Child Proof: Parenting by Faith, not Formula {Book Review}

Parenting by Faith not Formula by Julie Lowe is a fantastic book. Real life stories & examples of how to blend your family’s needs & individual personalities. Truth is taken straight from the Bible and applied in tangible ways. The ‘how-to’s, ‘why’s’ & additional reflection questions don’t intimidate you, but bring guidance, hope, and encouragement. This may be one of my favorite parenting books!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.

DESCRIPTION, via Newgrowth Press:

As a freedom-over-formula parenting book for moms, dads, and caregivers of all ages, Child Proof provides biblical insight and encouragement for readers who want to parent by faith. As an experienced counselor of children and families and an adoptive and foster mom applying the CCEF model of biblical change, Julie Lowe uses Scripture and biblical wisdom to teach caregivers how to know their children and specifically love them with the love of Christ. 

Every family is unique, which is why Child Proof explores the need for parents to cultivate personal and intimate care for their children as modeled in God’s individual, personal, and fatherly care to his children. This child-rearing book lays a foundation of parenting by faith and progresses by teaching readers how they can know their own kids well and raise them accordingly. By discussing particular issues moms and dads might have in family life, Lowe demonstrates how formulas aren’t the answer, and parenting with biblical wisdom is best for a proactive rather than reactive approach to parenting.

Through Lowe’s personal and professional experience, moms, dads, and caregivers,as well as those helping parents—pastors, counselors, youth workers, and churches—will discover gospel-centered application rather than formulas for the ideal family, equipping guardians to be experts at knowing their own children so they can know Scripture and live it out personally in their homes.

By establishing a mindset rather than a model or a step-by-step “how to” approach to parenting, Child Proof empowers readers to come up with their own blueprint for their families through a biblical framework.

Author

Julie Lowe is a faculty member at CCEF. She holds an MA in counseling from Biblical Theological Seminary. She is a licensed professional counselor with over 18 years of counseling experience.  Julie is also a registered play therapist and has developed a play therapy office at CCEF to better serve families, teens and children Julie and her husband, Greg, have six children and serve as foster and adoptive parents.

Click here to purchase a copy.

Parenting First Aid: Hope for the Discouraged {Book Review}

Oh, parents, you’ll be SO thankful to have this book!! Whether you have a week-old baby, or are in the midst of the hard & heavy, @martymachowski nails it on the head with his look at grace-filled, prayer-based, relying-fully-on-Christ parenting. Bathed in scripture and real life, it’s a balm for this mama’s soul. Getting myself a journal, and going to read it again as its intended devotional layout.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.

Book Description Via New Growth Press:

In this uplifting and faith-strengthening devotional book for parents, best-selling children’s author Marty Machowski encourages parents in the midst of trials. Full of Scripture, testimonies of faithful parents, and insightful meditations, Parenting First Aid equips moms and dads to run to God and trust his ability to do what they can’t. 

Parenting isn’t getting any easier, especially with the introduction of insta-porn on electronic devices, the ease of access to drugs, and the ever-increasing blurring of sexuality. This useful resource is for the weary and overwhelmed parents struggling with their children’s choices, and the culture that wars against their souls.

For families with small struggles or weighty parenting trials—such as children involved with drugs, sexual sin, and teenage rebellion—Parenting First Aid is full of personal, real testimonies of God’s faithfulness to those experiencing hardship.

The easy-to-use format provides encouragement to turn to  God in the midst of family difficulty. While God does not promise happiness and ease in parenting, all can find comfort in God and peace beyond understanding through the Scriptures and meditations found in Parenting First Aid.

Author

Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for more than twenty years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the gospel-centered children’s ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

He is the author of The Gospel Story Bible, Long Story Short, Old Story New, The Gospel Story Curriculum, Prepare Him Room Advent Curriculum and Devotional, Wise Up Family Devotional and Curriculum, Listen Up Family Devotional and Curriculum, Dragon Seed, and The Ology.

Click here to purchase a copy.

God Counts-Numbers in His Word and His Word {Book Review}

God Counts: Numbers in His Word and His World by Irene Sun is a delightful children's book! Unique in its approach, the book takes key Biblical truths and relates it back to a number. While you can consider it a counting book, it isn't remotely 'babyish'. Instead, the focus on a number allows deep theology to be presented in a way a child can grasp.

The book begins with the greatest truth; "One tells us that God is the first and the best." And the book (for what our part & our kids' part to learn) ends with infinity. Finally, the book ends with God counting....this page shows how personally God knows all that is within His world, and all that he knows about each of us. What a powerful way to display & teach of God's power and love!

My four-year old enjoyed reading back to me the number and what each one represented. By seeing how 9 tells us to be like God, and seeing what qualities Jesus has, she is essentially learning the Fruits of the Spirit!
We have enjoyed reading this book as a family, and I look forward to my kids becoming more independent in remembering what each number represents. Very sweet book, and I highly recommend it.

