Homeschool Review: Nothing by Natalee Creech #hsreviews #WorthyKidsBooks #NataleeCreech #GodsLove #Romans8 #JosephCowman

Y'all . . . I am going to be a grandmother and I am absolutely thrilled!  I am just so excited about the sweet little boy that we will meet later this summer.  I cannot wait to begin cuddling Percy close and reading books with him all snuggled up beside me.  Because I want to make sure and teach our sweet boy that NOTHING can separate us from GOD's love (Romans 8:38-39), the very first book that I will be gifting him is Nothing by Natalee Creech.  There is no book more perfect for him than this beautifully illustrated picture book from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.  Natalee's words and Joseph Cowman's pictures are quite a combo.

A great way to bring Scripture to life, the illustrations are gorgeous and the rhyming verse rolls off your tongue with a sing-song lilt.  This combination makes it fun to read, fun to hear, and fun to look at together.  But even better?  It is exciting to share just how much GOD loves each and every one of us and to make sure that young and old alike realize that NOTHING -- absolutely NOTHING -- can separate you from GOD's love.  That's the message that I want to make sure is taught at home, at church, in life -- and I know you do, too.

Although it has been written for children ages 4 - 7, Nothing is the perfect book for children of all ages.  The preschoolers and children at church loved it, the middle schoolers at church tolerated it when I read it to them (they really loved it, but they are too cool to own up to that), and every adult that I've shared it with has fallen immediately in love.  Mommas all want their very own copy to share with their little loves at home and I know why.  Isn't this book a gorgeous one to add to your home library?

So here's the super-fun part for me . . . my daughter will be home in just a few weeks and we are planning a baby shower to honor her and welcome baby Percy.  She has chosen an adventure theme for his nursery and Nothing is the perfect complement to that.  No matter the adventure, no matter where you roam, there is nothing that can separate you from GOD's love.   Guests have been invited to bring a book (well-loved or brand-new) to our sweet boy as a constant reminder that he is so very loved and cherished.  I will be writing a blessing in the front cover of my copy of Nothing and gifting it to Percy.  It is my prayer that he will always know that even if "he hopped on a train and rode it all night, boarded a plane for an overseas flight, soared in a rocket past planets in space," he could never "outdistance GOD's LOVE and GOD's GRACE".

More than anything else, I want our boy to know the power of GOD's love for him.   This life will hold adventures galore, but our GOD will hold him forevermore.  That's what I want to impress most upon his heart and Nothing is a great way to begin.

Nothing is a delightful book (32-pages) and illustrates scripture in such a beautiful way.  You need a copy of your very own.  The jacketed hardcover will prove durable for little hands to hold and love for years to come.  The bright pictures quickly draw you into the story and I am confident that this will be a well-loved read for my sweet Percy.  You can learn more about WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group and other books they offer for the little ones in you life by visiting the following Social Media sites:

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I was given the opportunity to review Nothing by Natalee Creech from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this great book (or just click on the banner below.)

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Homeschool Review -- Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women (Zondervan) #hsreviews #devotions #DevotionsForYoungWomen #Beloved #books #reading #bookstagram #christianity #faith

When our copy of Beloved:  365 Devotions for Young Women arrived from Zondervan, my girl sat right down to dive into its pages.  She read through the Introduction and nodded her head in agreement with the very first statement:  It's hard to be a young woman sometimes.  She mm-hmmed as she read about being bombarded with the messages of the world and trying to decide which ones should be filtered and which ones should be embraced.  There were a few "mom, listen to this" moments and she made sure to read aloud to me the last sentence that reminded her that her identity matters to GOD and she is beloved by HIM.  From the very first moment she held this beautiful book in her hands, she was enamored.  So much so that she read the first few days of devotion and grabbed her Bible to underline some key verses.  Y'all . . . THAT just makes my heart smile.

