Thursday, December 31, 2020

Book Club: Book Review of The Bible Recap

 Text: Book Club: Book Review of The Bible Recap; background marble effect; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach

I received a FREE copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I was very excited to read and review The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible by Tara-Leigh Cobble. The beautiful hardcover book is designed to help you read through the entire Bible in one year using a chronological plan. For those who struggle with understanding what they have read after reading the Bible, this will be a great resource. Cobble sets out to explain and connect the story of the Scripture over the course of 365 days. 

What Is The Bible Recap

The 752-page book offers first the three mistakes that the author made when trying to read the Bible cover to cover and presents a simple explanation as to how to use the book. Cobble presents the information according to a one-year chronological plan but encourages you to use your regular Bible as she has her plan presented in the book. The English Standard Version (ESV) will be the primary translation used in The Bible Recap, but you can use your own preferred version. After you read the Bible chapters for the day, return to The Bible Recap and 

  • Read the summary provided
  • Visit any links provided 
  • Read "Today's God Shot" where Cobble "points to one place where God's attributes are on display in that day's reading"
While I haven't read The Bible Recap cover to cover yet, it appears that each day's readings' summary and "Today's God Shot" are presented on two pages. This makes it very easy to read and digest during the time you read your Bible. For example, one of the books I find to be the most difficult to read personally is Job. The first two weeks spend time in Job. I found the summary to be one of the most clear – if not the clearest – summary of the book of Job I have read.

Text: Book Club: Book Review of The Bible Recap; cover of The Bible Recap


What Did I Think of The Bible Recap


While The Bible Recap is less scholarly and provides more of an overview of the Bible, I think I am going to thoroughly enjoy using it this coming year to read through the Bible chronologically. (This is something I have wanted to do for several years, but I haven't found a plan yet that I liked.) Looking through the book, the readings appear to be manageable, which is important for this homeschooling, work-at-home mom. As I started reading The Bible Recap, I discovered many places in Cobble's summary where I wanted to go back to reread the Scriptures to identify the references she was making. I really appreciate books that make me look more deeply into the Bible. 

In the "Today's God Shot," I appreciated the fact that the author points out how God's character is found in each of the day's readings. For example, on Day 160, we read Proverbs 19-21 where we see how God identifies himself with the poor and as someone who reimburses the giver. "God not only identifies with the poor, but He's also generous to the rich" (337). In each "God Shot," Cobble ends with "He's where the joy is!" This is a wonderful reminder as we read through the Bible. 

As I wrote earlier, I have not read The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible yet in its entirety. I usually do read a book cover to cover prior to writing and sharing a review, but this is not like the normal fiction or non-fiction books I review. The Bible Recap requires you to read through the Bible and this book to get the full appreciation of the author's words. Through the year, I will be sharing on social media my thoughts of the book as I progress through it as I will use this work as my main Bible reading plan for 2021. 

Text: Looking forward to using this as my Bible reading plan for 2021; cover of The Bible Recap; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach


I recommend The Bible Recap for those seeking a Bible reading plan. As it is a chronological reading plan, you might want to keep that in consideration of whether it will work for you and your Bible reading. You could use this book at the start of 2021 or pick it up at any time of the year as it is not dated with specific days like January 1 or January 2, but each day's readings are listed as Day 15, Day 16, and so on. So whether you receive the book prior to the start of the New Year or buy it mid-year, The Bible Recap can still work as your 'reading through the Bible' reading plan guide. 

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Wordless Wednesday: Abraham Lincoln

Text: Wordless Wednesday: Abraham Lincoln; flowers in background

Looking through older photographs, I discovered some from a trip in the mid-1990s to Washington D.C. If you want to read more about Abraham Lincoln or the Navy during the American Civil War, I have written several posts on these topics. 

photograph of Lincoln Memorial in D.C.

Ford's Theatre sign in D.C.

Inside Ford's Theatre

Room where Lincoln died (D.C.)

