Hiding from the Kids in My Prayer Closet


Book Description

Soon after Jessica Kastner became a mother, she wondered if she was the only mom who found pretend play more boring than watching playdough harden and who dreaded yet another friend’s Instagram post of homemade deliciousness. In Hiding from My Kids in the Prayer Closet, Kastner shares her experience as an “unmom”—a mom who loves her kids more than she loves the daily experience of mothering. She helps readers laugh at the ridiculous, delight in the unpredictable, and enjoy being the mothers God made them to be.




Becoming MomStrong


Book Description

Have you ever looked into the faces of the people who call you “mom” and wondered what in the world you got yourself into? If you’re like many Christian moms today, you’ve been reading the headlines and watching the rapid-fire changes in our culture with frustration and fear. Let’s face it: Moms today are facing questions that previous generations didn’t even see coming, and even our right to determine what is best for our own children is under fire. Popular speaker and blogger Heidi St. John (The Busy Mom) believes that today’s mothers need a special kind of strength. We need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We dare not rely on human strength for the battles we’re facing right now. In Becoming MomStrong, Heidi has a powerful message just for you—the mom in the midst of it all. Through encouragement, practical prayer points, and authentic “me-too” moments, Heidi equips you for a job that only you can do: to train your children to hear God’s voice and to walk in truth no matter where our culture is heading. God wants to use this generation of mothers to do something extraordinary: To be strong in the Lord To know who you are in Christ, and To impart that strength to your kids. In other words, He wants you to be MomStrong! So if you’re feeling tired or inadequate today, get ready to find new strength as you join Heidi St. John in Becoming MomStrong.




Faithful Families


Book Description

A new and expanded version of Seamless Faith, now with more than a dozen new spiritual practices and additional resources for parents, kids, grandparents, and communities that care about families! Add family faith moments to your daily routine with little or no prep, and share meaningful spiritual experiences with your children! Traci Smith, a pastor and mother of three, offers ways to discover and develop new spiritual practices as a family, whether you're a new seeker or a lifelong follower. Faithful Families is brimming with easy, do-it-yourself ideas for transforming your family's everyday moments into sacred moments! Faithful Families helps you: connect faith to your family's everyday life; add family faith moments into your daily routine; learn new spiritual practices alongside your children; teach your children to appreciate religious diversity with time-tested non-Christian and Christian spiritual practices; respond to life's everyday challenges and opportunities with meaningful practices Faithful Families is the perfect gift for Parents, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles; Baptisms; Baby Showers; New Families; Christian educators and those they serve; Preschool Classes; and Godparents Faithful Families is part of The Young Clergy Women Project




Give Your Child the World


Book Description

Young children live with awe and wonder as their daily companions. But as they grow, worries often crowd out wonder. Knowing this, how can parents strengthen their kids' love for the world so it sticks around for the long haul? Thankfully, parents have at their fingertips a miracle vaccine--one that can boost their kids' immunity to the world's distractions. Well-chosen stories connect us with others, even those on the other side of the globe. Build your kids' lives on a story-solid foundation and you'll give them armor to shield themselves from the world’s cynicism. You'll give them confidence to persevere in the face of life's conflicts. You'll give them a reservoir of compassion that spills over into a lifetime of love in action. Give Your Child the World features inspiring stories, practical suggestions, and carefully curated reading lists of the best children's literature for each area of the globe. Reading lists are organized by region, country, and age range (ages 4-12). Each listing includes a brief description of the book, its themes, and any content of which parents should be aware. Parents can introduce their children to the world from the comfort of home by simply opening a book together. Give Your Child the World is poised to become a bestselling family reading treasury that promotes literacy, develops a global perspective, and strengthens family bonds while increasing faith and compassion.




The Boy in Two Places


Book Description

Through the use of gripping emotions and familiar childhood experiences The Boy in Two Places paints a picture of how life for a boy will look in the End Times compared to his old life. Through the unmistakable difficulties and the awe-inspiring glories of the End Times, the boy finds that his desires, motivations, and his entire outlook on life have changed. In a playful, yet sober way, The Boy in Two Places hopes to inspire conversation among families to consider the promised reality of what's ahead for all of us as Jesus' return draws near.




