My Friend Jesus--The Gospel for Kids--Review and Giveaway

I received a copy of the book My Friend Jesus-The Gospel for Kids by Kathryn Slattery to review. My kids loved it! All four of my kiddos have asked Jesus in their heart and have been baptized. 

This book is written in such a way that children can understand. It has no denominational affiliation so no matter what church you attend this is a great book to tell the gospel story about Jesus. It also has a prayer at the end that helps guide children in their relationship with Jesus. 

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. My kids decided to share this book with a younger friend who knows about Jesus but hasn't asked him in to his heart. We hope that this book will help him out.

Would you like to share this book with a child you know? Fill in the entry form below. One winner will be selected randomly. Contest ends Friday, January 31st.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book to review with my family from Tommy Nelson because I'm a Tommy Nelson Mommy. Opinions are my own and I received no monetary compensation.


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Day 2--- A Different Kind of Wednesday

Wednesday is always my favorite day. We got to eat supper, sing praises in choir and go to GA's. School was good. My locker is nice and much cleaner than my room. Today I got some new clothes. Then there was the stink bug that crawled up my leg. One of the boys squished it in a kleenex and gave it to the teacher. 

Mattie

Wow, the child who never stops talking didn't even have a paragraph to say. My middle school experience is usually as exciting as hers. Today I went to school a red head, as opposed to yesterday's  blonde/brown who needs a salon visit soon. I washed it out 4 times and it's still really red. I knew there would be many comments. Middle schoolers don't mind to tell you what they think. I once had a student ask to go to her locker during class. She returned with a business card for her hair stylist. She thought I might want to call her.  I knew then I would never be able to wear my hair the way I wanted and get away with it. 

There were quiet a few comments. Even questioning, which I love.

"Mrs. Johnson, did you color your hair?'" 

"Mrs. Johnson, who did your hair? I don't want to go there."

"Mrs. Johnson, I love your hair. It looks like my moms."

And my favorite was the statement, "Mrs. Johnson, you COLORED your hair." Like I didn't know. 

Apparently it's "my color", at least according to most of my friends. I know they wouldn't just tell me that to keep from telling me how awful it really looks. 

Yesterday, furlough came to our house. He isn't welcomed, although, I'm trying to see it as a blessing. Mikie will be able to work on the farmhouse and we might get to move sooner than expected. I don't welcome him because while we will be okay, others won't. Mikie is  a little lost in his routine. 

As the day closes we pray and weep with the families of those involved in a horrible wreck on the interstate today. Our Pastor's opened the doors of the church for anyone who needed help, counseling, food, anything. They were at the scene, they counseled, they interviewed with the local news, they loved just as Jesus would. 

Last night I processed my five dollar hair color and yelled at Iron Man 3 at ten o'clock. Tonight is different. I only know the wife of the Pastor of the church the bus involved in the wreck was from, but I feel like I lost something today. My heart aches for those in the accident, those who rescued and counseled. Those that witnessed the accident and the love of Jesus Christ. 

While my hair will grow out or change color soon, the lives of many changed in an instant. Middle schoolers I don't even know have lost grandparents. Please remember them in your prayers tonight and in the days ahead. 

Giveaway--Jesus Calling Bible Storybook--Sarah Young

Up for grabs this week is a copy of Jesus Calling Bible Storybook by Sarah Young.  This little book for children ages four to seven has over 60 Bible stories and devotions. Children and parents can use this book to help understand God's plan. If you would like to view a few pages of this book click here.

 If you would like to win a copy just use the Rafflecopter below!

Don't forget about Christmas, this would make a sweet little gift for a special child.

Disclaimer: I received a copy to review.


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Won't You Help Me--Have Compassion

This week's post for Compassion is to write a letter from the view point of a sponsored child. Honestly I'm afraid I won't do this assignment justice but I will try. As of the writing of this post only 266 children need to be sponsored before the end of Sunday to meet the goal of 3,108.

We have sponsored a little boy named Raul from Dominic Republic in honor of Mollie's little friend with the same name. It happens that our sponsored child shares my birthday. I hope the following letter will convince you to go here Compassion and sponsor a child.

My name is Michelle. Thank you for being my sponsor. I liked the letter and picture you sent me. My parents don't live together anymore. They are divorced. I live with my Mom and siblings. My Mom works as a housekeeper when she can find a job. She doesn't make very much money. We live on about $150.00 a month. Although I'm not very old, I run the errands for my Mom. She trust me and she loves me.