Text: Wordless Wednesday; A Mom's Quest to Teach; bed where Lincoln died



Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Book Club: Children's Winter-Themed Books

Book Club: Children's Winter-Themed Books; background image of winter flowers

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With our library still only offering curbside pick-up, it was just as challenging to find winter-themed books as it was when I put together a post sharing autumn-themed children's books. I had to use our library's online catalog to search by topic and by age-level to find some books that we could check out and read as we prepare for winter. While our library appointment was made a little early before the Christmas "season" began (our librarian even remarked on the fact that we checked out so many winter and Christmas books before Thanksgiving), putting together a list before the Christmas holidays was very easy and fun for me. So, what would you like to include in your Winter-themed morning basket or reading lists? How will you learn about the seasons?  

Winter on the Farm

Part of the My First Little House Books series, Winter on the Farm, by Laura Ingalls Wilder and illustrated by Jody Wheeler and Renee Graef, is a beautiful book that takes a look at the winter season on a farm in the mid-1860s. Winter on the Farm contains text adapted from Farmer Boy which features Laura Ingalls Wilder's husband, Almanzo Wilder. He lives on a large farm in the New York countryside with his father, mother, big brother, Royal, and his big sisters, Eliza Jane and Alice. In this children's picture book, we see a typical day while Almanzo helps prepare clean beds for the farm animals and milks the cows. At the close of the book, the family eats a wonderful meal of sweet baked beans, salt pork, boiled potatoes, ham, and more! 

Waiting for Winter 

A simple children's book is often the most fun to read aloud – especially during arts and crafts time. I read Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser to our children while they were painting, and the giggles ensued. In the story, Squirrel decides he wants to stay out of his tree to wait for winter and see the first snowflake. He is eventually joined by Hedgehog and Bear, who also want to wait for the first snowflake, but none of them know what a snowflake looks like. This is where the giggling begins as the book shows us what they each think a snowflake is! 

cover of book Sleep Tight Farm


Sleep Tight Farm 

The gentle but educational text by Eugene Doyle and illustrations by Becca Stadtlander make Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter a wonderful children's book to read about the approaching winter season. I found so many wonderful things to talk about with our children as I read through the book with them one day at lunch. As the farming family prepares their farm for the winter weather, we learn about covering crops to protect them from the cold, the varieties of food the farm was harvesting, and the preparation of the raspberry bushes. I think one of my favorite parts to share with them was about the bees and beehives since we had recently watched a video clip about beekeeping.


book cover of snowflakes and ice skates


Snowflakes and Ice Skates: A Winter Counting Book 

Part of the same series of books from which we read Footballs and Falling Leaves, this book introduces key images associated with winter and reinforces counting. How many mittens? How many sleds? It is an easy book for early readers to read aloud with you. 

book cover of Why do Geese fly South for the Winter?


Why Do Geese Fly South in Winter? A Book About Migration 

For children who are a bit beyond learning to count, you can read this book by Kathy Allen about migration with them. Key vocabulary words include habitats, hibernate, instinct, migrate, and sense. These words are defined in Why Do Geese Fly South in Winter in the glossary and throughout the book. Our son enjoyed reading about the different animals that migrate and applying that knowledge to the other books we read about winter.

Text: A Mom's Quest to Teach; Book Club: Children's Winter-Themed Books; squirrel clip art; book cover of Snowflakes & Ice Skates


Winter's Coming: A Story of Seasonal Change
 

One of our favorite books from the library was Winter's Coming by Jan Thornhill and illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. The story traces a young snowshoe hare, Lily, during her first year. She was born in the spring and has never met winter before this one. Just who or what is Winter, she wonders. Throughout the story, there are funny moments as she tries to figure out if she should get ready for winter like other animals are getting ready. In the end, she meets winter and leaps in the air just for fun.

Learning about the seasons can be so much fun when you incorporate books – both picture books and nonfiction – into your homeschool day. Even the smallest of libraries can provide access to a great number of books. These were only a few of the books that our library had available for checkout, so we will be sure to find more in the near future! 

Sunday, December 27, 2020

Journaling through the Bible: Christmas Season

Text: Journaling through the Bible: Christmas Season; background snow scene with two birds

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Our family has focused upon a few different aspects of Bible reading during the month of December. During the evenings, we have read through an Advent reading plan at dinner time, which took us from the genealogy of Jesus through his birth. My husband has been reading through an Advent book with the children at prayer time before bed. Personally, I have been finishing up a reading plan on YouVersion, which includes readings from the Book of Isaiah. December has allowed me to welcome readings from all parts of the Bible. 

