Michtam Music

I plan to write a few blog posts on song sites and especially those with free congregational pieces available for listening and printing.  Michtam Music is one of those sites.  I haven't listened to all of the songs on the site yet, but I would encourage you to stop by their site and listen to the music.  Leave a comment below if there are any songs there that are a blessing to you.  I like the song "No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets" by author Taylor Fleury and composer Ethan Holmes.  There is a story behind the song which you can read here.

Free Church Website

Is it possible to make a free church website without ads?

  Yes!! :o)  You may want your own domain name and so that will be around $10/year but that is not necessary.  I've used yolasite.com and I've also heard good things about weebly.com.  Yola has very good customer service and it is very easy to figure out how to get started.  I was even able to put short sermons for my husband on there (about 30 minutes each).  Have questions?  Leave a comment and I will try to get back to you.

Ideas for reaching out to the community

   Need some more ideas for getting to know some more people in your neighborhood, helping out, and also sharing about Christ.  Well, here are a few ideas and you are welcome to share your own. 

* Every community has plenty of opportunities to volunteer and this presents a great time to help and build relationships.  This includes helping at nursing homes, mentoring, helping children or adults with disabilities, serving at soup kitchens or rescue missions.

* Start a crocheting, quilting, etc. club and offer free lessons for beginners.

* Hand out Valentines and candy to cashiers, neighbors etc.  Include the church website on the Valentine card.

* Invite kids to a Resurrection party and use the Resurrection eggs.

* Invite kids to a What God wants for Christmas Party.

* Put a float in the parade and pass out flyers.

* Make Thanksgiving baskets to give to families in need.

* Kids Bible clubs.

* Outdoor nativity with animals or passion play.  Breakfast afterward.

* Set up a booth in a fair.  Do wordless book face-painting.

* Rent a room in the mall for an outreach.

* Be sure to advertise in newspaper and in radio (Public Service Announcements are free) for outreaches or special Bible studies.

Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health by Donald S. Whitney

When I requested a book to review, NavPress also threw in this book so I'm not really required to review it but am more than happy to do so.  I wasn't familiar with this author but I love this book.  It has 10 questions that help you to stop and think about your walk with God.  Even though this is a fairly short book, you will want to work through it slowly in order to give yourself time to make sure you are seeking God's grace to grow in the various areas.  It's the type of book that I would go back and read again, and be convicted again.  I would definitely recommend it to others!

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

What Did You Expect?? by Paul David Tripp

This is a book explaining how our expectations going into marriage can be different than reality.  Tripp explains how marriage should be Christ-centered and he gives six commitments that couples should make by God's grace.
This book would be helpful especially for younger engaged couples or newlyweds, especially if they are not as grounded in the faith.
There are a couple things I would have liked to have seen explained more in this book.
1. A Biblical explanation of the roles of husbands and wives since misunderstanding in this area can lead to problems.
2. What to do if your spouse is not a believer or not committed to the things discussed in this book (as in I Peter 3).  (Crossway provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair critique).

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Church Planting is for Wimps by Mike McKinley

"How God uses messed-up people to plant ordinary churches that do extraordinary things" is the subtitle of this book and sums it up pretty well.  Mike McKinley shares how God led him and his wife to a church that was in desperate need of revitalization.  He shared things he learned and tries to encourage others that are being used by God in planting or revitalizing churches.


I requested to review this book because my husband is a pastor / church planter and we thought it might be a good read.  First of all, if you are looking for a detailed how-to book, this is not the one we'd recommend.  However, if you are looking for encouragement from someone that would understand some of the difficulties you may be facing in this type of ministry then this a helpful book.  It was very refreshing to be reminded to be faithful in the things that are most important and let God do His work.  (Crossway provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair critique).





My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Links to used homeschool books

    Amazon is a great place to look for used textbooks, but there are some other good sites too.  Educational Accents is another good site.  Also, Homeschool Classifieds is great.  Just a tip:  make sure to look at the definitions for the condition of the book closely.  You probably don't want to accidentally get a book that has the answers filled in the student worktext pages.  Also, if you have any questions, be sure to contact the seller.

   What about you?  Do you have a website you would recommend for buying or selling used books?  I'd love to your ideas.

Free Worksheets for Math, Reading, Grammar, Science, etc.

     I found a website with lots of free worksheets.  Just thought I'd pass it on.  Hope it's helpful!  www.superteacherworksheets.com

     Do you have an educational website that you've found helpful?

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr.

When I first received this book I was skeptical.  Perhaps because I had never heard of the author and so I wasn't expecting much.  However, I was very pleasantly surprised.  This book really challenges parents to take seriously the responsibilities that God has entrusted to us.  Children are precious gifts and we must be diligent in teaching them.  This is a very thought-provoking book and I highly recommend it.  You may not agree with every detail, but reading this book will be time well-spent.  (Crossway provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair critique).


My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Church History ABC's: Augustine and Twenty-Five other Heroes of the Faith by Stephen J. Nichols and Ned Bustard

This picture book gives a short biographical look at 26 people in church history.  This would be great for giving your kids an overview of such a broad subject.  It helps answer the question: "Where do I even start?"  Each letter of the alphabet briefly introduces one person.  You can easily read a page each day to even very young children.  I have a two year old and a five year old and they both ask me to read it to them.  The pictures are well-done and even most parents will learn a few things as they read.  Also, in the back of the book is a little more detailed summary of each person.  In addition, you may want to visit their website that includes printable coloring pages and other fun things.
(Crossway provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair critique).


My rating:  5 out of 5 stars