Amy Willers 1/19/23 Amy Willers 1/19/23

Book Recommendation: Stranger Safety

Once Upon a Dragon by Jean E. Pendziwol is my absolute favorite book on stranger safety for kids. Not only does it teach a comprehensive list of safety rules (including an actual list to go over with your kids in the back) but it presents them in such a fun and clever way, using familiar storybook characters to get the point across. For example, the Big, Bad Wolf is definitely a stranger you should run away from! I also love that it teaches about “safe strangers” like police officers (and I always included other moms with kids when I discussed this with my own children).

From Amazon:

After a thump-bumping ride on a slide, a little girl and her dragon friend find themselves inside a fairy-tale book. The stories are familiar, and there's lots of silly fun as the dragon is transformed into fairy-tale characters. But danger lurks in the form of strangers --- including the hungry wolf from ?Little Red Riding Hood? and Snow White's evil stepmother. And it's up to the girl to keep an eye on the dragon, who walks alone through deep dark woods and takes treats from people he doesn't know. Little by little, the girl teaches her irrepressible friend to be careful about strangers. The winning combination of fairy-tale adventure and concrete safety information --- including the Dragon's Stranger Safety Rhyme and the checklist of rules at the end of the book --- provide the perfect starting point for discussions with children about stranger safety.

I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️

Amy Willers 1/18/23 Amy Willers 1/18/23

What of Salt?

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

These are familiar verses, but a recent conversation helped me to see them in a new way. The idea of light and darkness makes sense to us. We talk about the looming darkness all the time. We focus on the darkness, probably more than we should. So the idea of Jesus being the Light, of us being the light, makes sense. This poor, sad, dark world needs light.

But what of salt? Why do we care about being the “salt of the earth”?

In those days, salt was used more for the preservation of something than for just adding flavor. If we are called to be the “salt of the earth”, what then should we be preserving?

I’ve heard it said that this metaphor is about “good, Christian living”, about being faithful to Christ in the world, about preserving what is good. But I don’t think that’s completely true.

What if being salt was actually a question of remembering our identity? And perhaps helping other people recognize their identity, worth, and purpose as well.

In my life, I have been amazed that the closer I draw to Jesus, the more I want to be like Him, the more I submit to Him, the more I actually feel like my true self! It is one of the greatest mysteries to me of being a Christian: that I can work to emulate someone else, and in turn, become more me. What a gift to feel secure in my identity because of Jesus! Jesus is my salt: the preserver of my true identity. I want to be salt for others: to help them see who they really are in Him.

It’s interesting to me that salt doesn’t actually ever lose it’s saltiness. Then why would Jesus have said that? But if we think of salt as a question of identity - made in God’s image, made to be His children, loved by God - than that can absolutely never change, even whether you believe it or not.

But we can forget.

Or not even know it in the first place.

I don’t think that being the “salt of the earth” is about preserving some sort of Christian sub-culture. That interpretation of the metaphor is far too weak.

Our job as salt is to remind or show others that they are salt, too. Each and every person, whether they know Jesus or not, has been made in God’s image and is loved unconditionally by Him. That is what gives us hope and makes us worthy. That gives us purpose. That is our identity.

Salt and light working together help us to know each other and ourselves better. And most importantly, they point to the true and greatest Light, Creator, and the One in whom our identity is complete: Jesus.

Amy Willers 1/13/23 Amy Willers 1/13/23

Book Recommendation: Author Natalie Lloyd

I have decided to add middle-grade fiction to my book recommendation blog posts. It is one of my favorite genres so I thought it might be useful to pass on some of my favorites.

The first books that come to mind are anything written by Natalie Lloyd. They are always incredibly sweet, with good characters and fun, original storylines. Usually the stories involve some magical/fantastical elements, but within the realm of our world. I would say her audience is probably late elementary/early middle-school aged girls. (I say girls because most of her protagonists are girls, though not all.)

These are the books of hers that I have read and recommend:

The Key to Extraordinary

Over the Moon (this one takes place in a fantasy world)

A Snicker of Magic

The Problim Children (several different narrators, both boys and girls)

Overall, these are all great books if you have a 10-12 year old girl, or if you are looking for a sweet, simple read yourself! If you or your child reads them, I always love to hear what you thought!

Amy Willers 12/31/22 Amy Willers 12/31/22

2023 Word of the Year

I never understood the point of a word(s) of the year until I started thinking of it like a lens. Like if I could put on my “grateful glasses” in order to see the world that way. It’s like a way of training your mind.