 Our house is made of wood walls and roof and concrete floors. We do not have running water or electricity. We get our water from the local watering source and carry it home. We use it to drink, cook with and take baths. The weather is hot all year round. We get a lot of rain.

My favorite foods are bananas, chicken, plantains and rice. I like to play with my baby doll it's the only toy I have. She's pretty dirty and her hair is missing, but I love her so much. Sometimes I play ball with the other kids in town. I like to go to school. I couldn't go to school before because we didn't have the money for paper and pencils and school things. But I have a special friend who gave me my school stuff. She says that you gave money so that she could give me school supplies. I hope she brings me a new doll one day.

Mom says it's really nice that someone we don't know wants to help me. It makes Mom sad when we don't have enough money for food or school stuff. She gets really sad when we are sick and can't go to the doctor. Maybe next time we can go to the doctor because of you.

Thank you for helping me and making my Mom happy. She's says that it's because you love the man the lady talks about named Jesus. I like to hear her stories about Jesus. I think one day I want to love Jesus too.

I can't wait for another letter from you. They make me happy too.

I love you,
Michelle




Alright, I hope that letter tugged at your heartstrings. Go here NOW Compassion and sponsor a child so they don't have to worry to much about getting better, or eating, or going to school. Don't eat out this week, give it to a child who won't eat at all.

Lord God, Help Us Choose Your Child

Father God,

Thank you for your love, for the many things you have blessed me with. Thank you for a loving, Christian husband, four wonderful, Christian children, a roof over our heads, a place to lay our weary bodies, food to fill our bellies and clean water to drink.

Lord, As we search through the pictures of the hundreds of children who need to be sponsored through Compassion, open our eyes and hearts to the one you have chosen for us. Lord God, you know our financial needs and the everyday needs of each of those children. You know were the monthly commitment will come from. You have always provided for us and even more so when we use what you have blessed our family with to bless someone else.

It isn't easy for us to choose. We've looked through the pictures several times. We've searched by each child's birthday and each one has chosen an area of the world they would like to help. Lord, as we search one more time this weekend please let "our" child tug our hearts so we know he or she is the one.

Lord forgive me for not taking better care of your children all over the world and help us as we help your children.

Thank you again for your many blessings and guide us in our search.

In Jesus Precious Name I Pray,

Amen


My assignment as a Compassion blogger this week was to write a prayer. We have sponsored children in the past, but currently aren't. We have been searching to find the child that God wants us to sponsor. So I'm challenging you as we make our decision this weekend, to make yours. Will you sponsor a child? Use this link Compassion in purple to be taken to the website where you can search for children who need you. I'll let you know soon who we have "adopted" as our sponsored child.

What Do Your Feet Look Like

"How beautiful the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:15 (NIV)

One of my favorite songs is How Beautiful by Twila Paris. I've sang it many times for Lord's Supper, weddings and Mikie's cousin Tiffany sang it our wedding while Mikie and I shared our first Lord's Supper as a married couple.

The focal line is Romans 10:15 "How beautiful the feet of those who bring good news!"

Our family has been talking a lot lately about where God wants us. We're pretty sure that school and job wise we are were we are supposed to be for the time being. But since going back to work I haven't been able to serve like I did as a SAHM.

Maggie got in the car today telling me of a little boy in her class that she is going to tell about God tomorrow on the playground. She is always telling us how she is going to be a missionary when she grows up and go serve somewhere over seas. She plans to be a large animal vet so she is sure God will send her to Africa, after all someone's got to take care of those elephants.

She was excited because this little boy has never heard of God. He doesn't know Him or anything about Him. As she talked I continued to remember the verses that came on the screen after the "Go Ye Therefore" Banquet the other night.

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)

Those verses hit me like a ton of bricks the other night. "How can my kids call on Christ and preach it to others," (my paraphrase) unless they see me do it.

We haven't been called to go sell our home and move to be missionaries as some of our friends have, but we have been called to be missionaries right where we are. I firmly believe that God moved my kids three weeks into the school year to another school for His purpose. I see it everyday.

I may not be able to serve in the same capacities that I used to but I can serve right where I am, even in the check out line at Wal-Mart.

Mattie and I wear sandals all year long and our feet are always dirty. But they are beautiful to Christ when we share the Good News.

I want to always have beautiful feet and more than anything I could ever want for my kids is for their feet to be beautiful too.

Have you looked at your feet lately? Are they dirty or beautiful?

Have you heard the Good News? If not I'd love to share it with you!