DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

Just today actually, I had the pleasure of hearing a male lion roar repeatedly apparently to just say good morning to those around him. At least that’s what our tour guide said. Either way, that roar was unmistakable. It caused us to pay attention. And reminded us that you would never want to be between him and something he wants. Today I’m also reviewing Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith by Levi Lusko with Tama Fortner from Tommy Nelson Books and considering how a courageous faith can be seen in the roar of a lion.

What We Received:

We were given one hardbacked book, Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith by Levi Lusko with Tama Fortner from Tommy Nelson Books. It has 192 pages and color illustrations on almost every page.

How It Works:

This devotional book has a contents at the beginning where every devotion is numbered, named and page number is listed. While they are listed and named in a particular order, there is no demand for reading them in order. Each one begins with a scripture from the Bible, discusses relevant life issues pertaining to it and then charges the reader with an area of growth or practice. On the second page of most every devotion there is a Did You Know? section. In this section, there is often some historical fact or person that the reader can learn from. Each devotion is capable of standing alone or, if read through from start to finish, builds nicely on each other.

What We Thought:

While the recommended age of readers is 6-10, we have been reading it as a family which includes my 4 and 10 year old. The 4 year old likely misses some of it and the 10 year old is already picking up on a lot of it, but as a group there is much value. The content is relevant while also being gentle with hard things, like death and destruction. The author wisely handles his way around talking about what everyone is dealing with - scary things on the news, really hard days, loss, etc. and overlaying perspective from God and scripture. I appreciate that this book not only takes hard things on easily, but the collection of devotions have an overarching purpose: To develop a courageous faith. If there is any expectation at all, its that the type of faith we need is something we must practice and build over time. Fighting fear and standing up anyway, isn’t something that naturally just rolls out fully formed. It takes perspective and practice. Each devotion works on teaching scriptural perspectives that can support our kids as they come in contact with scary and unsure moments in life.

Between the imagery in the Bible and the Chronicles of Narnia’s Aslan, the lion often represents the strength and terror of God. Teaching our kids to have a courageous faith is something I wonder how well I’m equipped for. Do I have a courageous faith. Many days, I am not sure. What this book does a beautiful job of is setting the intention up in our hearts as we read through the devotions -the intention to be courageous in the face of many facets of fear and trials. As a parent, I know many of the types of struggles that are coming down the pike for my children, but I often would just rather protect them than anything else. That doesn’t equip them for what they will have to face though. This book of devotions is a gentle starting point that is useful for any family devotion time.

Follow Tommy Nelson Books on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tommynelsonbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommynelsonbooks/

Curious about what other families thought about this book? Check out the rest of the Crew reviews through this link below.

I can remember as a teenager living with my parents getting so annoyed at car commercials. I don’t mean the ones where some company showcases their latest model. I’m talking about the loudmouthed guy hollering out deals and details about his new and used cars ready to move. Never, ever has one of those commercials convinced me to visit their lot. If anything the obnoxious sound motivated me to skip them if I could help it. I don’t know how other people shop for cars, but I usually know what I’m in the market for and just go where they sell those. Commercials like that are a waste of time, in my opinion.

And, folks, 25 years later the media as a whole is now in the same boat as those used car lot commercials. When they aren’t out right lying, the contradictions are endless. It is understandable that people get it wrong sometimes. You and I both know that. We are all human, after all. Still, that’s not what this is anymore. From cancel culture to conflicts of interest, there are a lot of people motivated by greed and evil. That alone means we cannot rely on our culture’s mouthpiece to tell us the truth. Whether you are looking for health advice or finance tips, the world is not going to spoon-feed you truth. Because everyone in positions of authority or expertise are evil? No. At least I hope not. No, it’s because the messages being shoved in our faces like a used car salesman screams out of the tv aren’t trustworthy on their own merit. They have been proven wrong, proven distorted and often motivated by evil intentions. We as a society have been resisting it for a while, but the time has come for us to take care of ourselves without expecting society to do it for us.

Maybe you’re thinking about a homesteading commune up in Montana right about now. The thought is tempting, but that’s not exactly where I’m headed. I’m talking about truth and how we can walk in it. From scripture to oil changes, diet to history books, we have to get our hands dirty in order to determine what is true or not. How can you know if the preacher is misapplying scripture? You have to know the Bible and be able to search it yourself. How can you tell if your financial investor is a crook? It might help if you paid attention to where your money is going. Have you noticed how many times science has changed its mind over the last 50 years like whether eggs are bad, fat is bad, milk is good? How can you know the truth? You have to dig in and not take one person’s word for it. How can we protect our children and families from predators of all kinds? We have to be paying attention.

