Photo by Angie Quantrell
Pacific Northwest
Can you tell I am ready for flowers, green, and hiking in the mountains? This will come, after the snow melts, the fog dissipates, the mud dries, and the earth springs forth with life.
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Cascade Mountains, Washington
Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends.
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Chambers Bay, Washington
Photo by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley
Text from Hebrews
Sometimes I Am Afraid
Written by Robin McCall and Joye Smith
Illustrated by Bill and Robin McCall
Woman’s Missionary Union, 2014
I was delighted to receive a copy of Sometimes I Am Afraid. Thank you, Joye Smith, Robin McCall, and Woman’s Missionary Union!
If ever there was a perfect time for reading Sometimes I Am Afraid, our current times are it! Though preschoolers may not be aware of the world situation or the political stresses of the world and nation, they can certainly feel the anxiety and fears of the adults and older family members around them. Preschoolers do know about the pandemic and they know life has changed, activities are limited, and if they go out, masks are required. Sometimes I Am Afraid is just what we need to share with the preschoolers in our lives. Truth be told, I also need to read it to myself, since adults are not exempt from fear.
Using examples of universal childhood fears, this story is told in an easy to read manner accompanied by colorful, soothing illustrations. A child encounters something scary (dog, doctor, storm), and then remembers how to deal with the fear-inducing incident, both with a suggestion of how to think about the scary event and how to recall what the Bible says and how God will care for us in scary times. Each situation is reinforced with an appropriate Bible thought. The overall feel of Sometimes I Am Afraid is one of encouragement, combined with gentle reminders to pray and trust God to be right beside us no matter what is happening.
If your child struggles with fearful situations, this lovely picture book is just what the doctor ordered!
Read more about Sometimes I Am Afraid at https://www.wmustore.com/sometimes-i-am-afraid.
Photo by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley
Text from Psalm 4
Photo by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley
Text from 1 Peter
Image by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley
Text from Isaiah
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Text taken from Luke 1:67-69 NIV
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn[a] of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
Joy to the world, the LORD is come! Merry Christmas!
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Text taken from Matthew 2:1-12 NIV
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
I would have loved to see the star that shone so bright, leading wise men to find the Christ child. Later we read that they visited the family in a house, so Jesus was between baby and young child, possibly around two years of age. Unexpected but bearing precious gifts, the Magi provided worship and the means for survival for this young family. Praise be to God for the way He works through a rich tapestry of events!
Love, Laughter, and Life 