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.

The Light at Tern Rock

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

This short read is excellent for teaching many character qualities as well as learning a bit of what life in a lighthouse is like. As Aunt Marthy and Ronnie care for the light on Tern Rock to give the keeper a break, Ronnie learns about hard work, loving others and forgiveness.

This is a super short read and well written. I really enjoyed the dialogue and it made all of us want to head to a lighthouse to check it out.

4 stars for this children's classic

Reading Challenges: 

I'm counting this book as one I've read before in the Obsessed section of the Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge

Twenty and Ten

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

This is my third or fourth time reading this book with our children and it never gets old. I love studying this time period, personally, and learning how people risked their lives to save the lives of others. In this book you see that so beautifully in the lives of ten and eleven year old children. It's an excellent reminder that even those that are young can still learn that life is valuable, working together is important and that age doesn't matter when it comes to courage. 

An excellent read that I encourage you to read.

5 stars

Reading Challenges:

This book I'm counting for a book set during WWII in the Committed Section of the Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge

The Little Riders

 This book is part of our Core C with Sonlight.

The Little Riders is a wonderful little story of bravery and freedom in the midst of WWII. Johanna lives with her grandparents in Holland and they are charged with caring for the riders that are part of the town clock. When the Nazis take over their city, they are faced with many challenges, including protecting the historic riders from being taken and melted down. Will they be able to save the riders or will the Nazis take the pride of the city?

An excellent read to share with children a glimpse of what happened during the terrible war. My children really enjoyed this book. The story telling is simple and clear yet still engaging for all ages.

5 stars for this children's classic

Reading Challenges:

This book is being used as a book with an illustration on the cover in the Avid section of the Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge.

Year 37

This past year was one for the history books! 2020 was a year like nothing we have ever seen before, with every area of life and society touched by unprecedented events. 

My 37th year of life was the same for me. God saved me by His amazing grace at the age of four and not long after this I had a vision for my life. I was going to become a nurse, marry a boy from Smyrna, live in Smyrna, then be a stay at home mama and have ten children. While the order was not quite the same as my stated vision and we did take a detour to Louisville for 7 years and we currently live in Mableton (which is right next to Smyrna), this year literally made my vision for my life a reality. 

I am living my lifelong dream!

How many people can say that?

16 1/2 years ago I married my love, Jim, who is from Smyrna, born and raised.

Nearly 14 years ago I graduated from nursing school and began working in labor and delivery, with God giving me a deep love for helping women have their best pregnancy and birth possible by educating them on all the choices they have during this season.

During the first six years of our marriage we lived in Smyrna. God took us out of Smyrna to Louisville for a seven year whirlwind that we thought would lead us overseas. But instead God in His sovereignty brought us back to Smyrna (Mableton) three years ago to be a part of what He is doing in our area and at our home church of Smyrna First Baptist. 

"I'm mommy's dream come true"

Then seven months ago, our sweet Esther Elizabeth made me a mother of ten precious blessings. 

Everything, every idea and, if you will, prophesy God gave me for my life He has brought to pass. 

Not only that, when I was about seven I started writing creatively on my own. I wrote little five sentence stories or songs for my number doll choir to sing or short thoughts on what was going on in my life. This started that love of writing and God grew it. I don't remember at what point the desire to publish a book actually entered my mind, but in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mr. Tony Smith, showed me that I was, indeed, a writer. 

That is when I began my first book. That book still sits on my shelf, incomplete and possibly will never be finished. But God gave me another story, one I started in early high school, and I began to work on crafting a story to share with the world. It was a long road writing it as I worked on it on my own. Afraid to share I wrote without telling anyone what I was working on. It was inconsistent at best in those early years, but I kept coming back to it. 

In Louisville I found a writing group with other Sisters and for the first time I shared something that wasn't a school assignment. Again I was affirmed that I was a writer. This was something God has given me to do. With the encouragement of these women I finished and edited my book in 2013 and started looking for how to publish. It would take another six years to find the right way for us. 