Countdown to Christmas 


We are using an Advent plan I had found online several years ago. It takes us through 25 readings from John 1: 1-18 to Revelation 22:17, 20-21. We have had to make some adjustments over the years because several of the readings were too long for our youngest when they were little. There are also a few typos, but in general, this plan has served us quite well. 

"The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." 

John 1:9-11


Text: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Text: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

Text: "And she gave birth to her firstborn and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:7



Reading a New Book 


My husband picked up An Advent for the Cosmos by Jeffrey Pitts to read with the children this year and in future years. It is a 72-page paperback book with color illustrations for each day of Advent with a Bible memory verse, introduction, a Bible reading, and more. To help you and your family dig deeper, there is a summary and discussion section with questions. Each day's readings finish with a prayer, and then you can listen to a song or songs that relate directly to the day's readings. While most Advent reading plans focus upon the birth of Christ, this book also brings us the message that God sent his son to redeem the world. It brings everything together. 

Monthly Bible Reading Plan 


In order to read the Bible in a year for 2020, I chose to follow twelve monthly plans from YouVersion. I chose the "Let's Read the Bible Together" plan, which is a 12-part series where the participant will read the entire Bible in 365 days. Each month, there were readings from the Old and New Testaments with the Psalms scattered throughout the months. November included the books of Song of Solomon, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Revelation. December featured the books of Isaiah, Micah, First Peter, Second Peter, First John, Second John, Third John, and Jude. My only complaint is that without referring to the month or plan description or scrolling through the days, I did not know which book was going to be up next. I did like that the plan mixed things up, rather than a straight reading of the Bible from cover to cover. 

In 2021, I plan on reading through the Bible chronologically using an item that I will be reviewing soon on A Mom's Quest to Teach. I received The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible by Tara-Leigh Cobble to review from Bethany House Publishers. This is a sturdy, hardcover book that provides 365 days of readings taking one through the entire Bible in a year in chronological order. Readers are taken through the Scriptures as they were written. I have not tried this approach to reading the Bible in one year yet, and I am looking forward to this endeavor.

Text: Journaling through the Bible: Christmas Season; A Mom's Quest to Teach; background image of pine trees and snowflakes



I love that the Christmas season offers so many ways to journal and reflect upon Bible readings. Whether we read through the birth of Jesus in the book of Luke or we find His story in the other Gospels, there is so much joy brought by the story of His birth. So many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled when our Savior was born. I have been able to read and enjoy God's Word this month while listening to Christmas music.

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Favorite Christian Christmas Songs

Text: Favorite Christian Christmas Songs; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach; background pine tree clip art

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'Tis the season to start playing Christmas music. There is a great variety of Christmas music available to purchase and many places from which you can stream your favorite Carolers. We use a variety of digital methods to listen to our favorite Christmas songs – both Christian and holiday-themed – as well as the less traditional way of listening using CDs and – gasp – even cassette tapes on the rare occasion. Over the years, my Grandmom had collected a great variety of Christmas cassette tapes and then CDs, all of which I inherited. My husband also has a large collection of Christmas music, so there are many favorites among our collection. 

O Come All Ye Faithful 

I have enjoyed this song for many years. It was the first song sung by the senior choir at my high school as we entered the auditorium holding light-up candles. We would sing the first verse in Latin as we walked down the aisles, continue on to sing the first verse again in English, before moving onto the second verse. By then, we were all on the stage and ready to sing the next song. We never really sang many traditional Christmas songs – religious or secular – beyond a few. Our choir director always picked obscure songs from the Middle Ages or the Renaissance for us to sing. So, this one was a particular favorite of mine. 

What Child Is This? 

This was a favorite song of my mom's. Knowing this, I learned how to play it on the electric organ that my Grandmom had at her house. It was one of those instruments for which the books had the keys numbered and not actually listed by the real notes. So, all my practice learning how to play it did not translate to anything else. 