After she read through the first few days of devotions, my girl decided that she wanted to figure out what day of the year it actually was and start there.  That was day 319 of 365, so she skipped right over and read about Elizabeth greeting her cousin Mary and John the Baptist leaping in utero.  What a cool moment!  The direct intervention of the HOLY SPIRIT happened right then and my daughter was reminded that the same HOLY SPIRIT that was present when Mary arrived to visit Elizabeth lives inside of her.  What an encouragment to know that when we feel lonely and discouraged, HE is there to encourage us and equip us to face the day -- no matter what this world tries to throw in our face.

Although Beloved:  365 Devotions for Young Women is written specifically for young women between the ages of 12 - 18, I firmly believe that it will be treasured by both younger and older girls/women, as well.  Let me just be honest and say that this 50-year-old momma has enjoyed reading through the devotional, too.  Looking to Rebekah as a great example of hospitality is good for the soul.  I especially like that young women are being introduced to generosity and service to others and taught how to have an attitude of warmth and openness as they welcome others into their environment and offer hope in a world that can seem so hopeless.  Isn't this what we want all of our daughters to learn?  How better to learn to cultivate a spirit of hospitality than through the lives of women in GOD's Word?

It makes my heart happy to share that she fell in love with a book that will point her towards the love that GOD has for her as she studies the lives of over 60 women found throughout GOD's Word.  The 371-page hardcover book has been designed with young women in mind.  Its pages are lovely to look at with the side borders of pink and rose and mauve flowers that spill over to the binding edge and the ribbon marker makes it easy for you to return to your specific place in the devotional each day.  My Elisabeth moved her marker to Day 319 the very first day that she began reading and has continued moving it from there each morning.

Each daily devotion begins with Scripture taken from the NIV translation of the Bible.  The Bible verses are followed by a short relatable reading (2-3 paragraphs, at most) with three blank lines at the bottom of the page.  The lines are perfect for writing notes on what's been read or things you might want to investigate further, answering questions that appear in the reading, or chronicling prayer requests and concerns.  I really like that the women being introduced and discussed include a good mixture of famous characters (women like Mary, Deborah, Hannah, and Abigail) and obscure characters (remember Zelophehad's daughters, Johosheba, and the Shunamite woman?  They are all in here.) and that the devotions cover portions from the entirety of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

This really is a beautiful way for young ladies to study and learn.  I've trusted Zondervan  with my daughters' spiritual growth for many years, and I have no qualms recommeding Beloved:  365 Devotions for Young Women to you for yours.

For more information about this lovely devotional for young women, please visit the following Social Media sites:

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Beloved:  365 Devotions for Young Women will make a wonderful Christmas present for the young women in your life and will be a great way for them to start the new year off right.  Finding a devotional that speaks to the heart of girls and helps them develop the characteristics that make great women is priceless.  You're going to want to grab a copy of this today for the lovelies in your life -- and you may want to go ahead and pick up a copy for yourself, as well.  It really is that good.

I was given the opportunity to review Beloved:  365 Devotions for Young Women  from  Zondervan as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this devotional and see how they are utilizing it in their own homes (or just click on the banner below.)

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Homeschool Review: The Brinkman Adventures, Season 6 #hsreviews #AudioDrama #MissionaryStories #AudioMissionaryDrama #BrinkmanAdventures

I fell in love with the exciting Brinkman Adventures years ago, and I am always looking forward to the release of new stories.  For purposes of review, we received the Digital Version of Season 6: Underground Rising and we couldn't wait to jump in and get started to see where we would be traveling on mission this time.  How perfect was it that this season started us off with a visit to World War II since that is exactly our focus in history this semester?  GOD's perfect timing -- I love it!

Season 6:  Underground Rising contains six missionary stories in just over 2 hours of listening time.  This is perfect family listening for a long car ride together (headed on vacation or to visit family for the holidays?  Don't forget to take your CDs.) or can even be used during your family devotion time.  Listening to one episode each evening would make for some great discussions about how much GOD loves each and every one of us and would be a beautiful way to incorporate mission education and prayer into your family time.   Be forewarned though:  Once you start listening along, you may not want to stop.  And you are definitely going to want to have a map handy to mark all of the neat places you learn about.  In Season 6 alone, we visited the Netherlands, Wisconsin, India, Thailand, and Myanmar/Burma.


