Christian

Not For The Faint Of Heart

/ bekoepke

I remember when I was a newlywed and I would see kids acting up in public or moms frazzled and stressed, I thought to myself that if I had kids it would be different. I mean I had babysat before, how hard could it really be?

Oh boy, have I been humbled.

I absolutely love my girls. They are so smart and seem to learn something new everyday. They never cease to amaze me with their unique personalities and creativity. That being said, this mom gig is the hardest job I have ever had in my life. Every time you start to get confident and feel like you have got this motherhood thing down, something changes.

These last two week have been quite the experience in my world. All of the fun started last Wednesday. My redneck girls love to play outside and are definitely not afraid to get dirty. For several days, these crazy girls had spent hours digging a hole in a dirt pile that we have looking for lizards. Mind you, it is too cold to find lizards, but that did not deter them. Unfortunately, my oldest was focused on her digging game and did not notice her sister was behind her, right in the path of the shovel. As expected, that encounter did not end well. My middle child got a tooth knocked out of place and a small chip off another tooth. Nothing in any parent book can prepare you for something like that!

Not really that big of a deal, you might be thinking to yourself. Lots of kids get teeth knocked out of place or chipped. Inconvenient, yes, earth shattering, no. Well, as Paul Harvey used to say, let me give you the “rest of the story”.

Over the next two days we juggled schedules (not an easy task this time of year) and got her to the dentist just to check everything out. Fortunately she is 5 1/2 years old, so we are probably within 12 months of losing those teeth anyway, so he said just to keep an eye on them, no special treatment (and no expensive dental procedures).

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Crisis averted! Well, for another day anyway. Sadly, the next crisis was only a day away. Saturday was a gorgeous day and we are within days of a good majority of our goats having babies (yay!!!). We worked all day long outside; moving goats, cleaning up, setting up a pen inside for them to kid, and moving cows and our billy goat to different pens. We had a lot to accomplish and got a ton done.

The girls were all outside helping when they could, and playing when they couldn’t. My oldest (once again) was tasked with moving a board and that is when crisis #2 happened. Without her realizing it, my youngest was right behind her and when she stepped back. She knocked both her sister and herself over. That’s when it happened. Head of oldest child hit, you guessed it, youngest child’s head. More specifically, youngest child’s teeth. As a matter of fact, it was the exact same tooth and knocked back in the exact same way as her older sister.

There is no category for something like that. Two children, the same tooth on each, in a 4 day span. Of course, it was on a Saturday so we just had to wait until Monday when I hauled the second child to the dentist for the exact same thing. I would be lying if I told you that I wasn’t afraid of CPS being called on me. However, the dentist laughed and decided to send us to a pediatric dentist because she is a lot younger. So, we wait for a verdict for my youngest child until we go see a specialist (always a cheap prospect).

There is nothing in this world that can prepare you for all the unique challenges of motherhood. You could read every motherhood book ever written and still be completely clueless because kids are not predictable. However, to all the other mommas out there in my same boat, know that you are not alone. We are in this together and will get to the other side.

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My crazy injured-tooth girls

This parenting thing is not for the faint of heart. We need to remember that. Show grace for the other moms out there. We are all doing our best, even if that doesn’t look the same for every person. Give yourself grace, it isn’t easy raising little humans. God is on our side and He is there when it gets stressful and seems impossible.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 NIV

Book Review: Resilient

/ bekoepke / Leave a comment

As a mom, one of my biggest struggles is how exactly to “train up a child in the way they should go” (see Proverbs 22:6). This world is a scary place. As a public school teacher to primarily freshmen, I see this firsthand every single day. Everything from peer pressure, to phone addictions, to bullying, to drugs and alcohol use go on every single day. Not to mention, especially with all three of my children being girls, the temptations they will face with boys. It can be overwhelming at times. I also don’t want to raise my girls to be fake in their Christianity. I want them to be all in, not just on a Sunday morning. I want them to be excited about their beliefs, but I want them to be just that: THEIR beliefs. I want them to discover faith for themselves.

Discipleship of our children should be at the forefront of every Christian’s mind. Especially in the secular world we live in that seems to be running away from Christianity as fast as possible. When given the opportunity to review a book about discipling children, I was very interested.

