The Marvelous Mud House:a book review

I just received this charming book in the mail this week and LOVE it!  It's just a children's book, but the message hit square in that little spot God's been nudging me on. It's the story of a family that was constantly looking for more....more toys, more house, more stuff.  There was no joy in simply being with each other, nor contentment in their own belongings.  This family visited Kenya and met George and Mama George who live in a vastly different world.  With their new friends, Ben and his family learn the value of family, caring for others' needs, and gain a much different perspective of "stuff".

Oh, how familiar is this cry for more!  My toddler has started proclaiming, "But I want it!"  But how quickly that perceived 'must have' item is quickly tossed out for another 'must have' item.  :-)

The more I parent, the more I realize how God must view me.  Far too often, I cry for more instead of delighting in the blessings I'm all ready covered in. Too often do I move from one answered prayer to the next request, instead of just dwelling in a moment of gratitude and praise. Too often, I sound like my toddler.....content until she realizes someone else has something she doesn't.

I look forward to giving this to her for Christmas, so somehow we can both walk this journey of learning contentment, dwelling in gratitude, valuing eternal things the most, and caring for others.

I was giving this book by B&H Publishing for review purposes, but the views held are my own.

Bibleman Bible Storybook

Part children's Bible and part family devotional with super hero flavor, the Bibleman Bible Storybook is perfect for elementary age boys and girls. Bibleman, Biblegirl, Cypher, and Melody, our super heros, invite them to learn from scripture how to fight against temptation and how to be a hero for Jesus.

Each story begins and ends with children's story, then concludes with a family challenge to live out the scriptural principal and a memory verse.  Each lesson is about 8 pages long so it's perfect for a family bedtime story or with breakfast in the morning.  It has eye catching art work with colorful illustrations to draw in little listeners. Many parents want to share Jesus with their children and to show them how God's Word is lived out,  but don't feel like they know how to share it in a kid friendly way.  This book lays out the scripture, main lesson, activity application and memory verse, making it simple just to pick up and use.

I think this book is well put together, and I recommend it.  I'm excited to be able to gift this book to another family.   This was received as part of the blogger review program at BH publishing in return for my honest assessment.  However, all of the views are mine.