Tag: Bible

Waterproof Bible: Review and Giveaway!

Grace-Filled Writer
As we focus this week on thankfulness many of us think back to the Pilgrims. Under increasing persecution these steadfast individuals made a seemingly impossible journey on ship built for trading, not passengers, during inopportune months of the year all in the name of faith freedom. It is difficult for those of us living in America nearly 400 years forward to even imagine the type of persecution which would lead them to this drastic journey. Beth and I have spent a good portion of our year studying about the Pilgrims and one thing we learned was how limited they were in what they could bring. Precious cargo space could not be filled with anything frivolous. We do know at least one Bible would have been aboard as this was considered treasure above all else.

I’m reviewing and hosting a giveaway for something I think the Pilgrims would have heartily approved for their voyage across the ocean…a Waterproof Bible! Bardin and Marsee Publishing has created this very unique publication of Scripture for the purpose of use outdoors without the fear of damage. Whether camping, hiking, hunting, or hanging out by the pool, this ensures your ability to meditate on the Word of God without fear of damaging the binding or pages. 
The girls and I have really enjoyed this Bible. I am reviewing the New King James Version which matches what the girls use for our lessons as well as in Awana. One of the concerns I have with taking school outside is damage to our books. Since Bible is core to our homeschooling day this is a huge incentive to be more mobile with our schooling. 

As soon as I showed it to Rose she asked, “So, can we test it out?” It only made sense, so we proceeded to do what seems completely insane…pour water onto the Bible. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t easy to do the first time. I was nervous. I believed what the company said about their product, but intentionally putting water on any book goes completely against my upbringing. However, once we tried it out, it was way too cool not to do again. Rose is very much looking forward to warmer weather so she can give it a test at the pool!

The pages feel almost rubbery rather than the stiff plastic texture I was expecting. When water was placed onto the page or cover it forms as a little pool and does not soak through. I could easily dump it into the sink and then use a towel to quickly dry the page. According to the website (along with video proof!) it can be completely immersed and will eventually dry even with no special process needed. I did not test this particular feature, but take a minute to check out the videos. It is pretty awesome to watch. 

I love their slogan: Be Inspired Anywhere. I see this particular Bible being extremely helpful for missionaries and our military who are serving in areas with little to no protection from humidity. It can be written on although the website tells you to specifically use pencil or ball-point pens. Dry highlighters may also be used. The key is using something which will not smear if it does get wet. There are also a variety of accessories available to go along with this Bible including waterproof journals and bible covers.

Something else I love is this is a family business. Bobby and Anna Bardin have a passion for seeing God’s Word taken to all corners of the earth and have a really wonderful story. They also have a lovely blog giving you a peak into their personal life. 
And now…the giveaway! I can’t wait for one of my readers to be blessed with their own copy of the Waterproof Bible. There are several ways to enter so don’t delay! 

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Devotions for Women: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
We all know the way to grow closer to God is to spend more time with Him, yet it continues to be a battle of the flesh, the problem of choosing what is best. God desires relationship with us, yet we allow so much of the mundane to inhibit. At other times it isn’t the mundane as much as the tyranny of the ordinary, those every day must-dos which often distract us from what is excellent. 
So what do we do? We take a first step. We stop as soon as we realize we have not moved forward in our walk with the Lord in a while and we open the Word of God. The next step? Do it again the following day, and the day after that and the day after that. We keep on stepping until spending time with God daily is a habitual blessing we feel as if we can not survive our day without it. 
The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman At Peace by Ann Spangler is one you’ll want to add to your bookshelf whether as a beginning first step or an addition to your established quiet-time routine. I have enjoyed reading other books by Ann Spangler and was so excited for the opportunity to review this! I knew this would be a wonderful addition to my day already being familiar with the author’s ability to take deep theology and make in understandable. 
I know from my own experiences and talking with other women that peace is hard to come by in our society. This one intangible desire is elusive to some to the point of seeking medical help. Others deny they are even missing peace in their life and yet their actions and words exhibit anxiety and distress. This is more than merely another year-long devotional. This is a spring to be refreshed with daily. 
I really like the personable way this is written. Ann Spangler takes moments from her own life to help explain a short verse of Scripture presented at the top of each day’s reading. I would have liked if there was an option for further reading, but the is an easy way for me to begin my days, especially when the days don’t begin in the way I wish they would!

