Faith Resources for Special Needs Families {Let The Children Come}

November 20, 2013 by Caroline 5 Comments

Disclosure: Some affiliate links are included below. See the bookstore page for full disclosure. Thank you for supporting this site!

How many of you parents have a child with special needs? What challenges arise in teaching your children about your faith?

Back in May, we discussed 4 tips for including kids with special needs in family Bible study time (and why to include all kids). Today, we want to offer a few resources you can use.

Bible-Focused Resources for Special Needs Families

Grapevine Studies provide family Bible studies that are very focused on Scripture. Grapevine’s unique twist focuses on the kids drawing stick figures to add in a tactile component to learning Bible characters and events. These studies work well for families and for Sunday school classes. (I reviewed two of their studies on my personal blog, including some modifications we implemented to address my son’s special needs.)

Not Alone provides encouragement in the faith for special needs families.
Jennifer Janes writes on special needs parenting often, including this great 10-days series on encouragement for parents of kids with special needs.
Rachel Wojnarowski writes about special needs and faith on her blog, like this post with seven ways churches can love on families with special needs.
(in)able and (in)cluded is a community of special needs families formed through (in)courage. Visit for great encouragement and meet other families who can relate to your challenges.
We also love Seeds Family Worship songs for both typical-developing kids and kids with special needs.
Do you know someone with a child with special needs but don’t have experience with special needs yourself? Read this post from Beautiful in His Time for ideas on how to encourage a special needs mom.
Our good friend and former team writer, Sandra Peoples, and her husband recently released a new Bible study for parents of kids with special needs. Held: Learning to Live in God’s Grip is geared towards special needs families, but I would recommend anyone who is around kids to with to take a look at this book. This Bible study reminds parents that God is in control, even (and especially) in those situations where we have no control. Lee and Sandra discuss specific Bible passages and how they relate to special needs families asking how? and why? and what do we do? They include a chapter on how to interact with acquaintances and family members who just don’t understand your unique situation, handling situations together in your marriage, facing fear, and continuing to grow in your faith through numerous challenges.
Sandra and Lee are also working on a series of videos to go along with the book! Stay tuned to Sandra’s site for more information. Find purchasing information here.

Sandra is kindly offering one copy of Held for one of our readers! Enter through the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open until the end of the day (EST) on Sunday, November 24th, 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you have a child with special needs, what resources are you looking for that you haven’t found yet? What’s one of your favorite sites for encouragement in the faith?

Praise and Thanksgiving

November 14, 2013 by Caroline Leave a Comment

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” – Psalm 69:30 (NIV)

We pray today that all our hearts may be lifted up to Him in song of praise, of thanksgiving, of glory to Him.

How can you praise Him today? What’s your favorite song to sing when praising?

Stay tuned next week for more guest posts to finish out the month!

Christian Parenting Resources {Let the Children Come}

November 13, 2013 by Caroline 2 Comments

Disclosure: Affiliate links are included below. See the bookstore page for full disclosure. Thank you for supporting this site!

We have a great Christian parenting resource to share with you this week.

It comes from Bundle of the Week and has 5 great ebooks for parenting through faith.

And, it includes one of our favorites – an ebook from former team writer, Teri Lynne Underwood! Yay, Teri Lynne!

See below for details.

This week’s bundle includes encouragement for the weary mom, practical parenting tips and devotions to help you focus your heart even from the trenches of parenthood.

Get all five of these ebooks at a discount of more than 70% off:

Parenting from the Overflow by Teri Lynne Underwood
In Parenting from the Overflow, Teri Lynne offers a biblically-based framework for living in the abundance God has for each of us…and modeling that life for our children.Rather than focusing on tips and techniques, she explores how our lives can overflow with qualities such as love, patience, grace, and courage — all rooted in God’s work in us, not our efforts or abilities. This is a practical and encouraging ebook, filled with honest stories from her own journey of learning to lean into God so the overflow of Him pours onto those around her.

Devotions, Advice & Renewal for When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly Crawford
Motherhood is hard. That’s a fact. It’s labor-intensive, requiring the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of women who know much of their labor will not receive earthly accolades. Mothers are the “wind beneath the wings” of the next generation. If a group of people needs encouragement and help, it’s the mothers of our day! Kelly’s Devotions, Advice & Renewal for When Motherhood Feels Too Hard is a book you will want to read over and over, written in small snippets for daily renewal. It is refreshing and inspiring, casting a vision for motherhood you may have never known and offering practical “survival tips” for the overwhelmed mom.

