Some of my favorite Christian chapter books for kids (and for myself) are allegories.  There is something special about a good allegorical story with a hidden message that not only draws the reader into the adventure, but also teaches Biblical truths in powerful ways.  Jesus used parables (similar to allegories) as one of His primary ways of teaching, and look at the impact the stories have made on so many!  I don’t think I would appreciate Jesus’ heart for “the lost” if it wasn’t for the story of The Lost Sheep, or God’s overwhelming forgiveness if it wasn’t for The Prodigal Son, or even our call to truly serve others without hearing the story of The Good Samaritan. These stories help us understand and connect on an emotional level with the heart of God.  Similarly, there are also many great chapter books written as allegories to help our children understand God and His ways. 

One of my favorite activities during the summer months is reading chapter books with my kids.  I enjoy snuggling on the couch as we read the next chapter and discuss what we can learn from it. There are some great, classic books out there, but lately I have been searching for some good Christian chapter books with a message of faith. We know a few, and I reviewed one of them below, but I asked some friends (and some of their kids) to tell me their favorites and why they liked them.  

Have you ever wished you could eliminate those countless hours of screen time on long road trips?  What if you could give your kids a constructive activity that the whole family enjoys? I know books are great, and we encourage our kids to read in the car as much as possible. It’s also important to use some car time to talk or play family games, but it’s nice to have other options as well. One of the activities we enjoy on road trips and when traveling around town is listening to audio dramas: stories that come to life through the character’s voices and sound affects without the visual input.

As each new year approaches, I begin to think about what I want to do differently and ask God how I can be more effective and intentional in different areas of my life.  One of the areas I have been praying about is how to be more intentional with my kids.  As a mom, one of the most important assignments I have is to raise my children to know, love, and follow the Lord.

One of the things I enjoy most is picking out the perfect gift.  I want the gift to leave a lasting impression on both mom and baby, whether practical or sentimental.  Gifts that plant seeds of faith and teach little ones how special they are to God are by far some of the most precious treasures they will ever receive.  Here are a few gift ideas to make an eternal impact the next time you are looking for just the right gift for a baby shower.

Have you ever wondered how to teach your kids to love God with all of their heart? After all, this is the first and greatest commandment that God has given us to teach them!

What do you want your children to look like when they are grown?  Do you desire for them to be focused on success, materialism, and entertainment? Or do you want them to be living in communion with God and raising your grandchildren to live for the Lord as well?  

Recently the Lord connected me with Charmé Fletcher, founder of the blog, Covenant Heirs, and coauthor with her husband of Making a Spiritual Discipleship Plan.  My husband and I enjoyed using her spiritual discipleship plan resource to come up with our own discipleship plan for our family.  It is an amazing tool and really helped us develop a vision for our family, so we stay centered on what matters most in life.  I asked her to guest blog for us to tell you more about this wonderful tool…