In my 37th year, I became a published author! Together or Apart is my first novel and it was an amazing experience to walk through. My longest labor by 20 years and hands down my most difficult delivery. But God did it. He taught me that my talents can be used even in creative ways to bring Him glory. 

And if that was not enough, God began moving us in wanting to serve families, beginning at birth with Childbirth Conversations. He opened up opportunities to step in and learn how to run an online ministry business for His glory. While this is still in the early stages, this past year I developed my first free resource and mini-course to help women plan their best births with the LORD. 

In the midst of all of this God has taught me what it means to walk with Him, follow when it seems crazy, seek Him in everything, admit when I fail, and ask Him before I talk to anyone else. God has grown me as a wife, a mother and a homemaker and given me strength that I didn't know I had. He has taught me the importance of community and the church and given me an even deeper love for both, in spite not struggling too much with the quarantine part of isolation. 

Our family has grown together, read more, dreamed more, learned more, laughed more, watched more movies, and learned what things individuals are good at as well as what we're good at together. We have learned to work together and the value of team work. We have learned we want to be together! 

Year 37 was big! In many respects bigger than 2020 for me. Year 37 showed me how big my God is and how much He has for me to do to bring Him glory. 

And by His grace I'll step into every good deed He has prepared in advance for me to do FEARLESSLY!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Reading this book again was more than worth. Having grown exponentially in my reading capacity and comprehension since the last time I read it, I enjoyed it exponentially more the second time around. 

This brilliant last segment of the Harry Potter Saga had me enthralled from the first page. Even though I know this story very well, the books are so much richer and deeper than the movie and reading the internal struggles with the external drama had me drawn into their world. More than once I found my eyes moist, feeling with them what needed to be done or what they thought. 

The battle of good vs evil, light vs dark has been at the center of tales since the fall in the garden, and this story tells it with great feeling and detail. As I read the details of this incredible story, I found myself baffled that this woman is no where close to Christian in her faith. The details that mirror things from the Bible are fantastic and it's a reminder that even those that don't know God through Jesus still have a longing for that Savior and tell stories with one in it. This book has the opportunity to open doors with non-believers who enjoy these books to show them that while this book shows an imperfect savior, there is a Perfect Savior that we can know and trust. 

Rowling is such an artful story teller and it was a treat to read this again for personal study as well. I look forward to reading these books again with my children as they grow and learn to grow in my writing as well. 

5 stars for this final episode

Reading Challenges:

I'm using this book as a book with at least 400 pages in the Avid section of the Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge

Stories from Africa

This book is a part of our Core P4/5 with Sonlight.

We greatly enjoyed reading this book and hearing about God's miracles in Africa. This book of six short stories are simple and easy to read and understand. Each story is a beautiful picture of what it means to trust God when it's hard, scary and painful. Right now it's a poignant read and great for talking about what we need to do to prepare for trying times. We also marveled at the miracles that God did to help people. One story in particular James said, "Wow, God did 5 miracles in that story!" Such an amazing thing to see children recognizing.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

5 Stars for these mission stories

Reading Challenges:

This book is counting for a book with two or more authors with Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge in the avid section.

The Hundred Dresses

This short children's classic is part of our Core A curriculum with Sonlight.

This book is a beautiful yet sad story about learning to do what is right even when it's hard. I absolutely loved reading it with my children and talking through the challenging issues together. This book has openings for discussion on loving people different than you, standing up for people when others are making fun of them and getting to know people. It is well written and has short chapters so you can read through it in one sitting or break it up.

I highly recommend this book and using it for discussions!

5 Stars

Reading Challenges: 

This book is being used as A Book for Children as part of the Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge in the light section. 

New Toes For Tia

 This book is part of our Core P4/5 from Sonlight.

This is a fun book that explores the battle of coming to faith in Jesus in a culture that is Buddhist and Animist through a challenge. Tia had a childhood accident burning her toes, making it hard to walk and live life as she had before. Her family learns about a hospital that could help, but they're afraid. Follow Tia as she gets her new toes.