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Resilient: Child Discipleship and the Fearless Future of the Church is a much needed resource not only for parents, but for the church as a whole. The focus of the book is on the church of 2050. The authors focus on the kids of today that will be leading the church in the future. They take a realistic look at the current state of kid’s ministries (or KidMin, as they refer to it). They point out some of the areas that may be lacking in children’s ministries that may not be giving kids tools to thrive in this secular world. They give some specific strategies to help reach the kids in this current generation.

This book does a great job of looking at the great things of the past, and coming up with ways do disciple the children of the future. It also looks at discipleship from two perspective, that of a parent raising children today, as well as for the church that is trying to disciple children. It is very unique and even gives specific ideas that a church could initiate.

Like I mentioned earlier, discipling my own children is something that I often think about. I see kids today who lack morals, work ethic, and integrity, the last thing in the world I want is for my kids to be one of them. I want my girls to “seek first the kingdom of God” in absolutely everything they do. I don’t want them to feel like they have to follow the whims of the secular world they live in. I want them to have a strong faith foundation that is their own, not just because their parents have a certain set of beliefs. Resilient gives me some great advice on how to do that.

If you would like to get a copy of this book you can find out more and get your own copy here. Better yet, you can also enter to win one here. I hope you will take a look at this book, the future of the church really does depend on how we disciple the children of today.

 

Book Review: Off the Hook

/ bekoepke / Leave a comment

So many of us have them. That person, or those people who once upon a time did something that hurt us, and we carry that burden with us. Every time we see them the hurt rushes back over us. We can go from having a great day, do a deep pit of despair just with a memory of what they did to us. We can’t seem to let it go. Forgiveness doesn’t seem possible, because after all, they were the ones that did us wrong. We shouldn’t let them off the hook easily, right? The sad thing about that line of thinking though, is that us holding onto the hurt, only really hurts us.

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Off the Hook: How Forgiving You Frees Me, deals with that very topic. You may not even realize that you are holding onto unforgiveness, until you are able to walk the path of forgiveness. Off the Hook uses stories of real life people who had to deal with very difficult forgiveness journeys, but were able to experience freedom that they never thought possible when they did. The authors also use Biblical truths to help the reader know how to truly forgive.

Throughout the book there are sections revealing Lies that we believe, as well as truths that will set us free. The forgiveness in this book is also not limited to that person who hurt you. They also address how to forgive when you have been hurt by the one institution that is supposed to lift you up, the church. This is a book for every single person, even if you don’t think it would apply. We all have areas of unforgiveness in our lives, and it is so freeing to find those areas and learn to truly forgive.

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If you would like to learn more, please visit the Off the Hook webpage or watch this book trailer to see more details. You can also enter to win your own copy here. If you just can’t wait and want to get a copy for yourself, the authors are running a Kindle Countdown sale February 20-27 starting at $0.99 1st day. (Regular price $5.99)! I hope that you will get a copy and get rid of some of the heaviness of unforgiveness in your own life!

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Bible Review and Giveaway: He Reads Truth

/ bekoepke / Leave a comment

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I am extremely excited to bring you something a little outside my wheelhouse. As a matter of fact, I had to call in the big guns for this one: my husband. I thought that it was only right to get a man’s perspective, since the all new He Reads Truth Bible is written for men.

Let me give you some of the specifics first. The copy I received is a hard cover that also has a storage box. This Christian Standard Bible (CSB) features 66 hand-lettered key verses, 17 full-color timelines, 21 maps, 122 charts (including infographics and lists), and 4 illustrations. There are also reading plans for every book of the Bible, a one-year Bible reading plan, detailed book introductions, a key verse list, two colored ribbon markers, and wide margins for journaling and note taking.

I am a huge fan of the CSB version, it is so easy to read and understand. So the big question is, what did my husband think? There are several things that he really liked about this Bible. The first thing he noted was the reading plans with check boxes. He is a huge list guy, this would be a great way for him to have a structured way to read through either a book of the Bible, or the entire Bible. He also really liked the outline, history, and introductions for each book of the Bible. As a history major and former social studies teacher, that is a huge plus. He also said that it has good reading passages and explanations throughout the different books of the Bible. One example he gave was a passage about God’s covenant with us. The final thing he mentioned was that he liked the key verses section at the end of the Bible. After he spent some time reading and looking it through, he told me that it would probably become his new go-to Bible. I would say it has his stamp of approval!

If you want to see more check out this video

I hope that you will check out this Bible and consider getting one for the man (or men) in your life. One way to do that is by entering the giveaway here. Or, if you would rather buy one you can go to lifeway.com and use the coupon code HEREADS50 to receive 50% off your order!!! (code is valid through 4/1/20).