I also don’t think you need a new year to start putting on different lenses! Start anytime! And here are a few words to give you some ideas. Feel free to save any of these to use as a reminder for yourself.

Do you choose a word for each year?

Amy Willers 12/31/22 Amy Willers 12/31/22

Frosty and Festive

This month I entered a festive drawing challenge and here are a few of the pieces!

Amy Willers 12/23/22 Amy Willers 12/23/22

True Light Has Come

Do not pretend, oh you who are distressed,
That darkness your weary heart does not bind.
The joy and hopes of ones so long oppressed
The falsely merry lights of Christmas blind.
But truly, Light did not so come for light -
This Season is not just for the merry -
For what matter is light if not for dark?
And who is Christmas for, if not the weary?
Oh merry Christmas, what true light hast thou
For our deep darkness here? So now please shine
Thy soft, sweet Light; lest darkness we allow
To reign in precious body and the mind.
But Grief is welcome, with hope alongside,
Because true Light did come at Christmastide.

Amy Willers 12/21/22 Amy Willers 12/21/22

Book Recommendation: Noisy Christmas!

A Very Noisy Christmas by Tim Thornborough might be my new favorite Christmas picture book for little ones. The illustrations by Jennifer Davison are absolutely lovely, and the reading instructions (loud and soft, “shhhh”) is a charming and captivating idea for toddlers to kindergartners, and maybe even older kids! (I always think the age range given by Amazon is way too narrow.) This was my most recent addition to the nursery at my church, and I highly recommend it!

From Amazon:

Some people think that Christmas was a "Silent Night". Far from it. It was filled with shouting, singing and screaming! It was as noisy as any of our Christmas celebrations.
This fun and fresh retelling of the Christmas story comes with invitations to make some noise, so that children can join in as parents read to them. But it also shows children that at the heart of the Christmas story is something we should all be quiet and see: God’s Son Jesus was born, so that we can be friends with God forever.

Amy Willers 12/4/22 Amy Willers 12/4/22

Book Recommendation: The Littlest Watchman

Today I had the pleasure of reading The Littlest Watchman by Scott James to four kids in Sunday School, all around age 8 and it was a delight. They gasped in all the right places, they made clever predictions, and they wanted to know if it was a true story. That last part was my favorite, because then I could read the very last page, which tells the true story of Christmas (while also explaining that Watchmen are made up). This is the perfect story for Advent, because it is all about waiting.

From Amazon:

Benjamin is a Watchman. It's his job to watch for the sign that all God's promises are coming true. It's his job to watch a stump.
Trouble is, it's hard just waiting. And one night, Benjamin finally gives in and stops watching. But that same night, as he sits outside Bethlehem, he gets to watch something wonderful.
Kids will be gripped by what Benjamin saw, and will be excited by the Christmas story all over again.

Amazon suggests this book for grades 1-2, but the kids I read to today were grades 2-4, and they all loved it! I highly recommend this story for you and your family as you await the coming King this Advent season.

Amy Willers 11/22/22 Amy Willers 11/22/22

My Shop

Every year, I wish that I had signed up to do some Christmas craft shows. I feel like I come alive around Christmas, because I can do craft after craft, gift after gift. But even though I never participate in any craft shows, I use my love of crafts and gifting for friends, family, my amazing Children’s Ministry volunteers, and the kids at church. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see some of them pop up in my stories, and sometimes I give mini tutorials.

All this to get to my point: Although I do not have any crafts for sale (I still take occasional crochet orders), I do have a shop on Society6 where you’ll find a lot of my artwork, including the Christmas ones pictured below. But I love browsing all the other artwork on Society6 as well, and you can get a huge variety of products! So take a look and support an artist this holiday season (it doesn’t have to be me!).

Amy Willers 11/21/22 Amy Willers 11/21/22

You Voice Matters

I was thinking recently of the freshman girl who was asked, her first week of college, “what’s unique about you?” And she answered “nothing. There is absolutely nothing special about me.” And she completely believed it.

Sometimes I grieve for that young girl, but I know there are good things to come.

I am so thankful for being transformed from that girl into the woman that I am now, who heard God say I am delightful, and can lean into that Name. (In my darker moments I find it hard to believe, but mostly I just marvel when I see it’s true.) I was recently surprised when I realized I could walk into a room with more confidence in my voice, knowing that I had something important to add to the conversation.

