Connectogons

Elisabeth received a set of "connectogons" for Christmas, which she loves. I've tried to find them online and can't find them at all. Has anyone else heard of them? They're fantastic!

Little churches

"The families of Christians should be little churches."
(Richard Baxter in his Christian Directory, quoted in The Family Worship Book p17)

As I am reading through The Family Worship Book, I find Baxter's claim ringing true. If the family functions as a little church in regular worship, confession, prayer, reading, instruction and catechism, would not the church benefit greatly?

If it would not only benefit the church, but is in fact the responsibility of parents, then what greater service could the Church offer than to equip parents to lead its "little churches"? The Church would be rightly shifting the responsibility for spiritual nurture back to parents and equipping them to fulfill that responsibility.

I see the consequences spiraling:

1. Parents realize the gravity of parenting.
2. Parents pray daily with their children and for their children.
3. Children grow to understand worship as a daily, not weekly, activity.
4. Children daily see their parents confess sin and worship Christ.
   
5. The worship of many families (on Sundays) mirrors and reinforces the worship of the "little churches."
6. Suddenly children's "programs" are not as critical.
   
7. Children participating in Sunday worship (rather than going out to their programs) is more normal, because they are learning to worship every day of the week.

I can't think of a negative consequence!

Ardor for Order

"Puritan teachers thought humane family life, in which Christian love and joy would find full and free expression, could not be achieved till the ordered pattern they envisage - the regular authority-structure and daily routine - had been firmly established. Their passion to please God expressed itself in an ardor for order; their vision of the good and godly life was of a planned, well-thought-out flow of activities in which all obligations were recognized and met, and time was found for everything that mattered: for personal devotion, for family worship, for household tasks, for wage-earning employment, for intimacy with spouse and children, for Sabbath rest, and whatever else one's calling or callings required" (J.I. Packer A Quest for Godliness p 273, quoted in The Family Worship Book p18)

Although I have read A Quest for Godliness (and highly recommend it as an excellent overview of the Puritans), I found this quotation in The Family Worship Book extremely helpful in pushing me to make time, particularly in the new year, for those things that matter most.

Merry Christmas!

Reading Paddington

Elisabeth found the best place to read the adventures of Paddington Bear: in Uncle Gordon's lap.

Nap time after party time

After her birthday party on Saturday, Elisabeth and Uncle Gordon were ready for a nap.

Making ornaments

Elisabeth had a blast making ornaments out of pine cones.

A birthday without a post?

How could I neglect to record and celebrate my daughter's birthday? Well, she got sick at preschool (which meant an early trip, and abbreviated in-class celebration), and we came home to find that the roof had sprung a leak. So there was not much time for anything.

Now the roof is patched, and Elisabeth is in bed, so there is a bit of time.

I have loved the past year for a multitude of reasons:

• Bedtime is now a peaceful, happy routine.
• Bathing is happy, as getting water in your eyes isn't the end of the world.
• Elisabeth loves to help: cleaning, doing dishes, etc.
• She can make responsible decisions.
• She can make a polite request instead of falling to pieces.
• She can enjoy a book that doesn't have pictures on every page.
• She can solve problems rather than simply reporting them.
• She can share, even when she'd rather not.
• She initiates sharing!
• We can enjoy talking about a shared experience.
• She is even more affectionate and articulate. (Elisabeth regularly comes up to one of us, unprompted, and says, "I love you, Mommy [or Daddy]!")

I am so thankful for my daughter, and for her fourth year of life. What a wonderful gift of grace!

4 years ago....

Tomorrow Elisabeth turns 4....

We didn't worship yet!

In an attempt to move from bed-time Bible reading to family worship, we have been using the Seeds of Praise CD to sing our worship. (I'm hoping that our family worship time will push me to learn to play the guitar that I was given two years ago . . . and still can't play.)

Last night we were late in getting Elisabeth to bed, and I announced, "OK, time for bed!" to which Elisabeth responded,

"We didn't worship yet!"

O how I want that to continue, so that she eagerly anticipates our worship time each evening!

Catechism music

Elisabeth is addicted to a catechism bootleg. It is a recording from a preschool in Tennessee, and is very, very good. So most nights she listens to it as she goes to sleep.

I saw another music catechism product from Monergism today. I'm not sure that the musical quality will be as good as the bootleg, but it is good to know that others are actively putting these great questions in the format that children learn fastest: music.