As a homeschooling mother of three girls ages 8, 6, and 4 my mornings are unpredictable more often than not. I know how I would like my mornings to go, but I can count on one hand how many times it has actually gone this way! This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to center myself on Christ first thing while being able to meet my girls’ needs as they come up first thing in the morning.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light devotional to give a moment of quiet at any time of the day whether morning, afternoon or evening. 
Disclaimer: I received a paperback copy of The One Year Devotions for Women from Tyndale Publishers as part of  the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation. 

Don’t Miss the Boat! from New Leaf Publishing: Review

Grace-Filled Writer

I’ve recently seen some interesting news about the finding of a wooden structure buried deep in the snow of Turkey which some think may be the remains of Noah’s Ark. While it is intriguing, the problem I find with situations like this is many place their hope in finding proof this is true. Our culture would prefer to trust fallible human experts rather than believe in and trust the account of Scripture because it would mean they have to say, “Yes, I believe in God.”

Don’t Miss the Boat: Facts to Keep Your Faith Afloat by Paul Taylor is an excellent read because it is unlike any other book concerning the flood I have read. Most books I have read about the flood cover one of three things:

1. This exposition of the scriptural account.
2. The history
3. The science

Paul Taylor’s book covers all of these areas and has a surprise at the end for fiction lovers! He has taken the facts added a dose of creative license and has come up with short stories written in the 1st person narrative from several different individuals involved in the biblical account. There really is something for everyone.

The already mentioned sections are neatly arranged in the table of contents. This is helpful for readers who are more interested in science and not as much in the history. Perhaps you are a fiction buff, you can skip right to those areas before reading anything else. Although I recommend reading the entire book, the reader can easily begin in any section and not feel lost.

The exposition of Scripture is the very first part of the book which is important to me. Paul Taylor doesn’t leave anyone guessing where he stands with regard to the truth of God’s Word. I like to know up front where an author stands. It doesn’t mean I’ll stop reading the book, but it gives me a perspective with which to read.

The best part about the book from my perspective is the chapter entitled The Gospel According to Noah. Taylor clearly lays out the parallels between Noah and the gospel. It is something I never really connected together before. There isn’t anything Taylor writes which cannot be found in Scripture, but his observations are a unique and fresh perspective.

For more about this book, take a look at the trailer below!
Also check out more reviews on the NLPG Blog below!
Disclaimer: I received Don’t Miss the Boat from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

I Am Ruth: Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Ruth…a poignant love story…a hopeful legacy…an unwavering loyalty…and it’s all true.

Our world wants to denounce the truth of Scripture and portray it as irrelevant myth. Doing so takes away the accountability laid out for us by our Creator. Rather than living life in a way which serves God and puts the good of others above our own our society pushes us to live selfishly, being more concerned about our own benefits than even those we are closest to. We know better, but sometimes we need a reminder.

Ruth has always been one of my favorite books in the Bible. As a girl I was drawn to the love-story between Ruth and Boaz. As a woman I am drawn to the parallel love-story of our Savior, our personal kinsman-redeemer.


I am Ruth from Master Books (a division of New Leaf Publishing) is stunning, simply stunning. I vividly remember the Bible storybook my parents read to me with a real-life person photographed as Ruth. Perhaps this is what initially drew me in. The rest of the book’s pictures were mostly paintings, merely an artists renderings. Just like then I was drawn to the realism. I once again have the visual images of real people and it was like reading the biblical account for the first time.

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The beautiful images taken on location in Israel capture the imagination. They are so beautiful and full of emotion you can imagine the individuals speaking the words of Scripture as you read. I felt the despair as famine and heat forced Elimelech to feel desperate enough to leave the land God had given his ancestors.  

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Weep with Naomi and her daughters-in-law as they journey back to Israel and eventually part with Orpah. 
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Listen in to the conversations Ruth and Naomi have as they discuss the wheat Boaz has allow Ruth to glean.

