Chosen

This book, Chosen: Birth and Faith Through a Doula Lens, is a short but powerful book.

Katherine Newsom walks you through eight chapters with important factors of the pregnancy and birth process and how the Bible and the Gospel speak to each of these categories. I love her heart in simple wording to express deep truths that women need to hear in this journey of motherhood and how to apply them in a general way. 

For example, " To put it in a greater Biblical light, we can see childbirth as God's mercy for us. For in Genesis, we read that God chose to give Adam and Eve the gift to multiply, even after the sinned against Him, although they deserved death." This quote come from the chapter "Understand and Prepare" and gives us perspective on childbirth and how to view it no matter how we feel. We are confronted with the truth that bearing life is God's mercy and we can view this when we're frustrated or tired in the midst of the pregnancy and see the beauty in what is happening in our bodies. 

I highly recommend this book to every woman to encourage you on your journey no matter where you are in it. Even if you are through childbearing years, there is life in this book to help you think back and embrace the journey you have been on and share it with the women coming up behind you in need of your support during her season of childbearing. 

5 stars for this much needed book!

Reading Challenges:

In the 2021 Reading Challenge with Tim Challies- A book of your choice in the light section

In the 2021 Christian Reading Challenge with Jami Balmet- Parenting/Family Life category

In the 2021 Intentional by Grace Reading Challenge- About an interest of yours in the level 1 section

Secret of the Andes

This book is part of our Core D curriculum with Sonlight.

Our family really enjoyed this historical fiction read aloud. A beautiful story about a llama herder and his apprentice who live high in the Andes mountains, follows Cusi as he goes on his journey to manhood in choosing the path he needs to take. 

Secret of the Andes is slow moving and very detailed in the events that it depicts, but even still it kept our attention as we read. Every piece is deliberate and important to the story that is unfolding before you. It is an interesting look into the Inca culture and religion. You also have the opportunity to see the ancient collide with the new in Cusi's journey. It is fascinating to see through the eyes of the young llama herder what life is like and his understanding of the important tasks that make up each day.

If you enjoy a good cultural story, I definitely recommend this book. 

I will give it 4 stars. It was beautiful and well told, but not earth shattering in anyway.

Reading Challenges:

This book doesn't fit with any specific category and will be considered a book of choice on those challenges that have them. 

I was surprised to see that this is a classic book. I will be using it in the category of 20th Century Classic.

Pedro's Journal

This book is part of our Core D with Sonlight and was read aloud to our children.

Pedro's Journal is a piece of interesting fiction that follows a young cabin boy on the voyage with Columbus across the Atlantic Ocean to the Islands in the Atlantic. It starts as they are setting out and ends before they get back to Spain but does have a little conclusion at the end. 

You can tell it is written from the perspective of someone young and ready for adventure but who is still unsure of the world and what is going to happen to him. Pedro is very relatable to other children and even to adults as we think about our own decisions and remember growing up and how we processed things. It was interesting to talk through some of the things Pedro was experiencing with our children and how they might respond. 

I appreciate that this book did not shy away from hard things and realities, but that it was written in a way that it wasn't too much for our little ones. Our older ones really enjoyed this book and the adventures of Pedro. There were times they were laughing and times they were sad as they followed his journey across the Atlantic and back.

I would give this book 4 stars for what it is, though it's not one I would want to read over and over again. 

Reading Challenges:

This doesn't really fit into any of the categories, so with it being the end of the year I'll count it as a book of my choice, though it's not necessarily one I would choose. 

Gentle and Lowly

I bought this book right before the beginning of the pandemic to read with our Bible study group. Then everything shut down and so I waited to see if we would begin this group again. As things slowly opened back up I was encouraged by one of our pastors to read it and have heard amazing things about it from everyone who's read it. After reading it I wish I had not waited and that I could say I've read it three times already!

This book is a MUST READ for every single person who calls themselves a Christian! While many of the truths discussed in this book I have heard on some level before, the depth to which Dane Ortlund goes into the heart of Christ I have never seen before. He takes you on a journey with Christ to see who He is as He describes Himself. 

How does Jesus describe Himself?

As gentle and lowly!

Reading this truth over and over and how it is shown throughout Scripture gave me a deeper knowledge and understanding of my God and who He is! God has used it to shape me in many ways over the past month and has given me some much needed perspective to help conquer many thoughts and feelings I've been wrestling with. It was a solid reminder that God draws near to us when we're broken and sinful instead of pushing us away. He understand more deeply than we every could the struggle and the heartache. 

This book helped me to draw near to my Savior and it continues to grow as I reflect on what I've learned. I highly recommend you read this book as soon as possible and read it again and again. I know I will be reading this one again in the next year as I need these reminders constantly!

5 stars for this amazing book!

Reading Challenges: 

2021 Reading Challenge with Tim Challies: A book your pastor recommends in the obsessed section

2021 Christian Reading Challenge with Jami Balmet: One of the Christian Living options

2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge: Recommended by your Pastor on Level 3

Eldest

This second book in the "Inheritance" saga was an interesting read. 

We follow Eragon on his journey to becoming a Rider and figuring out how to defeat the King of Alagaesia who is the only other Rider and evil in every way. This is written in a classic fantasy form, which makes it even more enjoyable if you really like fantasy writing. I really liked how we learned even more of the peoples of Alagaesia and the history of this fantasy land as Eragon learns what he needs to know as well as learning things to give him a better understanding of the history of the groups of people he is defending. 

Overall this book is very well written and flows well. There were a couple of spots that, in my opinion, dragged a little and possibly could have been done without. (I'll evaluate this again once I finish the series.) The lessons Eragon learns are extensive and run deep. Even though this is not at all reality, it is still possible to sympathize and empathize with him and feel deeply for all that is going on in him and around him. 

Even with the slower parts, the story is engaging and for the most part I wanted to keep reading and find out what happens. I also had made some suppositions as I read and I wanted to see if I was right! Even with guessing a couple of things, there were definitely surprises along the way ant that made the book even better for me! I like being right, but I also like when I can't figure out everything. That's when you know you've got a good book. 

I give this book 4 stars and definitely recommend it, especially if you love reading about fantasy worlds. 

Reading Challenges: 

This book is A Book With Magic in the Obsessed section of the 2021 Reading Challenge with Tim Challies.

I'm using this one as my fantasy book in Modern Mrs. Darcy My Reading Life Challenge.

In the 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge this book is for the category of Longer than 400 pages on level 3.

