by Misty Phillip | Nov 27, 2016 | Bible, Bible Study
When I first began Bible study, I had a red letter KJV Bible that I literally wore out in my quiet time. As you can see from the picture below, almost every other word was underlined. I know some people are not comfortable marking in their Bible, and if you are one of those people, then that is perfectly understandable. But for me, when I began marking and taking notes in my Bible, that is when The Word came alive to me!
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 KJV
That is why I am so excited to to tell you about the Journal the Word Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers! I have really enjoyed using this Bible for my quiet time. It will lay flat when you hold it in your hands or when you set it down on the table. There are lined margins to the side with enough room to write copious amounts of notes. The beautiful heavyweight cream colored paper is perfect for Bible art or journaling. There is ample room to reflect on your thoughts while reading the Bible without marking up the text!
I love the fact that this Bible can become a cherished heirloom to pass on to future generations with your personal thoughts written inside the margins. It comes in both regular and large print editions, and my over-40 eyes really appreciated the LARGE PRINT!
Another thing I love about this Bible is that it is hardbound with an elastic band around it. The elastic band can be used as a marker, to hold pages down, or keep the Bible securely closed.
This is an excellent Bible for personal reading, but would also make a great Christmas gift for someone special on your Christmas list this year! Bibles always make for great gifts and with Christmas just around the corner, I am so excited that I have two Journal the Word Bibles to give away. One regular edition, and one large print edition!
I would really love to put this beautiful Bible into the hands of someone who doesn’t have a Bible! Do you know someone who needs a Bible, or is there someone on your Christmas list that would benefit from this Bible?
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A special thank you to The Blog About Network, The Blythe Daniel Agency and publishers for providing a copy of this book for review and one to giveaway.
by Misty Phillip | Nov 25, 2016 | Christian Living, Family, Jesus, Santa
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It is time to put away the turkey, and pumpkins and to begin thinking about Christmas.
Today I am pleased to invite Jennifer Moye to guest post on the blog! I met Jennifer at She Speaks 2016, and love her heart for Jesus, and her family. Jennifer is going to share her journey of connecting Santa and his elf to the story of our Savior. I am excited to share this resource with you just in time to prepare our hearts for the Christmas season.
Welcome, Jennifer!
A Gospel Christmas
By Jennifer Moye
Around this same time a couple years ago, our boys were sitting in the living room floor creating their Christmas lists to send to Santa. The lists consisted mostly of cut out pictures from the Toys-r-Us catalog pasted sloppily with glue sticks on poster paper. They jumped up and down with excitement with every page turn as they found a new must-have toy. In all the fun of that day, I noticed that our oldest boy had only 3 things listed on his paper. An IPad, a phone like mommy’s, and crutches.
Crutches?
Yep, that’s right. Those were his must-haves of that Christmas.
As Christmas morning rolled around, the boys ran downstairs with all the excitement that kids should have on Christmas day. They ripped open packages and slung presents around, eagerly ready to move to the next item.
The younger two boys seemed quite content with their loot for the day. But the oldest sat on the floor with his arms crossed and a sour look on his face. In his lap set a box for a brand new iPad mini still in the wrapper.
Let me just pause right here. I do not even have an iPad. Just sayin’.
When asked what was wrong, he proceeded to through a fit about how he didn’t get a phone like mommy’s or any crutches. He was furious!
I could not believe how ungrateful he was being. Didn’t he realize how awesome the gifts he had received were? How did we get to the point of demanding what we should receive and then being mad if we didn’t get it exactly as expected? Didn’t he understand he couldn’t have everything? Didn’t he know that Christmas is about more than receiving everything on your wish list?
As I sat there in the floor with my wonderful little boys, I instantly felt like a failure.
Clearly I had missed the mark in explaining to him what Christmas is all about. Why else would he act so ungrateful?
Now before you say it, I know . . . he is 5 years old. And kids are kids. I get that. But it just didn’t sit right in my soul. We had talked about the reason we celebrate Christmas. We read the Bible stories. We went to the Christmas play at church. We even gave gifts from the angel trees and donated spare change to the guy outside Walmart. We had talked about this.
I wanted my children to understand at their very core, that Christmas simply wasn’t about them. It was about Jesus. I wanted them to realize that our gifts should be a reflection of the gifts God gave to us in His Son Jesus. I wanted them to have the fun and excitement that Santa, and the Elf on the Shelf, and Christmas parties at school bring – but they needed to know in their hearts that all of it was because of the birth of our King. Even though they knew these things in their heads, I don’t think they really felt it in their innermost being. And that really bothered me.