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Celebrate the marriage of Ruth and Boaz followed by the birth of Obed as you see the joy-filled faces of the couple and Naomi. 
I think what struck me most about this book was while the photography by Kenneth Berg drew me in, the excellent exposition of the book kept me reading. Each chapter of Ruth is written in full form, but before you get to that Brenda Duff fills in the historical details and significance of various aspects of the Jewish culture. Never has Ruth held so much meaning for me personally. 
Take an exclusive peek here…

I’m not the only one who loves this book! Check out what others have to say by clicking on the link below!
Disclaimer: I received I am Ruth as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

N is for Noah: Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Have you ever considered teaching theology to your preschooler? I hadn’t. We have taught her for a long time about how Jesus died on the cross to pay for her sins and how we are all sinners, but this is about as deep as it went. I suppose I just fell into the trap of thinking there is no way a preschooler could comprehend much deeper. I’m so grateful for Master Books (A division of New Leaf Publishing Group) and how they are giving me opportunity to rethink this type of thinking. The most recent book I’ve had the privilege to review as a Mom of Master Books has challenged me to

Reviewing N is for Noah has been unbelievable fun. When I found out it was coming to review I was mildly interested as I thought it was simply going to be the story of Noah’s Ark told in the framework of an alphabet book. Cute, yes, but nothing really different. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Prior to this publication are two other books along the same idea called A is for Adam and D is for Dinosaur. I would love to have the first two in this series after having experienced this one!

Grace loves this book. We have been doing one page a day much to her dismay. The spiral bound book follows the story of Noah, but teaches so much more than this. Through a simple rhyme preschoolers learn why there is sin, why we need a Savior, who that Savior was, that we can trust the Bible to be true…the list just goes on and on!

On the reverse side of the picture and poem is a teacher page which tells you what to say. Am I the only one who loves scripted lessons? There are times when I’m at a loss as how to explain something. I typically know the answer, but translating that information into elementary-ese…let alone preschool-ese…presents quite the challenge! Ken and Mally Ham took this challenge and created a resource to empower parents and teachers with accurate, age-appropriate answers. In addition there are activity ideas, additional biblical connections, and discussion questions…so many options for you to further your study. I think this would be a great resource for anyone planning an alphabet study as well.

Are you ready for another awesome thing about this book? There are free coloring pages to use with your children! My girls adore coloring anyway and I love how many of Master Books publications have free resources offered on their website.

This is one of the most doctrinally sounds preschool resources I have ever had the opportunity to use. Click below for more reviews if this fabulous book from my fellow Moms of Masterbooks!

Disclaimer: I received N is for Noah as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

Draw to Learn from Notgrass: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
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Bible is one of the subjects I never have to struggle teaching is Bible. My husband and I are both passionate about the Word of God and even more passionate about instilling a love for His Word in our girls. While I was resting after their birth I have vivid memories of my husband singing Jesus Loves Me and telling them the plan of salvation, just how much God loved them. We felt as if their baby dedications were more for us, a parent dedication if you will, as we committed before our congregation to train up our children in the ways of the Lord. It is with this mindset we entered into homeschooling, knowing our curriculum would always start with solid teachings in the foundations of Scripture.
photo untitled2_zps9392029d.jpgThe opening paragraph on the the Notgrass Company website talks about creating materials with a Christian worldview to teach the hearts, souls, and minds of our children. That one sentence sold me on wanting to review material from this family-run company. We were blessed to review their Draw to Learn Bible study material. This product is designed for use with children of all ages and encourages them to illustrate what they have learned from the Scripture they have studied. Available in both print ($14.95) and digital ($9.95) there are multiple options for your needs.
We used the spiral bound book on Proverbs. It seems quite simple at first glance with Scripture references at the top, empty space for drawing, and directions at the bottom. Although as simple as it may seem, it has profoundly deepened my oldest daughter’s thought process when it comes to Scripture. We have been using this in addition to our regular Bible material, and she doesn’t mind the extra study one bit! She is the one of my girls who loves all things artistic so this has been an excellent for her. 
One aspect I really liked about this Bible study is it is very personal to her. She reads the passage and then illustrates what she has gleaned after reading the short instructions at the bottom of the page. It has been amazingly insightful for me to see what impacts her. I suppose up until this curriculum I felt the need to lead her to understanding. This may have been true to a certain extent up to this point, but at eight years old she is ready for me to let go of her hand and allow her to discover God’s Word on her own. This has been a beautiful way to start her on that journey.
There are no right and wrong answers for this. There are suggestions at the bottom of each page, but they are suggestions only. My daughter has taken on this curriculum with great joy. She’s used to me giving her new things to try out and she enjoys the change in routine from time-to-time, but she rarely asks to continue with a curriculum in particular. She generally loves school and like her sisters is incredibly easy to teach. This time, she asked specifically, “I get to keep doing this, don’t I? I really like it!” So be assured, this will continue to be a part of our weekly learning. 
Click below to read more reviews of Notgrass products from my Crewmates!
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Bible Study for All Ages: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
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Learning Together…This is something I’m learning more about and seeking to do with my girls. I still want them to have their own age-appropriate studies for history, science, math, and language arts, but in other areas I am starting to appreciate more and more the benefits of corporate learning. Corporate learning in a classroom environment is completely different than in our home environment…thank goodness! I was a full-time classroom teacher for a couple of years and there were so many things which made me dislike corporate learning. What is beautiful in our homeschool is we are already learning corporately. I now have the opportunity to do it intentionally rather than haphazardly. 
Bible is one area where corporate learning just seems natural, especially with my youngest turning four in just a couple of months. Bible Study Guide for All Ages is a wonderfully simple and easy way to start doing this if you are looking for something more in depth than just family devotions. We have been starting our homeschool day with this a few times a week. It took some time for me to adjust to using both the Beginner and Intermediate levels at the same time, but I quickly worked out the logistics of the process and found this to be a very enjoyable part of our day!
Considering the range of uses and ability to reuse of many of the products (with the exception of the student pages) the prices are very reasonable.

