I tried to read a Christian romance novel, but to my teenage self, it was slow-paced, dry, and not relatable. In the end, I gave up reading altogether.

For 15 years, I did not read one single solitary novel.

I did read nonfiction books–I even wrote one. I did read and study the Bible.

I did watch television and movies for entertainment.

Yet, as my awareness of God’s holiness continued to grow, I became convicted about the content of those shows. At first, I stopped watching PG-13 movies. Eventually, I couldn’t bear for God’s name to be used irreverently. Because He is holy, I no longer felt comfortable watching His name be disregarded and dishonored for my private entertainment. And that small conviction is no small thing. His name is tossed at nearly every turn.

I subscribed to Hallmark Movies Now (this was several years ago when they were still reliably clean). I enjoyed watching their movies for a while, but because of the limited number, and because the story development and acting aren’t always believable, I soon tired of it.

I decided to pick up a Christian novel and just … see— give it another chance. I had nothing to lose.

I was HOOKED!

It turned out that in the 15 years I had stepped away, the Christian fiction industry had experienced an explosion of quality, amazing writing in almost every genre.

It turned out that character development and believability are much easier to accomplish through written words than on screen. I was able to dive deeply into stories and relish them much more fully through reading.

It turned out that there were thousands of published books I could pick up and read without fear of sinning or being tempted to sin.

It turned out that listening to audiobooks made mundane tasks and housework motivating and enjoyable.

It turned out that I grew in my faith and was deeply challenged by authors who interwove spiritual messages through compelling stories.

It turned out that when I had an ebook on my phone, I would read when bored instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media, and that was much better for my mental state.

Because of this, I’ve read multiple hundreds of books in the Christian fiction sphere over the past several years. My favorite genre is still romance, but now I can enjoy it in a way that points me back to Christ.

I’ve developed a passion for the Christian fiction publishing industry, and I want to share that through Embracing a Simpler Life with monthly emails and blog posts to share book recommendations, author features, and fun giveaways in 2025!

If you’re curious about alternative entertainment options, you’re in the right place.

The post Why I Started Reading Christian Fiction for Entertainment appeared first on Embracing a Simpler Life.

I don’t plan super special crafts for my kids, nor do I like to bake cookies. There are probably many places in my house that need a good scrubbing right now, and due to sickness and busyness, we are all waaaay off schedule.

BUT, I’m not stressing about it, because I know I am not going to do everything perfectly by the world’s standards.

So, instead I keep trying my best to “bring up the average” (as I’ve begun to think of it). Because I’ve realized I won’t ever arrive at a clean home, with all the laundry and dishes done. Something will be undone before the other is completed; that’s life under the sun.

However, if there’s one thing I want to get right as a mother, it’s this: I want to faithfully and consistently bring my kids back to God’s word.

Now, I’m not saying I do that perfectly either, because I definitely do not, but it is high on my priority list.

Today I’m sharing the routines that help to keep us on track.

1. Breakfast Devotions

About one year ago, we started a new morning routine. Instead of having our kids wake up and pour themselves a bowl of cereal at their leisure, we decided to institute a punctual, sit-down hot breakfast that my husband or I would fix. 

After said breakfast, we open up the Bible and read one chapter or part of a chapter. We’ve worked our way through several books of the Bible this way, and currently just finished up Ecclesiastes.

The thoughts that have been expressed and discussed have been absolutely priceless, and the family connection we’ve developed over discussing God’s word together is pretty precious too.

2. Scripture Recitation

My favorite thing about homeschooling is the opportunity I have to bring God’s word into every subject and conversation. We currently use a curriculum called Gather Round Homeschool, which works wonderfully well for our family.

Each of their units includes a recitation. This is a large section of scripture– think 10-20 verses– that my kids and I read out loud each day together.

The crazy thing is, by the end of the unit (usually 5-6 weeks), they have the whole passage memorized! Apparently, recitation is a miraculously amazing way to memorize a lot of scripture without even realizing you’re doing it. Therefore, no one is frustrated and everyone is excited to see their own progress.

Homeschooling or not, any family can work on a recitation together, and it is an amazingly beneficially thing to do! Chose a passage of scripture that embodies your family’s mission and then read it together each day!

