Best and Favorites of 2013

At the end of the year we can’t help but look back at what we’ve done, where we’ve been, and all the adventures we’ve had. Today I wanted to share a few of my favorites from this year.

Most Visited Posts

The most visited post on my blog this year was my prayer titled, A Prayer for the Sad of Heart. For the printable copy of this prayer, click here.

Another highly visited post this year was To-Do List, Plans, and God’s Will. Click here to read that post.

The most read Teach Me Jesus Thursday post was The Books of the Bible. Click here to read that post.

And out of all the articles I wrote for other websites and publications, The Most Frightening Prayer I Could Pray for My Children was the most popular (and controversial!). Click here to read that article.

From Homeschool

I also have a few favorites from homeschool this year I wanted to share:

The Life of Fred: We started reading this series of books for math called The Life of Fred. They are cute, silly stories about a character named Fred. It incorporates math concepts into the story, making learning math fun and enjoyable. My kids love them!

Spelling App: I found this spelling app for my oldest and it has helped him exponentially in his spelling. He uses it a few minutes a day to practice his spelling words and since he’s used it, he has improved dramatically in remembering his words each week.

These videos from The Piano Guys: We have been studying the great composers this year as well as instruments of the orchestra. The Piano Guys have fun and entertaining You Tube videos that we have enjoyed watching.

Books

I read more books this year than I can count (or remember!). I enjoyed each and every one and learned something from each but there were a few that have stuck with me all year:

The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy This book, by Tim Keller, is small but overflowing with gospel truths. To be honest, I struggled a lot this year with hurtful and cutting remarks people made in response to some of my articles at the bigger web sites I write for and this book helped me to view those challenges through gospel lenses. I highly recommend this book.

The Power of Words and the Wonder of God This book is written by multiple authors, including John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Paul Tripp, among others. It is piercing with conviction on the effect’s of our words. But it doesn’t leave you filled with guilt, rather it points you to the cross and gospel. This one has stayed with me all year.

A Praying Life: Connecting With God In A Distracting World This book I used with my ladies Bible study earlier this year. It caused us all to look deeply at our prayer life and helped give us a desire for a richer, fuller praying life. If you are looking for a book on prayer, this is an excellent one to read.

Recipes

We all joke about how few of the things we pin on Pinterest that we actually use. There were a few recipes I found on Pinterest that I have made over and over:

Hawaiian meatloaf

Pork Tenderloin

Chicken Kebabs

Other Favorites From This Year

1. Earlier this year, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I went to see a performance of C.S Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Performed with only two actors and with all the speech done by one, it is amazing! If it is playing anywhere near you, you must go see it. Click here for the website.

2. This is our favorite game for family game night: Scavenger Hunt for Kids. The kids always want to be on my team because I know where everything is around the house:)

3. I am obsessed with these journals . I’ve gone through a handful this year! If you are a writer or like to take notes in church or Bible study, these journals are perfect. They fit in my purse, have an inside pocket to hold misc. papers, and even have a bookmark. Love, love them!

4. First Lego League: My oldest was finally old enough to join a Lego robotics team this year. He has loved it! If you have a child who loves Legos, you’ll want to find a team for them to join. There is also a Lego Jr. team which I coached for my younger son this year as well.

Well, those are just a few of my favorites from this year. How about you? Any favorite experiences, good reads, or something else you loved from this year?