Top 5 Christian Books for Kids

I have thought about writing this for a while. Theres a lot of really good books out there, but theres also a lot of really bad ones. Sometimes books are branded as "Christian" when they teach nothing about God or the bible, or maybe teach something contrary to it. So I am sharing the books I use on a regular basis with the kids. Mostly with Jed (4) because Luke is still too young to understand some of these but its important to start now with him too. So here are my top 5, I guess you could call them theology, books for kids. I have some really good fiction ones too but more on that later.

1. My first Read and Learn Bible
This is my favorite toddler bible. Its simple and easy read and not too long. Im hoping Jed will be able to read it soon and he can read it to Luke.

2. The Young Readers Bible 

I actually bought this at a yard sale! And it has been the best kids bible I've come across. He owns a few other ones but this is by far my favorite. Its the one RJ reads to him every night. It has the reference to where its found in the bible and the stories are very true to the actual scriptures. It also has characters in the front and who they are and a small theology section in the back.  

3. My best ever book of bible stories.

This is such a clever book. The last three books my mother in law sent me. This one tells the bible in a rhyme. Its super cute and Jed thinks its a lot of fun. Its also fun if you ever use puppets or little action figure to tell bible lessons. I enjoy reading it on my own because its so cute. 

4. My 1st book and more.

These last two books are what I would call childrens theology books. They focus on truths that kids can learn about God. This one is almost like a devotional. It has a truth about God and it explains it in a way kids can understand. We try to do one after our bible reading in the mornings.

5. Everything a child should know about God.

This is another theology book that makes it easy for kids to understand more about God. It explains things really simply. It talks about how God made angels, how God is holy, miracles, how the church began. It also has questions at the end of each truth, which is awesome. I think its so important to dialogue with kids so that they can hear what they're thinking and talk things through. Its an easy read too, so it won't take long to go through all of it.


These are the five books that I find really helpful in teaching the boys. We love books and sometimes it can be overwhelming to have too many so we tend to rotate them out. Kids, like adults, need to hear the same thing over and over to learn it. So RJ has actually gone through the entire kids bible a lot with him and he's memorized some of the stories. Its awesome to see him pick stuff up and start to ask  questions.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know some of your favorite books down below. I love finding new ones.

Pregnancy after loss

We're a month away from our due date and still nowhere near prepared for having a baby. Our bassinet is still in the garage, our car seat is still wrapped, and we still have no baby name, diapers, or clothes. This summer has been really busy, but I still find it curious that we are not at all prepared. It really goes against my nature to not prepare for things. If anything, I am overly prepared! As I was thinking the other day why we haven't done any of those things, what came to mind was, well you never know. It was  such a strange thought. I think after losing Benjamin, I'm a lot more cautious about things. Quite frankly, I'm a little scared. There were so many things that I thought could go wrong with Benjamin, but losing him was never one of them. The thought of picking a baby name just scares me. It scares me to make plans, and have dreams for this baby like we did with Ben.

 I don't know what the answer is. I know God is in control. I know that there are a lot of things that I can never change, but I can't help but feel scared. I'm not even sure that scared is the right word. I still feel heartbreak for Benjamin, the same way as I did when he first died. I don't think that's something that will ever go away. A part of me just feels like I could never handle going through something like that again, and the possibility scares me.  I know that rationally I shouldn't be afraid of something that isn't happening, and that I can't know will happen. I just can't live that way. We're just taking it one day at a time. There are good days and bad days, but every day we are reminded that God is in control. There is nothing outside of His power and He loves us. Even through the struggle, there is no better place to be. We are excited and nervous, but always hopeful. Continue to pray for us! 35 weeks!

The Unknown

We have only been in the military for close to two years, but it feels like a lifetime. Certain territory comes with joining the military, and part of that is the unknown. What I mean by that is the ridiculous lack of knowledge that you have about your future. Is he deploying soon? Are we moving? How long is his deployment? Where are they going? How long will we be here? These are all the questions that I  ask myself once a month. To no avail can any of these be answered! So the military has taught me that I have ZERO idea or control over where I will be a year from now, heck six months from now! But do we really have any idea where any of us will be in a year. The military has a funny way of teaching you to trust in God. I never realized how much I counted on my own plans, how much I planned, and how much I talked about my plans. Which is comical considering NOTHING has worked out as we planned.

If you would have asked me eight years ago what my life would be like now I would have painted a VERY different picture. If you would have asked me what our life would be like when we first got married it was still so very different than what it is now. Like living in California, RJ becoming a cop, me being a teacher different. God closed those doors really quickly. At the time we didn't understand and we were really heartbroken. Just the other day we were  saying how grateful we are that he didn't become a cop because of everything that's going on. We couldn't have said that three years ago because we didn't know. I will always remember a sermon my father in law gave where he asked if this is where we pictured our life in a year. The answer has always been no! A year and some months ago we thought we were going to Korea, now we're in NY, and I can honestly say I have no idea where I will be in a year. But I have found some peace in that. I think that its foolish to think we can plan the future, but I know I did! Now there is absolutely no denying that things are out of my control. I haven't mastered it, but it has grown me. When you hand your plans completely over to someone its humbling. Some people might think that we've handed our lives to the military, but it is evident now more than ever that God directs our step. I can promise you that God wants us in NY, that He is providing every way possible for us to be here and to be used. Its amazing how much we've seen him work through us in the year that we have been here. We still miss home, It's still a struggle, but It's okay! We're learning to let go of our ideas and embrace what God has for us.

Heres to the future, whatever it is!