Playing memory with Uncle Roger

I have the best in-laws!

Last week Rebecca and I took a 3-day getaway to celebrate her birthday - while Elisabeth stayed with her grandparents. I thought that it was very kind of my in-laws to be willing to take care of her for that time. But when we made the handoff, I was even more amazed that they had packed a basket of treats for us for our getaway! We were spoiled - and grateful.

I have the best in-laws!

We were gone for several years

We spent about two weeks on the road spanning Thanksgiving (which is one of the reasons I have been so sparse in posting). When we returned home Elisabeth announced:

"We were gone for several years!"

Clearly she has grasped that a 'year' is a long time, even if she hasn't quite figured out just how long it is.

A commandment always practiced

This evening I was talking with a friend about spiritual lethargy that we are both experiencing. As we talked, I realized that I receive so much wise counsel from John Owen on overcoming sin and temptation. I opened up his book and my gaze fell on this sentence:

"A commandment that is always practiced is always new . . ." (379)

There is a wonderful remedy for my lethargy: to practice! He continues:

"And he that really improves [practices] gospel truths, though he hears them a thousand times, they will be always new and fresh unto him, because they put him on newness of practice; when to another, that grows common [bored] under them, they are burdensome and common unto him, and he even loathes the manna that he is so accustomed to." (ibid.)

How good it is to have wise counselors who point me back to such simple, true spirituality.

That smile

Believe it or not, it is getting harder and harder to capture a genuine smile. I'm just not quick enough on the trigger. But this one made me smile.

Noel Calendar

Last year my sister-in-law told me about the Noel Calendar put out by Desiring God. It was too late in the Advent season to use it by the time I got it, but I packed it away for this year. I took it out tonight (thanks to my wife, who found where I had tucked it away) and Elisabeth and I did the first three days of the calendar together.

I was delighted to see how she engaged so readily with something that she could see and touch, which would help her connect with the story of the Invisible God, who became a baby to be seen and touched. I pray that this Advent she (and I) will be in awe of our God who was born among animals.

Family Driven Faith

"You are not likely to see any general reformation, till you procure family reformation. Some little religion there may be here and there; but while it is confined to single persons, and is not promoted in families, it will not prosper, nor promise future increase" (Richard Baxter quoted in Family Driven Faith p213)

Baxter's wise observation is the foundation of this book. Clearly Voddie Baucham has internalized the necessity of "family reformation," the turning of the family together to Christ. Furthermore, he does not write without experience. Having grown up in a single parent home, and then raising three children in a faithful marriage, Baucham is not naive. He knows the challenges, and what is at stake.

I highly recommend his section on family worship (pages 139-148) which makes a strong case for the importance of family worship, and offers practical encouragement for how to establish the practice in a home that doesn't have a history of family worship. I was convicted afresh of my own need to move from Bible reading and prayer routine into family worship that incorporates reading, prayer, dialogue (through catechism) and worship. It became very apparent to me that the centrality of worship in family life can have an entirely different tone than even faithful reading and prayer may produce. Now I need to put it into practice!

I also recommend the final chapter, A Radical Departure from the Norm, not as a prescription for how to change, but as a helpful glimpse into family-integrated church. He identifies the following distinctives of family-integrated church:

1. Families worship together (rather than sending kids out during the service)
2. No systematic segregation (worship, discipleship and evangelism are age diverse)
3. Evangelism and discipleship in and through homes (through daily family worship)
4. Emphasis on education as a key component of discipleship (i.e. private or home schooling)

For me, it was an eye-opening glimpse into another possible way of worship, discipleship and evangelism.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend this book without qualification. The author is very opinionated, and makes statements that go much farther than I would go. So for those who are easily offended, I wouldn't recommend this book. If you can sift well (and aren't easily riled), this book is a helpful one for encouraging parents lead their children into the knowledge of God.

Can I have this please?

Elisabeth found an appealing looking can in the grocery store with a cartoon drawing on it, and brought it to Mommy.

"Mommy, can I have this please?" (She remembered her manners.)
"No, sweetheart, that's dog food."
"But I want it!" (Manners fading . . .)
"Sweetheart, that food is for dogs."
"But I like it!" (Good-bye manners.)

Clearly the advertising people missed their market on this one.

Changing seasons

Elisabeth found a brilliantly red tree!

E-X-I-T . . . exit!