Text: Favorite Christian Christmas Songs - Joy to the World; Sharing songs that hold a special place in my heart; pine cone background


It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 

Can I share a secret? I love singing this song, too. There is something about the way the music swells that stirs my heart. Whether I am listening to Frank Sinatra sing about the angels singing or I am enjoying Ella Fitzgerald sing about peace on the earth, I enjoy the melody and message behind this beautiful Christmas song.

The First Noel 

I particularly love the way in which this song captures the story of Christmas. Whether Jesus was actually born on a cold winter night or not, the imagery of the birth of the King of Israel is stunning. As I write this post, I am listening to Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams all sing their own versions of this classic Christmas song. Do you have a favorite artist who sings The First Noel? 

Silent Night 

Lastly, I want to include Silent Night on my list of favorite Christian Christmas songs. I would love to think that the night of Jesus' birth was silent and calm. As a mom, it is wonderful to recall those first hours after the birth of my own children. Even though there was so much going on, there was a special calm. I love that heavenly hosts helped to announce the birth of Christ the Savior.  I am so thankful that Jesus was born. 

Text: O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O Come ye to Bethlehem; background of poinsettia clipart


Wishing You a Merry Christmas 

I hope that no matter what your favorite Christmas songs may be – whether you prefer traditional artists, classical versions, instrumental versions, or maybe modernized, rock versions of Christmas Carols – that you have a very joyous holiday season as you listen to your favorite songs. As we approach the New Year, I hope that you have a wonderful time with your family. 

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Wordless Wednesday: Star Wars-Themed Ornaments

 Text: Wordless Wednesday: Star Wars Christmas Ornaments

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Star Wars Storm Trooper Christmas Ornament

Star Wars Christmas Ornaments; Han Solo, Leia, Darth Vader, Qin-Gon Jinn

Storm Trooper Christmas Ornament

Be sure to check out my other Wordless Wednesday posts to see more ornaments on our tree including The Nutcracker Ballet Ornaments and some of our favorites

Text: Wordless Wednesday: A Mom's Quest to Teach; 2 ornaments - Chewy & Storm Trooper


Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Favorite Holiday Christmas Songs

Text: Favorite Holiday Christmas Songs; background with pine branch; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach

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In addition to the beautiful music written specifically to glorify the birth of Jesus, there is also a great collection of music that relates to secular reasons that people celebrate during the same period. I must admit that my Christmas music lists often have a mixture of both types of songs, as I love it all. Yes, there are some songs that I will not listen to, but in general, I like to have a mixture of songs by a mixture of artists. 

White Christmas by Bing Crosby 

I love to listen to songs sung by Bing Crosby. Some of my favorites include: 

  • Don't Fence Me In 
  • Something's Gotta Give
  • Dream a Little Dream of Me
  • Well Did You Evah? 

Christmas songs I also enjoy by Bing Crosby: 

  • A Marshmallow World 
  • Twelve Days of Christmas (with The Andrew Sisters) 
  • Do You Hear What I Hear? 
My favorite Christmas song by Bing Crosby has to be White Christmas. Combine that with the movie, and I have a perfect afternoon spent with my family. I love the fact that the movie also stars Danny Kaye – another favorite singer of mine. I do wonder what the movie would have been like if Fred Astaire had not dropped out, though.

CDs - White Christmas by Bing Crosby and Christmas special by Frank Sinatra


A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra 

So, this is not one song in particular. I have only recently begun to appreciate songs by Frank Sinatra. I am quite pleased by the wide selection of Christmas songs that I can add to my playlists performed by this talented singer. I really enjoy The Christmas Song, I'll be Home for Christmas, and Jingle Bells. The album was originally released in 1957, but I have been listening to the remastered 50th anniversary edition. I love reading that it was reissued on vinyl in 2010. We still have quite a few records, and I think it is wonderful that they are making a resurgence.

Sleigh Ride 

For several years, I was in the choir at my high school and the band always played Sleigh Ride. This song was my Great Uncle's favorite that they played. Now when I hear the song, I am reminded of him and my aunt coming to my concerts every year.