But perhaps, even more importantly, I’ve learned how much YOUR voice matters to me. I’m better if I listen to you, especially if your voice may sound different from mine.

If you don’t think your voice matters, trust me, it does. Your life experience, your expertise, your interests, all matter! So let’s just take the time to listen to other voices, and make sure they know they matter just as much as our own.

Amy Willers 11/15/22 Amy Willers 11/15/22

Book Recommendation: A Native American Family Story

Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard.

I was hoping to get this book recommendation done for Indigenous People Day, but I didn’t want to rush reading through this book. It has some author’s notes at the end that explain each picture and about what it’s like to be an American Indian. I wanted to take the time to really soak it in and learn, and now think getting this book recommendation out in time for Thanksgiving is equally appropriate.

This is a book that celebrates the Native American culture, through the story of Fry Bread. I definitely recommend it for young readers for it’s lovely pictures and sweet story, but maybe even more for adult readers who want to honor what was lost.

A lot of people will relate to the idea of food and recipes being handed down as part of their heritage and culture. Additionally, there was a line in the book that was especially powerful for me, as a Christian. “[Bread] are communions, meant to be shared and loved with others, because bread is not meant to be cooked for one.” What a lovely picture of the Eucharist, a meal of bread meant to be shared with our family of believers, handed down from the generations before us.

If you are looking for a book to read to your kids around Thanksgiving, pick this one up. Not only can you learn about the indigenous people of this land through the story (and end notes), you can show your kids the value of sharing a special meal together.

Amy Willers 11/7/22 Amy Willers 11/7/22

“Facetober” Drawing Challenge on Instagram

This past month, I participated in a drawing challenge for each of October’s 31 days. Every day, we were given a three prompts and had to reflect them in our drawing/illustration. This was a challenge for me, but I’m so proud of myself for finishing every day!

Here are some of my favorites.

Amy Willers 11/7/22 Amy Willers 11/7/22

What’s on the Book Pile? Autumn 2022

My book pile looks a little different than normal! Usually it’s full of middle grade fiction and mysteries, but this fall I’ve taken a lot of recommendations from friends and family and so the current pile is a bit of a hodgepodge.

N.B. These are not recommendations, simply what I am currently reading. If you’d like to know more about a specific book, or recommendations for you or your children, feel free to contact me. I love to recommend books for kids of all ages! You can also follow me on Goodreads.

So let’s dive in!

Beach Read by Emily Henry, recommended by my cousin. A light, romantic comedy, but not recommended for younger readers.
For the Life of the World by Alexander Schmemann, recommended by my husband. We don’t often read the same books. But something about this one really spoke to him and he asked me to read it. This doesn’t happen often (or maybe, never before?) so I am honored to read it for him. (It’s a stretch for me and my fiction-loving ways, though!)
Tower of Dawn by Sarah Maas, recommended by a friend. I had started this series years ago, but they were a bit too intense for me. By the end of book 5, I couldn’t take it any longer and took an indefinite hiatus. Recently, I was encouraged to get back into the series by a friend, so I’m going to give it a go!
The Bad Guys (book 5) by Aaron Blabey, recommended by my son (8) who absolutely adores this series. I’ve already read books 1-4 and they are cute and silly. He is just very persistent that I finish the entire series, though (17 books and counting!), and who can resist his adorable face???
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, recommended by my church reading group. I have listened to this one multiple times on audiobook, but it’s fun to read it through again. I read through about half of them with my kids, most of stories going over their heads. One story in particular, though, hit us all where it hurts: the story of an older dog dying. I blubbered through it the best I could, and I’m pretty sure my kids cried with me. It was a surprisingly sweet moment.
Start with Hello by Shannon Martin. This one I picked up myself and have been devouring it. She had me hooked when she spoke of herself as a “shy, awkward introvert”, which is exactly how I would describe myself! I appreciate that this book ties in nicely with my current small group study on how to make friends and be a light in the world. I even sent Shannan Martin a note through Instagram thanking her, and she sent the kindest reply! That makes me want to read her books all the more.
Book of Psalms. This is a book of the Psalms with beautiful photography interspersed throughout. The way it is laid out just makes it a pleasure to read. I like to read them out loud for the full effect of the poetry. Just lovely.
And finally, Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard. This will probably end up in my book recommendations for November, but I wanted to read it through and savor it one more time. It has a lot of information at the end, and I want to make sure I take the time to learn and absorb it fully before writing about it on my blog!