Today Elisabeth picked up a book and read, "E-X-I-T . . . exit!" Rebecca and I looked at each other to ask, "Did you teach her that word?" and we both shrugged our shoulders at the same time.

I don't think we're far from being frequently surprised by the words she can decode.

Family walk

Elisabeth often asks to go on a family walk, which not infrequently looks like this.

Do you know why I like my church?

Overheard, talking with Grandmummy:

"Do you know why I like my church? I like it because of the people."

What a great reminder of how the church represents Christ to the youngest among us.

Why do we "repent"?

Last week I was doing catechism questions with Elisabeth from My First Book of Questions, and came to the question, What does it mean to repent?

After we had discussed the question and answer, I asked Elisabeth, 'Why do we repent?', to which she promptly responded,

"To get dessert!"

Earlier that evening at the table, she had had a bad attitude, and I had told her that it needed to change if she was going to join us for dessert. She changed her attitude, and finished her food - and clearly internalized the reason for her repentance. Her transparent answer showed what many of us exhibit: no hatred of sin or desire to be done with it. Yet that very honesty provides the opportunity for true repentance to occur.

The Plymouth Thanksgiving

I'm terrible about finding good books to help Elisabeth understand holidays. I always wait until the last minute, and then find the library shelves empty of quality literature. However, this time there was still The Plymouth Thanksgiving on the shelves. Though it is a long read for Elisabeth, it does a great job of setting the context of the first Thanksgiving, based on William Bradford's diary. I learned a lot in reading it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

That lady is not being loving . . .

Elisabeth was just reading a book with her aunt Haley. On opposite pages of the book, loving and unloving characters were contrasted, and Elisabeth observed:

"That lady is not being loving, but she is pretty!"

Already at 3, she is noticing the things that people value: appearance, performance, and virtue. How I want her to value them in the right order!

Overcoming Sin and Temptation

When I arrived home from my travels last weekend, I told my wife, "I finished Overcoming Sin and Temptation!" (It is the book that I completed, and not the struggle!)

I first read John Owen at full length in The Glory of Christ, and found the experience to be both challenging and richly rewarding. In all honesty, I would say that Overcoming Sin and Temptation is just as rewarding as The Glory of Christ, but (at least for me) more challenging reading.

So why tackle 407 pages of small print, precise language and archaic syntax? Owen has such a clear view of the glory of Christ, the nature of the Gospel, and how to wage war on indwelling sin that on almost every page I was struck with fresh insight. On the very subject Owen notes:

"Growing in notions of truth without answerable practice is another thing that indwelling sin makes use of to bring the souls of believers unto a decay. . . . By this means, from humble, close walking, have many withered into an empty, barren, talking profession. . . . And generally this is so when men content themselves, as was said, with the notions of truth, without laboring after an experience of the power of them in their hearts, and the bringing forth the fruit of them in their lives, on which a decay must needs ensue" (p386).

He did not intend people to read his writings just to get insight; in fact he saw it as potentially destructive! Rather he wrote a theological treatise on how to kill that which can take what is good and make it deadly to us. There are few authors that I have found that so successful navigate the course to faithful doctrine and faithful practice. It would seem that this very reality is the reason that Owen wrote: there was much true profession without answerable practice, and much falling away, even in the midst of true doctrine:

"This is indwelling sin. So wonderfully powerful, so effectually poisonous it is, that it can bring leanness on the souls of men in the midst of all precious means of growth and flourishing. It may well make us tremble, to see men living under and in the means of the gospel, preaching, praying, administration of the sacraments, and yet grow colder every day than others in zeal for God, more selfish and worldly, even habitually to decline as to the degrees of holiness which they had attained to." (p370)

Those are sober words; and yet Owen is convinced that through the Gospel we are given everything we need for life and godliness, which he presses on believers with tremendous force.

It is this reality, the insidious power of sin and the glorious power of the Gospel, that makes such difficult reading worthwhile. After reading Owen, I see how trifling vast swaths of contemporary Christian literature (and my own writing!) are. We simply don't have the acquaintance with indwelling sin, or the Gospel, that Owen had. So, from three centuries ago, he offers timely warnings, and powerful counsel.

