Sometimes I get the neat experience of meeting someone who reads the P and P blog and also lives near me. Rachel and I recently got to meet, but before that we had been corresponding by email. She is expecting her sixth and will have six under seven next year!
Since our little one due in May will be just 14 months younger than his big brother, I asked Rachel for some survival tips. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share them with you, too:
1. Scheduling babies. I have done this (with flexibility) with most of my babies, and it helps so much! I get much needed sleep at nights and naptime, and baby seems happier.
2. Rest time. All my children take at least a one hour rest time away from everyone else (I have to get creative here since we are running out of rooms to put people!) I let the ones who are not napping to play with quiet toys or read books. They have to clean up their rest spot after the timer goes off before they allowed to come out. I totally need this break for me! My brain needs a break to focus on something without being interrupted constantly. I use it to read, take a nap, catch up on emails, or whatever I need to do. The children know to stay in their rest spots and not call me.
3. Training time. I just learned to do this last year from a dear Mom of many. I take about 10 minutes most days to practice obedience. We started with "yes, Mommy." I quietly call them over and ask them to do something, and they respond with a "yes, Mommy" (or ma'am if you prefer - my hubby vetoed that). We make it fun and happy. They have practiced "come here," and where to stand when someone comes to the door (instead of crowding around and blocking the entrance.) We also learned Phil.2:3-4 together to learn loving our brothers and sisters - I tell them that it is their job to help make their younger siblings happy. For them that means sharing, giving, and being selfless. (I don't know yet what I will tell my youngest regarding that rule!)
4. Having the older ones do chores and help me when I need it. We are working on this one, but my oldest two are great helpers, and the younger ones are learning to be!
5. Personal exercise and Bible time. I get up before my children to do these, or they don't get done. Of course my personal Bible time is more important than exercise, but having just recently started exercising again, I see why the Bible says that "physical training is of some value." 1 Tim. 2:8 Sometimes the Bible time I have with the children is the only Bible I get all day, but God has spoken to me through that, too. Oh, and I do Bible time with the children while they are eating breakfast. That way, I have a captive audience.
6. Be flexible. There are days that nothing gets done. Nothing. I am blessed to have a patient husband because the house rarely is picked up - it was much worse when my oldest two were really little. Three children 3 and under is harder than five children 6 and under!
7. Honor and respect my husband. If I put my husband first (second to God, but before my children), our relationship stays strong and it frees me up to do the best I can as a mother.
8. Simplify. I stay home a lot more than when I only had one or two! We don't make weekly trips to the library, but maybe once a month. We only this year started sport-type classes with our children, and even then, they are small commitments, with no games, programs, etc. We also stopped having big birthday bashes, and found out we prefer to have just our immediate family celebrate together. We may have a 1st birthday party and maybe one when they are older, but not every year. Also under simplify that I am learning is have a night routine that gets me ready for the morning. It took me a long time to realize my mornings would be a lot smoother if I had the coffee pot ready, hubby's shirt ironed, his lunch made, my clothes ready, etc. Another thing is to cook in bulk. I love when I make our favorite chicken dish x4 and freeze the extras so that I can pull it out of the freezer and pop it in the oven with minimal effort.
Wow, I came up with more than I thought I would. Funny thing is, it sounds like I "have it together" and I really don't! At least I see that there are things that I do well. All I see sometimes is the never shrinking pile of clean laundry and dirty kitchen floor! Mark (hubby) and I are watching the Growing Kids God's Way video series with friends of ours. I am so happy we are watching it together to be on the same page, and for Mark to lead us. I always have read the parenting books, but don't restate things very well, and my parenting during the day was different when Daddy was home... I learned very recently that I was angry at him for not helping me at night with the children, and I would take it out on them (not pretty at all). For some reason, I thought that if I lost my self control and start yelling at them, he would see what a hard time I was having and would help me. I'm embarrassed to say it took me a long time to realize that what I was doing was wrong! (Thus the reason for me adding "honor and respect my husband" on my list.)