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors
Today’s typical lifestyle is marked by busyness, consumerism, and stress. We, as women, often complain that there’s not enough time to “do it all.” Do we suffer from a lack of time? No. We suffer from a lack of eternal perspective. How we invest our time on earth will impact eternity in a million ways. In The Heart of Simplicity, more than a dozen Christian women share their experience simplifying their lives from the inside out to build homemaking foundations focused on Christ. When we are faithful to focus on what is truly essential in our homemaking, we can build an eternal legacy…one simple day at a time.

Refuel Your Inner SuperMom by Rosann Cunningham
Refuel Your Inner SuperMom offers practical advice and encouragement for the mom who strives to do and be her best but who, due to the often overwhelming chaos of life, has simply lost her focus, her motivation and her groove. Take the journey with Rosann as she shares the depths of her heart and her own failures in motherhood, marriage and life, while taking positive, intentionally focused steps to getting her SuperMom groove back. This isn’t your average “How to Become SuperMom” book; it’s written and designed in a way that allows it to be more of a journey of self-discovery and intentionally focused lifestyle change — for the better. And all for the glory of God.

The Family Table by Arabah Joy
The Family Table is a beautifully designed ebook packed with over 50 ideas, activities, games, and recipes to spark intimacy, connection, laughter, service, hospitality, and making memories as a family. Arabah gives you a sneak peek into what other families are doing to revolutionize their time around the family table as well as the tools you need to approach your mealtimes intentionally as well.

The Christian Parenting bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 11/18. Get yours today!

Trembling Faith

October 29, 2013 by Caroline 15 Comments

Imagine bleeding. For years. Without a discernible cause.

All the local doctors can’t figure it out. You’ve spent your life savings trying to find someone who had an answer.

And nothing.

You’re broken.

You’re exhausted.

You’re rejected.

Trembling Faith {Nameless Women in the Gospels} - DoNotDepart.com — Photo Credit

But, there’s this Man. One Man who comes as a Savior for all. It’s your last bit of hope.

You feel worthless. You don’t mean anything to the community around you anymore because of your ailment.

Why would this Man even want to look at you, much less heal you?

But you know His power. And you think, “If I could only touch His cloak. I know I’d be healed. Because I have hope of who He is” (expounding of Matthew 9:21)

And you receive more than you even expected. Instantly.

Courageous Faith, Graceful Healing

The women subject to bleeding (Luke 8:40-48, Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:22-43) endured this circumstance. Another nameless woman, her story even occurs in the middle of someone else’s story.

Almost as an aside: “…And a woman was there…” (Luke 8:43)

Much of our own stories are in the middle of others’, aren’t they? But that doesn’t leave our own stories worthless.

This woman didn’t even want to be seen. Perhaps she feared she would be deemed unworthy and rejected once again. Or maybe told nothing could be done for her as other doctors had for twelve years.

But with one touch, she was “immediately” healed (Luke 8:44).

Would you expect instant healing? I wouldn’t. And yet it was so dramatic within her and so instant, she felt the change.

But, just as instant, Christ felt the change, too.

He asked who touched him.

You can almost hear the disciples smirk. Of course people touched Him. They were surrounded by pressing masses of people.

I imagine Christ didn’t really need to ask who touched Him. He knew. But, He gave the opportunity for our nameless woman in this story to come forward on her own.

And come forward she did… trembling (Luke 8:47).

Would Christ take this healing away? Because she touched Him without asking, would she be punished? Because, by touching Him, she ceremonially defiled Him because she was unclean herself?

I would think questions like these.

Who am I to think I’d be worth Christ’s healing?

But that’s grace. It’s undeserved, as is any of the love Christ gives. And all the more beautiful.

Maybe this woman trembled because of fear of how Christ would respond or because of the ramifications of an ostracized, unclean person touching Someone so great. Instead, He told her to “Go in peace” (Luke 8:48) and continue with the courageous faith that carried her to Him.

Maybe she also trembled because of the amazing gift she had just been given. She believed, she knew He could heal her. And He did. Instantly. She was freed from suffering (Mark 5:29).

I would tremble, too.

I pray to have this woman’s faith and trust in a God who gives.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” – Mark 9:24

How have you persevered in your faith over long-standing trials? How does this woman’s story, and Christ’s reaction, inspire you?

5 Bible Studies for Kids {Let The Children Come}

October 9, 2013 by Caroline 2 Comments

Disclosure: Affiliate links are included below. See the bookstore page for full disclosure. Thank you for supporting this site!

Many of you and many us have families, and we’re big on helping encourage our children to get in the Word early. So big on this topic that we began our new Let The Children Come monthly feature a few months ago!

