Nothing is Impossible with God

Today our advent reading included Luke 1:37 Nothing is impossible with God.  It was a perfect springboard to praying with my kids for the orphans in Sudan.

Over recent months, I have loved following the ministry of Make Way Partners.  Most missionaries and ministries whom I support and follow send infrequent, cheerful updates--churches built, lots of people saved, tidy prayer requests.  Kimberly Smith of Make Way Partners sends frequent, heart-wrenching, raw updates.  I appreciate her vulnerability and her passion--it draws me into prayer.

Today she sent an update that much needed (and very costly) food for the orphans are stuck at the border--not being allowed into the country.

I felt compelled to pray with my kids about this, but it's tough--it's tough to explain orphans and starvation and corrupt government officials to a 3 and 5 year old.  But we did.

• After we read our Advent reading of Luke 1:26-38, we talked about how nothing is impossible with God.
• I explained that an orphan has no mom or dad.
• We grabbed the globe and I showed them were we live and where Sudan is.
• I explained that there was a truck full of food waiting for them--food we had sent money to help buy.  Here they made a personal connection:  "A truck like Grandpa drives?"  Grandpa drives a truck for a restaurant supply company, so, yes, it was a great connection.  
• I explained that some people were stopping the truck and wouldn't let it drive to the kids and we needed to pray, because it was a problem that only God could solve--because nothing is impossible with God.  

I was so blessed to hear my three year old pray for the orphans and pray for the truck ("like Grandpa's truck").   Check out Kimberly Smith's blog and pray with us with child like faith that the food may be safely delivered.

The Thanksgiving Book I'm So Glad I Found

Last year, I requested every children's book our library system owned that seemed even marginally related to Thanksgiving.  I weeded out those with anti-Pilgrim agendas, photos from 1973, and way too much text.  

When it was all said and done I had a list of seven books that were worth reading to my kids (now ages 1-5).  Yet, I still felt something was missing.  Our list included books with great art, books with lyrical rhyme, books with perky rhythms, but nothing that clearly and thoroughly built a framework of exactly who the Pilgrims were, where and why they had traveled, what their daily life was like and how all of that culminated in the first Thanksgiving celebration.

The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern has filled in that gap.  The text is very simple in style, with 5-8 short sentences per page.  The illustrations are simple and traditional.  To merely glance at it on the book shelf it would not, perhaps, stand out.

However, its simple text and simple pictures thoroughly and systematically relay the story of the Pilgrim's journey, hardships and struggles, achievements, and ultimately their celebration.

The author is clearly writing for a preschool audience when she describes the Mayflower as being "as big as two trucks."   One of my favorite aspects of the text is its focus on what the life of a Pilgrim child would have been like during each phase of the Pilgrim story:  no toys or space to run around on the Mayflower, having to sleep on the floor and wear the same clothes every day without enough water for washing; once on land, running on the beach feeling the sand in their toes, sleeping in beds that fit under the adults' beds during the day, shooing birds away from the cornfield, and turning a roast on a spit all day.

My children connected to the story because of the many kid-oriented details.  The thoroughness of this book has built their background knowledge, creating the scaffolding they needed to understand and appreciate the allusions in the more artistic and lyrical Thanksgiving picture books.

The only way this book could be better is if it made more clear the central role of God in the lives of the Pilgrims.  There is certainly mention of their religious beliefs, prayer, and observing the Sabbath, but not a clear sense of the way in which their faith in God shaped and influenced every aspect of their lives.

I am glad I bought this book--and glad I opted for the more expensive library binding--as I expect to be enjoying this book with my children for years to come.

Our Summer Memory-Verse-A-Thon

A few months ago, God convicted in me that I  needed to be nurturing in my children and in myself a heart of compassion for this hurting world.

The Project
While I don't feel called right now to pack up and become a full time missionary, I do want my children to understand that there are many people in the world who are hungry and in need and that God wants us to show them His love not only by telling them about Him, but by caring for their physical needs.

We eat a lot of eggs, so buying a starter brood of chicks to be given to a family in need through Samaritan's Purse seemed like a nice concrete place to start.

Of course, like most preschoolers, my kids don't have a lot of disposable income, so giving is often just bumming money from mom and dad.  I wanted them to feel more ownership of their giving, more personal investment and sacrifice.

The Memory-Verse-A-Thon Plan
To get the kids actively involved in raising and giving money, I cooked up the idea of a memory-verse-a-thon.  My plan was that the kids would ask adults to sponsor them, pledging to donate a small amount of money for each verse that the child memorized.