$5.95 per set of 26 lessons
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Studying the Bible more in depth than family devotions is something the girls have been doing individually, but not together. This was a really fun way to start doing this all together. It took about 20 minutes to complete a lesson if we did it all at once, but it could easily be broken into sections. Each of the pages is divided into smaller boxes with Scripture references and activities which are age appropriate. 

I love that the core was actually reading Scripture instead of just a Bible story. I think Bible story books are wonderful and incredibly helpful for beginning to teach children about the truth of God’s Word. However, they frequently fall short of getting into the deeper understanding and theology learned when studying God’s Word directly.

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One fun aspect with the Beginner Student Pages is the inclusion of the age-appropriate Beginner Timeline. This timeline starts with a picture of the Bible and explanation of the two parts of Scripture. Foundational teachings such as these are often neglected at the youngest ages, but why? Children at a very young age can understand and comprehend things on a much higher level than we often give them credit for. 
Grace really liked learning what her sisters did and having her own page to work on rather than just looking at her sisters’ papers. I loved the inclusion of other skills such as color recognition and counting. These pages are very well-written in way even the youngest children can understand, but also challenges them to think critically. She also was very good about waiting patiently while her sisters finished their more challenging pages.

photo bible-book-summary-cards_zps28dfa8ff.jpgInstead of a timeline the older children have Bible Book Summary Cards. Wow! I can’t say enough about how much I love these. Each card summarizes a book of the Bible so fully, do in depth, even adults will find themselves learning from them. I feel like the word summary really doesn’t do them justice. Something more along the lines of In Depth Understanding of Theological Highlights and Biblical Truths would be more accurate…but I suppose it would be a bit much!

I chose to go up a grade for the Student pages for my older girls even though Beth is technically only in 1st grade. Her reading level is well beyond her grade-level as is her biblical knowledge and understanding. The latter is because we have been teaching the about the Bible from the time they were just infants. Some would say it is because my husband is a pastor, but no matter what his vocation we would still have trained our children in God’s Word from an early age. Beth was saved a year ago and has continued to grow in her faith. I love how these pages disciple and train more than most material for this age.

