Book: God's Word for Families

About the book:

God’s Word for Families is not your average devotional. With 365 ten-minute devotional activities designed around a variety of learning styles, each week’s devotions will reinforce what your family is learning at church. This wholly Apostolic discipleship tool will help you engage your family members in God’s Word every day of the week. By exploring a biblical passage from Sunday to Saturday with simple, fun activities, God’s Word for Families will bring parents and kids closer to God.

Weekly Overview:

✨Sunday – Introduction (an age-appropriate version of the week’s Bible passage)
✨Monday – “Why?” (activities that show the purpose behind the Bible study)
✨Tuesday – Analytic Learning (“Fun Facts!” and “Did You Know?” activities to dig deeper into Scripture)
✨Wednesdays – Worship (a featured lyric video and other Apostolic songs)
✨Thursday – Real-life Application (a present-day story to illustrate the Bible lesson)
✨Friday – Discussion (questions for parents and kids to ask each other about our faith)
✨Saturday – Family Project (an activity for the family to do to put our faith in action)

My thoughts:
I was excited to review a family devotional book.  I've seen so many different types of these books through the years.  This one has so many things that I like.  It isn't the same format every day so it will keep children's attention.  I like that the same Bible passage is the focus for a full week.  This helps the family have time to talk about a passage, apply it to daily life, and learn more together than just a one time exposure.  Another thing I like is on Wednesday there are a list of songs related to the passage as well as a QR code to scan to listen to a related song.  I thought this was a fun and unique feature in this book.  

We are enjoying this book together, and I look forward to going through more weeks with my son.

You can purchase the book here.

Go here for a giveaway!  

I received a copy of this book from FrontGate Media for my honest review.  Thank you. 

#godsword @familydevotional #devotional

 

@pentecostalpublishing

Have a day of blessings! 

 Bethany

Reminder from God

This past week I heard or saw this verse 4 different places between Sunday and Tuesday.  First was Sunday at church from our preacher.  Then it was in a devotional book, on a little documentary we watched, and on a wall decoration in a picture.

I guess God knew I needed the reminder and thought you might need the reminder too.

I made this little graphic and shared it on FB and thought I'd add it to my blog too.

Have a day of blessings!

    Bethany

Anything?

This has always been a favorite verse. As I've been thinking about this lately, the word ANYTHING sticks out to me. Do not be anxious about anything....what does that include? What "ANYTHING" in your own life can you use to to fill in the blank?

Do not be anxious about_________.

Health issues, hurricane Matthew, the presidential election, employment, finances, parenting, school, difficult decisions, relationships, infertility, loss of a loved one, pregnancy.....

I know many who are struggling in many different ways right now. Can you apply this verse to your situation?

Pray with a thankful heart and share your situation, cares, and worries with God. Let Him be your peace.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6,7

(I'm linking with Spiritual Sundays.)

Have a day of blessings!
    Bethany

Psalm on Sunday

Psalm 103:8--12
 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

This passage was on my scripture writings this week.  (I have been writing scriptures this year using plans from this site if you would like to check it out. A new one is posted each month.)

As I was writing this verse the attributes of the Lord in verses 8-10 stuck out to me.
compassionate
gracious
slow to anger
abounding in love

I got to thinking that since those qualities describe Him, shouldn't they also describe me since I am a Christian?  It made me think..... Am I compassionate to others?  Am I slow to anger?  Do I forgive others instead of holding grudges against them?

Something to think about as we begin a new week.  Thanks for stopping by!

I am linking this week with Spiritual Sundays.

Have a day of blessings!
 

Are you waiting for answers?

We had a thunderstorm this week.  We received 4 - 5 inches one night. Certain parts of town were flooded.  Flooding has happened all around the state of Texas this spring.

We have been praying for rain here for a long time.  We have seemed to have several years of drought conditions.  Rain is requested in prayers at church, and you see yard signs that say "Pray for Rain."

The rain ceased for a while Thursday morning and then started again in the afternoon. I opened the front door and looked out at our muddy yard full of puddles.  I thought to myself is this the answer to all those prayers for rain?

It reminded me that all those prayers for rain were answered.  God did not send the rain the moment the prayers were uttered last summer, but as I watched the rain fall I am reminded that He does answer prayers.  We collectively did not give up praying for rain just because it did not rain immediately.

What prayers are you waiting to be answered?  The answer may not come today or tomorrow but be sure God does hear and He will answer in His time.  Don't give up praying!

I'm linking up today with Spiritual Sundays.



Have a day of blessings!

Faithful Love

The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife is a familiar one to me.  You can read it in Genesis 39.   In this story Potiphar's wife tricks Joseph.  He does the right thing in refusing her advances, and he is lied about because of it. Then he ends up in prison because Potiphar believes his wife.  It doesn't seem fair, does it?

Continue reading "Faithful Love" today over at Laced With Grace.

Have a day of blessings!
 

The Reason

I’ve seen the phrase “Jesus is the reason for the season” for many years during December. I’ve always liked this reminder on signs and pins. But what about after December 25? A day anticipated by many is now over. So much time, money, and preparations are involved, and it’s already over for another year. What happens the next day?

Continue reading The Reason over at Laced With Grace. 

Have a day of blessings!

Even if?