When I agreed to teach the 3-6 year old Sunday school class for the summer, I expanded my plan to make this a project for the whole class.  We are three weeks into the project and so far it is going very well.

Each week in Sunday school I introduce a new verse, telling a Bible story that illustrates the principle of the verse and including crafts and games that help reinforce the meaning of the verse and story.  The kids practice the verse throughout the week and then contact each of their sponsors to recite the verse.  We have a tracking sheet with two columns for each verse:  one to check off that the verse has been recited and one to check off that the donation has been received.

Four Reasons I'm Loving the Memory-Verse-A-Thon
So far, I love how it is working!

• The kids are motivated to learn their verses and learn them well.  
• They feel ownership of the gift they are giving to God each week as they place money in the Sunday school offering basket.  
• They are also building relationships with a lot of loving, godly adults.  
• It has been a blessing to the adult sponsors to hear these truths on the lips of such young ones.  

Details
Here are the two notes that went home to parents explaining the project and memory-verse-a-thon.  I also made a very nifty sponsor tracking grid, but I'm not tech-savvy enough to figure out how to post it because of all the formatting.

Letter Explaining the Project

Dear parents—

Welcome to summer time Sunday school! 

This summer we will be taking an offering each week.  All of the money donated will be used to purchase chicks from Samaritan’s Purse.   For $14, we can donate a dozen chicks to a family in need elsewhere in the world.  Here’s what Samaritan’s Purse says about chickens:

Chickens are at the top of the “pecking order” when it comes to helping needy families. A small flock can produce hundreds of eggs each year, enough to eat with plenty left over to sell. Samaritan’s Purse works with local believers in developing countries to furnish baby chickens or ducks, and to help families raise them properly. For $14, we can supply a starter brood of a dozen chicks.

This project will give our children a chance to be cheerful givers and to have compassion for people in need.   I’m hoping we will be able to donate one starter brood of chickens, but it would be exciting to be able to donate even more. 

It is important to teach our children to be good stewards and generous givers from a young age, so here are a few ideas for how to make giving to this project meaningful for your child: 

• ·         If your child receives an allowance, teach him/her about tithing and encourage him/her regularly to give a portion of the allowance. 
• ·         Encourage your child to find extra chores for which he/she may earn extra money to give.
• ·         Help your child participate in our Memory-Verse-A-Thon.

Earlier this year when I was trying to think of a way to help my kids raise money to give to others in need, I hatched this idea for a memory-verse-a-thon.  Now that I’m teaching summer Sunday school, I’d like to invite your children to participate.  I want to stress that this is totally optional.  If it does not feel like a good fit for your child or your family this summer, do not feel obligated to participate.   It is also fine to participate partially, helping your child memorize some, but not all of the verses.

If you are interested in participating, check out the attached form for more information.  Each week I will be introducing a short verse to the class as the basis of our lesson for the day.  You may then work with your child on memorizing that verse throughout the week.

If you have any question, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I know that attendance will be hit and miss over the summer, but I look forward to learning with your children when they are here this summer.

Letter with the Memory-Verse-A-Thon Guidelines and Scriptures to Memorize

Summer Memory-Verse-A-Thon

Step 1:   Find one or more people to sponsor your children, pledging to donate money for each verse that your child memorizes.   There are 10 verses, so a donation of $.25 per verse would total a donation of $2.25 for the whole summer. 

Step 2:  Start Memorizing!  Each week a new verse will be introduced in Sunday school.   Your child will practice the verse and hear a story relating to the verse.  Continue practicing the verse with your child throughout the week.   I find adding motions to the verse really helps my kids.

Step 3:  Master the verse.  There is a great deal of flexibility here.  Set a standard for your child that is achievable.  A few of the verses are a little longer—please feel free to shorten a verse by dropping a phrase or clause (especially for Deuteronomy 6:5 and 1 John 1:9) if your child is struggling.  Whether or not your child learns the reference is up to you. 

Step 4:  Recite the verse to each sponsor.  When your child has mastered the verse, help your child contact each sponsor and recite the verse.   Use the record sheet to keep track.

Step 5:  Collect the donations.   Donations may be collected as your child recites each verse or at the end of the summer.  More frequent donations may be motivational, but if the sponsor is out of town, a single donation at the end of the summer would be more practical.  Use the record sheet to keep track, so there is no confusion. 

Step 6:  Remind your child . . . that all of the money raised will help buy baby chicks for a needy family. 