Each episode of the Brinkman Adventures is based on true accounts of real missionaries in GOD's service on the mission field.  Although some names and details must be changed in order to protect their calling and keep their familes secure, all of the stories are true.  The stories are active and draw you right into the midst of them.  As we "listen", we "see".  That said, it makes it tough to choose a "favorite" story.   Each and every episode tugs at my heartstrings -- and quite often bring me to tears as I listen.  The first two episodes of Season 6 take us underground in Nazi-occupied Holland where Jewish families need help to survive and episode four reminds us to trust GOD's plan -- even when it takes you far away from home to India -- where you know no one.  Episode three reminded me that I am offered grace because I am a follower of the KING's SON.

Hearing a roomful of children and teens pray to accept JESUS as their SAVIOUR as they begin to realize what unconditional love truly is brought me to tears.  Y'all . . . this is what it's all about.  Only JESUS can change the hearts of people and these audio dramas put us right in the midst of GOD at work.  Following GOD is not always easy, but it is always, always the right path.  I need the reminder for myself -- and I want my children to hear it often.  More than anything else, I desire for my children to give themselves fully to JESUS.  I appreciate the engaging way the Brinkman Adventures encourage us to wholeheartedly follow GOD.  Every time.  Even when we don't see how.

The last two episodes grabbed my attention immediately as they introduced us to Dave and Karen Eubanks -- a Green Beret and Special Education teacher.  My brother is a Green Beret and it was a perfect calling for his life.  Listening to Dave's call to full-time missions was intriguing and I appreciate so much how GOD prepares us for HIS ultimate plan in ways that we least expect.  It is the perfect reminder that GOD works through our lives and only HE sees the big picture.  I also appreciate that when listening along might get tough or intense, the Brinkman Adventures suggest that families listen together.  The gunfire is real, the danger is evident, but what a blessing that the focus is always on the health of the family unit.  These are mission stories that you will want to hear over and over.  They never get old and they remind us what our mission at home should be as well:

Love each other.
Unite in a work for freedom, justice, and peace.
Forgive and don't hate each other.
Pray with faith.
Act with courage.
Never surrender.

One of my favorite things about the Brinkman Adventures is that you can find the backstories of each episode on the website, follow the family blog, and meet the real-life missionary family that the adventures are based upon.  There are pictures, videos, and more detailed information about each person and location mentioned.  This is a great resource that helps us put faces to the missionary stories.  It helps us to remember that they are real people sharing JESUS in real time.

I especially enjoyed reading through the Real Stories for Season 6 and seeing the beautiful pictures of Omie's special tea cups because I have been an avid collector of all things tea party for as long as I can remember.  Some of my very favorite teacups and teapots (pictured below) belonged to my grandmother, too, and I love holding them close as I remember the stories that she used to share with me.  What a precious memory brought to mind while listening to the first two episodes.

The "extras" provided in the Real Stories section are fascinating and cover a wide variety of information that really makes a huge difference in how you listen to the audio dramas. Don't skip this section.  It is an invaluable resource for your homeschool.  There are videos, recipes, maps, and more.  It's fun to journey along with real-life people as they visit the same places the Brinkman family has taken us.

You are going to want to make sure and check out the Facebook page, too.  I think you'll enjoy the podcasts links and featured articles there that direct us all to a life of on-mission service.

And finally, jump on over and order up some adventure for yourself.  Brinkman Adventures is offering a 10% discount for my readers this month.  What a great way to kick off Fall!  

We love every episode we've listened to and are always anxiously awaiting the next.  This is a the perfect time to share it with your family -- and stock up for Christmas, too.