We’ve discussed raising kingdom builders with Scripture memory, helping kids with special needs be involved during study time, using inductive study with our kids, setting an example for our kids to see, and many Bible study resources.

Today, we have 5 more kids’ Bible study resources to share with you. These five come from this week’s Bundle of the Week!

This week’s bundle includes a ton of Bible study resources for kids! Discover resources for Scripture memorization, Bible study and character development, as well as handwriting practice, letter recognition and more, at more than 80% off.

This week only, get all five of these ebooks for more than 80% off:

God’s Word in My Heart by Jennifer Thorson
Help your children hide God’s Word in their young hearts and learn Scripture alongside them with Jennifer’s God’s Word in My Heart: A Scripture Learning Guide with Memory Verses! This program includes ideas for helping even the littlest of your children memorize Scripture, lists of songs to help with specific verses, printable Scripture memory verses and more. This set includes all 4 versions: ESV, KJV, NASB and variety (ESV, NIV 1984, NASB, NKJV).

Write Through the Bible: Exodus 20:1-21 by Luke and Trisha Gilkerson
Exodus 20 includes the Ten Commandments, which stand at the center of the Law of Moses and offer a foundational understanding of morality and the character of God. Luke & Trisha’s Write Through the Bible program provides 131 days of handwriting, copywork and dictation practice along with Scripture memorization, and this set includes both the cursive and manuscript versions of the workbook.

The ABCs for Godly Children by Lindsey Stomberg
The ABCs for Godly Children is a comprehensive, Bible curriculum centered around teaching children ages 4-10 about the God they serve and how to have a heart like His. Using each letter of the alphabet, a Bible lesson is presented in an understandable and interactive format to teach core truths concerning the Gospel, godly character, and biblical manhood and womanhood through Scripture memorization, detailed lessons, simple crafts, and interactive song.

The Dig: Luke (Volume 1) by Patrick Schwenk
The Dig for Kids: Luke (Volume 1) is a simple and easy way for parents to study the Book of Luke with their children. The Dig takes the guesswork out of teaching with one-page lessons that consist of: The Map, an overview of each lesson; The Dig, the main passage of the Bible you will be reading and three or four questions that will help with discussion and review; The Treasure, the big idea of the passage being studied; and The Display, to help your child live out what he or she has just learned.

Princess Training Plus Armor of God by Richele McFarlin
Princess Training: For the King’s Glory is a unit study designed to encourage young girls {7-13} to glorify God through their lives and understand their role as a daughter of the King. This study can be modified for younger or older girls and works great for a group study, and each lesson contains a short devotional, discussion, and activity. In addition, the Armor of God mini unit study includes copywork, Scripture study, discussion questions,vocabulary, and activities to help children {5-9} study the armor of God.

The Bible Studies for Kids bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 10/14. Get yours today!

What’s your favorite Bible study resource for children?

Applying Wisdom With Love {Rather than Legalistic Law}

September 20, 2013 by Caroline 5 Comments

“The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
    so quit before the quarrel breaks out.” – Proverbs 17:14

“It is not good to be partial to the wicked
    or to deprive the righteous of justice.” – Proverbs 18:5

“Listen to advice and accept instruction,
    that you may gain wisdom in the future.” – Proverbs 19:20

“Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
    wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” – Proverbs 20:22

“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
    a stranger, and not your own lips.” – Proverbs 27:2

If you’re a recovering perfectionist or a “rule-follower” like me, you might easily look at these verses above and file these away as “more rules to follow.”

It’s even easier to take those rules and apply them so strictly, someone observing you might not see love, but instead only pressure.

We have rules because we need discipline. But, sometimes I need to remember getting stuck on rules without loving application restricts rather than builds. Pharisaical legalism is graceless.

Looking to the Source of Wisdom

So, how do we apply all this wisdom with grace and with love and without building barriers?

By looking back to the Source of wisdom.

The very beginning of Proverbs says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” (Proverbs 1:7). Reverent trust of Him. As Lisa said last week, “to be truly wise, we’ll seek Him.”
I’m a rather stubborn person at times, so I need to pray for open ears and heart to wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 2:2).
Grab hold of steadfast love and faithfulness and don’t let go (Proverbs 3:3).
In the Proverbs that issue discipline, look for love. Notice how God offers love through this guidance (Proverbs 3:11-12). How can I offer it in a similar way?
Give freely (Proverbs 3:27-28). Often when I’m not sure how to react, if I stop and think, “how can I love?” I’m pointed in a better direction. There are still those situations where how to love while still protecting, directing, or helping seem very difficult to blend. In those situations, I try to seek wise counsel (Proverbs 12:15).

