Why should families bother introducing or even teach their kids their Bible? Well, that is a simple question. It’s the foundation for everyone’s daily walk. Do you know the cheesy saying about knowledge is power? Well, it’s very true. The Bible teaches everyone how to live their daily lives and ultimately salvation. The Bible is truly amazing and teaching kids the Bible will set their Christian foundation strong for all the adventures they take on.
So How does a family start to teach kids the Bible?
Well, that is a very good question and one I really couldn’t answer too well until I received a copy of a very awesome book by Danika Cooley. She wrote a book called Help your Kids Learn and Love the Bible and it’s great on so many levels to help parents achieve just this. People might be wondering how this aligns with our theme of adventuring. Well, I want my daughter to be equipped with a heart full of love for God and His teachings as well as the knowledge of His word so she can carry it on all her adventures. I actually mentioned above that with a strong Christian foundation, a person is more equipped to take on adventures they face. It’s like being able to have the full armor. She will be ready for anything life tosses at her if she not only understands the Bible but loves God’s word too. This is an affiliate post.
There are several things I loved about this book. It was informative, eye-opening, encouraging, and relatable. These are great things as I delve into the journey of teaching my child about the Bible.
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible is very informing
Throughout the book, Ms. Cooley gives so many resources to help every parent successfully introduce and study the Bible with their child no matter the age. For example, I never knew which Bible version was good for my child. I always just had my NIV or NKJ. But, she breaks it down by age which Bible version a child should be studying. Later in the book, she talks about visual tools to help children learn better from sticky notes to verse cards for children like mine that are more visual with their learning. I never thought about going out and purchasing certain items to help my child learn and love the Bible until I read this book. My husband shall ask no questions when a bunch of purchases come from Amazon and Thinking Press Kids.
This Book is encouraging and eye-opening-
Like so many families, we are very busy people. The calendar is still on third and I have piles of laundry crying out to me for attention. So where do I fit time in to have Bible time with my family? Ms. Cooley gives words of encouragement throughout the book and shows people how it can be done even with busy schedules. It’s also eye-opening to realize that we can do this as a family. When there is a will, there is a way.
Finally, I love the Relatability-
Ms. Cooley gives example after example of real-life situations and shows how they relate to the Bible. I loved one part where she talked about how a bank is like the Bible. It made a lot of sense to me. In other parts, she will tell stories about her children and relate them to learning the Bible. I think the relatability factor is honestly my favorite part about this book.
Other Steps For a Strong Christian Household-
It’s great to teach kids the Bible but there are other pieces to the puzzle. Other steps need to be taken to make that foundation even stronger.
Pray as a family. This is actually addressed in the book too!
Be an example in everything you do. Ha, also addressed in the book. Remember, children are watching everything you do whether you think they are or not. They most likely are watching you. My child is such my mini.
Teaching kids the Bible is super important in all Christian households. So if families are looking for a book that hits all the points on teaching your kids to love and learn the Bible, then purchase a copy of Ms. Cooley’s book. It has been helping me so much and I am excited to see how what I learn from this book translates to my daughter and how she carries her Biblical knowledge on all her adventures. It’s about planting the seed and watching the tree grow. So go teach your kids the Bible and build that foundation.
Curious about how to become a Christian Adventurer? Well, look no further. Just click the link!
Locust Grove Estate is a great place for the whole family including the chubby dog to visit. They have art, history and lovely trails. A great combo for a day of adventuring at a Hudson Valley Location.
Getting to Locust Grove Estate-
Locust Grove is conveniently located on rt 9 in Poughkeepsie NY. There is plenty of parking and handicapped accessible. Enter through the gift shop. This is always dangerous for us. Abby got a stuffed animal Eagle that makes the sounds because we saw one on the side of the road on 343 eating with vultures the day before. But, anyways, super easy to find and get into. Say hello to the lovely person or people behind the desk and head through the doors to the grounds. If you need a restroom, it is to the left and down the hall where you first entered before heading into the gift shop.
The estate grounds-
Without even going on the trails, the grounds are lovely to either sit and look at the view behind the house or wander through the gardens. There are also two old cemeteries on the grounds with one for pets and one for people. We love the old horse carriage and big bellowing trees that dot the property. Currently, Locust Grove is having a fairy house scavenger hunt for a ten-dollar suggested donation. We saw one on our way to the trails. But, if you pay the ten dollars suggested donation, they give you a map to find the houses. It will be on weekends through June.
Fun Fact: According to the Locust Grove Estate Website, the grounds and gardens have been restored to what they were pre-WWII. That’s pretty nifty.