Our Nine Year Old Gabriel

Today we say "Happy Ninth Birthday" to our sweet and precious Gabriel! 

It's incredible to think it's been nine years since he came into this world with a bit of a bang. His birth was a bit early and unexpected and he continues to marvel us with his love of God, love of people and love of life. He wanted to get here with flair and he continues to live with flair! 

Gabriel is ready for just about anything. He loves to explore, to sit and learn, to work puzzles, build with anything, climb trees and just soak in the life that God has given him. His most favorite thing to do is build with Legos. He comes up with all kinds of creations or builds sets that have not been mixed into the whole yet. He enjoys building with his brothers and also by himself. He's very flexible and that is such a blessing.

If Gabriel's not building he's either studying puzzles of all kinds, especially word puzzles, or he's outside climbing trees or "sword fighting" with his brothers. He's full of a desire to learn and grow in every way possible and enjoys a good challenge on the way. He really enjoys his spelling workbooks because of all the puzzles he gets to work through to learn the words and what they mean. It's such a blessing to watch Gabriel's love of learning as he figures things out. He enjoys his math as well and loves figuring out the problems. It's amazing to watch him figure something out and then get so excited that he figured it out and got it right. This boy knows how to celebrate the amazing mind that God has given to him. 

In the past couple of years, Gabriel has also gotten into baking with Lillian. He loves to mix and try things and often helps with her baking creations. We're to the point we need two kitchens so that there is space for everyone to work on their skills as well as taking care of regular meals. It's a joy to watch these two work together and grow together in a shared love and skill.

Gabriel is such a kind and sweet spirit. God has truly blessed our family with his life. He is eager to help, ready to step in when needed and is very in tune with how others are feeling and what they need. He has become a wonderful help with the little ones, playing with them, reading to them, helping them with games and puzzles as well as cleaning up after them and changing diapers when needed. He rarely complains about what he needs to do and often asks how can I help or lets us know he's doing the next thing. 

He loves the Word of God and has been diligently studying it for most of the year. Gabriel has really enjoyed his Hebrew/Greek/English Bible and is slowly learning the original language as he uses other supplemental sources to learn. He also loves to pray and prays for whatever is said that needs prayer. He loves to pray for our missionaries everyday! He's working on memorizing James with the rest of the family. During Bible and Breakfast, he's always asking questions and is eager to learn and make connections. It's incredible to see what God is already doing in his young life.

We are so blessed and so thankful for our sweet Gabriel! He adds so much joy and laughter to our family and home. 

Father, we thank You so much for Gabriel and that You have given this precious son to our family. He is such a joy and adds life as he continues to learn how to live from Your Word. Please continue to grow him in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man as he goes throughout his life. You are already working so much on his heart and it blows us away. Thank You for his desire to learn and help and do what needs to be done. Thank You for the love and care for others You have instilled in him. Grow him ever more in these things and make him more like Jesus everyday. We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus! Amen!

A Full Season

 We've been a little lax on updates over the past few months. God has been working in mighty ways in our home, and the blog posts have not gotten done. Right now our family is learning and growing and so much of that is done hands on or in other parts of the internet. 

Our biggest news right now is that we're expecting our 11th special blessing in February! 

While not completely expected, we are so thrilled that God has given us another arrow in our quiver to teach and train in the fear of the LORD! Our other children are so excited to have a new sibling and they talk about the new baby all of the time. While the pregnancy has been normal, it's also been taxing. We're all having to work together in ways we hadn't before and all of us are growing in what it means to work hard as unto the LORD and work together for the glory of God and the good of the family. It's about 12 weeks before this little one is born and we are excited for the time to come to meet this new addition. 

With our precious gift on the way, we are in the market for a bigger van. Right now it is proving difficult to find what we need used. If you are aware of any 15 passenger vans for sale, please let us know! The way the market is with everything going on in the world we may end up needing to buy new, which is unnerving, but we know God will provide exactly what we need. 

This year God has also been working on us in building a family ministry business under our name here: The Manor Manor. While still in the beginning growing stages of this endeavor, we are reaching out and growing our email list. We will be encompassing many areas under this umbrella, including Childbirth Conversations, Psalm 127 Ministry and Emmie Beth Manor (my author site). We will continue to consult for Norwex and for essential oils as well. 

The Manor Manor will encourage and help families with discipleship all the way through life, healthy, natural living, childbirth education and beyond. Right now we're really focusing on discipleship with our Bible and Breakfast Template. We would love to have you join us on this journey by getting your Bible and Breakfast Template and joining our mailing list. If you know anyone that would benefit from what we're offering please pass the word along. We want to serve families well and prepare them for the climate change that is coming. We have Bible studies in the works for families that will be available in the next few months. We're so excited about what God is doing! 

Other ways you can support us in this would be following us:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheManorManor
https://www.facebook.com/EmmieManorNorwexConsultant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themanor.manor/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp5zGCSuqmvvWo5-kHusWlw

We're still building these, but we would love you along for the journey!

This Saturday at 1 PM ET we are also part of a Christmas Bazaar and we would love to have you come and see the amazing Black Friday Offers that our friends will be sharing. There are some amazing products available! You can register for the Bazaar Here: https://handprintlegacy.com/christmasbazaar

Lillian is also working toward fulling launching her bakery in the new year. She has had a consistent customer this year, which has been a huge blessing for her getting practice as well as a few other customers throughout the year. We will be building her website and page in the months to come. 

Yes, life is full right now! We continue to teach and train our children at home, Jim is still working full time at Piedmont in the PACU and we're rearranging and purging our home to make our home function better for our growing family. But it is good. God is good and He is teaching us how to live in what He has called us to even though it doesn't look at all like we expected! 

Thank you for being a part of our journey! We couldn't do it without you!

Our Four Year Old Isaac

 How much time has gone by since we welcomed our 8th child into our arms, unexpectedly in 2017. Things have changed and life is full, and we are so blessed to have Isaac in our family to add to the fullness, the laughter and the fun!

Isaac is so full of energy and spends his days running, coloring, learning his letters and numbers and helping with his chores. He's always on the go and also loves to learn, which is quite a fun combination. He loves music and singing and walks around the house with his "guitar" singing "Death Was Arrested," his current favorite song. 

Isaac is spunky and spirited and does not like to be told no. He absolutely thinks he is older than he is and that he can do anything to big boys can do! He climbs and runs everywhere. If you see a blur go by, it's probably Isaac going to the next thing. He keeps us on our toes as moves from one thing to the next very quickly. Right now we're working on focusing and when he really wants to work on a project he does a great job seeing it through! 