June 19:  Proverbs 14:31  . . . whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

June 26:  Deuteronomy 6:5   Love the LORD your God with all your heart.

July 3:  Matthew 22:39   Love your neighbor as yourself.

July 10:  Psalm 100:2  Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

July 17:  Philippians 4:6   . . .with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

July 24:  1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.

July 31:  Luke 22:46  “. . .pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

August 7:  Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing.

August 14:  Isaiah 43:5  Do not be afraid, for I am with you.

August 21:  Ephesians 4:29a  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,  . . .

August 28:  Ephesians 4:29b  . . . but only what is helpful for building others up.

The Story of America's Birthday

Unable to find any books on hand at the library that would help my kids understand the history and significance of July 4th, I ordered The Story of America's Birthday from Amazon.  It did not have a lot of reviews, so it was a bit of a blind leap, but overall I'm glad that I purchased it.

Neither the text nor illustrations are artistic masterpieces, but it gets the job done.  It does a nice job of bringing the history and significance of Independence day to a level that a three or four year old can easily understand.  As the title suggests, it frames the story as the story of America's birthday--an immediate attention-grabber for my birthday-obsessed children.  

The vocabulary and very basic historical details chosen are all appropriate for young preschoolers and easy to grasp.  The focus is on the idea that the colonist were not free, but now we are.  

Big Brother, at age five, could definitely have handled something with a bit more detail, but this book was perfect for Sis at age three.  

Popsicle-Stick Flag: Cute, Easy, and Surprisingly Sturdy

The kids got in the patriotic spirit of July 4th with these folk art flags.

We started by painting wooden craft sticks red with water color paints.

Big Brother went rogue and started painting sticks blue as well.

Then we made a pattern with the sticks (Big Brother loves patterns) alternating red, plain, red, plain, and glued them to two supporting craft sticks with Elmer's glue.  The kids chose star stickers to place on a blue rectangle that I had prepped.

They glued these in the upper corner of the flag and then added more craft sticks glued together to make a flag pole.

I was impressed with how much they enjoyed the project, how well both Sis at age three and Big Brother at age five were able to complete it, and at how sturdy the finished product was.  I was a bit skeptical about using simple Elmer's glue, but the kids played with them throughout the day without tragedy.

Waving his flags and enjoying dessert.

Getting My Ducks in a Row for the Fourth of July

Holidays at the beginning of a month always sneak up on me.  They feel a month away even as the preceding month winds down.  Suddenly it's the first of the month and the holiday is on my door step.

I want to be intentional in making our holidays God-centered as well as fun and memorable for the kids, so here's what I'm scrambling to plan:

Prayer Breakfast:  We'll start the day with a special breakfast (menu to be determined) and a time of family prayer for our country.  That is pretty abstract for kids, so we are going to read 1 Timothy 2:1-4 together:

First, I want all of you to pray for everyone. Ask God to bless them. Give thanks for them.  Pray for kings. Pray for all who are in authority. Pray that we will live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy.  That is good. It pleases God our Savior. He wants everyone to be saved. He wants them to come to know the truth.


Then we'll use this "Prayer for Our Leaders" coloring sheet to make it a bit more concrete (from ministry-to-children.com).

A Little History Lesson  I went to the library earlier this week and was disappointed not to find any picture books about Independence Day.  I've ordered The Story of America's Birthday by Patricia Pingry and I'm hoping it will arrive in time and provide the background I'm hoping to share with the kids.

Birthday Fun  Since my kids get and love the concept of birthdays, I'm thinking we'll do birthday decorations and a special birthday dessert.  I'm hoping to make coconut milk ice cream and top it with strawberries and blue berries.  I'm also planning to make American flags out of popsicle sticks.

Easter Egg Hunting and the Resurrection Story

I realize that any attempt to combine egg-hunting (with its roots in pagan fertility rituals) and the resurrection of Jesus is going to be inherently superficial.  But I'm doing it anyway.

Resurrection Eggs are available commercially from Family Life today and there are do-it-yourself versions all over the web.  I used the instructions at cullensabcs as a jumping off point to make my own set of eggs filled with  small symbols that would serve as visual aids for telling the resurrection story.  (I've never seen the commercially available eggs in person, so I don't know how similar they may be.)

Making the Resurrection Story Eggs

To make my resurrection eggs, I started with an empty egg carton, twelve plastic eggs, and collection of small objects and pictures.  I agonized over what to include in each one and I ended up with . . .