From the moment that remote kept us from having to get up to change the channel, we started to take a dive into a very comfortable place. It is so comfortable that we stopped paying attention. The preacher will tell me what is right. The school will make sure the kids are okay. The doctor wouldn’t lead me wrong. The finance guy would never steal my money. The grocery store surely wouldn’t sell something that might make me sick. And everyone will do what they are supposed to. Except many, many times they don’t. I’m not suggesting that we live a cold life full of mistrust, anxiety and panic. I’m just trying to remind you that nobody else is going to do it for you. All are human and subject to sin. Even the best ones aren’t going to think for you and your family’s particular needs and circumstances. No one is going to force you look for the truth in all things.

I have found it hard to write lately because there is just so much stress, controversy and evil blazing around. It’s hard to know what to say. Growing up as a Christian in a very Christian nation makes for sometimes ill-prepared adults when the wind changes. As an alternative health, homeschooling, ADHD-suffering, Christian mom, I’ve felt like a black sheep my whole life. If you’re new to feeling outnumbered, here are some things to remember.

-Acceptance and approval does NOT equal doing the right thing. Doing the RIGHT thing usually means doing what is the opposite of the masses.

-The big picture is more important. Media and culture will try to convince you that it’s not that big of a deal. There are lasting effects to every choice we make. Do you know what your choice today means for the big picture tomorrow? If you haven’t thought about it, you should right now.

-Harmonize. As Christians we trust in the Bible to show us truth. That means any choice or decision should be in harmony with the whole gospel, not just that verse you picked out. Make it ALL make sense. If you can’t, then let’s reconsider.

-If you’re not sure what to do, it’s probably time to get your hands dirty learning and growing.

There has been evil since the days of Noah and nothing new under the sun. To some everything looks full of doom and gloom. Maybe it is, but that doesn’t change God’s promises. In each moment in time when God has brought victory in some way, there was a lot of doom and gloom. We might be out of practice in going against the grain in our daily culture, but we still have the tools God has provided us. They haven’t changed or grown dull, if we choose to use them. I’ve gotten several why questions lately about various evil or wrong things happening in the world and I almost don’t want to answer them. I’d rather the world go back to “normal” and we can ignore the evil as much as possible. Still, my kids are growing up in all of this so we have to address it. Why doesn’t it look like the truth is winning in some places? The best answer I’ve come up with is that God is allowing us to work a little harder for the truth. The good stuff doesn’t come easy and the world has given up on the good stuff in hopes the easy will be enough. And they are getting their reward.

DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

Every time one of my children has successfully learned to read, I have felt like a rock star and halfway through homeschooling! That might be an exaggerated reaction, but learning to read is the most important thing to start students off in the right direction. Once they master it, it can be tempting to just relax because, “as long as they are reading, right?” It’s I have subscribed to that line of thinking a lot, sometimes out of sheer exhaustion or limited options. Doing the intentional work on comprehension, writing and vocabulary can get lost in the shuffle of 3 kids, math meltdowns and other activities. Today’s review provides a platform to work and monitor these elements while providing a ton of books for your child to read and work with. We were given the opportunity to try out the Premium Subscription to LightSail for Homeschoolers which includes Reading, Writing, Vocabulary and Fluency work and tracking.

What We Received:

We were given a one year subscription to LightSail with access for up to 5 children. The 4 year old was provided access to World Book Early Learners and the 8 and 10 year olds have full access to LightSail Premium.

How It Works:

According to their website, LightSail for Homeschoolers is a reading-centric, adaptive language arts platform. This program allows students to be placement tested in reading skills through a Power Challenge. There is an initial one to get each student started, but then certain books (indicated clearly) include a power challenge to continue evaluating their level. The library of books is enormous and searchable by category, level and name. It includes access to World Book which provides some really interesting live streams and educational videos. Each child has their own login information and parents have a dashboard where they can adjust and evaluate each all students’ progress. From the dashboard parents can set assignments for each child. As students read books and engage in activities, the program tracks all the things - vocabulary, fluency, etc. The library consists of K-12 level books which means not all books are appropriate for all ages. Some books require parent approval first which is something either student or parent can initiate.