Do those still sound like more “rules” to follow?

I once heard that the motto of a prison ministry was to “listen, listen, love, love.” Those verbs are repeated on purpose. Wisdom Literature asks us to listen first, then love. When we listen first, we are usually better able to discern what’s needed for that person or situation, be it discipline, forgiveness, grace, protection, teaching, comfort, or encouragement. And then we can proceed with abundant love.

It takes discipline to live this way, and, really, we need discipline and training to grow (Proverbs 6:23, Proverbs 9:9).

“Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.” – Proverbs 8:33

I’m praying for us to listen, listen, love, love today with God’s heart through us.

How do you apply wisdom without getting stuck on “following the rules?” I’m still growing here myself, so I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Cultivating Prayer When You Aren’t Sure How to Pray

August 15, 2013 by Caroline 4 Comments

Disclosure: Affiliate links are present in this post. Please see the Bookstore page for full disclosure details.

Has a friend or acquaintance ever presented a situation to you and you didn’t know exactly how to pray for it?

Perhaps the situation is nothing like you’ve ever experienced yourself.

Or, none of the seemingly possible outcomes seem “good,” so what exactly do you ask for in prayer?

You might feel unsure how to pray in your own life or family’s situations at some point, not knowing what path would be better or more loving.

I’ve been in these situations, too, and here are a few tips and verses that help me when I’m not sure how to pray.

3 Tips When You Don’t Know How to Pray

Pray anyway. It might be tempting to think, I don’t know how to pray here. What if I pray wrongly? I better just not pray. Pray anyway (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Prayer opens our hearts to God’s gift of communication with Him (Psalm 116:1-2). Pray with praise, with tears, with laughter, or with hurt. God listens to it all.
Follow Scriptural prayer methods. The apostle Paul sets up his prayers in a similar format through most of his letters. Julie Reynolds shared a guest post yesterday with a simple prayer model (called ACTS) to help cultivate deeper, more frequent prayer.
Begin with someone else’s words. The best source to use would be Scripture. But, you can also grab your favorite devotional and speak a written prayer aloud. Sometimes all you need is a start, and then your heart might open to more specific need or that prayer may become your personal praise and petition to God.
Want suggestions for books on prayer? We suggest A Praying Life by Paul Miller, Live A Praying Life by Jennifer Kennedy Dean, and Prayers for a Woman’s Soul by Julie Gillies.

5 Verses to Pray Anytime

Begin with these Scriptures and just pray them as your personal prayer to God, or add to them with specific needs and heart thoughts.

Philippians 1:9-11 – “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
1 Peter 1:13, 15-16 – “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 – “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Kathy shared 21 spiritual things to pray for others earlier this week. Her post (and printable) includes many verses to pray over others. And, here are ten more verses for trying times.

What verses help you when you’re not sure how to pray in a situation? Share your ideas in the comments!

Always Chosen and Loved

July 18, 2013 by Caroline 2 Comments

“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.” – Psalm 139:13-14

I used to deal with self-esteem issues in middle school, particularly regarding my abilities and my appearance. I realized how foolish that was in high school, but still desired “better” for my physical health. Later, as my husband and I worked out together, I obtained a fitness- and health-related degree, and I then began birthing babies, I finally realized how amazing our bodies are and fretted much, much less on comparing my appearance to another.

But, recently, I caught myself glancing in the mirror and immediately thinking “disgusting.”

Or, worse, kicking myself whenever I fail (which occurs way more often than I look in the mirror).

It’s times like these when I need to read, read, and re-read Scripture to solidify its meaning.

And sometimes I need to read and re-read my own posts, like this one from last year:

“God chose us before the foundation of world. Does that baffle anyone else’s mind? He chose us. Us. You. Me. Them. Not only did He choose – in love – but He chose us for the purpose of becoming holy before Him.”

Please read the rest of that post by clicking here. (Go ahead and read it. It’s not too long, and it’s worth the read. It’s worth the re-read for me, at least. If you want to see more posts from the “I Am Adopted” theme we wrote on that month, click here or visit our “adopted” Pinterest board here.)

We are always chosen and loved. Yesterday, last year, today, tomorrow. Loved by the God who created us.

How does this knowledge change your day today? Please click here to share your thoughts, prayers, and favorite verses in the comments.

Want more reminders of God’s truth and love? We gather ideas on our “Inspiration” board on Pinterest.

Beautiful Books on Christian Living

July 3, 2013 by Caroline Leave a Comment

(Heads up: This post includes affiliate links. See the bottom of the post for full disclosure. Thanks for supporting this site!)

We have another resource for you!