1. A palm leaf--to represent the triumphal entry (Matthew 2:1-11)
2. A cotton ball soaked in perfume--to represent Mary pouring perfume on Jesus' feet (John 12:2-8)
3. A piece of Chex cereal--to represent the bread at the last supper (Matthew 26:17-19
4. Three dimes--to represent the money given to Judas to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:17-19)
5. A picture of praying hands--to represent Jesus praying in the garden (Matthew 26:36-46)
6. A sword--to represent Peter drawing his sword at Jesus' arrest (Matthew 26:50-54)
7. A thorn--to represent the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head (John 19:1-3)
8. A toothpick cross and a nail--to represent Jesus carrying his cross and being nailed to it (John 19:17-18)
9. Sponge--to represent the sponge on which Jesus was given sour wine (Matthew 27:48)
10. Spices and linen--to represent Joseph preparing Jesus' body for burial (Matthew 17:59-60)
11. A small stone--to represent the stone at the entrance of the tomb (Matthew 27:60)
12. An empty egg--to represent the empty tomb (Matthew 28:5-8)

After filling each egg, I used puff paint to number them.

After this dries, if I have time, I'm planning to add some more embellishment with purple puff paint.

Egg Hunting with the Resurrection Eggs
I'm planning to hide these eggs along with some hardboiled eggs and some unembellished plastic eggs (each of the plain eggs with one jelly bean inside).

I'll instruct the kids that if they find a special egg with sparkly paint on it, that they need to bring it back to a very special basket.  I intentionally put the puff paint numbers over the joint in the egg hoping to make it less likely that they are accidentally opened.

After all the eggs have been collected, we will sit together and open the numbered eggs one at a time, recounting the amazing story of God's sacrificial love for us through Christ's death and resurrection.

Thank you, Lord, that you are rich in mercy because of the great love with which you love us, love me--despite my selfishness and constant turning away from you.   Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice and triumph over sin and death!  

Tomb Cookies

I'm getting organized to make Tomb Cookies on the evening before Easter.  The recipe for these cookies is all over the Internet with slight variations in the accompanying scripts.

 I think I'm liking this one from All Homemade Cookies:  Easter Story Cookies.

These are a meringue sort of cookie prepared the night before Easter.  Each step and ingredient is symbolically linked to a Bible passage to be read during the baking process.  The final step is to place the cookies in a preheated oven, seal the door with tape (symbolizing the sealed tomb in which Jesus was placed), and turn off the oven .

The next morning, when the seal is broken, the kids will find finished cookies with an empty center--just as the women and disciples found an empty tomb on Easter morning.

I haven't made these before, but I'm very excited to do so this year.  I think it will build great anticipation for the kids and Christmas-morning-like excitement focused on the resurrection.

My only fear is that they'll be up at some hideous hour eager to check the oven.  Would it be theologically unsound to tell them Jesus did not rise until after 7:00 am?

Wailing through Walmart: A Lesson in Money Management

Available at Amazon

Today I was the lady with the kid who sobbed all through Walmart.

Big Brother's weekly allowance goes into three jars:  giving, saving, spending.

As we were heading the store today, he asked if he could take his spending money and buy a toy weed-eater.  He's been eying this toy for several years, so I agreed.


The toy aisle was our first stop, but, alas, the weed-eater was out of stock.  He rolled with it--no big deal--but then wanted to buy something else.  Not anything in particular--just something.

And I said, "No."

And so began our lesson in money management.  In the moment that I said no, my rationale was not perfectly clear in my mind.  My rational crystallized as we discussed it through his sobs--as we shopped for our weeks-worth of groceries, on the car ride home, and for another hour at home.

Everything we has comes from God.  We must be careful how we spend it.  When we spend money we have a budget; before shopping, we make a list of items we need.  We don't just wander through the store itching to spend money.

It especially saddened me that Big Brother kept sobbing, "I won't be happy until I buy something . . . "

Tough trip.  Since we started Big Brother's allowance, I've struggled with what the parameters should be for him using his spending money.

Today's impromptu lesson in money-management helped clarify my thinking:  We spend with forethought and planning--even if it's just toys we are buying--because we must take the best possible care of the resources with which God has blessed us.

Beef Stew with Love

In an effort to foster in our family an attitude that reflects God's heart of compassion for the hurting world, the kids and I prepared some food to deliver to the local homeless ministry.

Laying the Foundation

To engage the kids not only in what we were doing, but why we were doing it, we skipped ahead in the Bible story book that we are reading nightly through Lent, to a story book version of Matthew 25:34-40:

   “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
    “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
    “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

After reading it we talked about what Jesus was telling us we should do.  As we talked about people who don't have jobs to earn money to buy food, Big Brother piped up, "I have money.  I could go to the grocery store and buy some food to give to them."  