There are many different versions of the song. I have versions from Tex Beneke, Ray Eberle, & The Modernaires, Andy Williams, and Ella Fitzgerald on my one Christmas Playlist. I am not really sure whose take I enjoy the most. They are all equally good, as are the others that I have heard on the radio and on other compilations of Holiday music.

  

Text; Favorite Holiday Christmas Songs; White Christmas; Frosty the Snowman; Rudolph; background of Rudolph


Frosty the Snowman 

I think the reason why I really like this song is that it reminds me of watching the 1969 cartoon by Rankin and Bass. So many of the Rankin and Bass productions were part of my childhood that I love hearing songs or stories that remind me of their tales. Whenever I hear the song, I can't help it; seeing Frosty first waking up and saying, "Happy Birthday!" brings a smile to my face.

Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley 

This song is another one that reminds me of a favorite Christmas cartoon. In the Year Without a Santa Claus, the children are sad – they will have a Blue Christmas – because Santa is staying home. This is my all-time favorite Christmas special from Rankin and Bass. I even have the Frost Miser and Heat Miser Christmas ornaments and figures from the cartoon to decorate for the holidays. Of all the versions of the song, I really enjoy Elvis Presley's the most. 

photo of Heat Miser and Cold Miser ornaments


What Is Your Favorite Holiday Christmas Song? 

Do you have a favorite holiday Christmas song? Maybe it is one that makes you smile every time you hear it. Or perhaps there is one that you just have to sing along to, no matter where you are. Do we share any similar favorites?

Monday, December 14, 2020

Roadschooling as a Lifestyle

Text: Roadschooling as a Lifestyle - Special Guest Post; background of travel clip part; A Mom's Quest to Teach logo

Please welcome Yvie, a veteran homeschooling mom, to A Mom's Quest to Teach for a special Guest Post. I had the privilege to meet Yvie when I joined the Homeschool Review Crew. In this post, she shares about the beauty of roadschooling. While we haven't had the chance to venture too far away from our home, we have enjoyed visiting several historic sites with our family, including Washington Crossing State Park

As a Lifestyle 

For six years, our family roadschooled, which means that we traveled throughout the year, focusing on studies on the opportunities we meet each week.  As a contractor, hubby’s job took him all across the USA, and we got to jump on the train (well, RV) with him and take the journey as a family!

Why travel?

The beauty of roadschooling is having the chance to immerse yourself in different places and cultures…and all the amazing field trips!  That doesn’t mean that we neglected basic studies….math, language arts, science, social studies, copy work, physical education. What it means is that we took advantage of our location to emphasize certain studies at certain times – when they would make the most lasting impression.

When students have the opportunity to visit different places – rural, suburban, and urban – it helps them to better understand the nuances of the world around them. How better for urban students to explore geographic features, landmarks, and ecosystems than by actually visiting them?  Rural students can get a better feel for the frenetic pace of an urban area by visiting and living within city limits for a while.  This cross-cultural knowledge will help them to become better citizens and leaders in the future, as they apply their experiences to decision making.

Make it a Unit Study

There are five basic steps to creating a unit study:

  1. Pick a topic - For us, the ‘topic of choice’ was always either a specific location (geography & culture – such as Seattle or Louisiana) or historic event that occurred at our current location (such as the Boston Tea Party).
  2. Decide when to start and how long the unit will last – Start the day that you arrive on location!  Or, even better, start researching and reading a few days prior.  Your unit will last as long as you are on location, but can go a few days past your departure if you want to wrap it up.
  3. Choose resources and activities to flesh it out – Mom, this is where you’ll need to be a little bit of a planner!  Make sure you have books and reading material on hand to complement your field trip studies.
  4. Make a plan of activities scheduled by day / week / month – Depending on how long you are on location, you may want to field trip two days a week and do ‘regular school’ three days a week.  If you’re only a short-timer, take a learning field trip every day! 
  5. Decide how you’ll record your unit – We like to blog about it.  ☺  Seriously though, our blog actually began as a way for family and friends to join our journey, but blossomed into a learning record for the kids.

Pick up the Unit Study Planner to help you get started.