The Bundle of the Week site is offering 5 ebooks on Christian Living for just $7.40!

This week’s bundle is packed full of tools and encouragement for living a life of active faith. Discover and embrace your identity in Christ, the path to truly forgiving those who have hurt you and simple ways to let your light shine through this inspiring collection of ebooks and devotionals.

Get this bundle for 60% off this week only.

Complete by Arabah Joy
Research shows it takes only 21 days to change the way we think. In Complete, Arabah Joy takes readers on a 21 day journey to think about themselves truthfully: that in Christ, we are complete. This journey takes readers through practical daily applications such as targeted scripture memory, visualization, exercises to renew the mind and address fear, and much more.

Shine by Trina Cress
In Shine: The Beginner’s Guide to Living More Intentionally for God Everyday, Trina shares ideas and inspirations for letting our lights shine in our own little worlds and in the world at large through simple acts like starting a conversation with a stranger, giving unexpectedly, and living intentionally for Christ everyday.

Holey, Wholly, Holy by Kris Camealy
Though the season of Lent occurs once a calendar year, the reality is, as Christians, we live the Lenten experience again and again. In Holey, Wholly, Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement, Kris walks along side the believer and offers encouragement and hope for the journey from holey (broken in sin) to wholly (surrendered unto God) to holy (claiming the gift of grace through Christ). This ebook is for anyone who longs to grow closer to Christ, and hungers to accept that grace that His resurrection offers! (Kris has guest posted for us two times before!)

Desires of My Heart by Heather Bixler
So many believers walk their Christian walk without really knowing what it means to delight in the Lord. In Desires of My Heart, a devotional based on Psalm 37:4, Heather helps readers work to get past the barriers that are inhibiting their walk with the Lord, while also encouraging them to live a life guided by The Holy Spirit.

31 Days of Forgiveness by Tracie Stier-Johnson
In 31 Days of Forgiveness, Tracie leads us on a biblical and compassionate walk through the depths of our hurt, pain, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, and anger. If you commit to walking this journey, God will redeem your pain—pain you may not know you’re carrying—and your life will never be the same.

The Christian Living bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, July 8th. Get yours today:

What are your favorite Christian living books or ebooks?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on these links and then choose to purchase the ebook bundle, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this site!

A Quick Note if You Use Google Reader to Subscribe

June 29, 2013 by Caroline Leave a Comment

Do you use Google Reader to read this blog (or other blogs)?

If so, you might have heard that Google Reader is disappearing as of July 1st (this coming Monday!).

We don’t want you to miss a single post from your favorite blogs (and we thank you for including Do Not Depart as one of those!), so here are a couple of ways you can continue following blogs:

Subscribe by email. You can subscribe by email to most of your favorite blogs. Look for a sidebar that says something like “subscribe here” for “follow by email.” You typically will enter in your email address, click on a “subscribe” button, then you’ll be sent an email that asks you to click on a link to confirm your subscription. (Don’t forget that last part!) Here on Do Not Depart, you can enter your email in the small rectangle under the words “We’ll come to you” or you can click here to subscribe by email.
Subscribe via an RSS reader. Google Reader was an RSS reader, so if you like this option, you can find another RSS reader to take its place. Two of the most popular readers are Feedly and Blog Lovin’. Simple Mom includes good directions on transitioning from Google Reader to Feedly here. Lifehacker offers descriptions of several alternatives here.

Thank you to all of our readers for joining us! We so appreciate you. Let us know if you have any questions by emailing us or asking in the comments.

Fitness and Faith: Keeping on Track While You Travel

June 20, 2013 by Caroline 5 Comments

(Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this post. Please see the end of the post for details. Thanks for supporting this site!)

You’ve been walking and exercising regularly for days, weeks, or even months now. You’re feeling more fit and loving the benefits of improved focus, greater endurance, and higher energy levels. Maybe you’ve also maintained a solid bible study routine while getting your fitness routine in gear. (Maybe together with like-minded folks in a community like HelloMornings?)

Now, it’s time for a hard-earned break with your family (or spouse or friends) – a vacation!

We humans are creatures of habit. Once our go-to schedule is thrown off by a big change (like a move or a new job) or a temporary shift (a vacation), we sometimes lose focus on previous goals.

How can we keep both our fitness routines and bible study habits intact over vacations?

Staying On Track is Easier Than Regaining Lost Ground

A preface: if you’ve gotten off schedule in fitness OR in “quiet time,” do not ever feel like you can’t get back on track. Grace upon grace. We all lose focus sometimes or have extenuating circumstances that prevent us from accomplishing what we’d like and sometimes what we even need. Returning to your healthy habits is better than never trying!