Because he wants to be one of the big boys, Isaac is often in their room learning from them, wrestling with them and trying to do what they do. He loves hanging out with his big brothers and they teach him so much as they learn themselves. For the most part Isaac is fearless and will try just about anything (as long as there isn't a dog around!) He loves to explore outside and watches ants and roly-poly's as they work around our yard and driveway. He picks leaves and flowers to bring to his mama to brighten her day. He loves riding toys and going as fast as he can down our driveway. The kids hideout is a shelter for him. He could be outside all day and be perfectly content. 

Currently, Isaac is perfecting his letters and sounds, learning numbers, writing and drawing basics, and enjoying God's creation. He is also learning Scripture and is learning James with the rest of the family. His favorite thing to learn is songs and is always asking to sing hymns and songs we learn in corporate worship. It is such a joy to hear him sing! 

We are so blessed by Isaac in our family. He adds so much life with his gigantic smile and contagious laugh. It's such a joy to watch him grow and we pray for God to do a mighty work in his life. 

Father, we thank You for Isaac and the gift he is to our family! Thank You for such an amazing surprise and a boy who is so full of life. We pray that You will work in his heart and give him a saving faith in Jesus to be reconciled to You that he may bring You glory and live for Your Kingdom. Thank You for all that You have already done in his short life. Thank You for teaching us about Your goodness, grace and love. Thank You for teaching us about laughter and fun in the midst of fullness and chaos. Please continue to grow him and bring him to You. In Jesus Name we ask these things, Amen!

 

Our Ten Year Old Reuben

Our sweet Reuben is now double digits! It doesn't seem possible that we could have three children now in the pre-teen phase, but we are blessed to have such amazing children. 

Reuben joined our family on the outside ten years ago today! 

I can't express to you what a joy and delight Reuben is to our family! He is so mild mannered and for the most part even tempered that he just goes with the flow in spite of the chaos or fullness around him. He watches and takes it all in. He listens to what's around him. He also enjoys the stories in his own mind. Reuben loves to read and learn as well as imagine and create. He's a thinker and loves to put things together. He's quiet and caring and such a vital part of the Manor Manor.

One of the amazing things about Reuben is that he can fix anything! God has given him an incredible mind to look at something and find a solution for how to put it back together. He's become our handyman in training and regularly fixes drawers, doors, cabinets and shelves. He also practices his building skill with Legos and builds both from instructions and his own imagination. Building and putting together is probably one of his favorite things to do.

Reuben inherited creativity from his Creator. He loves to draw, color, create with origami and other paper creations. He is wanting to write a book series about heros and has been writing down ideas for these books. Creativity runs deep in his veins and it is so fun to see it emerge in many different ways. His drawings from our study of Revelation as a family were amazing and so realistic! He constantly surprises us.

Reuben also loves to read and learn. He reads books of all kinds from lift the flap from Usborne to chapter books. He has been working on The Hobbit this year as his stretch book and enjoys comparing it to the movie. Right now he's very interested in geography, Biblical studies and what firefighters do. 

We call Reuben "Muscles" because God has given him a natural strength that goes along with his natural building and fixing tendencies and preparing him well for becoming a fire fighter. He loves to climb, swing and use his muscles for fun activities. He also uses them to carry heavy objects for his mama and help when Daddy is not here to do the heavy lifting. He is eager to help and wants to help others regularly. When asked why he wants to be a fire fighter he says so he can help people.

Our Reuben is so sweet and tender. He is easily upset and doesn't like to see others hurting. This is a gift and it helps him care well for his siblings. It's amazing to see how God has given him such a heart already. He is learning Scripture and memorizing it and learning more about the God of the Universe. He also prays for missionaries and to obey. We clearly see God working in his heart and mind. Reuben is such a gift and I'm thankful everyday that God has given him to our family.

Father, thank You for our sweet Reuben. Thank You for how You're working in his life. Please continue to draw him to You and bring him to life in Jesus. Thank You for his sweet spirit and desire to help others. Make Reuben more like You even as You draw him. We pray all this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Our Five Year Old Malachi

Our spunky Malachi is now five! 

Our last child born in Louisville, he was a turning point in our family's story. He was not even one when we came back to GA, and now Malachi is five. Time flies so quickly the older you get and it's no exception with this little man.

Malachi is such a joy! He loves to help, loves to learn and loves to be outside. One of our favorite things is talking while we sort laundry together to put away. He enjoys helping me do this and it's a special time for us. He's also amazing at sorting clothes! Malachi is also learning to clean his room by putting things away and sweeping as well as making his bed. He will also give the older boys a hand with their chores when needed. 

Learning is at the top of his list of favorite things to do. Recently, Malachi has been excelling at learning to write while practicing phonics and numbers, color and draw. In fact, it's been amazing to see his drawings recently. He's a bit obsessed with Larry Boy and draws him over and over again. He's getting pretty good! Puzzle books are also becoming fun for him. At this stage it's more for mazes and picture puzzles, but he enjoys doing the same ones over and over again. So fun! He wants to learn to read, but is in no hurry. He enjoys being read to still and it's precious to sit and read together when he's not wanting to write and draw. 

Being outside is also a favorite of his. Malachi has become very proficient at climbing trees and climbing high. He is fearless in this and loves to explore. Watching bugs, studying leaves and plants and watching birds are his preferred forms of science. He let's James teach him about these things as James loves to teach what he knows. 

This boys is also rough and tumble. Wrestling and hugging with force are very big for Malachi. He loves to spar with his brothers and get his energy out with a good row. With the rough and tumble, Malachi is also very sweet. He loves hugs, kisses and gentle pats on the head or back. He takes care of the little ones, especially Esther. He loves being a big brother and teaching her what he knows. It's amazing watching him teach even at a young age. What a sweet thing to see! 

Recently, Malachi has really grown in prayer, Bible memory and singing. Our Bible time in the morning is so precious. Though his flesh still fights it, we see God's Word not returning void as Malachi grows in learning it. He is beginning to pick out things from our Bible reading and answer questions. He is working on memorizing James with the other children and doing well with learning it. He's also learning to pray and he just prays whatever is on his heart and he loves to pray for others, especially our full-time missionaries. Singing is his favorite. He sings all kinds of things, but hymns he sings the most often. He asks to sing "Victory in Jesus", "Holy, Holy, Holy", and "Be Thou My Vision" among others. It's such a blessing to hear him sing. 