What We Thought:

LightSail is a massive resource and very overwhelming at first. It was recommended that we watch the intro videos before diving in, but we didn’t follow that advice at first. Big mistake. The big kids tried it out and kept getting frustrated because they essentially didn’t know how it worked. So I tried to help them and I got pretty frustrated. Then, I remembered the intro videos and finally did what I should have started with! The concept and platform of LightSail is educationally sound and very versatile. With so much trouble at first, we have come to the conclusion that we haven’t even begun the scratch the surface of what LightSail can do. Through this program, my 4 year old has access to all kinds of videos, games and activities in addition to books, which he loves.

Besides being overwhelming at first, the only other concern we had was that after a little bit of use it often slowed way down and required us to logout and log back in. That was a little time consuming, but fixable. Overall, this seems to be a wonderful resource to effectively evaluate and challenge your student’s language arts level that can be really handy the older they get!

Social Media Links: LightSail for Homeschoolers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LightSailEd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightsailed/

Are you interested in other family’s experience with this product? Check out the other reviews through the link below.

DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

What is the most important skill that you can give your kids as Christian parents? What could be a big deciding factor in the choices they make into adulthood? What is the best approach for personal and spiritual growth for children and adults alike? Bible study! The ability to study and accurately understand the Bible isn’t something you learn by osmosis from sitting through a few church services. Even your parents or best friend knowing a lot about the Bible does not ensure you will be equipped with knowledge and discernment. One of my favorite freedoms in homeschooling is including the Bible in all of our subjects. Today’s review is a great tool for all Bible students, especially new ones! We’re talking about Bible Breakdowns from Teach Sunday School!

What We Received:

We were given a family license to Bible Breakdowns from Teach Sunday School. These are brightly colored digital PDFs of breakdowns of the Old and New Testament books of the Bible that can be printed off as often as necessary for the use of our family.

How It Works:

Each Bible Breakdown provides information about the author, date written, number of chapters, type of book and purpose of the specific book. Sometimes this will include interesting facts about the book or most popular verses. The breakdown also includes an outline of the verses and chapters. This collection of information can be used in a variety of ways, but all point back to Bible study in some form or fashion. It is common in our culture to know a certain verse and display it on our wall, but how often can you describe the context of the verse or better yet it’s relevance to the bigger picture of the Bible? These breakdowns can be a great overview when you are studying a new book. They also work great for quizzing your family on Bible trivia! Another practice of diligent Bible students is to memorize long passages and sometimes books. Bible Breakdowns can provide prompting as students work on memorization. In the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling, retelling passages in your own words is a regular component to learning. These sheets can support greater comprehension and retention when students work to retell passages they have read.

How We Used It:

The consistent curriculum that we use includes Bible and Bible History as a basis for everything else. This year we have begun a survey of the Old Testament. In looking at the Genesis breakdown, we have been able to practice timeline memorization, story summaries and solidify devotional concepts. I am part of a local women’s Bible study that is studying Titus. The Titus breakdown has been given and reminded me of the larger context beyond just the chapter we are studying on one night.

There are a variety of ways to use these sheets, but it truly doesn’t matter how as long as you allow them to support deeper Bible study. In my life, I have seen many people grow disillusioned with God and the church when life becomes difficult. The majority of the time, there is a huge lack in understanding about God’s will, His intention and expectations for us. The devils spreads lies and uses our desires against us. Without a deep, contextual and full understanding of God’s word, not only is growth very difficult, it is also just easier to believe the lies.

If you are looking for a versatile tool to enrich your family’s Bible study, I think this is a great product for you!

Follow Teach Sunday School on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SundaySchoolLessons
Instagram: @teachsundayschool
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/biblefun/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChwHfenlbCBU_XfzvqCFFPA

Wondering how other families used this product? Check out the other reviews through the link below:

DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

With the online educational world exploding with all kinds of programs, it can be so hard to know what is going to be a good fit for your child. The value of reviews like this is that you get a feel for what things look like from a real student and parent’s point of view to help better educate your decision. For today’s review we are looking at Counting Kingdom from the Reading Kingdom family of programs.

What We Received:

We received one year of access to the online program Counting Kingdom, a part of the Reading Kingdom family..