My hardest time with my little ones is training when they are 1/2/3years old - and that is foundational! For some reason, I have never been good at training them...maybe my expectations are low? My two year old runs the other way when I say, "Come here!" My just turned four year old son right now has been our hardest by far. We don't know if he is just "all boy" or if he is hyper, or what! When I was on my knees one day, I felt that God told me it was his diet. We are going to start the Feingold program (aka ADHD diet) that eliminates artificial colors and flavors. My hubby and I doubt it will help though, isn't that awful?! Of course a bunch of his behavior is our parenting, I am sure - if not most of it.
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There is a lot I could write about Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn, but suffice it to say that I just have a lot of respect for both of them. Years ago we heard them speak on classical education and were a little taken aback by their laid back approach to the early years of homeschooling. But the proof is in the pudding, folks, and what their children went on to study makes my paltry 13 years of public education look like child's play.
Often, however, we tend to have a starry-eyed view of those we've never met. If we finally do meet them, we find that they are human like us. Last spring on a whim, two friends and I were in Chicago during our annual get-together, and one of us said to the other two, "Wanna drive out to the Bluedorn's tomorrow? I'll call Laurie and see if we can come." She did, we did, and what a fun time it was.
I loved seeing their home, filled with the obvious signs of years of home education. Beautiful artwork rendered by their children lined the walls. Books, books, books, which of course prompted us to ask which were their favorites. Johanna showed us her latest painting, there on its easel in her bedroom. There were cookies to share, and afterwards, someone in that home had to wash the plates, just like in our homes. See? They're normal.
I asked Laurie to contribute something for my readers here, and this is what she sent. But don't cast it aside if you only have little ones. I think these are excellent things to keep in mind as our children are growing, particularly as we mother boys. They need us to respect them, and finding the balance between homeschooling/mothering and respecting them can be tricky.
I thought I would share with you a few of the things I've learned over the past several years. This is addressed to parents of adult children, but parents of young children could perhaps benefit, since, in no time at all, you will all be parents of adult children.
How to treat your adult children:
1. The majority of the time that you are talking with your adult child, you should be doing the listening, not the talking. Real and attentive listening. Respectful listening -- not appearing to be listening or thinking about what you need to be doing next or what you want to say next, but real listening.
2. Talk to your adult children in the same way which you would talk to any of your peers. Your body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, language, and level of respect should be the same as what you use with your peers.
3. There must be trust. The members of a family must trust each other. Without mutual trust there can be no family peace, order, fellowship, respect, or communion.
4. Address the concerns of your adult children in a timely manner. Don't continue to put off resolving issues or acting on matters, but have enough respect for your adult children to move forward, making decisions promptly on issues which are important to them. Don't be eternally saying, "Well, I'm praying about it."
5. Avoid exaggeration -- it undermines trust and respect. Exaggeration is a learned behavior and your children will most certainly adopt the behavior if they see it in you.
6. If children are exposed to a steady stream of negativity and criticism, leveled against them or against others, it will undermine their trust and confidence in you, and it will interfere with their ability to respect you. When the parent is negative and critical, his intended result is that the child will become more discerning and careful. But in actuality, the effect of steady negativity and criticism is usually the opposite -- it serves to pull down and inhibit growth, and causes the child to not take the parent seriously.
7. It is most likely that at some time in his life and in some area of his life, your adult child will disagree with your views on different issues, be it politics, nutrition, music, dress, courtship, or (gasp!!) theology. Have enough respect for your adult child to discuss these differences in the same way that you discuss differences with your peers.
Good stuff, isn't it? Come back tomorrow and enter to win some beautiful prizes that Laurie has graciously donated, just for Preschoolers and Peace!
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Anyone who has known me for the past five years knows what a The Mystery of History zealot I am! Linda Hobar's excellent history curriculum has touched the lives of our family in many ways, and we are happy to be back in Volume I this year.
I loved reading Linda's answers and I hope you will, too. And of course, be sure to comment (don't forget to leave your name and contact info!) and you'll be entered into a drawing for either The Mystery of History, Volume I, Volume II, or the recording Linda has done of Volume I. We are using that this year and are loving it, too.
