Consider this Part 1a of my last post, Part 1: Praying for Littles where I laid the foundation of when I started praying for the littles God blessed me with, but also the loss that was the catalyst in making my prayer life for and with my littles consistent and Spirit-led. It’s Part 1a because the resources below give inspiration on what to pray for and how to do it. These resources also help me as a mother remain focused on my role in stewarding my children and cultivating peace in my household.
The foundation of this entire space is how my household leverages the Bible to live our daily life. That being said, I wanted to link resources that my family uses for Bible reading, YouTube watching, podcast listening, and more!
Bible
ESV Journaling Bible: Sierra Theme
I have been using this ESV Bible for a year now and LOVE it. I have never had a journaling Bible before so that was the main reason I purchased this one specifically. I came across this through Milena Ciciotti‘s Instagram. It’s beautiful too.
Why ESV?
I do also have NKJV and NIV Bibles. I started sorting through the translations on the Bible app and started reading the ESV translation there first. Truthfully, this was the second-most common translation I have come across that I did not have. I love going back and forth between translations because I find it helps me understand Scripture if one translation doesn’t make sense to me. It also helps me memorize Scripture and the main concepts it is communicating.
My Sons’ Bible
Adventure Bible – This Bible is an NIV translation Bible that is beautifully illustrated. But this is the Holy Word of God, not “Bible Stories.” There is a difference. As my 4 year old was getting older and asking more questions, we found it necessary he has his own copy of the Word. At the time, he had a collection of Bible stories. There wasn’t anything wrong with it but it was a summary of Bible stories, not word for word translation of Scripture. He needed his own Bible to have a resource that didn’t water down the Gospel. There is a devotion that accompanies this Bible – we have not purchased it yet but it will be on his birthday list 🙂
YouTube and Podcasts
I am choosing to group some of my favorite YouTube channels and podcasts together because I watch / listen to all my podcasts on YouTube.
As For Me and My House and Milena Ciciotti – I have been listening to Milena & Jordan’s podcast since 2021. You will notice I bring up Milena Ciciotti A LOT. Reason being, she is the first motherhood and lifestyle account I started following when I was pregnant with my firstborn son. Stumbling across her account and podcast at just the right time and because she is a sister in Christ, is why I have been such a consistent viewer and listener. Her content is nostalgic for me at this point. I associate it with the start of my motherhood journey. Her channels have gone through some changes over the years as they have grown in their faith and theology. That has been cool to witness and again a journey I can relate to. They really delve into parenting (or as like they like to call it, fathering and mothering) and marriage through a Biblical worldview but they also have started to delve into more theological discussions pertaining to the Spiritual Realm – essentially God and His Divine Council. This is a topic that has interested me immensely so that’s been cool to listen and watch in between the more life application videos.
Relatable Hosted by Allie Beth Stuckey – “Politics matter because policy matters because people matter.”– Allie Beth Stuckey. That statement right there is why I consume her content. All too often Christians with influence will separate our belief in Jesus from politics because of the two-party system and the controversial disagreements between them. No, no, no! We need to care about politics as Christians! Yes, God is completely in control no matter what BUT we must make political decisions that align with His Word. To not vote or to vote for ideas that support killing image bearers of God or policies that ignore God’s design in regard to marriage and biological sex would not be wise. That is the main mission of Allie Beth’s podcast, Relatable. She also mixes up her content and talks about cultural issues at large beyond politics which I appreciate.
Listener Kids & Lifetree Kids – Listener Kids is another account that makes me all warm and fuzzy with nostalgia because these were the first Christian songs for kids I showed my firstborn son at around 3 months (don’t judge me on the screentime lol). You can catch me listening to their rendition of Arky, Arky in the car by myself. Trust me, their songs are catchy!
Lifetree Kids is the hub of all the VBS programs and songs we know and love. Our church did the Scuba program last summer and when those videos dropped – specifically Count Your Blessings – about a month ago, me and my 4 year old were equally excited. The Scuba songs would be stuck in our head for months before the YouTube videos launched, and they are still on repeat.
I would love to hear your feedback on the featured content and resources and if you also use, watch, or listen to the same things.
Janessa Shyda 
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