How It Works:

This online program is intended for ages 3+ and designed to introduce students to mathematical and reasoning concepts. The program is divided into 3 levels. Level 1 introduces numbers 1-10 gradually and practices counting. Level 2 graduates to higher-level concepts like all and same number. Level 3 introduces memory and addition concepts. The program recommends students to use it at least 4 days a week and 5 being better. On the Dashboard page, records of each student’s progress is kept for all Reading Kingdom programs. Counting Kingdom keeps a running evaluation of each lesson and level. Also on the dashboard is a settings option to speed up or slow down the program’s expected response time. The program asks the student to place a number of pictures in the box or click on the appropriate number. After so much time of either no response or incorrect response, it will answer for the student. This customizes the program to each student’s pace.

What We Thought:

I used this program with my 4 year old son who has already had some experience with counting and number recognition. He’s also used other online educational programs so this isn’t his first time. We ended up using it about twice a week rather than the recommended 4 times. The skills of counting and recognizing numbers were not a problem, but the mouse skills were very frustrating to him. He struggled to both hold down a button and drag items. A touch screen or tablet would probably have been better for him, but we didn’t have one available during the review time. Eventually, he could get the hang of it, but the tasks didn’t change all that much so he became really discouraged and didn’t want to do it for very long. He is definitely a task oriented person and the amount of struggle combined with the monotony of the same 3 activities, it seemed to leave him very unfulfilled.

This program seems to be designed for someone who need and/or responds well to repetitive and simplified tasks. I can see it being useful in certain special needs educational settings or remedial work. More than anything, it serves very specific needs rather than a broad spectrum so it is beneficial to test drive their free trial to see if it fits your family’s needs.

Follow Reading Kingdom on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingkingdom
Twitter: https://twitter.com/readingkingdom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingkingdom/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/readingkingdom/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ReadingKingdom

The Crew tried out other products from Reading Kingdom including Story Smarts and Spelling Ninja! To find out how those programs work, check out the reviews through the link below.

DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

As parents and teachers, we all hope that our students will get the hang of concepts naturally and gradually. Really great curriculum introduce concepts little by little long before students have to tackle it head on. Many times, that is enough! Despite our best efforts though, students sometimes struggle and need extra concentrated support sometimes. Today’s review is just such a book. We’re taking a look at
Understanding Fractions from The Critical Thinking Co.™.

What We Received:

We received Understanding Fractions from The Critical Thinking Co.™, a 61-page paperback workbook designed for single person use. Pages are perforated and can be taken out of the book.

How It Works:

Understanding Fractions is intended for students grades 2-4 and ages 7-10. The concepts build on each other so it is intended to completed front to back. However, sections are labelled so you could select a specific set of problems to work on to address a particular weakness. This workbook uses over 50 pages to introduce and reinforce what many textbooks cover in less than 10. It begins with how fractions work and how to identify fractions properly. There is about 10 pages of ‘What fraction?’ exercises where students determine what fraction a number is of the whole with a variety of different themes (vehicles, foods, money, etc.) After that it introduces shapes and shaded areas which provides a visual element to the concept. From there the exercises build and continue to vary. Page 28 features a ‘What’s the New Word?’ activity where fraction language (whole, half, third) is utilized create new words. The last half introduces mixed numbers, adding and subtracting fractions with plenty of exercises to practice. There are a couple of Review pages and a Final Review at the end of the worksheets. The back of the workbook features an answer key and Fraction Circle Cut-Outs that can be used as manipulatives where needed.

What We Thought:

My 8 year old daughter who is in the 3rd grade used this book and enjoyed it. She enjoys math but hasn’t gotten to all the elements in her regular math work so this was an appropriate addition. In her case, having not gotten to adding or subtracting fractions yet, it wasn’t entirely enough on its own to teach it for the first time. The book as a whole, however, is perfect for someone who was introduced to fractions in regular schoolwork, but struggled. This revisiting and concentrated focus on understanding fractions seems ideal for getting a student through a crisis or an older student caught up.

Fractions are one of those concepts that if you don’t get it down, it will create roadblocks for you throughout your life. We may not all walk around remembering how to multiply fractions, but having a working understanding of how fractions work affect our every day life. This book is a great tool in ensuring your student is prepared! The Critical Thinking Co.™ has a great history of offering tools to bridge whatever gap you are facing in your child’s educational journey.

