One Mistake That Needs To Be Corrected

I have been a Christian since I made that choice for myself at age 4 in my preschool class.  My relationship with God has had its high points and low dips.  There was even a time after some tumultuous years when I verbally told God,

"I don't like what you've done in my life and I was going to take over." 

He let me, and I made an even bigger mess of my life, making two of the biggest mistakes to date. 

Even with that season, I would say I am close to God.  In moments of life, all I have had was God and he showed up in a GIANT way!

I recently put together curriculum for a youth retreat that rocked my soul! I came across a video (that has since been deleted).  It shared words and background set to connect with the song Names of God by Laurell Hubick.   As I watched the video and listened to the words, I began to cry.  Before I tell you why, let me share a story.

I can recall one night, as a junior-high student, going to bed feeling more alone than ever before.  I called out to God saying I needed to be held.  I needed to feel someone hug me, like you would if a human being held another human being.  I went to bed that night and literally felt God's arms around me. 

HE ANSWERED MY PRAYER! 

That God hasn't diminished in my life. 
He is just as big as he ever was. 
He still speaks to me and yet,
I have made a major mistake!

I have let my life become bigger than my God. 

I have allowed anxiety, fear and worries take over and it has become my default to accept the broken circumstances that are handed to me. 

GUESS WHAT?! 

I don't have to. 

That video sparked this awakening in my soul that reminded me of the God I believed in all those years ago in that bed all alone - the God I still follow today.  I realized I am not living in a way that acknowledges the love, gentleness, strength and power of my God. 

My God is
Elohim, my Creator (Genesis 17:7, 8),
he's Jehovah Shammah, The Lord is There (Ezekial 48:35),

Adonai – My Great Lord/My Master – 2 Samuel 7:18-20

El Elyon – Most High God – Genesis 14:20

Yahweh – The Lord I AM – Exodus 3:13-15

Jehovah Rohi – The Lord Is My Shepherd – Psalm 23:1

Jehovah Mekaddishkem – The Lord Who Sanctifies You – Leviticus 20:7-8

Jehovah Tsidkenu – The Lord is Our Righteousness – Jeremiah 23:6

El-Roi – The God Who Sees Me – Genesis 16:7-16

Jehovah Nissi – The Lord Is My Banner – Exodus 17:8-15

El Shaddai – All Sufficient One – Genesis 49:22-26

Jehovah Jireh – The Lord Will Provide – Genesis 22:9-14

Jehovah Rapha – The Lord Who Heals – Exodus 15: 22-26

Jehovah Shalom – The Lord Is Peace – Judges 6:16-24

Jehovah Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts  - I Samuel 1:3

El-Olam – The Everlasting God – Genesis 21:33

Christ – The Anointed One – Matthew 16:16

Love – God is Love – I John 4:8

Abba – Our Father – Romans 8:15-17

I sat there and confessed where I had strayed and in the next week, God called me to live out what I had confessed. 

Days before the retreat I was to lead, my daughter started to develop symptoms to a virus that would keep any of us from attending.  That wasn't an option.  I began to panic and then I remembered the Names of God.  In that list is God my provider and God my healer.  I took this to him and asked others to pray. 

My mom, as wonderful as she is, spoke words that grabbed me.  She said, "Carrie, God cares more about your daughter and those teens, than you do! He will take care of it." 

I stood in that truth and saw my God work.  My daughter was healed and is fine.  More importantly, I was healed of the anxiety that was plaguing my heart.  Sitting in that truth and resting in all that my God is, I was able to relax.  I knew God had it all worked out the way He wanted and needed it to go, regardless of what happened with my little girl. 

Where have you let life become bigger than God?  Where do you need to rest in God and see him be the BIG, AMAZING God HE IS?!

Maybe you don't know God.  Do you need a Savior?  God is there.  If you are reading this, and like me, you have let God become small, NOW IS THE TIME, to see the BIG GOD you serve.  If you don't have a God but need him, he is also there.  I am here, if you have questions or want to know more, let me know.  God bless you.  Happy Wednesday!!!