We are so thankful for Malachi. He's added such life to our home and he is a precious gift.

Father, Thank You for Malachi and giving him to our family. It's such a blessing to have his bright and fun personality in our family and home. Please continue to grow him in love of Your Word, Prayer and singing to You. Let him know You. Save Malachi by your amazing grace and let him bring You glory and honor by living a life after you in every way. Give him passion and love for You! We pray all this in the Name of Jesus, Amen!

Esther is One!

Our Precious second daughter is one year old!

How is it even possible that it's been a year since Esther was born into our arms! Having another girl in our home is such a precious gift.

Our sweet Esther is growing so quickly! She is full of personality and adds such fun to our home. She loves to smile and laugh, to be with her brothers and sisters, and to eat. Boy can this girl eat! And she eats everything. What a blessing that is! 

She already loves to learn. Esther watches then does. She repeats everything that she hears and is already talking a LOT. She's a super fast crawler but is working on walking. Right now she enjoys looking at books and turning pages. Already she's beginning to ask what things are. She wants to know.

Esther loves to be around people, especially family. She and Lillian already have a special sister bond and it is so sweet to watch Esther follow Lillian and want to be with her. She loves her brothers too, but already she recognizes that Lillian and her are different and it's such a blessing to see this grow even with ten years age difference between them. In turn, Lillian loves to take care of Essie and make sure she has what she needs. Lillian takes Esther with her and teaches her as they go. 

She also loves to snuggle and it so sweet to have Esther come up and give you a hug. She also loves kisses and fishy lips. It's so cute to watch her make fishy lips to ask for a kiss. Esther also blows kisses when she's leaving a room or Daddy is leaving and she's in her chair. It's precious having such a sweet little girl. 

We have been so blessed by this arrow in our quiver. Esther has been such a blessing to our home. 

Father, thank You for sweet Esther and giving us another girl to fill our family. Thank You for her life. We pray that You will continue to grow her and that You will save her by Your amazing grace. Give us grace to teach her to love You and her neighbor. Make her a light for Your glory. In Jesus's Name, we ask these things. Amen!

Our Six Year Old Nehemiah

 Our sweet Nehemiah is now six! This sweet spunky boy is growing so quickly. He entered the world with a bang and he continues to add so much life to our home.

Nehemiah loves life. He loves to explore the world, learn whatever he can and be with people. Being outside is one of his favorite things to do. No matter the weather or temperature, God's creation is where he wants to be. He explores our yard, climbs trees fearlessly and takes note of everything around him. He takes it all in and learns by doing so easily. He likes to figure out the puzzle of the world.

He also loves to learn. Nehemiah has grown so much in learning and he is now reading very well and taking in whatever books he is able. He also loves to do puzzle books of all kinds. Math has been coming naturally to him these days and he is motivated to learn whatever he can. If he wants to know something he has no problem asking. He loves learning from his older siblings and is picking up on all kinds of things as he listens to them. It's amazing to see how God created his mind and it is a joy to watch him learn. Especially watching him learn Bible and memorize it. It's incredible!

Nehemiah also takes care of the little ones, even though he is not that much older or bigger than they are. He loves to play with all of the younger ones, especially Timothy. He knows he is the big brother and seeks to lead by example as they play together. He pretends to be daddy or the dog owner. He makes sure they are not hurting each other and taking care of Esther if she is playing with them. His disposition is so sweet and it makes him such an amazing leader, even at such a young age.

With all of this, he is very sensitive. He easily gets hurt by others both physically and emotionally. It makes him very compassionate and we see his name's meaning (God is my comfort and help) already coming out in his personality. We pray that he will know the deep love and comfort of God so that he can point others to God when he is caring for them. 

We are so blessed by this precious gift from God. He is such a light in our family and we are so grateful for him.

Father, thank You for Nehemiah and giving him to our family. Thank You for his precious personality that You are already using to reach others. We pray that you will save Nehemiah by Your amazing grace. Make him like Jesus, fill him with Your Holy Spirit and use him to be Your hands and feet to those around him. Please grow him in Your grace in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man as he learns and grows. Give him a deep love for You and Your Word that he may keep Your Word and point others to You. In Jesus's Name, Amen!

17 Years of Marriage

 Today marks 17 years since we said, "I do." 

17 years of adventure. 17 years of learning what it means to do life together. 17 years of learning what it means to follow God and live according to His Word. 17 years of ups and downs, smiles and tears. 17 years of life.

This year has been one of much growth. Since much of this year has been interesting in a number of ways, God has taught us even more of these things above and we have grown so much together. 

This year we have learned so much more how to pray together over everything. We're still growing in this as it's not always easy to do in the fullness of life, but we see critically how much we need to pray over everything in our life and in the lives of those around us. We need to pray for our leaders locally, nationally and globally. We need to pray for the church our local body and our family around the world. We grow everyday in what it means to truly pray.

This year we have grown in learning together. Learning Bible, learning theology, learning how to parent better, learning how to organize and plan more efficiently, learning how to grow an online business, learning how to be together and enjoy fun times. We have really loved learning about growing a ministry business together and understanding how Scripture guides us in the principles even when exact commands do not exist. We're learning how to try and keep going and not be afraid of failure. 

Year 17 has been big for us in other ways as well. A book was published, we had our tenth child (another girl!), we started working diligently on Childbirth Conversations, we have gotten coaching to help guide us as the LORD shows us His path, and begun work on The Manor Manor as our parent business for all of our endeavors. 

What an adventure God has brought us on! 

And even though it has been challenging in many ways, it has been so good as God leads the way. 

Father, thank You for the gift of marriage. Thank you for this opportunity and privilege to share the Gospel by living Your design. Thank You for all of your blessings and all of the amazing gifts You have given us. We are blessed beyond measure and we are so thankful that You have brought us to this point. Please continue to guide us in our marriage as we walk with You, teach and train our children and seek to encourage others to do the same. Thank You for your grace! In Jesus Name we pray, Amen!

Jim's 38th Birthday

 38 years Jim has been on this earth. It has been an amazing year. Jim has grown closer to God, closer to me and closer to our children. He is growing in courage and learning to be who God has created him to be.

