Blast from the Past

We spent last week with my family in Madison, Wisconsin. It's where I lived until we moved to Oregon when I was 12, and all of my siblings were together for the first time in several years. Since my parents and the four of us live in 5 different states, this was no small feat!

Green Bay Packer horse at the famous Ella's Deli?! Of course!

My parents booked an AirBNB home in our old neighborhood, and it was a blast revisiting the old parks, walks, and restaurants we used to frequent. More fun was watching my kids play on the same park equipment, and running around my grandparents' farm, and watching the 4th of July parade that I watched nearly every year of my childhood. My mini-me's played with my cousin's mini-me's, so in a lot of ways it felt like coming full circle.

I don't get back to Madison all that often. Yet I was amazed at how familiar it all was, and how I actually knew my way around enough to not get lost. I'm notoriously bad with directions, and we moved long before I was old enough to drive.

It was a great week of reconnecting with my sisters and brothers, and reminiscing over our childhood. All of it felt extra poignant as I'm wondering what my children will remember {if anything?!} of Pennsylvania...

...Because one week from Monday, we are moving to Kansas City, Kansas. 

It all happened so fast. The Lord started stirring in my heart, then my husband's... we decided just to take the first step. Then the next, and then the next... and much more quickly then we could have ever imagined, there was a solid job offer and all kinds of "yeses" that seem the clear direction of the Lord.

I'm very, very excited to see what He has in store for our family. I'm excited to be only two hours from my parents, and for Niall to have a job that really interests him. I'm also feeling devastated to walk away from the friends that have been so life-shaping for me. I gave Pennsylvania all of my 20's, and it's all my babies have ever known.

Hang in with me- once we've arrived and settled in and I have no local friends {boo!} I'm sure I will have more time to blog. Any of ya'll in Kansas? Because I'd love to meet some kindred spirits!

A Bible Reading Plan for Little Ones {God Takes Care of His People}

A new month is upon us, and with it comes a new free, printable Bible reading plan to share with your kids in family worship. I'm sorry to be posting this so late! Our family has had exciting things happening behind the scenes that I can hopefully share with you all soon. It's been busy and a little out of the ordinary in my real life... which means this space is the first to get neglected ;). 

This month we are looking at God's tender care for His people- His provision, loving kindness, and ultimately, salvation. The goal is to show our kids what God is like, what He does, and why we can trust Him, resting safely and securely in His care. I started the month with passages related to physical provision and God's work in the world at large, and hone in more specifically on salvation and redemption as the month progresses.

I hope it will encourage both you and your little ones! Both children and adults need to know and remember that God is good, bigger than me and my circumstances, and infinitely trustworthy. My prayer is that these scriptures will sink deep into your souls, enabling you to experience the peace and joy that comes from knowing and trusting Him in the ups and downs of daily life. God takes care of His people- perfectly, beautifully, fully. 

As usual, there is a mix of both Old and New Testaments. One passage for each week day, for four weeks. Your feedback on the plans is always appreciated! Hope you enjoy this. 

We try to read ours at meal times. On a really good day, I read and discuss it with my 2 and 4 year old at breakfast, and my husband goes over it a second time at dinner. But we miss many a day, go through times of consistency and inconsistency- we by no means "have it down". 

The goal is to keep trying, and to keep sowing seeds of the Word into our children's hearts. They might wiggle, they might not seem to be hearing... but we keep reading, explaining, and praying, trusting the Lord to work through His Word in His way and time.  

You can print your copy off right here. 

If you like this plan, I think you would like my new ebook! It's called Read the Bible to Your Kids: A Year of Simple Plans to get into the Word Together. 

I've created 13 topical, month long plans with passages from both the Old and New Testament. The passages are short {for short attention spans!}, and the PDF file can easily be printed off for you to check off boxes as you read.

It's a great, simple solution for families who want to build Word-centered solutions. You can find out what people are saying about it, the topics the plans cover, and download your copy for only $4.99 right here.