Yeah!  He's getting it.  His commented provided the perfect opening to suggest that he and Sis help me make some food to take to some people who were hungry.  

Making Food with Love

Together we made sugar cookies, beef stew, and sourdough biscuits.   The kids love to help with cookies, but don't usually help prepare dinners, so they found this to be a treat.  

I prepped a lot of the vegetables the night before so that Sis could be in charge of dumping them in the crock pot. 

Big Brother carefully used a small knife to cut the potatoes.

Before we left to deliver the meal, Big Brother, Sis and I prayed together thanking God for all He has provided and asking that this food would nourish and encourage the people eating it.  

I arranged the food so that each child had something to carry to be sure they were actively participating in all the steps of this giving adventure.  

Thank you, Lord for the people with the vision to run this local ministry!  I'm so thankful we were able to help in this small way; I loved the kids' enthusiastic help and plan to make this a regular activity.   

A Heart Check

It's oh so strange the things that become idols in my heart.  Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" I confess that I sometimes get a little smug and forget how true this is of my heart.

As I posted recently, God has convicted me that my heart is not broken for the lost and hurting people of the world.   After thinking and praying about ways our family could get more involved in serving and caring for people in need, I contacted the local homeless ministry to find out about donating meals.

As I began thinking about what I should make, I immediately thought about a fabulous beef stew our family has been enjoying this winter.   But as I thought through what I'd need to buy to make it, I remembered that it calls for beef broth and immediately I thought, "Oh, I'll just buy some beef broth instead of using the broth in the freezer."

Oh, the selfishness of my heart!  This is why Isaiah says that "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).  


You see, the beef broth in my freezer is home made beef broth:

• It required an elaborate collection of bones that I spent months acquiring.
• I spent most of a Saturday monitoring it as it simmered in a 5 gallon pot on a propane burner in the garage.  
• In the simmering, a lot of liquid evaporated off, leaving me with less broth than I hoped for.  
• The resulting broth is packed with fabulous nutrients, minerals, and gelatin and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to serve it to my children. 

And frankly, I don't want to share it.  


Clearly I need a heart check.  It's amazing to me that beef broth of all things has become an idol of my heart.

Father--
Please forgive my selfish heart.  May I truly make you Lord of my life, Lord of my heart, and Lord of even the beef broth in my freezer.  Please help me to have such genuine compassion for hurting people that I want to give them my best.   Amen.

Raising Kids with a Heart for the Hurting World

A Little Inconvenience in My World
A few days ago, while I was putting Baby Brother down for his nap, Sis made some serious mischief.

The empty flour canister and the culprit's shoe.

I came out of baby's room to find that Sis (age 2) was naked and coated in flour--as was the rest of my house.

The naked culprit's clothes in my flour-coated kitchen . . .

 . . . counter top . . . 

 . . . living room . . . 

 . . . the big chair . . .

 . . . the play chairs . . .

 . . . and even into the bathroom.

True Pain in the World
 As Sis waited in her room and I began attempting to de-flour my house, I tried to calm my fury.  Fortunately for all of us, in the back ground I was listening to Chris Fabry Live on the radio.  It was the first hour of his March 31st program; his guest was Kimberly Smith who works with Make Way Partners and they were talking about human trafficking.  

In the moment, I didn't hear a lot of the program--just snippets as I turned off the vacuum cleaner now and then (it takes a lot of vacuuming to clean up several pounds of flour).

Near the end, however, I heard his guest give the statistic that 80% of the world lives in extreme poverty--whole family working hard in hopes of perhaps having just one small meal for the day, many living in the shadow of war lords, drug lords, and sex traffickers.  Eighty percent.  Eight of ten.  Most.  The majority of the world.

And suddenly most of my thoughts seemed smaller than trivial:

• my frustration about the piddling inconvenience of cleaning a massive mischievous mess
• my materialistic desire to replace my ugly carpet and buy new pots for my house plants
• my obsessive desire to buy expensive hand soap and shampoo that would reduce our exposure to potentially harmful chemicals supposedly in the regular stuff
• my covetous bibliophilic desire to buy almost every book I ever hear anyone mention.

May I help cultivate His heart of compassion for the hurting world in my children. 
I don't want the spiritual heritage I'm passing on to my children to be a shallow, pampered thing of cute crafts and clever object lessons.  Not that there's anything wrong with crafts and object lessons to teach spiritual truths--scripture is full of object lessons--but at the heart of it all must be those spiritual truths that Jesus called us to live.  And they must be lived out, not just given lip service as tag lines on craft projects.