4 Benefits of Being Bullied

As I begin this, let me say, 

I do not condone bullying. 

To be fair, kids today have to deal with bullying on a level I NEVER did as a kid, so please know I am not diminishing the severity of this issue. 

The point of this blog is to show how something meant to push me down, in fact, ended up blessing me with some amazing gifts.

As I look at some of my skill sets today, I see that many of them came through adversity and it is good to be able to celebrate beauty that can develop through pain. I am a likable person and as a whole, get a long great with others, but there was a time in my life where I wasn't so popular.  Truth be told, my home life had a lot of challenges that didn't exactly aid me in my efforts with peers at school - trying to pretend I cared about the "trivial" things that most pre-teens and teens grappled with proved a challenge as I lived with realities most people should never have to experience.

It also didn't help that I said whatever I thought.  I've never been great at censoring my opinion and when I am around people that just want to hear what they want to hear, its usually a recipe for disaster.  If all of that wasn't enough, I also, then, like now, wore my heart on my sleeve and never excelled at masking my emotions. 

All of this meant,  I had some lonely years at the bottom of the food chain. I was made fun of for my looks, family, and moral compass - just to name a few.  I was left out, picked last, teased, gossiped about, taunted and downright bullied. 

I persevered and guess what?  That season didn't last!  Yes, it felt like forever in the midst of it, but now looking back I can remember the beautiful years that followed and now I see some tools in my life box that I gained through those hard years.  Here are just a few of the rewards I gained from my bullied years:

1. A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF WHO I AM

Being able to see myself bullied and later admired, I could see that if I left my value in the hands of others, who I am would constantly change.  Regardless of your status on the social ladder, if you know who you are and know your value, it doesn't change with the changing tides. That constant is a solid foundation in our ever-morphing world.  Those peer uncertainties don't stop when you reach adulthood either, so its good to know who you are and choose how you want to be defined.  Your value is too high to let someone else decide what it should be. 

2. AN EYE FOR THE ALIENATED

I can join a crowd and in an instant am aware of anyone being left out.  I have a hyper-awareness of those off on their own.  It makes a great skill in connecting with teens as a youth pastor and reaching people just as a human being.  Not everyone wants to be a part of the crowd because we all have different personalities but being aware of those around you and checking-in to make sure their separation is by choice, is an amazing gift.

3. AN ABILITY TO GIVE GRACE

I can recall one particular person who said some pretty devastating words to me in regards to my life and more specifically why I should take it.  Suicide is very serious business.  But since those years, I realize that in our junior high days we don't always realize the weight of our words.  We live in the moment and often only see ourselves.

This person grew up and later after discussion regretted and apologized for this very conversation.  It wasn't because it was in their memory - honestly, they had completely forgotten it, but I hadn't and as I saw the root of this adolescent indiscretion, I was able to forgive this person.  Good people do bad things.  It happens and like this person, I too have had my moments.  Grace is a beautiful gift to give and receive.  I want to be in that gift-giving business so I am ready when its my turn to receive it. 

4. A HEART OF COMPASSION & EMPATHY

Even though I can be a down-right emotional mess at times, my vast array of social standings throughout my life, has gifted me with the ability to see beyond someone's masks and see them.  I have a compassion for those suffering and experiencing pain in whatever circumstances they are living.  I truly do cry with people because I can naturally put myself in their shoes.  I obviously have to put up boundaries for myself so I don't develop some superman complex and try to save the world, because I am not and cannot, but it does give me some great prayer times. Its a gift to see someone and be able to meet them where they are.


What lemons have brought you lemonade in life?  Can you see some skills you have today because of adversity you have faced?  Maybe its time to notice it and share it!!!

One Thing We All Need And Two Ways To Get It!

September of last year, Marie Claire published an article sharing the stories of women who regret having children.

For Every Mom, an online Christian mom's magazine, recently posted a response to a similar article in The New York Post.