I can't escape from commenting on how I read Owen as a parent. I no longer read simply for myself; all of my reading is for my family as well as myself. I have found no one better (yes, I think he is even more helpful than Jonathan Edwards) for treating the subtleties of our hearts, and applying the gospel remedies. Dozens of times in the course of reading this book (which has been at least six months), I have been corrected in my parenting, though Owen rarely makes direct references to the responsibilities of parents. In fact, I think someone should apply Owen's theology (which is simply careful, practical, Biblical systematics) to child-rearing. Any takers?

Tying her shoes

This week, Elisabeth insisted that she could tie her own shoes. In some sense, I think she was right.

Parenting in the Pew

Our Sunday school class has been reading Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Castleman, as a discussion-starter for parents.

In this sphere, I think it succeeds. Castleman raises some of the major issues of teaching children to worship, and offers some of her own experiences for insight into how to do it. I must admit that it made me much more conscious of how I was leading Elisabeth into worship last week in our Sunday service - and exposed a number of my bad habits. This book is great for getting parents (and others) thinking actively about how we teach our children to worship Christ.

I wouldn't, however, commend this book as the How to of teaching children to worship. Many of her examples are historically and culturally bound, and don't translate perfectly to other circumstances. I don't think that these qualities are reasons not to recommend the book, just words of fair warning for what you will find.

If anyone has recommendations of books that provide helpful recommendations of how to, please share!

Honey for a Child's Heart

Where The Read Aloud Handbook fell short, Honey for a Child's Heart excels. It commends the value of literature for capturing the imagination and shaping character far more than the Handbook. Whereas Jim Trelease sees reading (aloud and silently) as the crux of education, Gladys Hunt presents them as the crucible of character formation.

Like the Handbook, Honey is divided into two parts: expository text, and literature recommendations. The entire book is shaped by this conviction:

"You cannot bully people into appreciating what is true and good and beautiful." (p95)

The necessary corollary is that parents have the responsibility for winsomely presenting what is good, true and beautiful to their children. Hunt contends that literature is one great vehicle of achieving this end, and I think she succeeds in her case. I found myself remembering from my childhood many of the books she referenced, and I found myself longing to explore others that I missed out on.

I found her writing so compelling and inspiring that it made me want to homeschool not from any dissatisfaction with other means of education, but just because I want to have the privilege of soaking Elisabeth, and any other children God gives us, in great literature.

I'll leave you with her presuppositions (which I share):

"Underlying all of this discussion is my thesis that parents who read widely together with their children are going to be those who most influence their children, who have the largest worldview, who have an uncommon delight in what is good and true and beautiful - and an uncommon commitment to it. Sharing and feeling and talking together will come naturally. Books shared with each other provide that kind of climate." (p99)

The Jesus Story Book Bible

We're always looking for good children's Bibles. Right now, we are reading through The Jesus Story Book Bible right now (on loan from a friend, who has ours), and have to admit it is with mixed results. I should preface that by saying that we love The Big Picture Story Bible, which I have read through well over a dozen times with Elisabeth.

The Jesus Story Book Bible does a great job of prefiguring Christ through the stories of the Old Testament. That is the tremendous virtue of the book. The downside is that I wouldn't characterize it as great literature. Maybe after one or two really thorough revisions it could arrive at the place where all the words are well-chosen; but it is not there yet.

Now that I think about it, the reason that I so much prefer The Big Picture Story Bible to The Jesus Story Book Bible is the theological bias of each. The Big Picture takes the Kingdom of God as the central motif, and clearly tells the Gospel, with remarkable economy of language, through that lens. The Jesus Story Book treats 'God as lover' as the central motif, and often drifts into Sleeping Beauty type language (and in my opinion misrepresents the nature of God's desire for human beings).

So in my opinion, the scales are balanced on the Jesus Story Book: great prefiguring, but sloppy language and theology. In some ways far better than standard children's Bibles, but in some ways missing the mark. I highly recommend The Big Picture Story Bible for its rich literary and theological quality, and I'd encourage you to check out the Jesus Story Book and see if I'm overly critical!

The Read Aloud Handbook

Last weekend I had the privilege of traveling for business and pleasure. I took every advantage of the time in on the bus, in the airport, and on the plane to devour books that had been collecting dust for the past month or two. I was able to finish off several that I have been working on, and want to commend some of them to you.

The Read Aloud Handbook makes the case that parents reading aloud to children is the linchpin of successful education. Jim Trelease, very well acquainted with school policy and politics, and research on reading development, contends that reading to and with children throughout their years in the home fosters a love for reading, facility with ideas, critical thinking skills and open horizons.