Contest ends Friday, October 26th 2007, at midnight.
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1.Tell us about your family.
This is a dangerous question! There is so much I could say. My family is the most endearing part of my life. But I’m preaching to the choir here as most of you feel the same about your little ones. So, let me give some basics so you can meet my sordid crew.
Ron – hubby. He is a strange mix of fun and overachievement – I fell in love with him upon our first meeting. I married him 6 months later. It was a landslide experience from which I’ve not yet recovered. Ron and I are a high maintenance couple – we require a lot of TLC to keep ourselves on track with one another. We’re both very obsessive compulsive, driven, and manic. We’re a perfect match! Our favorite past time together is kayaking. We make it a regular date for relaxation from our extremism. Ron works for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as director of youth baseball. We are trying to relocate to Memphis, TN for greater opportunity in his field.
Heather – she is our lovely college graduate and much like her dad. Heather beat us all with brains, after 11 years of homeschool, she soared through college with a degree in communications from Dallas Baptist University. Presently, she is employed at Starbuck’s – loves the company and hopes to get into management. She is also working for me doing all of my shipping, which is a growing job requiring good management. I love having her as part of my business. It bridges our worlds. She aspires to write historical fiction for children. You can only imagine my delight. She has a special young man in her life who we hope to see her marry about a year from now. In the meantime she is living at home to save money. We love having her back around.
Kyle – my only son, with eyes to die for. After 9 years of homeschool, he is a freshman at Greenville College in Illinois. To his father’s delight, he is playing baseball. To my delight he’s making great grades. He is to biology what I am to history. It is his passion and he aspires to join the medical field in some capacity. He was articulate by age 4 and I think he could be a great writer. He makes me laugh and loves a good back scratch.
Ashley – if any of my children are me, it’s Ashley. Looks and personality – I can not deny she is mine. Ashley is currently in 9th grade, homeschooling after a break of a few years. She is enrolled in Veritas Academy as we are leaning more toward classical education than in the past. I’m very proud of her self- determination and well roundedness. She is a friend to all; bright and cheerful. Presently, she likes math, hates economics, and hopes to be a news anchor one day.
2. What prompted you to write The Mystery of History?
The Lord – through my kids. I used to stay up at night trying to mesh Bible and world history. I had limited resources and said, kiddingly, one day I’ll write my own curriculum. I knew exactly what I wanted – it was in my mind, but not on paper. Then one day, while cooking dinner, I felt as if the Lord gave me the title of the series. I recognized it right away and believe it was a calling of sorts. I went downstairs right then and there and wrote a dedication page to my kids. It remains as is in Vol I. That was the beginning. The Lord provided for the rest. When I heard The Mystery of History, I believed right then and there that I was to communicate the Gospel, the mystery, through my love of history. I wasn’t seeking a career – but am happy now to have one. By being such a leaky vessel, I know it is God’s grace that allows me to write. He has used my quirks, my passion, and my obsessive-ness to further His name. He seems to delight in showing up in such unlikely candidates.
3. How do you think moms can light a fire of enthusiasm for history in their
children?
Read it yourself and find a time period that excites you. Not all will, but those that do will be contagious. Well, not always. None of my children are as enthusiastic as I am about history, but how could they be? It is my calling, not theirs. I think sometimes they humor me when I ooze my history stories over dinner. At the same time, they are very proud, and they do know their history. I think it influences and strengthens our faith as a family as we cannot deny the truth of the gospel. That is one of my points of teaching it all- it is to see God. My kids may never love the stories of history like I do, but I think they’ve caught my love for the Lord. They of course have some growing and testing yet to go through as they are just starting their young lives. But I see them, praise the Lord, on the right track. Their world view is secure – I trust the Lord for the rest to follow as they hit those inevitable bumps and bruises of life.
So, to answer your question. Read with them, show your own oohs and ahhs while learning or relearning the parts of history that got past you the first time. Most of us, 30-40 year olds, had terrible world history growing up. We are playing catch up! Be transparent about that with them and learn with them. It makes for a great growing time together. My kids realize I’m still learning a lot as I go – and I think they admire my passion and will apply it to their loves.