After reading all three articles, I needed a moment to take it all in.  Motherhood is hard, but hearing someone say they regret their motherhood in the face of their beautiful children just broke my heart.  It hurts me to hear those words come as truth from someone's heart and it hurts me to think of the child who might one day read their mother's regret of their very life.

As I took it all in, I realized this sentiment highlights a real problem in our world today. Take a moment and picture life in the 1800's.  Can you see the Pre-Industrial America fully-equipped with covered wagons - something straight from a scene of Little House of the Prairie? People were tired from hard work, yet rested without incessant distractions.  Villages and towns rallied as a family and supported each other.  People weren't abandoned and left to their own devices.  While I am glad to live with the modern conveniences of the 21st Century, there is one thing they had gobs of that we are in deep need of - community.

As I take an honest look at the stories in the articles linked above, I see a variety of individual issues, and yet I see this common thread.  Sure there are some exceptions to this rule, as each of us have varied personalities and life experiences, but in truth, motherhood is a lonely existence and community is crucial for survival.    I wouldn't trade being a mom for anything else in this world, but lonely, frazzled, frustrated, depressed are all adjectives I have felt along this journey of early motherhood.  As a people-person who loves to be out and about, early-motherhood is a struggle because its so isolating.

There is a solution.  The following two things can help us to take back our motherhood and find joy in this stage of life.  

1.  Choose Another Vantage Point 

How we see something largely affects how it impacts our life.  Reality is always a good place to start. If you are a mom, you can't look at the "what if's" because they are no longer an option.  There is a huge responsibility in raising a child.   We have the unique job to shape the live of another human!  How amazing is that?!  Yes, it can be a daunting task but it is a task of upmost importance and shouldn't be taken for granted.  Also, our kids won't be little forever and they will become our friends in adulthood and even possibly our caretakers later in life.  Its time to see another side to motherhood and life in this particular season.

2.  Build Your Own Community

In high school and college, it was easy to integrate myself into a group of friends, but since those years the places to find friends aren't so readily available.  I have to be intentional to create my own community.  I have to keep up with people, do things for others and make time in the calendar to put in the time to create and maintain my community.  I have to put myself out there and risk rejection because the reward of having a support network is worth the risk.  So where do you find a mom community?  I have found moms on Facebook groups, theatre rehearsals, the playground, the gym, and even the grocery store.  

I met a mom a few years back that invited me to her prayer group.  It was amazing.  In the yard since it has fizzled out, and this past year I realized just how monumental that group was for me, so I decided to start my own. What do you need?  If you don't like play dates, find a mom that will swap with you - you take her kid so she can have some alone time, then she will take yours.  You can have your girl time and enjoy some of the perks from your old life now, with a little creative community building.

At the end of the day you've got this, but you can't do it alone so if you are trying to do so, than its time to make a few changes.  If you have it all, than maybe its time to find someone who needs you in their community.  We are all in this thing called "life" together!

In Need Of A New Perspective?

I have an ever active two-year-old in my home at this stage in life.  

She is beautiful,
sweet,
loving,
smart and
totally ornery!   She is into EVERYTHING!!! (Please Note: Despite this last characteristic, she is amazing!) 

Because of her tendency to pull everything out and toss it about, there are subsequently a lot of activities that don't happen for me or in our home right now.  Despite this reality, I recently decided to put together a 1,000 piece puzzle.  It took me about a week and while a challenge at first, in the end it was very rewarding. 

I remember in the process, picking up a piece knowing it belonged to a particular section but still struggling to get it to work in the right place, only to notice I was looking at it sideways or upside down. 

Other pieces had to be set aside because they were in a section that was all one color.  I had to wait until the end when I had less pieces to put in so that I could try each piece until I got them all arranged. 

I realized afterwards, that this experience was a great allegory for life. 

We often get frustrated when something doesn't go as planned, but often the way everything goes ends up being the best because we have a God with a plan.  It also illustrates the power of perspective.  Perspective truly is everything.