5 Stars for this faith story

Reading Challenges:

This book is being included in the Tim Challies 2021 Reading Challenge as a book with an image of a person on the cover in the light section

The Gods Must Be Angry

 This book is from Core P4/5 in our Sonlight Curriculum.

This true story from Thailand is such a beautiful book of God working and moving. Bradit was conducting the band and broke his family's happy idol which led to many questions about their gods and their faith. This book shows the wrestling with questions and coming to faith of a family and is a great read for children. This book is excellent for discussing why Jesus is the only Way to God and the true faith. 

4.5 Stars

Reading Challenges:

This book is A Book Based on a True Story in Tim Challies's 2021 Reading Challenge from the Committed section of the challenge.

Least of All

 Least of All is a read aloud from our Core A Sonlight Curriculum.

To be honest, I don't know what to think about this book. I like the hard work and the different things that you see them doing on the farm but not how they treat Raven Hannah since she's young. I so appreciate that Raven Hannah takes initiative to learn to read because my oldest was like that, but not how she responds to it with Grandma. It's a very odd mix and I don't really know what to do with it. 

The children liked it but it was not one of their favorites.

3 stars.

This book doesn't fit in any reading challenges for the year. 

Window on the World

This book was part of our Bible and History studies with Sonlight Core C.

Window on the World is a great snapshot of different countries and people groups all over the world. We absolutely love learning about different people all over the world and learning how God is working and moving in different places. Along with the culture and people groups we also learned about other prominent religions around the world and how those religions differ from Christ-following. This gave us an opportunity to look at how different Christ and His salvation is vs the others that require you to work hard enough or be good enough to earn your salvation. 

I appreciate that this book was real and didn't shy away from hard things and explained them in a way that was easy to share with children of all ages. Our family enjoyed reading about and praying for these people together as we learned what God was doing in those places. Even with all my world missions studies there were a few groups I was unfamiliar with and enjoyed learning about. In fact, I want to go visit one of these people groups during my life time if the Lord allows it.

The biggest downside with this book is that it's 20 years old. I would love to see this updated to know how this book has helped people pray and to see what God has done in these people groups since this book was published. 

I also struggled with the wording of some of the prayer requests, but that may just me be and my idiosyncrasies. I absolutely recommend this book, I'm just not sure I can give it five stars.

4 stars

Time Traveler

 This Usborne book is part of our Core B/C with Sonlight.

This unique book gives a fun overview of four major time periods. It's an interesting look at culture including family, school, work, dress, food and general living. Our family enjoyed reading through this to learn about different time periods and how they lived. 

4 stars

A Child's History of the World

This history read is part of our Core B/C with Sonlight.

This was a fun book to take you through history. The chapters are short and easy to read. They are definitely written to catch the attention of children. It has a decent amount of detail, but I would only consider it to be a brief overview of certain history. It covers all areas of the world, but not all areas for all time. Essentially, it covers major events. Our children enjoyed reading this together and talking about different parts of the world throughout time. I learned many things that I did not know. I appreciated that it took a more of a neutral perspective, but it was a little bit biased in some areas. On the whole not a bad overview, though I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

3 stars 

Little House in the Big Woods

 This classic children's book is part of our Core A reading with Sonlight.

Our family had such a good time reading this book this time around. As our children are now older and want to try some of the things we read about the Ingalls family doing. It is an excellent family read and very easy to read and understand. We had some fun discussions about this book, like what to do if we meet a bear in the woods or giving thanks that we don't have to sit perfectly still all Sunday afternoon. It is fun to look at the way they lived and survived and we are excited to try some of these things as the Lord permits. First up a family garden. Who can tell us how to get rid of our kudzu???

3 stars for this classic. (though the children would probably give it five!)

And The Word Came With Power

This missionary story is a read aloud in our Core C Curriculum with Sonlight.

Where do I even begin! If you claim Christ, you NEED to read this book. If you don't claim Christ I highly recommend you read this book. 

I have known so many foreign missionaries in my life, and all of them have amazing stories of the work God is doing in the areas where they are serving. This book is no different. Joanne is called to go to the mission field  and after many interesting adventures God calls her to the Philippines to work on Bible translation. How she gets there shows you how God works in all kinds of ways to prepare us for the work He has planned for us to do. 

