Welcome to my September 2023 newsletter!

Is Proverbs for children? This month's newsletter has the answer plus how to sow thankfulness and book news.

How to Sow Thankfulness

Paul wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16, ESV). One of the ways Clay and I put this into practice is by reciting truth statements from Scripture to each other. Here’s an example:

Clay: “God has always worked every hard thing out for our good.”
Me: “Always.”
Clay: “Everything.”
Me: “He always has and he always will.”

Then we recall times that God has worked hard things for good. This habit reminds us our hope is in God, not in doctors or other people. It helps us have peace in the middle of a storm. And it sows thankfulness in our hearts.

Book News

This month I wrote the first draft of a chapter on heaven for the book I’m writing with Clay on suffering. It’s tentatively titled “How God Uses Suffering.” I listed nine lies about heaven, the three stages of eternal life, and five facets of the glorious inheritance that awaits us.

Is Proverbs for Children?

After Alisa Childers announced on her podcast that she’s going to go through Discovering Wisdom in Proverbs with her 14-year-old, I received many emails asking what ages could do the book.

Solomon wrote much of Proverbs for his sons, so the subjects are good for young people. Home school groups have used our other Discovering guides with kids age 14 and up. I asked my friend, Natasha Crain, to answer a dad’s question about his 8- and 10-year-olds. She replied: “I think they could definitely do the questions together with a parent. A motivated 10 year old could probably do it on her own. But they will get most out of it I think at that age with a parent’s guidance.” So here are the guidelines:

Age 14: can do it alone
Age 10: can do it alone if motivated
Age 8: can do it with a parent’s guidance

If you missed Alisa's podcast, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8rfnu_5JTI

Super Bonus Bundles Coming

I’m still awaiting my publisher’s approval for the Super Bonus Bundles. I didn't know I needed approval for anything but the artwork. I hope to have the SBB for the Wisdom book by next week and for the rest the week after. Meanwhile, you can find links to the Bonus Bundles for all the books here: https://www.jeanejones.net/free-resources/book-extras/.

Fun Things

Recommended Reading

This book is outstanding. The back cover copy says it well: “How did the idea arise that masculinity is dangerous and destructive? Bestselling author Nancy Pearcey leads you on a fascinating excursion through American history to discover why the script for masculinity turned toxic--and how to fix it.” Her chapter on how churches should deal with abuse is perhaps the best I’ve read.

The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes by Nancy R. Pearcey

This is the first of a new series about Zoe Stephenson, a veterinarian who must turn detective to save herself and those she loves. There are lots of fun animals and even sprinkles of advice for pet owners. From the back cover: “If you like adorable animals, quirky characters, and a twisty-turny plot, then you’ll love Emily James’ page-turning story.”

A Tail of Murder: Cat and Mouse Whodunits 1 by Emily James

Reader Replies: Smoothie Ingredients

Gaye: Some of my favorite smoothie ingredients are: ground flaxseed, frozen berries, POM juice, Greek yogurt, carrots, kale from our garden, spinach, almonds
Mary: I always put either spinach or kale into my smoothies. They are nutrient dense and in a fruit smoothie you don’t taste it!

Next Question: Have you gone through any of our Discovering the Bible books with children or teens? If so, what are their ages and how did it go? Click Reply to answer.

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