I recently finished a book (Have A New You By Friday by Kevin Leman) where he shared a great example on the power of perspective.  He discussed an addict who after 2-3 weeks clean, had a relapse.  In that moment perspective can either propel him into action to get up and go for it again or push him into a dark abyss where he feels hopeless to ever be clean.  He can acknowledge that he made it 2-3 weeks and be encouraged that he has done better than ever before and will make the right adjustments to start again, or he can beat himself up for failing and just stop trying because all he is a loser anyway. 

Bullying is a hot topic these days and with all the ways social media can be abused to torture others, it can quickly turn into a serious matter.  As a 38-year-old who grew up before computers were oxygen, I never experienced the levels kids can today, but as I look back to that pre-adolescent time when I was going through a personal hell at home and coming to school to get bashed for my body, family or moral compass, I can now see the benefits of that bullying.  You heard me, right, benefits.  I can see it now with the proper perspective. 

As a youth pastor I am around a lot of teenagers.  I don't just spend time with teens I know, but I also go onto campuses and through myself into situations where I know no one.  Thanks to what I felt in those early years,

I now am highly intuitive to the emotions of others,

I have an exquisite radar for noticing the alienated and

using my conversational skills and quirky affect to pull them out of hiding. 

I have a deeper compassion for the pre-adolescent and adolescent stages because of my varied stations among the proverbial social ladder.  There was a time when I was popular and well-liked by my peers, but that only came after my time as a social pariah. 

Every bad situation has a great perspective (though some don't come with instant understanding).  In fact, let me be clear - telling someone going through a hard time to look at the brighter side, will earn  you a kick in the teeth. 

The use of perspective is not to use as a weapon to tell a parent who just lost a child that they are in a better place.  Perspective is for us to utilize in order to find joy where life has us.  In grief and tragedy, time is often an ingredient to help with perspective. 

But how can you use it now?  Can you take Kevin Leman's example and apply it to your own life?  I recently got angry and threw something breakable.  It shattered to the floor and I started crying.  That is how I used to deal with anger and it has been over 10 years since I have done anything like that.  In that moment I felt like the addict who fell off the wagon, but Kevin's book helped me to see, while I relapsed, I have come a long way and I still have a long way to go. 

I need to use perspective to:

1. Encourage myself and shed light on the positive

2. Motivate myself to overcome obstacles in life

3. Rally other close friends to remind me to keep on the proper perspective path

Sometimes life does suck, but sometimes its all in our perspective and we can move forward when we re-position our thoughts. 

Let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes as encouragement in your perspective journey:

"A failure is NOT someone who fails, but someone who stops trying."  Jerry Bridges

You got this! Don't give up!!!

The Problem With Church

If you want to get fit, which is the BEST OPTION?

1. Watch Cooking Shows and create a Pinterest pin board with examples of healthy eating, and binge watch workout videos on YouTube.

Or

2.  Fill your diet with healthy food and eliminate processed foods and sugars, as well as begin a workout routine combining cardio and strength training. 

The obvious answer is number two!  To get fit you have to engage in activities that develop a fit body.  Watching shows or reading articles on fitness will do nothing for any muscle other than your brain.  Yes, a healthy brain is important but really not the point in this discussion. 

Most people understand the importance of being active and eating healthy in achieving their fitness goals, and yet that knowledge doesn't translate well when it comes to our spiritual life. 

Many Christians utilize church more like a movie theater than a gym.  Yet, church is meant to be a gym NOT a movie theater. 

Do a google search on the decline of church attendance over the past decade and you will see, while the statistics seem to vary a bit, all agree that church attendance is declining.  There is a lot of thought on the reason for this, but I think it is because of a lack of proper focus.

1.  Church is not a building.  Sure, this can come down to a semantical argument and yes, we do "go to church" referring to a service in a building, but the Bible is clear - the church is Christians collectively.  We are often referred to as the body of Christ because God intended for us to be different yet work together just like our physical bodies.  We often get distracted by the building and forget we are the church. 

