Author Archives: Candace Crabtree

About Candace Crabtree

I'm Candace, just a messed up mama in need of God's fresh, new mercies daily ~ moment by moment! My husband and I live in East Tennessee with our 3 children ages 12, 11 and 9yrs. In addition to spending time with my family, I enjoy reading great books, blogging, our church, worship music, playing piano, having coffee with a friend and fresh flowers on my kitchen table.

10 Picture Books for a Christ Centered Easter

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Just like Christmas, Easter can be a hard time for helping our kids to stay focused on Jesus and the reason we celebrate Easter. I like to pull out these favorite books each year, a few weeks before Easter and read one each day with my kids. You may have additional books to add to this list, please leave us a comment letting us know what your favorite Christ Centered Easter books are!

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1. Journey to the Cross ~ this book is not so much a picture book that you would sit down and read in one sitting. But I LOVE using this book ALL throughout the Easter season! This book has the entire Easter story split up into 40 readings (which would also be perfect to start around the time that Lent starts.) Your elementary kids could also use this book as reading practice to mom during the Easter season!

2. The Parable of the Lily ~ this might be my favorite picture book for Spring and Easter! I love Liz Curtis Higg’s parables for children! This one is the story of a mysterious gift that ends in a joyous discovery weeks later just in time for Easter. I love that Scripture is incorporated into the pages of these children’s parables!

3. Easter Bunny, Are You For Real ~ I love these gentle books by Harold Myra that do not make you feel any condemnation for having easter egg hunts or having FUN with the holiday. He mentions that spring IS a time to get excited about bunnies and new flowers growing, etc. But, he gently points out that the REAL reason we celebrate is because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

4. The Easter Story ~ from “Peek-A-Bible” and ZonderKids ~ we have had this book since my kids were 2-3 years old. There are flaps the kids can lift up and I have to admit, even as an adult, I get excited lifting that huge rock and seeing that the tomb is EMPTY!!

5. Amon’s Adventures ~ this is another book that is not particularly a picture book, but a story that you can read aloud to your whole family throughout the Easter season!! These read aloud or chapter books by Arnold Ytreeide are just fabulous. The stories grab you and have such depth to them. I would say these are probably not for your early elementary kids, maybe save them for upper elementary and older.

6. Benjamin’s Box ~ this book can be used along with the Resurrection Eggs or on its own, you could even be creative and use this in a totally different way if you chose. Benjamin is a curious boy that lives in the time of Jesus, he keeps a treasure box of all these treasures he finds — these treasures are the same things you will find inside the Resurrection Eggs.

7. The Legend of the Easter Egg ~ another fabulous “legend” book by Lori Walburg with MANY references to special events that take place around the time of Jesus death, the cross and the resurrection.

8. The Tale of Three Trees ~ a beautiful story of 3 trees with stories of how they are used to bring glory to God through their “lifetime.” You could add in nature study, as well, to this lovely story! This story is a very creative and a bit unusual way to tell the Easter story! You and your kids won’t forget it!

9. Miracle in the Morning ~ discuss with your children what it would have been like to go and find the EMPTY tomb on Easter morning!!

10. The Legend of the Sand Dollar ~ a trip to the beach reveals the story of Easter in a sand dollar! A small, hidden treasure reveals the miracle of the Resurrection.

I love adding just one new book to my Easter and Christmas collections each year. That makes it a little more affordable. By the time my children are grown, we will have a lovely collection of Christ-centered holiday books that someday I hope to share with my grandchildren!! These books we read each year become a part of our traditions…my children remember them…and I pray these seeds are planted deep in their hearts as they grow and mature in the Lord!

I have some free cursive copy work to go along with the Resurrection Eggs over at my place if you’d like to add that to your Easter school work!

Homemade All-Purpose Citrus Spray

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I can’t believe I’ve been using this cleaner for years and never had the idea to blog about it! I guess because it is so SIMPLE that I don’t usually think people will be interested…but maybe BECAUSE it is simple some of you will appreciate the idea.