Now that I’ve issued that disclaimer, if you can stay on track, it’s much easier than having to regain lost ground after a while.

Some of the same tips we use for maintaining fitness routines can help us retain bible study routines, too. (If you haven’t read some of my fitness articles elsewhere, you might not know part of my professional background is in family fitness and wellness! My tips are here to help, but always consult a doctor for individualized medical information.)

7 Tips for Maintaining Your Fitness and Devotion Time While Traveling

Get up early. Rise 30-60 minutes earlier than the rest of your household to read your Bible for at least 15 minutes and then exercise for at least 15 minutes. (Yes, even 10-15 minutes helps!)
Or, stay up late. Some of you might not be able to get up early, perhaps because of family members with special needs, odd work schedules, or otherwise. Maybe your Bible time has to come in the evenings or even after everyone else is in bed. And, that’s okay, if that’s what you need. The general recommendation for exercise is to finish exercise a few hours before bedtime because it does increase heart rate, so perhaps you can fit in higher intensity exercise earlier in the day, but include stretches and floor exercises in the evening.
Pray or memorize Scripture as you walk (or bike or swim or run). You might not be able to pull out your [amazon_link id=”1418541680″ target=”_blank” ]concordance[/amazon_link] and study Bible while you exercise, but you can review memory verses and spend time in conversation with God. (Lisa gave some great memory verse tips for traveling on this post.)
Find a friend (or family member) and read the Bible together, then exercise together. The buddy system has long been offered as a motivation solution in exercise, and the same can go for devotional time. Workout and worship together! (Matthew 18:20)
Journal your routine. Writing down what you accomplish can motivate you to keep going. Journaling also helps you chart what you’ve learned and your progress in both fitness and Bible study. (Check out Julie’s family vacation faith journal here. And, if you’re looking for help setting family goals, check out this free printable.)
Keep your expectations realistic. No, you might not take a 10-mile run while on vacation (or you might!). You might not have two hours of uninterrupted study time while also monitoring your preschooler at the vacation site. But, some portion of your normal routine is often better than none. Reframe your goals for vacation, but still work to maintain part of your routine.
Try something new. I know, we’ve been talking about keeping your normal routine, and now I say “add something new.” But, just as vacationing somewhere different than home (or participating in new activities around home if you’re “staycationing”) provides motivation, trying something new in exercise or studying in a new way can help you stay on track while out of your normal environment. A few options for exercise? Try disc golfing, horseback riding, or snorkeling. For bible study? Read in a parallel Bible (like [amazon_link id=”0195281802″ target=”_blank” ]this one[/amazon_link] or [amazon_link id=”0195281365″ target=”_blank” ]this one[/amazon_link]), look up a few of the Greek words, or listen to new praise music.

Related Resources:

Need a workout for small spaces using little to no equipment while you’re traveling? Check out this free basic workout plan here.
Check out our Bible study tools posts for several printables for prayer on the go, family study tools, and Bible notebook tips.

How do you keep up your fitness routine and/or your study routine while traveling? What strategies do you use with one area that might help in the other? Please share your tips in the comments so we all can learn!

(Disclosure: Some affiliate links are present to Amazon products above. If you click on those links and then purchase that item, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Regardless, we only suggest products we find useful. Thank you for supporting this ministry!)

4 Tips for Including Kids with Special Needs in Family Bible Time

May 30, 2013 by Caroline 10 Comments

Quick disclosure: Some affiliate links present. See the bottom of the post for full disclosure.

Gathering the whole family for a family bible study time can sometimes be difficult to manage with varying schedules, needs, and even personalities. But we know how important study and Scripture memory are to raising kingdom builders.

Add in a family member with special needs, and extra challenges arise.

Why Include Children with Special Needs in Family Bible Study

Depending on the particular needs, it can feel easier to not really include children with extra challenges, particularly when they’re younger. I have to motivate myself to crank up my energy level to do everything my son needs to be involved, but it’s so worth it.

“Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6

Including all children of all abilities in family bible study helps in various ways.

Anything positive where we include children with special needs helps boost confidence in their own social and communication skills and worth.
The more they (or any of us, really) hear God’s Word, the deeper those truths permeate.
Inclusion in family activities with people of varied ages exposes kids to new concepts and social strategies.

(I discuss more details about involving children with speech delays in this post here.)