I love the story of the three guys in Daniel 3 who were thrown into the fiery furnace. 

Join me over at Laced With Grace for a devotional called "Even if?" 

Thank you!  Hope you are having a great day! 

Have a day of blessings!

What is your weakness?

It seems like in this society nobody wants to let others know their weaknesses. Sometimes we even go to great lengths to hide these weaknesses to keep others from knowing the truth. We all have some, but too often we forget that and think we are the only ones. We fear others may not like us or accept us, so we keep these weaknesses a secret.

Join me today at Laced with Grace to read the rest.  Thanks!

Have a day of blessings!

Do you feel like giving up?

One day as we were driving along my son Caleb was reading as he often does in the car. He stopped reading and started talking to me about knives. Something in his book mentioned a knife which brought back to his memory his recent knife accident. He had been in the kitchen one day getting a snack and accidentally cut his finger.

Click over to Laced With Grace to read the rest of my devotional called Never Give Up.

Have a day of blessings!

Join me over at Laced With Grace

Have you ever had a day when you felt God did something just for you to remind you of His love for you?  I had one of those days recently.  Read about it over at Laced With Grace today.

Have a day of blessings!

Join me at Laced With Grace

Have you ever found yourself digging around in your kitchen trash can? Last week I noticed a discrepancy on our online bank statement. The amount I had written from our debit card in the checkbook was $5 less than what the statement showed. I thought I had thrown the receipt in the trash that morning so I decided to find it in case we needed it to get our money back. I thought the receipt was right on top but had to dig around a little bit. And it turned out I had ripped it up with a couple other receipts so it was in several pieces.

Join me over at Laced with Grace today for the rest of this devotional thought.

Have a day of blessings!

Hiding God's Word

Join me today at Laced With Grace in a devotional called Hiding God's Word in 2013.

Have a day of blessings!

Kindness matters!

In a world where many people are grumpy, irritable, and impatient, it is nice to run into someone who shows a little bit of kindness.

I was recently reminded of the value of being kind to others.  As I closed my trunk after loading up my groceries, I turned to take my cart back to the cart holder.  At that moment a random stranger said he would take my cart for me as he was pushing his own the same direction.  This happened to me at a previous shopping trip as well.  A lady was walking by and told me she'd take my cart for me.  I had forgotten about the incident until the same thing happened again this week. 

It reminded me how nice it is to have someone do something unexpectedly for you.  It would not have hurt me to walk the extra steps to put my cart away.  But to have someone come along and do this task for me just made me smile.  It made me think about ways I can show kindness to others in my life.  Kindness does not have to cost anything.  There are many ways that you can bless someone's day. 

What kind things can you personally do this weekend for someone else? I posted this on Facebook this week and was so touched by the variety of answers left by friends.

Kindness matters!

Have a day of blessings!

Reminder to love

On Sunday evenings at our church we've been having a series of lessons on the three words faith, hope, and love.  The last lesson was last night and it focused on I Corinthians 13. 

You have probably read this countless times as well as heard it read at weddings or seen it printed on artwork.  It is a very popular passage.  I appreciated the reminder I had about love last night from this passage and wanted to share it with you today.  We started with the last verse of I Corinthians 12. 

As Christians we need to remember that anything we do that is not done in love will amount to nothing.  It may look good to others on the outside, but if it is not done in love then it does not matter.  As humans we take pride in our accomplishments, knowledge, and generosity.  But if we do not have love then none of these amount to anything.  Something that stuck out to me last night was the part about faith....we can have faith that moves mountains but that is nothing if we do not have love.  This shows me just how BIG of a think love really is!  Love really is the "most excellent way."     

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  I Corinthians 12:31--13:13

 I hear this song on the radio all the time and thought it was appropriate to share with this today. I love the ending.   

Have a day of blessings!

What's your morning song?

Today I am over at Laced with Grace with a devotional called What's your morning song?

Join me there today!  Thank you. 

Have a day of blessings!

Unwelcome visitor

Today I am sharing over at Laced With Grace in a devotional called Unwelcome Visitor.  Look who was on our back porch Saturday!

Have a day of blessings!

Join me at Laced With Grace

Today I am sharing over at Laced With Grace.  Join me there for a devotional there today.  Thanks! 

Have a day of blessings!

What's your reaction to answered prayer?

It was a little after midnight and I was awakened to noises outside.  As I became fully alert, I realized we were in the middle of a thunderstorm.  I got up and checked on our son.  Finding him sound asleep, I laid back down.  The storm really picked up then, and I soon began to hear hail beating against our window.  My husband got up to look outside, and soon after I heard little feet coming towards our bed.  Our boy climbed in bed beside me and snuggled down into the covers. He told me he didn’t like the noises.
Please visit over at Laced with Grace today to read the rest of this devotional.

Have a day of blessings!
 

Remember

One night I felt so sad inside….just one of those sad times and feeling down. It wasn’t any particular thing making me sad, but rather just thinking about all that has happened for our family in the past year and feeling sentimental about it…selling our house, our unexpected multiple moves, buying a new house.
As I was getting ready for bed, I read a Psalm as I’ve been in the habit of doing before I go to sleep. That particular night was a familiar passage–Psalm 42, NCV.

Visit me over at Laced with Grace for the rest of this devotional today. Thanks!

Have a day of blessings!