Songs For Saplings

About a year or so ago a dear friend shared a CD with me.  She said that a friend of hers put these CDs together and thought that we would enjoy them.  The children LOVED it so we decided to purchase the rest of the catechism cds and have been enjoying them ever since.

The other day a very well known blogger posted about these very cds.  Challies posted about Songs for Saplings along with other music for children.  Challies wrote:

Songs for Saplings is James and Dana Dirksen from Porland, Oregon. They have recorded four albums, one of which follows an A,B,C format while the other three are questions and answers, much like a catechism. I suppose these albums will largely appeal to younger children. They are quiet and acoustic.

He is correct in his assessment of the cds. They are geared toward younger children. But they are beneficial for the entire family.  The catechism cds do appeal to older children more and more in the second and third cds.  There is a great variety in the style of music on each cd. You can even listen to excerpts on their website.

What I love about them is that the children (and us parents) learn the great truths presented in the Westminster Catechism which is derived directly from scripture. Each question and answer also contains the scripture that teaches the truth. This way your children are not only learning the doctrinal truth but the scriptures that proclaim that truth.

Songs for Saplings is a ministry of the Dirksen family and this is what they state on their website.

We create lively, fun songs that attempt to deliver the deepest of Biblical truth in a format that your children will love to listen to. We want them to understand who God is and what He has done, as well as what He wants your children to do and to be. We hope that you will benefit from these CDs and use them to help teach your children about our God and his great love for us.

With Christmas time approaching, what better gift could you give than the gift of music which teaches and proclaims the greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ?!

I am pleased to announce that I can offer you a 20% discount off of your order when you buy CDs from their website. This includes the “12-pack bulk pack” which a lot of people order for gift-giving. This does however exclude the 24 and 48 CD bulk packs, which are already heavily discounted.

All you need to do is enter the following code as you go through the checkout: mamaarcher
It’s really simple.

Hopefully you will find this really helpful as you order CDs this Christmas!

As you seek to grow your little saplings……

into strong oaks of righteousness…

Songs for Saplings can be a musical and fun tool for you and your family to use and enjoy!

that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
(Isaiah 61:3b)

Visit SONGS FOR SAPLINGS and order your CDs today! Order some for your friends and family too! Don’t forget to enter the discount code for your 20% off!

Please leave a comment and let me know if you plan on making a purchase and what you think of their music and ministry!

Regardless of whether you order, please tweet, email, and share on Facebook so that others can take advantage of the discount offer!

It’s On Your Face

It seems that when my hubby is gone if something can go wrong it will go wrong.  There have been so many stressful things that have happened since he left.  On top of just being without him it has been doubly hard with all of the added stressers.  I am thankful though that I have a Lord and Savior who reminds me that he is here and I am not alone.  It is still hard to deal with the stress though.  There are days when I know I am not dealing very well with it, I pray for strength to go on.  Then there are days that seem to be almost stress free, I praise God for an easier day.  Then there are those days when I think I am fooling everyone (hehe-yeah right).

This past Sunday was one of those days when I thought I had it all together and was fooling everyone.  As I was speaking with a friend and she made the comment that she could see the stress on my face.  What??  I thought I had it all covered up!

Image by angelsk via Flickr

At first, I was not overly happy that it was showing  but then I began to be thankful.  I was thankful that someone noticed!  It is hard when no one seems to notice or even care!  We military wives are expected to just suck it up and get over it!  That is often easier said than done. It is nice to have someone tell you that you don’t have to be tough all the time and that it is okay to struggle. I tell you, if it was not for my amazing church family here (and one neighbor) I would have no support.  I am so thankful for my church family here and how I can always count on them! I am thankful for how they step in and meet our needs.   I am thankful for how they encourage me, how they remind me to point my focus back on the Lord when I begin to focus more on my circumstances. I am so thankful for the friends that I have there!  I am thankful that  they notice and they care when I have had a rough week!  They have truly shown the love of Christ to our family.

Since my hubby left I have spent so much more time in prayer!  That is a good thing!  I have not had my hubby to depend on and it has forced me to rely more and more on my Savior!  Sometimes though it is good to have that physical hug from a friend.  I am glad that I have that with my church family.  I am thankful that the Lord provided me a family here.