The following year was a big year for us as we decided to homeschool, made another move, and various other life changes. One scripture passage remained in my mind throughout that time.
Deuteronomy 6: 5-9 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
As the holiday season approached I knew we needed to do something different this year. We needed something that would create an impression of the hearts of our boys and our family. It needed to be in our home, on our doorframes and at our gates. It needed to be intentional and purposeful.
I had no idea that the months to follow would lead me to writing a book and sharing with others the things God was revealing to me and convicting me of in my own life. This month marks the launch of the book A Gospel Christmas and it is straight from my heart to yours.
A Gospel Christmas, is our journey through the month of December 2016. We found a way to connect Santa and his naughty little elf to our greatest gift of all. It is personal and transparent. It is messy at times and most importantly it is real. It is our story of how God lead us to Himself and made a huge impression not just on the hearts of our children, but on my heart as well. Through the 25 days in December we walked through the life of Jesus in a very practical, easy, and kid friendly way. We read scripture together, we did crafts, we talked, we gave to others, we cried, and we laughed. It was the most beautiful thing to see the gospel of Jesus come alive in our children’s’ hearts. To see their eyes light up with excitement and their minds begin to understand who Jesus is to them is something that a parent couldn’t be more proud of.
As the Christmas season is approaching us quicker than we all can handle, I would like to challenge you to pray over how your family will celebrate the birth of our King this year. Do your children truly understand what this season is about? Is your family focused on Jesus this year, or distracted by parties, the latest gadgets, and hosting friends? Are you searching for a way to connect all the fun of the holiday with the true meaning of Christmas?
I would love to hear your thoughts and I would love to be on this journey with you! Head on over to my website and receive the first two chapters of A Gospel Christmas for FREE! You will also be included in our Christmas newsletter which provides tons of ideas and inspirations on different ways to connect your family to Jesus throughout the season. And because you are one of the first to know about A Gospel Christmas, I will also send you some insider tips on how to incorporate Santa, the Elf, school parties and more with our Savior’s birth!
A Gospel Christmas is available in digital copy and paperback just about everywhere! It can be ordered online or ordered through your local bookstore. Bulk orders are available for churches or other organizations as well. I would be truly honored for you to share this book and post with those you love. What better gift to give at Christmas than one that could lead someone to Jesus? You never know who’s life can be touched by a simple share.
“My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
BONUS!!! Just because you guys are awesome and you are supporting my friend by reading her awesome blog I want to give you a chance to win a signed copy of A Gospel Christmas for FREE! Enter our giveaway below and you will be in the running for one of several prizes that will be picked to celebrate the launch of this great book!
Go to A Gospel Christmas-giveaway to enter.
Jennifer is wife to an Airman and mom to three rambunctious little boys. With excitement on a daily basis and grace around every corner, she believes we are meant to live this life in community with others and with the mercy to mess up and try again….and again. Being a mom is hard, but it is also a divine calling we can have in this life. Her ministry to women is relevant and heartfelt with her core passion being that we learn to glorify our God in our parenting, our marriage, and in our everyday lives.
Join Jennifer’s community online at: 
www.jennifermoye.com
www.facebook.com/jennifermoye
www.twitter.com/jenmoyewrites
www.pinterest.com/jenmoyewrites
by Misty Phillip | Nov 23, 2016 | Christian Living, Faith, Family, Featured
Today I want to share some of our Thanksgiving preparations! I want to start out by saying thank you to all of my blog readers! I am so encouraged by you all, and I thank God for each of you! I pray that you will enjoy a bountiful feast with your loved ones, and that your heart is filled with praise to Jesus our King!
Our dining room table is set for a thanksgiving lunch celebration with our immediate family, along with one lovely addition. Jacob’s girlfriend Jane will be joining us this year!
While out shopping this year I found these amazing chargers, and cute little leaf shaped bowls to add to our table this year! I paired that with dishes we already own, and vintage classes from Peter’s childhood. I just love the way the place settings turned out. So fun!
This year we are mixing things up a bit, and instead of having TURKEY OR HAM, we are having PHEASANT AND DUCK! Along with a wild rice stuffing, 5 cheese macaroni, whiskey Glazed carrots, a healthy version of green bean casserole, crusty bread with onion jam, along with pumpkin muffins, and buttermilk pie for dessert. Yum! I am so excited.
Peter grated a mound of cheese for me, and I made a Béchamel sauce, and viola. A hearty 5-Cheese Macaroni make ahead side dish, that I topped with Panko bread crumbs, and popped in the refrigerator for the big day!
