Favorite Books for Kids

Do you the children in your life have too many toys already? Get them books for Christmas! The latest issue of WORLD lists some of the favorite books of WORLD writers and friends. Some of the most often mentioned picture books were: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, Frog and Toad [...]

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Let

This morning, during my quiet time, I was amazed to find how convicting a small three letter word could be. It was simple and sweet. I was reading from Genesis and this little word seemed to pop out at me. In Genesis chapter one, there are eight verses that begin with “And God said, Let…”
Let means: [...]

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Strength for Women

from God Strengthens Us by the Gospel by John Piper
It’s not a strength that the world knows or gives. Women, teenage girls, what do you think of when you think of being a strong woman? Or little girls, when you think of growing up to be a strong woman what do you dream? Getting this [...]

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Modest Thoughts

This week I was looking for a gift for a little girl, and I was shocked to see what Barbie was wearing these days. Not that Barbie has ever been the model of the virtuous women, but her recent outfits seem even more alarming than when I was a girl.
Today at church we finally made [...]

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Mr. Knightly vs. Tom Cruise

 Illustration by C. E. Brock, 1907
Friday night my husband was away, so I naturally seized the opportunity to invite over some friends and pull out the Jane Austen videos. This time I picked Emma,partly because it’s the only Jane Austen the crummy video store had, and partly because you can actually watch the whole thing in one [...]

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Now Thank We All Our God

As Thanksgiving approaches, I love to read the words of this hymn which was penned by Martin Rinkart, a German minister who opened his home to refuges, despite barely having food and shelter for his own family. In 1637 the plagues were the worst and Rinkart was the only minister left to conduct as many [...]

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Thoughts on Thankfulness

“The unvarnished truth is that what we most frequently give thanks for betrays what we most highly treasure.” D.A. Carson from A Call to Spiritual Reformation
“Thanksgiving is the complement of all true prayer.” Hiebert from Working With God
“When gratitude dies on the altar of a man’s heart, that man is well-nigh hopeless.” Dr. Bob Jones [...]

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RBMW, Chapter 1, Part 2

As you’ve probably noticed by now, this is a big book, but don’t worry; we’re reading it slowly! We’re not going to summarize every chapter; but, rather, we’re going to highlight a few ideas from each chapter.
In the remainder of chapter one, Piper attempts, with great caution, to define Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Here are [...]

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Future Men

Do you have too many boys at your house? This article is for you!
Future Men by Douglas Wilson
“So faith is central in bringing up boys, but it is important to remember that the faith is not faith in the boy. It is faith in God, faith in His promises, faith in His wisdom. Faith concerns [...]

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When I grow up, I want to get married!

Brittany Spears is getting a divorce. Though the news is not shocking,  it does strike another blow at perhaps the most stabilizing, and the most mocked, institution in our society, the sacred institution of marriage. Last week we attempted to patch it up with some ballot initiatives, but deep down we know that the law is powerless [...]

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RBMW, Chapter 1, Part 1

I just finished reading the first chapter of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism by John Piper and Wayne Grudem. Last week, Crystal and I invited you to read this daunting book along with us. If you don’t own a copy of the book, you can click on the link for a free [...]

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Boys Will Be Boys, Part 2

Orientation
The union of Adam and Eve is a paradigm for all of us. Jesus refers to that paradigm when teaching on divorce (God did not intend for that union to end). In the same way, Paul refers to the creation paradigm in 1 Corinthians 11:8. The orientation of a man is different than a woman’s. [...]

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With Grateful Hearts

 
 
 (Marshall & Shaylen preparing for the upcoming festivities)
I love this time of the year.  Baking season has officially started in the Joos household. I start preparing mid-October for Thanksgiving & Christmas.  Because it involves baking & shopping, it is probably a favorite with many women!
Lately, I’ve been convicted as I thought of how little I focus on Thanksgiving’s true meaning.  Am [...]

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Learning from Literature

There is a link on the sidebar to another great post about The Chronicles of Narnia. In my 5th & 6th grade class, I pointed out one of the reasons The Chronicles are deemed great literature: the themes. C.S. Lewis takes great themes such as obedience, faith, loyalty, duty, and forgiveness, and dresses them up [...]

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Boys Will Be Boys, Part 1

If you remember, a few weeks ago we posted notes on a series of lessons by Douglas Wilson on Biblical Childrearing. Now we are beginning a new series from the same set of lectures. This series will be specifically about how to preserve your child’s masculine or feminine identity.
Introduction
Our society favors egalatarianism and feminism, both are which are [...]

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