Here are a few books to tuck into your book basket as you explore the theme God Created Us With Emotions with your little one.

Here are a few books to tuck into your book basket as you explore the theme God Gives Us Relationships with your little one.

We’ve been big into writing letters at the Murphy house this year. Some of them have been more traditional, like the one we left for Santa on Christmas Eve. The one I wasn’t expecting was the one my three-year-old wrote to Jesus.

Here are a few books to tuck into your book basket as you explore the theme God Sent Jesus with your little one.

Based on my Bible study in Joshua 1, we created a collection to remind families—whether in motion, in transition, or at home—that God is with them wherever they go.

Elie and Josephine resettled in Boston last year, trusting that God would meet them in a new country and an unknown future. When their first son was born at just 24 weeks and rushed to the NICU, they saw that the Lord was with them, even there.

We talk about Jesus while we chop vegetables, and fold laundry, and walk the dog. We bear one another’s burdens while we’re stacking chairs after church or cleaning up after an event. That kind of side-by-side, “come with me while we do this” life is an adventure in its own right. Real discipleship is already an adventure; this is just one more way to step into it.

I’ve always thought paperwhites are such a beautiful Christmas tradition. Little bulbs quietly doing their thing on the windowsill, and then—one day—these bright white flowers show up right when the world feels darkest and coldest.

Here are a few books to tuck into your book basket as you explore the theme God Gives Good Gifts with your little one.

Scripture describes God’s people as strangers, exiles, and sojourners. We are people who are not quite home yet. Certainly, we are waiting for the day when we’ll arrive at God’s New City. However, we also experience many journeys on this side of heaven, too. We are all familiar with being “on the move”: a new place to call home, a new job, a new school, a diagnosis, a transition we didn’t ask for.

Here are a few books to tuck into your book basket as you explore the theme God Never Changes with your little one.

Here are a few books to tuck into your book basket as you explore the theme God Made Me with your little one.

Most of us don’t have titles like “leader of Israel,” but if you follow Jesus, someone is following you. Little eyes at the breakfast table. A coworker who knows you pray. A neighbor who watches you love your people. Discipleship is leadership, and God’s promise to Joshua echoes into our ordinary weekdays: I am with you.

Here are a few books to tuck into your book basket as you explore the theme God Made Everything with your little one.

Because when your child is a baby or a toddler, discipleship can feel almost silly at times. You’re talking about God’s love to what feels like a little blob who can’t even form sentences back to you yet. You’re singing songs in the car seat, whispering prayers at diaper changes, pointing at animals and colors saying, “God made that!”

November was a special time for us as we had the joy of curating custom gift boxes for a ministry center in Boston. These boxes were designed to refresh ministry partners who have spent their year pouring their lives into serving others.

A special tool?! What would that even be?! She HAD to be referring to a broom. That doesn't seem special at all. And so it goes with family discipleship, too.

But the trade-off is that I end up not using these tools to help spark gospel-centered conversations in our day — because I rightfully hold them in high regard as useful tools but wrongfully hold them too high as not a fit for our messy days.