My secret ingredients??

White Vinegar + Citrus Peels

Do you already use white vinegar in your home? It is so useful in so many ways! Some of my favorite ways to use white vinegar are: all purpose spray, laundry, cleaning the coffee pot, cleaning any appliance, homemade mopping solution, deodorizing the garbage disposal, cleaning the microwave, and more!

Citrus peels!?!? Yes! Not only do citrus peels have powerful dissolvent in them, they also make any room just smell so fresh and clean! I noticed a difference in my cleaner when I started adding citrus peels to it – it actually cleans better!

How I Make My All Purpose Citrus Spray

Fill jar with citrus peels
Pour white vinegar over the peels and fill up jar, close with lid
Let the citrus and vinegar sit on a shelf somewhere for several weeks
Pour into spray bottle and begin cleaning! (If the scent is too strong for you, dilute the cleaner with a bit of water)

It really is that simple! I have a lot of peel at my house because I love fresh lemon in my water daily and I’ve also been juicing for over a month now. So, I save all the peels from my clementines, navels, oranges and lemons to use in my cleaners!

More Notes

To clean your microwave, place a small bowl of white vinegar inside and run it for a minute. Take out the vinegar and simply WIPE CLEAN the insides! It all just wipes out so easily after that vinegar has been heated!
If you want to make more of a “scouring” cleaner, take your white vinegar and add BAKING SODA to it! Not only it is a fun science experiment for the kids to watch, but it’s a great, non-toxic cleaner! (There seem to be conflicting reports online about combining these 2 items, but I’ve had good luck with it, so just try it out and see if it works for you!)
If you’d like to read more of my frugal ideas, I’d love for you to visit my little place on the web where you can read about our chickens, saving money on groceries without coupons and more!

Saint Patrick’s Day Learning Ideas

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I hope you didn’t click over hoping for lucky green leprechauns. 🙂 Did you know that Saint Patrick was actually a missionary? Have you shared with your children about the real Saint Patrick? Today I’m going to share with you a few ideas for doing just that! Of course, having a little fun along the way makes the learning a little more memorable, but our focus won’t be on luck or leprechauns.

According to tradition, Patrick, as a young boy or teen, was sold into slavery. As a slave, his job was shepherding. As a shepherd in the fields, his prayer life blossomed and grew and his life became a witness for us all. What man intended for harm, God used for good. Genesis 50:20.

Through many events in Patrick’s life, he eventually felt God calling him to return to Ireland and tell people the good news of God.

I encourage you to do a little bit of research, check out a few books from the library on this man and learn more about who he was and why we celebrate him!

Here are 5 of my favorite picture books for sharing Saint Patrick with children:

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie DePaola – if you are familiar with DePaola’s children’s books, this one will look familiar, with his unique illustrations.
The Story of Saint Patrick’s Day by Patricia Pingry – this book is great for the younger crowd and shares about Saint Patrick’s Day traditional symbols as well as where the holiday came from, as well as a short narrative on Saint Patrick himself.
St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons – Gail Gibbons books are great for homeschoolers! You can pick up this book and do no more lesson planning! 🙂 This book will tell you how the holiday is celebrated as well as some of the legends told about Patrick today.
The Story of Saint Patrick by James Janda – another children’s book that tells the story of Patrick.
Count Your Way Through Ireland by James Haskins – this book will help your family to learn a little more about Ireland and not just Saint Patrick himself.

In addition to reading some favorite picture books, add one or two of these FUN activities and your kids will definitely remember a lot more about Saint Patrick!

