My Favorite Scripture for Encouragment (plus printable cards!)

(Insert Big Sigh Here)

That's about the size of it. 

I've had the flu for the past week or so. Thankfully, I think I am on the way up. 

The flu is always nasty, but for those who have chronic conditions, it can be especially gnarly. It has been messing with my blood pressure. So this meant an extra couple of trips to the cardiologist's office and an increase in my medication. 

I've been trying to lay low. My trips out have been necessary. I needed some more reading material from the Library (don't judge) and The Muffin took me to Walmart so I could get some more of my favorite Prism colored pencils. 

All this laying low stuff requires supplies. I also seriously cut into my tea stash. Though my favorite hot drink this time around was a cup of my momma's Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix.  It came in my Christmas box. She made it with some sort of Mexican chocolate powder. It's spicy enough to clear out any sinus congestion, yet it's chocolate. Need I say more? 

The flu certainly rearranged my plans for the week. We had to postpone a Family Fun Fest at church. I had to cancel Ladies Bible Study here at the Parsonage. I also failed to get out a few projects that I had been working on. 

I meant to have this one out some time ago. 

I thought I would share my favorite Scriptures for encouragement. During Ladies Bible Study over coffee one Wednesday morning, we talked about how God's Word has carried us through the tough times. They talked about rising early and putting first things first. Digging into well-worn Bibles. The pages familiar and certain. 

We all had Scripture that had brought us through the storms. These were inspired Words that brought truth, and hope, and life. 

Mine is a simple list and most likely familiar.

Psalm 126:5

Psalm 30:11

Psalm 147:3

John 16:33

Psalm 46:1-3, 7

Psalm 16:8

Isaiah 41:10

Psalm 91:4

Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 43:2

Luke 12:6-7

They are mostly from the Psalms. Probably because they sound like poetry and bring me encouragement. 

I like to have them written down around me. I carry them around with me. I use them as bookmarks and place them in strategic spots in my house. 

And because I am just a little extra, I like them to look pretty. So I created a couple of pages of cards to print out, cut, and enjoy. 

And I'm sharing them with you. 

Click on the links below. They will take you to my Google Drive. Print and enjoy. Just a note: They are labeled 3-5 to distinguish them for the last set of cards I made. You can find those here. 

Scripture Cards (3)

Scripture Cards (4)

Scripture Cards (5)

Books of the Bible At-A-Glance (A Homeschool Review Crew Post)

The study of the Bible is a big deal in our home. Some of us are a bit more studious about it than others...for example, The Muffin...who is also a Pastor. You might know that the Bible, itself, has 66 books. It can overwhelming to put all of those books in perspective and context. We just got to review a product from Teach Sunday School that is a perfect tool for such a study. It is called Books of the Bible At-A-Glance. 

I received the Books of the Bible product as a download. There are soooo many ways that you can implement the sheets. Each book of the Bible has one page. That is it. You can add them to an exsisting study or use them as a study unto themselves. I chose to use them as a study by themselves. 

But more on that in a minute. 

The sheets are colorful and really easy to navigate. Josiah is dyslexic and I worry about products that are too busy or filled with small print and cluttered graphics. The Bible pages are clean and flow in such a way that the reader can get to the point. 

The sheets are uniform in appearance. You will find the name of the book, the author, when it was written, most famous verses and more. Most importantly, you will find the important stories and points that the books make. 

I chose to print off a set for both Josiah and myself. They fit nicely in a binder. However, you can certainly print them off and make a family binder to use a reference book during your studies. 

The possibilities for Books of the Bible At-A-Glance are numerous. I am going to continue to use them once a week as a separate study. I like the idea of choosing a story and verse to focus on weekly. 

They also would be terrific in a Sunday School setting.  They are extremely accessible and would be easy to use with those who are familiar with the Bible as well as those who don't know anything about it. 

You could also use it as a general reference tool in your own personal Bible study. They aren't just intended for kids. 

One of the BEST things about this product is that it is extremely affordable. You can download the entire thing for a mere $9. That is about a cup and a half of coffee from one of the more popular coffee joints. AND upon purchase, you can use it with your church or household. 

This product is really fantastic. It has made the study of the Bible make more sense to my very visual learners. 

It's a keeper! 

You can connect with Teach Sunday School via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews! 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SundaySchoolLessons/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/biblefun/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachsundayschool/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SundaySchoolSample

Bible Study Guide for All Ages (A Homeschool Review Crew Post)

I’m always looking for Bible study resources we can add to our little library or Bible Study “toolbox.” A few years ago (more like 5), we had the chance to review the Advance Student Pages from Bible Study Guide For All Ages. Well, the chance to review from Bible Study Guide For All Ages once again…and, once again, we received the Advance Student Pages for review.

For my review, I received Advanced Student Pages, the Advanced Teacher Key, and the Bible Book Summary Cards.

There are products available for just about everybody from ages 3-Adult. I chose the Advance Student Pages because they were the highest grade available for this review run. My teenage son used them when he was much younger, but they are consumable and I also wanted to see if they would be a good fit for a Bible Study group for kids at church. We pastor a small church and I am always looking for resources I can pass along to our teachers and parents.

Let’s talk about the Bible Book Summary Cards first. I have (in my possession) the larger set that is 8.5”x 11”. The set of cards I received this time are smaller in size…. 4.5" x 6" cards. There is also an Extra Large set (11" x 14") for use with bigger groups. All sets are in full color and teach all 66 books of the Bible.

The front of the cards displays a colorful cartoon to help provide a clue for what Bible Book it is representing.

The back of the card gives the name of the Book, a description, and features questions to ask.

The cards are super sturdy and I have found them to be an EXCELLENT way to teach the books of the Bible. We are visual learners around here and appreciate the help!

While I already had the larger cards, I really love the smaller cards more than I thought I would. For us homeschoolers with limited space…these are a life saver. They can be carried around to review, as needed.

The Advance Student Pages are recommended for grades 5-6.  We received Lesson Book 1-26. This book covers one quarter. The program is 4 units long. This is intended to take you a year if you do a few lessons weekly. 

You will need a Bible to work through the pages. While this age should be able to do a lot of the work themselves, I enjoy spending time studying the Bible with my son. The whole curriculum makes for a nice family study.

The pages are BIG and AWESOME.  Unit 1 goes starts at Genesis 35 and ends with Luke 2.

Each lesson is divided into sections.

Remember It! – a review

Memory Workout – memory work

Guess What?... – a little history and vocabulary

Maps and/or Timelines – There are small maps and timelines within the lessons, but there are also HUGE maps and timelines available to hang on the wall. We won’t have the wall space so we stuck with what was in our lesson book.

Get Active – Helps the student get practically involved in the lesson itself. For example, some lessons give the student ideas about who to pray for, etc.

Apply It! – Helps the student learn how to practically apply the lesson to his or her own life.

Discover The Bible – Hands-on activities that require a little thought and study.

The teacher’s book had all the answers and some helpful notes. It is suggested that if you have a group you are working with that you most certainly have a teacher’s book. I agree!

This is such a great product! I recommend it to any group or homeschool parent who wants to study the Bible.

It's a keeper! 

Member of the Homeschool Review crew reviewed these products and the other levels of Student Pages. Click on the banner below to read more reviews. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BibleStudyG/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BibleStudyG