Monday, February 29, 2016

Review: Zondervan Faith Builders Bible

When I saw the name Zondervan I had to review this product. My son was heavily into Veggie Tales and had a lot of the books published by Zondervan. Drama loves the Lego movies and games so I knew he would like the Faith Builders Bible by Zonderkidz ~ (http://www.zondervan.com/children) . I love that they have incorporated America's favorite building blocks with The Holy Bible.
http://www.zondervan.com/faith-builders-bible-nirv

The first thing I did when I received the Faith Builders Bible was look through it. The first thing that stands out is the colorful building block pages. Each graphic has a picture that you can recreate with your own building blocks, a short commentary, and a building block verse that goes with the picture. Some of the building block pages and topics:

- Noah Builds an Ark
- Animals 2x2
- Building the Tower of Babel
- The Ten Commandments
- Building the Tabernacle
- Solomon Builds God's Temple
- Bringing Down Jericho
- Samson's Demolition
- David Defeats Goliath
- Psalm 23: A Psalm of David
- Jesus is Born
- Feeding a Crowd
- A Change of Heart (Zacchaeus)
- Jesus Walks on Water
- The Last Supper
- Jesus and the Cross
- The Lord's Prayer
- The ABCs of Salvation
- The Fruit of the Spirit
- Building with a Strong Foundation





We had a lot of fun building the scenes after reading the stories. As a home school Mom, I know the importance of kinetic learning. Building a scene from a story they just read helps them retain information. The first graphic page "Building with books of the bible" made me think of an awesome idea I had seen on Pinterest. You take Legos and write or tape the books of the bible on them, using different colors for Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, Gospels, Church History, Letters, and Prophecy. Then the kids memorize the books of the bible and also the different categories. I love this idea and it was great to be reminded of it.

The only thing I did not care for about the bible was the fact that it is only available in NIRV ( New International Readers Version). I really hope that they come out with this bible in other translations like KJV. I go to a KJV church and I prefer the KJV over other versions and have many friends who only read KJV and have kids who are completely nuts about Legos.

More about the NIrV from Wikipedia: The New International Reader's Version (NIrV) is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Translated by the International Bible Society (now Biblica) following a similar philosophy as the New International Version (NIV), but written in a simpler form of English, the NIrV seeks to make the Bible more accessible for children and people who have difficulty reading English, such as non-native English speakers. The authors describe it as a special edition of the NIV written at a third grade reading level.[2]

All in all I think children will enjoy receiving this bible as a gift. The wording is simple and easy to understand. The graphics will draw anyone in and make them want to pull out their building blocks to recreate the scenes. I recommend reading the story from the bible then talking about it as you're building. Repetitiveness helps kids retain important information. When I am teaching my discipleship class to the Kindergarten and First Grade, I try and read the story twice then ask questions until they can repeat it back to me.

Faith Builders Bible {Zonderkidz Review}
http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/faith-builders-bible-zonderkidz-review/
 
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Friday, February 19, 2016

REVIEW: HISTORY Through the Ages Hands-on History Lap-Pak: U.S.Elections

I am pretty patriotic and I enjoy exercising my right to vote. I took my son to the polls during the last election, and he has been with me while I worked the polls for pro-life issues. So, I was pretty excited to see HISTORY Through the Ages Hands-on History Lap-Pak: U.S. Elections by  Home School in the Woods ~ (http://homeschoolinthewoods.com). I was so excited about the Elections in the title that I didn't stop and think about how I have never put together a lapbook. I went into this project pretty blind.
U.S. Elections History Lap-Pak  Review


I am not a crafty person. I am a procrastinator I often start projects and don't finish them because I get overwhelmed, especially if there are too many parts. If this sounds like you then you too will feel completely overwhelmed when you download everything you  need for this project. It didn't help that the child who is supposed to be doing this project has Aspergers and ADD. I also have ADD so I needed a third person to help keep us on track and to mediate any fighting that ensued. I am not the most patient person so Drama and I doing a project usually ends in tears, from both of us. I didn't realize what a big project this was or I would have rethought volunteering to review it.

Downloading HISTORY Through the Ages Hands-on History Lap-Pak: U.S. Elections was super easy. I did have to download Adobe Reader to view the files. I recommend making sure you have printer ink and paper on hand when you start this project because you will need to print multiple pages. I am very old school when it comes to things. For example, I like paper books not ebooks. So reading multiple pages of instructions off of a computer screen was not for me. Luckily they give you an option to print these off. Also handy for the list of things you will need for this project.