I've been studying the book of Matthew recently and again and again I see Jesus' compassion for the hurting world around Him.  If we are to live as Jesus did--what should that compassion look like in my life?  And how do I nurture that compassion in my children?

The First Step is Modeling
Do I truly have a heart for the hurting world?  Does my time-management, money-management, and prayer life reflect a heart burdened for the lost and suffering world?  Do I live this out day after day--not just for fleeting  moments after I hear a moving radio program?

I have a lot of thoughts swirling in my head right now about child sponsorship, our local homeless ministry, missionaries who visited here this fall and are now serving in Ecuador, globes . . . more posts to follow as my husband and I discuss how to more intentionally cultivate compassion in our kids.

For today, Make Way Partners has a weekly email prayer letter for which I've signed up.  I am committing to pray:

• for the needs of those hurting around the world
•  that I might have a Christ-like heart of compassion for those hurting people
• that God will help me cultivate such a heart in my children as well.  

Matthew 25:40  "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Memorizing Psalm 23

And now for a post I've been meaning to write since January . . .

This year my mother-in-law gave us a lovely wall calendar featuring the 23rd Psalm.  Each month features one sentence of the Psalm plus an illustration, making it a perfectly-paced aid for the kids to memorize the Psalm over the course of the year.

As we started memorizing the first sentence, "the Lord is my shepherd," the kids mastered it quickly, but I realized it meant nothing to them having met neither sheep nor shepherd in their little city-kid lives.

We hit the library and after rejecting a lot of text-heavy, black-and-white illustrated, published-in-1963 sort of books, we found Sheep by Peter Murray.

It's not exactly what I was hoping for, but was the best we could do.  It has large, bright photographs of a variety of sheep breeds, lots of sheep facts, and it helped create some background knowledge for the kids to understand a bit more of what it means to be a shepherd.


(Now really, don't you think he could have found a more photogenic sheep for the cover?  Some one primped and fluffed and snowy white instead of this frumpy girl with bits of straw clinging to her wool and nose?  Eh, well, realism I suppose . . .)

I've discovered that an acquaintance raises sheep, so I'm hoping to arrange a field trip for the kids now that it's spring to build even better context for understanding the beautiful metaphor of this Psalm.

Psalm 23

    A psalm of David.

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

 ³ he restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness 

   for his name’s sake. 

⁴ Even though I walk 

   through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, 

   for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, 

   they comfort me.

 ⁵ You prepare a table before me 

   in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; 

   my cup overflows. 

⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me 

   all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD 

forever.

Lent for Preschoolers

A radio program to which I listen launched a series on Ash Wednesday that would carry listeners through Christ's life--from birth to resurrection--over the forty days of Lent.  I'm not from a faith tradition that emphasizes Lent, so I had not even realized it was upon us.

However, since repetition and building context are so key to engaging preschoolers in genuine learning, adopting a similar plan for Big Brother (age 5) and Sis (nearly 3) seemed worthwhile.

The Plan
We were given the book Jesus the Friend of Children a few years ago, but have not read from it much.  It contains forty-nine stories covering the entire life of Christ.  Each story is just a single page and is accompanied by a traditional-style illustration.   A few of the stories take place after Christ's resurrection so we'll save those for after Easter.  We are reading one story most days and the book will get us through the 40 days of Lent nicely.

In Action
I loved that as we started the book, we started with the same stories we had focused on at Christmas--the angel visiting Mary, Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the shepherds, the wise men.  I'm hoping that starting there will help the kids make the connection between the celebration of Christ's birth and the celebration of His resurrection, rather than seeing them as two unrelated holidays.

When we first began, Sis wasn't particularly interested in the book, but my kids--like most preschoolers--love ritual.  Now, as soon as everyone is in pjs they are racing each other to the arm chair to read our "Easter book" as it's been dubbed.

Easter is still three and half weeks away.  It's not too late to start!  Grab a Bible story book and pick some of the key accounts from Christ's life to read each day.  Start laying a foundation for your little ones to understand the significance of our Easter celebrations.

I John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

We're Doing the Bible Book Bop!

A few months ago a friend sent me a link to this You Tube video of Go Fish's song Bible Book Bop.  We love it!  