For those who aren't convinced that parental reading plays a key role in their children's lives, I commend this book. For those who are already convinced, I commend the second half of the book, which is a treasury of recommendations for reading aloud. It will save you wading through many pieces of poor literature in an attempt to find good books for your kids.

In addition to his case for reading aloud, Trelease also offers creative ideas for establishing patterns of sustained silent reading, how to use the television to enhance literacy, and how to use audio books to enable children to enjoy literature that would prove difficult reading. His tips are practical and helpful, and I commend this book to parents and teachers alike.

Cute smile

Decoding!

For some time Elisabeth has associated letters and their (multiple) sounds, and has been able to recognize onset (beginning) sounds and end rhyme. However, this week in the bath she began really decoding for the first time.

Using her foam bath letters, she said that she wanted to spell 'Neva'. She was able to separate each of the sounds and identify the letter that produces that sound, and then put them in the proper sequence. Excited by her newfound skill, she decoded and spelled 'Zoe' (another good friend).

We're on the road to reading!

Destroying self-confidence

One of the great missions you have is to get self-confidence out of your children's hearts. . . . We teach children to despair of themselves and to flee to Christ, to flee for grace and mercy . . . (John Piper in Fathers Who Give Hope)

This is the litmus test of whether parenting is faithful to the Gospel. If the good news of Christ is not true, then Piper's words are nonsense; if the good news of Christ is true, then Piper's admonition is the only wise way to raise children.

Head and heart

"In James Stephen's The Crock of Gold, a wise philosopher says, 'I have learned that the head does not hear anything until the heart has listened, and what the heart knows today the head will understand tomorrow.'" (quoted in Honey for a Child's Heart)

This, I think, is why God communicates to us through literature - including the literature of the Bible.

Those first, formative years

"I heard my first stories in my mother's voice. A satisfactory substitute for that technique has yet to be devised, because most of who we are is decided in those first fleeting years of life before we ever see a school" (Richard Peck, Newbery Medal winner for A Year Down Yonder).

As a former elementary teacher, Peck's comment resonates with me. So much of a child's character, personality and readiness to learn are shaped in the precious early years of life. That is not to say that the current cannot be changed later in life; it is simply that the stream has gathered more force.

Can I have the chip?

This week in the parents' Sunday school class at our church, we discussed the sacraments and the role that they play in the spiritual formation of our children. After the class, in the worship service (in which we celebrate communion every week), Elisabeth whispered in my ear,

"Dad, can I have the chip?"

It was the first time she had ever shown interest in communion. A few minutes later she leaned into me again (still before communion) and whispered,

"I like our chips that are pointy; they're salty!"

Clearly the round wafers didn't measure up in her eyes.

Keener pleasures

"Books are no substitute for life, but a keener pleasure comes to life because of books" (Honey for a Child's Heart p21).

Feed your kids

As a teacher, I consistently told parents, "The most important thing that you can do for your child's education is to read with your child." I still think that is true. However, I now see that it is inadequate. It is like saying, "Feed your kids," without giving any nutritional advice. So one parent will take the children to McDonald's for every meal, while another will provide a healthy variety of foods. My exhortation to "feed your kids" is not helpful in the health of those children, because I didn't say anything meaningful.

A more helpful admonition than "feed your kids" is "feed your children a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein, and fat in moderation." The parent who heeds my advice will be truly helping his or her children. In just the same way, rather than saying "read with your child," it is far better to say, "Read books with your children that communicate truth, goodness and beauty, that inspire your children to virtue."

However, just as a trip to the vegetable aisle might be daunting to the parent who is accustomed to exclusively processed food, so will a trip to the children's section of the library be frightening to the parent who is more comfortable in front of the television. For that reason, I think the good teacher or friend must go farther than commending the reading of great literature to provide examples of that literature so that the novice can learn to identify great literature by immersion in it.

In Honey for a Child's Heart, Gladys Hunt does precisely that: encouraging parents to take up and read great books with their children, describing the characteristics of such literature, and offering lists of such literature for each age of a child's life. She is a much better teacher than I, and I highly commend her book!

Well-chosen words

"Well-chosen words need only be few in number, but they help store away the pleasure of the adventure" (Honey for a Child's Heart p19).

One of the marks of the great books that I love to read to Elisabeth again and again is their brilliant economy of language. Clearly these authors are masters of language and image, like Kevin Henkes.