2.  We have become spectators.  Christianity is NOT a spectator sport.  It isn't a to-do list that one checks off.  Going to a weekly service is not our Christian duty.  There are no brownie points for extra weekly Bible studies or service projects.  You don't get an award for putting more money in the offering plate than your neighbor and there are no wings to gain if you volunteer in the children's department.  Of course, we do need to engage in a local church with some of the above activities but the point is where the problem can be found. 

Our Christian duty is knowing Christ and making him known. (Please note: I am not referring to the guy shouting from a public square that you are going to hell).  If you want to be a Christian and grow spiritually, that is found in reading your Bible, studying what you have read, spending time with others who are like-minded and spending time in prayer.  Spiritual growth comes in putting the needs of other's first and seeking what God might want with your time and money.  Remember the greatest commands are loving God and loving OTHERS as ourselves (Matthew 22:34-40). Christianity isn't about being perfect but instead allowing God to work in you.  That doesn't happen overnight, it usually takes a good 80 plus years. Trust me! I have been a Christian for 34 years and I still have a list of ways God needs to work in my life.  I am as human as anyone else.

I haven't been to the gym in awhile and when I go back I won't be benching 250 lbs.  I will start where I am, which is more like 10 lb free weights.  Spiritual growth works the same way.  We have to offer God ourselves where we are now and not expect to be ready for a spiritual body building competition next week.

In my 34 years walking with God I have seen God work in me and through me and while I still have a way to go, I still desire God's guidance change me as we walk out life and I relish that because of God, I am never alone.  I love that I have a hope in something bigger than our country, political system or my career.  I love church because of the body of Christ - the people with which I get to share community.  I love praying with friends and walking out life together.  I love seeing where I can grow and adjusting my life to allow God to do so.  I love doing Christianity as one would go to a gym. Obviously, a movie theater is more fun, but a gym is essential to our physical health.  Being active in our faith helps promote a better connection with God, others and ultimately, ourselves.

When we shift our focus we will see less fights about the worship songs we sing on a Sunday morning or how we would change the weekly schedule.  We would focus more on loving the world and pointing them toward Jesus instead of being so focused on a church staff making us comfortable. 

Its time we get out of the spiritual entertainment mode and grow some spiritual muscles!!!  Believe me you will be better for it!!!! 

Do You Have A Plan?

Let's pretend we are going on a trip.

What might be some of the first questions you ask before planning a trip and deciding what to pack?  

1.  What is your budget? 
Will you be counting each penny or do you have money to burn?  Will you need to find ways to save or can you splurge a little?

2. What type of trip will it be? 

Vacation or Business? Family, couple or friend? The purpose of the trip dictates what you take.  Clothes need to be professional for a work conference and you will want to have travel entertainment if you will have kids with you.

3. Where is it? 
What will the weather be? What is the terrain?  You wouldn't pack just shorts for a snowy, mountain ski trip or take a down jacket on an island beach getaway! Destination comes into account when planning your trip.  

4.  How will you be traveling? 

Car rides accommodate for more bags while airplanes means organizing those small ounce containers for security checks.  There is also bus when the budget is small and time isn't an issue or a train for the scenic route.  You may need small bills for tips or AAA for extra security, discounts and maps on a road trip.

5. Where are you staying? 
Do you have a friend close by with room to keep you?  Do you need to book a hotel or suite if the family is with you?  How many nights do you need?  What amenities are essential for your trek?

Those 5 questions are just the beginning of the planning process.

The irony of life is we don't often consider the equivalent of these questions when it comes to our spiritual life, something much more important than a trip.  

Navigating through life can be a challenge, especially when you understand we have an enemy.

Yes, Satan is real.

I am not sure he looks like many of the depicted caricatures circuiting, especially when you read scriptures that say he comes disguised as "an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).  Satan doesn't like us.  He didn't just get kicked out of heaven because he wanted to be God, he was upset that God created us.  He was in essence the jealous older sibling after mommy has a new baby.  He wanted and still wants to take us out.

