When You Rise Up

Returning from the Wilderness

2011-07-09T09:17:00.001-05:00

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God,

   earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
   my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
   where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
   I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
   I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
   your right hand upholds me.

They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.

But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God’s name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

I feel like I'm returning from the wilderness. I've gotten lackadaisical in my study of God's Word...reading it just to be reading it...mostly so I could check it off my mental to do list, and honestly, so I wouldn't feel guilty for not being in the Word. To be truthful, I may have been reading, but since I was not really reflecting on the meaning of the words as they floated past my eyes, it's as if I haven't been in the Word at all. I've found it very difficult to remember or internalize anything without this process of journal-blogging. And, because I didn't "write" down any of my thoughts as I've read through these last books, I have nothing to review, nothing to jog my memory.

This morning's reading included Psalm 63, a chapter near and dear to my heart and perfectly placed by the Lord on this day. I'd just mentioned to a friend this week that I felt like I'd been in a wilderness...wandering apart from close fellowship with the Lord. I realize it was not Him who moved...it was me. I'm the one who wandered...God was right there all the time, waiting for me to come back. Ah, my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life,my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live,and in your name I will lift up my hands.

Thank you Lord Jesus for drawing me back...close to Your heart...thank You for loving me.

The Law

2011-05-25T07:07:00.000-05:00

The Pentateuch - completed. Thankfulness for my Savior's sacrifice abounds. Gratitude to my Lord overflows. Thank you Lord that I am free...free in you...free from the law. Stick me to You, O Lord, with the stickiest of glue, that I might follow in your paths. You always keep Your promises, O Lord. Your eye is always upon me.

Deuteronomy 32:4 - "He is the Rock, His works are perfect and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."

Deuteronomy 33:26-27a: "There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge and his everlasting arms are under you."

Psalm 91:14-16:
"The LORD says, 'I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.'"

Grateful...

2011-04-09T07:10:00.000-05:00

That one word sums up my heart attitude this morning - grateful. Reading through the book of Exodus and all of the ceremonies and rules and details of the old covenant...the manner in which Aaron and his sons were anointed for service, the offerings made, the process, the ceremony. It's enough to make my head spin. How ever did they keep all those details straight? It's not like they had a simple way of recording the words of God. They could not just quickly download them as a .pdf file and store them on their laptop for future use. Did God bless Moses with a superhuman ability to remember? He told all of these things to Moses on the mountain...and Moses had to remember them and put them into practice after he descended to once again be with the people of Israel. I suppose much of my trouble in reading through this passage comes from the fact that it is so unfamiliar to my current-day Christianity...animal sacrifice, priestly garments, law, law, law.

Jesus made it clear in Matthew 22:37-38, the greatest commandment is to "'love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." Two commands...this sums up the law and the prophets. Yet, even with only two commands, I mess up royally on a moment-by-moment basis.

Through Jesus, a new covenant was made. His blood flowed, and by it I am washed clean. His death purchased for me the righteousness of God. May I live in the light of this promise, filled with the knowledge that He died in my place...that I am reconciled to God, cleansed of my sin...completely and wholly undeserved. Thank you Jesus! May my heart continue to overflow with gratefulness for all You have done for me.

Little by Little

2011-04-07T07:04:00.001-05:00

In Exodus 23:29-30, God tells the Israelites that He will deliver them into the Promised Land, which is currently filled with other peoples (Hittites, Canaanites, Hivites, etc.). However, the Lord says that He will not drive them out all at once, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would overrun the land. So, instead, He tells them, "Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land."

Though it frustrates me at times, it seems this is also the way the Lord works in my life...clearing things out little by little. Sometimes, I'd like Him to just clear it out all at once and get it over with. Pruning hurts! But, I must trust in the wisdom of God and lean into Him. He wants me to "increase" as He takes over more and more areas of my life. He wants me to grow!

Don't Just Stand There! Do Something!

2011-04-04T07:45:00.002-05:00

The Hebrew people are encamped near the Red Sea and nothing but wilderness separates them from the approaching Egyptian army, fully armored, brandishing weapons and kicking up loads of dust as their mighty chariots advance. Imagine the mass of quivering Israelite humanity...600,000 Hebrew men, plus all of their women and children, all traveling on foot...watching the Egyptian army quickly covering the ground that separates them. They challenge Moses, demanding to know why he hadn't left them in Egypt. After all, weren't there enough graves in Egypt for all of them...why did they have to come out into the wilderness to die?

Moses calmly reassures them, "Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the LORD rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!" (Exodus 14:13-14 NLT)

Side question...how did Moses communicate to what must have been at least 1.2 million people, over the din of panic, the braying animals, and the crying children?

Then the Lord tells Moses, "Don't just stand there...do something." Well, not exactly in those words, it was more like: "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!" (v. 15) God commanded Moses to stretch out his staff over the waters of the Red Sea and divide it. Moses had seen the miraculous ways God had used this same staff in his many meetings with Pharaoh. Moses didn't hesitate. The pillars of cloud and fire move in between the Hebrew people and the Egyptians, hiding the Hebrews from their view. I've always pictured the pillars as not much more than a column on the front of a large museum. This pillar hid 1.2 million people...I guess that's more like the whole museum and then some! Further amazing descriptions of how God uses the pillars in verse 20: "The cloud settled between the Israelite and Egyptian camps. As night came, the pillar of cloud turned into a pillar of fire, lighting the Israelite camp. But the cloud became darkness to the Egyptians, and they couldn't find the Israelites."

With the pillars in place, Moses stretches his hand over the sea and God parts the waters. All through the night, God caused a wind to blow on the exposed seabed (but, this wind did not blow away the pillar of cloud and darkness that separated the two people groups). In the morning, the Israelites walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. What must it have been like, walking between two walls of water, the fish and sea creatures staring at you from the temporary God-made boundaries of their watery home? The Red Sea at it's deepest point is 1.3 miles deep. Just imagine the height of those walls of water! Ahhh, the magnificent power of God!

The Egyptian armies pursued the people of God into the sea, only to have the waters collapse on them.
I find it interesting that the Pharaoh and his armies were drowned in the Red Sea...sounds a bit like "what goes around, comes around."

Undiscovered Sin

2011-03-31T07:50:00.000-05:00

I find it humorous sometimes the things that pop out of Scripture on a particular day. Today it was the fact that Moses took his wife and family with him to Egypt. I've known that Moses was married. But, I always assumed Moses traveled the road to Egypt alone...just him and God.

There's a quirky little passage towards the end of Exodus 4. In the midst of Moses' obedience - as he's on his way back to Egypt to confront the Pharaoh and ask for the release of the Hebrew people, God confronts Moses. With little to no explanation in the text, it says that God confronted Moses when he had stopped for the night...and was about to kill him. WHAT?! Moses was in the middle of doing God's will. Why would God kill him? God is God...and He knew all along that Moses had not circumcised his son. So, why didn't God confront Moses on this issue from the burning bush, or at some other point before now...when Moses is at the proverbial tip of the sword? Zipporah, Moses' wife, seems to get it immediately. She takes a sharp rock and circumcises their son, which puts an immediate end to God's confrontation. How did she know?

Circumcision was the mark of the Abrahamic covenant, a sign that the people of God were walking after the Spirit, not after the flesh - that's why God had them cut away the flesh. It seems that Moses did not "man up" and have his own son circumcised. Was it a conflict between him and Zipporah? Was this "mark" a source of marital conflict for the two of them? There is little else in the text, except that she threw the bloody foreskin at Moses' feet and made a seemingly sarcastic, angry comment about Moses being a bloody husband to her.

Matthew Henry's commentary on this passage helped to shine a bit of light onto the subject at hand for me:
"...when God discovers to us what is amiss in our lives we must give all diligence to amend it speedily, and particularly return to the duties we have neglected. The putting away of our sins is indispensably necessary to the removal of God’s judgements. This is the voice of every rod, it calls to us to return to him that smites us."

What undiscovered sin is present in my life? What does God need to uncover in my heart? May I not ignore His voice.

Faith Blessings

2011-03-30T08:25:00.001-05:00

I've always been fascinated with the story of how God protected Moses...the Pharaoh had ordered all newborn Hebrew males to be drowned, but Moses' mother fashioned a basket out of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and placed Moses inside. Then, she set the baby-filled basket in the Nile River - the very water the other baby boys were being drowned in. Miriam, Moses' sister, kept a protective watch over the basket on its journey down the Nile, towards it's unbelievable final destination, the palace of the Pharaoh himself! The Pharaoh's daughter spied the basket and requests that it be brought to her. As she opened the basket, she instantly recognizes that Moses is a Hebrew baby. But, Moses' cry touches her heart and she takes pity on him. Miriam enters the scene and asks if the princess would like her to find Hebrew wet nurse to nurse the baby. When the princess wholeheartedly agrees, Miriam runs to get none other than Moses' own mother! Today, as I was reading, a new little factoid registered in my brain...Exodus 2:9 tells us that the princess commands Moses' mother to take him home and nurse him, and as if that isn't enough, Moses' mother will be paid for her efforts.

Ah, the blessings of faith. Moses' mother trusted in God's protective hand over her son...she'd hidden him for the first three months of his life and then set him off in a basket down the Nile River. This story enriches my own faith. I pray that God will increase my faith this day.

When You Rise Up...

2011-03-30T07:48:00.005-05:00

As I began my journey into the book of Exodus, I was immediately reminded of the importance of repeating the stories of God's faithfulness to my children - from the Bible, from my own life, and from the lives of those around us. By the time Jacob (Israel) died, all of his direct descendants had settled in the land of Egypt, approximately 75 in all. As Joseph, and the rest of his generation died, their descendants multiplied quickly and filled the land.

When the Pharoah, whom Joseph had worked under, passed away, the writer of Exodus tells us that "a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. He told his people, "These Israelites are becoming a threat to us because there are so many of them. We must find a way to put an end to this. If we don't and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country." (Exodus 1:8-10) I read an interesting fact this morning: Joseph's family "started with five people back in Haran: Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Zilphah, and Bilhah. It grew into a clan of about 100 people in 50 years (the 100 includes the seventy of Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5 plus a few wives of the sons not mentioned and grandchildren). This represents a growth rate of just over 6% per year. At that rate there would be several million descendants by the time of Exodus, 430 years later." If the new Pharaoh was not aware of Joseph's story, it's really no wonder that he was worried about this mass of "aliens" living in his land.

I'm reminded of a quote I heard once, "Christianity is one generation away from extinction." God inspired the writer of Deuteronomy with this idea as well. In chapter 6:4-9, we read: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Today, may I live out the mantra of our home and our home school: "When you rise up..." May today be a day filled with reflection on God's epic story...a story that continues in, through, and around us. May we bring glory to His name as we're on the lookout for the ways He's at work...and may we join Him there!

The God Zone

2011-03-29T09:39:00.001-05:00

I remember writing these words just a few days ago: "I do sense, however, that God may call me to sacrifice my comfort zone lifestyle...to what, I'm not sure. But I pray that I will have Abraham's mature faith when God's call comes."

Today, as I was reading one of my newfound favorite online stops - Ann Voskamp's A Holy Experience, these words captured my attention: "We're in the God zone when we're out of our comfort zone and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, comforts us when we step outside our comfort zone. It's only in the uncomfortable places that we can experience the tenderness of the Comforter."

Hmm...where are You taking me, Lord?

And we know...

2011-03-29T09:11:00.002-05:00

...that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

I made it to the end of Genesis today - with a journey to Job in the middle. This has never happened before. Many times have I begun the journey through Genesis. Many times have I made it through the story of Noah and that marked the end. I'd never even read the book of Job in its entirety. What an awe-inspiring, fruit-producing, thanks-provoking thing, to truly read God's Word for the first time...this Word, filled with such glorious, epic, truthful story. I'm more convinced than ever, that God has created us to love story. The intrigue, the romance, the devastation, the redemption, the overcoming of odds, the transforming power of grace. I'm reminded today that we are written into God's story...our day-to-day lives masterfully woven into the tapestry of history - His Story. I imagine these "life threads" to be like variegated yarn...changing from one color to another and back again...as we walk down the path that is our life. I pray and trust that as my life is continually woven into God's epic, He'll fashion it into something beautiful...even with all the variations of color, the dark hues, the bright and sparkly, the golds and the murky grays...each reflecting the tossings and turnings, the highs and lows, the ebb and flow of my willingness to trust in Him. Today I choose to surrender to His almighty plan for my life. Today I choose to let Him weave the pattern of His choosing.

Back to Genesis...which ends with the death of Joseph. We have the benefit of seeing all of Joseph's life from beginning to end...we see the overarching hand of God in the midst of the trials Joseph found himself in. We see the threads as God weaves them back and forth through the fabric of Joseph's circumstances. As I re-read David Guzik's commentary, this list caught my eye:

If Joseph’s brothers never sell him to the Midianites, then Joseph never goes to Egypt.
If Joseph never goes to Egypt, he never is sold to Potiphar.
If he is never sold to Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife never falsely accuses him of rape.
If Potiphar’s wife never falsely accuses him of rape, then he is never put in prison.
If he is never put in prison, he never meets the baker and butler of Pharaoh.
If he never meets the baker and butler of Pharaoh, he never interprets their dreams.
If he never interprets their dreams, he never gets to interpret Pharaoh’s dream.
If he never gets to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, he never is made prime minister.
If he is never made prime minister, he never wisely administrates for the severe famine coming upon the region.
If he never wisely administrates for the severe famine coming upon the region, then his family back in Canaan perishes from the famine.
If his family back in Canaan perishes from the famine, then the Messiah can’t come forth from a dead family. If the Messiah can’t come forth, then Jesus never came.
If Jesus never came, then you are dead in your sins and without hope in this world. We are grateful for God’s great and wise plan.

Oh yes, we are grateful! May my life today reflect that gratefulness...may my life be a continuous looking forward to the completion of God's eternal, loving, perfect plan.

"Less Than The Least..."

2011-03-23T08:19:00.001-05:00

artist unknown

"Less than the least of all God's mercies." These words of the 17-century English poet and clergyman, George Herbert, echo the cry of Jacob as he looks toward a reunion with his brother, Esau (Genesis 32:10): "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant." (NKJV)

The New Living Translation uses the words "faithfulness" and "unfailing love" in place of "mercies." The Hebrew word is chesed which means "God's enduring love." I pray that my heart attitude would be that of Jacob...humble and utterly unworthy of the chesed which God showers upon me every day...that I would remember that everything I bring to God has been completely desecrated by sin...remembering that my hope cannot be in my own worth. Rather, I must rest in the promises of God. He promises to rescue. He promises to deliver. He promises to save.

Less than the least of all God's mercies...

Better Than Reality TV!

2011-03-22T08:51:00.006-05:00

In my mind, I've always painted the Patriarchs, their wives, and their families in a rather saintly light. But, as I read through the Old Testament, I see all the things that were left out of Sunday School lessons (or more likely, ignored by my Pollyanna self). These stories are way better than anything Hollywood or network television have to offer in the way of deception, lust, revenge, polygamy, incest, envy, jealousy, rage, and dysfunctional families!

Abraham giving his "sister" Sarah to two different kings to be their wife.
Sarah taking her infertility matters into her own hands and giving her servant, Hagar, to Abraham.
Lot offering the men of Sodom his two virgin daughters so that they would leave the male "visitors" to his home alone (the men of Sodom were demanding that Lot turn over his house guests so the men of Sodom might have sexual relations with them).
Lot's virgin daughters sleeping with their own father in order that they might "preserve their family line." (Genesis 19:31-38). After watching their cities destroyed, I wonder if they thought the entire world had ended...?
Isaac pulls the old "she's my sister" trick with the king of the Philistines, telling Abimelech that Rebekah is his sister. Abimelech finds out differently when he later sees Isaac & Rebekah making out. Abimelech becomes quite angry, knowing that if someone had slept with Rebekah, thinking she was Isaac's sister, they would have committed a grievous sin. Hmm...wonder where Isaac could have learned that one from?
Esau "selling" his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.
Esau takes two Hittite wives (who make life miserable for Isaac & Rebekah).
Jacob & Rachel deceiving Isaac so Jacob could have the birthright which rightfully belonged to Esau.
An interesting tidbit that I noticed from Ishmael's life: he also had 12 sons, which became the names of the twelve tribes. I wonder if the Arab/Muslim world considers these 12 tribes as important as the Christian world considers the 12 Tribes of Jacob?
Esau, after realizing that his father despised the "local" women, visited his uncle Ishamael's home and took another wife (in addition to the two he already had). This new wife's name was "Mahalath" and she was Ishmael's daughter.
The polygamy continues in other branches of the family tree: Jacob allows himself to be a 7-year indentured servant to Laban, his uncle, in order that he might "earn" Rachel's hand in marriage. Laban invited the entire household to a feast in honor of their "wedding." That night, when it was dark, Laban took LEAH in to Jacob's tent and Jacob slept with her, not knowing it was Leah and not Rachel. What a dirty trick! Laban then tells Jacob to wait until the "bridal week" is over and he will receive Rachel as his wife as well, in trade for another SEVEN years of Jacob's servitude.
Rachel, trapped in infertility, becomes jealous of her sister (Leah) who was having children with Jacob. Rachel decides to give her maid (Bilhah) to Jacob to sleep with. She (Bilhah) became pregnant and birthed two sons. Leah was unable to have more children, so she too gave Jacob her maid (Zilpah) to sleep with. Zilpah also gave Jacob two sons. Leah, jealous of Jacob's love for her sister Rachel, bribes Jacob to have sex with her. Out of this union came another son. Finally, God opens Rachel's womb and allows her to have a son. Surprise, surprise...the favored wife has the favored son, Joseph!
When Jacob responds to God's call to leave Laban's land, Rachel & Leah unite against a common foe - their own father. Jacob's family strikes out towards Jacob's homeland, but not before Rachel steals her father's household idols. Laban chases after them, accusing Jacob of theft. Rachel stashed the idols in her camel's saddle bags and mounts the camel. She claims to have her monthly period and therefore is unable to come down off the camel. Alas, Laban is unable to find his lost idols and assumes innocence on the part of Jacob & his daughters, their servants and members of Jacob's household, and makes a peace treaty with Jacob.