Follow The Critical Thinking Co. on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCriticalThinkingCo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/criticalthinks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecriticalthinkingco/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/criticalthinks/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsVEVNa6UpVqXxo_t5sbb7Q

The Crew reviewed a variety of books this time around so check out the link below to see what other items they have to offer.

DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

One of the hardest challenges in education is finding the right balance of student enjoyment and actual student learning. As educators, you know they learn the best when they are enjoying themselves - when it becomes a game or playing somehow, but at the same time you also know they are NOT going to love everything the world will require of them, thus learning may not always be a joy ride. Thankfully, there are some things in life that are both educational AND fun! Today, we’re talking about one of our favorites, Reading Eggs and Mathseeds from the Reading Eggs company.

What We Received:

We received a one-year subscription to Reading Eggs and Math Seeds for up to 4 students, of which we used 3.

How It Works:

Reading Eggs is an online program designed to enhance reading, comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling skills through videos, games and online books. There are 3 levels: Reading Eggs Junior for ages 2-4, Reading Eggs for ages 3-7, and Reading Eggspress for ages 7-13. Students can move back and forth between these levels at any time and accumulate eggs as a reward and form of currency that can be used to buy things like clothing for their avatar or additions to their apartment section. Additionally, there is a section called Fast Phonics that is just games that help support phonetic skills. Math Seeds is a companion program that works on math skills in a similar fashion as Reading Eggs, but uses acorns as its currency. All parts of the program keep records of what and how the student is doing for reference. There are also printable activity sheets (in English and Spanish) that align with each map in the program. If you would like to develop an entire homeschool program surrounding their products, they provide a complete recommendation for K-2nd grade. Sold separately, they offer workbooks for K-5 too.

What We Thought:

We are not new to Reading Eggs so I can say with confidence that it is a very fun and educational program. Since we use paper and pencil based curriculum for their core work, Reading Eggs is seen as a fun reward in our house. My 3 children at 10, 8 and 4 years old each have their own account, but they all often enjoy watching their siblings play on the program. They especially explain that they were helping their little brother when found watching over his shoulder while supposed to be doing something else. The older two children probably utilize Reading Eggs to the fullest because they can play all the games and read read many level of books, but my 4 year old has certainly benefitted the most as he’s navigating phonics and starting to form words.. One of the things I appreciate about Reading Eggs for beginners is how they aren’t required to be too precise with their use of the mouse. Other programs have been very frustrating to little hands just learning to maneuver.

With everything so customizable and student-led, each child has a unique and positive experience that makes learning natural and fun. If you’re looking for an online reading program, Reading Eggs should be at the top of your list.

Follow Reading Eggs on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingeggsUSCA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/readingeggs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingeggs/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ED-7e2xA3fxgrM7Wq2XGQ

Looking for a different age or experience level? Several other families shared their reviews through the link below:

Sometime in my teen years, I attended a family reunion in Ardmore, OK. I remember it because what I saw there would somehow be the landscape for my dreams. There was a walkway outside the building we were in that would wind you around in front of a beautiful estate - at least that’s how I remember it. My daydreams about the future would often take place there, behind the 3 car garage, imagining a safe embrace of a husband and children that would thrill my soul in hopes of the future. It was a young girl’s fantasy, but also it was very peaceful. That peace has drawn me back a lot lately. The answers to my future questions are bustling around in the other room putting breakfast together. They are beautiful and more thrilling than I imagined. But managing this life is harder than I thought. More than that, the world that I find myself in today, is nothing I ever imagined and it’s turning out to be a lot harder to bear than I thought.

How are you handling things? I know many people aren’t even talking about it. Usually, there are two types of people right now. The advocates, who are really vocal about what they view as the problem or the Everything is Fine bunch who are just trying to hold it all together, hoping, pretending everything is fine. And honestly, I feel myself hopping the fence from one category to another when really, something else needs to be said.

The stress of what has been happening the last year and a half is toxic. The stress we are all collectively enduring is toxic. You can go argue all you want about who is to blame, but in the mean time, we are feeding on toxic fumes of chaos and mayhem. Ask any of your local teachers and they will tell you how worried they are about the mental health and safety of their kids. Violence is up. Suicide is up. Self-medicating in all kinds of forms is up. Marriages and relationships have been put to the test and many, sadly, have failed. The stress of our current state of affairs is something none of us were prepared for. It’s time we all said it out loud and admit it.

