Tag: Scripture

Healing Every Day: A Review of Mary DeMuth’s New Book

Grace-Filled Writer
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It was April. I was  24-year-old newlywed (married just under 2 years) when we joyfully celebrated expecting our first little baby. Just two short months later we mourned the loss of this little one. Not only that, it was determined I had carried this baby for over a month after the miscarriage occurred without realizing it because my body did not react as expected. This was the first really devastating blow in my life. Other pain had happened, but nothing as deep as this. Since then I’ve experienced other pain and heartache and I’ve grown closer to the Lord in the process. I’ve read some books on pain and seeking the Lord, but many were difficult to digest and hard to get through for me. If you are looking for a bite-sized guide to healing through emotional pain, Mary DeMuth’s new title, Healing Every Day, is worth a read. I highly recommend everything about it.

It is worth noting that Mary speaks from experience. While many may have wise words on healing, she speak as one who has walked a broken path and yearns to share what the Lord has and still is teaching her through the process. You can read more about her story here. The pain I walked with was from a very different source, but the Source of my healing is the same as hers, Jesus Christ. Every page of this 90-day-devotional points the reader back to Jesus and reminds us of His healing and redemptive power. That is the first thing I look for when I read a book by a Christian author and Mary does not disappoint.

I appreciate her expository teaching from both the Old and New Testaments. Not once have I read verses taken out of context or meaning changed to fit the narrative. Rather, Mary seeks Scripture and teaches her readers truth directly from its pages. The devotionals are sequenced in order through the Scripture so you see the Lord as Healer throughout.

Fear is an unavoidable side effect of the painful experiences of our lives. Sometimes fear overwhelmed me, especially the next 3 times I was expecting. Each of those pregnancies went to full term, and I have 3 beautiful daughters ages 13, 11, and 9. I falsely assumed that with each pregnancy the fear of miscarriage would lessen. Instead it became worse. I think is because while I accepted God’s sovereignty, I didn’t realize I still had deep emotional wounds I had not worked through yet. A daily journey with the Lord such as this one would have been an incredible help for me and even now as I read through it I am experiencing emotional healing from more recent difficulties.

Whether you have experienced loss, abuse, a chronic diagnosis, abandonment, or so much more the words in these pages will help you find healing. You will not learn how to push through the pain. You will not learn to be strong. You will not find a to-do checklist that promises a magical way forward. No, you will rather find something so much better: Healing through intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of Healing Every Day as a part of the launch team for this title. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review. 

Bringing Comfort, Answering Questions with Adventures in Odyssey Club

Grace-Filled Writer
Life can be hard sometimes. This week we are both sad and full of joy. My husband’s grandmother has gone to be with Jesus. While it is sad to not have her here, she was suffering with dementia for many years and the last several months have been very difficult. And so we rejoice in knowing she has seen her Savior face to face and is having a wonderful reunion with her husband and others who have gone before her. Our last visit with Gram was beautiful and full of sweet memories for all of us, especially the girls. 

June 2016
Still, the concept of heaven and dealing with loss is not always easy for children. One of the blessings of a program like Adventures in Odyssey is they have dealt with a wide range of hard topics including death. While the follow episodes are not ones I would list among my go-to favorites, they are incredibly valuable in facing loss. I’ve also included 2 which deal with mental illness in this list. They have been excellent springboards for conversation with my children about some very hard things. 




Whit creates and Imagination Station adventure about death. The results are unexpected, and everyone has to deal with the unforeseen aftermath.



Karen, a friend of Donna Barclay’s, battles cancer and both Donna and Connie learn how faith makes a difference. 



While Whit and the gang are still trying to keep Novacom at bay, Connie deals with the loss of someone very dear to her. 



Connie’s grandmother, a Christian, dies and her family finds out what it means to deal with death as a Christian. Her father must find a way to cope as a non-Christian. 



The story of how Tom Riley’s son, Timmy, died is recounted by the person whose life he saved in the process. 


A Lesson from Mike

Julie finds herself unexpectedly affected by the sudden and tragic death of a classmate she did not know very well. 




Danny struggles with the idea of death and eternity after his mother has a miscarriage. 



Connie receives devastating news and, with her friend’s support, learns how to trust God in the midst of deep grief. 

Another hard topic Adventures in Odyssey covers is mental illness. This isn’t something we like to talk with our kids about, but it is a reality we must sometimes face. I appreciate the delicate way in which has led to some excellent conversations with our kids about depression and other mental illnesses. 



We learn that Tom Riley’s wife, Agnes, has been struggling with mental illness for several years. 
(I particularly appreciate this episode and the conversation Whit and Eugene have at the end about this very difficult topic.) 



Tom Riley and Mandy try to decipher what is upsetting Agnes, Tom’s wife.

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.

Dancing in His Arms: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
We are a very musical family. My girls are all learning piano, Rose plays the ukulele and Grace is exploring rhythm and beat with bongos. She’ll start drum lessons online very soon. Beth sings beautifully! Whenever there is opportunity I encourage the girls to participate in leading worship. They sing, play instruments, and find unique ways to serve the Lord. 

When I met Becky Lou Eller at a homeschool conference I was immediately drawn to her joy for life and love of music! She has such a passion to share Jesus with children and to pass along the wisdom of God’s Word. Her CD, Dancing in His Arms, is a beautiful compilation of Scripture put to music. 


These songs are absolutely charming! They are word-for-word verses set to delightful music of a variety of styles. Pslam 71:3, Lord, You’re a Rock to Me! is set to a bluegrass style and that is my particular favorite. I find myself singing this one to myself quite often! Each tune is quite catchy and very singable. There is also one for the books of the Bible which is always a handy way to teach kids how to locate Scripture. I still find myself singing through the version I learned as a child, especially for the Old Testament.

My girls really enjoyed listening to this CD at night for bedtime as well. They are all sung by the sweet voices of children. While the songs vary in style from lively and upbeat to calming, it was a good fit because nothing is too over the top. It’s also wonderful to be lulled to sleep by the Word of God! 



In addition to the songs, there is a wonderful , 5-part Bible lesson with activities and wonderful discussion questions. I’ve been teaching Bible with kids since I was in middle school helping with VBS at the church I attended then. These lessons are simple and easy to follow no matter your experience. I appreciate this so much in Bible teaching plans because sometimes the assumption is the person has taught before and will just know what to do. Other times the activities are complex or structured in a way that doesn’t always make sense. This can leave a new teacher confused and ready to quit! Not so with these lessons. They are simple, but still deep enough for excellent discussion. 


We used them for a Bible time together in the mornings. We usually have our family devotion and prayer in the evening, so it was nice to add something together in the morning as well. The girls enjoyed it and we had good discussions! Many times the concepts were ones that we have talked about before, but there were new verses to look up and it is necessary to be reminded of all truth about God over and over, lest we forget. 

Our next step will be to purchase the music! I really want the girls to sing a few of these songs in our church service. 

I highly recommend this CD and the corresponding Bible lessons for your homeschool or any other group you will incorporate Bible into. It’s a lovely way to memorize Scripture and will be a great encouragement to you!
Disclaimer: I received this product from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.