Rose is the one of my girls who shows a great love for the Word of God. She would do Bible studies all day long if I would let her! She has such a sweet spirit and sensitivity to Scripture. She is always up for trying new things. She is right in the target grade range of 3rd-4th grade as she has just entered her 3rd grade year. She said her favorite part was, “Everything!” You can’t beat that endorsement!

photo childrens-songs-cd_zps6d5f5503.jpgThe last item we reviewed was the Children’s Song CD Set which is intended for use with all of the levels. I am a huge advocate for teaching through song as much of my knowledge, biblical and otherwise, comes from tunes I learned as a child. These are simply written songs, some familiar and some new, which will aid with memory of many biblical lists such as Jacob’s sons and the apostles. Also included are some of the classic Sunday school songs I grew up with like Climb Up Sunshine Mountain. These are songs I have taught my girls, but it is getting harder and harder to find them recorded.
For the future I plan to do one page a week and just do one-two boxes on that page a day. Our days are already full and I don’t want to rush through this great teaching tool. Going at a slower pace will allow for more discussion and for the truth of God’s Word to penetrate more deeply into their hearts.
Click below to see reviews of these and other levels from my Crewmates!

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Little Linguists Spanish and Wake Up Class Bible from Gallopade International: Review and Giveaway!

Grace-Filled Writer
(Don’t forget to read through to the bottom for the giveaway!) 

One of the fun things about homeschooling is supplementing our regular curriculum. Many homeschoolers have a core curriculum they love, but no one curriculum covers every subject exhaustively. Dipping our toes into a variety of subjects has given me insights into my girls’ individuality as well as inspire us to dig further into areas I hadn’t considered before. No matter what subject you are looking to explore further, Gallopade has something for you! 

I’m not looking to start a full-blown language curriculum within our homeschool yet, but I do like the idea of introducing a variety of languages early. Gallopade International’s series, Little Linguists, provides a wonderful way to toe-dip into 10 different languages! This is not a full-course curriculum, but it works beautifully as an introduction or supplement to what you are already doing.

This series sounds fun before you even open the books. Titles like Do you Speak Spaghetti? (Italian), Of all the Gaul! (Latin), and Say WHAT when you sneeze?” (German) invite students to have fun as soon as they see it. These reproducible (Yay for reproducible!) books help children learn other languages through context clues, language similarities, and fun activities. Also included is cultural and geographical information which tie the language to its country of origin.
My girls constantly ask me how to say all varieties of words in different languages. Although I was in the Spanish Honor Society in high school, I must confess I remember very little and usually have to look things up. I can still translate minimally, but recalling words was never my strong point. Uh, Oh, Amigo! was so much fun for my girls! Although school happens all together, we rarely do lessons where we are learning the same thing at the same time due to their varied levels of learning. 
 Because this is not a full curriculum you do not have to go in order in the workbook. I plan to continue to do one page a week when our school year begins to give them consistent exposure to foreign languages. The activities include everything from matching, to bubbles, to fill-in-the-blank. They can be used alone or as a follow-up to a language lesson. Their uses are really unlimited. 
Beth was so surprised and excited she could understand Spanish in just the first sentence she read! One of the first pages we used has sentences written in English and only one word replaced in Spanish. I wasn’t sure how they would like this, but they were delighted! Now Beth consistently talks about living in a casa. I didn’t formally teach her casa is house in Spanish, but the format of the activity led her to logically figure it out. 
We will also be using From Russia With Love both at home and at church as we partner with a family currently in Russia serving God. I have come to really love this series and plan to purchase more in the future! 
Another new product from Gallopade International is a series called Wake Up the Class. These themed cards provide questions to engage children academically as soon as formal learning time begins with fun questions. There are nine different subject sets including history, critical thinking, writing, critical thinking, and Bible. We had the chance to review the set of Bible cards.
Each set is color coded so if you purchase multiple sets you can easily keep them organized. The content of the Bible cards would prohibit them from being used in most public school classrooms, but these would be a fun addition to a private school class, Sunday school class, or how we use them, in homeschooling. 
My girls tend to be morning people and we don’t typically have a hard time getting started on our lessons each day. I like to use these kinds of activities as a break from the routine or in between subjects.
The questions are a fun jumping off point for discussions as well. For kids with a solid biblical knowledge base some of the questions will be more like review, but in addition to the answer the reverse side of the cards also have an activity or discussion jump-off for further exploration. These questions have been well-thought out and will certainly engage your kids! 
For anyone in Tennessee and Georgia stop and say, “Hi!” at the Gallopade booth at the CSTHEA Homeschool Show in Chattanooga and the Southeast Homeschool Show in Atlanta. Don’t forget to tell them I sent you!
Now for the giveaway! 
There are two prizes to win and two separate winners! Make sure to share with your friends for extra entries.