I must say, this is better than anything reality TV can serve up! The Fall in the early chapters of Genesis continues to play out on the screen of Old Testament history and the enemy continues to work his plan to this day. Many of these story lines are played out in the day-to-day lives of billions of people around the world. And, into this sinful world, God sent His one and only Son to save us from these messes, these sin-filled life paths we've walked. God loves us that much! Unbelievable! No reality TV show or movie ending can beat the hope-inspiring final scene God has in mind for all who call on His name: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world, through Him, might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

Finally...

2011-03-21T07:27:00.001-05:00

...immediate obedience to God's call. In Genesis 22:2, God tells Abraham, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." In a very un-Abraham-like fashion, we see that he immediately obeys God's instruction. He gets up very early the next morning, follows God's words to the letter and prepares to sacrifice his son. Where did this faith come from? This is the same Abraham who lied to two different kings, telling them Sarah was his sister, fearing they would kill him if they knew Sarah was his wife. This is the same Abraham who took God's promise of many descendants into his own hands, sleeping with Sarah's maid and having a son, Ishmael. The story of Abraham is one of incremental faith growth. This particular story of Abraham & Isaac shows the culmination of Abraham's years of walking with God. This story gives me hope. Hope that one day, my faith will be as strong as Abraham's. I do not that fear God will ever call me to such a task as sacrificing my own child. The story of Abraham and Isaac was for a specific time and specific place and specific purpose. David Guzik says, "What Abraham did was something completely unique in God's redemptive history, given for a specific purpose once for all fulfilled."* I do sense, however, that God may call me to sacrifice my comfort zone lifestyle...to what, I'm not sure. But I pray that I will have Abraham's mature faith when God's call comes.

*(Guzik, David. "Study Guide for Genesis 22." Enduring Word. Blue Letter Bible. 7 Jul 2006.)

Ahh, Baggage!

2011-03-18T08:02:00.002-05:00

I've often wondered how Abram and Sarai could have been so impatient. They heard directly from God that He would cause their descendants to be more numerous than the dust particles of the earth. Having heard directly from God, yet being barren, Sarai is sure the issue is with her. After all, she isn't pregnant and she isn't getting any younger! Ten years have passed since Abram & Sarai came to dwell in Canaan, since the promise of Genesis 13: "I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."

In their human thinking, Abram and Sarai just couldn't wrap their minds around the idea that their offspring would be as numerous as the dust of the earth. How on earth could this happen if Sarai, at her age, remained barren? Rather than patiently trusting in God's promise to give Abram and Sarai a son, Sarai takes matters into her own hands and gives over Hagar, her Egyptian maid, to stand in as a "surrogate." Remember yesterday's reference to "baggage"? Could it be that she was a part of Pharaoh's "get out of my land" peace offering (AKA the baggage Abram and Sarai carried out of Egypt following the fiasco of Abram's not-so-brilliant plan to have Sarai pose as his sister). Hagar does indeed become a surrogate and winds up pregnant with Abram's son. But Sarai, who planned this in the first place, becomes hostile toward Hagar and kicks her out of the house. Why the hostility? Personally, I can't imagine giving my husband permission to go sleep with someone...inviting another woman to share in intimate relations with my man. At the root of this hostility must be regret, right? And a whole lot of jealousy...both because the woman had slept with her husband but also because Hagar had gotten pregnant very easily, therefore making Hagar "more of a woman" in the eyes of those around them. After all, Sarai had been married to Abram for years and was still barren. Hagar's pregnancy pointed out that the problem of infertility was with Sarai.

What was Abram thinking? Why didn't he stand up and act like a man, like the spiritual head of the household, reminding Sarai of God's promise to give them a son? Where was he when Sarai opted to kick Hagar and his son out of the house (talk about a dead-beat dad)? I know hindsight is always 20/20. How differently things would have turned out had Abram stood firmly upon God's promises!

What about Hagar? Did she perish in the wilderness? Quite the opposite, actually. In Genesis 16: 7-12, we see the Lord's loving hand reach out to Hagar:
"The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
"I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.
The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”And the angel also said, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard about your misery. This son of yours will be a wild one—free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live at odds with the rest of his brothers."

Hagar must have been a courageous woman...having been told to go back and submit to Sarai's authority. That took some serious willpower! It seems Hagar had faith that the God who found and cared for her in the wilderness would sustain her in the household she'd been kicked out of.

I've heard it proposed that Ishmael's descendants become the enemies of the Jews, God's chosen people. If that's true, think of the truckloads of baggage Abram and Sarai created...and not just for themselves! Does today's conflict between the Arabs and the Jews have its roots in the "worldly" decisions Abram and Sarai made as they tried to help God out? Our decisions have long-lasting consequences...for years and ofttimes generations to come. Ahh, baggage...the more we take out of God's hands to carry ourselves, the more baggage we create.

Play The Movie All The Way To The End

2011-03-17T09:17:00.011-05:00

Genesis 12:1-2 says: Then the LORD told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others."
If I'm reading this right, God means to take care of Abram and his family in the land that He shows to them. But, Abram doesn't trust God in the right now...a theme we see played out in Abram's life numerous times. In Genesis 12:10, we are told that a famine came to the land where Abram had settled. Rather than trusting God to take care of them in the right now, Abram takes things into his own hands and travels with his family out of the land he'd been shown and into the land of Egypt. This is where things get really weird. Scripture tells us that Sarai (Abram's wife) was "a very beautiful woman." (Genesis 12:11). Abram fears that should the Egyptians find out this beautiful woman is his wife, they will have Abram killed. So, Abram hatches a plan wherein Sarai poses as his sister. We find out in Genesis 20:12 that this actually half true: "Besides, she is my sister—we both have the same father, though different mothers—and I married her. " I can almost hear the words, "Well...it is partly true." rolling through Abram's mind as he tries to justify and rationalize his plans. But, a half-truth is still a whole lie! The Egyptians are indeed taken with Sarai's beauty and she eventually is given to Pharaoh to be his wife. What on earth was Abram thinking? If he'd only stayed in the place God had led him. If only he'd trusted God's promise. If only he'd practiced patience. In the short-term, this did play out well for Abram (vs. 16): "Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female servants, and camels." Perhaps this allowed Abram to continue thinking he'd made the right choice. How often does this same scenario play out in our own lives...thinking for the short-term, not allowing the movie in our minds to play all the way the end before making a decision.

Well, as do all such not-so-well-thought-out plans, this one ends up falling apart and creating baggage. God sends great plagues to the house of Pharaoh because of Abram and Sarai. I find it really interesting that Pharaoh discerns these plagues are directly connected to the "sister" lie. With all that goes on in the daily life of a Pharaoh, how did he determine that Abram & Sarai were the source of the plague? Did God speak to Pharaoh in order to protect the family line? After all, this is the line of David and the lineage of Jesus Christ. God needed to protect it. The NKJV leads me to believe that Pharaoh and Sarai never consummated their marital relationship: "Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way." (Genesis 12:19) Here comes the baggage. Remember all those gifts Pharaoh had given to Abram? He had Abram, Sarai and all those gifts escorted out of his land. More on that tomorrow...

Get To The Point!

2011-03-15T08:37:00.003-05:00

In Romans 3:23, Paul writes "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Reading through the book of Job, I'm having trouble lining this verse up with what's said about Job. In chapter 1:1, the writer of Job says: "This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." God himself points out Job's goodness. In verse 8, the LORD asks Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Satan argues that the only reason Job is upright and blameless is because he is under God's protection and blessing. "but stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." I wonder if Satan was surprised when God gave over everything Job had into Satan's hands (except Job himself). Satan takes it as far as he possibly can and destroys everything Job could call his own - his possessions and his children. Yet, "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." (Job 1:22)

When God calls Satan on this in chapter 2, "There's no one quite like him [Job], is there - honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn't work." Satan tries a different approach this time, saying, "A human would do anything to save his life. But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He'd curse you to your face, that's what." Surprisingly, God gives Satan permission to do whatever he'd like with Job, except take his life. So Satan strikes Job with horrible boils all over his body. In verse 8 of chapter 2, it says "Job was ulcers from head to foot. They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, then went and sat on a trash heap, among the ashes." And then, even after his wife called him a fool and tried to persuade him to curse God, Job's response is: "You're talking like an empty-headed fool. We take the good days from God - why not also the bad days?" Not once did through all this did Job sin. He said nothing against God.

How is this possible? How can a mere mortal be upright and righteous in everything?

This divine drama plays out beyond what Job and his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar can see. In chapter 32, Job's "wise" friends finally shut up. And Elihu takes up where they left off. For FIVE chapters! But in chapter 38, God takes center stage. It's. About. Time. I'm ready to be to the end...I'm tired of the back and forth. I keep finding myself wondering why there are 37 chapters of human arguments...the back and forth of human wisdom. Just get to the point already. I want God's response. Perhaps that's the whole point! I wonder how often God wants me to get to the place of desiring His response alone? I often read commentaries to discern what God's saying, seek the counsel of the saints, listen to common sense, or seek out circumstantial signs. Granted, these are all things God uses to communicate with me. But, how often do I simply listen for His still, small voice? Hmmm...

And so, even though I'm not supposed to get there for two more days, and I started to read commentaries to answer my questions...today, I opted to read through to the end of the book of Job. God lays it all out. He holds nothing back. I love Job's response: "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me answer the questions. You give the answers.' I admit I once lived by rumors of You; now I have it all firsthand - from my own eyes and ears! I'm sorry -- forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."

So, God...I ask that you give me faith and steadfastness like Job. Keep me in the place where my heart attitude is one of "You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans." Help me to not second-guess Your purposes in my life. Keep me from being like one of the four "friends" who tried to offer counsel...help me to be a friend who listens and points everything to You. May my life be a reflection of Your glory...may I not try to keep any of it for myself...for it all belongs to You. You alone are holy. You alone are worthy. You alone are God.

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

2011-03-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

Even amidst his immense pain and suffering, Job claims the promises of God. In Job 19:25-27, he says: "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!"

May this be my stance in life...even when the chaos swirls around me...I know that my Redeemer lives. He will stand upon the earth at last. I will see God for myself one day...with my own eyes! Ahhh, the thought of it brings immense joy to my very core.

Hard Times | Good People

2011-03-10T08:03:00.001-06:00

Why does God allow bad things to happen to apparently good people? In the first verse of the first chapter of the book of Job, we learn that Job was "...blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil." Yet, God allows the most horrific of suffering to befall this blameless, upright man. Why?

I love the answer Ray Stedman gives in his commentary, Job, the Hardest Question: "Now, the ultimate answer to that question is given right at the beginning of the book [of Job]. At the opening we are handed certain program notes that explain to us something about the drama, something which even the actors themselves are not permitted to know. The answer given is that senseless suffering arises out of Satan's continual challenge to the government of God."

Ahhh, yes, the very real enemy that prowls around like a hungry lion, looking for a victim to devour (1 Peter 5:8). It is so easy to think only in terms of the world we can see. We often forget the unseen realm...where war is raging for the souls of man...for my soul...and yours. If we were given the ability to see the enemy in all his terrifying and grotesque ugliness, we'd run for our lives. He wants nothing more than to rip us to shreds, tear us down to nothing, render us completely and utterly defenseless. He operates out of blind stupidity...forgetting the power...pushing the thought of it to the very deepest, darkest recesses of his mind...pretending he has the power to overcome. He's never been more wrong about anything in his entire existence. Jesus' blood and righteousness flows down from that cross to cover the believer, washing us clean and giving us the ability to stand on the rock of Jesus Christ himself...the ability and power to rebuke the enemy and his minions...to send them wherever Jesus deems appropriate. And so, today, I claim the promises of Jesus in my life. I venture out into the life He has created for me, though at times it seems fraught with pain and suffering. With open arms, I embrace the blessings of walking in the light and beauty of His love for me. Thank you God for loving me.

Whirling Why's

2011-03-09T07:40:00.001-06:00

Do you ever find yourself drowning in a personal sea of "why's"?

Why...?
Why are my friends unable to have children?
Why did God allow me to get pregnant, only to then allow a miscarriage? THREE times...and on that third time, taking away half of my fertility; then, a year later, steals away the other half, rendering me completely unable to have another child?
Why did she have to die, leaving behind 4 little kids?
Why does my friend have cancer?
Why? Why? Why?

If anyone had the right to ask the tough why questions, it was Job. The man lost every single, solitary thing to his name. Every possession. ALL of his children. And, to top it all off, God gave Satan permission to torment him with the physical pain of boils covering his entire body. WHY?

Wish I had an answer to all of these tough questions. Yet, I've come to realize God is so much greater than I could ever come close to understanding. There are things that are just going to have to wait until heaven...and perhaps when the time comes, the questions will no longer matter. For now, when the storms of life swirl around me; when the "whys" come, I must stand on the foundation of God's word. The truth that God loves me. The truth of Romans 8:28 (NLT), that God "causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." I must be able to collapse into these foundational, undergirding truths when things around me seem to be falling apart, outside of my control, beyond my understanding. I must be able to fall back onto what I do understand. And I understand this: God LOVES me! I may not understand the why and how of it all...but I know it is true. I also know that what I can see of things is very small in comparison with the eternal perspective God possesses. He can see the end and the beginning of all things, all at the same time. He knows all and sees all...including my little life and all that's happening in it. My life rests securely in the palm of His hand. And, I am perfectly content to stay right there!

Through Thick & Thin

2011-03-08T08:13:00.000-06:00

Friendship...what a blessed gift. My life is peppered with many, many such gifts and I thank God for each one.

As I continue on in the book of Job and read what his friends have to say about Job's intense response to his horrific circumstances, I've come face-to-face with a trouble spot in my life. I must admit, I struggle with being a "through thick and thin" kind of friend. It's easy to be someone's friend when everything is all as it should be. But what about the true majority of time - when things aren't all rosy and wonderful? How does one approach a friend in turmoil and speak truth to them, without hurting feelings or injuring them on a heart level? I absolutely despise conflict in any form. I shrink from it. I avoid it all cost. But, what am I to do when my friend's in trouble and I see something in their life that needs to change...perhaps a blind spot that needs to be brought to light? How can I avoid being fickle? How can I be the very opposite of Job's description of his friends at the end of chapter six?

Job 6:14-30 (The Message)

"When desperate people give up on God Almighty, their friends, at least, should stick with them. But my brothers are fickle as a gulch in the desert--one day they're gushing with water from melting ice and snow cascading out of the mountains, but by midsummer they're dry, gullies baked dry in the sun. Travelers who spot them and go out of their way for a drink end up in a waterless gulch and die of thirst. Merchant caravans from Tema see them and expect water, tourists from Sheba hope for a cool drink. They arrive so confident—but what a disappointment! They get there, and their faces fall! And you, my so-called friends, are no better—there's nothing to you! One look at a hard scene and you shrink in fear. It's not as though I asked you for anything—I didn't ask you for one red cent—nor did I beg you to go out on a limb for me. So why all this dodging and shuffling? Confront me with the truth and I'll shut up, show me where I've gone off the track. Honest words never hurt anyone, but what's the point of all this pious bluster? You pretend to tell me what's wrong with my life, but treat my words of anguish as so much hot air. Are people mere things to you? Are friends just items of profit and loss? Look me in the eyes! Do you think I'd lie to your face? Think it over—no double-talk! Think carefully—my integrity is on the line! Can you detect anything false in what I say? Don't you trust me to discern good from evil?"

I desire to be a source of life for my friends...a haven of rest...a place where honest, truthful, Biblical feedback is spoken in love. Lord, I pray that you will make this true of me.

Grace To Stand

2011-03-07T07:51:00.001-06:00

I subscribed to BlueLetterBible.org's daily Bible reading (chronological order). Made it through the flood and met Abram - now we're in Job. Cool to think that Abraham and Job were contemporaries. Makes me feel really silly to admit...but not until about 3 years ago did I realize the Bible is not written in chronological order from Genesis to Revelation!

Enough about my naivety! Back to the book of Job. The absolute devastation the enemy was allowed to rain down on Job makes me shiver. The enemy wants nothing more than to bring down the faithful followers of the one true God. So thankful for Job's faith...and his transparency.

As I was reading through one of Charles Spurgeon's commentaries on the first chapters of Job, this quote practically leaped out of my screen: "Oh may God grant us grace, as a Church, to stand against the wiles of Satan and his attacks, that having done his worst he may gain no advantage over us, and after having considered, and considered again, and counted well our towers and bulwarks, he may be compelled to retire because his battering rams cannot jar so much as a stone from our ramparts, and his slings cannot slay one single soldier on the walls."

Rainbows, Promises, and Faith

2011-03-06T07:11:00.000-06:00

When Noah was 601 years old, 10.5 months after the flood began, Noah lifted back the cover of the boat to look. Two more months went by and at last the earth was dry! Noah and his family were in the boat for an entire year!

Ten generations into the life of the earth, God was so frustrated with the people that He flooded the entire planet, wiping out every living thing except Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their sons' wives. How frustrated, how angry, would God be with us, had He not sent Jesus Christ to pay the penalty price for our sins? God promises in Genesis 8:21-22: "I will never again curse the earth, destroying all living things, even though people's thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood. As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night." We can trust God's promises! He's kept this one for thousands of years!