Click here to purchase a copy!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.

3 Books in Good News For Little Hearts Series {I Recommend Getting them All!}

Good News for Little Hearts is a new children's book series from New Growth Press. The books are beautifully illustrated, with bright pictures featuring family units that are animals. My younger children are 6, 4, and 4, and they were each very drawn to the pictures as well as the main characters!

Each book discusses a specific topic, which is seen very clearly on the cover of the books just above the title--I love this feature so much, and my one main criticisms of these hardcover books is if you take the dust jacket off (because young kids rarely keep it on the book!), you only see the picture of the main character and not the title or the key point. This criticism is merely based on my own personal preference, and in no way affects the true impact of the books!

Because these books flow so well together & essentially are the start of a series (I really hope there will be more!), I am going to provide info about each book all within this same blog post. Please note that each book is fully independent of the others, is a solid stand alone, and can be purchased so you can focus on just one of the key principles. At the same time, by reading each of them you get a broader sense of each animal family being part of a community, and that each child who is they key focus is likely friends with the other 2 main characters. I particularly like to look at them as a corroboration of Biblical principles and great elements of discussion. Each book contains what I could call a "Parent Help Section" that gives insight on how to help your children face anxiety, failure, and anger. The very last page of each book is a tear-out of 4 "Back Pocket Bible Verses" you can give to your child, put on the fridge, or read together! Tremendous resources to find at the back of a children's book!!

Zoe's Hiding Place (when you are anxious)

Zoe is a young mouse who lives with her parents and baby brother. She is a bit of a daydreamer, and doesn't always have great listening ears. She has not heard her teacher on a few occasions, and that led to her getting lost on a previous field trip. When Zoe realizes the class is going on another field trip, she is filled with worry & afraid she will become lost again. The reader gets to watch as Zoe prays, looks to her parents for guidance, and seeks comfort in the Bible verse her dad writes down for her.  Young children get to see how Zoe faces and overcomes a scary situation when she relies on the truth found within the word of God. Of the three books, Zoe's Hiding Place is my favorite.

Buster's Ears Trip Him Up (when you fail)

Buster is a young bunny who lives with his parents and his sister. Buster is always in a hurry! Buster is also quite confident in his abilities, and is quite proud of the fact he is the 'fastest bunny in the meadow'. Buster and his sister, Ivy, are preparing to go to camp. Just before they leave, Buster's dad hands him a piece of paper. Dad tells Buster he will know the right time to read the message.

Buster is extremely excited (and a bit too confident) about a race that will take place during camp. When the race doesn't go as Buster thought it would, he becomes upset. The reader gets the chance to see Ivy extend great kindness to Buster, and Papa's note provides encouragement at the perfect time. Buster displays wonderful examples of learning both patience and humility.

Jax's Tail Twitches (when you are angry)

Jax is a squirrel who lives in a tree with his mom, dad, brother & baby sister. Of the three books, this one contains the most family interaction, as the family is together throughout the whole book. In addition, the entire squirrel family has individual lessons that they are learning outside of just Jax being the focus. Ultimately, they come together as a family and pray for God to forgive and help each of them. It is a powerful moment of humility! Although the book touches on Jax dealing with anger, it also shows how the two brothers learn to get along, Dad realizing he was selfish in not sharing with a neighbor, and Mom blaming the family for a burned dinner that she had forgotten. The family not only works through their issues, but also experiences kindness, generosity and grace from the neighbors. This is a children's book that is packed with many truths and much depth.

Click each link to purchase the following books:

Zoe's Hiding Place

Buster's Ears Trip Him Up

Jax's Tail Twitches

God Made Me AND You: Celebrating God's Design for Ethnic Diversity {Book Review}

Jesus-lovin’, Creation proclaiming mamas: GO BUY THIS BOOK. I don’t even care how old your kids are. Absolutely beautiful words & illustrations on how God made EVERY race. I just read it alone, then read it again, and then read it to my kids. 

There is so much depth packed into a ‘simple’ children’s book. God Made Me and You teaches our kids to not tease & to embrace others.

This book is a fantastic for home, Children's Ministry departments, private Christian schools, families who have adopted or are fostering, or for any child who needs that confirmation that God made each of us perfectly in his image. Just awesome.

Click here to purchase a copy! 