Christianity Cove’s 100 Simple Service Projects and Lord’s Prayer Lesson Pack: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
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Our family has a long lineage of ministry. My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all full-time pastors. My husband’s grandfather and father were also full-time pastors. I think sometimes people get the impression this wonderful spiritual heritage automatically translates into endless ideas and creativity for teaching Scriptural truths to our kids. While learning about the Word of God is a part of our everyday lives, I’m not all that creative when it comes to unique ways to teach my girls. I am always on the lookout for new ideas and creative ways to teach. Christianity Cove is a fun company with a wide range of Sunday School and Children’s Church lessons, games, crafts, and songs. If you are stuck for ideas, this is an excellent place to go!
We reviewed two products from Christianity cove: 100 Simple Service Projects ($19.95) and Lord’s Prayer Lesson Pack ($19.99). There are products for all ages at Christianity Cove, but the two we reviewed are for elementary age children. 
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This short e-book is packed with creative ideas to serve. There are several categories and many ideas are listed in each. I like that there are so many ideas to fit the interest and needs of a variety of children. I also like that these are ideas which could be implemented with both large and small groups. Although I used this with my girls at home I plan to keep this in mind for the next time I’m teaching a group of kids at church.
Some of the projects focus on volunteering and others on how to raise money for a cause. Rose opted to make a craft and earn money for missions. She has always had a heart for telling others about Christ and she loves hearing the missionaries at our annual missions conference at church. She has been making pot holders with a loom for a few months and she asked if she could sell them to friends and family to earn money for missions. Our church is helping raise money to start an Awana program in Chile. 
She is hard at work and has raised a modest amount from 11 pot holders so far. She is still excited about the project and still has orders coming in! The best part is she came up with this idea and what she wanted to do with the money she earned. We bought her first set of supplies to get her started, but she has also purchased more with her own money. This has been a great lesson in hard work, perseverance, and giving. She has been good to make sure her creations are well-made and has been churning them out rather quickly!
Ever since Rose was very young she has always had a heart to serve others. She especially loves to tell others about Christ and is always looking for new ways to share her faith with her friends. Her favorite time of year is our church’s missions conference and she usually sits completely enthralled as she listens to the missionary speakers each year.
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The girls loved learning the song for the Lord’s Prayer. You can hear us singing it if you click the player above. While this study on the Lord’s Prayer could be used over a few weeks I chose to spend an evening completing it. There are many options for activities, snacks, teaching ideas, and more! I love when curriculum gives you a variety of options because not everything will work in every situation. When I plan to teach a group of children I always over plan. So if i have an hour of teaching time, I plan for an hour and a half. You just never know when something won’t work or not take as long as expected.
First I taught the girls the song and then for the lesson portion I chose to explain how our prayers go to God in heaven just like balloons float up to the sky. Beth was a little nervous they would pop!
We sang the song again, then my ladies took the Lord’s Prayer mixed up onto different pages and put it in order. It took them a little while to get started, but once they found the first couple of parts they moved quickly! The materials needed for this study were minimal and easy to find around the house. These pages were already made and part of the unit.
This only took about 3 minutes…an example of what I mean by you never know what is going to happen! I didn’t anticipate the team-work factor and expected more at least 10-minutes long. Making the adjustment in homeschool is easy, but not as much in a group setting. It’s not big deal to finish early at home, but in a classroom down-time can spell disaster. I really appreciated the variety of activities so several extra could easily be prepared in advanced.
The craft we completed was a set of praying hands which the girls inserted their prayer requests into. I traced their hands and the girls cut the both out at the same time. They then glued the thumbs and pinky fingers together, leaving a pocket in the center.
We talked about praying for others and then they listed those individuals on slips of paper.

Grace joined us for our snack about prayer. As is typical for a 3 1/2-year-old she was not in the mood to participate at the time of our other activities. Cookies have a calming participation-encouraging affect in our house!
We talked about how sometimes we don’t feel like is right there. I took apart a cookie and told them that just like the icing sticks the two cookies together, our prayers stick us close to God. I really liked this parallel and it’s something I will definitely remember!
The Crew reviewed MANY more titles than these from Christianity Cove, so take some time to click through the reviews linked up below!
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Grapevine Studies: Review and Giveaway!