My baby is 4 1/2 which means I’m 4 1/2 years past my last pregnancy. How many years does it take to lost baby weight? It feels like it shouldn’t take that long. And truth be told, I’ve had a lot of healing to do since I carried that giant of a child (10 lbs) at 37 years old, but despite all of the healthy eating and extra moving I’ve been doing, the improvement isn’t obvious to anyone else. If I know ANYTHING about myself, I know the issue at hand is stress. I’ve never handled stress well and currently trying to manage stress of the entire world on top of my own ADHD homeschooling, housekeeping reality isn’t really working. The whole overthinking problem that’s always been there has been lit on fire and exploded onto the current climate of society. That little realm of things I can control -like the health of my body- hasn’t really been attended to. I have years of experience eating healthy and exercising so I know how to do that. I’ve never mastered chronic stress and certainly never experienced such an onslaught of different kinds of stress not letting up.

Last week’s post, Hope: The Missing Ingredient, was the beginning of this conversation that we need to have about stress. Like in an emergency, everything came to an emotional standstill a year and a half ago as we all held our breath. But as things have played out, we stayed mentally in the emergency place (for obvious reasons) and in some ways forgot about where our direction should actually be coming from. We never moved past fight or flight. Today, though, I’m trying to move on. I don’t mean that there aren’t needs or emergencies in our lives. I mean our society as a whole has a little (or a lot) of PTSD and needs to start dealing with it.

Writing this all down is my way of trying to move the stress out of me. I don’t know what works the best for you, but I want to encourage you to find it. So many of us don’t know how to constructively deal with stress and now we have a generation of children needing those skills more than anything! Unless we, as adults make space for our mental health, there will be no one to teach them. Exercise, sports, art, reading, construction, gardening, singing, there are a million things a person could do, but they likely won’t unless they recognize the value it brings to their life. As a wife and homeschooling mother, I have far too many things filling up my time to justify blocking out hours a week to write UNLESS I recognize that without it I might not be here to fill those roles in the first place. All manner of physical and mental health issues are directly affected by stress. ALL of them. With the current climate of the world (as in the world has gone crazy), we aren’t able just suck up and manage. Find and do the things that you love. In the midst of the hardships we are all facing, make that sport or hobby or quiet creative time a priority every week.

Let’s all admit that we’re struggling (I sure am!) and do better this week.

“Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24

Hope. For so long, we’ve allowed ourselves to hope in things other than God’s promises. We hope in our money and things. We hope in our ‘side’ being right. We hope in our country being the best. We hope in our issue being the only one that matters. We even hope in lies that we know are likely lies, because we can’t handle the reevaluating that inevitably comes from challenging our worldview.

We like certain quotes or articles on social media that claim to put hope in God and what His assurances are. We might even say amen to the preacher who reminds us that this is God’s show through and through. We know who is on the throne, don’t we? But we really don’t act like it, do we?

I’m sensitive with an overactive brain so I’m just as guilty as the next guy about getting sucked into what the mob is yelling today or who disagrees with my life choices. It’s been incredibly exhausting to keep a mental balance on all of the trauma and drama our world has been through lately. I’ve cried out for mercy so many times because it just seems too much and the threat of more to come is the nightmare of movies. Surely this isn’t real life! But then I’m reminded of the good things, the right things, the hopeful things and I hate how I can get so caught up in the strife.

Do you remember how Peter argued with Jesus about what was to come? I feel like Peter all the time arguing with the Lord about why this is happening and how it has to stop! What if God is doing exactly what needs to be done to bring about his good will? I can stand and argue about it or I can get out of His way and obey Him.

As much as we might think our biggest fear is the only thing that matters right now, everyone in the world could be facing a far different but equally as great fear. We obviously don’t have every answer in all of these situations, but we do have hope. Did you forget that? I did.

Are you worried or discouraged about your livelihood? Maybe you’ll be pushed to make the change that’s been needed for a while. There is hope. Is your health painting a grim picture? Maybe you’ll start looking in other places to get the answers you need. There is hope. Can your marriage be saved? Is a friendship about to die? Perhaps your eyes are about to be opened to some truth you’ve been denying for a while. There is hope. Most importantly, is your spiritual life in shambles and the path forward unclear? Maybe it’s taken all of this to get you to admit it and do something about it! There is hope.

