I read five books last month: George Orwell’s Animal Farm plus four others. Scroll down to read my impressions of each title. The 5 Books I read in April Animal Farm by George Orwell We re-read Animal Farm last month as a family. This political fable by George Orwell is every bit as relevant now as when he first penned it nearly 80 years ago. Our kids were annoyed and upset by how the pigs on Animal Farm repeatedly changed the rules to suit themselves and constantly rewrote history and misrepresented past events. But even more distressing was how many of the other farm animals accepted with ..read more

On this day, April 28, in 1758, the fifth president of the United States was born. So in honor of his birthday, I’m sharing this James Monroe Coloring Page on the blog today. It reads… The Liberty, Prosperity, and the happiness of our country will always be the object of my most fervent prayers to the supreme author of all good. James Monroe Click to Print Well, guess what? Our country is in every bit as dire a need of prayer to the Almighty today as it was in Monroe’s day. Here are a few of the prayers I pray for America if you’d like to join me in lifting up our country before the Lord. P ..read more

I finished six books in March, including the newly released Really Very Crunchy by Emily Morrow. Read on for my impressions of each title: 6 Books I Read in March 1. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis In C.S. Lewis’s classic work, The Screwtape Letters, a senior demon by the name of Screwtape offers diabolical advice to his nephew, Wormwood, on the most effective way to tempt, torment, and trip up the human in his charge. Reading through the correspondence is both eye-opening and convicting, as the familiar methods discussed are instantly recognizable as tactics that have been employed, w ..read more

Today is Easter, also known as Resurrection Sunday,, which is the perfect time to share my new “Seeking among the Dead” coloring page. It features the words of Luke 24:5 — the angel’s question to the mourning women who came to anoint the LORD’s dead body with spices three days after His crucifixion. They were shocked upon arriving to find the heavy stone rolled away from the entrance, His corpse gone, and the tomb empty. Then, as they stood crying and wondering what to do, two angels appeared to them and asked, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!” (Luke 2 ..read more

Easter will soon be upon us, so today I’m sharing a new “He Is Risen Indeed” pennant banner that I recently made for the occasion. I love the cool, pastel colors and the crisp notches along the bottom edges. Don’t you? click to download full-size He Is Risen Banner The banner can be made in two sizes. The large banner (pictured above) prints two pennants per sheet while the small (pictured below) has four. click to print half-size He Is Risen Banner For best results, I recommend printing these on white card stock and using a paper trimmer to keep the edges nice and straight. I leave use a ..read more

In preparation for Easter this year, I’ve been memorizing Isaiah 53:3-6, the last verse of which is featured on this new Gone Astray Coloring Page. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:6 click to print gone astray coloring page I love this coloring page’s sweet illustration of little lambs at dawn. But I also love the gentle reminder that, even in our rebellion and waywardness, Jesus loved us so much He willingly paid the price for our sin. More for You to Color I hope you enjoy th ..read more

Many years ago, I spotted on Pinterest a simple empty tomb craft for children to make from a paper plate similar to the finished craft pictured above. I thought it was such a smart idea that I did the craft with my own children and included a link to that original article in an Easter round-up on my blog. Sadly, the blog on which this craft was first posted no longer exists and my link to that article was broken. A reader alerted me to that fact last year and asked whether I could provide a free printable myself so she could make this craft with her grandkids. So I grabbed my sketchbook a ..read more

If you are as much of a letter writer (or handicrafter) as I am, you’re going to love the free printable I’m sharing today. Just take a look at these beautiful Bird Verses Note Cards. Click to print Bird Verses Note Cards Have you ever noticed how many Bible verses talk about birds? Birds serve as a reminder of God’s tender care for us. He feeds the birds and watches over them, so how much more will He watch over and provide for us? Jesus said He longs to gather His people together as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings. (Matt. 23:37) He told His followers that foxes have dens and bir ..read more

It’s been a while since I’ve published my Monday Mailbag column, and my inbox is overflowing as a result. So I’m tackling the messages awaiting attention, beginning with this reader request for mealtime and bedtime prayers for children: Request: A fun way to teach children to pray? Dear Jennifer, Do you have any short children’s prayers for mealtime and bedtime that could be used to make prayer dice for my nieces and nephew? I need six prayers for each die and would like to somehow print them on a 1- or 2-inch cube. That way, when children roll the dice, they can say whatever prayer lands on ..read more

I’ve been doing monthly Bible memory challenges for my kids and grandkids this year, starting with the Ten Commandments. During His earthly ministry, Jesus talked a lot about keeping His commands, including the following: John 13:34 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Matthew 22:37-39 – “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’” John 15:10 – “If you keep ..read more