Embracing a Year of Rest

2015 is our year of rest.  Why? Because the number 15 means "Rest".  I embrace this year and can't wait to see what God has in store for us and to learn more about His Rest!

So how do you rest with an elementary aged child, a toddler that is turning 2, and a newbie coming in April?! My only answer to that is this...

What does "rest" mean Biblically? Let's go to the greek definition... "to cease, to be refreshed, to settle down, to abide".  I don't know about you, but I could use a little bit of ALL those in that definition!  I just know there will be things God will cease this year, refresh this year, settle down this year and He's going to teach us to abide in Him more than we ever have before.

How do you rest? I would love to think of it as being able to curl up on my couch with a cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket and do nothing! But, I don't believe that is God's definition of rest at all.  It doesn't mean being a couch potato.  In fact, God is showing me it has much to do with "trust". How much do you trust God with EVERY thing? That was a tough question for me because at first I could say, everything, but when I truly thought about it and started really looking at things, I didn't trust Him with everything.  In fact, many things I still have control over and turn to Him when I need Him to intervene.  God has been teaching me that isn't what He wants.  He wants more, in fact, He wants all my trust, even in the things I have control over or think I have control over, so that He can turn it into much MORE.  Because His thoughts are higher than mine and His ways are higher than mine.

This year is about full surrender to Him in every aspect of my life! I want to be able to abide so fully in Him, that the "me" side that wants to take control decides to just step back and wait.  God started showing me that full surrender, full abiding, full rest comes when I let go and let God.  It reminds me of the verse in Psalm that says to wait patiently on the Lord to act.  When we act, God waits, but when we wait, God acts! There is more God wants to bestow on us... but are you acting or waiting?! I choose to wait this year, because I want more, I need more, and I need a refreshing!

What about you? What does 2015 hold for you?

~Bekah

Product Review & Giveaway: Theo - God's Truth Volume 4 (Home Edition)

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL PROVIDED: I received a copy of this DVD from Family Christian for review purposes.  I was not compensated for this review, nor was I required to post a positive review.  The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.  This post contains NO affiliate links.

Product Review: Theo - God's Truth Volume 4 (Home Edition)

Overview

Theo, God's Truth Volume 4 contains three lessons to watch and it comes with a Parent's Guide where each lesson has six daily devotionals all planned out to discuss and do with your child(ren).  I found this DVD to be pretty awesome and was my first time actually watching one of these films.  I was extremely impressed!

Each lesson to watch on the DVD was no longer than 11 minutes, some were shorter than that.  The characters Luther and Belfry, which are Theo's mouse friends are fun to watch too.  The lessons target specific topics such as, Abiding in Christ, Light Unto My Path and What is the Church? Theo helps to illuminate each topic and bring it to life for children to understand.  

Lesson 11 - Abiding in Christ

In this lesson, Theo helps children to understand what it means to abide in the vine.  Theo tells the children that understanding the Bible, obeying the Bible and keeping the Bible in our hearts and minds are all important ways for us to abide in the vine, because John 1 tells us that Christ is the "Word of God".  Luther and Belfry even help the children have this concept sink in by Belfry playing copycat with Luther.  My six year old son watched this segment and he grasped what it meant to abide in the vine!

Lesson 12 - Light Unto My Path

In this lesson, Theo teaches the children that the Bible is like a light in the darkness.  Theo's mouse friends Luther and Belfry help sink this concept in by running through the dark woods without flashlight and end up tripping and falling along the way because they couldn't see.  Without the Bible we would be lost in the world, unable to see right from wrong and unable to clearly identify the path we should truly be on.  I helped sink this in with my six year old by using a flashlight.  First, I had no batteries in the flashlight and I gave it to him to try and turn on, of course, it didn't work.  I told him that when we don't read the Bible and get it in our hearts and minds, we have no light to shine for others to see.  Then I gave him the flashlight with batteries put in backwards and he tried to turn it on and of course it didn't work.  I told him this is like a person that reads the Bible now and then, but many times it sits on the shelves to collect dust.  Only utilizing it when you need it, but otherwise goes through life still trying to do things on their own.  Then I gave him the flashlight with the batteries put in correctly and this time it turned on! He says, this is a person who knows the Bible! And I said, YES!!! This person has hid the Word in their heart and mind and the light shines for all to see and for that person to know which way to go in life.

Lesson 13 - What is the Church?

In this lesson, Theo teaches the children that church is more than a building made of brick or wood. He points them to where the Bible tells about the early church and that it first began on Pentecost.  The church is made up believers of all kinds of people who believe in Jesus and follow Him.  My six year old son watched this one and said to me, I'm a part of the church, but some of my friends at school are not.  I asked him, what makes you think that.  And he said, because they don't have Jesus in their heart and don't believe in Him.  I said, you are right, that doesn't make them part of the church, but told him we can be lights to them and we can pray for them that they come to know to the truth.  So, his prayer that night before bed was that his friends at school would come to know Jesus and ask Him into their hearts.

I highly suggest this DVD for parents, homeschoolers, and for the children's ministry at church! The clips are short, so you can still use object lessons and other supplements to help the point to sink in for the kids and learn in fun ways.  Parents who want to go deeper with their kids and start devotionals, this is a GREAT starting point!!! And the coolest part, you get a Parent's Guide booklet that contains six days of devotionals for each lesson to help it sink in.  Children's ministry leaders, this would be a GREAT investment for a class to take kids deeper into the Bible in a small group setting.  There is so many wonderful ways you can use this DVD.

Giveaway

Family Christian who sent me this DVD to watch and write an objective review has given me a $10 Appreciation Certificate to giveaway to one of my lucky readers! Enter below in the rafflecopter (may take a second to load).  Winner will be announced on Monday, January 12, 2015 and you will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

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Have fun and be a blessing!
~Bekah