In chapter 9:13-16, God makes this covenant with Noah (and all of Noah's descendants), "I am giving you a sign as evidence of my eternal covenant with you and all living creatures. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my permanent promise to you and to all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will be seen in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with everything that lives. Never again will there be a flood that will destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth."

From Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham & Japheth, come all humans on earth today. Shem's branch of the family tree includes Abram. Abram (later known as Abraham) is shown to have immense faith. I look forward to reading again the story of his life. David Guzik, in his commentary on Genesis 11 says this: "If you despair in knowing you do not have Abram’s faith, take comfort in knowing you have Abram’s God. He can build in you the faith of Abram, because He built it in Abram himself." What a blessed thought!

I Want Nothing More

2011-03-05T08:37:00.000-06:00

Random observations from Genesis 4, 5, 6, and 7

I'd never really thought of this before...Adam & Eve lost both of their sons in one day. After their eldest son, Cain, killed his only brother, Abel (thus taking one son), God sent him away...to restlessly wander all his days. Adam and Eve quickly felt the sting of that first sin. I find it interesting that God curses Cain to be driven from the ground that he had worked, to wander the earth the remainder of his days. Yet, in Genesis 4:17, we see Cain building a city. It's as if he's defying the curse of God, thumbing his nose at God like a snotty-nosed brat saying, "I'll show you..."

Cain's descendants were quite the entrepreneurs. Within 8 generations (Adam - Lamech), we have amazing craftsmanship/business/invention. Serious proof that flies in the face of the theory of evolution. To think that so quickly after the first man arrives on the face of the planet, we already have musical instruments and iron tools. Gen 4:19-22 show us a listing of their accomplishments:

Jabal: the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock
Jubal: the father of all who play the harp and flute
Tubal-Cain: who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron

I know God could have allowed these things to happen in a nomadic culture...but I find myself wondering if, because Cain settled and built a city if these inventions were quicker to arrive on the scene. Of particular interest to me, though, is the complete absence of any mention of God or their worship of Him. It appears that Cain and his family completely turned their backs on the Lord and focus instead on the accomplishments of their hands.

Random observations from Adam's Family Tree

I love genealogy...God's word is chock-full of them. In his online commentary, Chuck Smith points out that the genealogy in Genesis 5 shows that Noah's father and Adam were alive at the same time. I just had to check it out for myself. So, I took pen and paper and sketched out Adam's family tree to Noah. Sure enough, Noah's dad very likely sat at Adam's feet and listened to first-hand accounts about life in the garden of Eden and the fall of man - directly from the mouth of the man who'd been there...the man who took the fruit from his wife and ate. Since writing had likely not been developed at this time, it was very important to have first-hand accounts being passed from one generation to the next. Adam had the privilege of telling these same stories to his sons, grandsons, great-grandsons, great-great-grandsons, and his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandsons. What would we know of our own families if we'd been granted the same privilege to sit at the feet of our ancestors and listen to their stories? We have the gift of the written word...may we use it for the benefit of those who come after us.

Enoch & Noah
Enoch was Noah's great-grandfather. It is said of Enoch (in Gen. 5:24), "He enjoyed a close relationship with God throughout his life. Then suddenly, he disappeared because God took him." In Gen. 6:9, similar words are written about Noah: "...Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him." I pray these same words will be true of me, that my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren would be able to say "she consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him." I want nothing more.

"And God said,..."

2011-03-05T06:54:00.000-06:00

I've decided to blog about my observations as God takes me on this adventure of reading through His entire Word in one year. It's easier for me to put fingers to keyboard than it is pen to paper...and much faster (not to mention spell-checked). So...the thoughts are likely to be random...but I often find the thing that jumps out at me from the text I read for the day is often the very thing that speaks to my life or causes me to think deeper about my own spiritual journey.

"And God said,..."

That's all... "And God said..." With those three words, all of creation came into being. What a marvelous, awe-inspiring, creative, masterful, audacious God we serve. All things were created by the words He spoke and crafted by His hands. You and I were created by the same God who spoke all of creation into existence. We can rest securely in the palm of His hand, trusting in His divine plan for our lives. To think...the creator of all things, has written an important part for you and I to play within His-Story. Wow!

"...and God saw that it was good." Upon the closing of each day, God looked over the day's work and noted that it was good. Then, we come to the final day of creation, and God looks at everything He had made (that includes mankind) and said, "It was very good." That means you and me. God created us to be "very good." That thought comforts me and reminds me that He still sees me as "very good" through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Radical Experiment

2011-03-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

I'm in the final chapter of the book, "Radical - Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream" by David Platt. To say I've been challenged doesn't even come close to describing the whirlwind of thoughts, emotions and at-the-core unsettledness this book has stirred up within me. God has used Platt's book to strip away the rose-colored glasses, the American-dream-filter through which I view the world. I no longer see myself as I did a few weeks ago. I have come face-to-face with my severe lack of radical compassion for the poor, the lonely and the lost of the world, and I don't like what I see. Pair all of this with the sermon series we're in at Faith E-Free right now on the book of Galatians and I'm a confused ball of questions.

Platt calls into question the "true Christianity" of those who don't reflect a radical desire to reach the lost with the gospel and irradicate poverty around the world. On page 111 of his book, Platt says this: "More pointedly, if our lives do not reflect radical compassion for the poor, there is reason to wonder if Christ is really in us at all."

I know that I am saved by grace through faith. Yet, this comment shook me to the core. Is it an inroad for the enemy to whisper his lies? Or is it the not-so-gentle-nudge of the Spirit calling me to move out in faith into a life of radical compassion I have yet to experience.

In Galatians 1:9, Paul writes: "As we have already said, I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" Is Platt adding to the gospel? Or, is our response to the gospel supposed to be one of radical compassion? I'm leaning toward the latter...but where do I go with all of this? Sell everything we have and move to the poorest, most unreached part of the world? What is God calling me to do? We have so much...yet at times, it seems so difficult to be content with what God has lavished on us. And, then I read a quote like this: "Today more than a billion people in the world live and die in desperate poverty. The attempt to survive on less than a dollar per day. Close to two billion others live on less than two dollars per day. That's nearly half the world struggling today to find food, water, and shelter with the same amount of money I spend on french fries for lunch." (Radical, p. 108)

Platt goes on to say, "Suddenly I began to realize that if I have been commanded to make disciples of all nations, and if poverty is rampant in the world to which God has called me, then I cannot ignore these realities. Anyone wanting to proclaim the glory of Christ to the ends of the earth must consider not only how to declare the Gospel verbally but also how to demonstrate the Gospel visibly in a world where so many are urgently hungry. If I am going to address urgent spiritual need by sharing the Gospel of Christ or building up the body of Christ around the world, then I cannot overlook the dire physical need in the process." (Radical, p. 109)

So, that's where I am today, standing totally convicted, completely confident that the Gospel is compelling me to do something more. I am staring the blind spots in my life straight in the face and daring to allow the Spirit to shine the light of God's truth into the voids created by the ideology of the American Dream.

I feel called to take the first "dares" set out by Platt in the final chapter of Radical.
1. Pray for the entire world in one year.
2. Read through the entire Word in one year.

These are safe...within my control...but because they are within my control, I also know the weakness of my flesh. I cannot do this alone! Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I pray that you will keep me on track. I also ask that You protect me from the "ritualistic" rules these could become. Use this "dare" for good in my life and the lives of those around me.

The next dare is to "Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose." Hmm...I get to that in my reading tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes!

Laundry Monster - TAMED!

2011-02-19T14:45:00.000-06:00

I believe we have successfully tamed the laundry monster at our house! We started on July 10th. THIRTEEN days later, and I haven't done a single piece of laundry for the girls! Considering that I used to find the girls' laundry sorter overflowing 5 days after finishing the laundry, I'd say the game worked!

Megan and Hannah tied for 1st Place - with 9 articles of clothing in the laundry (not including undies and socks). They're splitting a pack of "wall stickers" I found at Dollar Tree awhile back. Grace came in a close second with 11 articles of clothing and has her sights set on winning the next round of the LAUNDRY GAME!

I'd highly recommend trying this at your house and see if you can tame your laundry monster!!

Mom's Encouragement Night - Book List

2010-07-23T08:04:00.000-05:00

I meet with a wonderful group of women each month (well, when Alpha doesn't meet on Tuesday nights, that is!). The purpose of this meeting: to encourage one another as we walk together on this home school journey we've all been called to. I am so thankful for the group's leaders, Eryn and Mindy. Their ability to create community amazes me. I pray that God will richly bless them both for all that they pour into this group!

This month, each mom brought a book or two that inspired her in some way over the past year (funny, the timing, right? I've been obsessed with finding good books lately - so this was right up my alley!)

As you look through this list, if a title intrigues you, click on it and I'll take you to Amazon.com or RainbowResource.com where you can learn more about each book.

Mindy Salts

All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

Jessica Sheltrown

The ABC Herbal by Steven Horne
Prayers God Always Answers by Nancy Kennedy
First We Have Coffee by Margaret Jensen
The Creative Family by Amanda Soule
The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson (photography by Nick Kelsh)

Tracy Emery

A Hive of Busy Bees by Effie Williams
Another Hive of Busy Bees by Beverly Soderholm
Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson (this is the book that inspired my booklist obsession)
Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

Renatta Welsh (who apologizes for the grumpy kid on the cover - but encourages you to read the book anyway!)

Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes by Scott Turansky & Joanne Miller

Judy Clark

Take Four by Karen Kingsbury (and anything else written by Ms. Kingsbury)
Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney

Eryn Smith

Don't Make Me Count To Three by Ginger Plowman
Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
The Joy of a Word-Filled Family by Dr. John Barnett

Britt Reid

Who Is God? And Can I Really Known Him? by John Hay & David Webb
The Swimsuit Lesson by Jon Holsten

Carrie Beyer

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry
Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
The Marriage of Megotta by Edith Pargeter
Noah by Patricia Lee Gauch
The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
Animals, Animals by Eric Carle
Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming

Amy VanDorn

Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian
Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

Tricia Kvasnica

O Ye Jigs and Juleps by Virginia Hudson
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
O The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
LIFE: Our Century in Pictures for Young People by Richard Stolley

Traci Bowman

Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

Being REAL!

2010-07-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

I was clearing out old files on my computer just now and ran across a devotional I'd written and shared with the women at our church several years ago. It made me cry fresh tears...I'm still on the quest to be real! God keeps showing me areas of my life that I keep behind the mask...

Thought I'd share the devotional here...I pray it will be a blessing to all who read it!

Faith E-Free Ladies Tea - May 14, 2007

A month ago, when I was asked to share tonight’s devotional, the events of these last two weeks were not at all what I expected or desired to draw from. You see, two weeks ago tonight, I surprised my husband, Darren, with the amazing news that we were expecting our fourth miracle child. And, when I say surprised, I mean it…he truly had no idea! I, on the other hand, had walked through the following nine months a hundred times and imagined holding our baby in my arms. But, that is as close as I’ll ever get to her this side of heaven. You see, just three days later, I started to miscarry. I cannot begin to describe the pain…the absolute darkness that threatened to drown me. Having been down this road seven years before, I knew what was in store…and I did not want go there again. But, God brought this verse to mind…the grass withers, the flowers fade, crises come, but the word of the Lord stands forever! He is ever faithful…he is the great healer…the great counselor…he is almighty GOD…and in all things – even miscarriage - He works for the good of those who love him.

When Kristin asked me to give tonight’s devotional, my first response was, “No way! I’m not qualified. I’m not the one who should be sharing. Surely, if I say no, the real person God wants to share will step up.” But, knowing that God often works through my weakness and had been revealing some of the lies I’d been believing (I’ll get to that in a minute), I began to pray. That very night our Small Group lesson focused on Moses and his five objections to God’s call to rescue His people from Egypt. Knowing what God used Moses to do, despite his objections, I found myself convinced that I was the one that needed to step up. And, here I am!

God has been teaching some cool stuff over the last several months…about being real, open, and vulnerable with those around me. I am so very good at putting on a mask and leading others to believe that I have it all together. I don’t want you all to know the mistakes I make, the issues Darren & I struggle with, the times I’m harsh with my girls, the laziness and procrastination I’m trying to overcome, how often I take for granted the blessings that overflow in my life, the enemy’s lies I listen to. I’ve long lived under the lie that it’s better to just be quiet and listen – don’t offer – no one really wants to hear from me. God has a delightful sense of humor, don’t you think…because here I am…speaking and you all are listening to what I have to say. My prayer is that God will speak through me to touch your hearts.

Through all the years of believing the “don’t speak” lie, I longed to be a part of deep and beautiful friendships with other women. Now, that’s pretty hard to do without letting others see what’s truly going on in my heart and mind. Letting others in gives them permission to see the doubts I have about myself…that I wonder what I’m doing here…and why anyone would ever want to be my friend. My fear that I’m failing as a wife and mom…that I really don’t feel adequate to do much of anything, after all, I can’t even keep up with the laundry. Taking off the mask lets you see the lies I believe…and that’s what these thoughts are…lies from the enemy. The truth is that I am inadequate and imperfect…but I am clothed in the righteousness of Christ and through His strength, I can do whatever it is He calls me to do. The enemy knows this too…and whispers all the louder…he twists the truth and chips away at our confidence. He desires our complete and utter desolation and what better way to get us there than to force us into isolation. He knows the power of friendship, real, honest Christ-centered friendship; and I believe it makes him tremble with fear!

In Ephesians 4:15, Paul tells us we are to “speak the truth in love, and by doing so, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” I love how the Amplified Bible says it: “Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth…in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, Christ.”

I have always looked to this verse in times of conflict - to remind myself to confront with Christ’s love and for His sake. I’ve come to realize there are also times when speaking the truth in love means taking off my mask and letting others see what’s really going on under the “I’ve got it all together” exterior. It’s amazing what happens when you speak truthfully to others about what’s going on in your life. Did you catch Paul’s words… “when we speak the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head!” How many times have I let my thoughts go unspoken, because I feared others would pity me or think less of me. But, Paul encourages us to speak the truth…speak what’s really and truly going on with us…and, in doing so, God joins the body together. When I hold back from sharing, I steal opportunities for others to see the real me…to see my struggles and realize they are not alone in their own…opportunities to pray for and encourage each other.

This past semester, God placed me in a wonderful Bible study and in that study and outside of it, surrounded me with women who are on a quest to be real. He began to answer my prayer to be a part of meaningful friendships…and is using these dear friends as an encouragement to share and be real. In God’s perfect timing, He allowed me to share the exciting news of our pregnancy at our final Bible study. The next day when I began to miscarry, I fought through my old pattern of silently dealing with crisis. Choosing not to sit alone in quiet desolation, I began calling my friends, and through my tears asked for prayer. They graciously allowed me to be real. They prayed with me (and continue to pray for me). They cried with me. They spoke God’s truth to me. They helped me to process what was going on. They pointed me to the scriptures for words of healing. They encouraged me. Many shared similar stories of their own. I wish you all could feel the amazing peace and joy I’ve experienced. This has been amazingly difficult and painful, but what could be a harsh, desolate pit of despair has been cushioned and lined with a deep, abiding joy. This, I’m certain, is how God intended it to be. Unlike the first miscarriage – 7 years ago – when I quickly put on my mask and emptily spouted phrases about God’s faithfulness…all the while not believing a word that came out of my mouth. I was angry at God for taking our baby…but I didn’t want to admit that to anyone…I didn’t want anyone to know that this Christian woman, who supposedly had it all together, doubted God. I believed the lie that no one really wanted to hear about my struggles. Back then, I thought it so much easier to stuff my feelings and put on a happy face. In many ways, this miscarriage has been more difficult emotionally, perhaps because I shoved all those feelings aside 7 years ago and now God is gently pushing me to process and grieve our first baby while grieving our fifth.

I’d love to say I’ve not had any of those angry, doubting thoughts this time around, but that wouldn’t be true. I’ve also been accosted by self doubt, wondering things like “did the ibuprofen I took the week before the miscarriage cause it? I must really be an inadequate mom…God knows it…that’s why he won’t allow the joy of another child.” And, believe me, I’ve been tempted to shut down and shove my feelings, emotions and thoughts deep down, never allowing them to see the light of day. I hear the whispers of “did you really need to share all that…they’re busy with their own issues and struggles. You are just too much, you’re taking too much of their time. You are such a burden.” Of course, the whisperer of these lies is the enemy (or as a good friend calls him – the rotten scuzbucket). Listen and be encouraged by the words of 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.”

So, I stand here, before you, being real, admitting that I don’t have it all together…that life is hard but full of joy at the same time. I’ve come to believe that people who experience life intensely, both the good and the bad, and share it with others are more fortunate than those who just drift through alone. For it is through these tough times, we realize the word of God stands forever. He will put us back together and on our feet for good. He will get the last word! May we will live truthfully and be real with one another, sharing our struggles, doubts and joys… all the while, being built up in love and growing up into amazing women of God.

Konquering Kids' Klutter - NOT

2010-07-16T10:07:00.001-05:00

Well, last week I blogged about my newfound idea to help the family remember to pick up after themselves and Konquer the Klutter in our home. Well, it worked well for the first couple of days...but soon devolved into a spiteful competition between siblings...usually started when one of us would put away someone else's belonging(s). The remainder of the family would then storm through the house with a "nanny-nanny-boo-boo" attitude, looking for things that belonged to others. Guess this isn't the right approach to training the kidlets.

I reached back to something that used to work and implemented it again...if I find things out that belong to the DD1, DD2, or DD3, I get to keep them for a week. We'll see how this goes...