…Did I mention it’s amazing?!

3. Nighttime Bible

My 6-year-old daughter Emily received a coloring Bible for Christmas. I also have a coloring Bible, so she decided I should come into her room each night to read to her while she colors on the corresponding pages.

Though I am tired at that point in the day and very ready for some time alone, I didn’t feel I could say no. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them!” came to mind.

And so, our nighttime routine began.

Like at breakfast, we simply choose a book of the Bible, and then read a little bit each day.

My other kids thought this was a great idea, so at present we have a rotation schedule, because apparently, having mom to themselves for this is a critical component, so simply joining in was not an option.

4. Weekly Discipleship

In college, both my husband and I were discipled by Christian mentors. This was very impactful for us. Discipleship was formatted as weekly meetings to study the Bible together. Last summer, I began to consider how we might do this with our own kids.

It was decided that every Friday morning one of us, either my husband or I, would take them out for breakfast (we wanted it to be fun and motivating) for discipleship. We are currently going through a study called My Brother’s Keeper to help build their vision for loving each other. I like it!

Also, they feel important and excited for the outing.

5. Weekly Church

I’ve often heard it said, “Don’t trust your kids’ spiritual development to the church– it’s your responsibility as the parent.”

Though I do agree with this, I also see how we are made to function as one body with other believers. Some of us are gifted in teaching, exhortation, wisdom, etc., and by attending a God-honoring church faithfully, we are enfolding our children in God’s beautiful reality. It’s okay to let others help us immerse them in His word… in fact, that’s exactly how God intended it!

Keep it simple, read the Bible

I think sometimes we feel we need a catchy devotional or child-centered storybook Bible to connect our kids with God’s word. However, that is not true.

In fact, I think we short change them when we only give them second-hand information. 

I am not saying there’s not a place for devotionals and storybook Bibles… we have many! But don’t miss the blessing of opening God’s word with your children.

Wondering where to start?

It is true that some books of the Bible take more work to understand. A few that I think are easier for kids to understand are: Proverbs, James, and Matthew.

I’ll leave you with this verse from Deuteronomy 6:4-7, which I find extremely challenging and inspiring:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 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.

How do you add God’s word to your kids’ routine? Share with us in the comments section!

The post 5 Ways to Add God’s Word to Your Kids’ Routine appeared first on Embracing a Simpler Life.

Many times over the past two years, we asked God for healing and good outcomes for our sweet girl, only to receive unexpected and unlikely bad outcomes instead.

I’m not one to ask God “why” when bad things happen. I know we live in a fallen world.

But I do question “why” prayers aren’t answered. Did I not have enough faith?

Today on the blog, I’d like to share an overview of our journey and what I am learning from it.

Here is a recap of what happened:

March 2020

Bad news: 8 year old Clara is injured at a trampoline park and taken to the ER. She is diagnosed as a possible break, based on pain and immobility mainly, as they didn’t actually see anything on the X-ray and no radiologist was on call. In such distressing circumstances, exploring the consequences of slip and fall accidents becomes crucial, emphasizing the importance of seeking professional guidance from an injury lawyer.

We follow up with a specialist 5 very painful days later.

Bad news: It’s not broken, it’s dislocated and has been out for 5 days.

We coax Clara into letting them reduce it in the office (which was very painful).

Bad news: It doesn’t work. She’s heading to immediate surgery.

Surgery #1: A 30 min surgery turns into 2 hours.

Bad news: Surgeon couldn’t get the elbow bone to stay in, so she inserted a temporary pin to hold it together. Arm was splinted and then later put it in a cast for good measure. Due to her injury, i thought about this injury attorney who could help ensure that she receives the compensation and legal support she needs.

April 2020

Several weeks later, the cast comes off and pin is removed.

Bad news: The pin broke off in her elbow joint (which is extremely rare), and immediate surgery needed to retrieve it.

Surgery #2: I have to go with her alone because of Covid rules which caused me a great deal of anxiety, fortunately I had some medical drops from CBDDY: cbd oil buy. We also tried to explore the variety of products that a CBD dispensary, such as the stiiizy dispensary, offered.