With the pandemic Jim majorly stepped up and did an amazing job as we were unable to meet with the church for several months. We loved our family Sundays that included Bible study with breakfast, Systematic Theology study after kitchen clean up, watching our church worship from a far, and sermon discussion with lunch followed by family game and movie time. What an amazing job he did as we delved into going deeper with our children. While we don't do this all on Sunday now, it set us up for even deeper conversations after our corporate worship and Sunday School and gave us even more to discuss and teach in our week. This grew our family together in mighty ways and we have seen God doing amazing work because of the faithfulness of Jim to God's instruction to train up his children in the ways of the LORD. We're so blessed with an amazing spiritual head of our home.

I continue to see God welling in Jim a love for family ministry and training parents, especially fathers who work many hours, to train and disciple their children. It's a super exciting time as we work on plans to make a ministry to do just that. Jim is naturally shy, but as God expands His vision and shows Jim what He desires, Jim is growing in courage and love for following God and what He's calling him to even when it's hard. 

On top of this, Jim continues to work tirelessly at Piedmont in the PACU to provide for our family. God has been so gracious to provide far more than we ever expected with this job and still have a semi-normal schedule so that we have Jim on weekends and he's home Wednesdays during the week. He are so blessed to have a wonderful job that allows him to provide well and be present well for our family. 

We are beyond blessed! I'm so thankful for Jim and his incredible life. I love watching what God does as He grows Jim in Christlikeness. 

Father, thank You for Jim and his Godly influence on our family. Thank You that he loves Your Word and teaches our family straight from it without hesitation or reservation. Thank You that he teaches, trains and disciples. Thank You for the love he has for all of us. Please continue to grow him in Your strength and make him even more like Your Son, Jesus. Continue to lead Jim as he leads our family and teaches us what it means to follow You with all that we are. Thank You for Your continued provision, even in this strange year. Thank You for drawing us closer to You and to each other. I pray these things in Jesus's Name, Amen!

Our Eleven Year Old Lillian

Our first daughter, Lillian, is 11-years-old today. Her birth is one I have never forgotten. From the moment we knew she was in my womb, God used her life to show us that trusting Him and listening to His voice is the way to live.

Lillian is such a precious young lady and God has worked so much in her this year. It's been amazing to watch Lillian flourish into a young woman and learn to embrace who God has created her to be. During this year we have seen God save her and Lillian has grown so much in her faith. She's been studying the Word, memorizing James and Proverbs 31 and growing in prayer. God has given her a love for her home and she enjoys taking care of her little brothers and sister, cooking and baking and is learning to sew. This love is definitely from the LORD as we have seen such a change in focus since she was saved. It is beautiful to watch her light up as she talks about making things for her home now and when she grows up. She so desires to be a woman after God's own heart.

This year Lillian has grown so much in her baking skills. Cookies, cakes, pies, tuilles, cream puffs, muffins and just about anything else you can think of she is willing to try and usually succeeds at making on her first try. (Soft pretzels are a family favorite) Her flavors are amazing and her textures are right on. She does both traditional baking and baking with alternative flours and sweeteners and both are delicious. It was amazing that she developed her own blondie recipe made with alternative flour and sweeteners so that those with sugar sensitivities could enjoy. This year she is working on presentation and finesse as she decorates her cakes. She has also started selling cakes, so Lillian's Bakery has commenced.

Reading has also become very important to Lillian. When she's not baking she's usually reading. She enjoys her American Girl books and is working through The Baxter Family series by Karen Kingsbury. There are many other books she reads, but she goes back to those over and over again. 

Lillian also enjoys being outside. Whether reading in the grass, exploring our yard, picking flowers or helping Esther explore she loves to be out and about in nature. 

And people. She loves to be around people, especially other women. She is wanting to learn from those who have gone before and asks all kinds of questions. Lillian sees the value in asking questions and learning from others. It is such a blessing to see this in her. She has grown up so much this year and it is amazing to see how God is working in her and through her.

Father, thank You so much for our sweet Lillian. Thank You for the life you have given her and the joy and laughter she brings to our family and home. Thank You for the work You are doing in her to make her a woman after Your own heart, making her like Jesus. Continue to grow her in loving You, Your Word and Your Way. Teach her to hear Your still small voice and let her follow You wholeheartedly! In the Name of Jesus we ask these thing. Amen!

Eragon

Jim has been telling me for years to read the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini, and this year I decided was the year to start it as I want to study different fantasy books to learn and write one myself.

Jim knew I would enjoy this book and he was not wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed delving in the the world of Alagaesia and following Eragon as he steps into a life he had never expected. A poor farmer boy raised by his uncle, Eragon finds a large blue stone while he's out hunting in the Spine and his life is forever changed. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed the world and the complexities of making your own world and magic system, the book was very predictable. I know there is a general outline for story telling and even more so for fantasy stories, but this was highly predictable and I definitely called much of the story as it happened. I'm still waiting to see whether some of my predictions are true as the story unfolds in the rest of the series, but most of the ones I made in the first book came to pass. 

That being said, I still enjoyed the story and will probably read this again in the future, especially if our children want to read it. For a first book written by a teenager, it is definitely well written and well thought through. I definitely felt with the characters and found myself cheering and booing internally as I read. It even brought tears a couple of times. 

If you enjoy fantasy books, I definitely recommend this one.

4 Stars 

Reading Challenges:

I'm using Eragon in the 2021 Reading Challenge by Tim Challies as a Book by an Author 30 or Younger in the Committed section

A Fiction Book for Fun in level 1 with 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge

A Book Chosen by Jim in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Life Challenge.

Five True Dog Stories

This delightful short read is part of our Core A curriculum with Sonlight.

This book, as the title indicates, has five stories about dogs who did heroic deeds to help humanity throughout the years. Each story had its own flare and you see how different types of dogs are geared for different things. It's neat to see dogs doing what God created them to do to help humans. One fought crime another worked to protect people crossing the Swiss Alps. It was a vast array even in five stories. 

Our children enjoyed these stories a lot with many laughs and a few tears. Each chapter was a quick and easy read so everyone could sit through a chapter without issue. This was a great read for the whole family to enjoy. 

4 Stars for this family read.

Reading Challenges:

I'm counting this as a book I've read before in the 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge. 

Our Seven Year Old Sam

 

Seven years. And what a seven years it has been since we welcomed our precious Sam into our arms!

This spunky, energetic boy has been a blessing from the start. His life brought about a new era in our family with God using Sam to push us into a deeper faith. God is still using him to do this. 

Sam loves life and loves everything in life. He wants to be a part of it ALL. When asked what he wants it is likely to change a dozen times in five minutes because he wants everything and enjoys everything. He wants to be in the middle of the party. He loves people. He loves making people laugh and Sam does this on a regular basis. His desire is to be happy and to make others happy.