4. Your connections between Biblical history and world history have been
fascinating to our family. We have also learned about so many bold
Christians who went before us. What do you hope to impress upon the young
(and old) minds who are using The Mystery of History as their core history
curriculum?
I think I just answered that question above. I hope to inspire a love for God in it all. History is sometimes just history. Sometimes it is a compilation of facts that don’t move us. But other times, it is so real I can touch it. I feel it. I breathe it because it is God’s hand I see in other’s lives who lived long before I did. The common experience of man with the Lord does more for my faith than I can express. When I turn to the Word and it speaks to me, that is life changing. When I read of someone else having that same experience a thousand years ago – I feel part of something so much bigger than me, bigger than this world. It’s inspiring and prompts me to want to “do” my part well. I’ve got one chance at this life. How will I live it? What damage or contribution have others made and where will I fall on that spectrum? I hope others think about these things when reading The Mystery of History. What would their biography look like stacked up against Cleopatra, Jean d’Albret, Oliver Cromwell, or Leonardo da Vinci? (Just to name a few famous faces.)
5. What are the most important things new homeschooling moms should know?
Relax, breathe, and keep good records. Others are watching, but don’t perform for them. Lay it before the Lord. Pray and ask, “Dear Lord, what would you have our family school look like?” It might surprise you. If we all prayed that, we might chuck a ton of our books and be out serving more. Pure religion is caring for widows and orphans but some days its easier to read. Keep a blend of real life with academics. That’s what our kids are desperate for – keep it real. Meals, helps, scripture, service, modeling the Christian life - and then some math and English. That’s teaching.
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Sherry Early writes a literary blog called Semicolon, and it is there where I first discovered her Picture Book Preschool, which accompanies me every time I reserve books from the library online.
Sherry Early
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 4
1. Tell us about your family:
My family consists of Engineer Husband, who works at NASA, and me, a former librarian and teacher, now homeschool teacher and mother. We have eight urchins: Eldest Daughter is 22 years old, graduated from our homeschool and from college and looking at graduate schools. Computer Guru Son is 20 years old. He's taking a year off from college after completing his freshman year so that he can work, earn some money, and decide what he wants to do next. Dancer Daughter is almost 18, and she's also working this year to earn some money for college since she completed all her high school work a year early. Elven Daughter is 16, and she's a sophomore in high school. She spends a lot of time on the computer, Brown Bear Daughter is 12 going on 20. She dances, plays the flute, and reads her favorite books over and over again. Karate Kid, age 10, has moved from karate to drama and canoeing this year, but I still like to call him Karate Kid because it fits his all-boy personality. Bethy-Bee is 8 years old, and she's the quiet, gentle, delicate child of the house---except when her stubborn streak is aroused. Sh likes to arrange and decorate and draw and write. Z-Baby is just 6, and she's still learning to read. So I still have one child to whom I can read picture books. All the others listen, too, though, even when they are pretending to be too old for picture books.
2. How (or why) did you develop Picture Book Preschool?
I started putting together the lists in my book Picture Book Preschool when Eldest Daughter was a preschooler. I liked having themes for the week or for the month, reading lots of books about the same subject, and so I began to write down the titles of the ones that I knew of or that I borrowed from the library that were the best. Then, I kept notes about the simple activities that we tried out to go along with the books. And then I thought, "These lists, with a little work, could be a book." And with a lot of work, they did make a book.
3. What advice can you give a mom who is struggling with a child who doesn’t like reading?
A child who doesn't like reading? Some kids never will be readers in the same sense that I am a reader. I read all the time, always have. Eldest Daughter is the same way I am. My other urchins enjoy reading, but are bit more moderate about it. I am convinced that all of us need and crave stories. If children don't get their stories from TV and movies, they'll be more inclined to read. If they don't read for some reason, maybe a physical or mental problem, they still need stories, and parents can provide those stories by reading aloud and by telling stories about their own childhood and family. Bottom line: reading is great, and most kids who are read to and who see their parents reading will become readers sooner or later. But sometimes God just hasn't wired them to be voracious readers, and that's O.K. He made them, and there is no verse in the Bible that indicates that it's a sin not to read.