As always, I'd love to hear how GOD speaks to you through the Brinkman family escapades.  Please, please share with me what HE is sharing with you and yours.  Let's speak life together.

I was given the opportunity to review Season 6: Underground Rising of the 
Brinkman Adventures as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of these adventures by clicking on the graphic below.

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Homeschool Review: Books of the Bible At-a-Glance #hsreviews #BooksOfTheBible #BibleSummarySheets #BiblePrintables

I was talking with one of our ministry leaders yesterday about the fact that basic Bible information seems to be lost.  Kids don't know BASIC information and it just grieves my heart.  We conducted an informal poll a few weeks ago to see just how many "stories" from the Bible that the middle schoolers could recall and were shocked to see the lists they came up with.  On average, a Wednesday-night-only student could list a few facts for about 7 stories from the Bible.  A Sunday/Wednesday student could only recall about 10 different stories.  This led us to keep asking questions and we stopped some of the high school students to ask them to name as many Bible stories as they could.  The results were similar.  Too similar.  There's a disconnect with basic Bible knowledge and we want to do better.  The truth of the matter though is that far too many adults don't know basic information either.

What are we missing as we teach?  How can we better introduce GOD's Word to children, students, and adults and help them to fall in love with it for themselves?  How can we better explain that the Bible is one beautiful love letter from GOD to each of us and it is relevant to our everyday life?  How can we break it down so that it doesn't seem so daunting at first glance -- and so that people will have a DESIRE to dive deeper into it?  I have spent the past few weeks reading through and teaching from the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance reference sheets from Teach Sunday School and I'm praying that they will be a difference maker in how we raise students up to do church outside the walls of the church building.

These are the questions that I start every lesson with in both Children's Ministry and Middle School Ministry:

How many books are in the Bible?  [66]

How many "parts" is the Bible divided into?  [2]

What are those parts of the Bible called?  [Old and New Testament]

How many books are in the Old Testament?  [39]

How many books are in the New Testament?  [27]

What is the first book of the Bible?  [Genesis -- which means beginning]

What is the last book of the Bible?  [Revelation]

What are the Books of Law?  [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy]

What are the Gospels?  [Matthew, Mark, Luke, John]

They are basic Bible facts that I think every student should know.  They just scratch the surface of all that students need to know for life, but they offer a beginning and I am able to add more  and more information each week.  For example, this week I added these questions to our introduction:

What book is smack dab in the middle of the Bible?  [Psalms]

How many chapters does Psalms have?  [150]

Over how many years was the Bible written?  [1500]

How many different authors were inspired by GOD to write it?  [40]

What languages was it written in?  [Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek]

Did you notice that the questions are getting a little more difficult?  I know that our kids can handle it and I know that they can fall in love with reading their Bibles.  It's our goal that children and middle schoolers move into high school knowing what GOD's Word says and that means we do what we need to in order to provide them the right tools for learning.  The overview of each book provided from the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance is fast becoming one of my all-time favorite tools.

Books of the Bible At-a-Glance is a book-by-book printable that offers an idividual summary sheet of each of the 66 books of the Bible.  These "cheat sheets" provide a plethora of information for budding Bible scholars and have become the perfect training tool for use in both Bible Drill and Middle School Bible Study.   We want to make sure that each student has exactly what they need to become passionate about GOD's Word so we start by putting an age-appropriate copy of it in their hands.  We give them a Bible and encourage them to own it by underlining, highlighting, and making notes right on the pages of it.  Add to that a 3-ring-binder with a copy of the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance and you have the perfect combination for study.

Each page follows the same format so students can open right up and easily find out about a specific book of the Bible.  The At-a-Glance page lists the proper name of the book, the order it falls in either the Old or New Testament (there's a number and a slide graph showing where it falls), the author of the book, the date in which the book was written (or the approximation if it's hard to know for sure) and the time period which it covers, the "claim to fame" for the book (something that really sets it apart from the others), famous stories found in the Old Testament books and problems addressed in the New Testament books, famous or most referenced verses in each book, and the important points about each book.  As you can see in the picture below, the pages are clear, concise, and easy-to-read.  They are visually appealing and easy-to-use and help students identify what is important to remember about each particular book.  We are finding them to be just as engaging for adults as they are for 3rd graders. 