Sam loves to watch anything and everything he is allowed to and then turn around and act it out for you. His memory for films is astounding and he quotes movies and educational videos left and right. He loves to learn and is growing in all his skills with books, but if he can watch it to learn it, he would rather do that. 

Right now Sam is growing in his reading skills and comprehension, basic math and writing. In the past couple of months he has really shown a deep desire to read and write and understand. It's so fun watching him put things together and get so excited that he figured it out. He is also really into schedules and calendars, desiring schedule and order, which is amazing to see in him. Sam also asks questions about anything and everything. He wants to know it all and his mind is a whirlwind of wonderings and musings and we enjoy hearing him come up with some funny ideas. He's so creative.

Sam is learning Bible and wants to know the things of God, though we have not yet seen salvation. He reads his Action Bible and talks through the stories with us. He is memorizing Scripture and growing in this. Right now he's working on James 1 and knows verses 1-8, along with other Scripture from catechism and Sunday School. It's amazing to see God working in him.

Some of Sam's preferred activities outside of movies are LEGOs, playing games and being outside. Being outside is at the top if the weather is nice. He loves to explore, pretend and imagine as he goes about our property. He does also enjoy playing in the rain when it's not storming. He loves being out in God's creation. 

Sam has a deep appreciation of food. There is not much this boy will not eat. From fish to chicken, apples to lemons, asparagus to zucchini, not to mention sweets he enjoys it all. And he loves to eat all the time. Food is definitely one of his favorite things. 

Sam keeps us on our toes and we are so thankful for this sweet young man that God has given to us. 

Father, thank You for Sam and how You have already used him to touch others. Please continue to grow him in wisdom and knowledge of You and bring him to Yourself. Continue to give him a deep love of people and of life and use that to show him yourself. Thank You for all You are doing in Sam and through Sam. We are so blessed by his life. In the Name of Jesus I pray these things. Amen!

Stories from Around the World

This delightful story collection is part of our Core P with Sonlight.

Stories from Around the World is a collection of stories that are based in different countries, just as the name suggests. This is probably our third time reading through this book and we all have enjoyed it every time. These stories give you a peek into different cultures, what they believe and value or they have life lessons like Aesop's Fables. 

This time around my oldest noticed themes and said with one of the later stories, "I knew they were going to get married." He found a common element among many of the stories. This is good for finding connectivity but I think he was also a bit annoyed by it. 

That being said, most stories valued hard work, doing what is right and looking out for others. While many of these stories are not even close to Christian, they did provide opportunities to talk about what God's Word says about the idea of the story. 

I would give this story collection 4 stars.

Reading Challenges:

I'm counting this book as a Book that Looks Easy to Read Level 2 in the 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge

The Mission of Motherhood

I have been trying to read this book for several years. I'd started it a couple of times, but because of the reflection questions at the end of each chapter I kept getting bogged down and not completing it. After realizing I just needed to read it, I finally sat down and did just that! 

The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson is a book every mother needs to read. Nothing in this book was new to me, but her soothing tone along side her direct statements allowed me to receive these messages fresh and anew. Sally does a beautiful job of walking you through your roles as a woman, wife, mother and homemaker, grounded in Scripture. 

Sally lets you into her life. She talks about her struggles, her victories, her successes and her heartaches. She shares her work both at home and on the road and how she prays over what she does. Her children were still at home when this book was written, so it was definitely written from a more practical perspective.

One hard thing in this is some of her fun suggestions do feel a little overwhelming in my current child rearing stage of life. I love the ideas and I hope to work on incorporating them, but I also know that I can make these types of things work for our family that is twice the size of hers. 

On the whole I really enjoyed this book. I'm thankful for her candid view of motherhood and pointing to the eternal work that we are doing in raising our children. Since I read this over a few months I don't have excellent notes on everything but I do remember a couple of things bothering me from a Scriptural perspective, though I'm not sure what they are at this point. 

I do like that each chapter has Scripture and questions to think through as well as suggestions. This can be very helpful in any parenting season.

I would give this book a 4.5 star rating. I do think all mothers would benefit from it, but it wasn't quite five stars in my book.

Reading Challenges:

Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge I'm using this as a book on parenting in the Obsessed section of the challenge

Christian Reading Challenge 2021 with Jami Balmet I'm counting this as a book on Parenting/Family Life

James Herriot's Treasury for Children

This children's story collection is part of our Core A Curriculum with Sonlight.

This book was a delightful read for the entire family. We read the stories over lunch and had such fun thinking about what was going on with the people and animals in the stories. It is neat to see how different animals are and how they can help humans. As soon as we finished one story I was asked for another. 

This book is simple yet compelling in it's story telling and we were easily drawn in to what was happening. The pictures were lovely and picturesque taking you to the farm, city or countryside area that the story took place in. 

This was also fun as a couple of our boys have interest in having animals or small farms and they enjoyed hearing how to care for them. It definitely stirred curiosity and gave them desire to know more. 

It was humorous in one story that was told from the animals perspective, all of my children said, "how does he know what the lamb was thinking?" This allowed for a good dialogue about imagination and also the differences between animals and humans.

I'd give this story treasury 4 stars

This book does not fit into any reading challenge this year unless it is a book of my choice.

Johnny Appleseed The Story of a Legend by Will Moses

This book is part of our Core A curriculum through Sonlight.

I'm really not a huge fan of this book. I read it because the children like hearing about Johnny Appleseed, but personally it's not my favorite. In fact after reading this book, I'd wonder if Johnny Appleseed even existed!

Aside from the clear biographical information at the beginning and the end, the vast majority of the book is pure speculation. "Maybe he thought this." "Perhaps he wanted that." These kinds of statements flood this book with no real knowledge of what he did and why. It's also unnecessarily repetitive. 

It is a picture book and some of the pictures were nice and enjoyable to look at. But there were some that were just odd. There's no other word for it. 

I can't say it's a horrible book and it may be your style of book. As I said my children enjoyed it so I think it has some merit in that respect.

I'd give this book 3 stars.

This book does not fit into any of my reading challenges this year unless I were to use it as a book of my choice.

Dolphin Treasure

 This fun book is a read aloud in our Core A Curriculum through Sonlight.

This is our second or third time reading this little adventure, and it's as good this time as is was the last. In fact, I really enjoyed reading it with my crew this time as they're a bit older and were really able to talk about the lessons of the book. 