5 Smooth Stones

/ bekoepke / Leave a comment
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I absolutely love David. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about the shepherd boy, entertainer of King Saul, soldier, or King, I just love reading about his progression through both his faith and his life. I would go so far as to say he is one of my spiritual heroes (minus the whole adultery/murder part). God himself found David as a man after His heart.  “But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’” Acts 13:22 (NLT). What an amazing statement. I pray that even through my own mistakes and lapses of judgement, God sees me as someone after His own heart and that will do His will.

I think that as Christians (myself included), we often believe that if we just do what’s right, everything should be smooth sailing. We think that life should be comfortable and easy if we just say and do the right things. The American Christian church is especially guilty of this. We have grown accustomed to ease and comfort, so we feel like we must put on a façade of perfection. Social media only fuels this fire because we can portray ourselves any way we want. What a travesty! No one has a perfect life, nor will we. Honestly, I am thankful that things aren’t perfect because if they were we would miss seeing the blessings through our struggles. 

The very thought of an easy life actually goes completely against the teachings of Jesus himself. He did say “take up your cross and follow me” (see Matthew 16:24-26). That phrase has become somewhat cliché in our modern society. He was literally saying “take up your instrument of extreme torture and death and follow me”.  This wasn’t some cute cross to hang on the wall. He was essentially saying “be ready for a rough ride but I’m right here beside you”.

If you look at the life of David, that is essentially what he did. He believed that God was with him no matter what he was experiencing. He had a bold faith that he was not afraid to share. So many Christians live incognito in this world. We believe in God but don’t want to be perceived as “different”, so we sacrifice some of our beliefs on the altar of fitting in. David didn’t care about that. Even in the darkest moments of his life when he was literally running for his life, he chose to praise God. He was never afraid to go into danger, because he knew God was with him.

I love the story of David and Goliath for many reasons (see 1 Samuel 17). First, I love when God uses unexpected people to advance His kingdom. I also love that He uses unqualified people to achieve incredible victories. David was a teenage shepherd who had never been near a battlefield, much less encountered a soldier with the skills and stature of Goliath. However, he trusted God so much that he chose to go to battle with the only weapon he knew how to use: a slingshot. He passed up using the King’s own armor because it was far too heavy and he wasn’t used to it. Instead, he went and found 5 smooth stones from a stream and went to battle. Here is what I love that I never thought about until this week; David grabbed 5 stones, God gave him the victory with only 1. Wow! Not only was David underqualified, underage, and under skilled, he was also underprepared with only 5 pieces of ammo. However, God gave the victory to a young man with a willing heart and only needed 1 stone to do it. All David had to do was obey. 

So, what is God asking you to do? Even if you feel like David and are underqualified, underage, under skilled, and underprepared, God can use whatever stone you bring to the table. All you have to do is bring it!

Every Rose Has It’s Thorns

/ bekoepke / 1 Comment

Image result for I thank thee for the roses, help me to thank thee for the thorns

If you have read very much of my writing, you will likely know that one of my biggest pet peeves is ungratefulness. It drives me absolutely insane when people don’t say thank you when someone does something for them, goes out of their way to help them, or perhaps when they have been given a gift. Although it is a challenge a lot of the time, I am trying very hard to teach my girls to always say thank you (not always successfully, I might add), and I think that adults should do the same. That being said, my own hypocrisy kicks in sometimes and I don’t always thank people when I should. Toward the end of last year I made a goal of trying to be more thankful. I thought I would give a little update on how that has been going.

Rejoice always, pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

That verse has always been a little convicting to me. Always, continually, and in all circumstances. That’s a lot. Especially the part about giving thanks in all circumstances. I want so badly to edit that one word and change it to give thanks in good circumstances. This has been a tough school year so far in my household. I have a group of students that seem to struggle a little more than most years with being able to pass tests, which is creating a little extra stress in my world trying to find creative ways to get through to them. My girls are getting older and have more going on as far as homework and school activities, which is keeping us a little busier. My husband is a principal, and he has dealt with some challenging situations of his own throughout the year. When we are deep in the trenches of everyday life, that whole concept of give thanks in all circumstances can be pretty tough. It’s tough to say thanks when things are going wrong.