I printed everything of that we needed. I opted to print the Elections Booklet in full pages and just put it in a report folder that I found at Dollar Tree. One less thing to put together. You will need scissors, double sided sticky tape, clear packing tape, brads, a file folder, card stock, velcro, glue stick, pencil, and colored pencils. I used double sided sticky tape but I should have used glue instead. I also didn't have cardstock but I found that file folders cut in two worked great in a pinch.

Today we went to my sisters apartment to work on the project. I had printed off everything before hand. Assembling the Lapbook was pretty easy for Drama. It was cutting out all the little bits and taping everything in place that was a little hard for him because of his fine motor skills. He began to get frustrated halfway through so I helped with the cutting and my sister guided him through assembling. This project took us almost four hours from start to finish. I think it would take less time for someone who had put together a lap book before and with a student who didn't have fine motor problems. I definitely recommend glue instead of tape. We used tape and I really wished we used glue because the tape started coming off of the little pieces.

U.S. Elections History Lap-Pak  Review
U.S. Elections History Lap-Pak  Review
U.S. Elections History Lap-Pak  Review



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U.S. Elections History Lap-Pak  Review
http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/u-s-elections-history-lap-pak-home-school-in-the-woods-review/

 
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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

My New Scripture Journal

I love new writing stuff!!! I love writing utensils, art supplies, notebooks, and I totally geek out when it's time to buy back to school stuff.Today I went to Ross with the intentions of getting a new scripture journal for Lent. Ross has such a great selection of journals. They have Christian journals, secular journals, and sketch journals. They range from plain to intricate designs. My journal matches my personality. With me being a Princess of course I had to have one that was pink and sparkly. 




What I love most about my journal (besides the blinged out cross) is the verse on the front. Matthew 19:26 With God all things are possible. Such a wonderful reminder to have every time I open my journal to spend time with God. 

After Ross I had to go to Office Max to get printer paper. I usually don't go to Office Max because it's more expensive than Wal*Mart , but I really dislike Wal*Mart and just was not in the mood to deal with it today so I paid extra for convenience. While there I found some awesome little color pens for my new journal. I love colored pens and these are small enough to keep in the bag and in my purse. Hopefully I can keep them all together and not lose them like I normally do.

How I journal

I write down the verse I am studying. I write "what is happening in this passage?" Then underneath it I write a summary, I write "what does this passage mean to me?" Then I write how God spoke to me through the passage and what I took away from it. I sometimes doodle if I feel inspired. At the end I write down my prayer requests. 

I also use my journal at church for Sunday School and Sermon notes. It's handy to help remember what the sermon was about and anything I may want to write down that is running through my mind at the moment that may leave me by the time I get home. It's also nice to keep a record of prayer requests because you can go back and update them once the prayers have turned into praises. 

Let me know how you prayer journal or take sermon notes in the comments! God Bless!

Monday, February 15, 2016

Valentine's for the Single Mom

Valentine's can be pretty miserable for anyone who is alone. Widowed, Divorced, and Single people everywhere made it through one of the loneliest holidays. Some would argue being alone on Valentine's isn't too much different than any other day of the year, but it really is. 

All week long people have been declaring their love for their significant other on social media. I absolutely feel happy that my brothers and sisters in Christ are happy and in love. I would want nothing less. I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy and I know that's wrong. God forgive for that. I wouldn't want anyone to feel lonely. It's a miserable feeling. It helps the soul to have a special someone. 

For Valentines Day we went to church then out to lunch. I let Drama pick where we went. Then we had a Valentine's party at night church where we learned about charity (love). I didn't feel lonely yesterday and I enjoyed my time with my son. I think God spared me some heartache that I usually feel. 

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Baked Cheese Test Anxiety

Drama has an appointment Monday for his second food challenge. This time we are doing a baked cheese challenge. For this challenge I was instructed by his allergist to buy an Amy's Cheese Pizza and bake it at 425 for 13 minutes.

 
I am not sure why, but all of the food challenges I have read involve Amy's Cheese Pizza so it must be a preferred brand by allergists.
 
FEARS
 
The last food challenge started out difficult. Elijah was afraid to eat the Milk Muffin. I am scared it is going to be the same thing this time around. He still has anxiety eating things with baked milk in it. Getting him to eat baked cheese is going to be interesting. I wonder if anyone else has done a study on the psychology of introducing foods kids were once allergic to.
 