Text: Roadschooling as a Lifestyle - immerse yourself in different places and cultures; background clipart of travel items


Getting Started

Not everyone has the opportunity to travel full-time, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t turn a one week family vacation into a bit of fun-school!  COVID is going to end someday, and life will return to a new normal.  

I would encourage you to sit down with your family….start daydreaming about places that you’ve always wanted to visit…make a list of realistic and dream places.  Choose one location from each list and start researching it – actually plan your trip!  Two things will happen here.  First, you’ll have your ducks in a row for when you’re able to actually make the trip.  Second, you’ll be surprised at just how much you learn during the research!  

A few tips to help you begin your journey…

Think outside the box. When asked, most children aren’t going to list architecture at the top of their ‘coolest things’ list. But after seeing such unique architectural styles, visiting places like the Biltmore House, Overholser Mansion, and Cornwall Iron Furnace might change that!

Plan ahead. Scout websites, including the city’s municipal site, to learn about the area you’re visiting – check for museums, events, festivals, factory tours, and anything relevant to that specific location. Site-specific websites will often have free educational resources to help guide your field trip.

Relax.  We school through the summer, on the weekends, at midnight…pretty much whenever we want.  We get more than the required days in, and that’s fine.  We have a lot of field trip days, too.  Want to know which style helps the kids learn and retain the most? Life experiences, of course!

photograph of Yvie

Yvie is a veteran homeschooling mom and the high school counselor for The Homeschool House, a non-profit organization.  She helps to create unit studies and enjoys helping other families on their homeschool journey.  When not teaching or counseling, she enjoys reading, spending time in her garden, and traveling the country with her boys.  You can find her at Homeschool On the Range, on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.


Friday, December 11, 2020

Book Club: Christmas-Themed Books for Children

Text: Book Club: Christmas-Themed Books for Children; background of Rudolph; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I love sharing holiday-themed books on my blog, A Mom's Quest to Teach. Children's Christmas-themed books can provide a mixture of stories. One can find stories that focus upon the birth of Jesus to those that share about Santa, Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol, or spending the holiday with ones' family. Personally, I love that there is such a great variety because we then make many happy memories reading Christmas-themed books in the weeks leading up to Christmas. 

cover of Christmas in the Big Woods


Christmas in the Big Woods 

To experience a typical Christmas in the early 1870s in Wisconsin, Christmas in the Big Woods is the perfect book to read with your children. The story is adapted from the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and illustrated by Renee Graef. The simple story certainly gets one in the mood for a family-focused Christmas. There are cookies to bake, molasses candy to make, and even snow angels to make outside. And the simple gifts in the stockings provide a perfect talking point for appreciating the small gifts we are given and what we can gift to others. 


It's Christmas 

An "I Can Read" book for reading alone, It's Christmas by Jack Prelutsky and pictures by Marylin Hafner, is a mixed bag in my opinion. I had great hopes for this slim book as the chapters are short and they rhyme, which makes reading it aloud easy, but as I read more and more of it, I found myself wanting to put it down. The child has a LONG list of wants for Christmas, the father refuses to pay for a tree so they go hunting for one in a forest, Santa Clauses abound as the family goes from place to place, and Auntie Flo buys her niece and nephew underwear. I wish I had read the book before reading it to our children. I learned again the importance of previewing materials we share with our children. 

book cover of On Christmas Eve


On Christmas Eve 

Having enjoyed Goodnight Moon and Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown, I was happy to check out On Christmas Eve from the library. This lovely tale about children sneaking downstairs on Christmas Eve was illustrated by Nancy Edwards Calder. I really like that the children snuck downstairs, saw the beautiful tree, and did not touch anything. While we were reading On Christmas Eve, our daughter kept saying, "No, they should not go downstairs. They are going to get in trouble." I love that she was worried about them doing right or wrong.

Text: Book Club: Christmas-Themed Books for Children; clip art of Rudolph & Polar Bear


Christmas in Italy 

One of my goals for homeschooling our children is for them to learn about different cultures and customs. Reading Christmas in Italy by Jack Manning allowed us to talk about how important the birth of Jesus is to the celebration of Christmas in Italy. There were even directions to make an ornament at the of this short non-fiction book.

book cover of 12 Bugs for Christmas


The 12 Bugs of Christmas 

Our children have seen a few episodes of Mac Lucado's Hermie & Friends. So, I thought maybe they would enjoy reading The 12 Bugs of Christmas (especially since they love the traditional version of the Christmas song). This is a cute little board book where each day brings more bugs joining in the story. By the end, 12 caterpillars join the story and are praying. This is a fun sing-along-song for the whole family.