However, in the same way I get irritated when people are ungrateful, how much more must God get frustrated when we aren’t thankful. King David probably didn’t feel much like thanking God for the lion or the bear attacking his sheep, but those battles are exactly what prepared him for the battle against Goliath. What if these frustrating moments are the exact things we should be giving thanks for?

I have tried to make a point to thank the people in my life that I really felt compelled to thank. Over the last 2 months I have written several thank you notes that were probably way overdue. As I write this, I remembered one other person who really needs to be thanked for their hard work (I will make sure that happens this week). As I think about how to carry this challenge forward, I can’t help but think about how easy it is for me to say thank you when something is benefitting me, but when it is flipped and things are not going as planned, I have such a hard time being grateful. So that is where I am going to try and focus going forward. I want to be better at giving thanks in all circumstances.

George Matheson once said in one of his more well-know sermons, “My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorn. I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn.” I have that same problem. I can be so thankful for the blessings, but have a hard time being thankful during life’s frustrations. Lord, help me to thank thee for my thorn!

When I started writing my book Finding God in the Wilderness, I was able to look back and see how those thorny situations that felt like a wilderness, were really leading me to the next phase of promised land. Looking back, it is often easier to see the blessings in the challenges. I don’t want to have to wait though. I want to learn how to be more thankful during the challenge. I want to walk into my classroom and thank God for giving me the students that He did. I want to wake up every morning thanking God for strong willed girls. I want to know that anything I go though is growing me into the person God is calling me to be.

Let’s all start this new year learning more every day how to “thank Thee for the thorns”.

 

 

Bible Review and Giveaway: Fresh Start Bible

/ bekoepke / 3 Comments

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If you are like practically every other person on the face of the planet, there have likely been times that you were in need of a fresh start. Maybe you messed something up so badly that that you can’t even bear to think about it without hanging your head in shame. Or perhaps you have been a “pretty good person” your whole life, and you are just feeling in a rut. Regardless of where you have been, we can all use a fresh start.

The start of a new year is always a great time to start fresh.  One great way to do that is by recommitting to read your Bible. Whether it is a formal plan or simply committing to a chapter or two every or maybe even just choosing a verse a week to focus on, I think it is important to find a fresh new way to ignite your faith.

I am so excited to share with you an amazing resource to do just that. Gateway Publishing has released the Fresh Start Bible (yes, they are associated with Gateway Church, Pastor Robert Morris is one of the contributors). This is an awesome resource for both brand new Christians, as well as those who really just need a fresh start. There are so many great articles about everything from the foundation of the faith, through some of the more controversial topics of our faith. There are also great introductions to each book of the Bible, in depth devotional content (and plans to follow for those),  and small articles to help give background all throughout the Bible. There are also so many great contributors to this Bible, along with Robert Morris, another widely recognizable one would be Jimmy Evans.

I love the resources that come along with this Bible. Check out this video to learn more.

 

I am so excited to give a way 2 copies of this new Bible. To enter to win please visit this page between 12/4/2020 and 12/12/2020. You can also enter to win through my Facebook page here.

As A Gentle Whisper

/ bekoepke / Leave a comment

As a teacher of mostly 9th graders, I see every single day how much the creativity of people can be harmed by this instant gratitude, always entertained world we live in. Let’s just be honest, we are all guilty of this from time to time. Almost everyone has an entertainment system that they carry in their pocket, purse, or backpack at all times; the cell phone. Take a look around at practically any waiting room, restaurant, or even stoplight, and you will see grown humans grabbing for that phone and constantly having to be entertained. I am not innocent, and likely you aren’t either.

I have always tried to be careful to not allow too much technology into my girls’ world too soon, but I also don’t want to shelter them so that they don’t know how to use it. As a momma, this can be a very difficult thing to balance. I have never been the mom to just hand off my phone to keep my kids quiet. As a matter of fact, I never have, don’t even have kid’s games loaded on it. On the other hand, my eldest daughter does know how to turn on her cartoons and find movies on our television. It is such a hard balance. We have given in recently to the benefits of apps and websites for reading and math remediation for our girls, and do appreciate the things they are learning. However, when I see kids in my classes texting on smart watches and staring down at the phone “hidden” in their laps, or, like one creative student, in their pencil bag that they can see through to text or snapchat, I want to make sure my kids aren’t addicted to it. I want them to find meaningful real-life relationships. I also want them to find their value in knowing who they are in Christ, not because of social media likes.