The Trails-
Follow the path down past the two cemeteries and picnic area all on your right and you will see a big fence/gate. Just go through there to access several trails. There is a trail down a bit to the right. It’s a really easy trail that just brings you back around to the main grounds,
However, on our last trip, we went straight down the hill past the old barn that looks like a beautiful New England painting and followed signs for the Hudson River. You can loop around for a several-mile hike. We decided to just follow a dead-end trail down and then out and back our trip. On our way back from the dead-end trail, we saw a huge black snake on the side of the trail. Not even telling a fishtail, it was seriously huge. You know the arms you make when you say it was “this big,” it was that big, and then some.
We have traveled many trails over the past few years at Locust Grove and love the varying scenery and even though it can get a little crowded especially on weekends, it is still a really nice place to navigate the trails. It’s also moderately easy. Some hills and rocks. But not bad.
Locust Grove holds other events throughout the year as well. They have artists that show throughout the year too. So there seems to always be something happening at Locust Grove for all people to enjoy
The History of Locust Grove-
Locust Grove was once home to Samuel Morse and Locust Grove now hosts permanent exhibits from his career as an artist and inventor.
Locust Grove first belonged to the Morse family. After that, it was rented by the Young family. Eventually Annette Young would become the sole owner and her mission was to make this a historic site. This was achieved in the late 1970s. To read the full history, go here.
Walking Through History
Final Thoughts About Locust Grove Estate-
Locust Grove is a great place to visit. It’s rich in history, available for events, and even hosts some cool events. They have wonderful art on display and beautiful hiking trails to explore. Bring your art canvas and some paints and become inspired like other Hudson Valley artists such as Morse from a time long ago.
Looking for more places to adventure in Hudson Valley? How about along the Hudson River? We have been to so many spots along the river, we couldn’t even list them all in this one post! Visit it here!
I have learned many facts about mom life just in five short years from the adventures of mom life and had many new experiences. For mother’s day this year, I just want to share a few of the things I have learned from a Christain perspective. Besides, there can always be a part 2 next year!
Patience Lots and Lot’s of Patience-
This past year this has been clearer than ever. We couldn’t go to indoor locations. The year became the year of we. As in I thought I was going to send the darling to school and well, that didn’t happen and I am now staring at another year of homeschool. She is a child who tests boundaries and a mom’s patience at every step. We are also very similar so often it is like I am getting frustrated with a smaller version of myself. But strong-willed littles are tomorrow’s leaders, right?
Being a parent of a special needs child is also not easy and takes a whole other level of patience. Sometimes she cannot speak. I have to be her voice when she becomes frustrated and anxious. God never gives us more than we can handle. However, sometimes as a mom the patience just seems like a heavy load. So I have learned ways to cope. Take time for me even if it’s a ride to the store where I can be with myself and talk to God or sing insanely loud. It also takes patience with not just my child but everyone around me that thinks they know the answers. God didn’t create anyone perfect. We are lumps of clay to be molded by the potter himself. Only He truly has the answers
Even with my own husband. I have had to learn patience with our child. Sometimes we do not see eye to eye. We were raised in totally different households and it isn’t always easy. I was raised in a theater family in Westchester. I now love hugging trees. My husband grew up on a rural farm in Dutchess County. He uses trees as firewood. So being patient and finding common ground is something that is a work in progress between us.
Kids Can do awesome stuff Which leads to Inspiration for Mom-
My child has taught me so much. She has done more than some adults and pushed limits in crazy ways. During the pandemic we became wanderers. We walked into the woods and started wandering. She was only four when the pandemic hit. We went to remote locations. Bushwhacked. Rock scrambled and at times I wanted to give up. But, she pushed me on. We are now over 700 miles and she has done most on her own two feet over the last five years. We completed probably 200 plus since the Pandemic started in March 2020. So it taught me to not say “I can’t” but instead, I can. Our Bible verse is “I can do all things through Christ Who Strengthens Me.” Phil 4:13. My child has shown me that this is completely possible.
Not in My Time-
I tried and tried to always do things in my way and my time. However, this isn’t even Biblically Possible. My child has really shown me that things happen in God’s Time. Not my time. I cannot have it my way.
Right down to my pregnancy. I was ready to go back into acting. Go on a tour. Leave my husband in the dust for a while and guess what happened? I got pregnant after years and years with my husband. My first pregnancy test wasn’t even positive. But, I did the moonwalk across the floor while singing can’t touch this. My husband said it’s up to God and ya know what? A few weeks later a loud voice woke me up at about 2 am and told me to go take another pregnancy test. I laughed and guess what? The test was very positive. I couldn’t have it my way. But ultimately my daughter’s unplanned entrance was the best miracle that ever happened to me.
Even now, I mentioned before the year of me and now it is we. I was really excited to work on my own. Set forth on my new journey while my child was at school and well, again not up to me and that was not His plan. God had other plans. Remember Proverbs 16:9?