There is a lot of unrest and valid concerns being expressed on the internet every. single. day. You know what isn’t being talked about very much? Hope. Legitimate hope that can help you take a breath in the morning and try again hope. I would really like to bring hope to my corner of the world wide web. I mess up a lot, but I also have some amazing people and resources in my life, thanks to the mercy of God, that give me hope. Worried about money? There’s a lot I don’t know, but what I do know brings me hope. Worried about the education of your kids? Not an expert, but from what I’ve experienced and the people I know who have done it, I have so much hope. Are you worried about your health? Again, not a doctor and not giving medical advice, but I have some amazing resources and perspectives that gives me so much hope. Not sure what God wants from you? Reading the Bible brings me so much hope.

In my ADHD discovery, I’ve learned how incredibly awkward and closed off I can be at times. It’s not intentional, but it’s a very real coping strategy that I’m finally understanding. In light of that, I’m learning its important for me to communicate clearer than I feel like I should have to. So, here goes. If you’re worried - and let’s not lie to ourselves - we’ve all been worried - and can’t let go of it, maybe you would like to share some of my hope? I want to help you, but I also don’t want to be pushy. Sometimes I want to help so much I turn into a bulldog mother who won’t take no for an answer and end up pushing people away. I don’t like being that way so I’m working on it. Still want to bring you hope though, if you need it.

Everyone I know is really starting to feel the pressure and ignoring the stress isn’t going to solve it. Let’s start spreading hope and if you need some, hit me up!

DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

Of all the products I’ve reviewed, I think The Fallacy Detective is probably the most relevant and significant product I have shared with my children. We are shamefully in a time where the arguments and debates that are promoted the most are full of holes and outright lies. Our culture is conditioning us to NOT think for ourselves and certainly to just accept status quo without question. As believers we are taught to test all things, but its becoming increasingly complicated to do that when it disagrees with society. Today’s review, The Fallacy Detective, provides tools to recognize bad reasoning, something that is swarming our kids right now!

What We Received:

We were given one paperback book, The Fallacy Detective: Workbook Edition by Nathanial Bluedorn & Hans Bluedorn. It has 38 lessons and is over 250 pages long.

How It Works:

This book is divided into lessons where a particular concept is introduced and then exercises are provided at the end to practice what has just been introduced. The reader is introduced to what a fallacy is -an error in logic- at the beginning and then spends much of the book talking about all different kinds of fallacies that often get promoted. The lessons are usually just a couple of pages long with multiple pages of exercises to follow. Answers to the exercises are included at the back of the book. Also near the end of the book is a section on The Fallacy Detective Game. The game is intended for 4 players who understand what a fallacy and propaganda is.

What We Thought:

Logic and reasoning are things I am pretty good at on paper, but as soon as there are real people arguing back at me, I have zero skills. My sensitive emotional brain takes over and I commit all of the fallacies discussed in the book! On the other hand, I am married to an engineer that some days can’t see anything BUT logic and reason. We’re quite a trip, as marriages go. So, this book has been one of the most productive and fun activities that we have done as a family! We all need help understanding and holding each other accountable when we are reasoning things out and especially when fights pop up. The book is designed in such a way that a single person can read through it and do the exercises themselves. However, we read it aloud as a family and then worked through the exercises together. This format seems ideal for fleshing out arguments and debates. It claims to be intended for 12 year old children and up, but in our given format as a family, it worked great for our 8 and 10 year old. The 4 year old would holler out “Red herring!” quite a bit when a question was posed to the family, but he just wanted to participate. Still, just including the language about logic and weak arguments in our family is creating a healthier environment for discussions and understanding.

There are a lot of hot topics right now that might motivate you, but the need applies to everything we may encounter. The need to reason well and spot weak or false arguments is something far more valuable that piano scales or math formulas. Whether we’re discussing scripture, partner agreements or politics, our families need to be able to seek truth for themselves and not get caught up in quick arguments that easily pull the wool over our eyes if we’re not paying attention. I highly recommend every family to include this book in their family readings especially as children near adolescence.

Follow Fallacy Detective on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fallacydetective
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hansbluedorn/

Are you looking for another perspective from older children, perhaps? Or maybe you would like to hear about Archer & Zowie, another book by the same authors? Check out the other reviews from the Crew through the link below.