Bad news: A 30 min surgery turns into 2 hours. Surgeon can’t get the pin out and is forced to push it in farther instead. But it is near a growth plate so it could cause a future issue and must be monitored for years.

Her arm is splinted again.

May 2020

We are back in the office 2 weeks later to remove the splint.

Bad news: The elbow is back out, Clara will be referred to specialist at a top hospital hours away from home.

Surgery #3: Specialist will do immediate surgery. She will cut the ulna bone, set it at an angle, and then use a plate and screws to join it back together. This will create torque to keep the radius bone “in.”

By this point Mitch takes over taking Clara to follow up appointments because all the bad news has triggered anxiety issues for me with appointments in which case my doctor recommends this new post with a review about the CBD Oil UK products. Also, DocMJ Orlando explains the qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in Orlando on their website. Go to https://d8superstore.com/ to find out the benefits of CBD to anxiety and other chronic illnesses.

We follow up weeks later to remove the split.

Bad news: The elbow is out of joint… again.

Surgery #4: Surgeon will repeat the same procedure except use a wedge of cadaver bone to create a more severe bend in the arm bone and more torque.

Bad news: During the surgery the anesthesiologist notices and irregular heart rhythm that often requires heart surgery. We are referred to a cardiologist.

July 2020

Follow up from surgery,

Good news: The elbow is in! but…

Bad news: it has “slipped up” and not ideally placed. But good enough… hopefully.

Bad news: The surgical break is not healing, and after so much time immobilized and trauma to the joint, Clara’s range of motion is down to nothing.

She starts physical therapy and daily ultrasound therapy for endless months to try to regain motion and achieve healing.

Good news: The cardiologist can’t find evidence of a heart problem, so Clara is discharged from his care.

Good news: Some motion is restored through therapy.

Bad news: Elbow rotation does not come back and the surgical break still won’t heal. Clara needs another surgery to promote the healing of the last surgery.

February 2021

Surgery #5: Surgeon will reopen the elbow to clean away scar tissue. She will also take bone matter from Clara’s hip to grind and pack into the surgical break and add another metal plate to promote healing.

Bad news: No rotation was re-gained by the procedure. There is nothing more that can be done.

Good news: When the additional metal plate was added and the screws tightened down, the elbow bone came “down” into a better place. A happy and unexpected blessing!

Good news: At a follow up months we learn that the surgical break has finally healed! Clara can now bear weight and work on regaining strength, over one year later!

January 2022

Surgery #6: More months of physical therapy come and go, and we are still concerned about her awkward hand position and how it impacts her life. Surgeon orders CT scan and decides to call in another top surgeon to perform an elbow scope and clean out the elbow scar tissue another way, to maybe regain that rotation.

Bad news: It doesn’t work, so they move forward immediately with Plan B (or should I say Plan Z by this point?)— another procedure: cutting her other forearm bone (the radius), rotating it, and screwing it back together with a metal plate so that, when healed, her hand will be in a better position.

That was this week.

Looking back over the past two years, I can tell you that it has been an emotional journey of ups and downs.

We’ve all grown through it, Clara especially, as has our trust in God’s complete sovereignty. I can honestly see the good He’s brought about, which would not have happened if the trial was taken away prematurely.

Through it all, I’ve realized that I don’t control God with my prayers. If I did, He wouldn’t be God. He does hear them, and He does love us, but it’s not His will for us to have a trial-free life.

In fact, James 1:2-4 has been playing through my mind as I consider this.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I see the growth in our fortitude, our faith, and our eternal hope. I am grateful for God’s wisdom in each outcome, as hard as it was along the way.

And, in the midst of our story, even when the answer was no, still God’s provision was evident. Did you catch all the Good News tucked in there? Those were answers to earnest prayers!

More things to be grateful for:

• this is Clara’s left arm (she’s right handed)
• the peace we have felt
• Clara’s toughness, faith, and ability to cope
• her dedicated team of doctors
• that her elbow is in joint and in a good position for her moving forward

That’s a lot of blessings!

We don’t know if this is the end of the elbow drama, but we pray it is.

Either way, we’ll exercise some of that newly developed perseverance and keep pressing on.

The post What Bad News is Teaching Me About a Good God appeared first on Embracing a Simpler Life.