I love seeing the imaginations of my girls when I force them to entertain themselves. I honestly think that it is becoming a lost art. We as a society are so afraid of, or maybe just opposed to, being bored. Boredom brings out such a creative part in kids (and adults) though, that I think they need to experience it.

Today is a perfect example of the benefits of boredom. We are at the tail end of Thanksgiving break and the wind was insane today. So, we decided to take our girls to go see a movie and a late lunch. When we returned home they wanted to turn on cartoons and we told them that they had just watched a movie so they needed to go play. I sat down to work on some school work that I have been putting off all week, and all 3 of them sat down at the table with me and with notebook paper, tape, and colored pencils, they created “books” telling the story of their day. When they finished that, they ran off to their rooms and started an epic princess saga that is still going even 2 hours after they have been told to go to bed. It is amazing what they come up with when they are left to their own devices.

I think that we are the same way. If we could just turn off the noise, imagine what we might come up with! Sabbath rest has been a theme for me lately. Thanksgiving break has been an amazing time of refreshing and recharging for me this year. I know that when I do turn off all the noise, that I can hear from God in a much more real way. I also know that when I take the time to take a break from constantly having to be entertained, I am so much more creative and better able to function during those busy times. As we inch our way to the new year, I want to slow down and quit allowing myself to get so distracted on what my goals and passions are. We need to remember that the presence of God comes as a whisper. You can’t hear a whisper when you are surrounded by noise.”

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” 1 King 19:11-13 NIV emphasis added

A Dozen Years Later…

/ bekoepke

I am going to take a moment and brag on my husband for a little while. I blog a lot about my kiddos, motherhood, and faith, but I don’t blog a whole lot about my husband. He really is an amazing man, so I thought it was about time to share a little about him as well as a bit of our backstory.

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Just as a little background, we grew up 19 miles apart. Our lives were intertwined in so many ways, but we never actually met until we were 3 hours and a state away from home in college at the University of Wyoming (Go Pokes!!!). We met for the first time briefly during my Junior year of college. I didn’t cross paths with him again until the next school year when we were reintroduced on the university shotgun team (oh yeah, I don’t know if I ever mentioned how much I love to shoot). I looked forward to each week when we would go shoot, because he often had to buy me a meal afterward when he lost a bet thinking he could out shoot me.

We loved shooting on our university shotgun team!

Fast forward a few months and I awkwardly asked him if he would take me to my sorority formal over email, because I had no other way of contacting him. I wasn’t even sure if he actually checked his emails because at that time email was something you might look at once a week. Much to my surprise, he called me within the hour and said he would go. Being a good guy, he asked me if he could take me out to dinner the night before the formal. I found out much later that he had been half-heartedly dating another girl in my sorority, and when he got my email he immediately broke off that relationship (that may, or may not have caused a bit of drama within the sorority over the next few months).

All dressed up for my sorority formal

From that first date on, we were absolutely inseparable and the best of friends. The thing that I appreciated and respected so much about him was how honest he was, he was never fake with me. He didn’t try to act like someone he wasn’t. He is still that way. Love him or hate him, people cannot argue with the fact that he is one of the most honest people you will ever meet. Six months after we graduated we were engaged, five months after that we were married. We have now been married for about 12 1/2 years. I have learned so much in that time, I thought I would share some of what I have learned so far.

Something that is vital and that has not ever changed, is the foundation of our relationship. Before we even started dating, we had a very long conversation about our faith and our end goals. I made it very clear to him that I was not like most girls, and that at the stage of life we were both in, I wasn’t interested in just dating to date, after all, I was just about to enter my final semester of my senior year of college. We made a priority of our faith and that has been such a blessing over the years. It has been especially important during the difficult times.

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Our Engagement Photo

When the newlywed stage wears off and real life hits, that foundation is paramount. Faith is all you really have when you hit hard times like job layoffs, tight finances, or just simple exhaustion during the throws of raising children. I can’t imagine trying to raise our children together, if our faith was not the same. I also can’t imagine getting through some of the tough times we have been through without our faith. There have been so many times that all we could do was press in and pray together that God would guide our path. I thank God that we are able to do that together. I am also so thankful that finding someone who shared my faith was always a non-negotiable for me, even as a teenager. As I think back, it took a lot of nerve for me, on our first real date, to lay it all out there and tell him exactly where I was in my faith and that I was not willing to date someone I couldn’t share that with. However, I am so glad I did. I never had to be fake with him. I could be, and still can be, exactly who God made me to be without fear of him not appreciating me following my God-given dreams. I pray all three of my girls will find that same kind of foundation in the young men that they choose to marry someday.