More Than Just Making It


Book Description

More Than Just Making It is your invitation to reimagine what the good life can be. Join Erin Odom, a mom thrown into low-income living, to learn how to overcome your circumstances, find creative ways to earn and save, and reset your heart and budget according to God’s designs. When you're trapped in a cycle of financial frustration, and you feel like you've tried everything only to end up with more month than money yet again, More Than Just Making It is your promise and pathway to thriving again. Take it from someone who's been there. Erin Odom grew up in the private schools and neatly manicured lawns of Upper Middle-Class America but was thrown into low-income living during the economic crash. She was a stay-at-home-mom, her husband was supporting the family on a teacher's salary, and even though they had no debt to their name, they were scrambling to make ends meet. Suddenly Erin found herself standing in line for food stamps, turning down play dates because she couldn't afford the gas, and ultimately walking into bankruptcy court in the eighth month of her third pregnancy. More Than Just Making It tells the story of their breaking point, as well as the triumph of their comeback. It took hard work, creativity, and faith in God's provision to reset their bank account as well as their hearts, but ultimately, they found a new way to thrive and freedom from financial anxiety. You can do the same. Learn how Erin and her family saved enough money to put $30,000 down on a home, buy a minivan in cash, and begin sending their daughter to private Christian school. More Than Just Making It will encourage you to rise above your circumstances, empower you with money-saving tips, and reimagine the good life as God designed it outside the myth of the American Dream.




Introverted Mom


Book Description

Your personality is a gift, not a liability. This book helps you uncover and embrace the hope, laughter, and joy of using your unique gifts to parent your children. Life as a mom is LOUD, but you long for quiet. When the volume of family life clashes with your personality, frustration, guilt, and overwhelm naturally result. In Introverted Mom, author Jamie C. Martin lifts these burdens from your shoulders, reminding you that your steady strength is exactly what your family needs in this chaotic world. Jamie shares vulnerable stories from her own life as well as thoughts from other introverted mothers, letting you know you're not alone. Her practical suggestions and creative inspiration are enhanced with quotes and insights from four beloved writers--Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, L. M. Montgomery, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Together, Jamie and this band of fellow introverts share their wisdom on . . . Believing that you're enough Self-acceptance that leads to freedom Navigating heartache and disappointment Stretching out of your comfort zone Connecting with God as an introvert Cultivating calm wherever you are Defining for yourself what really matters Whether you've just realized you're an introvert, or if you've known it all along, this book is for you. It's time to honor who you are and savor life as an introverted mom. *Note: Written from a Christian perspective




Heavenly Minded Mom


Book Description

The lives of moms are all too often consumed with wearisome, empty striving. We work to keep up appearances, meet worldly standards, and find satisfaction in the offerings of this life such as success, admiration, and ease. However, God has set eternity in a mother’s heart, and deep inside, we long for more. In Heavenly Minded Mom, author and blogger Katie Bennett beckons us into a new way of viewing our present reality by rising above the ordinary and routine to see a bigger plan and purpose for motherhood. This uplifting book offers moms the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, wrapped in the hope of the Gospel, and presented in bite-sized portions. The 90 compelling meditations, scripture readings, and invitations to journal and reflect, will encourage us to reevaluate how we envision our lives and to claim a heavenly mindset towards our mothering tasks. These inspirational readings will help us discover a new way of looking at our responsibilities as a mom through God’s eyes. Embrace a simpler life filled with God’s promises and love as you reflect on God’s powerful work as it has woven through your past and present in anticipation of its impact in the future and your spiritual legacy.




936 Pennies


Book Description

Make the Most of Your Time with Your Children On the day of their baby dedication, Eryn and her husband were given a jar of 936 pennies. The jar contained a penny for every week they would raise their child until graduation, and they were instructed to remove one penny each Sunday as a reminder, placing it into another jar as an investment. At some point every parent realizes time is moving swiftly, and they ask themselves, How am I investing in my child? Through personal stories and biblical examples, 936 Pennies will help you discover how to capture time and use it to its fullest potential, replacing guilt and regrets with freedom. Meanwhile, your kids will see how simple choices, like putting the cell phone down and going on a family hike, will make all the difference. Together you will stretch time and make it richer. Craft a family legacy in tune with God's heartbeat as you capture a new vision for your children and learn the best ways to spend your pennies.




Where Shadows Hide the Sun, The First Years


Book Description

"I'll do anything--I'll even preach!" As a boy, Dave cut a deal with God to save his life. Decades later, Dave and his friends are on his final street-preaching trip. "Jesus came for all, so we should go to all!" With that attitude, Dave fights spiritual resistance as he and his young family endeavor to leave the life they've known and join a team of missionaries stationed in an increasingly militant Islamic country. "God's calling is clear," Dave's pastor reassures him. Yet Dave is unaware of how catastrophic his sin will be . . . or the dangers his children will face . . . or how deep the calling will go . . . in the land where shadows hide the sun.