Taming the Laundry Monster

2010-07-10T19:55:00.001-05:00

Do you ever get tired of hearing your child say, "Mom, I don't have any pants to wear! They're all in the dirty laundry...", knowing full well, that she only wore each pair of pants once before throwing them in the hamper (even though they were still quite clean)? How about finding clothes in the hamper that were only worn to church for a couple of hours (but because it was easier for your child to throw it in the hamper as opposed to hanging it back up in their closet)?

Perhaps I'm the only one that has these issues...but just in case I'm not, I thought I'd post a tip I found at Paula's Archives of Homeschool Advice. I just had to try it: on laundry day, the child with the least amount of clothes in the laundry (not including underwear and socks) wins a prize! We only started this yesterday, so I don't have practical results to share with you yet. But, it looks to be working...DD1 has the same clean clothes on that she had on yesterday, and DD2 is wearing the same pajama's tonight! I'll post an update after the next laundry day!

Konquering Kids' Klutter

2010-07-09T17:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, as I picked up miscellaneous things belonging to various members of the family, I decided to try something new. Rather than rant and rave at the kids to pick up their stuff, or getting irritated with my husband for leaving his breakfast dishes on the cupboard, I'm doing something pro-active. I ran across this fun idea the other day on Paula's Archives of Homeschool Advice: We started with a clean house. I created a chart with everyone's name on it and posted it on the refrigerator.

Now, when anyone finds something that someone else left out, they put said item away where it belongs. Once the item is put away, they get to put a tally mark by the person's name to whom said item belongs. For example, if I leave my flip flops out (which, by the way, I am very prone to do) and dh puts them away, dh then puts a mark by my name on the chart. The person with the fewest marks for the week wins $2.00!

So far, it's working really well! My kids are putting their own things away and their sisters' things. I even overheard them telling their friends this afternoon, "Let's pick this stuff up before we get something else out."

I'm fairly competitive by nature, but I'm thinking, even if I don't win the $2.00 - I do win a Klutter Free House! Definitely a win-win situation!!!

Just One More Chapter...Please!?!?

2010-07-01T17:18:00.001-05:00

When I started this list, the warm fuzzy feeling started to well up inside me...a warmth that emanates from the pages of these well-loved, timeless books. Generations have loved these stories and my hope is that the next generations will continue, as I read them to my children, and one day, perhaps, my grandchildren. Many of these make for grand read-alouds, even if your children are teenagers! Consider taking turns, as a family, reading chapter by chapter - perhaps introducing your children to new friends along the way, or rekindling an old friendship.

And, don't forget, the more expression you give to your voice and the more life you breathe into the characters, the more likely 'twill be that your children will beg for, "just one more chapter...please!?!"

OLD FRIENDS (AKA Golden Classics)

(CD) = the book is also available on CD at our library

(DVD) = the book is also available on DVD at our library

(ILL) = Interlibrary Loan

Alcott, Louisa May - Little Women

Alcott, Louisa May - Little Men

Alcott, Louisa May - Jo's Boys

Barrie, J.M. - Peter Pan (CD)

Baum, Frank - The Wizard of Oz

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - Little Princess

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - Little Lord Fauntleroy

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - The Secret Garden (CD)

Carroll, Lewis - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (CD)

Chesterton, GK - The Father Brown Omnibus

Cohen, Barbara - Seven Daughters and Seven Sons (ILL)

Dodge, Mary Mapes - Hans Brinker, or, The Silver Skates

Fletcher, Susan - Shadow Spinner (ILL)

Gilbreth, Frank B. - Cheaper by the Dozen

Gilbreth, Frank B. - Belles on Their Toes

Grahame, Kenneth - The Wind in the Willows (CD & DVD)

Kingsley, Charles - The Water-Babies

Kipling, Rudyard - The Jungle Books (found in adult section)

Kipling, Rudyard - The Complete Just-So Stories

Kipling, Rudyard - Kim

Konigsburg, E.L. - The Second Mrs. Giaconda

Leroux, Gaston - Phantom of the Opera (CD)

MacDonald, George - At the Back of the North Wind

MacDonald, George - The Princess and the Goblin

MacDonald, George - The Princess and the Curdie (ILL)

Martin, Ann - A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray

Milne, A.A. - The House at Pooh Corner

Milne, A.A. - Winnie The Pooh (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of Green Gables (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of Avonlea (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of the Island (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of Windy Poplars

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne's House of Dreams (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of Ingleside

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Rainbow Valley

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Rilla of Ingleside

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - The Story Girl

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - The Golden Road

Myers, Walter - At Her Majesty's Request

Nesbitt, Edith - The Railway Children (CD)

Porter, Eleanor - Pollyanna

Porter, Gene Stratton - Freckles (ILL)

Porter, Gene Stratton - Girl of the Limberlost

Pyle, Howard - Men of Iron

Pyle, Howard - The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Pyle, Howard - The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (CD)

Schlitz, Laura Amy - Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village (CD)

Schmidt, Gary - Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (CD)

Sewell, Anna - Black Beauty

Spyri, Johanna H. - Heidi

Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island (CD)

Stevenson, Robert Louis - Kidnapped (CD)

Stevenson, Robert Louis - David Balfour (sequel to Kidnapped)

Stoltz, Joelle - The Shadows of Ghadames

Stranger, Margaret - That Quail Robert

Van Stockum, Hilda - Winged Watchman (ILL)

Verne, Jules - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Verne, Jules - Around the World in Eighty Days

Verne, Jules - Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Wiggin, Kate Douglas - Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (CD)

White, T. - The Once And Future King

Zusak, Markus - The Book Thief (CD)

Continued Obsession!

2010-07-01T16:30:00.006-05:00

Yep...the obsession continues...some may think I've fallen off the deep end. That's okay! I do readily admit to being obsessed with making these reading lists as complete as possible. For some reason, bringing home "twaddle" from the library just sets me on edge. I truly want my girls to fall in love with reading - but not just Dora books or other culturally popular iconic books. My hope is that they will fall in love with Ramona Quimby, or Mr. Popper, or Paddington - characters found on the pages in these books.

The Fine Print - we haven't read every book on this list, so I cannot completely guarantee the content to be appropriate for everyone. Also, the books in this list are ones I've found to be available at my hometown library or can be accessed through Interlibrary Loan. You'll notice an asterisk (*) by a few of the books. These *'s indicate questionable content found by a fellow bibliophile...my 12-y/o friend, Chloe. She graciously agreed to let me know if there was anything I should pass along to others who may be using this list. If you scroll down to the bottom of the list, you'll find Chloe's comments. Many thanks to you, Miss Chloe!

INTERMEDIATE READERS
(CD) = the book is also available on CD at our library
(DVD) = the book is also available on DVD at our library
(ILL) = Interlibrary Loan

Adamson, Joy - Born Free

Adler, David Cam Jansen (series)

Cam Jansen : Mystery at the Haunted House
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Television Dog
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Carnival Prize
Cam Jansen and the Mystery at the Monkey House
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Monster Movie
Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Triceratops Pops Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Ghostly Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Scary Snake Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Barking Treasure Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery
Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Snowy Day Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Valentine Baby Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Secret Service Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Summer Camp Mysteries: A Super Special
Cam Jansen and the Mystery Writer Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery
Cam Jansen and the Sports Day Mysteries: A Super Special
Cam Jansen and the Basketball Mystery

Aiken, Joan - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Alexander, Lloyd - The Gawgon and the Boy

Alexander, Lloyd - The Iron Ring

Andersen, Hans Christian - Michael Hague's Favourite Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales

Applegate, Cathy - Red Sand, Blue Sky (ILL)

Armstrong, Jennifer - Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance

Armstrong, William - Sounder (DVD)

Atwater, Richard & Florence - Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Auch, Mary Jane - Journey to Nowhere

Auch, Mary Jane - Frozen Summer

*Auch, Mary Jane - The Road to Home

Averill, Esther - The School for Cats

Babbitt, Natalie - Tuck Everlasting (CD & DVD)

Bailey, Carolyn - Miss Hickory

Banks, Lynne Reid - I, Houdini

*Banks, Lynne Reid - Indian in the Cupboard series

The Indian in the Cupboard (CD)
The Return of the Indian Banks
The Secret of the Indian Banks
The Mystery of the Cupboard Banks
The Key to the Indian

*Barry, Dave - Peter & the Starcatchers (CD)

Beatty, Patricia - Turn Homeward Hannalee (ILL)

Beatty, Patricia - Be Ever Hopeful Hannalee (sequel to Turn Homeward Hannalee)

Begnold, Enid - National Velvet (DVD)

Birdsall, Jeanne - The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy (CD)

Birdsall, Jeanne - The Penderwicks on Gardam Street (CD)

Björk, Christina - Linnea in Monet's Garden

Blackwood, Gary - The Shakespeare Stealer

Blackwood, Gary - Shakespeare's Scribe

Blackwood, Gary - Shakespeare's Spy

Blos, Joan - A Gathering of Days: A New England Girls Journal 1830-32

Blumberg, Rhoda - Shipwrecked!

Bly, Stephen - The Plain Prairie Princess

Bond, Michael - Paddington series

A Bear Called Paddington
Paddington Helps Out
Paddington on Top
Paddington Here and Now

Brink, Carol Ryrie - Caddie Woodlawn

Brink, Carol Ryrie - Caddie Woodlawn’s Family

Brisley, Joyce - Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook (ILL)

Bulla, Clyde Robert - The Chalk Box Kid

Bulla, Clyde Robert - The Paint Brush Kid

Bulla, Clyde Robert - A Lion To Guard Us (ILL)

Bulla, Clyde Robert - The Sword in the Tree

Bunting, Eve - The Memory String (ILL)

Bunyan, John - Dangerous Journey (ILL) elaborately illustrated adaptation of Pilgrim's ProgressBurleigh, Robert - Black Whiteness: Admiral Byrd Alone in the Antarctic

Burnford, Sheila - The Incredible Journey (also available on CD & DVD - "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey")

Butterworth, Oliver - The Enormous Egg

Byars, Betsy - The Midnight Fox

Byars, Betsy - Tornado

Byars, Betsy - Summer of the Swans

Byars, Betsy - Me Tarzan

Byars, Betsy - The Not-Just-Anybody Family (series)

The Not-Just-Anybody Family (ILL)
The Blossoms Meet the Vulture Lady
The Blossoms and the Green Phantom (ILL)
A Blossom Promise
Wanted...Mud Blossom

Carbone, Elisa - Blood on the River - Jamestown 1607

Carlodi, Carlo - Pinocchio

Carlson, Natalie Savage - The Family Under the Bridge

Caudill, Rebecca - Best-Loved Doll

Christian, Peggy - The Bookstore Mouse

Cleary, Beverly - Henry Huggins (Series)

Henry Huggins
Henry and Beezus
Henry and Ribsy
Henry and the Clubhouse
Henry and the Paper Route
Ribsy

Cleary, Beverly - Ramona Quimby (series)

Beezus and Ramona
Ramona the Pest
Ramona the Brave
Ramona and Her Father
Ramona and Her Mother
Ramona Quimby, age 8
Ramona Forever
The Ramona Quimby Diary
Ramona's World

Cleary, Beverly - Ralph S. Mouse (series)

Mouse and the Motorcycle
Runaway Ralph
Ralph S. Mouse

Cleary, Beverly - Ellen & Otis (series)

Ellen Tebbits
Otis Spofford

Cleary, Beverly - Emily’s Runaway Imagination

Cleary, Beverly - Mitch and Amy

Cleary, Beverly - Socks

Cleary, Beverly - Muggie Maggie

Clements, Andrew - Frindle (CD)

Clements, Andrew - The School Story (CD)

Climo, Shirley - Monkey Business: Stories from Around The World

Coatsworth, Elizabeth - The Cat Who Went to Heaven

Coerr, Eleanor - Sadako And The Thousand Paper Cranes

Conrad, Pam - My Daniel (CD)

Cooper, Ilene - Absolutely Lucy

Curtis, Christopher Paul - Bud, Not Buddy (CD)

Curtis, Christopher Paul - The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 (CD)

Dahl, Roald - The BFG (CD)

Dahl, Roald - Matilda (CD & DVD)

Dahl, Roald - Danny Champion of the World

Dalgliesh, Alice - The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (CD)

Dash, Joan - The World at Her Fingertips: The Story of Helen Keller

Davidson, Margaret - Helen Keller

De Angeli, Marguerite - The Door in the Wall (CD)

De Angeli, Marguerite - Skippack School

De Angeli, Marguerite - Thee, Hannah

De Angeli, Marguerite - Henner's Lydia (ILL)

De Angeli, Marguerite - The Lion in the Box (ILL)

De Angeli, Marguerite - The Copper-Toed Boots (ILL)

De Angeli, Marguerite - Petite Suzanne (ILL)

DeJong, Meindert - Along Came A Dog

DeJong, Meindert - Shadrach

DeJong, Meindert - The House of Sixty Fathers

DeJong, Meindert - The Wheel on the School

DiCamillo, Kate - Because of Winn Dixie (CD & DVD)

DiCamillo, Kate - The Magician's Elephant

DiCamillo, Kate - The Tale of Despereaux (CD & DVD)

DiCamillo, Kate - The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (CD)

Doty, Jean - Summer Pony

Doty, Jean - Winter Pony

DuBois, William Pene - The Twenty-One Balloons

Eager, Edward - Half Magic

Edmonds, Walter - The Matchlock Gun

Edwards, Julie - The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

Enright, Elizabeth - Gone-Away Lake(CD)

Enright, Elizabeth - Return to Gone-Away

Enright, Elizabeth - The Melendy Family series

The Saturdays
The Four-Story Mistake
Then There Were Five
Spiderweb for Two

Enright, Elizabeth - Thimble Summer (CD)

Erickson, John - Hank the Cowdog (series)

Estes, Eleanor - The Moffats (series)

The Moffats
The Middle Moffat (ILL)
Rufus M.
The Moffat Museum

Estes, Eleanor - Ginger Pye

Estes, Eleanor - Pinky Pye

Estes, Eleanor - The Hundred Dresses (CD)

Farley, Walter - The Black Stallion

Field, Rachel - Hitty: Her First Hundred Years

Field, Rachel - Calico Bush (ILL)

Fisher, Dorothy - Understood Betsy

Fitzgerald, John - The Great Brain (series)

The Great Brain
More Adventures of the Great Brain
Me and My Little Brain (ILL)
The Great Brain at the Academy (ILL)
The Great Brain Reforms (ILL)
The Return of the Great Brain
The Great Brain Does It Again (ILL)
The Great Brain Is Back

Fitzhugh, Louise - Harriet the Spy (CD)

Fitzhugh, Louise - The Long Secret

Fleischman, Sid - By The Great Horn Spoon

Fleischman, Sid - McBroom Tells the Truth

Fleischman, Sid - The Whipping Boy (CD)

Fleming, Ian - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (CD & DVD)

Fox, Paula - One-Eyed Cat

Freedman, Russell - Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille

Freedman, Russell - Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery

Freedman, Russell - The Life and Death of Crazy Horse

Freedman, Russell - Give Me Liberty: The Story of the Declaration of Independence

Fritz, Jean - And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?

Fritz, Jean - Shh! We're Writing the Constitution

Fritz, Jean - George Washington’s Breakfast

Fritz, Jean - Homesick, My Own Story

Funke, Cornelia - The Thief Lord (CD & DVD)

Gallico, Paul - The Snow Goose

Gannett, Ruth Stiles - Three Tales of My Father's Dragon (CD)

Gardiner, John Reynolds - Stone Fox

Gates, Doris - Blue Willow (ILL)

*George, Jean Craighead - Julie of the Wolves (CD)

George, Jean Craighead - Julie - sequel to Julie of the Wolves

George, Jean Craighead - My Side of the Mountain

George, Jean Craighead - Frightful's Mountain
George, Jessica Day - Princess of the Midnight Ball

Giff, Patricia - Nory Ryan's Song (CD)

Giff, Patricia - Maggie's Door - sequel to Nory Ryan's Song (CD)

Gipson, Fred - Old Yeller (CD)

Godden, Rumer - The Mousewife

Goldman, William - The Princess Bride

Goodman, Susan - Cora Frear

Goudge, Elizabeth - Little White Horse

Hahn, Mary Downing - Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story
Hale, Shannon - The Princess Academy

Hamilton, Virginia - The Bells of Christmas

Harness, Cheryl - Three Young Pilgrims

Hawthorne, Nathaniel - Tanglewood Tales & Wonder Book for Girls and Boys

Henkes, Kevin - Sun and Spoon

Henry, Marguerite - Misty of Chincoteague (CD & DVD)

Henry, Marguerite - White Stallion of Lipizza

Herman, Charlotte - The House on Walenska Street (ILL)

Herman, Charlotte - My Chocolate Year: a Novel with 12 Recipes

Hesse, Karen - Out of the Dust

Hoban, Russell - The Mouse and His Child (ILL)

Holm, Jennifer - Our Only May Amelia (also available on CD)

Hope, Laura Lee - The Bobbsey Twins (series)

Hovarth, Polly - The Trolls (CD)

James, Will - Smoky, the Cow Horse

Juster, Norton - The Phantom Tollbooth (CD)

Karon, Jan - Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny (CD)

Karr, Kathleen - The Great Turkey Walk

Kaye, Mary Margaret - The Ordinary Princess

King-Smith, Dick - Babe, The Gallant Pig

King-Smith, Dick - Mysterious Miss Slade

King-Smith, Dick - The School Mouse

King-Smith, Dick - Lady Lollipop

King-Smith, Dick - Clever Lollipop

King-Smith, Dick - A Mouse Called Wolf

King-Smith, Dick - The Stray

King-Smith, Dick - Mr. Potter's Pet

King-Smith, Dick - Smasher

King-Smith, Dick - The Twin Giants

King-Smith, Dick - The Waterhorse

Kjelgaard, Jim - Big Red

Kjelgaard, Jim - Irish Red: Son of Big Red

Kjelgaard, Jim - Outlaw Red

Kjelgaard, Jim - Stormy

Kjelgaard, Jim - Snow Dog

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie - Lumber Camp Library

Konigsburg, E.L. - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (CD)