The only things that aren't already identified on the page for you are the division that the particular book is in (Law, History, Wisdom & Poetry, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets in the Old Testament; Gospels, History, Paul's Letters, General Letters, and Prophecy in the New Testament) and the number of chapters in each book, so we have students write those two things on their copies of the pages in their notebooks.  This hands-on approach is perfect for reinforcing placement and helping them learn how to find an "address" in the Bible.

It makes for a great study guide to the entire Bible -- and my students add notes that they want to remember as we talk about different passages in class.  For example, in class Wednesday night we discussed a series of the longest and the shortest.  We went searching for these as a way to become more comfortable with GOD's Word.  Students looked up the longest book in the Bible [Psalms], the shortest book in the Bible [2 John], the longest chapter in the Bible [Psalm 119], the shortest chapter in the Bible [Psalm 117], the longest verse in the Bible [Esther 8:9], and the shortest chapter in the Bible [John 11:35].  They were able to make these notes on their Books of the Bible At-a-Glance pages, making the notebooks even more valuable to them.  I love watching them own it -- and I love watching the adults own it, too.  We are all learning so much MORE as we study and read together.

You can find even more information about the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance when you visit the following Social Media pages.  Trust me on this one -- you are going to want a copy of this printable for yourself.

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Books of the Bible At-a-Glance is a great discipleship tool.  Check it out.

I was given the opportunity to review the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance reference sheets from Teach Sunday School as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of these handy summary sheets by clicking on the graphic below.

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Homeschool Review: Kingdom Files #hsreviews #KingdomFiles #BiographiesForKids

I have the distnct privilege of teaching straight from GOD's Word to children and middle schoolers every week.  What I am seeing as the current trend (moreso this year than ever before in the last 29 years of ministry) is that kids simply do not have a grasp of basic stories from the Bible.  As a result, I am spending more and more time reiterating the facts as presented from the pages of GOD's Word and explaining the applications of each to real life.  It is our heart's desire that characters in the Bible will step off of the pages and become real to those that we love on each week and that means that we are seeking new, creative ways to share the truths of old.  As a result, I welcomed the recent introduction of the Kingdom Files series from Barbour Publishing and have enjoyed incorporating these books into my weekly lessons.

The Kingdom Files series is written by Matt Koceich -- an elementary school teacher who wants to make sure that kids know that GOD has a great plan for their lives.  He writes the series of books with children ages 8 - 12 in mind, but I am using it successfully with children ages 3 - 14 AND I've enjoyed looking at some things in a fresh, new way myself, as I read and prepare to share.  The Kingdom Files series currently contains six biographies covering the lives of JESUS, Daniel, David, Esther, Jonah, and Mary.   So far, I've studied through the pages of the Biblical biographies of both Mary and Jonah and I look forward to reading and sharing the Kingdom Files of the other Bible heroes.  I'm really excited about what these books mean to the spiritual education of those entrusted to our care.


The two books that I have enjoyed spending time with are Who Was Mary, Mother of JESUS? (81-pages) and Who Was Jonah? (87-pages).  They are both softcover, chapter books that offer a quick read, but are filled with interesting facts and follow-up that will turn them into family devotions and help connect Scripture to daily life as you commit Bible verses to memory and plant GOD's truth in the hearts of your family. What I like is that each book is presented as an investigation with the reader acting as the lead detective.  There is so much to learn when we explore GOD's Word.

The books begin with a Fact File that lays out key information about the specific character being shared.  The Action File that follows is the actual reading investigation (chapters) and it walks you through the life of the character.  The final file is the Power File that offers take-away lessons that you can learn from the life of the character studied.  There are 10 mini lessons with memory verses at the end of each book and these are perfect for daily devotions.