After she and her translation partner, Anne, reached their people group, they saw just how much work there was to be done. They had to learn a new language, culture and help in many ways, especially medically, in this remote island village. They were among a head hunting, fierce group of people, that welcomed them into their area with hesitation because of them being women. A local leader adopted them and through many a blunder, they became part of his family. 

Jo tells how she worked and told the Gospel as she learned the language. She tells of her difficulties and her sin as she learned a new culture. She learned about the spirit world, the one we westerns like to pretend doesn't exist. She learned what demon possession and oppression looked like first hand and she learned how to pray as she taught others about the God who is over all of the evil spirits. 

To hear the power of God told in such a simple yet powerful way was overwhelming and absolutely beautiful! Tears often filled my eyes as I read the miracles of God told again. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to know more about the power of God who defeats the devil and gives salvation to sinful man. 

Words are not adequate enough to explain the extraordinary story in this book that so seamlessly weaves in the THE Grand story of all time woven and told by the God of the universe. I cannot recommend it enough!

10 Stars for this powerful read!

Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime

 This missionary biography is a part of our Core C history read aloud with our Sonlight curriculum.

I have heard bits of Gladys Aylward's story before, but this book was absolutely mind blowing! This little woman who was rejected my mission agencies because of age and lack of proficiency in anything but house cleaning worked hard and bought her own ticket to China. On the way she is derailed by the war between Russia and China. Held essentially hostage by the Russians, God miraculously gets her to China where she travels nearly the length of the country north to south to find the woman she is planning to work with. After establishing an inn in a small village with her mission partner, Glady earns the respect of the mandarin of her village and is given a government job with personal security and is able to share the Gospel with thousands all over that region. 

After a few years, WWII breaks out with Japan invading China. At this time Gladys is the "mother" of many orphaned children and she must take care of them in the midst of turmoil beyond comprehension. Near the end of the war she leads nearly a hundred children across the vast countryside of China in a way that only God could lead in. She was an incredible and brave woman of God who was willing to do whatever it took to bring the Gospel to China. We can all learn so much from her. This book had me in tears as I beheld the glory of God shown in the determination of one woman to bring God the glory and honor He alone is due.

5 stars for this incredible biography. I cannot recommend it enough!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The sixth installment of the Harry Potter Series was better than I remembered! It is such a challenge to review these books without spoilers in case the reader has yet to experience this fantastic story-telling. 

This one shows us a little more of the pieces that make up Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord of the wizarding world and what is going to need to be done to defeat him. Alongside this fascinating and even tragic storyline, we see the main characters growing, maturing (or not in some cases) and learning what it takes to do what needs to be done.

Rowling is a master story teller in the secular realm. Even knowing these stories and how the book would end, I was hooked on every page, looking at every detail to piece together the intricacies of this fantasy world. Without knowing it, she gives a nod to THE Master Storyteller as she sets up the final battle of good vs evil. 

As with all books of this nature, parental advisory is warned in reading this book with children. As the characters age so does their language and situations. They are minimal, thankfully, with little to note. If you're reading aloud you can simply skip the words and still keep the message and story of the book.

I absolutely love this book from a secular standpoint and recommend it for enjoyment or study.

5 stars!

QBQ! The Question Behind the Question

 I have so many books to review right now! This one was recommended to me by my sweet friend Katie Hornor and it was what I needed. In fact I read it in September and I already need to read it again!!! I probably need to read it every week if I'm honest. 

This book is super practical, as well as a quick and easy read. It's also extremely to the point and convicting if you have a problem with complaining or blame shifting like me. QBQ! tells it like it is and bust opens all of the lies that we believe or have been taught about personal accountability and doing what we say we're going to do. This book stepped all over my toes as there are so many things that are victim mentality that I did not recognize because they're so ingrained in me and in the culture in which we live. 

I highly recommend this book. It is not Christian in nature, but the concept is certainly Biblical and needs to be applied to all areas of life. 

5 Stars for this life read