Konigsburg, E.L. The View From Saturday

Krumgold, Joseph - Onion John

Kurtz, Jane - Jakarta Missing

Lang, Andrew - Red Fairy Book

Lang, Andrew - Green Fairy Book

Lang, Andrew - Violet Fairy Book

Latham, Jean Lee - Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Lattimore, Eleanor - Little Pear

Lawrence, John Peterson - The Littles (series)

The Littles
The Littles Take A Trip (ILL)
The Littles To the Rescue
The Littles Have A Wedding
The Littles Give A Party
The Littles and the Great Halloween Scare (ILL)
The Littles and the Trash Tinies (ILL)
The Littles Go Exploring
The Littles and the Big Storm (ILL)
The Littles and their Amazing Friends (ILL)
The Littles Go To School (ILL)
The Littles and the Lost Children (ILL)
The Littles and the Terrible Tiny Kid (ILL)
The Littles and their Amazing New Friend (ILL)
The Littles and the Scary Halloween
The Littles Have a Happy Valentines Day

Lawson, Robert - Ben and Me

Lawson, Robert - Rabbit Hill (CD)

Lawson, Robert - They Were Strong and Good

Lenski, Lois - Strawberry Girl

Leppard, Lois - The Mandie Collection vol. 1

Leppard, Lois - The Mandie Collection vol. 2

Leppard, Lois - The Mandie Collection vol. 3

Leppard, Lois - The Mandie Collection vol. 4

Levine, Gail - Ella Enchanted

Levy, Elizabeth - If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution

Lewis, Beverly - Cul-de-sac Kids (series)

The Double Dabble Surprise
The Chicken Pox Panic (ILL)
Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery
No Grown-Ups Allowed
Frog Power (ILL)
Mystery of Case D. Luc (ILL)
The Stinky Sneakers Mystery (ILL)
Pickle Pizza (ILL)
Mailbox Mania (ILL)
The Mudhole Mystery (ILL)
Fiddlesticks (ILL)
The Crabby Cat Caper (ILL)
Tarantula Toes (ILL)
Green Gravy (ILL)
Backyard Bandit Mystery (ILL)
Treehouse Trouble (ILL)
The Creepy Sleepover (ILL)
The Great TV Turnoff (ILL)
Piggy Party (ILL)
The Granny Game (ILL)
The Mystery Mutt (ILL)
Big Bad Beans (ILL)
The Upside Down Day (ILL)
The Midnight Mystery (ILL)

Lewis, C.S. - The Chronicles of Narnia (in chronological order - not order of publication)

The Magician's Nephew (CD)
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (CD)
The Horse and His Boy (CD)
Prince Caspian (CD)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (CD)
The Silver Chair (CD)
The Last Battle (CD)

Lindgren, Astrid - Pippi Longstocking (CD)

*Lofting, Hugh - The Story of Doctor Dolittle

Lofting, Hugh - The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle

Lovelace, Maud Hart - Betsy & Tacy (series)

Betsy-Tacy
Betsy-Tacy and Tib
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
Heaven to Betsy (ILL)
Betsy In Spite of Herself
Betsy Was A Junior
Betsy and Joe (ILL)
Betsy and the Great World (ILL)
Betsy’s Wedding

Lowry, Lois - Number the Stars (CD)

Lowry, Lois - The Willoughbys (CD)

Lowry, Lois - Anastasia Krupnik (CD)

Macaulay, David - Cathedral

Macaulay, David - The New Way Things Work

MacDonald, Betty Bard - Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (series)

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (CD)
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic (CD)
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Farm (CD)
Hello Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (CD)
Happy Birthday Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (CD)

MacLachlan, Patricia - Sarah Plain and Tall (CD)

MacLachlan, Patricia - Skylark

MacLachlan, Patricia - Caleb’s Story

MacLachlan, Patricia - More Perfect than the Moon

MacLachlan, Patricia - The True Gift: A Christmas Story

MacLachlan, Patricia - Word After Word After Word

MacLachlan, Patricia - Grandfather's Dance

MacLachlan, Patricia - Baby

*MacLachlan, Patricia - Journey

Martin, Anne - The Doll People (CD)

Mathis, Sharon Bell - The Hundred Penny Box

McCloskey, Robert - Homer Price

McKissack, Pat - Tippy Lemmey

McSwigan, Marie - Snow Treasure

Merrill, Jean - Pushcart War

Miller, Susan - Martins Sisters in Time (series)

Morey, Walt - Gentle Ben

Morgenstern, Susie - A Book of Coupons

Moss, Marissa - Rachel's Journal

Mukerji, Dhan - Gay-Neck : the story of a pigeon

Naylor, Phyliss - Shiloh (CD)

Naylor, Phyliss - Saving Shiloh

Naylor, Phyliss - Shiloh Season

Nesbit, Edith - Five Children and It (DVD)

Nesbit, Edith - Wet Magic

Nesbit, Edith - The Story of the Treasure Seekers

Nesbit, Edith - The Enchanted Castle (CD)

Nesbit, Edith - The Story of the Amulet (ILL)

North, Sterling - Rascal (available as downloadable media)

Norton, Mary - The Borrowers (series)

The Borrowers
The Borrowers Afloat
The Borrowers Aloft
The Borrowers Afield
The Borrowers Avenged

O'Brien, Robert C. - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (CD)

O'Dell, Scott - Island of the Blue Dolphins (CD)

O'Dell, Scott - Sing Down the Moon

O'Hara, Mary - My Friend Flicka

Paterson, Katherine - The Great Gilly Hopkins (CD)

Paterson, Katherine - The Bridge to Terabithia (CD & DVD)

Paterson, Katherine - The King’s Equal

Paterson, Katherine - Flip-Flop Girl

Paterson, Katherine - Lyddie

Paterson, Katherine - Jip: His Story

Paulson, Gary - Hatchet

Pearce, Philippa - Tom's Midnight Garden

Peck, Richard - A Long Way From Chicago (CD)

Peck, Richard - A Year Down Yonder (sequel to A Long Way From Chicago)

Peck, Richard - A Season of Gifts (sequel to A Year Down Yonder)

Peck, Robert Newton - A Day No Pigs Would Die (CD)

Pennypacker, Sara - Clementine

Pennypacker, Sara - Clementine’s Letter (CD)

Pennypacker, Sara - The Talented Clementine

Pennypacker, Sara - Clementine, Friend of the Week

Platt, Richard - Castle Diary : The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page

Ransome, Arthur - Swallows and Amazons

Rawlings, Marjorie - The Yearling

Rawls, Wilson - Summer of the Monkeys

Rawls, Wilson - Where the Red Fern Grows (CD & DVD)

Reeder, Carolyn - Shades of Gray

Reit, Seymour - Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy Rhoads, Dorothy - The Corn Grows Ripe

Richardson, Arleta - In Grandma's Attic (series)

In Grandma's Attic
More Stories from Grandma's Attic (ILL)
Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic (ILL)
Treasures from Grandma (ILL)
Away from Home (ILL)
A School of Her Own (ILL)
Wedding Bells Ahead (ILL)
At Home in North Branch (ILL)
New Faces, New Friends (ILL)
Stories from the Growing Years (ILL)

Richardson, Arleta - Orphan's Journey series

Looking for Home
Whistle-Stop West
Prairie Homestead
Across the Border

Robertson, Keith - Henry Reed, Inc.

Rockwell, Thomas - How to Eat Fried Worms (CD)

Rounds, Glen - The Blind Colt

Ryan, Pam - Esperanza Rising (CD)

Rylant, Cynthia - The Van Gogh Café (CD)

Salten, Felix - Bambi – A Life in the Woods (ILL)

Sauer, Julia - The Light at Tern Rock

Sawyer, Ruth - Roller Skates

Selden, George - The Cricket in Times Square

Seredy, Kate - The Good Master

Seredy, Kate - The Singing Tree (sequel to The Good Master -ILL)

Seredy, Kate - The White Stag

Sewall, Marcia - The Pilgrims of Plimouth

Shemen, Margaretha - The Little Riders

Sidney, Margaret - Five Little Peppers (series)

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew
Five Little Peppers Midway
Five Little Peppers Abroad
Five Little Peppers and Their Friends
Five Little Peppers Grown Up
Five Little Peppers: Phronsie Pepper
Five Little Peppers: The Stories Polly Pepper Told
Five Little Peppers: The Adventures of Joel Pepper
Five Little Peppers at School
Five Little Peppers: Ben Pepper
Five Little Peppers: Our Davie Pepper

Skolsky, Mindy - Love From Your Friend, Hannah : A Novel

Smith, Dodie - The Hundred and One Dalmations (CD)

Smith, Robert Kimmel - Chocolate Fever

Snyder, Zilpha - The Egypt Game

Sobol, Donald - Encyclopedia Brown (series)

Sorensen, Virginia - Miracles on Maple Hill

Speare, Elizabeth George - The Bronze Bow

Speare, Elizabeth George - Sign of the Beaver

Speare, Elizabeth George - The Witch of Blackbird Pond (CD)

Sperry, Armstrong - Call It Courage (CD)

Spinelli, Jerry - Tooter Pepperday

Spinelli, Jerry - Blue Ribbon Blues

Spinelli, Jerry - Maniac Magee (CD)

*Spinelli, Jerry - Crash

Splear, Elsie - Growing Seasons

St. John, Patricia - Rainbow Garden

St. John, Patricia - The Secret at Pheasant Cottage

St. John, Patricia - Star of Light

St. John, Patricia - Treasures of the Snow

Stanley, Diane - Biographies of Famous People

Bard of Avon : the story of William Shakespeare
Charles Dickens – The Man Who Had Great Expectations
Cleopatra
Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England
Leonard DaVinci
The True Adventure of Daniel Hall
Michelangelo
Mozart, the Wonder Child (picture book)

Stanley, Diane - Bella at Midnight

Stanley, Diane - The Trouble with Wishes

Steele, William - The Perilous Road

Steig, William - Abel’s Island

Stewart, Trenton - The Mysterious Benedict Society

Stewart, Trenton - The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

Stewart, Trenton - The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

Stoltz, Mary - A Dog On Barkham Street

Taylor, Mildred - Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (CD)

Taylor, Mildred - Let The Circle Be Unbroken - sequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Taylor, Sydney - All-Of-A-Kind Family (series)

All-Of-A-Kind Family
More All-Of-A-Kind Family
All-Of-A-Kind Family Uptown
All-Of-A-Kind Family Downtown
Ella of All-Of-A-Kind Family

Taylor, Sydney - Mr. Barney’s Beard (ILL)

Taylor, Sydney - Now that You are 8 (ILL)

Taylor, Sydney - The Dog Who Came to Dinner (ILL)

Taylor, Sydney - A Papa Like Everyone Else (ILL)

Taylor, Sydney - Danny Loves a Holiday (ILL)

Taylor, Theodore - The Cay (CD)

*Thurber, James - The Thirteen Clocks

Townley, Roderick - The Great Good Thing

Townley, Roderick - Into the Labyrinth (sequel to The Great Good Thing)

Travers, P.L. - Mary Poppins (series)

Mary Poppins (CD)
Mary Poppins Comes Back
Mary Poppins Opens the Door
Mary Poppins in the Park
Mary Poppins from A to Z (ILL)
Mary Poppins in the Kitchen : A Cookery Book with A Story
Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane (ILL)
Mary Poppins and the House Next Door

Trevino, Elizabeth - I, Juan de Pareja

Turner, Ann - Elfsong

Vining, Elizabeth Gray - Adam of the Road

Wallace, Barbara Brooks - Peppermints in the Parlor

Wallace, Barbara Brooks - The Perils of Peppermints (sequel to Peppermints in the Parlor)

Wallace, Bill - A Dog Called Kitty

Warner, Gertrude - The Boxcar Children (series)

The Boxcar Children
Surprise Island
The Yellow House Mystery (ILL)
Mystery Ranch
Mike’s Mystery
Blue Bay Mystery
The Woodshed Mystery (ILL)
The Lighthouse Mystery
Mountaintop Mystery (ILL)
Schoolhouse Mystery
Caboose Mystery
Houseboat Mystery (ILL)
Snowbound Mystery
Tree House Mystery
Bicycle Mystery (ILL)
Mystery in the Sand
Mystery Behind The Wall
Bus Station Mystery (ILL)
Benny Uncovers A Mystery

Webster, Jean - Daddy Long-Legs | Dear Enemy (two books in one)

Wells, Rosemary - Mary on Horseback : Three Mountain Stories

Whelan, Gloria - Hannah

Whelan, Gloria - Once on this Island

Whelan, Gloria - Return to the Island

Whelan, Gloria - Welcome to Starvation Lake

Whelan, Gloria - A Haunted House in Starvation Lake

Whelan, Gloria - Are There Bears in Starvation Lake?

Whelan, Gloria - Angel on the Square

Whelan, Gloria - Silver

Whelan, Gloria - Listening for Lions

Whelan, Gloria - Chu Ju's House

Whelan, Gloria - Homeless Bird

Whelan, Gloria - Next Spring an Oriole

Whelan, Gloria - After the Train

Whelan, Gloria - The Impossible Journey

Wheeler, Joe - Great Stories Remembered (volumes 1-3) (ILL)

White, E.B. - Charlotte’s Web (CD)

White, E.B. - Stuart Little (CD)

White, E.B. - Trumpet of the Swan (CD)

Wilde, Oscar - Stories for Children

Wilder, Laura Ingalls - On The Way Home

Wilder, Laura Ingalls - West From Home

Yagawa, Sumiko - The Crane Wife

The road to home by Mary Jane Auch (Makes mention of a girl starting her period, also has a father who doesn't pay much attention to them)

The indian in the cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (Was an excellent book, but has a lot of taking the Lord's name in vain. We actually own that book, so my Mom simply crossed out all of the instances where they took the Lord's name in vain)

Peter and the Star Catchers by Dave Barry (Was a really good book, but has some ugly pirate descriptions, scary scenes and pictures. The 4th one and possibly the 2nd were the worst)

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (This has a scene where the man that Julie is supposed to marry (though she doesn't want to marry him) tackles Julie and kisses her, because the other fellows said he couldn't)

The voyages of Dr. Doolittle by Hugh Lofting (This story mentions evolution)

Journey by Patrica MacLachlan (In this book the mother leaves the children)

Crash by Jerry Spinelli (This book was interesting. First person stories-especially when it's a boy telling the story- are usually not the best. It just had a teenegar who was struggling with his life. There was also a scene where he was acting weird with another girl. The book was okay, but not the best)

The Thirteen clocks by James Thurber (This had a lot of talk about "killing people" and their blood. It was a cute plot, and wasn't really descriptive, but had some stuff like that in it)

Emerging Readers Book List

2010-07-01T09:45:00.001-05:00

The obsession continues...here you'll find a list of fun books for the Emerging Reader. I must admit, I had a hard time deciding where to place some of these books - some are definitely "Easy Readers" or "Dot Books" as my girls like to call them, while others could probably fit on the "Intermediate Readers" list. I'll let you decide.

(CD) = the book is also available on CD at our library
(DVD) = the book is also available on DVD at our library
(ILL) = Interlibrary Loan

Adler, David - Young Cam Jansen mysteries

Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Baseball Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Missing Cookie
Young Cam Jansen and the New Girl Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Substitute Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Lost Tooth
Young Cam Jansen and the Pizza Shop Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Zoo Note Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Ice Skate Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Spotted Cat Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Lion's Lunch Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Molly Shoe Mystery
Young Cam Jansen and the Speedy Car Mystery

Ahlberg, Allan - The Man Who Wore All His Clothes

Ahlberg, Allan - The Cat Who Got Carried Away

Ahlberg, Allan - The Children Who Smelled A Rat

Avi - Abigail Takes the Wheel

Averill, Esther - Jenny and the Cat Club

Averill, Esther - The Fire Cat

Averill, Esther - The School For Cats

Averill, Esther - Jenny’s Moonlight Adventure

Benchley, Nathaniel - George the Drummer Boy

Benchley, Nathaniel - Sam the Minuteman

Benchley, Nathaniel - Small Wolf

Blackwood, Gary - The Just-So Woman

Blyton, Enid - Famous Five (21 in the series, MPL only has 4)

Five on a Treasure Island
Five Go Adventuring Again
Five Run Away Together
Five Go to Smuggler's Top
Five Go Off in a Caravan
Five on Kirrin Island Again
Five Go Off to Camp
Five Get Into Trouble
Five Fall Into Adventure
Five on a Hike Together
Five Have a Wonderful Time
Five Go Down To The Sea
Five Go To Mystery Moor
Five Have Plenty Of Fun
Five on a Secret Trail
Five Go to Billycock Hill
Five Get Into a Fix (MPL)
Five on Finniston Farm (MPL)
Five Go to Demon's Rock (MPL)
Five Have a Mystery To Solve
Five Are Together Again (MPL)

Blyton, Enid - Secret Seven (15 in the series, MPL only has 4)

The Secret Seven
Secret Seven Adventure
Well Done Secret Seven (MPL)
Secret Seven on the Trail (MPL)
Go Ahead Secret Seven
Good Work Secret Seven
Secret Seven Win Through
Three Cheers Secret Seven
Secret Seven Mystery
Puzzle for the Secret Seven
Secret Seven Fireworks
Good Old Secret Seven
Shock for the Secret Seven
Look Out Secret Seven (MPL)
Fun for the Secret Seven (MPL)

Brisson, Pat - Hot Fudge Hero

Brisson, Pat - Little Sister, Big Sister

Byars, Betsy - Brother Ant

Byars, Betsy - Ant Plays Bear

Byars, Betsy - Little Horse

Byars, Betsy - Little Horse on His Own

Byars, Betsy - Hooray for the Golly Sisters

Byars, Betsy - The Golly Sisters Go West (ILL)

Byars, Betsy - The Golly Sisters Ride Again

Cleary, Beverly - Ellen Tebbits (CD)

Coerr, Eleanor - The Big Balloon Race

Coerr, Eleanor - The Josefina Story Quilt

Coerr, Eleanor - Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Mouse Moves House

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Fox On A Box

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Shark In A Park

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Hen's Pens

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Goose on the Loose

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Ted's Shed

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Ted in a Red Bed

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Big Pig On A Dig

Cox, Phil Roxbee - Toad Makes a Road

Dalgliesh, Alice - The Courage of Sarah Noble

DePaola, Tomie - T-Rex is Missing

DiCamillo, Kate - Mercy Watson (series)

Mercy Watson To The Rescue
Mercy Watson Goes For A Ride
Mercy WatsonFights Crime
Mercy Watson Thinks Like A Pig
Mercy Watson: A Princess In Disguise
Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes

Eastman, P.D. - Sam and the Firefly

Eastman, P.D. - Go, Dog. Go!

