flushed your grandmother’s pearls. Maybe it was that call from the school when your child stole chips from the cafeteria. Perhaps your child betrayed you publicly in some manner, hurting a relationship.

Maybe it was more serious. Maybe your child was arrested, or caught in a compromising position. Maybe your son took out the trash, and never came back. Perhaps you’re a grandparent, but not yet an in-law. Maybe your child has made a blatant decision to live apart from the Lord’s grace and mercy….. [Read more…]

Setting the Course in Intentional Parenting

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Setting the Course in Intentional Parenting
My kids and I love taking a trip to our local arboretum. Each spring we hike up to see the magnolia and cherry blossoms. I suppose we could wander around, hoping that we would eventually find the sections we seek in the 187 acre park.  Instead, we take a map. We get to see the magnolias, the cherries, and a myriad of other cool things. We achieve our purpose, map in hand.

We have road maps, hiking maps–even my favorite bookstore has a map! Why, then, do we sometimes fail to set a course in parenting? Why do we worry about the minor issues, and forget about the big ones? How do we become so wrapped up in the insignificant issues and forget about the foundational ones?

Parenting intentionally can be tough. Here’s a list of some important things to remember. A map, if you will….. [Read more…]