From Christmases of the past to singing Christmas songs, there are many options to include Christmas-themed books into your homeschool day. I think it is a wonderful idea to read one Christmas book a day leading up to Christmas with children. What a great way to spend time together and spread some Christmas cheer! Does your family have any favorite Christmas-themed books that you read every year? Or perhaps you have another tradition involving Christmas stories? I would love to read about them!


Monday, December 7, 2020

Book Club: Book Review of Jesus Freaks

 Text: Book Club: Book Review of Jesus Freaks; image of A Mom's Quest to Teach logo

I received a FREE copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

My husband handed me the original publication a few years ago when I was asking for help researching men and women who were missionaries and served the Lord. When I saw that there was a revised and updated edition of Jesus Freaks available to review from Bethany House Publishers, I was very excited. This was the perfect opportunity to revisit the book for myself and share its meaningful stories with others. Jesus Freaks, written by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs, tells the stories of those who stood for Jesus – the ultimate Jesus Freaks.  

books - Jesus Freaks from 2020 and the original publication

In the 414-page paperback book, readers are welcomed by messages from Michael Tait, Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max, and The Voice of the Martyrs. Don't worry if you are not familiar with dc Talk – I wasn't beyond the fact that my husband and stepson listen to their music and are fans – this book will still be very meaningful for you. The book asks several questions in the beginning: 

  • Is Jesus worth it? 
  • Why do you follow Jesus? 
  • Did they have to die? 
  • What about the persecutors? 
These stories are answered in the stories of individuals who found themselves in prison, tortured, or executed for their faith in Jesus. Stories are shared from the Apostles to people living in the recent past of 2018. In fact, there is a chronological listing in the back of Jesus Freaks, so you can see when each story took place in relation to the others. Scattered throughout Jesus Freaks are numerous quotes from the individuals whose tales are shared as well as from the Bible. 

Text: Book Club: Book Review; cover of Jesus Freaks 2020 publication


Who Are The Voice of the Martyrs? 


The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to serving persecuted Christians worldwide. I first became familiar with them after purchasing from an online Christian site when I was able to receive free access to some of their literature. VOM was founded by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, whose story is shared within Jesus Freaks, in 1967. The mission continues to this day by providing practical and spiritual support to Christian families who are or have been persecuted. Jesus Freaks provides a wonderful look into some of the individual lives of people who have been helped or whose families have been helped after their loved one was martyred. 

In the back of Jesus Freaks, readers will find the names of countries where Christianity is being persecuted to this day. There is helpful information, including a general overview of the nation, the major religion in the nation, which groups or organizations are responsible for the persecutions, what it means to be a follower of Jesus in that nation, as well as whether or not the Christians there have access to Bibles. Part of the ongoing work of VOM is to provide access to Bibles in these nations.

My Thoughts 


I really enjoyed being able to read and review Jesus Freaks. While the stories are often sad, they are uplifting because the people are truly demonstrating what it means to follow Jesus. They are able to learn important lessons about loving everyone – even those torturing them. I know I read many stories where the individuals did not think they would have the strength to maintain their belief in Jesus but they did. God gave them the courage and power to remain faithful. And in many cases, their faithfulness, their preaching even in prison, led others to Jesus, too. What a wonderful message to read!

I would recommend Jesus Freaks. I found it to be very inspiring and I made many notes of Bible passages I wish to reread as well as some stories that I want to revisit, too. I only have two criticisms. In the book, it mentions the snake that bit Paul as being poisonous. Snakes are not poisonous, they are venomous. This is a small point. The other problem I had was with the actual design of the book. The pages are not uniform which makes it difficult to flip through the book. I understand the idea behind the design – the original version of the book is like that, too – but I would have preferred a normal paperback-style book. However, these two small things do not change the fact that I will reread the book and share its message with others.