French, Vivian - The Tiara Club (series)

Princess Sarah and the Silver Swan
Princess Ellie and the Enchanted Fawn
Princess Leah and the Golden Seahorse
Princess Isabella and the Snow-White Unicorn
Princess Hannah and the Little Black Kitten
Princess Lucy and the Precious Puppy
Princess Alice and the Magical Mirror
Princess Emily and the Substitute Fairy
Princess Sophia and the Sparkling Surprise Winter Wonderland
Princess Daisy and the Dazzling Dragon
Princess Katie and the Silver Pony
Princess Katie and the Mixed-Up Potion
Princess Daisy and the Magical Merry-Go-Round
Princess Alice and the Glass Slipper
Princess Sophia and the Prince's Party
Princess Jessica and the Best-Friend Bracelet
Princess Georgia and the Shimmering Pearl
Princess Chloe and the Primrose Petticoats
Princess Olivia and the Velvet Cape
Princess Lauren and the Diamond Necklace
Princess Amy and the Forgetting Dust

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter: True Friends

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter and Baby Rose

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter: The School Play

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter and Cousin Howie

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter: Lost and Found

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter and the Substitute Teacher

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter and the Field Trip

Guest, Elissa - Iris and Walter and the Birthday Party

Hoban, Russell - A Bargain For Frances

Hoff, Syd - Albert the Albatross

Hoff, Syd - Barkley

Hoff, Syd - Barney’s Horse

Hoff, Syd - Bernard On His Own

Hoff, Syd - Captain Cat

Hoff, Syd - Chester

Hoff, Syd - Danny and the Dinosaur Go To Camp

Hoff, Syd - Duncan The Dancing Duck

Hoff, Syd - Happy Birthday Danny & the Dinosaur

Hoff, Syd - The Horse in Harry’s Room

Hoff, Syd - Grizzwold

Hoff, Syd - Julius

Hoff, Syd - The Lighthouse Children

Hoff, Syd - Mrs. Brice’s Mice

Hoff, Syd - Oliver

Hoff, Syd - Sammy The Seal

Hoff, Syd - Stanley

Hoff, Syd - Who Will Be My Friends

Lasky, Kathryn - Poodle & Hound

Levinson, Nancy - Clara and the Book Wagon

Lewis, Thomas - Hill of Fire

Lindman, Maj - Flicka, Ricka, Dicka (series)

Lindman, Maj - Snipp, Snapp, Snurr (series)

Little, Jean - Emma's Magic Winter

Little, Jean - Emma's Yucky Brother

Little, Jean - Emma's Strange Pet

Livingstone, Star - Harley

Lobel, Arnold - Frog & Toad are Friends

Lobel, Arnold - Frog & Toad All Year

Lobel, Arnold - Days with Frog & Toad

Lobel, Arnold - Frog & Toad Together

Lobel, Arnold - Grasshopper on the Road

Lobel, Arnold - Mouse Soup

Lobel, Arnold - Mouse Tales

Lobel, Arnold - Uncle Elephant

Lobel, Arnold - Owl At Home

Lopshire, Robert - Put Me In the Zoo

Lopshire, Robert - New Tricks I Can Do

McClintock, Mike - Stop That Ball!

Miller, Sara - Three Stories You Can Read to Your Cat

Miller, Sara - Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog

Minarik, Else - Little Bear

Minarik, Else - A Kiss for Little Bear

Minarik, Else - Little Bear's Visit

Minarik, Else - Little Bear's Friend

Minarik, Else - Father Bear Comes Home

Monjo, F.N. - The Drinking Gourd

Parish, Peggy or Herman - Amelia Bedelia series

Amelia Bedelia (CD)
Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor
Amelia Bedelia and the Baby
Amelia Bedelia and the Cat
Amelia Bedelia and the Surprise Shower (CD)
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping
Amelia Bedelia Helps Out
Amelia Bedelia Talks Turkey
Amelia Bedelia Under Construction
Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm
Amelia Bedelia, Rocket Scientist?
Amelia Bedelia’s Family Album
Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie
Amelia Bedelia's Masterpiece
Bravo, Amelia Bedelia
Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia
Come Back, Amelia Bedelia
Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia
Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia
Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia (CD)
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia
Thank You, Amelia Bedelia

Paterson, Katherine - Marvin One Too Many

Paterson, Katherine - Marvin's Best Christmas Present Ever

Paterson, Katherine - The Smallest Cow in the World

Ruelle, Karen - Easter Egg Disaster

Ruelle, Karen - Great Groundhogs!

Ruelle, Karen - Dear Toothfairy

Ruelle, Karen - The Thanksgiving Beast Feast

Ruelle, Karen - The Monster in Harry's Backyard

Ruelle, Karen - Snow Valentines

Ruelle, Karen - April Fool

Ruelle, Karen - Easy as Apple Pie

Ruelle, Karen - Mother's Day Mess

Ruelle, Karen - The Crunchy, Munchy Christmas Tree

Ruelle, Karen - Just in Time for New Year's!

Rylant, Cynthia - Cobble Street Cousins (series)

In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen
A Little Shopping
Special Gifts
Some Good News
Summer Party (ILL)
Wedding Flowers

Rylant, Cynthia - Henry and Mudge (series)

Henry and Mudge : The First Book of Their Adventures
Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble
Henry and Mudge in the Green Time
Henry and Mudge under the Yellow Moon
Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days
Henry and Mudge and the Forever Sea
Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers
Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat
Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps
Henry and Mudge Take the Big Test
Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend
Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind
Henry and Mudge and the Careful Cousin
Henry and Mudge and the Best Day of All
Henry and Mudge in the Family Trees
Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers
Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night
Henry and Mudge and Annie's Good Move
Henry and Mudge and the Snowman Plan
Henry and Mudge and Annie's Perfect Pet
Henry and Mudge and the Tall Treehouse
Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper's House
Henry and Mudge and the Wild Goose Chase
Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch
Henry and Mudge and a Very Merry Christmas
Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas
Henry and Mudge and the Tumbling Trip
Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover

Rylant, Cynthia - Mr. Putter and Tabby (series)

Mr. Putter and Tabby Spill the Beans
Mr. Putter and Tabby Make A Wish
Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea
Mr. Putter and Tabby Spin the Yarn
Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot the Horn
Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup
Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears
Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog
Mr. Putter and Tabby Take the Train
Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars
Mr. Putter and Tabby Row the Boat
Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish
Mr. Putter and Tabby Paint the Porch
Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake
Mr. Putter and Tabby Run the Race
Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold
Mr. Putter and Tabby Fly The Plane
Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book

Rylant, Cynthia - High Rise Private Eyes (Series)

The Case of the Climbing Cat
The Case of the Desperate Duck
The Case of the Baffled Bear
The Case of the Puzzling Possum
The Case of the Troublesome Turtle
The Case of the Missing Monkey
The Case of the Sleepy Sloth
The Case of the Fidgety Fox

Sachar, Louis - Marvin Redpost books

Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?
Marvin Redpost: Flying Birthday Cake?
Marvin Redpost: A Magic Crystal?
Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me?
Marvin Redpost: Super Fast, Out of Control
Marvin Redpost: Class President
Marvin Redpost: Is He A Girl?
Marvin Redpost: Alone in His Teacher's House

Schwartz, Alvin - There is a Carrot in My Ear and Other Noodle Tales

Sharmat, Marjorie - Nate The Great (series)

Nate the Great
Nate the Great and the Monster Mess
Nate the Great and the Musical Note
Nate the Great Goes Undercover
Nate the Great and the Pillowcase
Nate the Great and the Big Sniff
Nate the Great and the Sticky Case
Nate the Great and the Missing Key
Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas
Nate the Great and the Lost List
Nate the Great and the Stolen Base
Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine
Nate the Great Goes Down in the Dumps
Nate the Great on the Owl Express
Nate the Great and the Phony Clue
Nate the Great and the Tardy Tortoise
Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail
Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize
Nate the Great and the Hungry Book Club

Silverman, Erica - Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa (series)

Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Partners
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: School Days
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Rain or Shine (CD)
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Horse in the House
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Spring Babies

Standiford, Natalie - Bravest Dog Ever

Stern, Maggie - George & Diggety

Stern, Maggie - Singing Diggety

Stevenson, James - Mud Flat April Fool

Stevenson, James - Mud Flat Spring

Stevenson, James - Christmas At Mud Flat

Stevenson, James - The Mud Flat Olympics

Stevenson, James - Heat Wave at Mud Flat

Stevenson, James - Flying Feet - A Mud Flat Story

Udry, Janice - Thump and Plunk

Van Leeuwen, Jean - Tales of Amanda Pig

Van Leeuwen, Jean - Tales of Oliver Pig

Wetterer, Margaret - Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express

Yolen, Jane - Commander Toad (series)

Commander Toad in Space
Commander Toad and the Space Pirates
Commander Toad and the Intergalactic Spy
Commander Toad and the Dis-asteroid
Commander Toad and the Voyage Home
Commander Toad and the Big Black Hole

Turner, Ann - Tickle A Pickle - poetry

Turner, Ann - Dust for Dinner

Random House - The Random House Book of Easy-To-Read Stories

A Woman Obsessed...

2010-06-30T16:06:00.001-05:00

May I say, I've been a woman obsessed...I've been reading books by respected Christian authors and scouring the web for reputable book lists. Now, armed with my book lists, I feel much more confident as I enter the library, certain to come home with twaddle-free literature for my girls. It's rather a heady feeling. I've rediscovered the joy of snuggling up on the couch with my girls and a good book. Can't wait to read the next one!

PICTURE BOOKS

(CD) = the book is also available on CD at our library

(DVD) = the book is also available on DVD at our library

(ILL) = Interlibrary Loan

Ackerman, Karen - Song and Dance Man

Ackerman, Karen - Araminta's Paint Box

Aesop - Aesop's Fables

Alexander, Cecil Frances - All Things Bright and Beautiful

Anderson, Hans Christian - Emperor’s New Clothes

Anderson, Hans Christian - The Ugly Duckling

Andrews, Jan - Very Last First Time

Arnold, Marsha Diane - The Pumpkin Runner

Aylesworth, Jim - Teddy Bear Tears

Aylesworth, Jim - The Full Belly Bowl

Aylesworth, Jim - Little Bitty Mousie

Aylesworth, Jim - The Mitten

Aylesworth, Jim - The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock

Aylesworth, Jim - Old Black Fly

Aylesworth, Jim - My Son John

Aylesworth, Jim - A Tale of Tricky Fox

Baddiel, Ivor - Cock-A-Doodle Quack! Quack!

Baker, Keith - The Dove's Letter

Bang, Molly - Paper Crane

Bang, Molly - Goose

Bang, Molly - The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher

Barbour, Karen - Little Nino's Pizzeria

Barklem, Jill - Brambly Hedge series (ILL)

Spring Story
Summer Story
Autumn Story
Winter Story
The Secret Staircase
The High Hills
Sea Story
Poppie's Babies

Barracca, Debra - The Adventures of Taxi Dog

Barrett, Judi - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Barrett, Judi - Pickles to Pittsburgh

Barrett, Judi - Things that are Most in the World

Bate, Lucy - Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth

Bemelmans, Ludwig - Madeline Books

Mad about Madeline: the Complete Tales
Madeline
Madeline's Rescue
Madeline in America and other Holiday Tales
Madeline and the Bad Hat
Madeline's Christmas
Madeline in London
Madeline and the Cats of Rome

Bennett, William J. - The Children's Book of Virtues

Bianco, Margery - The Velveteen Rabbit

Blyton, Enid - Visitors in the Night & The Real Live Fairy Doll

Blyton, Enid - Grumph the Rocking Horse & Tit for Tat

Bond, Felicia - Poinsettia and the Firefighters

Borden, Louise - Goodbye Charles Lindbergh

Bourgeois, Paulette - Franklin in the Dark

Bradby, Marie - More than Anything Else

Brett, Jan - Gingerbread Baby

Brett, Jan - The Mitten Brett

Brett, Jan - Jan Brett's Snowy Treasury

Brett, Jan - Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury

Brett, Jan - Berlioz The Bear

Brett, Jan - Annie and the Wild Animals

Brett, Jan - The Umbrella

Briggs, Raymond - The Snowman

Brink, Carrie Ryrie - Goody O'Grumpity

Brown, Jeff - Flat Stanley

Brown, Marcia - Stone Soup

Brown, Marcia - Once a Mouse

Brown, Margaret Wise - Little Fur Family

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Color Kitten

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Important Book

Brown, Margaret Wise - Sneakers, the Seaside Cat

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Little Island

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Train to Timbuctoo

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Little Scarecrow Boy

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Runaway Bunny

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Seashore Noisy Book

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Summer Noisy Book

Brown, Margaret Wise - Young Kangaroo

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Country Noisy Book

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Little Fir Tree

Brown, Margaret Wise - The Golden Egg Book

Brown, Margaret Wise - Two Little Trains

Bruel, Nick - Bad Kitty

Bruel, Nick - Poor Puppy

Bruel, Nick - Who Is Melvin Bubble?

Brumbeau, Jeff - Miss Hunnicutt's Hat

Brumbeau, Jeff - The Quiltmaker's Gift

Brumbeau, Jeff - The Quiltmaker's Journey

Buckley, Helen E. - Grandfather and I

Bunting, Eve - Train to Somewhere

Bunting, Eve - Mouse Island

Bunting, Eve - How Many Days to America?

Bunting, Eve - The Wall

Bunting, Eve - The Wednesday Surprise

Burningham, John - Would You Rather …

Burningham, John - Granpa

Burningham, John - Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car

Burningham, John - Mr. Gumpy's Outing

Burton, Virginia - Katy and the Big Snow

Burton, Virginia - Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Burton, Virginia - The Little House

Calhoun, Mary - Cross Country Cat

Cannon, Janell - Pinduli

Cannon, Janell - Stellaluna

Cannon, Janell - Verdi

Cannon, Janell - Trupp: A Fuzzhead Tale

Cannon, Janell - Crickwing

Carle, Eric - The Grouchy Ladybug

Carle, Eric - Rooster's Off To See The World

Carle, Eric - The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Carle, Eric - Pancakes, Pancakes

Carlstrom, Nancy White - Does God Know How To Tie Shoes?

Carlstrom, Nancy White - Jesse Bear Books

Happy Birthday Jesse Bear
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear
What a Scare, Jesse Bear
Climb the Family Tree, Jesse Bear
Guess Who's Coming, Jesse Bear
How Do You Say It Today, Jesse Bear?

Chiild, Lydia Maria - Over the River and Through the Wood

Chbosky, Stacy - Who Owns the Sun?

Collier, Bryan - Uptown

Condra, Estelle - See the Ocean

Conrad, Pam - The Rooster's Gift

Coombs, Kate - The Secret Keeper

Cooney, Barbara - Miss Rumphius

Cooney, Barbara - Eleanor

Cooney, Barbara - Hattie and the Wild Waves

Crampton, Gertrude - Tootle

Cronin, Doreen - Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Daly, Niki - Jamela's Dress

Daugherty, James - Andy and the Lion

Day, Alexandra - Carl goes to Daycare

Day, Alexandra - Carl Goes Shopping

Day, Alexandra - Carl’s Masquerade

Day, Alexandra - Carl’s Sleepy Afternoon

Day, Alexandra - Carl’s Summer Vacation

Day, Alexandra - Follow Carl!

Day, Alexandra - Good Dog, Carl

De Brunhoff, Jean and Laurent - Bonjour, Babar!

De Regniers, Beatrice S. - May I Bring a Friend?