4. Besides reading aloud, what do you feel are other necessary components of a preschooler’s day?
I adapted and expanded Melissa WIley's Rule of SIx to fit our homeschool and came up with the following ten things that I would like to include in every day at our house. I don't always do all of these, but it's a goal:
1. Meaningful work
2. Meals
3. Prayer and Bible reading.
4. Poetry
5. Good books
6. Mathematics
7. Beautiful art and music
8. Play or work outdoors
9. Imaginative play
10. Adventure
Here's my post from August about this list.
5. What are the most important things new homeschooling moms should know?
New homeschooling moms should . . . take it easy. Enjoy your children. If you surround them with books and nature and art and music and mathematics, they will learn. You don't have to buy expensive curricula (even though it's fun for mom). Try to relax and don't over-schedule. Pick a few things (math, reading, nature study) and do them consistently, daily if possible. Don't let anyone steal your joy.
And that's good advice for me, too. I have to remind myself frequently that joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit and that I need to demonstrate the joy of the Lord to my urchins.
~~~
Thank you, Sherry. Hey everyone- don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing for a copy of Sherry's book, Picture Book Preschool! We'll close the drawing on Sunday, October 14th at midnight.
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Today begins the first in a series I'm calling Homeschooling Moms Who Have Influenced Me. I hope you'll glean good things from them, too. At the end of each interview, post a comment about something you felt was applicable to your own homeschool and you will be entered into a drawing to win something wonderful from each of the women I interview! How's that for encouragement? Ann Voskamp is a mom and writer who has given her gifts in the form of books our family has delighted in. You can read her blog, Holy Experience, and be encouraged to seek Jesus anew each day. 1. Tell us about your family. ~Darryl and I are high school sweethearts; it's always been just us. We laugh that I am his Rebekah: He was my Dad's hired farmhand for nearly five years before we were married. Darryl is the youngest of nine in a family whose spiritual heritage goes back as far as is known. I am the oldest of four, a first generation Christian, saved at fourteen. Mercy and grace is fresh and dazzling in my life; I remember life B.C., the time in my life before Christ. God has bestowed 13 years of a marriage I could only have dreamed of, 6 exuberant children (Caleb 12, Joshua 10, Hope 8, Levi 6, Malakai 4, and Shalom 2), and a good, quiet life in the country working His land. It is a gloriously crazy life where sometimes I feel like it's all whirling a tad off kilter--but we are all together, three meals a day, and our exquisite God is in the center, so it is all so very good. 2. How did Holy Experience come about? ~I simply wanted a quiet place to scratch down His story on the pages of our lives, a listening place to hear what He wondrously speaks into our very common days, making these days hallowed and holy, because He is here.... 3. How do you think moms can grasp the idea of living a spiritual life as opposed to having a "Bible Time" as part of school? ~This, for me, is at the heart of what kind of life I am praying to live. I don't want to box up God into a "quiet time," as if that is the only place I can meet Him. I want Him to flood all of the messiness and craziness and beauty of every moment of my day. I think everyone wants that. But what does that look like? What does that really mean? For me, the notion is encapsulated in the thought of a One-piece life. A one piece fabric. No fragmenting. No tearing. No seams. My existence yearns to be just that: a life of one piece, God woven through the laundry, and the cooking, the walk down the lane, the changing of diapers, the learning gathering times, the times when I feel engulfed by it all. “Now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. They said therefore to one another, ‘Let us not tear it…’ (Jn 19:23). Too long, the fabric of this life of mine was torn up into secular and sacred, "Bible time" and "to-do list" time. Yet such a dichotomy is mere façade, mirage. "The Bible makes no room for the idea of the secular. In biblical worldview, there is only the sacred and the profane, and the profane is just the sacred abused, unkempt, trampled down, trivialized, turned inside out. It is just the holy treated in an unholy way.” ~ Mark Buchanan I have profaned the sacred, treated the holy in an unholy way. There are times, I still do. But I am prayerfully purposing to walk towards all of life as sacred ground, all of life as hallowed--because God is here, everywhere. For me, it is about holistic living. We