Book Review: Voices of the Faithful, Book 2

Voices of the Faithful, Book 2
Beth Moore & Kim P. Davis

This is a daily devotional book, with a daily Bible verse, story from a missionary and prayer. Each month is given it's own theme and each story is a little encouragement or gives you a little push in that direction. At the beginning of each month is a little introduction from the "authors" that get you ready for that months theme.

At first I was a little disappointed with this book. I think it's because I was really looking for something that would take me a little deeper into the Word. Don't take this book as a substitute for studying the Bible. This book would be a great way to start off your day, just spending time reading a story from someone on the field.

I really enjoyed each story, and maybe it's because having lived overseas in the ministry I could really relate to some of what they were going through or had experinced. If you have spent time in missions or not you will enjoy each and every story from these missionaries.

I suggest you grab a cup of coffee and snuggle up in your blanket in the morning and just enjoy reading these stories and then spending some great time with God in prayer afterwards.

What's wrong with my string cheese?

The title of this blog really has nothing to do with what I am writing, but I thought it would grab some people attention. Although I should mention I always do seem to have defective string cheese. The little plastic is always hard to get off! Sigh!

Well I picked up Jadelyn from school yesterday and she was in tears. The teacher was trying to figure out why. Well some boy had yelled at her and hurt her feelings. Jadelyn is very big on the "You hurt my feelings." or "You made my heart sad." Even though she seems like such a strong girl she can have her feelings hurt easily. Well as we were driving home we talked about it a little more. "Morgan told me to scoot in. He used a really mean voice." My eyes opened wide and I said "It was Morgan?" Now you have to know almost everyday Jadelyn comes home talking about Morgan. Morgan this and Morgan that. So my little girl doesn't have any idea about boyfriends and girlfriends, but I have to say she just might have a crush! Darrel and I spent some time talking to her about why Morgan said it in a mean way. Turns out Jadelyn actually hurt his foot when she pushed her chair out. I told Jadelyn she shouldn't be mad at Morgan and she said "I'm not mom. I love Morgan so much! I still love him even though he was mean at me!" Too funny!

So my last post I was extremely frustrated with Jadelyn's school. I am still a bit frustrated, but we may have found the solution. Darrel and I are each going to take a day to help out in the classroom. See how things are going for her. We are starting to do a few things differently at home after school time, and if things don't change by Christmas this is what we will do....
We will send her to a preschool that is only three days a week. Then the other two days we will spend teaching her a home. We will actually do some teaching the other days too. I went to the library the other day and found so many great books to work with. One for reading that will be perfect for Jadelyn! Next year we are pretty sure we will start homeschooling full time. I found a great group of people here who all homeschool their kids and they all get together a lot! That's what I really needed was a group for some support!

Jadelyn & School

I don't want this blog to offend anyone! Jadelyn has had some great teachers and I have some friends who are amazing teachers! So please don't take this badly!

I have been disappointed with Jadelyn's school from day one. First there was the whole issue that we thought she was being made to repeat preschool for no reason. Jadelyn went to preschool last year and she is more than ready to start kinder. The very first day I was so surprised by her attitude. She was snippy and cranky and I just kind of thought maybe it was because she had taken a nap at school. (Sorry, but to me naps at school are a waste of time...and Jadelyn hasn't been taking naps since she was 2). She told me the teacher had to sit a rub her back to put her to sleep. I am wondering why they couldn't just let her lay there with a book or something. Which is sounds like what they have been doing now.

Well Jadelyn's attitude has just been getting worse. She's talking back to me, she's being mean to her sister Liliana and she has stopped listening. Now a lot of you might say that this is just because she is almost 5. That's how 5 year olds are. Sorry...but not mine! Have you ever wondered that maybe the reason some 5 year olds are like this is because they are in school, and maybe in school at a lower level than they should be.

I was sad after the first week when they gave us a sheet that said "Can you believe we did all this?" They did three things a day. Ok maybe they did more, but I was disappointed. Also its sad for me when I ask my daughter what she learned in school today and she says "Nothing new!"

Maybe I just had high expectations for this pre-k since Jadelyn has such a wonderful one last year! Her teachers were amazing and they encouraged Jadelyn in her abilities! Maybe this school hasn't realized Jadelyn's level yet? But...sigh...I remember my home visit I had with the teacher. I was explaining to her some of what Jadelyn was doing. She can count to 100, she can count by 10s, she knows all her letter sounds. And I remember when she asked if there was anything we wanted them to work with Jadelyn on...I said reading. Jadelyn is really starting to read and she will pick up a book and just start reading and then coming and asking for help if she needs it. And yet the whole time I knew the teacher didn't believe me on any of it.

Darrel and I know that we want to homeschool our kids. And we were putting them in preschool to help them socially, but honestly I think it's starting to hurt Jadelyn. She is regressing and starting to act younger. It's so frustrating for me.

This is what really got to me. Jadelyn has been wanting homework. She loves having a little book to bring home and practice works and such...but she always forgets to ask her teacher. Well Jadelyn was so proud of herself today because SHE REMEMBERED!!! She came and told me she remembered to ask for homework and her teacher said she gave her some. Jadelyn said it was called the Family PAT. I get home to find out it was a fund-raiser booklet! Jadelyn was asking me when she was going to do her homework. I told her I would have to make some for her. So I got out her homework book and she worked on some words. But she asked me why I gave her the book from her old school. I told her that her teacher didn't give her homework. She said "Why did she tell me a lie." How sad that my child so badly wants to learn, and yet it feels like no one wants to help her. That all my little girl wants is a paper with some words to practice and the teacher just passes off a fund-raiser has home work.

