Tag: family

Celebrate Ground Hog’s Day with Adventures in Odyssey!

Grace-Filled Writer

This is such a funny holiday to me, but one I enjoy. There was a pretty famous movie by the same title as well where a man relives the same day over and over. That day happens to be February 2! The idea of reliving the same day may sound great or awful depending on what that day was like. I watched a short portion of the video from Pennsylvania this morning. The gentleman speaking mentioned that this year has felt a lot like that movie in many ways, but there is hope. A new day is rising every day and we can look forward to what that day can bring. I loved that perspective as a Christian, knowing that the Lord consistently gives us new days!

I love that Adventures in Odyssey has a couple of fun episodes along this theme. Even if you don’t really think about this silly little holiday very much, it is a great day to listen to them if you have never done so! You can find both on the Adventures in Odyssey Club.

From Album 56: The Grand Design
Groundhog Jay
After Jay pushes Priscilla into an unexpected trip in the Room of Consequence, the two of them experience the same event over and over again.

From Album 33: Virtual Realities
The Eternal Birthday
Liz experiences her birthday over and over again.

Is there a day you would like to experience again?

Odyssey Adventure Club

Disclaimer: In exchange for promoting The Adventures in Odyssey Club I receive a membership to The Adventures in Odyssey Club. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Scrapbooking: September 28-October 4

Grace-Filled Writer

The first Saturday of October was Digital Scrapbook Day!!! There were lots of fun celebrations all around internet-land. I really didn’t get to participate much as we had a full day of work at our church mulching and afternoon preparing to celebrate Grace’s birthday on Sunday. I did get a little bit of scrapping in throughout the week and that day though!

Preserving Memories: September 20-26

Grace-Filled Writer

One of my goals for this fall is to get back to regularly working on scrapbooking our family’s memories. Now that I feel like I have a better handle on our new schedule I’m attempting to meet this goal! I am thrilled to have 3 layouts finished this week! I want to set a goal of 5 per week or 3 layouts and some preservation of older family photos.

These are layouts from February 2020

Traveling Made Easy with Adventures in Odyssey!

Grace-Filled Writer

 Every road trip we takes starts out about the same. We pile in, pray for our trip, and turn on Adventures in Odyssey! We used to travel with our entire case of every Adventures in Odyssey set, but now with the Adventures in Odyssey Club we will usually load on several episodes and listen that way. It’s also nice at bedtime when we are away. The girls are always excited and sometimes have a hard time settling in to sleep. Not to mention the grown ups stay up late playing games, which aren’t always so quiet! This helps them not mind going to bed before the rest of us do. 



On this trip we were very excited to get to hear the beginning of the newly released episodes! We left on a Thursday and returned on a Thursday which is release day for the newest episodes. If you haven’t had a chance to try out the club this is a great time because you will get to hear the newest episodes before anyone else! 
Even when the girls fall asleep (2 out of three here!) my husband and I still enjoy listening to Adventures in Odyssey. It’s a great way to be entertained and we didn’t even bring a DVD player for the 13 hour drive this time! Our favorites are the sagas… Novacom, Dr. Blackguard, The Green Ring Conspiracy, etc. This time we were listening to the Blackguard episodes. So fun every time!
What is your favorite Adventures in Odyssey for a road trip?
Disclaimer: In exchange for promoting The Adventures in Odyssey Club I receive a membership to The Adventures in Odyssey Club. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

My Story 1: A New Book Review Crew at NLPG Review

Grace-Filled Writer


 When we started homeschooling in 2011 I remember looking around for what I remembered as a traditional social studies when I was in grade school. What I found was a lot of textbooks from traditional schools and very little written for the homeschool family. The traditional textbooks were okay for what they were, but what I really wanted was something written from a Christian perspective that did not feel like it was geared towards kids in the 1950s.
My Story 1 from Master Books is exactly what I was looking for 7 years ago and I was thrilled to have the chance to check it out! 
Each page of this curriculum is beautiful to behold. I love how vibrant the photos are and the composition of each page is clean and eye-catching. Many cultures from around the world are represented and valued. Each lesson includes simple writing, drawing, and discussion activities to supplement the written information. It reads in a familiar, story-like way which will surely delight children. I particularly like the journal prompts which strive to help students think beyond facts and infer new ideas.
I really love that the family unit is central to this social studies course. When the world is trying to downplay the importance of family, Master Books once again strives to support parents and teach the biblical basis for the traditional family unit. Also woven throughout are Scripture verses to show God’s hand in all that we see in the world around us. 

My own kids are a little older than the target age group (1st grade). There is a second book for the following year which continues in the same learning style. I really wish I had this available when the girls were younger and highly recommend it. I love how this broader social studies curriculum will prepare students for America’s Story and The World’s Story in following years.  

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the New Book Review Crew at NLPG in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Nourish Your Family’s Spiritual Health this Easter!