Peter’s brother and his family will be joining us in the afternoon on Thanksgiving day. We will enjoy a more relaxed setting with the kids. Leaving lots of room for the adults to talk, and the kids to play.
A few years ago I started doing crafts with the kids, and it has become a holiday tradition. This year we are painting wooden Christmas ornaments.
I also picked up these fun coloring, bingo, tic-tac-toe pages to keep the littles busy.
As we prepare our homes, our tables, and our food, let’s not forget to prepare our hearts. We have so much to be thankful for, and in the midst of our busyness, let us keep our eyes fixed on the giver of all good gifts.
Psalm 100 – A Psalm for giving thanks.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving! Be sure to follow my blog for a chance to win the Listen, Love, Repeat! bundle. Stay tuned for more holiday inspiration and giveaways from now until the end of the year!
How are you preparing for the holidays? What traditions are you planning to incorporate? Are you doing anything new this year? I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment and let me know what you have planned.
by Misty Phillip | Nov 18, 2016 | Christian Living, Family, Featured, Motherhood
I have exciting news to share with you this week! Recently, I had the opportunity to share my testimony on Casey Tate’s Podcast, Steadfast. Many of you have read parts of my testimony of losing our son Little baby Liam, but there is just something special when you can hear someone’s testimony.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. -Psalm 139:4
If you know anyone struggling with the loss of a child, infertility, miscarriage, or someone who just needs to hear a reminder of God’s faithfulness, please share my testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness in the midst of suffering the loss of a child on Casey Tate’s Steadfast podcast. The Deep Wounds of Losing a Child
God is so faithful! He is working in the lives of people all over the world. On Steadfast, Casey Tate covers a wide variety of topics on her Podcast from sex trafficking to physical illness, and everything in between. Recording the podcast with Casey was a lot of fun! She does a great job of pointing people to Jesus, and I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of this special ministry. All of her podcasts are available to listen to on iTunes.
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We all have a hard story. Whether or not we chose to tell it or let our shame consume us is a decision that will chart the course of much of our lives. God’s grace, his redemption, can change us from the inside out. Steadfast is a collection of brave women that want to tell you their story so you can know that you aren’t alone in your struggles; there is community among the broken. Join us every week and find the freedom that can only come from the steadfast love of our Almighty Father. – Casey Tate
Be sure to check out my post on Loved Baby: a beautiful devotional book to help you grieve and cherish your child after pregnancy loss.
by Misty Phillip | Nov 14, 2016 | Bible Study, Christian Living, Family, Prayer
This weekend a glitter bomb exploded in my home as we began pulling boxes out of the attic in preparation for the holiday season and in anticipation to celebrate the birth of Christ. Simultaneously, on the streets of America another bomb exploded throughout cities across the country. Streets filled with people young and old raging against a Trump presidency. Angry mobs filled with hate and a palpable spirit of fear.
We are witnessing a huge clash of worldviews right before our very eyes.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.- 2 Timothy 1:6-7 ESV
As Christians, we are not to have a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, and of love and self-control. Instead we are to fan the flames of our spiritual gifts. How should we respond to the lost and hurting people in our country? How can we use our time, money, and talents to make a difference?
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 ESV
Love casts out fear, and it is only the love of Jesus Christ that can bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted, that can save the lost, and calm the fears. Last week, I told you about Karen Ehman’s new book and Bible Study Listen, Love, Repeat! And as I prepare my home for the holidays, I am also preparing my heart. I am praying about how I can use my gifts and talents to love people. I am praying about who I can be a light to, and how I can be the hands and feet of Jesus.
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I am overwhelmed by all that I have to thankful for. I am abundantly blessed with the love of the Savior, my husband, children, family, and friends. As Americans we have so much to be thankful for.
However, the holiday season can be a very complicated, if we gather with family who may is different from us. Those who have different morals, values, worldview or political views can be especially challenging. For other people even the thought of gathering with family during the holidays evokes stress, and for some this may be a season of aloneness or intense grief.
My plan is to pray and ask the Lord what he would have me and my family do this holiday season, and then do what he leads me to do. Showing love to others will look differently to each of us. For some it may be as simple as smiling more often. Slowing down to be more present, or thinking of others more often than thinking of ourselves.
What are some ways that we can reach out in love and bless others?
I would love to hear from you!
If you would like more practical tips on how you can love others well this holiday season, be sure to follow my blog. I am excited to share one copy of Karen Ehman’s book, Listen, Love, Repeat: Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World along with a study guide and DVD! To be eligible to win, simply follow MistyPhillip.com, anytime between now and December 1, 2016!
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