Not pictured:

I am finishing the Manor House Mystery series by Kate Kingsbury on my Kindle. It’s been fun to read these 9 books, especially as I started them when we visited the English countryside this past August! These are the epitome of cozy mysteries.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien on Audible. This is a re-read (re-listen?) of many times over, but this time is with my son. It has been a delight to listen with him and watch him become enamored with Bilbo, Frodo, and the One Ring to Rule Them All.

Amy Willers 10/31/22 Amy Willers 10/31/22

Book Recommendation: If I Built...

The If I Built Series by Chris Van Dusen.

These have been my kids absolute favorite picture books for the past few years. And yes, that includes my 11-year-old daughter. They are witty and clever and told in a fun rhyming scheme. And the illustrations tell half the story! We enjoy pouring over the pictures to see all the details of the imaginative construction of the school, house, and car. I brought two of these books to my son’s second grade class last year, as well, and they were a huge hit!

Amazon says these books are great for ages 3-6, but I would extend that up to 11 or 12! These books are great for inspiring a kids’ imagination, too. Your kids will be drawing blueprints or building with legos for their new house or car ideas after reading these.

From Amazon on If I Built a Car:

If I built a car, it'd be totally new!
Here are a few of the things that I'd do. . . .
Young Jack is giving an eye-opening tour of the car he'd like to build. There's a snack bar, a pool, and even a robot named Robert to act as chauffeur. With Jack's soaring imagination in the driver's seat, we're deep-sea diving one minute and flying high above traffic the next in this whimsical, tantalizing take on the car of the future. Illustrations packed with witty detail, bright colors, and chrome recall the fabulous fifties and an era of classic American automobiles. Infectious rhythm and clever invention make this wonderful read-aloud a launch pad for imaginative fun.

Amy Willers 10/27/22 Amy Willers 10/27/22

Let’s Notice Together

I think about the book The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker a lot since reading it last year. The subtitle says it all: “131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday.” I loved the idea that how you notice and what you do with what you’ve noticed can all be an art form. And that is pretty much what the entire list is about: what people have decided to notice and how. I took some notes and had a few ideas for how I could replicate some in my own life, but none have come to much fruition. Still, I can’t get the book out of my head, because my biggest takeaway was just to take time to notice, well, anything!

For a while, I tried to notice anything odd, and even better, snap a picture of it. I chose “odd” rather than “beautiful” because oddities tell stories and make you curious. The first example that comes to mind is when I saw a motorcycle parked on the sidewalk outside the local library. Immediately questions came to mine and a story formed: Who parked it there? Were they in a hurry for a certain book? What book can make someone that hurried? Is there treasure I should know about? Scavenger hunt? Or maybe it was someone important? I have no idea, but to this day, I wonder!

On another day, I saw a orange traffic cone perched at the top of a tree. How did it get there? Did someone put it there? Was it an industrious squirrel? Or a giant?

These are fun examples, and I hope I can keep up this practice. But it’s actually not the point of this post. The point is that efforts to be present in my every day life, to “eliminate hurry”*, to practice noticing, are worth pursuing.

As a Christian, I actually think I have the same calling: to lift up my head and see life for what it really is. And if I use my lenses of “beauty, freedom, and abundance”, the results can be profound. I really love the idea that not only can noticing be an art form, it can also be a spiritual discipline. (I would argue that creating any art is actually a spiritual practice, which I’ve always known in my soul but have learned more practically from these art classes.)

So I will continue to notice oddities (there may be an occasional blog post), but also every season I want to pursue noticing different things that I set up beforehand, engaging many or all of my senses. For example, this fall, I want to notice anytime:

I see the colors of the trees.
I hear the sound of the leaves on the ground.
I smell and taste fall spices.
I feel soft blankets.

All these things come so naturally in autumn, and maybe that’s why I love this season. Maybe I’ve spent my whole life really noticing fall, and therefore finding the most joy this time of year. That’s good. That’s the whole point.

And it’s also good to start with an easy one!

Will you join me in taking notice, in the hopes that it will keep us really living in the present? What goals would you set for yourself to notice this season?

*This quote is from a chapter I read from the book The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg.