Grace-Filled Writer
Spring-into-Faith-&-Fun

If your family is like most, breakfast is rushed to get everyone out the door. Lunch is spent at school or work. So where does that leave dinner? Nourish your family’s spiritual health as you eat supper together. Adventures in Odyssey and Odyssey Adventure Club want to give you a free resource to help you begin your new dinner tradition of making the most of your family mealtime, beginning this Easter season. Simply head to this page and fill out the form to receive a free sample of Whit’s End Mealtime Devotions.

90-Devotions-for-Kids-Quote-4 

Want new resources to continue to build your family’s faith, even after Easter is over? Consider signing your family up for the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC). It offers safe and free content for everyone in your family. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year:

  • Access to exclusive content and first looks at books and select Radio Theatre dramas.
  • On-the-go access to the OAC app for both iOS and Android users.
  • 24/7 streaming access to nearly 800 AIO episodes.
  • A new, members-only AIO episode every month.
  • A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine, and more.

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter. and Pinterest.

Easter Devotions and Activities for Your Whole Family

Grace-Filled Writer
Anytime is a great time for Adventures in Odyssey! 
Easter-Download 

We’re down to the final two weeks before we celebrate Easter and Jesus’ resurrection. Do your children understand and grasp the full meaning of why we celebrate the holiday? Adventures in Odyssey and Odyssey Adventure Club want to provide your family with a week of meaningful, fun Easter activities to help make the holiday come alive this year. Simply head to this page and sign up to download your free PDF full of family devotions, egg wraps, recipes, crafts, and cards. Oh, and as a bonus, here’s a free activity sheet from Focus on the Family!

90-Devotions-for-Kids-Quote-3 

If you’re looking to dig into the Easter holiday more and want to build your kids’ faith, consider signing your family up for the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC). It offers safe and free content for everyone in your family. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year:

  • Access to exclusive content and first looks at books and select Radio Theatre dramas.
  • On-the-go access to the OAC app for both iOS and Android users.
  • 24/7 streaming access to nearly 800 AIO episodes.
  • A new, members-only AIO episode every month.
  • A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine, and more.

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter. and Pinterest.

Life Recorded: May 10

Grace-Filled Writer
I’m striving to work more consistently on our family scrapbooks. I’ll share some of my completed pages here and include the links to the kits I use for digital scrapbooking if they are still available. 


Right now I’m working on our 2008 Scrapbook…yup, playing catch-up! Rose is two and Beth is 10 months old. Oh how the time flies. This is why I scrapbook. Yes, it is fun and relaxing, but most importantly I am recording the memories of our life for our girls as they grow up. They love looking back at the books I’ve completed…smiling…laughing…remembering. They read the stories behind the photos with joy and share them with friends and family. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to create a legacy for them through scrapbooks.


Kit: Green Thumb by Chelle’s Creations
Template: My Year in Pockets: Basic by Britt-ish Designs

Template: My Year in Pockets: Basic by Britt-ish Designs


365Unscripted: Stitched Grids Bundle by Traci Reed

Template: My Year in Pockets: Basic by Britt-ish Designs

I Can Learn the Bible: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Ever since my oldest daughter was just an infant we have made an effort to teach our children biblical truth. Rose was barely old enough to sit on her own when we started having family devotions with her. I remember clearly the sweet little board book devotional I picked out from a Christian Bookstore which was going out of business. It had just a few sentences on each page and a song to go with each of the devotions. It was great for tiny tots and we enjoyed starting out with this. We also have multiple children’s Bibles with pictures and stories and questions that we have used as they grew.

I have loved these previous resources, but I am ready for something more. Each of my girls has professed their faith in Christ and I have wanted something for our devotional time as a family which addressed more areas of discipleship.

I was so very excited to have the opportunity to review I Can Learn the Bible by Holly Hawkins Shivers. This children’s version of the Joshua Code has been exactly what my husband and I have been looking for to use with our girls. The cover of the book struck me as being adorable, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to really challenge my girls or grow them further in their relationship with Christ. They already know most of the Bible history by heart and I really wanted them to begin to engage more personally with Scripture. This sweet cover does not even begin to express the depth of truth my girls are gaining from it!

Subjects ranging from world view to your purpose as Christian are covered in a very real, yet understandable way for elementary children. Many of the topics were not ones I had really thought about addressing with my daughters who are 9, 7, and 5. I love answering their questions, but with this devotional we have been able to have a more direct, proactive approach to discussing certain topics. A key Scripture verse is included for each week as well as discussion questions and challenges for you as a family. It also ends with a suggested prayer to help you guide your children to know how to pray about what they are learning.

We are at war with our culture for the hearts of our children. I need as many weapons, both defensive and offensive as possible. Through resources like this we are more prepared for the battle and are preparing these sweet little hearts to know how to live godly lives.

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.