Secondary to being on the same page in our faith, flexibility is extremely important. I remember when we first got married and all the “plans” we made. The 1 year, 5 year, and 10 year plans. None of it has happened exactly like we planned, however, we keep dreaming together. Every decision or investment that we have made has been a group effort, but we have had to learn that it is okay for plans to change. Jobs, have changed, living situations have changed, our family has grown, and we have gotten older. One thing that has never changed, regardless of the season of life we are in is that we make flexible goals together.

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My dear husband is now the Principal of a K-12 school, so we still get to go to prom!

As we have gotten older, we have really been able to have fun with that. We no longer make hard goals with strict deadlines that will likely never happen like we planned. Instead, we changed our plans and goals into dreams. We dream together of what can be. We talk about what steps we can take to make those dreams come true. Now, don’t get me wrong, all of our dreams are not exactly the same. He and I both have separate dreams that have yet to come true. But we are able, through the process, to try our best to support each other in the pursuit of our dreams, in hopes that one day soon, those dreams will actually come to fruition.

Humor is the final piece of the puzzle I want to address. I honestly don’t know how anyone can stay married without it. There is something so valuable about being able to laugh together. My husband has always been the funny guy, and I love that. Even when I am fuming mad, he is always able to bring a little humor in to defuse the situation. In his current job as Principal, he has to be able to laugh, or he might just cry when he has to deal with some of the things that comes across his desk. When life gets hard and you are in the middle of the stinking dirty here and now, that isn’t always rainbows and sunshine, you must be able to smile together.

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Always the funny guy, we had a blast representing our team at the national shooting competition!

I don’t want you to think that every moment of every day is a perfect cinderella story. We have our fair share of frustrations, exhausting moments, and struggles. We fight and gripe at each other. We come to points in our more heated discussions ,where we have to just agree to disagree. We are both stubborn, and strong willed. There are definitely clashes of the titans from time to time. Through it all though, those tough times have made us stronger as a couple.

Although it was fun, I would not want to go back to those newlywed days. I love where we are today. I am more comfortable in my own skin that I ever was when I first got married. The scars we have earned through the ups and downs in the last 12 1/2 years of marriage, and 14 years of relationship, have made us who we are today. I use to try so hard to please everyone, only succeeding in making myself miserable and pleasing no one along the way. Now, I realize that if I have to work hard to please people, those people probably don’t really have my best interests at heart. If I have to convince someone to love, appreciate, or be proud of me, their opinion of me really shouldn’t impact how I live my life. Instead, I need to spend more of my energy pleasing God and following his plans for my future, not simply doing what I feel like others expect me to do.

I leave you with the verse we chose for our wedding. I still love this verse today, and think that we could all benefit from living this way.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

Our family sure has grown over the years!

Game Review: The Rank Game

/ bekoepke / Leave a comment

I absolutely love to play games. Now that I am an adult, I don’t play them as much as I use to, but when I do I always have a good time. I was super excited when the opportunity to review a game came across my email feed. When I received it in the mail, even the wrapping was fun, with a sticker set up just like the game cards.

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I was pretty excited so I roped my husband to play it with me that night. The way the game works is pretty simple. Each card has a prompt and 4 options that one player will rank in order of their own preference. The other player, or players, try to guess the correct order. There is a point system so that after 10 rounds there will be a winner. It was a lot of fun to play. There are several categories of questions, and even options for expansion kits. I played a prototype game, so I had a small sampling of questions from each category. However, the actual game will include 150 different cards from all the different categories.

We had a lot of fun trying to figure out how each other would rank the cards. On one particular card, about swimwear, my husband wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to get him in trouble. We had some good laughs over some of the cards, and actually learned a few things about each other that after 12 years of marriage, had never come up in conversation. Sadly, I lost by two points, but we did have a good time playing.

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I think that this would be a great game for a date night, family game night, or a group of friends. It worked for my husband and I to play with just the two of us, but there are also variations that you can play in a group.

To learn more about the game you can check it out at http://www.therankgame.com. You can also find out more about them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by searching for @therankgame. If you are interested in backing this grassroots game, go to their Kickstarter page here. If you would like to enter to win your own copy of the full game, you can enter here.