I am very close to just taking her out of school and starting homeschool now. It frustrating because I spend the time she gets home from school working on her reading and writing, because she doesn't get it at school. So is sending her to school just a waste of time? I think it is!

Please Please PLEASE give my whole family a cold!

That's right. Almost all of us have colds. Four little stuffy noses, four little sore throat, four little fussy kids. And here I am one big stuffy nose, one big sore throat, and one big fussy kid. I think today Darrel is happy to be a work! Not that he would mind taking care of us all...but I think all of our fussing might get to him. But when you think of it what would be better....5 girls at home who are fussy and have colds or 20 teenage girls who aren't happy with anything? I think I might pick the five of us at home. I think by the end of his day he might be wishing he could have called into work sick!

My cold thankfully is not that bad...otherwise I might not be able to function to help my little ones. So since today is sick day, we are going to all cuddle on the couch, watch movies, eat popcorn and have some 7up. Ok not all of us are going to have 7up and popcorn, but those who can will.

Last weekend our family went to family camp. I completly forgot to write about this! We had an awesome time! I didn't really enjoy the ride there and back. We constantly heard "Are we almost to family camp?" "Are we almost home?" "When are we going back to family camp?" And this was a 5 hour trip! The camp was great! It started with a camp fire and bannana boats(not really a fan of those...to mushy!) Then the next day we had pony rides for the girls and trail rides for Darrel and I. The girls were so excited! Liliana who just loves horses would not stop talking about the horse she got to ride. She was a bit sad though because they didn't have any blue horses! Jadelyn and Liliana will be talking about family camp for such a long time...possibly until we go back again! Even though by the end of camp the girls were tired, unhappy, whinning and cry for no apparent reason...we LOVED it! We also ran into a college friend. Very random. She led worship and it was amazing!

Well going to go put a movie in so we sickies can veg on the couch.

Much love
Sarah

2 months

WOW! Can it really be? Can my little girl be two months old already! It seems the time has gone by so fast and I haven't been able to enjoy her sweet little personality! I guess when you get to number 4 the time goes faster and you feel you haven't given her the kind of attention she needs or deserves. But to be honest I think I have done a pretty good job. I think she gets showered with love from all of us. She is a sweet little girls who loves to eat and sleep and loves to be held by her sisters! How sweet!

When Jesus tells you...you better!

Ok...so I was thinking about how lame it was that my last two blogs were book reviews! How did I not find the time to get on here and blog about my cute kids? Or my fun projects? I don't know...

Well anyway here is a great story for you about how my girls teach me so much! Jadelyn and Liliana (formerly known as Lili...she has know decided she likes Liliana best!) were playing pretend. Jadelyn was being Jesus and Liliana was a lame person.

Jadelyn said "Get up and walk!"
Liliana answers "I can't walk!"
Jadelyn says "When Jesus tells you to get up and walk you better get up and walk!"

WOW! My daughter get it! She understands something that has taken me years to really get. When Jesus tells us to do something we better step out in faith and do it! So many times I don't want to get up, take my mat and walk because I am too scared. I say...but God what if your wrong? What if this won't work? Or I simply say I can't! But this is the faith of a 4 year old...when Jesus says get up and walk you better get up and walk!

Thank you God for giving me such great kids who teach me so much about you!

Book Review: Fearless

Fearless
Imagine Your Life Without Fear

By
Max Lucado

Because I am a book blog reviewer for Thomas Nelson I was able to get Max Lucado's new book before it was released. It was an amazing book and you are now actually able to get it. Today is it's release date!!!

There are so many things in todays world that makes us worry. I remember hearing a few months ago that people now worry about more things and more often than they ever use it! We are a society that fears so much. We fear the unknown, we fear for our children, we fear there may not be enough money, we fear for our lives....we fear we are not good enough for God. Max Lucado's book takes all of these and shows us through wonderful stories and God's Word why we should live a fearless life. Jesus called us to fear not and to know that He is with us. What an amazing thing to know that a life with Jesus can be Fearless...we just need to trust.

I loved this book because it really dug into God's word and pointed out so many scriptures about not having fear. Jesus really took our fear seriously. He knew that it was something we struggle with.

At times we feel so insignificant. We feel that everyone else is better than us. But God simply tells us that we matter because He made us. We don't have to fear what others think of us. We only need worry about What God thinks of us. And God thinks love towards us. I may feel like a 5th sparrow at times, but I will always think of how highly God thinks of me.

For me sometimes a worst-case scenario will go through my head. I will just be watching my kids at the park and they will be playing on the slide...then suddenly I will picture one of them falling off and breaking something. I don't really mean to starting thinking about this it just happens. But now when this happens I won't start to jump up and try to prevent something that may never happen from happening...I will remember Lord, help me to fear less and trust You more.

Trusting God is something that  has always been hard for me. It's like a life long lesson that until I get to Heaven I don't think I will really get it. Really if trusting God is something you have difficulty with, this book is one for you to read! I strongly recommend it!