Demi - Empty Pot

DePaola, Tomie - The Art Lesson

DePaola, Tomie - Now One Foot, Now the Other

DePaola, Tomie - Clown of God

DePaola, Tomie - Christopher the Holy Giant

DePaola, Tomie - Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland

DePaola, Tomie - Parables of Jesus

DePaola, Tomie - Four Stories for Four Seasons

DePaola, Tomie - Pascual and the Kitchen Angels

DePaola, Tomie - Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs (CD)

DePaola, Tomie - Strega Nona

Devlin, Wende - Cranberry Thanksgiving

Devlin, Wende - Cranberry Birthday

Devlin, Wende - Cranberry Easter

Devlin, Wende - Cranberry Summer

Devlin, Wende - Cranberry Autumn

Devlin, Wende - Cranberry Valentine

Devlin, Wende - Cranberry Christmas

DiCamillo, Kate - Great Joy

DiCamillo, Kate - Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken (CD)

Dunbar, Joyce - Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go To Sleep

Duvoisin, Roger - Petunia (CD)

Duvoisin, Roger - Petunia's Christmas

Early, Margaret - William Tell

Egan, Tim - Dodsworth in New York

Egan, Tim Dodsworth in Paris

Egan, Tim Dodsworth in London

Ehlert, Lois - Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

Ernst, Lisa Campbell - Bubba and Trixie

Ernst, Lisa Campbell - Stella LouElla's Runaway Book

Ernst, Lisa Campbell - Goldilocks Returns (CD)

Ets, Marie H. - Play With Me

Ets, Marie H. - Gilberto and the Wind

Falconer, Ian - Olivia (CD)

Falconer, Ian - Olivia Saves the Circus (CD)

Falconer, Ian - Olivia's Opposites

Falconer, Ian - Olivia Counts

Falconer, Ian - Olivia and the Missing Toy (CD)

Falconer, Ian - Olivia Forms a Band (CD)

Falconer, Ian - Dream Big (starring Olivia)

Falconer, Ian - Olivia Helps with Christmas (CD)

Feiffer, Jules - Bark, George (DVD)

Flack, Marjorie - Angus Lost

Flack, Marjorie - Angus and the Cat

Flack, Marjorie - Angus and the Ducks (DVD)

Flack, Marjorie - Ask Mr. Bear

Flack, Marjorie - The Story About Ping

Fleming, Candace - Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

Flournoy, Valerie - The Patchwork Quilt (ILL)

Flournoy, Valerie - Tanya's Reunion (ILL)

Fox, Mem - Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (ILL)

Fox, Mem - Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild!

Frazee, Marla - Roller Coaster

Freeman, Don - Corduroy (CD)

Freeman, Don - A Pocket for Corduroy (CD)

Freeman, Don - Corduroy's 4th of July

Freeman, Don - Corduroy Goes to the Doctor

Freeman, Don - Corduroy and Company: A Don Freeman Treasury

Freeman, Don - Mop Top

Freeman, Don - Dandelion

Freeman, Don - Earl the Squirrel

Freeman, Don - Gregory’s Shadow

Freeman, Don - Norman the Doorman

Freeman, Lydia - Pet of the Met

Frost, Robert - Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Fraustino, Lisa Rowe - The Hickory Chair

Gag, Wanda - Millions of Cats (CD)

Galdone, Paul - Three Little Kittens (CD)

Galdone, Paul - The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Galdone, Paul - The Gingerbread Boy

Galdone, Paul - Little Bo Peep

Galdone, Paul - Puss In Boots

Galdone, Paul - The Elves and the Shoemaker

Galdone, Paul - Henny Penny

Galdone, Paul - The Little Red Hen

Galdone, Paul - The Three Bears

Galdone, Paul - The Magic Porridge Pot

Galdone, Paul - The Three Little Pigs

George, Jean Craighead - Dear Rebecca, Winter is Here

George, William T. - Box Turtle at Long Pond

Goble, Paul - The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses (CD)

Godden, Rumer - The Story of Holly and Ivy

Gramatky, Hardie - Little Toot

Gray, Libba Moore - Is There Room on the Feather Bed?

Gray, Libba Moore - My Mama Had A Dancing Heart (ILL)

Green, Donna - My Little Artist

Grimm, Jacob - Hansel and Gretel

Hader, Berta - Big Snow

Hall, Donald - Lucy's Summer

Hall, Donald - Lucy's Christmas

Hall, Donald - Ox-Cart Man

Hall, Donald - The Farm Summer 1942

Hall, Donald - I Am The Dog, I Am The Cat

Henkes, Kevin - Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

Henkes, Kevin - Chrysanthemum

Henkes, Kevin - Owen

Henkes, Kevin - Julius, the Baby of the World

Henkes, Kevin - Sheila Rae, the Brave

Henkes, Kevin - Kitten's First Full Moon

Herman, Charlotte - The Memory Cupboard: A Thanksgiving Story

Hesse, Karen - Spuds

Hesse, Karen - Come On, Rain!

Hippely, Hilary Horder - A Song for Lena (ILL)

Hissey, Jane - Hoot

Hissey, Jane - Old Bear

Hissey, Jane - Old Bear’s Surprise Painting

Hissey, Jane - Ruff

Hoban, Lillian - Arthur's Back To School Day

Hoban, Russell - A Baby Sister for Frances

Hoban, Russell - A Bargain for Frances

Hoban, Russell - Bedtime For Frances

Hoban, Russell - Best Friends For Frances

Hoban, Russell - A Birthday for Frances

Hoban, Russell - Bread & Jam For Frances

Hoban, Russell - Egg Thoughts and other Frances Songs

Hoban, Russell - Dinner at Alberta's

Hoban, Russell - Jim's Lion

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle: A Present for Toot

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle: You are My Sunshine

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle: I'll Be Home For Christmas

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle: Top of the World

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle: Charming Opal

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle: the New Friend

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle: Wish You Were Here

Hobbie, Holly - Toot and Puddle: Let It Snow

Hobbie, Holly - Fanny

Hoberman, Mary Ann - And To Think We Thought We’d Never Be Friends

Hoberman, Mary Ann - The Seven Silly Eaters

Hodges, Margaret - Silent Night: The Song and Its Story

Hodges, Margaret - Brother Francis and the Friendly Beasts

Hodges, Margaret - Dick Whittington and His Cat

Hodges, Margaret - Saint George and the Dragon

Hoff, Syd - Arturo’s Baton

Hoff, Syd - Danny and the Dinosaur Go To Camp

Hoffman, Mary - Amazing Grace

Holabird, Katherine - Angelina Ballerina

Hopkinson, Deborah - A Band of Angels

Hopkinson, Deborah - Apples to Oregon

Hopkinson, Deborah - Maria's Comet

Hopkinson, Deborah - A Packet of Seeds

Hopkinson, Deborah - Saving Strawberry Farm

Hopkinson, Deborah - Sweet Clara and the Freedoom Quilt

Horwitz, Elinor Landor - When the Sky is Like Lace

Houston, Gloria - My Great Aunt Arizona

Howard, Ellen - The Log Cabin Quilt

Howe, James - Horace and Morris But Mostly Delores

Hughes, Shirley - Angel Mae: A Tale of Trotter Street

Hughes, Shirley - The Big Concrete Lorry: A Tale of Trotter Street

Hughes, Shirley - Wheels: A Tale of Trotter Street

Hughes, Shirley - The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook

Hughes, Shirley - The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook

Hughes, Shirley - Rhymes for Annie Rose

Hughes, Shirley - Alfie and the Birthday Surprise

Hughes, Shirley - Annie Rose is My Little Sister

Hughes, Shirley - Dogger (ILL)

Hughes, Shirley - Hiding

Hughes, Shirley - Giving

Hyman, Trina - Little Red Riding Hood

Inkpen, Mick - Kipper's Snowy Day

Inkpen, Mick - Kipper's Sunny Day

Inkpen, Mick - Kipper's Monster

Inkpen, Mick - Nothing

Isadora, Rachel - Lili at Ballet

Jackson, Kathryn - The Saggy, Baggy Elephant (CD)

Johnson, Crockett - Harold and the Purple Crayon

Johnson, D.B. - Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

Johnston, Tony - Amber on the Mountain

Johnston, Tony - Cat, What Is That?

Johnston, Tony - Grandpa's Song

Johnston, Tony - How Many Miles to Jacksonville?

Johnston, Tony - Isabel's House of Butterflies

Johnston, Tony - Noel

Johnston, Tony - Sunsets of the West

Johnston, Tony - That Summer

Johnston, Tony - The Harmonica

Johnston, Tony - The Quilt Story

Joosse, Barbara - Mama Do You Love Me?

Joyce, William - George Shrinks

Kahl, Virginia - The Duchess Bakes a Cake

Karon, Jan - Miss Fannie's Hat (CD)

Karon, Jan - The Jan Karon Story Hour (CD)

Kasza, Keiko - My Lucky Day

Keats, Ezra Jack - A Letter to Amy

Keats, Ezra Jack - Goggles

Keats, Ezra Jack - Pet Show!

Keats, Ezra Jack - Peter's Chair

Keats, Ezra Jack - Jennie's Hat

Keats, Ezra Jack - The Snowy Day (CD)

Keats, Ezra Jack - Whistle for Willie

Keller, Holly - Island Baby

Kellogg, Steven - Can I Keep Him?

Kellogg, Steven - Johnny Appleseed: A Tall Tale

Kellogg, Steven - Paul Bunyan: A Tall Tale

Kellogg, Steven - Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale

Kellogg, Steven - Pinkerton and Friends: A Steven Kellogg Treasury

Kellogg, Steven - The Island of the Skog

Kellogg, Steven - Yankee Doodle

Kennedy, Jimmy - The Teddy Bears' Picnic

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie - The Wild Horses of Sweetbriar

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie - Fiddler of the Northern Lights

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie - Nora's Ark

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie - Wilderness Cat

Kirk, David - Miss Spider's Tea Party

Kraus, Robert - Big Squeak, Little Squeak

Kraus, Robert - Leo the Late Bloomer

Kraus, Robert - Little Louie, the Baby Bloomer

Kraus, Robert - Mouse in Love

Kraus, Robert - Where are You Going Little Mouse?

Kraus, Robert - Whose Mouse Are You?

Krauss, Ruth - A Hole is to Dig

LaMarche, Jim - The Raft

Lawson, Robert - They Were Strong and Good

Leaf, Munro - Noodle

Leaf, Munro - Story of Ferdinand

Leaf, Munro - Wee Gillis

Lear, Edward - The Owl and the Pussycat

LeFevre, Felicite - The Cock, the Mouse, and the Little Red Hen

Lenski, Lois - The Little Train

Lenski, Lois - The Little Fire Engine

Leodhas, Sorche - Always Room For One More

Lester, Helen - Tacky the Penguin (CD)

Lester, Helen - Tacky and the Emporer

Lester, Helen - Tacky in Trouble

Lester, Helen - Three Cheers for Tacky

Lester, Helen - Tacky Goes to Camp

Lester, Helen - Tackylocks and the Three Bears

Lester, Julius - John Henry

Lewis, Beverly - Annika's Secret Wish

Lewis, Kevin - Chugga, Chugga, Choo, Choo

Lewis, Kim - A Puppy for Annie

Lewis, Kim - A Quilt for Baby

Lewis, Kim - Emma's Lamb

Lewis, Kim - First Snow

Lewis, Kim - Friends

Lewis, Kim - Goodnight, Harry

Lewis, Kim - Just Like Floss

Lewis, Kim - One Summer Day

Lewis, Kim - Seymour and Henry

Lionni, Leo - A Color of His Own

Lionni, Leo - Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse

Lionni, Leo - Biggest House in the World

Lionni, Leo - Fish is Fish

Lionni, Leo - Frederick

Lionni, Leo - Inch By Inch

Lionni, Leo - Song of the Swallows

Lionni, Leo - Swimmy

Lionni, Leo - Theodore and the Talking Mushroom

Lobel, Anita - Potatoes, Potatoes

Lobel, Arnold - A Treeful of Pigs

London, Jonathan - Red Wolf Country

London, Jonathan - Froggy Gets Dressed

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth - Paul Revere's Ride

Lowry, Janette Sebring - Poky Little Puppy (CD)

Lum, Kate - Princesses are Not Perfect

Macaulay, David - Angelo

Macaulay, David - Rome Antics

Macaulay, David - Why the Chicken Crossed The Road

Mackall, Dandi Daley - Made for a Purpose

MacLachlan, Patricia - All The Places to Love

MacLachlan, Patricia - Painting the Wind

MacLachlan, Patricia - Three Names

MacLachlan, Patricia - What You Know First

Madsen, Gunnar - Old Mr. Mackle Hackle

Marshall, James George & Martha (series)

Marshall, Janet - A Honey of a Day

Martin, Jacqueline - The Finest Horse in Town

Martin, Jacqueline - Banjo Granny

Martin, Jacqueline - Snowflake Bentley

Mathers, Petra - Lottie's New Beach Towel

Matsuno, Masako - A Pair of Red Clogs

Mayer, Mercer - There's A Nightmare in My Closet

Mayer, Mercer - There's Something in The Attic

Mayer, Mercer - The Rockinghorse Angel

Mayer, Mercer - There's An Alligator Under My Bed

Mazer, Anne - The Salamander Room

McBratney, Sam - Guess How Much I Love You

McCloskey, Robert - Blueberries for Sal

McCloskey, Robert - Lentil

McCloskey, Robert - Make Way for Ducklings

McCloskey, Robert - One Morning In Maine

McCloskey, Robert - Time of Wonder

McCully, Emily Arnold - Mirette on the High Wire

McCully, Emily Arnold - Mirette & Bellini Cross Niagra Falls

McKissack, Patricia C. - Flossie and the Fox

McKissack, Patricia C. - Ma Dear's Aprons

McKissack, Patricia C. - The Honest To Goodness Truth

McLerran, Alice - Roxaboxen

McPhail, David - Mole Music

McPhail, David - Edward and the Pirates

McPhail, David - Edward in the Jungle

McPhail, David Pigs Ahoy

McPhail, David - The Puddle

McPhail, David - Those Can Do Pigs

McPhail, David - The Teddy Bear

McVitty, Walter - Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Meddaugh, Susan - Martha Speaks (CD)

Meddaugh, Susan - Martha Walks the Dog

Meddaugh, Susan - Martha Says It With Flowers

Mills, Lauren - The Rag Coat

Milne, A.A. - The Magic Hill

Milton, Nancy - The Giraffe that Walked to Paris

Mitchell, Barbara - Down Buttermilk Lane

Mitchell, Lucy Sprague - The Taxi That Hurried

Moser, Barry - The Three Little Pigs

Moser, Barry - The Good and Perfect Gift

Moss, Lloyd - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

Munsch, Robert - Love You Forever

Murphy, Jill - Five Minutes' Peace

Myron, Vicki - Dewey: There's a Cat In the Library

Nesbit, Edith - Jack and the Beanstalk

Nesbit, Edith - Melisande

Ness, Evaline - Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine

Noble, Trinka Hakes - The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash (CD)

Numeroff, Laura Joffe - If You Give A Cat A Cupcake

Numeroff, Laura Joffe - If You Give A Moose A Muffin

Numeroff, Laura Joffe - If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

Numeroff, Laura Joffe - If You Give A Pig A Pancake

Numeroff, Laura Joffe - If You Give A Pig A Party

Numeroff, Laura Joffe - If You Take A Mouse To The Movies

Numeroff, Laura Joffe - The Best Mouse Cookie

Numeroff, Laura Joffe - The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza

Oakley, Graham - Church Mice and the Ring

Oakley, Graham - The Foxbury Force

Paterson, Katherine - Blueberries for the Queen

Paterson, Katherine - The Wide Awake Princess

Paxton, Tom - Engelbert the Elephant

Peet, Bill - Big Bad Bruce

Peet, Bill - Buford the Little Bighorn

Peet, Bill - Caboose Who Got Loose (CD)

Peet, Bill - Chester, The Worldly Pig

Peet, Bill - Cock-A-Doodle Dudley

Peet, Bill - Ella

Peet, Bill - The Pinkish, Purplish, Bluish Egg

Peet, Bill - The Wump World

Peters, Lisa Westberg - Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck

Pfister, Marcus - The Rainbow Fish

Pinkney, Brian - Max Found Two Sticks

Piper, Watty - The Little Engine That Could

Platt, Kin - Big Max

Polacco, Patricia - An Orange for Frankie

Polacco, Patricia - Betty Doll

Polacco, Patricia - Chicken Sunday

Polacco, Patricia - Christmas Tapestry

Polacco, Patricia - For the Love of Autumn

Polacco, Patricia - Just Plain Fancy

Polacco, Patricia - Mrs. Katz and Tush

Polacco, Patricia - Mrs. Mack

Polacco, Patricia - My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother

Polacco, Patricia - Picnic at Mudsock Meadow

Polacco, Patricia - Pink and Say

Polacco, Patricia - Rechenka's Eggs

Polacco, Patricia - Something About Hensley's

Polacco, Patricia - Thank You, Mr. Falker

Polacco, Patricia - The Bee Tree

Polacco, Patricia - The Butterfly

Polacco, Patricia - The Keeping Quilt

Polacco, Patricia - Thunder Cake

Polacco, Patricia - When Lightning Comes in a Jar

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Ginger and Pickles

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Johnny Town-mouse

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Little Pig Robinson

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Pigling Bland

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Samuel Whiskers

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of the Pie and The Patty-Pan

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes

Potter, Beatrix - The Tale of Tom Kitten

Priceman, Marjorie - How to Make An Apple Pie and See the World

Priceman, Marjorie - Emeline at the Circus

Proysen, Alf - Christmas Eve at Santa’s

Ransome, Arthur - Little Daughter of the Snow

Rathmann, Peggy - Officer Buckle and Gloria

Rattigan, Jama - Truman's Aunt Farm

Rey, Margret - Curious George

Rey, Margret - Pretzel

Roberts, Fulton - Chanticleer and the Fox

Robertson, Bruce - Marguerite Makes a Book

Rossi, Joyce - The Gullywasher

Ruelle, Karen - The Tree

Ryder, L. Joanne - My Father's Hands

Ryder, L. Joanne - Dancers in the Garden

Rylant, Cynthia - Bunny Bungalow

Rylant, Cynthia - In November

Rylant, Cynthia - Let's Go Home: The Wonderful Things About A House

Rylant, Cynthia - Little Whistle

Rylant, Cynthia - Little Whistle's Medicine

Rylant, Cynthia - Scarecrow

Rylant, Cynthia - The Cookie Store Cat

Rylant, Cynthia - The Great Gracie Chase

Rylant, Cynthia - The Old Woman Who Named Things

Rylant, Cynthia - The Relatives Came

Rylant, Cynthia - The Wonderful Happens

Rylant, Cynthia - Tulip Sees America

Rylant, Cynthia - When I Was Young in the Mountains (ILL)

Sabuda, Robert - Saint Valentine

Sams, Carl - Lost in the Woods (DVD)

Sams, Carl - Stranger in the Woods

Sanders, Scott Russell - Aurora Means Dawn

Sanders, Scott Russell - Warm as Wool

Say, Allen - Emma's Rug

Say, Allen - Grandfather's Journey

Say, Allen - Tea With Milk

Say, Allen - The Lost Lake

Say, Allen - Tree of Cranes

Sayre, April Pulley - It's My City: A Singing Map

Scanlon, Elizabeth - All The World

Scarry, Richard - Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day?