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
And this past year during the Pandemic, I left it all up to Him and more doors have opened than they ever would if I would have had the year of me. I knocked and He answered.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” Matthew 7:7
So my child showing me how I need to leave it up to God has actually worked really well. He has established my steps into very cool directions and I couldn’t ask for a better person to step with than my mini-me even though sometimes she can drive me a tad bonkers. We have knocked on many doors together and they have taken us on awesome adventures.
I have learned children are always watching their mom …
She wants to be just like mom. Which I think is fairly common especially in the younger years. I know as a teenager all I wanted to do was run away from my parents. But I feel like if I set a strong Christian foundation for her maybe she won’t ever want to run away from me or maybe just run away for a bit and come back.
I love this parable in the Bible:
The Wise and Foolish Builders
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
So I try to build a strong Christian foundation for her to follow and hopefully she will be like me and follow in example in all her ways as she grows.
start children off in the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 26:6
And because my child is watching me I have to work on weak areas in my life such as my tongue because children are like little parrots. They repeat everything. I mean everything and I have to come up with some quick answers. Have to hold that tongue.
keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies Proverbs 34:13
And let me tell you, the tongue is quick and saying some wicked stuff. So instead I have had to learn to use my mouth for good. Like lifting others up and being positive. Especially now in times that can seem so dark with no end in sight.
But even things she does. Most recently the potato man she drew on the bedroom wall to keep shadows away. I just rolled with it after I calmly explained why we don’t draw on walls. Obviously, there are times when she needs to know she did wrong and there are consequences. It’s just a matter of how and what spews from the depths of my large, booming mouth. Hold that tongue. My husband likes to remind me about how loud I constantly am. I simply tell him that I’m projecting.
Hey Wanna See a mom literally swing into mom life? Click Here!
An Unexplainable Love-
Love is Patient, Love is kind, Love is so many things, and having a child is all these things and more. My daughter and I have a saying, it’s Me and her against the world. A mother’s love is losing sleep, wiping boogery noses, being there to cheer them on and dry their tears. Last week, Abby ended up getting very ill. It took a day and a half of me being right by her side. If I moved, she would scream in fear. I got zero work done. But, my child comes first, and my love for her.
My husband has lost a lot less sleep than I. I even co-sleep with mine right now because of situations that have come up. My husband moved into my daughter’s room for happy nights of peaceful slumber amongst the unicorns and fuzzy pink blankets. But a mother’s love. I cannot even truly fully explain it. It has pushed me and made me a better person. Even though I think I will be sleep-deprived for the foreseeable future. Besides God, I will never love anyone more than my little girl. But, it’s a different type of love. Like I said, an unexplainable love.
Still Learning About Mom Life
I’m still learning. Remember, God knew us before we were born. He created each person unique and special in their own ways with their own talents, gifts. I’m not sure if I will have another child. It’s not up to me. But, I guarantee you that the second child would be a whole other experience. Some things might be similar. But, like I said every person is unique like the stars in the sky or the snowflakes that fall in winter’s breath. So each parenting experience is unique too. The journey I am on with my daughter will continue to teach me new things and toss me curveballs. But, ultimately with God by my side, I know I have this and He won’t steer me wrong.
Therefore, I ask every mother reading this today to look inside themselves and see what their children have taught them? When you take a minute to step back and think about it, you will be amazed by everything our children have taught us. I’m ready for the next chapter. Are you?
Did you know that there is an awesome local Hudson Valley Program that offers discounts from so many local businesses with one little yellow card? Abby Girl loves the I Love Local Rewards Card because we are always on the go and often looking for awesome deals. This program is also great for local businesses with so many options beyond the card. This is a sponsored post. I am an affiliate of local rewards.
The Card for People Looking for Great Deals on Local Products-
First off, the cost of the card cannot be beaten. A card only costs $10! You can purchase it for yourself or as a gift. So instead of passing out gift cards from a big chain for that next gift-giving event, think about a local card instead that benefits many local businesses. Cards last one year.
From pizza to CrossFit, the wide range of business types is awesome. They also span across the whole Hudson Valley! Even our very awesome taxman is on the reward card (Freedom Financial)!
Businesses Benefit from this program too!
It’s great exposure for businesses to be part of this program. There are several different tiers that offer different incentives for businesses. New businesses are constantly appearing on short commercials, promo posts, and much more. We even appeared on a podcast Local Rewards Hosted a while back to promote businesses such as ours. My child compared me to Dora the explorer repeatedly. Magnífico. Me Gusta Local Rewards.
I Love Local Host Cool Events-
Local Rewards hosts, events throughout the year to bring the community and businesses together. They are currently working on several upcoming events. In the past, they have done everything from a Health and Beauty Expo to Trunk or Treat.
The Creator Behind the Concept-
Ramon AKA CE Avengers is the mastermind behind Local Rewards. He’s extremely knowledgeable and helpful. If you have any questions, he would be more than happy to answer them. A side note, his computer business is great. I take all my computers to him and some have been in rough shape. He does everything possible to keep it affordable and is very honest.