What a book does

That is what a book does. It introduces us to people and places we wouldn't ordinarily know. A good book is a magic gateway into a wider world of wonder, beauty, delight, and adventure. Books are experiences that make us grow, that add something to our inner stature. . . . Children don't stumble onto good books by themselves; they must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure joy and magic. (Honey for a Child's Heart p17)

These words from the first chapter of Honey for a Child's Heart capture my enthusiasm for introducing Elisabeth to great literature. Books can indeed be the gateway to worlds and experiences that will increase her capacity for delight, empathy and love. O how I want her to develop a love for great books!

Public reading of Scripture

On Sunday in church, we prayed for abatement of the California wild fires, and the Old Testament reading included Jeremiah 14:22.

Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
for you do all these things.

The phrase "can the heavens give showers" hit me in the gut. To believe in the God of the Bible is to deny philosophical materialism (which maintains that events can be explained entirely in terms of material causes - like changes in temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.). Not only can the false gods not give rain, but the heavens themselves do not give showers; even the rains come from God. It is He who created the laws of nature, and He who establishes them and can overrule them at any time.

Thank God for the public reading of Scripture that overturns my assumptions, and teaches me to pray like I ought - and to raise children as I ought.

Our pumpkin

Listen to the Religious Affections

As I have mentioned before, I don't do as much reading as I would like to anymore, but I get to do a lot more listening.

This month one of my favorite books of all time (Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections) is available for free from Christian Audio. For those who have been interested in it, but haven't had the stamina for reading, this may be a great way to get into it - on the commute, or while doing dishes!

HT: Justin Taylor

Where to buy your books

Does it matter where you buy books? Is book buying an action without social consequences?

Last week I ordered two books from Monergism and was reminded why I purchase from them. There are many titles that I could get less expensively from ChristianBook.com, but there is a dramatic difference between the way these two companies operate. Monergism is discerning in the titles it sells, because they realize that selling is an implicit commendation of content. By contrast, ChristianBook.com is indiscriminate in its title selection, and sells lots and lots of products that undermine the very message of the good news. (This is precisely what I expect of Amazon, which by its very mission is indiscriminate, not Christian Book Distributors.)

So I have put a link in my sidebar to Monergism that I would encourage you to check out - and use - to make purchases of Christian literature. By your purchases, you are establishing a discerning, wise and God-honoring organization.

(Incidentally, Monergism has many great resources outside of its bookstore, including many excellent mp3 sermons and lectures - for free!)

Liturgy

On Sunday, our prayer of the day was:

Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope and charity;
and, that we may obtain what you promise,
make us love what you command;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one god, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even as we were praying, I was grateful that from a young age Elisabeth is hearing the great truths of the Gospel in prayer so that she learns that they are not "finer points", but teach us how to know and approach God. Thank Christ for good liturgy!

Girl in the gardens

We 'discovered' some stunning gardens near our home (like Columbus 'discovered' North America) two and a half years ago. Since that time, it has been a frequent destination for relaxation, reading, family walks and photography. On Sunday afternoon we went there to snap some pictures of Elisabeth with the mums - and this is representative of the roughly 100 pictures that I took using the continuous shooting feature on my camera. We did end up with a few good ones, that I'll share later on.

I went to the gardens again today . . .

I can't stay away from the gardens when the mums are in bloom!

Bursting with laughter

Elisabeth just couldn't contain the giggles!

She's not my friend

Yesterday Elisabeth announced that one of her classmates was not her friend. She explained,

"She doesn't listen to the teacher!"

It made me think of King David's words:

I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil. (Psalm 101:3-4)

I could understand why Elisabeth was saying that she didn't want to be this girl's friend: she's a brat. And so in a certain sense, I don't at all want her to be this girl's friend. Yet in another sense, I do. The same King David said:

Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me. . .
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you. (Psalm 51:11, 13)

David had just confessed his own grievous sin, and pleaded for mercy - and therefore was jealous to turn other sinners to the Redeemer.

I don't want Elisabeth merely to avoid this girl because she's disobedient. I want her to learn to be a friend in a way that doesn't condone her rebellion, but invites her to receive mercy. If she can learn this lesson well early, it will serve her (and her friends) well for the rest of her life.

Honey for a Child's Heart

We just received a great gift in the mail: Honey for a Child's Heart. (Thanks, Sarah!)