Creative Snack Ideas

Fun Learning Activities

Roll a Leprechaun Dice Game
Gold Cauldron Counting, Shamrock Subtraction and more!
Free Ireland Lapbook & Unit Study
More Free Unit Studies For: Saint Patrick’s Day in the Morning, Patrick Patron Saint of Ireland, and several other Irish/St. Patrick’s Day titles!
Shamrock Name Game Matching
Green Daisy Science
Free Printable St. Patrick Number Puzzle
Flying Potato
Play Hot Potato
How to Make a Celtic Knot

Arts & Craft Ideas

I hope you and your kids have FUN learning about Saint Patrick and the country of Ireland! I always think kids learn more when it’s fun. 🙂 Enjoy!!

If you’d like to read more of my homeschooling ideas, please take a peek at some of our favorite unit studies!

I’m Struggling {5 Practical Steps for Encouragement}

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I have struggled with depression off and on for 8 years now. It used to be that I couldn’t say the word “depression” out loud. There was no word for what I was struggling with. And if I did think it, I didn’t speak it out loud. There have been many, many things I’ve learned through this thorn that God has allowed, but one of the biggest is that when you bring things into the light that were once in darkness, it loses just a little bit of the sting. I’ve learned that speaking our heartache out loud allows the building up of the Body.

Today, I want to share with you some of the practical ways God has given me hope and joy in the midst of the struggle. I have to let you know upfront that I do not believe that we can snap ourselves out of depression. I don’t share these things as a quick cure-all. I share these things to encourage you. As one who has been there, struggling day in and day out, I know it’s hard, often impossible to bring yourself to do one.more.thing let alone something that might be good for you when it seems that all you see is despair.

If I can encourage you with this thought: ask God for the strength to do ONE of these things today. And tomorrow, you can choose another.

5 Practical Steps for Encouragement

Talk. Share your heart and struggle with someone. Sweet friends, this is one of the hardest for me, so I’m starting with it. When I am down or struggling, the last thing I want to do is talk to anyone. As an introvert, this is doubly hard for me. But, find someone you can trust, someone who you know to be an encourager in your life. {Along those same lines, you know who will bring you down. It’s ok to not spend lots of time with those folks! I promise!} You need a cheerleader in your life, someone who will speak truth into the darkness. Don’t suffer alone.
Get out. This is another hard one for this introvert. 🙂 But, almost every single time I *forced* myself to go to church when it was the last place I wanted to be, I was so thankful that I had gone. God meets us in our lonely places, busy moms. Go out for coffee with a friend. Go to a movie. Go browse a used bookstore. Go to the Target dollar spot. Just get out. It’s nearly always good for us when we feel so isolated and discouraged to get out into the real world.
Be healthy. Goodness, these all seem hard for me. 🙂 Take ONE step in the right direction toward a healthier lifestyle. You would be surprised by how much food and what we put INTO our bodies affects our emotions and our mind. Drink more water. Cut out the soda. Cut out sugar. The less grains I eat the better, for me personally. Get outside and go for a walk – even a short one!! Any of these *small* steps can make a HUGE difference!!
God’s Word. None of us really *needs* the reminder to be in God’s Word. But when you are depressed, when you see no way out, a few minutes in God’s Word can give you that little glimpse of hope back!! The other thing that God’s Word does for us is show us that our Bible heroes struggled just like we do! Read 1 Psalm per day, see the heart of David {a man after God’s own heart} as he cried out in anguish, yet never gave up his hope in God. If you spend any amount of time in the book of Psalms, I guarantee your heart will be encouraged.
Accept Help. Whew, I know I’m just throwing these impossible things out at you…I promise, once you try ONE of these practical helps, the rest will come easier. Be gentle and give yourself time. This one is pretty hard, too. For a long time I didn’t want anyone to know I was struggling, so no way would I have ever acknowledged that I needed help. By help, busy moms, I’m talking about letting someone watch your kids for the afternoon, let a friend bring you a meal, let your husband help with the housework, let your kids watch tv for the afternoon – I promise, they will be fine. There were times I could hardly get out of bed, and I praise the Lord that I am not in that place anymore. But, I know the desperate feeling. And, the Lord knows, too. He is faithful!! Sometimes He uses the people in our lives to bring us a spark of encouragement – allow them to do so! Be brave, call that friend and tell her that you just can’t do this on your own, ask if your kids can come over for a playdate. Let others in.