Follow them on Social Media!
Local Rewards is on both Facebook and Instagram. So go follow them to keep updated with all their latest offerings and events.
Final Thoughts About I Love Local Rewards Card-
Having a local rewards card is awesome. It’s so much better to support small businesses and as a business owner, this card and all the programs/events have been invaluable. What are you waiting for, go sign up today and please make sure to tell them Adventures of Abby Girl sent you.
Where is mom going to use the card next … Well, she will be heading to Boutique Wines, Spirits and Ciders LLC in Fishkill New York, and flashing the card for ten percent off her wine bottle. Sometimes moms need a little mom juice and ten percent off is a great incentive. Hey, even Jesus turned water into wine! So wine is fine with this mom (just not in excess). Where will you use your card?
I promise last item of business! Go see our key links and another awesome affiliate company local to the Hudson Valley on our links page! The company is called Bespoke Commodities and they have constant changing cool products. Just click the link on our page to see what they have currently!
People always ask how we keep going. How do we go on adventure after adventure over here at Abby Girl HQ? Well here is the big secret. We rest and not just because we feel like it, but because of several excellent reasons. Are you ready to hear why adventurers need rest? Listen closely.
Rest is needed to keep going
People simply need sleep. A human body is simply just not physically made to go and go and go. No amount of double shots of espresso, big gulps (do they still make those at 711?) or power-driven music will keep a body going forever. At some point, each and everybody needs to get some shut-eye AKA rest. It’s even medically proven that every living creature needs sleep.
In the end, the scientists concluded that sleep must have some kind of necessary function; otherwise, it would not be universal and it would not be damaging to our health to go without sleep. The next step is to figure out what exactly sleep does.
The scientists think that however sleep affects the body, the major function of sleep is the same in every animal. This means they believe that sleep evolved early because it helps all animals live better lives. The scientists also think that the function of sleep has something to do with the brain because that is the part of the body that is affected most by the lack of sleep.
Other scientific studies about memory help support the idea that sleep is important for the brain by showing that sleep helps us retain more information.
Could we go out on a limb and even say, that God created sleep because it is necessary for all the creatures He created. So go get some zzzz’s!
We rest when we are sick or injured (sometimes)
We are actually horrible at this whole concept. In fact, last week, I got stitches in my back (seven total) from a mole gone bad, and the next day I was out in nature hiking. Can I tell you how much my back hurt after that one? What did my injured body need …? REST.
I ignored a stomach cramping on an adventure a while back. What happened? Well, it resulted in me sweating and holding my stomach in pain. I had forgotten the stomach medicine I usually carry on me during adventures and I was SICK. I kept going and got lucky making it home with seconds to spare. However, I remember about twenty years ago getting sick on a section hike and pushed my body. I ended up sick in a pine forest gripping a tree, crying for mercy. My body needed rest. The adventure will always be there after our bodies heal. But, if they don’t heal properly or not at all, adventuring can be shut down indefinitely.
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health
We take breaks to clear the mind. A mind that is busy all the time becomes clouded. This can lead to a lack of focus. We cannot be a strong Christian adventurer with a brain going a million miles a minute. Our brain will just go on auto-pilot and we won’t be able to focus our attention in the correct directions.
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
A human body is a lot like a car. It needs fuel to keep going. If a car has no fuel then it doesn’t run. We run on two types of fuel. It’s similar to how cars run on different types. The human body needs food and water. However, it also needs spiritual sustenance. So we break to eat grub, rehydrate and also to speak to the Lord, and be still in prayer. It all fuels ours bodies and keeps us going for future adventures. We need to take care of our bodies so rest is best! Besides, I know personally that if I am not sustained, I get cranky. We cannot be Christian Adventurers and be cranky. That’s a total oxi-moron.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies
Sometimes we honestly just feel like taking a rest. We don’t want to go anymore. Remember in Forrest Gump when he kept running and running until he said he was tired and going home? Yes, we sometimes do the same. The key to remember is not to rest to the point of being a sloth. Yes, the creature, the sloth rocks. However, true slothfulness does not and is actually sinful. So it’s important to not become lazy. Find the balance.
Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger
Have you ever rested and just looked around and said, “man, God is awesome. He created all of this for His children to adore.” Every mountain we summit. We rest and take it all in because each view is different and awe-inspiring in its own way. The best part is it’s all created by God. He is the most amazing artist of all time.
Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes
Rest is necessary for everyone and that includes adventurers. God didn’t make our bodies with the ability to run on auto-pilot and never rest. Whether it’s for sustenance or to simply take it all in, everyone needs to go take a break. So, go put your feet up and take five. The adventure will still be out there when you are done resting.