I picked up their Snazzy album for Big Brother for Christmas so that we would have the song on CD.  Since we started listening to this song, Big Brother has memorized the first five books of the Bible, both Sis and Big Brother know Jude and Revelation and occasionally they will randomly ask things like, "Is Hosea in the Bible?"

I also love the song Saved from the same album:  "I'm saved by grace through faith, oh yeah . . . " What fabulous truth to have pressed into their minds and hearts through song!

Go Fish claims to make "great music for kids that won't drive parents bonkers!"  They live up to their billing for this parent.  The music is fun, upbeat--perfect background for housework or exercise while the kids are around.  

And on a day when I crawl into bed realizing that I've done nothing beyond refill sippy cups and try to get little people to sleep, it reassures me to think that at the very least the kids may have absorbed some truth via musical osmosis.  

From a Biblical World View, Why Should a Toddler Comb Her Hair?

It is possible, even probable, that I'm over-thinking, but here's the question I've been pondering for the week:  From a biblical world view, why should a toddler comb her hair?


When I worked with teenagers, I observed that girls whose sense of identity seemed closely linked to their appearance, were the most vulnerable to unhealthy relationships with boys.  If being pretty is what defines one, how can one be certain of one's beauty? The approval of boys.

When I had a daughter of my own, I started fretting about all the many ways I could mess her up--and this was one of my top concerns.  Despite my awareness of the pitfalls and good intentions, we've fallen into the pretty-trap.

The Pretty-Trap
As her hair has grown longer, combing it has become more and more of a chore.  Despite a detangler spray, it seems to be an uncomfortable procedure.  To the inevitable whining, "No!!" when she sees us coming with the comb, we'd fallen into saying things like . . .

• We have to comb your hair so it will look pretty.  
• Don't you want your hair to look pretty?
• Your hair needs to look pretty so we can leave for church.  

And really, what's the lesson we're teaching her?  Being pretty is so important that it's worth subjecting oneself to the unpleasantness of hair combing.

I knew we were doing it.  I knew it was bad.  I didn't realize how bad until one day I was combing her hair so that she could go with Papa to help his friend Scott jump his dead battery.  As I combed her hair she said, "I'm dunna ast Stotty is my hair looks pwetty."

Oh, how I cringed.  Not only have I taught her that pretty is important, but she's already seeking validation of her prettiness from men.

Rethinking My Parenting Goals 
About this same time, I'd been working my way through a book by Tedd Tripp entitled Shepherding a Child's Heart.  While I have some major points of disagreement with him, his writing his been incredibly thought-provoking.  In an early chapter, he works through common parenting goals (developing special skills, psychological adjustment, well-behaved children, good education, etc) and explains why they are unbiblical as primary parenting goals.

His conclusion: there is only one worthy biblical goal to serve not only as our primary parenting objective, but as the focus of our life.  It is the answer to the first question of the Shorter Catechism.

Q.  What is the chief end of man?
A.  Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

I knew all along that pretty wasn't a goal compatible with a biblical world view (I Peter 3:3-4 Your adornment must not be merely external), but having this set before me really helped me focus my thoughts.

So . . .From a Biblical World View, Why Should a Toddler Comb Her Hair?
Having rejected "pretty" as a goal and refocused on my true goal--glorifying God and enjoying him forever--I'm left with the conundrum:  when I emerge with the comb and Sis runs the other way squealing, what do I say?

So here it is for now:  "Sis, God gave us our bodies.  It's our job to take good care of them.  Combing your hair is part of taking good care of your body."

It doesn't roll of the tongue quite like " . . . so you'll look pretty!" but it's what I'm going with for now.

Am I over thinking this?  Is there a better way to put it in toddler terms?

I Corinthians 6:19  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

Potato Stamp Valentine Cards

Potato stamps came to the rescue once again for this crafting-incompetent Mama.  Big Brother and I have been busy the last couple of days cranking out homemade Valentine's day cards for his preschool class.

At the beginning of the week as I was gathering my supplies, I was feeling quite on top of the Valentine situation until I suddenly realized they were opening cards on Friday the 11th because he does not have preschool on Monday the 14th.  Yikes!  We had to accelerate our production schedule suddenly.  

First, I precut white card stock into thirds.  Then I used a tiny heart cookie cutter to make a heart-shaped potato stamp. 

We used washable Crayola paint to stamp red hearts on all of the white card stock strips.  

As much as Big Brother loves to craft, mass-production is not his forte, so I had to help a bit.

After they were dry, we folded them not quite in half:  we left a blank lip at the bottom on which to write the name of the Valentine recipient.