Busy moms, I know that when you are struggling, the last thing you want to do is one of the above. I’m asking you today to try. Today may not be successful. Get up again tomorrow and try again. Don’t give up on yourself and don’t give up on your walk with God. Cry out to Him – from your bed, from your floor, from your kitchen sink. He hears. He knows. He loves you dearly. Despite how lonely you may feel, you are not alone. Speak those words of truth to yourself. He is faithful.

If you’d like to read more about my struggle with depression, I’d love to have you visit my little spot on the web. Here are all my posts related to depression & encouragement for you.

**Disclaimer: I am not in the medical profession. I cannot begin to tell you what is best for you, I only share these tips as an encouragement from one who has struggled herself. I have been on medication off and on for years…the Lord has used medication in my own life to bring me through some very hard times. But, that is not His plan for everyone. Prayerfully consider, with your family and doctor, what may be best in your situation.

Finding My Happily Ever After…

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Since becoming a mom, and then a homeschool mom, I have found myself questioning myself and my decisions more than ever. One question I’ve asked myself a lot is “what happened to happily ever after?”

You see, growing up all I ever wanted was to be a wife and mom. This IS my happily ever after. So where is the happy? My visions of a sweet mom, a lovely home and perfect little children went quickly down the drain when I found myself with 3 babies in 3 years. I lost my mind along with those fairy tale dreams.

But, God is so faithful to calm my heart and fill me with His peace. Happiness? Not 24/7. But, peace? Yes!

In my quest for happiness, God has reminded me time and time again that this is not my home. My human nature is to seek out what will make me happy, figure out what I’m doing wrong to not find it, and look for how I can change my circumstances.

But God is slowly changing my thought patterns. (Not quickly enough, in my opinion, mind you!) He is teaching me that there is a reason that happily ever after isn’t attainable right here and right now.

Those hard days, those moments I don’t look like the mom I want to be, those times that I am tempted to fear for the future of my children? Those moments are an invitation to ponder heaven. Those moments are the reminder that God’s grace and His future for me aren’t dependent on my behavior or that of my children. Praise Him!

Friends, don’t look around and get discouraged by what you may or may not be seeing in your own life or the lives of your children. Don’t let the enemy trick you into believing that this is the way it will always be. Let the truth of God’s Word and His grace wash afresh over you today! We are not home yet!

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18.

We have a glorious future in His presence awaiting us. He is asking us to trust Him more in the meantime. And just think, some day there will be no more potty training, no more sibling rivalry and no more dirty dishes piled up.

Let’s encourage one another while its still called today! Let’s look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Let’s remind ourselves – and our children – that this earth, this here and now, are not our forever home. And then…let’s live like we believe it!

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross…consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3

A New Thing {Free Scripture Printable}

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“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19

Last year I really struggled when Christmas was over; New Year’s was approaching, all the “word of the year” posts starting popping up… I felt, well, discouraged and hopeless. That verse at the top of this post? “See I am doing a new thing!” I didn’t believe it. Not one word of it.

You might say I was the “ye of little faith.”

I didn’t really believe that God could do a “new thing” in my life. Motherhood has been pretty hard, all nearly 12 years of it. Homeschooling has been even harder. The struggle with depression seemed never-ending. The weaknesses and character flaws I saw in myself seemed to grow instead of diminish. I did not have one ounce of faith that God could or would do a new thing in my life.

And you might say I was stuck there for quite awhile…maybe for years, even.

You know what is coming, right? But, God…

Friends, there is always, always, a “but” in our hopeless situations. And it always begins and ends with God. No matter how I feel, no matter how hopeless my situation seems, God is always at work and He is always the God of all hope.