So let me challenge you.  If you have military families where you live (well anyone for that matter).  Take time to notice and take time to care.  If you can see stress on their faces be an encouragement don’t just turn and walk away. Make sure to remember them, their situation, and their struggles throughout the separation not just in the first month. Sometimes just noticing and genuinely caring can make all the difference in their day!

Please leave a comment and share some ways that you encourage others or what others have done to encourage you.

Such Contrast

Image by Jeanette's Ozpix via Flickr

Hubby and I once again, the 2nd year in a row, were separated on Resurrection Sunday.  It is hard to be apart but especially on days when you are used to worshiping together.  Here in Alaska the children and I went to church as usual.  We had a church-wide Easter potluck breakfast.  I woke with a migraine.  I had even considered skipping church because of it but decided that we really needed to go.  Since we were having breakfast at church and we were racing the clock, I didn’t eat.  I did however take medicine to attempt to ease the pain in my head.  We arrived at church 5 minutes late but nothing had started yet so that was good.  I was however seeing double by time we arrived.  I was weak and unsteady on my feet.  First trimester pregnancy, no food, and medication on an empty stomach, plus a killer migraine do not make one function very well.  After eating I felt much better and was only left with the headache.

We had a wonderful service.  I love singing the praises of my risen Lord!  We had a muted trumpet that morning which just added more of a majestic tone to our worship that morning.  I sang, looked at the beautiful mountains out the windows, soaked in the sunlight shining in on me, listened to the Word of the God being proclaimed, and rested in the love of the Lord.  It was a glorious morning.  God is soooo good.  I was even blessed that there were NO Easter lillies!!!! Thank you Lord!  I am allergic to them and that would have just intensified my headache.

By time I arrived home my headache was raging again.  I didn’t even cook a dinner.  I hit the bed for several hours but found it hard to even sleep through the pain.  FINALLY, I gave in.  I took some ibuprophen.  Tylenol just does not work at all for me.  My headache eased a bit and I was able to focus and enjoy the call from my hubby.  Thank you again Lord.

Sadly, there was much contrast between our worship service and the one hubby attended.  His worship service was not a good one.  In a manner of speaking, he worshiped alone that morning.  He did go to a chapel service but worshiping was not on the agenda that day.  He actually had the pastor tell the congregation to put their bibles away.  He turned his back to the congregation to “get into character” and then turned around and proceeded to give a monologue from the perspective of Thomas.  Hubby said he thought the reason he must have told everyone to put their bibles away was because almost everything the pastor said was made up and not anywhere in the scriptures.   He also was able to watch another pastor’s (in attendance) son run around on the stage just prior to the service undisciplined and obviously out of control.

I am thankful that even though hubby’s experience was anything but worshipful, respectful, or honoring to the Lord, he was still able to worship the Savior.  Our worship is not dependent upon others.  Even amidst the worst circumstances we can worship, praise, sing, study and read the Word, and pray.

I am thankful that even though we are thousands of miles apart I know that we worship the great God who holds us both in his hands.  There is no better place to be.  Yet, I look forward to the day when hubby is home and we can once again worship our Savior side by side.

Share with me about your Resurrection Sunday celebrations.

Something to Ponder

A people who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted because their countercultural lifestyles stick out like a sore thumb. When family patterns are reformed, it is so public that everyone notices. Family, friend, co-worker and church member are easily offended by family reforms. – Scott Brown

The Pelagian Captivity of the Church

The Pelagian Captivity of the Church

R. C. Sproul

via Modern Reformation – Print Friendly.

Pondering Persecution

Those of us who are true believers in Christ who pursue holiness and godliness we will at one time or another suffer persecution for our faith.   The ways of God are not the ways of this world and because of that conflict will arise.  Unfortunately, sometimes the persecution even comes from others within the church.  There are even those who see the amount of persecution they endure to be a mark or measuring stick of their holiness.  This lends itself to an attitude that focuses on self rather than the Lord.  Those people not only welcome persecution but sometimes even are the instigators.  Have you ever heard of being your own worse enemy??

Here is my pondering thought for you today.

There is true persecution and suffering but………

Consider this, sometimes it isn’t persecution you are suffering but the result of strife you may be sowing. It takes a very humble heart to be open to the Spirit, to recognize this, repent, and realign our focus on the Lord.  He is our standard and not our perceived level of persecution.

Your thoughts?