Dolphin Treasure is the follow up book to Dolphin Adventure and it is fun to see the continued relationship between Wayne and Baby. In this installment we join Grover and his buddies as they look for sunken treasure. The day of this story the weather was ominous, but they decided to dive anyway. During their dive they find a gold chain and, in spite of warning signs to go back, Wayne went back down to get what they found. He's separated from his boat and his friends and wonders how he's going to survive.

I highly recommend this adventure book. It's a very quick read and can easily be read in a day or spread the chapters out if you have shorter attention spans. My children loved this adventure and talking about the wisdom and folly in it. Dolphin Treasure is an excellent book for discussing Godly wisdom and listening to it.

4 stars for this children's book.

Reading Challenges:

I'm using this book for a book with 100 pages or less in the committed section of the 2021 Reading Challenge with Tim Challies

The Llama Who Had No Pajama

This book of poetry is part of our Core A Curriculum with Sonlight.

I'm not the person to really critique a book of poetry as the poetry world is not my jam, however I'm going to give it a go all the same. 

On the whole the book had good poetry that helped introduce concepts, solidify what they had learned in other places and stirred the imagination. This book has all types of poetry, most of which I don't know the classifications for. There were several haikus and a couple of shape poems. Most were nice and fairly easy to read, which is a bonus, but some, in true poetic fashion, were just annoying and challenging to read out loud. 

My children really enjoyed these and always enjoyed evaluating the poems for their style and content. They also enjoyed the illustrations that went with the poems and evaluating them. Even though I found them frustrating, they were an excellent learning tool. 

I'd give this book of poetry 4 stars.

Reading Challenges:

I'm counting this is my book of poetry in the committed section for the 2021 Reading Challenge with Tim Challies

I'm also counting this as my book of poetry in level 3 of the 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

This children's classic is a part of our Sonlight Curriculum in our Core A read alouds. 

I remember reading this with my crew a few years ago and it not being my favorite. While I still would not put it on my "I have to read this again list" I certainly liked it better than the last time I read it. It is definitely an adventure and having a house full of adventurous children it was fun to "go along" with Dr. Dolittle on his adventure to Africa and back to England. 

Dr. Dolittle is an excellent and clever doctor in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh and is well known by all. Not only is he an excellent doctor he is also fond of animals and begins to collect his pets, which greatly annoyed his sister. As he gathers animals in his home, he begins to learn to understand animal speak and can communicate clearly with them so that he can care for them. 

After learning to talk with the animals, Dr. Dolittle becomes the best veterinarian in Puddleby. With his ability to communicate with the animals he also collects more and more pets until no humans will come anymore because they include animals of all kinds, including a crocodile! His sister leaves the home and patients cease to come and money quickly runs out. 

A desperate plea comes from some monkeys in Africa and, after borrowing what he needs for his trip, Dr. Dolittle sets out to help the monkeys in their illness. The adventure is definitely out there, but also possible enough to imagine yourself on the journey. Many roadblocks come, but Dr. Dolittle's animal friends of all kinds come to help him out to get him to Africa and back home.

I appreciate the premise of a man being able to communicate with animals so that he knew exactly what they needed and what the trouble was with them. I also appreciate the element of taking care of living creatures and doing your best for them. Dr. Dolittle also valued human life, though he did seem to put the animals as equals, which is always problematic in my book. If you look at it as a fantasy book based in our world it's a little easier to swallow, but still a struggle. 

It definitely made for interesting discussions about cultivating your home, caring for creation and taking care of your family. My boys loved the adventure and wanted to keep reading until we got to the end. 

It's really hard to rate this one, but for it's story telling and adventure I'd say 3.5 stars, though my children would give it 5.

Reading Challenges:

Back to the Classics 2021 this is my Children's Classic

Timothy Is Two!!!

How can it be our youngest boy is already two years old? He was the first child born in our current home and has added so much life to it since he arrived! 

Timothy is such a spunky personality but also quiet and sweet. He's the first of our children I would say is shy, but thankfully with his easy going nature he warms up quickly. He loves his mama and his James and for the most part does not want to be with anyone else. Recently he has shown more affection for others, but still would choose one of those over anyone else. Even with this, Timothy enjoys being around people but also enjoys his time alone. 

Timothy is already studious, loving books, coloring, and examining what's going on in the world around him. He wants to know what everything is called and when he knows eagerly points and tells you what he sees. Timothy also likes order and, while still learning to put things back, he knows exactly where things should go and where to find what he's looking for. He is definitely particular about things and will let you know if something is amiss!

In the past couple of months, Timothy has grown in singing. He loves to sing with us "The Doxology" and "Holy, Holy, Holy" and learns the other songs we sing and play in the car. It's such a blessing to hear him sing praise songs and hymns to our God and we pray as he grows these songs will remind him of the truth of God's Word and the Gospel message to hold fast to. 

Timothy is such a little light in our house. With his bright blond hair and infectious smile he lights up any room he enters. He has that two-year-old energy but with guided direction and surety. He's always making us laugh and teaches us to slow down and enjoy the moments we have. All of his siblings love playing with him and he can always make Essie smile. He's quick to give affection and loves hugs and kisses.

I'm so thankful for this precious boy that God has given to us! 

Father, thank You for the gift of Timothy to our family. Thank You for the way he teaches us, even as a young one. Thank You for his eagerness to learn and please continue to grow that in him. Please give him the greatest desire to know You and learn all he can about You and please save him by Your grace. Thank You for the reminder that You are our light when we see Timothy light up a room. May he honor You with all that he is and be a light for the Gospel everywhere he goes. In Jesus Name I ask these things. Amen!

Faith Like Flamingos

It was such a blessing to read this book from my business coach, Katie Hornor. I found a class of hers last year at the start of the pandemic when I knew God was leading us to work on growing our ministry business that he had put on our hearts years before and have been learning from her for almost a year. As part of my continual growth I read her book, Faith Like Flamingos.

Since I've been in classes with her this past year, I have heard much of this from her teaching, but reading it brought much of it to life at a deeper level. Reading truths about being a Christian in the market place and standing out for God's glory is extremely important at this point in history. Katie is creative in the way she uses the flamingo to show different attributes of a Godly business owner like how what we "eat" shows in how we display ourselves, how we need each other to push and encourage each other in fighting the good fight and knowing what parts of your story need to be shared an when. 