Over the past four years our homeschool daily schedule and curriculum choices have morphed and shifted quite a bit. Every family, child, and season is different.

Currently I homeschool a 3rd grader, 1st grader, and a pre-schooler who is old enough to do Kindergarten work. With the addition of a third child to our formal school, I was not able to use a single teacher’s guide with our original curriculum any more. (We had been using Heart of Dakota, which was a simple, low-key choice and I do recommend it).

Because I wanted to simplify things and make them more fluid with multiple learners, I chose to make a switch.

Here’s a breakdown of what is working for us presently.

My Simple Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Bible

In the past we’ve used devotionals for our morning Bible time, but recently we’ve switch to reading the Bible itself. I feel really, really good about that switch. Each morning after breakfast we read several verses (currently in Proverbs) and give each person a chance to share and talk about what they noticed or heard.

Because God’s word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and because will accomplish what God sends it out to do (Isaiah 55:10-12), there is really nothing more powerful nor effective than going straight to the source. I obviously see value in devotionals and believe they have a place. After all, I did write and publish one, but we also  need to teach our children to feed themselves straight from the source.

Costs

Free! We have the You Version Bible app on our phones. We often choose to use this because we can read from a version on it labeled EASY. It is well translated/paraphrased into very accessible language with the help of this translation agency in London!

Of course, we could also use one of our many print Bibles!

Time commitment

Gather ‘Round Homeschool

We recently made the switch to Gather ‘Round Homeschool as our primary curriculum, and we are all loving it.

My 9-year-old daughter is thriving, calling it “one of the most fun things she’s ever done.” They daily jump the gun and try to get us started on it before I’m really ready. They are just so into it.

It is a wonderful option for those who want a simple curriculum that everybody can do together. It is a Christian-based curriculum, which is essential to me.

Costs

Gather ‘Round Homeschool is organized into unit studies. Each unit study has either a science or social studies theme. Each one costs $49 for the digital, print-yourself version and takes approximately one month to complete. Included with this are a teacher guide and student notebooks leveled from Pre-Reader to High School.

I anticipate completing around eight units in one school year next year, so that would make the cost $400 per year.

The idea with Gather ‘Round Homeschool is that families will repeat a certain unit again after four years. This is because everyone will need a refresher to better cement the thematic information, and students will be on a completely different level with completely different learning opportunities in their Student Notebooks. So in theory, the yearly cost could be averaged out to $200 if the units are used this way.

Time commitment

We are currently doing the Space unit. I gather everyone around and read through the teachers guide, which takes about 20-30 minutes. Then each child works through the activities in their Student Notebook. My oldest child does this independently, while my younger two require step by step help and reading of the instructions. After another hour we are done.

Gather ‘Round Homeschool includes seven different subjects. Just add Math and you’ve got a complete homeschool curriculum.

One and a half hours a day + a bit more for Math may not seem like enough “school” for you. However, that’s the beauty of homeschool. We get to bust out of the “7 hour school day” mold and trust the learning process. All the reading, artwork, cooking, gardening, pretend play, board games which may be similar on 겜블시티, journaling, lego building, hiking, adventuring, and exploring that naturally fill our children’s days are a critical part of their learning and formation as well. Their curiosity leads them to become well-rounded, healthy, wholesome little people. It’s an awesome process to watch unfold.

Observing a turtle!

Math-U-See

Early in my homeschooling journey, I was advised to choose one Math curriculum and stick with it. Because different Math curriculums sequence things differently, it can be a problem to switch between them.

I’m so glad I started with Math-U-See.

It is a concept-based Math curriculum that is challenging. It uses math manipulative to help kids visualize concepts. There are teaching videos included that I watch with my kids, followed by several days of practice and an assessment.

Costs

The first time you purchase Math-U-See,  you will need the full kit including manipulative. This costs about $165. After that, you will need to buy the instructional “level up” set each year because you will reuse the same manipulative. This costs around $90. When your next child is ready for a particular level you have already purchased, you will only need to buy the student book, which is around $40. The Math-U-See copyright does not allow families to make copies of worksheets, so this cost is unavoidable if you want to use the system with integrity.