God came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  Jesus died and came back to life to conquer for us what we couldn't conquer ourselves, but we are still walking through the battlefield of life and we need to start engaging a little more so we come out alive.

Do you know the books of the Bible and their themes?
Are you memorizing scripture on a regular basis?
Do you have and are you following a reading plan of the Bible?
Have you read the Bible in its entirety?
Do you pray on a regular basis?
Have you examined cultural influences that help in understanding what God is communicating?
Do you know your weaknesses and are you protecting them with accountability through other believers and having scripture prepared to combat temptation?

I am not asking these questions to shame you if you can't positively answer these questions - instead, I want to bring home the point that we need a plan.

So why do the questions above matter? 

Knowing the books of the Bible and their themes helps you find what you need.

Memorizing scripture allows you to have it handy.

Reading the Bible isn't the same for everyone and in this digital age there are a million plans out there to read through the Bible so there is something for everyone, and reading the Bible consistently gives you that link to our Savior.

Reading the entire Bible takes about 80 hours but most plans do it over one to two years.  Reading the whole thing can be challenging, especially some passages, but it is a story and reading all of it is crucial to understanding the story and the purposes of Christ.

Prayer is our connection and communication with our God, and in war time soldiers need to have communication with their leader if they want to survive their enemy.  This is such a crucial tool in our belt.

The Bible wasn't written alongside the Declaration of Independence.  It is older than that and was written on soil on the other side of the world. The Bible wasn't written but often interpreted through Western culture and that is a mistake.  Many customs in the Middle East haven't changed much from the way they are today.  Context is also key in understanding what the Bible is all about.  Take the time to check it out.  Need some resources?  Let me know!  Happy to point you in the right direction.

Remember that enemy well he know humans really well, he's been roaming the earth for some time now.  We all have weaknesses and he knows how to prey on us, not to mention we are pretty good at self-sabotage.  Knowing ourselves, and our weaknesses, helps us to protect ourselves.  Having an accountability partner helps us to grow and keeps us honest about our journey.

Do you have a plan?  Where are you with each of these categories?  Can you up your game just a bit in each area?  If you don't have a plan, its time to get one!  

25 Kids Books For Your Summer Reading List

Summer is here, okay so officially the first day of summer is next Tuesday, but summer in this house starts when school gets out.  

I immediately made a list of all the things we could do together and places we could go.  Sitting around the house doing nothing all summer is not an option.  Without a plan comes non-stop electronic entertainment and that does not make for a good summer break.   

Part of our summer plan includes books.  We have a great children's book library in our house but we also love to go to the library.  Let me digress for a minute to let you know I love our library!  They have a summer reading program, wonderful events, and this summer are doing PJ story time nights.  

I thought as a fun way to celebrate summer and reading I would share some of the 

Guy Family's favorite kids books.  

Some are well-known and may be familiar to you, others may be new finds.  I have a six and two-year old, but some of the chapter books we read are geared more towards older kids, even though my son loves them too.  I have links to all the books so you can check them out on Amazon, but may I suggest going to your local library and check out some books, you may find your own list of favorite books.  

Picture Books: 

Caps For Sale - Esphyr Slobodkina  - This book was a gift when my son was born.  It was a recommendation from my Aunt Julia and Grandma Pat.  It has been a fun read for us.  We seem to all have it memorized.  

A Bad Case of Stripes - David Shannon  - I've actually had this book for some time.  I got it in my year working at the residential care facility for troubled teens.  I found teenagers liked nightly story time just like kids. This has a great message and I have found I really love many of the David Shannon books.  

How I Became A Pirate - Melinda Long & David Shannon  - My son loves pirates so this is a book we checked out but then finally decided to buy it and have it at home.  

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs - Judi Barrett - This is one of my favorites from childhood.  We have multiple copies.  I still have the one from when I was a girl, but wanted my kids to have their own as well.  