know that our health is not limited to just what we eat, or just if we exercise, or just where we live, or only what medications or vitamins we take, but it is about being a whole person--all of those elements factor into our being healthy. To live a spiritually holistic life, one can't simply have "Bible time" and expect to nourish an intimate relationship with Jesus. It is about keeping company with Jesus for the other 23 hours of the day, speaking with Him, singing to Him, praying to Him, calling out to Him, resting in Him--living in Him. There is no divide between holy and sacred. God wove life to be seamless, a tunic like Jesus’: one piece. For all is in Him. “In God…we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). “Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence” (Ps. 139:7). Some may think of this as "Practicing the Presence of God"--but to do that we have to practice being *aware* of the presence of God. He *is* already here--we just need to wake up. We do not have to practice *making* Him present--He walks this moment with us. His word is not confined only to a quiet time for “they are not just idle words for you—they are your LIFE”( Deuteronomy 32:47). Life is our liturgy. *All* of Life is our time with God. 4. How do you bring the littlest ones into the spiritual ebb and flow of your days? ~ For us, we simply bring these little children with us, to Him whom we love. We worship Jesus around each meal gathering, closing the meal with the reading of Scripture, singing hymns, praying together--feasting on Living Bread. From the time little ones join the table gathering, they learn to feast from His table: always God's Word, a hymn, prayer. We learn to hunger after Jesus too, to have an appetite for Jesus. As a family, we memorize chapters of Scripture together, Dad leading us in review at the close of every meal. Darryl photocopies the 4 new verses we are learning for the week,and the review sheet, and even gives little non-readers their own sheet to put in their pockets for "review" throughout the day--so they feel a part of our seeking to make His Word our life. Throughout the day, we endeavor to keep company with Jesus: we pray for lost toys, and sibling squabbles, and for Mama to have grace, and for diligent hands and focused minds, and for forgiveness for blustery words...and for Mama to have grace. We try to remember, and gently remind ourselves aloud often, that "Christ is the head of this House, the unseen guest at every meal, the silent listener to every conversation." I don't pack my time in Scripture into an "away time", but an "in the midst time," primarily because I want our children to see that we hold unto Jesus in the midst, that His Word comes with us into the messiness of everyday life. So little ones color pictures in their own "prayer journals" in the morning, while the olders and I write in our own prayer journals and read from His Word. And come day's end, we tuck little ones in, pray together, bless each child and offer a Little Pillow. We begin in Him, we live in Him, we end in Him. We are a broken family, sin-marred. And yet we are, staggeringly, beloved of the Beloved One. We are learning and seeking to make the wonder of grace and mercy, His unmerited love, seep through every fibre of our beings, and moment of our days, living out the hope of the Gospel: not that we are perfect, but that His Grace perfectly saves us. 5. What are the most important things new homeschooling moms should know? . ~ I've botched much on this homeschooling journey, and He is abundantly gracious to take my messes and use them for good. Two fundamental things I wish I knew when I began: ~ Do not try to replicate the institution of school. Light yourself to the wonder of each day, what *God* would have you discover, to a holistic life of learning and curiosity, service and love. I am still very much in process in this regard, but we are determined to infuse our days with the wonder of God, and the fantastic creativity He's expressed in the world all around us, to the purposes He made us for. Read living literature, listen to music, dance, create, make, study art, go for long walks, explore, research, discover, serve, give, sacrifice. Let God out of the box we make for Him, and think out of the box. Listen to His Holy Spirit as You homeschool--not scopes, sequences, or curriculum catalogues. Don't escape the world when you homeschool, or live in a homeschooling "ghetto" where all of your interactions are only with other homeschoolers. Christ called us to be in the world but not of the world, to be a light of love. Make sure your homeschooling mission includes answering Christ's Great Commission to go into all the world, to be His hands and His feet to a hurting, wounded, seeking world. Formative books on our journey: ~John Taylor Gatto's "Dumbing Us Down," Schaeffer