To keep my three kids moving up the ranks of Math-U-See costs about $150 per year.  

With Gather ‘Round Homeschool, this brings our homeschool curriculum costs up to about $550 per year. That may see like a lot, but in reality, it is a small price to pay to give my kids the wonderful, freeing, simple, effective education these curriculums provides.

Time commitment

Our Math-U-See lessons take about 30 minutes to complete. Each child has their own practice worksheets to complete.

Extras

There are a few specific extras that our children participate in as well.

For us, we value private music lessons. So, when our kids start third grade, our goal is to start them in weekly lessons. For our daughter, this is piano. For our son, it will hopefully be guitar.

Clara’s piano recital

We also attend a local monthly homeschool meetup, weekly church programs including AWANA, Girl’s in Action, and Trail Life. All of this is mostly free to us. Our kids also participate in preschool gymnastics along with Upward basketball, cheerleading and other sports which may feature a target quiver.

For us, having some outside help to develop our children according to their interests and in ways that our beyond our area of expertise has been a plus. It is also nice to provide them with outside friendships and social opportunities.

Learning archery at Trail Life

Simple Homeschool Conclusion

What works for my family may not work for yours. Some people have a different teaching style, and some kids have a different learning style. I encourage you to do your research and join some homeschool facebook groups to crowd source and learn more.

Read about why we homeschool and how it makes life simpler in Part 1 of this series here– How Homeschool Simplifies Life

The post Simple Homeschool for a Simpler Life: Part 2 – Our Curriculum appeared first on Embracing a Simpler Life.

In the face of Covid-19, some families are considering homeschool long term. I love homeschooling, and I want to be an encouragement and a resource to those who are weighing this out.

I decided to break down my thoughts into a multipart part series. In this post I outline why we homeschool and how it fits in with the pursuit of a simpler life. If you’re here, this is likely a metric you care about.

The “why” is the critical first step in any homeschool journey. Trust me, you can figure out the “how” once you reach your decision. It’s not as hard as you think.

In my next post, I will specifically share what our homeschool looks like.

Simple Homeschool: Why do we homeschool?

The short answer is, we felt God leading us in this direction. That’s a good reason to do anything!

I am not a person who believes all Christian families should definitely homeschool. However, my experience tells me, it is definitely worth considering!

Neither my husband nor I were homeschooled. None of our local friends homeschooled at the time we took the plunge.

Homeschool, for us, was never part of the plan. This was partly because of the stigma of homeschooling. We wanted “normal” kids, not strange or socially awkward ones.

I was also resistant to homeschooling initially because of the “sacrifices” that would be required. We would lose income if I continued staying home when our kids were school aged rather than getting a job in my field. I also saw being with my kids all day as a sacrifice. I felt I would not be able to pursue my own dreams and that I would be spinning my wheels with tedious, less-meaningful “mom work” all-day, every-day. Those who are not fully committed yet to homeschooling their kids may consider seeking child care services. For those who are committed, then you may enroll your kids to an Online Elementary School or a K12 Online Private School.

Plus it would mean I had to figure out how to get them to actually consistently listen to me and do what I say with a good attitude. So there were lots of problems with this prospect.

Boy, do I see things differently now!

Now, I see what an incredible privilege it is to have this time with my kids. They are some of my favorite people, and I truly enjoy my time with them. Yes, there have been adjustments to make. Homeschool brings with it lots of dishes, lots of noise, lots of activity, and more responsibility for being the parent and making sure they actually do stuff.

However, I see how rich our relationships are and how simple and good our lives are, and, to me, that would not be a worthy trade for money, opportunity, peace, quiet, or an easier path.

I deeply feel that we are maximizing the sweet season God has given us with our children. That is an amazing feeling, especially since there will be no do-overs.

My fears for their socialization have proven totally unfounded.

I also see how many dreams I personally have realized and fulfilled as a homeschooling mom. My husband and I have built a business together. I get to share my passion for simple living and eternal perspective through blogging and podcasting. I published a book. These are opportunities I would not have had apart from the extra flexibility of being home.

If you’d like to read more about my why, check out this post I wrote just before we started our journey: The One and Only Reason Why We Are Homeschooling Next Year

Simple Homeschool: How does homeschool simplify life?

