Children Like Olive Plants


Book Description

Knowledge can come from books, but wisdom can only be received from God. This book is the accumulation of the knowledge learned by the author through personal experiences and the wisdom of spiritual principles from God's Word. Multiple topics are covered to help and support families. aEURC/ Love languages aEURC/ Discipline aEURC/ Teaching work ethics and the handling of money aEURC/ Spiritual training aEURC/ Grace gifts and temperaments aEURC/ Releasing our married children Whether just starting a family or helping to raise grandchildren, there is a wealth of information to assist you. Why olive plants? When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. (Psalms 128:2aEUR"4) In this blessing, God compared your children to olive plants and commissioned them to be all around your table. My question was, aEURoeWhy olive plants?aEUR Here are some facts I found about the olive tree: The olive tree is one of the most beloved, sacred trees in Israel. It has strong roots that live for thousands of years. They are evergreen trees bearing valuable fruit all year long. Olive trees can grow in a rocky environment with poor soil conditions. They need a sunny position and regular watering to thrive. The olive tree grows quickly the first four years, producing a beautiful white flower. Maturing of the olive tree slows down, developing fruit several years later. The olive leaf extract possesses extreme healing properties. The olive branch is a symbol of peace. The expensive olive wood is fragrant, colorful, dense, and durable. The wood is used for fine furniture and the making of items of religious significance. The wood is seasoned and cleaned by applying oil and rubbing with salt. The olive fruit is very bitter if not processed correctly. With careful preparation, it is a delicious, salty addition to our diet. The Israelites considered an abundance of oil as a sign of prosperity and favor. The olive oil is used to produce light and as an anointing oil for healing. Judges 9:9 says that oil was used to honor God and men. The olive tree is cherished and loved for what it gives the nation of Israel. Our little olive plants should be cherished and loved for what they can do for the kingdom of God.




Olive Shoots Around Your Table


Book Description

A comprehensive examination of the factors that contribute to family dysfunction and how families can break free of them.




Keeping House


Book Description

Keeping House is a wide-ranging and witty exploration of the spiritual gifts that are gained when we take the time to care for hearth and home. With a fresh perspective, mother, wife, and teacher Margaret Kim Peterson examines the activities and attitudes of keeping house and making a home. Debunking the commonly held notion that keeping house is a waste of time or at best a hobby, Peterson uncovers the broader cultural and theological factors that make housekeeping an interesting and worthwhile discipline. She reveals how the seemingly ordinary tasks of folding laundry, buying groceries, cooking, making beds, and offering hospitality can be seen as spiritual practices that embody and express concrete and positive ways of living out Christian faith in relationship to others at home, in the church and in the world.




Adventuring Together


Book Description

A modern, practical, and inspiring guide to creating deep heart connections with kids by regularly creating new experiences and intentional adventures together. Parents today complain of fragmented relationships with their kids. What parents yearn for--and their kids too--is deep, heart-to-heart connections. But how can parents compete with all the other noise fighting for their kids' attention? The answer, says Greta Eskridge, is to break free from regular routines and familiar comforts of home to experience new places and adventures--even if those adventures go awry. From simply reading a book together to going on an overnight backpacking trip, activities together provide unique and crucial bonding opportunities. Adventuring Together highlights Greta's stories of doing just that, including an array of ideas for outdoor and indoor ventures, what to do when your finances are limited, and how to adventure if your family can't hit the hiking trail or spend the night at a campground. Giving readers the tools to make adventures happen, Adventuring Together is a step-by-step guide for parents--whether in the city or the country--to start building connections today that will last a lifetime.




Same Lake, Different Boat


Book Description

"Is disability abnormal, frightening, insignificant? No! Stephanie Hubach explains how to biblically understand disability and its challenges as well as the church's role in the lives of people with disabilities"--




Troubled Minds


Book Description

Reflecting on the confusion, shame and grief brought on by her mother's schizophrenia, Amy Simpson provides a bracing look at the social and physical realities of mental illness. Reminding us that people with mental illness are our neighbors and our brothers and sisters in Christ, she explores new possibilities for the church to minister to this stigmatized group.




A Long Obedience in the Same Direction


Book Description

Since Eugene Peterson first wrote this spiritual formation classic nearly forty years ago, hundreds of thousands of Christians have been inspired by Peterson's prophetic and pastoral wisdom and the call to deeper discipleship found in the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134). This special commemorative edition includes a new preface taken from Leif Peterson's eulogy at his father's memorial service.







Niv God's Word for Gardeners Bible


Book Description

The NIV God s Word for Gardeners Bible is a hardcover devotional Bible designed to highlight the many ways God speaks to his people using the language of seeds, cultivation, growth and gardens. Put down your roots and let the Ultimate Gardener tend to your soul."




Olive Kitteridge


Book Description

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • The beloved first novel featuring Olive Kitteridge, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of My Name is Lucy Barton and the Oprah’s Book Club pick Olive, Again “Fiction lovers, remember this name: Olive Kitteridge. . . . You’ll never forget her.”—USA Today “Strout animates the ordinary with astonishing force.”—The New Yorker One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post Book World, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, People, Entertainment Weekly, The Christian Science Monitor, The Plain Dealer, The Atlantic, Rocky Mountain News, Library Journal At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse. As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life—sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition—its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires. The inspiration for the Emmy Award–winning HBO miniseries starring Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, and Bill Murray