I make it my practice to ask the best parents I know for good book lists, since when I go to the library I usually leave disappointed unless I have gone with a list of recommended titles. So I recently asked friends from our church (the parents of four well home-schooled children) for a book list, and they recommended Honey for a Child's Heart for its lists, and for its approach to literature.

I'm ready for my first trip to the library with book in hand!

Sitting with Mommy

Gospel Language for Kids

Ray Van Neste reviews children's books on The Children's Hour. He has pointed me toward some excellent literature, and so I check in there now and again.

He recently wrote an article called Evangelizing our Children for a local publication on the importance of presenting the warnings and promises of the Gospel to our children. His thesis is that:

No gospel plea makes sense unless the hearers know their need of rescue from judgment.

He draws on John Brown of Haddington (Scotland) as an example of one who did not shy away from presenting the reality of hell right alongside the promise of being reconciled to God through Christ.

It was a great reminder to me that our age likes to celebrate the positive and turn the eyes off the negative. However, in the case of the Gospel, without the bad news (that we have cut ourselves off from God through our sin), the good news (that God reconciles us to Himself through His Son) makes little sense.

I need more mentors like John Brown.

From the gardens

Educating her parents

Elisabeth had a new student named Oudai join her class last week. When Elisabeth told Rebecca about Oudia, Rebecca asked, "Is Oudai a boy or a girl?"

With some puzzlement, Elisabeth replied,

"Oudai is a boy's name, Mom!"

Clearly Elisabeth is the one educating us!

The Meanest Thing to Say

In general I am not a fan of trade books. I usually find them to be very poor literature, and put them to the bottom of the pile.

However, I really liked The Meanest Thing to Say by Bill Cosby. The story line is simple and clear, and kids see through a clever and humorous narrative how to handle name calling and 'slams'.

While it is not the kind of great literature that we will read again and again, it is worth reading several times.

A perfect gift

On the day that we moved, Elisabeth's best friend's parents took care of her for the day and fed us an outstanding leg of lamb for dinner. What could have been an enormously stressful day turned out to be fun for everyone involved - thanks to great friends.

As we parted to go to our new home, Aidan's mom gave Elisabeth a TykeLight, a very clever nightlight for children that charges by magnetism, casts warm glow, and doesn't get dangerously hot.

It was a perfect gift, as Elisabeth's new bedroom does not have an overhead light, and we had not yet found the lamps from the boxes. She cuddled it to sleep that night, and has done the same on many subsequent nights. What a great gift!

Writing

For quite some time Elisabeth's verbal abilities have far exceeded her fine motor skills. She has learned to sound out words, but when it comes to writing the letters, she is often intimidated to try. In fact, the letter S has kept her from writing her name. She can write all the letters, but finds the S difficult, and so when she gets to it wants to quit. Thus, her signature over the past several months has been Eli.

This week she made two major leaps forward in writing. The first is that she gained the ability to write an S. (In reality, she just developed the initiative to try it until she got it.) So now Eli is gone, and we have Elisabeth back again! The second is her willingness to take dictation. For some reason, until now she has been intimidated to write letters when asked to do so. But this week she wanted to write Joe and Emily on an envelope for our neighbors, and so she asked me how to spell their names, and wrote their names letter by letter as I dictated them.

We're on the road to writing!

Here is Life

Eight years ago I had the privilege of volunteering with Here is Life in Aringa, Uganda.

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Last week we had a good friend, Elly Moses, from Here is Life stay with us, and I was reminded why I love those people, and why I believe so strongly in their work. Since they have not had a website to present, I put together a simple blog on blogger as a communication tool for them, and as a learning tool for those who are interested in their work. At present it is just a thumbnail sketch of the organization, but I anticipate it being well used.

Elly's stay with us reminded me of how significant missionary visits were to me in my childhood. I think the missionaries who stayed in our home, and the biographies of missionaries that my parents read to us continue to shape my view of the world, and my dreams of what God will do with me. I want to give Elisabeth the same privilege of knowing great missionaries.

Three busy weeks

The past three weeks have been some of the busiest of my life, hence the lack of blogging. I'm looking forward to a return to a more peaceful pace of life with time to read, write and rest. So you can expect to see more posts, and more pictures in the days to come as I recover.

Ready to slide

First dance class

Elisabeth had her first dance class on Saturday!