Grace-Filled Writer
I’m always looking for new ways to share the story of Christmas to my girls. We love Christmas and they have heard all about it since they were first born in various forms. My girls can recite it backwards and forwards, and even enjoy acting it out with their toy nativity sets. They love the meaning of Christmas, and I don’t want it to become so familiar that they lose the wonder that God with us still holds for me. 
I had seen on several homeschool blogs that there are a lot of families using Grapevine Bible Studies for their Bible curriculum. Our base curriculum has Bible woven into everything so I hadn’t looked outside of that for Bible studies for my girls. They get a lot of additional Bible at church through Sunday school, the church service, children’s church, AWANA, and family devotions, not to mention our day-to-day conversations. Yet I was still intrigued by the rave reviews I kept hearing about Grapevine Bible Studies. 
After checking out their site I was further intrigued and I liked the idea of how the studies were laid out. I think the idea of a timeline for Bible stories is a great way to help kids make connections in Scripture. So many times the story is divided into small, teachable chunks, but not always connected together. Timelines really help all of us see the flow of the entire story. I also like that the timeline is revisited frequently throughout the study, which lasts for several days. I adore the stick figures. My girls enjoy drawing people and are already all about stick figures, so this was a great way to move them into a new way to study the Bible. 
With Christmas approaching so very quickly I was running out of time to find a new way to present the story of Christ’s birth. This seemed like a great opportunity! The multi-level version of The Birth of Jesus was a great fit for us even though my girls are young. Both Rose and Beth are reading well above their official grade-levels (2nd and Kindergarten) and are so steeped in Scripture and theology that it was a natural fit for them.
Gathering supplies was a breeze. One of my favorite features of my Kindle is being able to access pdf files without needing to print pages or use my computer. I only needed to print the student pages for my girls, pick up a Bible, make sure the girls had some colored pencils, and pull out my whiteboard markers. Talk about easy! This is about as effortless as a Bible curriculum for kids can get.
I love how simple the layout of the lessons are. So many times I find myself rereading curriculum for clarity, but these studies are very much open-and-go style. Although I did read and review the lesson before teaching it, everything was so clear I could have taught this without any preparation.  
When the whiteboard markers came out Rose, Beth, and Grace were convinced this was going to be good! I’m not sure why the white board is so impressive to them, but they eagerly sat down and couldn’t wait to get started! 
I didn’t have different colored markers, but I told them which colors to pick for the different characters they drew as we went studied through the Birth of Jesus. As you can see, you don’t have to have great artistic ability for this to succeed! 
All three worked diligently although each insisted on taking a turn erasing my pictures!  Rose enjoyed answering my questions about the story and drawing the pictures, but she kept trying to jump ahead. She started adding extra details to her stick figures as she waited for her sisters to finish up. 
The stick figures are very simple to make and yet clearly represent the key points in the story. My sweet three-year-old, Grace, did an amazing job with this. She has been drawing pictures of people for a while, but I was very impressed with her ability to follow the directions for drawing. She was the first to lose interest, but she is three after all and this is geared for older kids. She thoroughly enjoyed being included in this!
My middle daughter also did quite well. She is in a phase where she gets frustrated when she doesn’t get something perfect. This was good for her because she felt from the start she could succeed. She was very particular about copying my drawings exactly. Her favorite part to draw were the baby bumps on Elizabeth and Mary. She even put a smiley face on one of the bumps because she was sure Jesus was a happy baby!
Grapevine Bible Studies are a great way to engage students of Scripture for many ages. Although my girls are young, I am sure this would be fun for older students as well. It definitely gave me a new way to teach the familiar story of Christmas to my girls. They were so excited they eagerly retold what we had learned to the mother of one of my piano students. It was great to see how they could narrate the story in their own words to someone else and be so very accurate in the order! 
Now YOU get a chance to win this same Bible study for your kids! There are several ways you can enter through the rafflecopter link below.
Although there can be only one winner in the giveaway I’m excited to provide you with a special page of deals you can only reach through this site! Check them out here!!!
Do you want to try Grapevine Bible Studies before you buy? For a limited time you can download the lesson The Announcement to Mary for free! 
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Disclaimer
I received a free copy of this product from Grapevine Bible Studies  in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. No other compensation was received.