Four Tips on Including Kids with Special Needs in Family Bible Time

Give (all) of your children opportunities to participate. My son can’t talk, but he uses sign language for expressive communication. We rephrase questions (as we can) to help him have the opportunity to answer. (This is challenging sometimes!)
Help them memorize Scripture. It might be harder. It might take longer. But, try it anyway, and pray for lasting benefits. We currently work on memorizing just one (brief) verse a month, which my son learns how to sign back to me. It’s so much fun!
Surround your kids with Scripture expressed in various mediums. My kids (both typical-developing and with special needs) love [amazon_link id=”B001MIFVIK” target=”_blank” ]Seeds Family Worship songs[/amazon_link] (affiliate link). You can also create your own songs. Songs help stick truths in our hearts, help kids of all abilities express feelings, and increase positive attitudes (especially when we listen to praise music!).
Allow some choice. We have several children’s bibles around the house. At bedtime, we allow our son (with special needs) to choose which he wants to read from. We particularly like the [amazon_link id=”0310726050″ target=”_blank” ]Jesus Storybook Bible[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B007UQ46P2″ target=”_blank” ]The Beginner’s Bible[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”1400317029″ target=”_blank” ]The Beginning Reader’s Bible[/amazon_link], and the [amazon_link id=”031070801X” target=”_blank” ]NIrV Study Bible[/amazon_link] (affiliate links). Allowing him to choose his resource helps him maintain focus.

If You Don’t Have a Special Needs Child

Even if you don’t have a special needs child in your family, you might know someone in your church or neighborhood who has special needs. You can help, too! “Special needs” is such a broad umbrella term, so try to get to know the child for his or her unique challenges and abilities. All special needs kids have something amazing about them, and many become passionate about learning something (or everything!). Ask the parent how you can specifically help that unique child and look for opportunities to encourage and share God’s love! (And, from just one special needs parent, thank you for any time you include our children!)

More Resources

Check out the team site Not Alone for encouragement and tips from special needs parents to special needs families.
I share special needs tips on my blog for family time, family fitness, and preschool activities.
Sandra Peoples writes specifically on parenting a child on the autism spectrum.

If you have a child with special needs, how do you include him or her in your family Bible time? If you don’t have a special needs child, what ideas have you seen put in practice?

Disclosure: Some affiliate links are present. If you click on those links and then purchase the item, we will receive a small commission. Regardless, we only share products we personally support, love, and think you would benefit from, too. Thank you in advance for supporting this ministry!

Last-Chance Reminder!

May 4, 2013 by Caroline Leave a Comment

~~Just a quick reminder–~~~~TODAY is the last day to purchase the Ultimate Homemaking ebook Bundle!~~ The sale is now over, but check out the individual ebooks listed below!

This huge resource involves over 75 widely-known bloggers and authors to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for only $29.97! (Disclosure: Affiliate links present. Thanks for supporting this ministry!)

As we mentioned on Monday, this bundle features two of Katie Orr and Lara Williams’s Quench Bible studies!

Resources Everyone Can Get Excited About

What might you be interested in?

If you’ve read [amazon_link id=”1400204666″ target=”_blank” ]Desperate[/amazon_link] by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson (affiliate link), you might be interested in 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae @ SarahMae.com ($4.99).

If you’re excited about our upcoming theme this month on involving families in bible study, you’ll definitely love many of the resources being offered in the “educational” section of this bundle, including:

Raising Rock Stars — Kindergarten Bundle by Carissa @ 1plus1plus1equals1 ($10.00)
The ABC’s For Godly Boys Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)
The ABC’s For Godly Girls Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)
Write Through the Bible (print) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)
Write Through the Bible (cursive) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)

Just those resources equal the cost of the bundle, and that’s not including the spiritual growth books listed above, plus all the other topics covered (97 ebooks and ecourses total plus freebies from some great companies. See below for details.)

The Spiritual Growth section of this ebook bundle offers great and godly resources. The books included regarding faith are:

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99)
The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00)
God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)
Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99)
Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($2.99)

This bundle includes something for just about everyone: mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

Not to mention the 10 companies offering over $140 in bonus offers (some I’m personally really excited about).

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS and Jami @ Eat Nourishing ($20.00)

Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget: A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours by Diana @ My Humble Kitchen ($4.99)

Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn @ Just Making Noise ($12.00)

The Curative Kitchen by Susan @ Handy Pantry – www.handypantry.com ($20.00)

Pregnancy & Baby Care

First Bites by Hilary @ Accidentally Green ($9.99)

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Stress-Free Baby Shower by Sara @ Your Thriving Family ($4.00)

Unbound Birth by Jenny @ The Southern Institute ($2.99)

My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy @ Simply Designs ($9.99)

My Buttered Life Baby Edition by Renee @ Made On Hard Lotion ($5.00)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($5.00)

Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide by Angie @ Redeeming Childbirth ($3.99)

Holidays & Special Events

Festive Traditions by Jill @ Modern Alternative Kitchen ($7.95)

Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Family Camping Handbook by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($6.95)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Oh, Amanda! ($7.99)

Plan a Fabulous Party by Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect ($4.99)

iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)

Marriage & Romance

Rekindling Romance by Jason & Jami @ A Biblical Marriage ($4.99)

Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene @ Time-Warp Wife ($2.99)

31 Days to Build a Better Spouse by Ashley @ Ashley Pichea ($4.99)

31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99)

Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair by Amy @ Amy J. Bennett ($4.99)

Motherhood

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors @ The Heart of Simplicity ($9.99)

True Christian Motherhood by June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home ($7.00)

Hula Hoop Girl by September @ One September Day ($4.99)

When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($4.97)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99)

From Cube to Farm by Heather @ From Cube to Farm ($2.99)

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by various authors @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book ($7.99)

That Works for Me! by Kristen @ We are THAT Family ($8.00)

Health & Fitness

100-pound Loser by Jessica @ Muthering Heights ($4.99)

Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Danielle @ Domestic Serenity ($2.99)

42 Days to Fit by Brandy @ The Marathon Mom, Emma @ Real Fit Moms and Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($4.99)

Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)

Personal ePlanner by Jennifer @ ListPlanIt ($5.00)

Beauty

Frumps to Pumps by Sarah Mae @ SaraMae.com ($4.99)

The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)

The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley @ The No Brainer Wardrobe ($7.99)

Embracing Beauty by Trina @ Trina Holden ($9.00)

Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose by Kristen @ The Frugal Girl ($3.99)

Working from Home & Blogging

Your Blogging Business: Tax, Talk and Tips by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

The Bootstrap VA by Lisa @ The Home Life {and Me} ($12.99)

How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home by Jacinda @ Growing Home ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging by Rachel @ Small Notebook ($8.00)

Ecourses

Learning in Love: The Preschool Years by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)

Homeschooling from the Heart by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)

Grocery University by Carrie @ Colorado Bargains ($24.95)

Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms by Lisa @ Well-Grounded Life ($59)

You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.00)

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28’s original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read the Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Particularly for those wanting to read these ebooks on their mobile devices (iPhones or iPads, Android, Kindle, etc.) you will want to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device.

~~Click here to visit The Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle.~~ The sale is now over.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means this blog earns a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of this site!

We Need Your Help! {Reader Survey}

April 30, 2013 by Caroline 1 Comment

We’re readjusting a few things here on Do Not Depart, and we’d like to know what YOU want and need from our site. How can we better serve you?

Complete the following survey and answer each question as honestly as you can. Please add any extra comments! They help us focus our resources.

To help, here’s a recap of our mission statement:

Do not depart. Abide. Remain.

The Bible is full of charges to stay close to Jesus, our source, supply and sustenance. Do Not Depart exists to help you do just that—stay close to Jesus.

We at Do Not Depart pray you have been and will continue to be equipped and encouraged to cling to—to not depart from— the Word of Life.

We will not share any private information. We will only use your answers to work together as a team to create content you want and you need.

As our gift to you for completing this survey, you can receive a discount on Quench Bible Ministries products! Completely fill out the survey and press “submit” to receive your code on the confirmation page. (Be sure to read the “confirmation” page for your code!)

This survey is available from April 30, 2013 until May 15th, 2013. It should take you 5 minutes or less to complete. If you have any questions, please email donotdepart (at) gmail.com. Thank you for taking time to fill this survey out!

If you cannot view the survey above, click here to access the survey.

If you’d like to share some of your thoughts here, too, feel free to leave comments and suggestions in the comments. How can we better serve you?

A Resource for Your Home

April 29, 2013 by Caroline Leave a Comment

NOTE: All affiliate links have been removed since the sale is now over. But, this post is still up so you can learn about the individual ebooks involved!

Starting at 9am today, there’s a fantastic new resource being offered!

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97! (Disclosure: Affiliate links present.)

The Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle is a HUGE resource, useful in a variety of areas in caring for family and home. You will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

One of the best parts: this homemaking bundle features two of Katie Orr and Lara Williams’s Quench Bible studies!

The Spiritual Growth section of this ebook bundle may of particular interest to you, our readers at Do Not Depart. The books included regarding faith are:

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99)

The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00)

God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)

Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99)

Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($2.99)

The price of those five ebooks alone is around $19. For just ten more dollars, you receive 92 other ebooks plus freebies from some great companies. (See below for details.)

A Library of Homemaking

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

The creators of this bundle also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!