Tag: Jesus

One Season at a Time: Making a New Normal in Our Home

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

Why would we welcome things into our homes for one day that we wouldn’t want influencing our lives throughout the rest of the year?

If something would trouble us in February or June, what changes when October arrives?

That question is part of why our family is choosing not to celebrate Halloween. But the more I consider it, the more I realize this reaches beyond one holiday.

Sometimes it feels as though the world is taking over our thoughts, lives, and homes one season at a time. There is always something we’re encouraged to buy, display, watch, or participate in.

I’ve started asking myself: Are we prayerfully choosing the rhythm of our home, or simply following whatever comes next?

I Haven’t Always Felt This Strongly

These convictions have grown over time.

Things I once accepted without much thought have started to trouble me. Recently, I’ve felt more and more convicted, and changes are being made in our lives.

We’re reconsidering what we celebrate, what we watch, how we decorate, and what receives our attention.

We don’t have everything figured out. Changing familiar habits can be uncomfortable, especially when those habits hold childhood memories.

But I don’t want to ignore a growing conviction simply because continuing as we always have would be easier.

I’m sharing this as someone whose own heart and habits are changing.

Continue reading “One Season at a Time: Making a New Normal in Our Home” →

A Heart of Obedience: A 31-Day Family Devotional Journey

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

Hey there, sweet friends!

If you are anything like me, you are constantly looking for ways to anchor your children’s hearts in truth amidst a world that feels pretty loud and distracting right now. With our days full of homeschooling, household chores, and the beautiful chaos of family life, finding meaningful, open conversations with our preteens and teens can sometimes feel like a challenge.

That is exactly why I am so thrilled to share our latest family project with you: The Heart of Obedience: A 31-Day Family Devotional Journey.

This isn’t just a list of rules or expectations. It is a gentle, 31-day journey designed to guide our older kids into understanding why God calls us to a life of submission and honor. Divided into five weekly themes, each day features a foundational King James Version verse, a thought-provoking discussion question specifically tailored for preteens and teens, a practical way to apply the lesson to daily life, and a short family prayer.

We’ve also included traditional hymn suggestions to weave music into your morning basket, alongside weekly hands-on object lessons (using simple things you already have in your kitchen or living room!) to make these big spiritual concepts visual and unforgettable.

Whether you gather around the living room couch or chat over breakfast, my prayer is that this study brings your family closer to God—and closer to each other.

Want to dive in with us? You can grab your copy of the study guide and print out the daily readings to add straight into your own homeschool binder. Let’s keep growing faith, family, and food together—one beautiful day at a time!

May GOD Bless You!

Continue reading “A Heart of Obedience: A 31-Day Family Devotional Journey” →

A Seven-Day Christian Sukkot Unit Study About the Seven Traditional Guests

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

I have put together a unit study for my kiddos for the week of Sukkot. We may not get to all of these, but we can definitely try and hopefully it will give us all a better understanding of the Bible and some of the lost traditions and feasts that we need to bring back. We need to keep in mind that these are appointed days of the LORD and not just Jewish holidays… as Christians it is important to remember these days and keep them in a way that honors GOD.

Keeping Christ at the Center

Our family does not observe Sukkot as a means of earning salvation or proving ourselves more righteous than other believers. We study it because the appointed times help us understand the biblical story more fully.

Sukkot reminds us that earthly homes and possessions are temporary. God sustained Israel in the wilderness, dwelt among His people in the tabernacle, and came to dwell among us in Jesus Christ.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”
— John 1:14 KJV

The feast also directs our attention toward the day when temporary dwelling will give way to something permanent:

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them.”
— Revelation 21:3 KJV

That is the hope I want our children to carry away from this study. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David all played important parts in the biblical story, but none of them was the promised Savior.

Their stories help us see the faithfulness of God. Jesus is the fulfillment toward whom the story leads.

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The Book of Jonah: A Yom Kippur Study Guide

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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” →

Ten Days of Returning to God: A Devotional Journey from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

Hello friends,

There are seasons when God calls us to keep moving forward, faithfully tending the work He has placed before us. There are also seasons when He calls us to become still—to examine our hearts, mend what has been broken, and return to Him.

Lately God has been calling me to share what I’ve been learning with others. I won’t pretend to be any kind of expert so I do encourage you to do your own research whenever you may have questions or doubts about things. My biggest reason for sharing is that observing the feasts have allowed me to become close to GOD, delve deeper in HIS WORD, and they allow me to remember HIS PROMISES.

The period from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur offers a beautiful opportunity for this kind of quiet reflection. This devotional can be done by anyone at any time though!

Yom Teruah, sometimes called the Feast of Trumpets, begins with the biblical image of a trumpet blast. In Scripture, the sound of a trumpet could announce a gathering, warn of danger, prepare people for action, or call God’s people to attention. It was a sound that could not easily be ignored.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, comes ten days later. It is a solemn day associated with repentance, cleansing, and restoration before God.

Together, these days form a meaningful journey: awakening, examining, returning, confessing, forgiving, and resting in God’s mercy.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
—James 4:8

Continue reading “Ten Days of Returning to God: A Devotional Journey from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur” →