Drama has been told his whole life he can not have anything with Milk in it or he will have a bad reaction and may end up in the hospital. He even still wears a MedicAlert bracelet due to this. Now we are telling him he can have it and he can not process the fact that it's okay now. He says, "are you sure it's okay?" and he has told me "No, I can't have that it has Milk in it". He still refuses to try some new things, such as Cheez It's.
 
PRAYERS
 
I am praying that he takes one bite of this pizza and falls in love with the melty goodness that is mozzarella cheese. I want to share with him Mac -n- Cheese, Lasagna, Pizza, Quesadillas, Taquito's and everything else I can't think of right now with baked cheese. This is just one more step to being declared Milk Allergy FREE. In a few months he will have the last food challenge where he will drink a glass of milk. When he passes that test he will be able to have ice cream, chocolate, yogurt, milk, pudding, sour cream, cream cheese, cold cheese, dressing, etc.
 
I pray that this works and we can try this with Eggs next year. I know he is unlikely to ever outgrow his Nut allergy but just adding Milk and Eggs to his diet will make life a little easier for him. Having food allergies is really hard on kids. You aren't getting all the nutrition other kids are and other kids notice when you are eating something different so you get singled out and made fun of. Some kids are bullied. It takes a toll on a childs self esteem. I am asking for prayers for Drama that he passes this food challenge. I will update everyone on Monday on how the food challenge went.
 


Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Celebrating Lent with Fasting, Study, and Prayer.

Even as a Baptist Lent is special for me. I use the Lenten season as a time of reflection and prayer. It's a way to build up Easter. I am excited this year to be doing a study by Grapevine called Resurrection with my son. During Lent I use my YouVersion bible app and find the Lent reading plan. I will write down these verses and scripture journal about them. If you're new to scripture journaling, it's pretty easy. I just write the verse down, what it means to me, and how it applies to my life. You can also find bible journaling templates on Pinterest.

Fasting: Fasting is important during Lent. I really liked the idea my friends had of not using social media until they had their bible studies done. I really want to implement that during this fast. I think it is something I should do every day. Doing it during this fast will help make it a daily habit. I will give up soda doing this time to. I have been trying to eat better and coupling that with prayer will surely help.

Reflection: Letting go. I have a lot of baggage that I need to let go of. I also have major control issues that I need to work on. I am still learning to surrender. I also will spend this time praying for our mission trip to Haiti. I have some friends and family members that desperately need prayer. I will put together a prayer list tonight to prayer over daily through Lent.

Giving: Elijah really enjoyed serving the homeless at Thanksgiving so I hope to do that again this Easter. Hopefully we can find some other ways to give back as well. I hope to start collecting things for the children of Haiti.

What is Lent?

Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer.
Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is cheifly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too.
Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Alternatively, the priest may speak the words, "Repent and believe in the Gospel."

Ashes also symbolize grief, in this case, grief that we have sinned and caused division from God.
Writings from the Second-century Church refer to the wearing of ashes as a sign of penance.
Priests administer ashes during Mass and all are invited to accept the ashes as a visible symbol of penance. Even non-Christians and the excommunicated are welcome to receive the ashes. The ashes are made from blessed palm branches, taken from the previous year's palm Sunday Mass.
It is important to remember that Ash Wednesday is a day of penitential prayer and fasting. Some faithful take the rest of the day off work and remain home. It is generally inappropriate to dine out, to shop, or to go about in public after receiving the ashes. Feasting is highly inappropriate. Small children, the elderly and sick are exempt from this observance.
It is not required that a person wear the ashes for the rest of the day, and they may be washed off after Mass. However, many people keep the ashes as a reminder until the evening.
Recently, movements have developed that involve pastors distributing ashes to passersby in public places. This isn't considered taboo, but Catholics should know this practice is distinctly Protestant. Catholics should still receive ashes within the context of Mass.
In some cases, ashes may be delivered by a priest or a family member to those who are sick or shut-in.



Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.


Why we receive the ashes

Following the example of the Nine vites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and reminds us that life passes away on Earth. We remember this when we are told
"Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."
Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.
The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins -- just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.

The Ashes

The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense. While the ashes symbolize penance and contrition, they are also a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts. His Divine mercy is of utmost importance during the season of Lent, and the Church calls on us to seek that mercy during the entire Lenten season with reflection, prayer and penance.

courtesy of http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/ashwed.php