A Few of My Favorite Things

I've been thinking since one of my recent Facebook post received such a huge response on and off Facebook, that I would share with you a few of my favorite things right now.  It's a well known joke (er, fact) that teachers share and steal resources as to not reinvent the wheel. I can't figure out why it should be any different among friends in the Christian community.  As an avid book worm, I want to share!  So without further adieu:

Journibles The 17:18 Series
As I said on Facebook, I had a teammate leave and as we sorted through some of her books, this journal sparked my interest.  I had been using a Scripture Writing Plan as part of my quiet time since November of 2016 so this just followed suit.  I really enjoy this journal for it's holistic approach and continuity as whole books of the Bible.  Each day includes 7 to 8 verses to copy out of the Bible.  The opposite page is blank for notes, ponderings, or answers to thought provoking study questions they have asked.  I can do it fairly quickly sometimes with interruption from the menfolk in my household.  I often reread it at lunchtime and the verses sink deep into my heart.  It's simple, yes but has been an excellent way in keeping a consistent time in the Word.

Discover 4 Yourself Inductive Bible Study Series For Kids

As an inductive bible study nerd, I loved this idea for my child who is now an advanced reader.  Adam often calls my Bible my "coloring book" as I mark each page according to a colorful key so that even at first glance, you can figure out what is the theme of a passage, chapter, or even whole book of the Bible.  With the idea of training up a child in the way he should go, I searched far and wide and finally purchased this Bible study for our eldest child who is 9 years old.  He has just started studying on his own but likes that the studies are divided into 5 day weeks and that he "can write in the book."  I recently saw a friend ask for a good kid Bible study on Facebook and even after a few days of air time, it was still one of the only suggestions.  We can't wait to move on to the rest of the series.

God's Great Covenant

While we were on our Home Mission Assignment a few years ago, my dear friend whom has a few more parenting years under her belt, suggested this great Bible curriculum to me as we were starting our homeschooling journey.  I stuck it on our Amazon wishlist and received this and the second one as a gift.  I finally branched out from following our homeschool curriculum to a T and substituted this course this past year.  Boy am I glad, I did!  It is an excellent resource in paving the foundation of a Biblical knowledge and worldview.  My two boys enjoy this part of our morning and are always excited when they know the answers to fill in blanks and make charts!    

Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining and Bitterness by David Powlison
At nineteen years old, I was hired as a youth intern at a Bible church in Fort Worth, Texas.  At the time my theology was pretty shallow and I was surprised to find out that I was a sinner as well as the other people with whom I worked.  Who would have known other church workers would mess up and sometimes be ugly.  It was an invaluable lesson as I moved forward in life and even (especially) as we moved to the field with other missionaries.  My mentor declared missionary life is like "being in a pressure cooker and under the microscope at the same time."  It became glaringly obvious that we would continue to be sanctified in this life but not perfected until the day of glory.   My experiences have left me with the desire to pursue a masters in Christian counseling (not in this stage of life though, don't worry, I'm not completely crazy).  The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) has a ton of resources I can read now though.

I started "Good and Angry" as I was in a place in my life where I couldn't shake some of the bitterness based on a series of unfortunate (sinful) events (real life confessions without the drama).  I kept returning to the Lord asking Him to remove my anger and help me forgive again and again.  This book met me where I was.  It is a wealth of Biblical wisdom on anger.  Anger is more than a problem to be solved.  Anger is a part of life and we can learn about God's anger, how to redeem our anger, and be fruitful in responding to evil with good and making wrongs right.  I enjoyed this book because though not labeled a workbook, it contains questions that dig deep in self-reflection as well as future action.

Hopefully not a spoiler but my favorite chapter is titled, "Do You Have a Serious Problem With Anger?" The  whole chapter is but one word, "Yes."  That's it.  That's the whole chapter.  Shortest chapter I have ever read in any book.  But it left it's impact.  We all have an serious anger problem.  It just looks different from person to person.  I would highly suggest this book to literally anyone and everyone.  God has healed me up with this one.  It will probably become an annual read. 

RightNowMedia
This is a resource that may not be available to everyone as it is usually provided through a church but we had two churches offer the use of this digital media to us.  It contains over 15,000 bible studies and tons of videos and music.  We love it for sermons in English as well as videos for the boys (we're kind of addicted to Buck Denver Asks What's In the Bible and other Kid Bible studies by Phil Vischer).  We have it on our smart TV and I have it on my phone as well.  Ask your church if they have it or would be interested in it!  It keeps us Biblically well fed while overseas.

What's your dig right now? Feel free to share your invaluable resources with us!