This Fact File on Mary really gripped my heart as I read through it.  I have read the account of Mary in the Bible repeatedly through the years, but seeing it here in black and white grabbed me in a new way.  Although I know when and where she appears in the Bible, I had not really thought about her massive impact in such a short amount of time.  Mary, the mother of my JESUS, was an active participant in the pages of GOD's story for only a few years.  We know that she was a young girl when called upon to serve and she raised JESUS and protected HIM as a child.  We know that she obeyed HIS teachings and followed JESUS, but it hit me that she was just a few years younger than me when she saw HIM crucified on the cross.  I cannot even begin to imagine that pain.

Another epiphany that I had while reading through the book was that at the wedding at Cana, Mary knew to send for the help of JESUS.  Although turning water into wine was his first recorded miracle, Mary KNEW what HE was capable of.  Wow! Just WOW!  

Scattered throughout the chapters are Clue Boxes that help children [and adults] apply what they are learning to real life.  It's a great place to write down questions they might want to explore later and the Clues remind us all of the lessons we need to hold dear to our heart.  I especially liked this reminder to act respectfully to your parents and teachers and let your actions show others that you care about doing GOD's will:

The black and white illustrations help draw the eye of the reader and truly do captivate the audience.  I love that GOD can and will use books written for children to touch the hearts of moms and dads, too.  Don't you?

A few weeks ago, I passed out notecards to each of the middle school students in Bible Study and asked them to write down ALL of the Bible stories that they knew.  After a few minutes, they were done -- having written only 5 - 7 story titles down with many of the titles confused. (Nehemiah and the Whale, David in the Lion's Den, Adam and Eve, the girl who was 14 [Esther])  I think what surprised me most is that there is not much difference in the lists of those kids that that we consider "regular" as well as those that are considered "drop-offs".   I've taken those cards and carefully tucked them into the pages of my Bible so that I remember to focus on the basics and present the facts and I'm using the Kingdom Files series to do just that.

We started anew with the children and shared the story of Jonah with them using the facts.  Facts matter.

• Jonah was swallowed by a big fish.  It might have been a whale, but it wasn't necessarily a whale.  
• Jonah tried to run away from GOD.  He didn't just hop on a cruise ship for a quick vacation before heading to minister in Ninevah.  That man was on the run.
• GOD knows where we are -- even when we try to hide from HIM.
• GOD loved Jonah enough that HE prepared an escape plan for him in the form of a monster fish.  LONG before Jonah tried to run away, GOD created a fish that would be in just the right place at just the right time to give Jonah the hope that only GOD can give.
• GOD made sure that the big storm came up while Jonah was in the middle of the watery depths so that when he was thrown overboard, he couldn't swim to safety on his own.  Jonah needed GOD to save him and so do we.
• GOD loves each of us JUST THAT MUCH and HE provided an escape plan for us in HIS SON, JESUS.

And you know what?  The children got it.  They really got it.  They listened to the facts and they grasped just how big our GOD is and were able to illustrate DETAILS of the account of Jonah for our gallery wall:

GOD has opened my eyes to new details as I've read through and studied the pages of these two books.  HE has allowed me to see facts in a new light.  As a result, I'm wanting to expand my library to include the other biographies in the Kingdom Files series.  This series of children's books packs a huge punch.  We would all be served well to read them.

You are definitely going to want to further explore the Kingdom Files series from Barbour Publishing and pick the perfect biography for your family to begin reading.  You'll be able to find out more about these special biographies and how they can bless your home through the following Social Media links:

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For further investigation, spend some time checking out the Games and Educator Resources on the Kingdom Files website.  You will find a multitude of resources there to keep your children (or those you minister to) engaged and seeking GOD in a new way.

I was given the opportunity to review these books from the Kingdom Files series and Barbour Publishing as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of these neat books by clicking on the graphic below.

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