To me living simply means focusing on what matters most and clearing away the rest.

Do I believe homeschooling simplifies life? Yes, hugely.

Anytime we zero in on our home and family, we are coming back to the basics of how we were created. When God made the first family, there were no basketball leagues, no children’s church programs, no public school systems, no lucrative careers. There was a man, Adam, and his wife, Eve. Eventually they had children and grandchildren. For centuries family and home have been a core foundation for thriving humanity.

As we launch into this, I want to give a caveat. A simple life is not king. Obedience to God is. And even though a simple life is good, His path for you may be harder or different. It’s still good.

So, how does homeschool simplify life? The answers to that question are many, but here are a few that come to mind:

1. One set of expectations, voices, and values for your children

When we entrust our kids into the care of others, we give up control over their environment. We give a measure of influence to people we don’t know. Hopefully they have a wonderful teacher who loves Jesus and knows the truth, but statistically they probably don’t.

Hopefully they interact with other kids on the playground in an honorable way, but they may not. Hopefully they’re making good decisions, but if they’re not, it might be a long time before we realize it.

Sending our kids away from home for in their young years complicates things with conflicting messages they are hearing which we must fight against. With homeschool, we simplify the messages our children hear and feed them a diet of truth during this critical period of formation. That’s a good thing. Homeschooling can be a platform for providing children with a solid foundation in STEM subjects, nurturing critical thinking skills, and fostering a love for truth and accurate knowledge, all of which are valuable for future engagement in STEM education and careers. These goals and principles align with the advocacy of many educators and experts, including Kamau Bobb, Google’s Director of STEM Education Strategy.
.

I do believe kids are capable of being faithful to God in a public school setting. He’s a big God!

However, we can be consistent voice teaching them to see the world through a Biblical lens.

2. Lots of time for to play, explore, pursue interests, and be together

Typically it takes us no more than 3-4 hours per day to get school work done. Often it’s even less that that, maybe 2 hours of actual “book work” for a third and first grader. That may seem low to you, but the process of learning is soooooo much more wholistic than just worksheets and lessons. As I learn more about how to provide unstructured, open-ended learning opportunities, I am blown away by the results.

Because of this schedule, my kids have space to play, create, pretend, explore outside, and listen to read-alouds. They insist on being a part of many things that I am busy with, which means they are learning to cook, photo edit, garden, blog, budget, etc..

I am amazed at what they come up with to create, and I’m glad they have time and space to pursue interests.

Extra-curricular activities become fun events in our week rather than stressful, taxing, family-time-suckers. 

3. Flexible schedule

We can go on family vacations at convenient times. We can take field trip adventures on a whim. Doctor’s appointments and sick days are easy to accommodate.

We aren’t juggling so many schedules as those with kids in public school, and so we have a much more centralized flow of activities.

There is nowhere we have to be at a particular time each morning or each afternoon. We do follow a schedule, but we have total flexibility depending on the needs of our family. If the baby didn’t sleep well, I am comfortable letting everybody sleep in so I can too.

4. Homework and other school requirements

From what I can tell, keeping up with public school homework, forms, curricular requirements, meetings, events, etc, can be a lot. It’s really nice to not have to worry about any of that. There are no public school balls to juggle, we’re just at home, learning every day around our very own kitchen table.

It’s just that simple.

As a former public school teacher with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Education, I have a lot of opinions about how learning works best. For one, I don’t believe in homework during elementary school. I just don’t. It’s a personal opinion. There’s a lot of research saying it’s more detrimental than helpful.

So, I’m glad I get to choose when and how my kids learn.

I get to create a less-stressful, richer learning experience for them, and I don’t have to submit to the wishes of several different teachers. Also, I get to tailor an education that fits them uniquely in a way that is simply not possible in a classroom of 20+ students. I know this because I was an elementary teacher with 20+ students.

Read exactly which curriculums we use in Part 2 of this series here: Simple Homeschool: Our Curriculum

Where are you with homeschooling? Are you considering it? Not considering it? Already doing it? Why?

The post Simple Homeschool for a Simpler Life: Part 1 – Our Why appeared first on Embracing a Simpler Life.