THYME BOOKSTORE â—½ TIPS
Catching fireflies is a great summertime activity that I enjoyed as a kid because we got to run around just after dark and find the light and hold it in our hands. That’s what I wanted this book Catching Fireflies to be. A time for families to sit down together and catch a glimpse of the light of God’s mercy and love for them, in a practical and tactile way, with scripture verses as a topic.
This is not a new book. In fact, it was published back in 2007, after I had spent years writing and enjoying home family devotionals with my kids. We used items found at home to provide props to fun lessons from the Bible on God’s character and love. One time, we read the verse about God giving back to us pressed down and running over, and we had a basket that we stuffed with wadded paper until it ran over…demonstrating the love of God poured out on us…his children!
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Each lesson provides a “preparation” section of what you need – usually things you have in and around your home. The older kids can gather the things, and the younger ones can manipulate them during the study. The lessons are for all ages, as the family gathers and enjoys Him. We enjoyed them with our kids from elementary school through high school!
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There are enough devos for one a week, plus holiday ones, too.
One of my favorites is how telling likes is like a tangled web, as we pulled thread back and forth across a room as we told a web of lies, and then we saw how that web of lies tripped us up as we tried to move. And all we used was a spool of thread!
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This book is for young families, as an encouraging read and a purposeful family time to grow together in grace. God isn’t stuffy, he’s real and alive, and he’s present every day in our homes. And devos don’t have to be boring, they can be life-giving, as we gather and catch the light together…even in the darkest of nights.
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I hope you enjoy the book, buy one for a friend, or give several to new families in your church or extended family. And did you know that A Bundle of THYME also has a family devo every single month? We do! It’s on the HOME page, it’s free and printable, and oh so fun.
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Yes, our kids sometimes bickered, or our phones rang and interrupted, or Dad got sleepy. That’s part of family life. But we soon grew to expect family devo time as a part of our routine, and seeds were planted, and smiles emerged…every single time.