Macaulay's "For the Children's Sake," Andreola's "Charlotte Mason Companion," Bluedorn's "Teaching the Trivium," this piece... And this absolute must-read article, which I read again, and again, and so wish I had in the beginning. ~That homeschooling is not a formula for perfection, that homeschooling is not a panacea for all the sin in this world. Your heart is flawed, broken, cracked, and your children are born sinners. Homeschooling will not fix that. Only Jesus and His *grace* can. And He will use homeschooling as your crucible, to reveal your impurities and your sinfulness, and the brokeness of your home. Homeschooling will hurt. It will disappoint. You will cry and wonder if you are insane to try to educate these children, to disciple these little hearts, while laundering, cooking, cleaning, managing a household, and still being a wife, a sister, a daughter, a missionary in your community, a servant to Christ and in your faith community. And He will smile and say that He walks with you, has grand and glorious purposes, and He understands radical and crazy! Homeschooling *is* about going higher up and deeper in, for you will learn to sacrifically love in ways you have never loved before. You will know your own heart in ways you never imagined, the souls of your children in intimate, very real ways. For you will *be* together, making memories together, laughing together, crying together, praying together, and asking forgiveness together. Throughout your day, you will worship God, together. And you'll learn to die to self together. There will be no fragmented scraps of learning, home-life, friends, work, God. You will make a one-piece life--hallowed threads of parenting, love, education, living, creativity, wonder, sacrifice, and God all woven together. You'll wear it, and it will fit: Grace, Love, Gratitude. ~~~ With warm love... Ann Thank you, Ann, for being so generous with your time and answers. Ann is offering your choice of her excellent books for someone here, so go take a look and then be sure to comment below! We'll close the drawing at midnight on Sunday, October 7, 2007. A Child's Geography A Child's Geography- Explore the Holy Land The Glorious Coming- A Jesse Tree Advent Celebration
Elisabeth Elliot's devotionals are so rich and thought-provoking, it's difficult to single any one out as really great. But this is yet another one that I think speaks directly to us as homeschooling moms.
Daily devotions for 12-04-2006: Title: Teaching Children Author: Elisabeth Elliot Devotion: Elisabeth Elliot Book: Keep A Quiet Heart Do you enjoy this devotional? Send it on to a friend! ____________________________________________________________ Title: Teaching Children How many times between the ages of three and ten do children have to answer the only two questions adults can think of to ask them: How old are you? and What are you going to be when you grow up? The second question may seem innocuous, but is it? In the first place, many children may be distressed at being required to make a choice which is far beyond them. In the second place, it implies that the choice is theirs. This can lead to great confusion later on. The child will grow up physically, but spiritually he will not have begun until he learns that Jesus died not only to save him from sin but in order that he should live not for himself but for Him who died (see 2 Corinthians 5:15 and l John 3:16). If a young person has been taught from childhood that he ought to "be something" without at the same time being shown that nothing is better than being God's servant, he may be preoccupied with ambitions and ideals he has gotten solely from the world. If his conception of "where it's at" has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God, he is in for trouble when it comes time to discern the Will of God. He will be setting limits to his obedience, defining the terms of his service. "For My sake" is a concept children can grasp much earlier than we generally suppose. A little boy wrote to me that he was learning to lay down his life for others. To him this meant that sometimes when he would rather play he lay down beside his little sister to help her go to sleep. Pray that God will show you how to teach your children that life is meant to be lived for God. "You are not the owner of your own body. You have been bought, and at what a price! Therefore bring glory to God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:20, PHILLIPS). Help your child to understand that the Lord is his Shepherd, and he is a little lamb. The Shepherd will gladly show him the right pathway if he is willing to follow. ____________________________________________________________ Did you enjoy this devotional? Send it on for a friend to enjoy. To receive this e-mail regularly, just go to this page: http://www.backtothebible.org/media/email.htm