Podcast Episode 17: 31 Days of Prayer for Estranged Family & Friends

Pip: Pollywog’s Place Blog is the kind of corner of the internet that hands you something genuinely useful and asks nothing dramatic in return.

Mara: Susie at Pollywog’s Place Blog has put together a thirty-one-day prayer devotional for anyone carrying the weight of an estranged relationship — and that’s the territory we’re covering today.

Pip: Let’s start with the devotional itself and what it’s actually asking of the person who picks it up.

Continue reading “Podcast Episode 17: 31 Days of Prayer for Estranged Family & Friends” →

The Book of Jonah: A Yom Kippur Study Guide

When & Why It Is Read

The entire Book of Jonah is read as the Haftarah portion during the Mincha (afternoon) service of Yom Kippur, right before the final Ne’ilah prayer. This precise timing catches worshippers at a peak moment of physical fatigue and spiritual vulnerability, creating a perfect backdrop for a narrative centered entirely on raw human frailty and immediate divine response.

• The Message of Teshuvah (Repentance): The core lesson of the text is that true change is always accessible and completely shifts destiny. God completely forgives the people of Nineveh the moment they alter their actions, illustrating that sincere inner transformation triggers immediate divine mercy.

• Universal Divine Compassion: Jonah struggles heavily with the reality that God’s grace extends completely beyond Israel to include foreign adversaries, underscoring that all living things are under divine care.

• The Impossibility of Fleeing: Jonah’s failed escape attempt emphasizes that no one can hide from their personal divine purpose or ethical responsibilities.

Continue reading “The Book of Jonah: A Yom Kippur Study Guide” →

New Release: The Weekly Sabbath Family Guide (Your Guide to Rest)

Hello, friends! 

If you have been looking for a simple, stress-free way to bring the peace of the Sabbath into your home each week, I have some wonderful news. I have officially finished putting together the Weekly Sabbath Family Guide, and it is ready for your family—completely free! 

My heart in creating this guide was to take away the overwhelm. Keeping the Sabbath shouldn’t feel like a rigid checklist of rules; it should be a weekly highlight that your entire family looks forward to with joy. It is my prayer that this guide can you help you create memories that will last a lifetime and bring your family closer to GOD.

Continue reading “New Release: The Weekly Sabbath Family Guide (Your Guide to Rest)” →

Podcast Episode 07: Gratitude And Grace

Pip: Welcome back to Pollywog’s Place Blog — where the car breaking down is actually a blessing in disguise, and the tow truck driver’s daughter gets her dental work done.

Mara: Susie at Pollywog’s Place Blog has been writing about gratitude this week — what it costs us when we skip it, and how a mother’s morning attitude can set the temperature for an entire household. Let’s start with the roots of thankfulness itself.

Continue reading “Podcast Episode 07: Gratitude And Grace” →

Ten Days of Returning to God: A Children’s Devotional

The days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur provide a meaningful opportunity for families to slow down, listen to God, and prepare their hearts together.

Yom Teruah is associated with the sound of trumpets—a call to awaken and pay attention. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, reminds us of our need for forgiveness and points us toward the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.

Ten Days of Returning to God is a simplified children’s devotional designed to help families explore these truths together. Each day includes a short Bible reading, a child-friendly lesson, a discussion question, a simple activity, and a prayer.

Throughout the ten days, children will learn what it means to:

  • Listen for God’s direction
  • Ask God to search their hearts
  • Turn away from wrong choices
  • Confess their sins honestly
  • Apologize and make things right
  • Forgive others
  • Show God’s love through kindness
  • Draw near to God through Jesus
  • Trust in Christ’s sacrifice
  • Begin again with God
Continue reading “Ten Days of Returning to God: A Children’s Devotional” →