That’s not always easy to remember or easy to believe, though. You might have thought I was taking a different direction with this post…you might have thought I was going to say, “Last year I had no faith that God could change my circumstances, but LOOK, HE DID! My life is awesome now! Everything has fallen into place just as I had hoped.”

God didn’t change my circumstances…He changed me.

Instead of a new set of circumstances, He did a new work in my heart. And how many times do we desperately need that from Him? How many times do I just need a shift in perspective, a reminder to be grateful, a glimpse of His face in my sorrow?

Busy moms, whether you are in a good place or a hard place right now, the God of hope has not changed. His feelings and His love for you are not hopeless or based on your behavior or circumstances. His love never fails. When all else around you falls apart, you can cling to that truth.

This New Year’s Day I’m not looking for a brand new set of circumstances to make my life complete. I’m looking to the God of hope, that has given me a new heart in Him, has made me a new creation through Christ, and I am continuing to cling to that verse that I don’t always believe. God is growing my faith…God is stretching me…God is continuing to do a NEW WORK in my heart and I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful for the ways I can see that new thing even though it isn’t the new thing I had hoped for. It’s even better because it is making me more like Him.

With His help I am forgetting the former things that I had hoped would change, I am making a daily {moment by moment} choice to not dwell on the past, I am looking for His newness in me and around me and praising Him for it…no matter how small it may seem.

Take a look around you today! I guarantee He is at work, which means He is doing a new thing for you, too!

Busy moms, if you need visual reminders like I do, I hope you will enjoy this printable Scripture passage I created for you! You can download the PDF printable HERE.

Finding Peace in the Chaos of Christmas

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It’s the most wonderful time of year!

It is wonderful. I love Christmas. Yet, if I’m not careful, I’ve had many Christmases as a mom where I have been so stressed and overwhelmed that I have missed out on the wonderful part. It takes a lot of intentional focus and redirection for me to have peace in the chaos of Christmas. But, I’m thankful that I’ve learned, after several years mind you, that if I am intentional, the peace is there.

So, how do we find peace in the chaos of Christmas?

The biggest thing that helps me to find peace in all the chaos surrounding Christmas is to remind myself of this all-encompassing truth:

Peace is a Person. His name is Jesus.

When I turn my eyes to Jesus, just as the old hymn goes, the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. Turning my eyes to Him helps my heart to slow down, remember what is important and focus on the real reason we are celebrating.

So, just how to we turn our eyes upon Jesus during this crazy time of year?

Just say no. Yes, just say no to MORE than half of the opportunities coming your way this December. I promise, you can do this. If I – a recovering people pleaser – can do it, you can too!
Make sure that the activities you DO plan on, are helping you and your children to focus on Him. Choose wisely.
Spend time daily with your children in prayer, devotion and reading books that draw you to the CHRIST in Christmas.
Serve others. Nothing makes me happier at Christmas time than to see my children doing for OTHERS.
Spend quiet evenings with the tree lit, reading the Christmas story together. Sing Christmas carols.
Continue that thankful tree you started back in October or November. Not only does it help my children to count their blessings (and not their wish lists,) but it helps me to refocus as well!

If you have done all you can do practically speaking to not have a chaotic December and you still feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, I want to remind you that there is power in the name of Jesus. Call out to Him. Really. I’m not trying to be hokey. In the moments of despair, call out to Him. In the moments of chaos and complete overwhelming stress, call out to Him. Say His Name. There is power, peace and freedom to be found in the name of Jesus.

In closing I want to share one favorite Scripture passage that gives us great insight into finding that elusive peace we so long for!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Busy moms, this Christmas season, I pray that each of us can truly find peace in the person of Jesus this year! This passage in Philippians tells us that PRAYER brings PEACE. Did you catch that? Don’t be anxious, but instead bring it all to God. When you bring it all to God, then THE PEACE OF GOD will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus! This December, let’s make it our aim to spend more time on our knees and less time in the chaos.

Heidi St. John

Speaking the Truth in Love