As I have said a few times before, I love the Bible.  God’s Word is a gift, a love letter to all people. 

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  Psalm 119:105

And it truly is a lamp and a light before me, before any who choose to read it.  I am a grandparent now and this truth is something that I hope takes root in a new generation.  As a grandparent, I want to be a support to my own kids as they raise their children.  And also be another voice continually pointing them to Jesus.

In life and conversation, I hope that the love of God and His goodness is evident to my grandchildren.  And I also hope that as I share the Bible with them, a hunger grows in them for God’s Word all their lives.

New Bible for 8-12 Year Old Girls

Today, I have a newly packaged children’s Bible, from Bible Gateway to share with you.

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls

The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls is available as a gift set with pencils and stickers.  It comes in the exclusive easy to read Comfort Print.  This Bible features over 600 ready-to-color illustrated verses with plenty of journal space for prayers, notes and artistic creations. 

There are many features which I think are fantastic.

• Complete text o the accurate, readable and clear New International Version
• Over 600 verses illustrated in ready-to-color line art
• Four Colored Pencils
• Six sheets of stickers designed for girls
• Thick white paper for writing and doodling
• Lined, wide margins for notes and reflections
• Satin ribbon marker
• Beautiful screen printed cover
• Readable 8-point print size

This is a lovely design for a children’s Bible.  I will say though, I am disappointed to only find this style marketed for girls.  Children ought to be offered the opportunity to use a Bible with journaling and coloring that is marketed equally to boys and girls.

This post is sponsored by Bible Gateway and I received a copy of the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for girls, for free in exchange for this review.

Since making the jump in 2018 from my little Janome sewing machine to the fantastic Janome Memory Craft 1500, I have enjoyed making cute and pretty little things, as well as increasing the number and sizes of quilts I am able to create. This fall, using some lovely Moda Grunge, I made these little clasp clutches and coin purses with the Kimberbelle Vintage Floral pattern.

As always, I test out these “in hoop” creations and am thrilled with the quality and durability of Kimberbell Designs. I’ve used one of these Vintage Floral Clasp Clutches for about 6 months and am happy to report that my clutch is just as lovely and the clasp as secure, as the day I began carrying it. Which means, I’m excited to have several of these clutches and coin purses listed in my Etsy Shop!

The design program that I used included the patterns for little coin purses, or pouches as well. The lace zippers just really add a pretty touch and I do hope to find more, and a larger variety of colors soon!

Here are a few of the current clutches and pouches that are in stock. Please feel free to let me know if you’d like to special order a set of these Vintage Floral pretties. Other colors are certainly possible! You can email me at michelle.byquietwaters@gmail.com or click here for the By Quiet Waters at Etsy

Tell me in the comments what you are creating these days! I look forward to getting back to blogging, sharing more of what is going on in my sewing studio! Happy Stitching!

An new edition of the much loved story by Max Lucado, Just In Case You Ever Wonder, recently arrived in my mailbox. This book is a good read for a new generation of children.

Wholeheartedness

As often happens, I noticed a thread connecting this story to a stream of thought beginning to run through my head. This theme is emerging through the media I am consuming and things people are saying around me. Wholeheartedness.

Not Enough. Shame

Feelings of inadequacy and shame seem to creep up at an early age in our children. There are many ways that the venom of shame enters their minds. Sometimes it creeps up at school, at the park, or even at home. As parents and grandparents, one of our important tasks is to replace shame with truth, building resiliency and wholeheartedness into our kids.

Resiliency can help a child tell shame to stop right there, and not seep down into the heart. Actually, shame resiliency can kick shame right out the door.

Stories are perfect for sowing truth and wholeheartedness before shame and fear have an opportunity to take root in the hearts of children.

Books like “When God Made You” and “Just in Case You Ever Wonder” are tools to have on your shelves so that you can regularly sow words of truth into the minds of your children.

“The same hands that made the stars made you.
The same hands that made the canyons made you.
The same hands that made the trees and the moon and the sun made you. That’s why you are so special. God made you.”

I’m thankful to have been given this new edition of Just In Case You Ever Wonder. The illustrations are soft, colorful and soothing. The words are timeless. And this will be another tool I use to sow resiliency into the kids in my life.

Thank you to FrontGate media for the complimentary copy of Just In Case You Ever Wonder, in exchange for this review.

The Remarkable Ordinary, by Frederick Buechner

It is very likely that you might not see this, your life might seem to be the sum of very ordinary moments and your work might not seem to hold the significance you long for, but to Frederick Beuchner, the ordinary of life is remarkable.

This book, The Remarkable Ordinary, is only 120 pages, but it took me two months to read.  This collection of mostly unpublished letters invite each of us to recognize that a remarkable life is happening, right here, right now.  Buechner’s way of weaving words illuminated moments of my life that will keep me thinking for some time to come.

One of the things that I love about this book, and will likely find in other Buechner’s books, is that he doesn’t seem to be afraid to wonder, and appears quite alright with not having the answers.

“The deepest mystery of all, I think, is the one to which biblical faith points, which is the idea that we are made not only of matter that comes from the earth and stars, but we are made in the image of God.  Whatever that means.  I don’t know that means altogether, but I think it mans that we bear his mark upon us.  Deep within us.  The face of Christ is within us, his thumbprint is upon us.  The world adds all sorts of things to that holy self that God made, but it still is there, thought we lose track of it in a million ways…” ~To See is to Love, to Love is to See, The Remarkable Ordinary by Frederick Buechner

Along with “The Remarkable Ordinary”, I was given “A Crazy Holy Grace” which I am looking forward to reading as the New Year arrives.  These books were sent to me by HandleBar Publishing in exchange for my thoughts and this blog post.

Blueberry Orange Oatmeal

Reading in May was sparse!  I have several books in process, but May was May and I only finished one!

Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan – Last fall an acquaintance told me about Virginia Prodan and her book.  I started to follow her on FACEBOOK, to learn about her.  Over time I became intrigued and requested this book from the library.  And what timing, the book arrived 2 days before I found myself sick in bed for an evening.  I couldn’t put the book down, but became quiet sleeping and finished it the next morning.  Now it is on my youngest daughter’s nightstand because I spoke so much about the story, that it caught her attention!  This is the story of Communist Romania, and the life of Virginia Prodan as she grew up and then became a lawyer.  She endured persecution, and threats against her family as she defended other Christians and churches in the courts.

This is the only book that I finished in May.  Hopefully I’ll do better in June!