Tikki Tikki Tembo - Arlene Mosel  - This is another book that came from my aunt and grandma at the birth of my son.   Just saying the boys "great long name" fills our book time with laughter. 

Jamberry - Bruce Degen - This was actually a find when our church was getting rid of a bunch of kids books.  We love it! 

Good Night Yoga - Mariam Gates - This book was a gift from my mom, and I love it because its a book that also get kids moving.  

Johnny Lion's Rubber Boots - Edith Thacher Hurd - My friend Sabrina loved this book as a girl and shared it with us.  My son loves this book and subsequently we had to get red rain boots and coats to match Johnny Lions.  

James the Jaguar - Mary Lystad - This was another gift from Sabrina, and I LOVE THIS BOOK!  My son does as well but it is one of my favorites.  Its a fun book to enjoy as a family!

When Dinosaurs came with Everything - Elise Broach  - We don't yet own this book.  But it was a fun book we continue to get from the library and just check it out again.  

Hey Duck - Carin Bramsen - This was another library find.  It is just a fun book great for all kids.  

Tea Rex - Molly Idle  - The library introduced us to this book and author.  She is a clever author.  Tea parties and dinosaurs = Tea Rex and a ton of fun!

Hermelin The Detective Mouse - Mini Grey  - I have to admit this is MY FAVORITE.  Again we found this at the library and like Molly Idle, Mini Grey is a fun kids' book author.  She has several great books, but this one is still my favorite.  

A Froggy Fable - John Lechner - This is an older book and was one we discovered at the library.  We finally found a used edition on Amazon Prime and love to read it.  It is a great life-lesson book.  

Otis Book Series - Loren Long - This is not just a series we discovered at the library but we kept waiting for new books to be released.  We currently own 4 of the books in the series, but they are just wonderful!  We also found an Otis stuffed animal on Amazon as well, and my son loves it while we are reading the books.  

Max Spaniel Dinosaur Hunt - David Catrow - This book was a special library find because the author is from Springfield, Ohio where I grew up.  I love clever authors and we are excited to read other books in this series.  This dog is so cute.  

Skippyjon Jones Series (we love Lost In Spice) - Judy Schachner  -  Skippy Jon Jones is a fun cat who things he is a dog, a chihuahua to be exact.  Many books come with CD's so that is also a great bonus too! 

Stranger in the Woods and the rest of the Woods Series by Carl R Sams II & Jean Stoick  - We got this book as a gift from my mom and it is filled with beautiful nature photos and a cute story to go along with it.  We just found two other books in the series at the library and brought them home to read.  We are having fun seeing the connection between the books.  

Chapter Books:

Timmy Ninja - Henrik Tamm - Our library has a new release section just as you enter the kid section. We were exploring one day and found this book.  It is a Swedish author and there are 3, soon-to-be 4 books in the series, however, this is the only one I can find translated in English so far.  This cat ninja and his friends work with a magical toy maker to find the souls that have been stolen from children.  Okay so that sounds a bit strange but it is a fun book to read.  We loved it! 

Charlotte's Web - E.B. White - This was the first chapter book we read together.  Its a classic and there is a reason for that! It is great! 

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot Series - Dav Pilkey and Dan Santat -  We discovered this series in the new release section at the library, but since there is a lag when books arrive to the library we ended up buying the new ones as they came out.  Each book in the series follows Ricky Ricotta and his Mighty Robot as they fight an enemy from each planet.  I also love that the main characters are named after characters in "I Love Lucy." 

The Bible (My 6-year old son said I had to include it)!  - My son loves all the stories. 

Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales - Elizabeth Rudnick (New Release)  - This just came to the library and we started reading this before we head to see it in theaters.  So far its a great hit each night before bed.  

The House at Pooh Corner - A.A. Milne - This was one of our early chapter books and it was also a hit.  Winnie the Pooh is great for kiddos.  

Chronicles of Narnia Series - C.S. Lewis - We've seen the movies and love the books as well, especially since some weren't turned into a movie.  This is great for growing creative minds.