Scheffrin-Falk, Gladys - Another Celebrated Dancing Bear

Schwartz, David M. - If You Made A Million

Scieszka, Jon - The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Sendak, Maurice - Where the Wild Things Are

Seuss, Dr. - And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street!

Seuss, Dr. - Bartholomew Cubbins

Seuss, Dr. - Gerald McBoing Boing

Seuss, Dr. - Horton Hatches an Egg

Seuss, Dr. - Horton Hears a Who

Seuss, Dr. - The Cat in the Hat Comes Back

Seuss, Dr. - Yertle the Turtle and other stories

Seuss, Dr. - Oh the Thinks You Can Think

Shannon, David - A Bad Case of Stripes

Shannon, David - No, David!

Shannon, George - Climbing Kansas Mountains

Shasha, Mark - Night of the Moonjellies

Shea, Pegi Deitz - The Whispering Cloth

Shulevitz, Uri - Snow

Shulevitz, Uri - How I Learned Geography

Silverman, Erica - There Was A Wee Woman

Silverman, Erica - Don't Fidget a Feather

Silverman, Erica - Mrs. Peachtree's Bicycle

Simont, Marc - The Stray Dog

Slobodkina, Esphyr - Caps for Sale (CD)

Small, David - Imogene’s Antlers

San Souchi, Daniel - Country Road

Spier, Peter - Circus

Spier, Peter - Noah's Ark

Spier, Peter - Oh Were They Ever Happy

Spier, Peter - People

Spinelli, Eileen - Hero Cat

Spinelli, Eileen - Moe McTooth: An Alley Cat's Tale

Spinelli, Eileen - Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch

Spinelli, Eileen - Someday

Spinelli, Eileen - Summerhouse Time

Spinelli, Eileen - Thanksgiving at the Tappletons'

Spinelli, Eileen - The Best Story

Spinelli, Eileen - The Best Time of Day

Spinelli, Eileen - Three Pebbles and a Song

Spinelli, Eileen - Wanda's Monster

Spinelli, Eileen - While You Were Away

Spivak, Dawnine - Grass Sandals

Steig, William - Abel's Island

Steig, William - Brave Irene

Steig, William - Caleb & Kate

Steig, William - Doctor DeSoto

Steig, William - Doctor DeSoto Goes To Africa

Steig, William - Grown-Ups Get To Do All The Driving

Steig, William - Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I Don’t)

Steig, William - Pete’s A Pizza

Steig, William - Solomon, The Rusty Nail

Steig, William - Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (CD)

Steig, William - The Amazing Bone

Steig, William - The Toy Brother

Steig, William - Toby, What Are You?

Steig, William - Toby, Where Are You?

Steig, William - Toby, Who Are You?

Steig, William - When Everybody Wore A Hat

Steig, William - Which Would You Rather Be?

Steig, William - Zeke Pippin

Steptoe, John - Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale

Stevenson, James - Don't Make Me Laugh

Stewart, Sarah - The Friend

Stewart, Sarah - The Gardener

Stewart, Sarah - The Journey

Stewart, Sarah - The Library

Stewart, Sarah - The Money Tree

Stiles, Martha Bennett - Island Magic

Stockton, Frank R. - The Bee-Man of Orn

Stolz, Mary - Storm in the Night

Swift, Hildegarde Hoyt - The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

Szekeres, Cyndy - The Deep Blue Sky Twinkles With Stars

Talley, Carol - Papa Piccolo

Thayer, Earnest - Casey At The Bat

Thomas, Jan - Rhyming Dust Bunnies

Thomas, Shelley - Good Night, Good Knight

Thomas, Shelley - Get Well, Good Knight

Thomas, Shelley - Happy Birthday, Good Knight

Thomas, Shelley - Take Care, Good Knight

Thomas, Shelley - A Cold Winter's Good Knight

Thompson, Kay - Eloise

Titus, Eve - Anatole

Titus, Eve - Anatole and the Cat

Tresselt, Alvin - White Snow, Bright Snow

Tresselt, Alvin - The Gift of the Tree

Tudor, Tasha - A Time To Keep

Tudor, Tasha - Corgiville Fair

Tudor, Tasha - Corgiville Christmas

Tudor, Tasha - Corgiville Easter (ILL)

Tudor, Tasha - Around The Year

Tudor, Tasha - 1 is One

Tunnell, Michael - Mailing May

Turkle, Brinton - Thy Friend, Obadiah

Turner, Ann - Hedgehog for Breakfast

Turner, Ann - Through Moon and Stars and Night Skies

Turner, Ann - Stars for Sarah

Turner, Ann - Katie's Trunk

Turner, Ann - Rainflowers

Turner, Ann - The Christmas House

Turner, Ann - Sewing Quilts

Turner, Ann - Drummer Boy: Marching to the Civil War

Turner, Ann - Abe Lincoln Remembers

Turner, Ann - When Mr. Jefferson Came To Philadelphia

Turner, Priscilla - The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants

Udry, Janice - A Tree Is Nice

Van Allsburg, Chris - Jumanji

Van Allsburg, Chris - Zathura

Van Allsburg, Chris - The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Van Allsburg, Chris - The Wreck of the Zephyr

Van Allsburg, Chris - Polar Express (DVD)

Van Allsburg, Chris - The Stranger

Van Allsburg, Chris - The Garden of Abdul Gasazi

Van Leeuwen, Jean - Across The Wide Sea: the Mayflower Journey

Van Leeuwen, Jean - Wait for Me Said Maggie McGee

Viorst, Judith - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Waber, Bernard - The House on 88th Street

Waber, Bernard - Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Waber, Bernard - Lovable Lyle

Waber, Bernard - Lyle and the Birthday Party

Waber, Bernard - Lyle Finds His Mother

Waber, Bernard - Funny, Funny Lyle

Waber, Bernard - Lyle At The Office

Waber, Bernard - Lyle At Christmas

Waber, Bernard - Bearsie Bear and the surprise Sleepover Party

Waber, Bernard - The Mouse that Snored

Waber, Bernard - A Lion Named Shirley Williamson

Waber, Bernard - Ira Sleeps Over

Waber, Bernard - Courage

Waber, Bernard - Fast Food

Waddell, Martin - Good Job, Little Bear

Waddell, Martin - You and Me, Little Bear

Ward, Lynd - The Biggest Bear

Wells, Rosemary - McDuff Moves In

Wells, Rosemary - McDuff Comes Home

Wells, Rosemary - McDuff’s New Friend

Wells, Rosemary - McDuff Goes To School

Wells, Rosemary - McDuff’s Wild Romp

Wells, Rosemary - McDuff Saves the Day

Wells, Rosemary - McDuff’s Christmas

Wells, Rosemary - McDuff and the Baby

Whiteley, Opal - Only Opal: the Diary of a Young Girl

Wiesner, David - Free Fall

Wiesner, David - Hurricane (CD)

Wiesner, David - Tuesday

Wiesner, David - June 29, 1999

Wiesner, David - Sector Seven

Wiesner, David - The Three Pigs

Wiesner, David - Flotsam

Wildsmith, Brian - Joseph

Wildsmith, Brian - Jesus

Wildsmith, Brian - The Easter Story

Wildsmith, Brian - A Christmas Story

Wildsmith, Brian - The Hare and the Tortoise

Wildsmith, Brian - The Little Wood Duck

Williams, Vera B. - A Chair for My Mother

Williams, Vera B. - A Chair for Always

Winter, Jeanette - Follow the Drinking Gourd

Winter, Jeanette - House that Jack Built

Winter, Jeanette - Cowboy Charlie

Wojciechowski, Susan - The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (DVD)

Wood, Audrey - Quick as a Cricket

Woodson, Jacqueline - The Other Side

Wormell, Christopher - Puff, Puff, Chugga, Chugga

Yolen, Jane - Owl Moon

Yolen, Jane - Letting Swift River Go

Yolen, Jane - All Those Secrets of the World

Yolen, Jane - Harvest Home

Yolen, Jane - Honkers

Yolen, Jane - Raising Yoder's Barn

Young, Ed - Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China (CD)

Zelinsky, Paul O. - Rapunzel

Zelinsky, Paul O. - Rumpelstiltskin

Ziefert, Harriet - A New Coat for Anna

Zion, Gene - Harry the Dirty Dog

Zion, Gene - Harry and the Lady Next Door

Zion, Gene - Harry by the Sea

Zion, Gene - No Roses for Harry

Zolotow, Charlotte - Over and Over

Zolotow, Charlotte - The Seashore Book

Zolotow, Charlotte - The Old Dog

Zolotow, Charlotte - When the Wind Stops

Zolotow, Charlotte - The Beautiful Christmas Tree

Zolotow, Charlotte - Some Things Go Together

Zolotow, Charlotte - My Friend John

Zolotow, Charlotte - Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present

Zolotow, Charlotte - William's Doll

Zolotow, Charlotte - Something is Going To Happen

Zolotow, Charlotte - The Summer Night

Zolotow, Charlotte - The Sleepy Book

Zolotow, Charlotte - If It Weren't For You

Zolotow, Charlotte - Do You Know What I'll Do?

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

2010-06-30T15:39:00.000-05:00

When I say it's cheap, I really mean it! I bought all of the ingredients for under $10.00 (including the 5-gallon bucket) and there's a LOT of washing powder and borax left - so factor that in, when you figure out the cost per load!

It's so easy! I got the recipe from the Duggar Family website.

You'll need a new/clean 5-gallon bucket with a lid (to store the liquid soap concentrate). I purchased mine at Home Depot - with the lid, it was right around $3.00.

Ingredients:

4 cups hot tap water

1 bar Fels-Naptha soap

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not Baking Soda)

1/2 c. Borax (20 Mule Team)

Grate bar of soap (the finer the better) and add to large saucepan with the hot tap water. Stir continually over medium-low heat, until soap melts and dissolves.

Fill a 5-gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add the melted soap/water, washing soda, and Borax. Stir well, until powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir. Cover and let site overnight to thicken (I will say it does thicken to a rather gelatinous consistency- and it rather grossed me out the first time I dipped out the first batch!).

After it sits overnight, open bucket and stir. Fill a used, clean laundry soap dispenser half full with hot water. Then, fill the rest of the way with liquid soap concentrate. Shake before each use to break up the gelatinous goo! I've been using my old gallon vinegar container and it works great!

YIELD: 10 gallons

Top Load Machine - 5/8 cup per load (approximately 180 loads)

Front Load Machine - 1/4 cup per load (approximately 640 loads)

Myopia

2010-01-04T08:35:00.000-06:00

I came across this quote this morning by Sally Clarkson, author of Educating the Wholehearted Child. It served as a good "refocusing" on priorities for me as we start the new semester!

“Often, I find that in the absence of a clear enough vision for their children and homes, mothers replace conviction and vision with lots of activities and distractions for their children. This hyper-activity and rushing around to an endless list of expensive lessons and experiences and the buying of the newest expensive curriculum and technological options make moms feel like they are accomplishing something. However, when the home-life of children is rich with excellent, classic literature, passionate Biblical devotions, rousing dinner-table discussions around sumptuous, tasty meals, lots of love and affection given and household chores attended to—a child will become committed to all that is good and excellent and develop a moral and compassionate soul for all the divinely important values.”

Lord, help me to set my priorities in the right order...yours! Help me to choose good books for the girls and I to read together. Gather us around the dinner table for great conversation centered on You. Help us to focus on the direction You have for our lives.

First Day of School

2009-08-25T07:38:00.001-05:00

The girls were nearly vibrating with excitement when they woke up. We surprised them with a new tradition: a Happy New Year breakfast at a local restaurant! Let me tell you, 8:00 a.m. on a weekday is a great time to go get breakfast in this town; everyone else is at work or at school. When we all finished our meals, the girls could hardly wait to get home. I love their enthusiasm and excitement. I don't remember personally being this excited for school to start the past three years. But, it seems each year is better than the last, and that knowledge builds on itself, feeding into my positive attitude. You know the saying, "When mama's happy, everyone's happy. But when mama ain't happy..." well, you know the rest. I'm resting secure in the fact that God is the superintendent of our little school, praising Him for all that He has done for us.

I see changes in the girls from this year to last. Grace's independence and desire to stick with a task is greatly improved. Hannah's desire to write - even if it's copywork - has increased dramatically. Megan's ability to read has grown by leaps and bounds... she attempts to read everything she sees!

I so love that I get to be a huge part of their learning. I pray that God will give me all I need to teach them...especially how to love Him more. I pray that we will all allow Him to develop a heart within all of us for those around us.

Contentment

2009-08-12T09:33:00.000-05:00

I was reading a wonderful article on Heart of the Matter, thanks to my friend Shelly. This quote, "Comparison is the death of contentment," just pulled me in. How often I find myself comparing my children's behaviors, my house, my clothes, my budget, my creativity, the amount of time I spend quietly with the Lord each day, my efforts to homeschool our girls, my organizational skills, my voice, my ___________...just fill in the blank, I've probably compared myself to someone about it.

I pray that I will find my identity in Christ...He completes me...He is in the process of making me more like Him...He's who I should compare myself to. May this day (and each day from here on out) be focused on that comparison alone.

Rainy Day Fun - Free Coloring Pages

2009-08-10T14:03:00.000-05:00

It's a rainy day here and the girls aren't sure what to do with their time. Coloring pages to the rescue! Did you know there are lots of places online to print FREE coloring pages for your kids? They work great for a time filler...or as a supplement to your homeschool curriculum. Here are a few of my favorites:

Enjoy!

Finally...

2009-08-10T10:54:00.001-05:00

I am blossoming into my role as a homeschool mom. This homeschool lifestyle has finally become just that...a lifestyle. Learning hides around every corner...in the kitchen or closet, under the bed or in the pantry. I LOVE watching the lightbulbs go on when my girls learn something new or finally understand something we've been working on for a while.

Our Homeschool Plans 2009-2010

2009-08-08T17:27:00.000-05:00

Unbelievable! It's time to embark on the journey of a new school year! What better way than with free gifts! Check out one of my very favorite websites: The Homeschool Lounge!

This year, I've got a 3rd grader (Hannah), a 1st grader (Megan) and a kindergartener (Grace). My, they grow fast!

We'll be using MFW ECC (My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures) as our starting point! I'm looking forward to branching out a bit and using a bit more imagination and creativity this year. Having a few years of homeschooling under my belt empowers me to think outside the box. Speaking of boxes, we're implementing Sue Patrick's Workbox System to help us stay organized and to help they girls learn to work more independently.

Here's a glimpse into what we'll be doing each day:

3rd grade:
Handwriting: Cheerful Cursive
Math: Singapore Math
Spelling/Phonics: All About Spelling
Science/Geography: My Father's World Exploring Countries & Cultures; Flat Stanley Project (we plan to send a Flat Stanley to someone in each country we study)
Language Arts: First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind
Art: Draw Write Now; Homeschool Tuesdays (Art Classes at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art); Incredible Clay Book: How to Make and Bake Zillions of Clay Creations

1st Grade & Kindergarten:
Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears
Math: Singapore Math
Spelling/Phonics: All About Spelling (AAS)
Reading: Pathway Readers/Workbooks & AAS Beehive Reader - Level 1
Science/Geography: My Father's World Exploring Countries & Cultures
Art: Draw Write Now, Homeschool Tuesdays Art Classes & Incredible Clay Book: How to Make and Bake Zillions of Clay Creations

I'm looking forward to the new year...I love starting new things...it's always nice to have a fresh start.

When You Rise Up - why?

2009-08-07T16:43:00.001-05:00

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 says, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

I chose the title of my blog based on this verse. It's the cornerstone for our family and our homeschool. My prayer for our home is that the Lord would be the one and only focus of all that we say and do; that our children would see us serving Him joyfully and continuously as we go about our daily activities and routines; that they would see us serve those around us with a heart full of generosity and gladness; and that they might choose the same path when they are grown.

The Blog Begins

2009-08-07T16:35:00.001-05:00

Is it possible? Am I really doing this? Well, since I can see it here on my computer screen, it must be true. I've officially entered the blogosphere. I've been entertaining this idea for quite some time.

Many questions are running through my mind: How did I get to this point? Why do I want to embark on this journey and let others in on it? Do I have anything meaningful to say? Will anyone even be interested in what I put in words? Will I get so immersed in blogging that I'll ignore more important things? What's my purpose?

Well, since I can answer the "purpose" question pretty easily, I'll start with that one. I desire to better document the goings on in our school and in my own personal faith journey. I desire to keep my faraway family updated on the goings on of the Emery household.

So, I pray the words on my blog will be uplifting, encouraging, insightful, entertaining and motivational for those who venture in or stumble across "When You Rise Up".