Faith Like Flamingos is well thought out and put together so that it is easy to read and fluent. The chapters are short, sweet and to the point while also being personal and deep. At the end of each chapter there are questions for reflection that were very helpful and that I need to go back a revisit frequently.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it whether you are planning to start a business or not. The principles in this book can be applied to every area of the Christian walk. 

5 stars for The Christian Guide to Walking Out Your Faith in Bold Color!

Reading Challenges:

This book falls into several of the ones I'm working on.

1. A book About Business from Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge

2. I'm counting this as a Christian Living Book for the 2021 Christian Reading Challenge with Jason and Jami Balmet

3. A Business Book in the Modern Mrs. Darcy My Reading Life Challenge

Beezus and Ramona

This Classic is a part of our Core A curriculum with Sonlight.

I'm honestly not sure what I think about this book. It is an honest book told from the view of Beezus in third person, which is good to help process what she is thinking and feeling. On the other side I can totally understand see why Ramona is such a nuisance at four years old; she gets what she wants by annoying those around her or doing defiant things. This is good for talking about what is done well and what is poor character and to compare with what God teaches us in the Bible. 

I did like the creativity and imagination shown in some of the chapters. The chapter talking about imagination was really good at teaching how we each have imagination in different ways and in a home with ten children understanding that we will not all be creatively the same is extremely important.

I was doing OK with it until the end when Beezus was told she didn't have to love her sister all the time, which flies in the faith of Biblical teaching and makes love a feeling instead of how we treat others. While I do understand what Cleary was getting at with this discussion in the book, it was really hard to read to my children and we had to stop after almost ever sentence to talk about what was being said. You can say I'm mincing words and that's fine, but to tell a child they shouldn't love their sister all the time is destructive and hurtful. We know that we're not going to like what others do and because we're sinful we won't love people all the time, but God says to love the way He does and that is what we are to teach.

Language wise it is written well for reading out loud and for children to understand. Because of when it was written it has some of the language was "dated" but that's part of the fun of reading classics.

Because of the ending I can only give this book 3 stars.

Reading Challenges:

I am using this one for the Back to the Classics Challenge though not sure if it will be my 20th Century Classic or Classic by a Woman Author

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

This (almost) classic children's book is part of our Core A curriculum from Sonlight. 

This book is actually a really cute read, inventive and imaginative book that I enjoyed reading with my children. They made a movie based on it and the movie is not my favorite by any stretch of the imagination, but the book was short, sweet and fun.

What would it be like if all of our food fell from the sky? Such a fun thing to imagine and talk about together. 

Definitely a 5 star for this children's book.

James Year 12

Twelve years. How is it even possible that this amazing and brilliant boy who made me a mother is now twelve years old!?

I don't think I can quite find the words to express how much I love and cherish the life of James. He is full of life, sharp as a tack and loves to learn everything he can. James is kind, loving, eager to help and takes the little ones under his wing to teach and train them in everything from letters and numbers to birds and trees to the very Word of God and anything else he knows he passes along his knowledge. His creativity knows no limits and he loves to "invent" crazy machines and envision how they could be made. He comes up with new creatures, writes stories, draws and sculpts, makes buildings with LEGOs and fully taps into the creative side of being an Image Bearer. He also loves the drums and everyday is growing in his rhythm skills. He wants to play during worship services one day. 

James regularly thinks about the least of these. Whether some one younger or not as strong or someone who is without, he quickly recognizes their need and seeks to meet it in whatever way he can. I see God's care of us in the way James cares for others and he is always eager to do more. His current project is making bags to have ready to hand out to anyone we see when we're out driving. He wants to be prepared to help. He is also so tender with his little brothers and sister. Timothy is his little buddy and they spend a lot of time learning and playing together. 

His love of learning knows no bounds. If he could, James would learn everything in the world. He spends hours reading, learning, studying and would continue if we did not tell him to take a break for his own good. Right now he is very interested in nature and seeing how God's glory is displayed in nature, languages, architecture and math. He is quickly becoming a Latin scholar and is beginning to study Biblical Greek and wants to learn as many modern languages as possible starting with Spanish so he can communicate with our Hispanic neighbors. He's also working very hard on math and drawing because he desires to become an architect to design fun buildings as well as houses and churches for people around the world. 

Following in my footsteps, James is working on his first book and is working on editing his fifth draft. He is extremely excited about Ivart and is hoping to finish it this year. As part of writing this book he is designing his own planet and developing the language of Ivart's planet. It is amazing to watch him develop these things! To help with his writing, he also enjoys reading. James is currently in the middle of The Two Towers in The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R Tolkein. He loves telling us what they messed up in the movie and what he's learning from the books. We're also reading The Wingfeather Saga as a family and he cannot get enough of these incredible books! He would rather read than watch a movie any day of the week.

James also loves nature and looking at all that God has made. In his studies he has investigated many element of God's creation, but birds continue to remain his favorite. One of his favorite outdoor activities is cutting down our bamboo and constructing bird arbors around our yard. As we make plans for how to cultivate and manage our property he makes sure we know the importance of having trees for local birds to next in. It's amazing to see how he connects all of nature together the way God intended it to work together to bring life to all. 

Every morning James delves into the Word, spending time with his God in Bible reading, prayer and journaling. I have learned so much from James as God teaches him and he shares with us during our family Bible time. This past year we studied Revelation and it was James who pointed out the connections between Revelation and Daniel and the Beasts described in both! I had never realized this and I have studies both books before. What a blessing it is to see God teaching and instructing James and he then showing us the congruity of the Word of God! What a joy to see that God is sufficient and that He is at work in the life of your child! 

James is also memorizing as much of the Bible as he can. He is working on the book of James and currently has half of chapter 1 memorized along with many Psalms and other verses he has learned from drill. He takes seriously God's command to hide God's Word in his heart that he might not sin against God. 

This young man, James Marshall Jr. is such a gift from God. He loves to be with family and wants to do everything he can as a family. Our family continues to be richly blessed by his life as he grows and follows after the LORD.

Father, I thank You for the gift of James. Thank Your for saving him from the death of sin and giving him new life in Christ. Thank You for how You continue to teach and grow James in Your Word and in Your way. Thank You for the work You are doing in Him. Please guide James on Your path for him and grow him into the man You have created him to be. Give him a deep love for You and for others and continue to give him Your heart for the least of these. Teach him Your humility and graciousness that he may serve You well in everything. Keep his eyes fixed on You and on heavenly things that he may take up his cross daily and follow You. I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen.