October Favorites

Activity: Make a Toy Mansion

This is one of my kids’ favorite boring-day projects. We start with a large cardboard box (if it’s got images on it–like a diaper box–turn it inside out). I use the bottom of the box for the roof and the open top flaps as the “grassy lawn.” Cut off the back flap of the “lawn” and use it to enclose the top of the roof (see the purple strip on the very top of our model). Once you’ve constructed the house, let the kids paint it, add whatever details you want, and then after it’s dry invite the stuffed animals (and perhaps small toddlers) to come on in!

Article: Is Public School An Option? by Al Mohler
People frequently ask me where I plan to send my kids (now 4 and 2) to school. The answer is, I have no idea. I’ve taken no strong stance on public schooling, private schooling, or homeschooling, simply because I haven’t needed to think about it. But that luxury is rapidly evaporating, and I find myself wondering, how am I going to school my kids? For any parent asking the same question, I think this article is worth reading. Al Mohler examines the historical influences that impacted the changing ideology behind public schooling, and why he believes public schools are becoming less of an option for Christians. I’ll warn you, the article takes a strong stance on an already heated issue, but in my opinion it never hurts to learn the facts–in fact, it may hurt not to.

Product: “Baking Everyday Better” Homemade Treats

With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, these tasty made-from-scratch (affordable) treats are a great idea for local folks hosting parties. I can personally vouch for the A-MAZING cinnamon rolls and Oreo Grasshopper Cake, and I hear the Lemon-Raspberry Cake is divine! Although this has nothing to do with the treats themselves, I can also vouch for the incredible heart of the baker, Destiny. Check out the Baking Everyday Better Facebook page to place an order.

Movie: Lee Daniels’ The Butler

While I’ve heard this movie was very loosely based on the true story, the sheer life span of this one butler is remarkable. The character Cecil Gaines (based on Eugene Allen) lived to serve eight American presidents through the tumultuous years of the Civil Rights movement. To me, the most fascinating aspect of the movie was the way it showed two different African American men’s approaches to surviving and thriving during an evil and oppressive era in our history. While Gaines’s son fights for equality, his father chooses to serve the very men shaping the future of the United States. This movie opened my eyes in a new and meaningful way, leaving me in tears as I watched a man who was born into oppression live to see an African American elected president of the United States.

Book: The Red Sea Rules by Robert Morgan
Have you ever felt like you were in an impossible place–a scary, painful, “where is God” kind of place, and you just longed to sit down with a cup of coffee and a really wise somebody who could give you some advice? If so, you need to sit down with Robert Morgan. In his book, The Red Sea Rules, Morgan uses the Red Sea account in Exodus to draw out ten practical principles for difficult seasons of life. The book is short and to the point, built around the truth that “The same God who led you in will lead you out.” This book comforted me at a time when I felt abandoned by God and needed perspective on how to face suffering as a believer.