Amy Willers 10/20/22 Amy Willers 10/20/22

Book Recommendation: The Owl Who Asks Why

The Owl Who Asks Why by Michelle Garcia Andersen.

I picked up this book because I appreciated the clever title and beautiful pictures, and it didn’t disappoint! It was a sweet story about curious woodland animals who learned to use their own minds and voices.

From Amazon:

This heartwarming tale of friendship from author Michelle Garcia Andersen and artist Ayesha Rubio will remind young readers that by staying true to yourself and embracing what makes you unique, good things come to you.

Amy Willers 10/19/22 Amy Willers 10/19/22

What I've Learned as Director of Children's Ministry: The Interruptions are the Worship.

Photo by Beth Maree. Note my son with his Spiderman.
Not pictured: our resident 1-year-old, Tess, who always crawls towards the altar!

Something kind of beautiful happens at my church every Sunday: many of the kids sit either in the front or near the front of the sanctuary.

If you’ve gone to church at all, you know this is not the norm. Kids sit in the back. Parents of kids sit in the back with them.

It is reasonable that this happens: it’s convenient to leave if you need to; it’s possibly less disruptive to others; if a mother has to nurse, it’s more private. This all makes sense. And there is an argument that children do need to be taught to sit and listen. The problem is when parents and kids feel relegated to the back as if they aren’t welcome to sit wherever they want. And frankly, kids pay better attention when they are up close anyway!

Oftentimes during church, my son (8) is playing with his stuffed animals (that he never fails to bring). Sometimes it bugs me and I feel like my worship is interrupted by his play. I literally have to work through it in my head: what would Jesus say or do if he was here?

Usually when I ask this question, I have to work out the answer based on what I know about Jesus’s character. But this is one of those rare times we actually have a verse that answers the question!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

Perhaps this verse is used so much for Children’s Ministry that it’s lost its potency, but just think about it. It was so important to Jesus and so imprinted on the minds of the early disciples that it makes it into two different gospel accounts! Jesus cares about little children. He wants them to be up front near him. He even goes so far to say that theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

Henri Nouwen says:

“I have always been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted; then I realized that the interruptions were my work.”

I feel this quote deeply. But I think you can also substitute “work” for “worship” and it is still true. (N.B. You could also argue that our work is a type of worship, but that’s a post for another day.)

I have always been complaining that my [worship] was constantly interrupted; then I realized that the interruptions were my [worship].

So when my son is playing, instead of being annoyed at the interruption, I remember that I should prioritize play in the presence of Jesus; that I should delight in my son’s play as an act of worship; that I should remember that the kids are the ministry and future of the church. Shouldn’t they feel as welcomed as any adults?

My daughter (11) recently said to me that she wished we had church more than once a week, because she feels so at home there. As a mother and as a director of Children’s Ministries, I was delighted. That is how church should feel: like home.

What would churches look like if we all delighted in the interruptions of children? If we prioritized play in our own lives? If we let the kids sit up front? If we laughed, instead of scorned, at their antics? If we got to know them and heard their stories and what’s on their hearts?

Maybe church would feel more like home to all of us.

Amy Willers 4/13/22 Amy Willers 4/13/22

Blessed are those who Mourn

This post is a part 2 to what I wrote a couple days ago. I split the post in half, because the first part felt like it should be poetry. This post is mostly to tie up what I was saying, as well as highlight the words of the amazing Deacon at our church. May we all live by her words.

We make room for lament and grief in the church calendar during Lent, and it is the season that speaks to the depths of my soul. It is missing or overlooked too often in churches. We all know the time for rejoicing is coming - and has already come - but we need to take time to grieve now.

Jesus models this for us so beautifully when he took time to weep for Lazarus. Why? Why did Jesus do this when He knew Lazarus would be alive again soon? Why is it even recorded in the Bible?

Because we are not meant to skip the weeping. It is part of the process of healing and abundant life. It is hard. But it is good.

Psalm 126:5-6 says,

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.

My friend, the Reverend Jan Buchanan says about these verses,

He does not tell us to stop weeping. We are not told to stop crying so we can get back to work (sowing). We are instructed to go out weeping – to keep doing kingdom work in whatever way our grief allows. The promise of coming back in with joy and with abundance (sheaves) is not dependent on us wiping our faces and getting ourselves together enough to work, but rather the promise is for those who, in their grieving, keep moving forward in the work God as called them to do, in whatever capacity our particular grief allows.

To that I say “Yes, and Amen”.