Book Review *And Giveaway Link!* for Delayed Justice

About the Book

Book Title: Delayed Justice  
Author: Cara Putman  
Genre: Legal Romantic Suspense  
Release date: October 15, 2018  

She had long given up the desire to be loved. Now she only needed to be heard. Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jamie, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart. Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child. This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Since the time she could read Nancy Drew, Cara has wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, was history. There she met a fellow Indiana writer Colleen Coble. With prompting from her husband, Cara shared her dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, Cara’s been writing award-winning books. She is currently working on book 30 and 31. Cara Putman is an active member of ACFW, and currently serves on its Executive Board. She has also been the Indiana ACFW chapter president and served as the Area Coordinator for Indiana. Cara is also an attorney, lecturer at a Big Ten university, active in women’s ministry, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband and her kids that is. She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!) and George Mason Law School, and Krannert School of Management. You can learn more about Cara at www.caraputman.com

Guest Post from Cara

Delayed Justice was a hard story to write. I’d known from Beyond Justice that Jaime had a hard story, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. She tried to hide from her past. She tried hard, but in the end it slowly spilled out. A young girl wounded deeply by someone who should protect her. And now as a professional young woman, Jaime is still fighting the shadows. She believes she’s okay, or as okay as she’ll ever be. Instead, she has to learn that there’s so much more waiting for her. Freedom from the chains of a past she didn’t choose. A love that will never end. And a God who has always loved her even when she questions His existence because of her past. I think we’ve all lived that. There’s a place in our hearts that seems beyond His reach. For some of us, it’s a barrier to knowing Him. To others of us, it makes us question what we thought we knew about God. And for others of us, it presses us deeply into Him. Jaime’s book, Delayed Justice, explores this space. The space where some days we scream at the heavens Where are you, God? And the days we just curl into ourselves because life is too hard. And in that space of shadow and light, God ultimately shines brightest. This is a truth that is slowly revealed through friends and The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cara is giving away a grand prize package that includes a Courage Dear Heart bracelet, a The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe print, a copy of Delayed Justice, and a box of Turkish Delight!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/d5c4/delayed-justice-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Personal Review (LeAnne)

I have always found that the mark of an excellent series author is their ability to move seamlessly from one novel to the next, while at the same time having each novel so full of depth, detail & integrity that it can stand all on its own. Cara Putnam is this type of writer. Delayed Justice is the third novel in her Hidden Justice Series. I read the second book prior to reading the first, which let me judge better how truly 'stand alone' each novel can be...and I went back to read the first book due to how much I enjoyed the second! Each novel focuses on one main protagonist; the other characters then provide the 'filler' aspect within the novel. So, while having your own personal knowledge about the various characters when they are mentioned, this is not a critical aspect of diving in and enjoying each novel on its own. Jaime Nichols is the protagonist in Delayed Justice, and the novel continues with the focus on a female lawyer. Jaime is a criminal defense attorney; she is taking her skill set & drive and turning it towards something (and someone) she has been hiding from since childhood--her own past & her own sexual abuse. Due to this content, some readers may have difficulty reading this, but I still recommend it. While this novel holds less 'mystery' than some of Putnam's other works, it is still quite suspenseful. 

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.

Review of Children's Book: The Spirit of God Illustrated Bible

I had such incredibly high hopes for this book, and while it still was good it wasn't quite as solid as I had hoped. First, it probably should be considered a "Bible Storybook" rather than a Bible; I feel that is typically the best route to go with a Children's Bible book (but, as I think that's the general assumption regarding a book for children, this could be considered a picky point for me to make). And, because it jumps around a bit & views very specific circumstances & situations, I think it's very important as you teach your kids that you also incoroprate a kids' Bible that gives the full picture.

But, as for positives, I love the illustrations within The Spirit of God Illustrated Bible! And I truly appreciate the verses found throughout the pages that reveal the Holy Spirit throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Finally, it is very cool to read the stories chosen that show the Holy Spirit as present & active since the beginning of time!

I'm not aware of any other books geared towards children that provide this same perspective, and for that I really appreciate this book. I only wish the book itself showed a little more discernment in following the text to 100% accuracy.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.

************

About the book:

The Spirit of God Illustrated Bible brings to life more than 40 Bible stories that help readers understand that God’s Spirit has been with us since the beginning of time and continues to be with us today. From the glory of creation through the powerful letters of Paul, God’s Spirit is living in his people. Old and New Testament stories such as Adam and Eve, Abraham, Joseph, the Baptism of Jesus, and Pentecost come alive with dramatic illustrations by Fernando Juarez and moving text by Doris Rikkers. With a cover that sparkles and shines with foil, this is a special storybook Bible that will appeal to both children and parents alike.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

If I settle on the far side of the sea,

Even there your hand will guide me,

Your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139: 7–10

About the author and illustrator:

Doris Wynbeek Rikkers is a freelance writer and editor who has written many bestselling children’s books and Bibles. Although she loves the ocean, she lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, surrounded by her books, her flower gardens, and her family and friends.

Spanish artist Fernando Juarez illustrates children’s books and also works as an art supervisor at the Madrid studio Ilion Animation. The company produces 3D feature films for children. Fernando has three kids himself, and if he has any time left after work and family, you might catch him playing guitar in a rock band.

link to purchase from Amazon