On red card stock, to go into each card, I printed out the words:   

A friend loves at all times . . . 

Proverbs 17:17  

Thanks for being my friend!

Big Brother

We used some decorative scrap-booking scissors to cut the red squares out.  Big Brother got a kick out of the fancy scissors!  We glued one in each of the cards.  (The Sharpie is there to cover Big Brother's name.  My apologies for the fuzzy picture.)

The final step is a red heart sticker to seal the card.  The end result is very pleasing!   

Last year we purchased cards and after I'd addressed AND signed them for him, I was feeling like preschoolers exchanging Valentines was really a ridiculous sham.  

This year, despite my having helped a bit more than I had originally intended (because of the volume of cards we needed to produce), Big Brother participated in every step of the process and as he gives these out he will feel ownership of them--much more so than last year.  

Valentine's day is a great reminder to share God's love with which we've been so richly blessed.  Thank you Lord for your love and mercy!

Ephesians 2:4-5

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) . . .

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Collages

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day,  the kids and I focused on how God makes people in all colors shapes and sizes and loves them all very much.  First we read the story of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10.  Then we read the picture book, Martin's Big Words, which the kids found very engaging.  To wrap it all up, we made collages to showcase God's creative diversity.

This project was definitely more about process than product.

As the kids looked through magazines for pictures of people, we talked about all the ways we look different:  different hair, different eyes, different muscles, different height, different skin, different noses.  I kept tying it all together with the ideas that  . . .

• God is so creative to have made people who are different in so many wonderful ways.
• He loves all of us.
• He wants us all to love each other. 

The next morning, Big Brother was looking at a picture book with mice characters.  "Look Mama," he said, "this mouse is yellow, this one is white, and this one is blue."  

"Yes," I agreed, "God is pretty creative even with mice.  Isn't that great!"  

Inside I was cringing, hoping that a) the Nurture Shock recommendation to talk openly about difference was on target and that b) Big Brother would not go to preschool and start pointing out all the differences among his very diverse classmates.  

As I took note of coverage of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I saw a lot of emphasis on peace and non-violence.  It occurred to me that perhaps next year, our focus will be on the Biblical principal of turning the other cheek rather than focusing on diversity. Given our never-ending issues with sibling squabbles, lessons in non-violent-cheek-turning would certainly not be amiss.  

God Makes Lots of People in Colors, Shapes and Sizes

After Christmas, my children suffered from Advent calendar withdrawal.  They are feeling quite project-deprived.  I have had a few things planned for January, but instead life has happened: we had a birthday and a cold and and an ear infection and baby brother has decided sleep is optional.

To be honest, I would have entirely forgotten that Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day except that when I went to pick up the books I had requested from the library (in a clearly less-congested frame of mind) there were several about Martin Luther King Jr.

As I thought about what the core take away from Marting Luther King Jr. Day should be for a five year old and two-and-a-half year old, I was reminded of a chapter from Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman.  This secular book argues "that many of modern society's most popular strategies for raising children are in fact backfiring because key points in the science of child development and behavior have been overlooked."  


In a chapter entitled "Why White Parents Don't Talk about Race," the authors argue that parents have accepted the myth that children are color blind.  We tend to think that talking about race draws attention to differences children would not otherwise notice, so we remain silent on the topic entirely.  


Apparently, children are much more observant than that.  They are excellent at creating categories and tend to categorize by the most apparent feature.  According to these authors, children also "are developmentally prone to in-group favoritism."  So they create the categories, figure out which one they fit in, and think that one is best.  


Oops.  Guess we'd better talk about race. 


Since reading this, I've been looking for ways to intentionally and specifically discuss race with the kids.  As I think the kids are a bit young to grasp the bigger ideas about social change, fighting injustice, advocating for the down-trodden, etc, in which one might focus on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this year we're going to focus on loving your neighbor--especially when your neighbor looks different than you do.


As I thought about talking about race, I was reminded of the VeggieTale video about loving your neighbor.  It has a great song with the line: "God makes lots of people in all colors, shapes, and sizes.  He loves them very much and what we need to realize is that calling people names because they're different is wrong.  Instead we need to look on them in love and sing this song:  I can be your friend."


To start we're going to read and act out the parable of the good Samaritan from Luke 10:25-37.  We'll focus on the idea that even though the injured man was different, the good Samaritan was kind and caring.   Everyone we meet is our neighbor.  We may meet people who look very different from us--here we will brainstorm ways people might be different from us--but God wants us to be kind and care for everyone because He made them.

Having set this as the stage, we're going to read the children's picture book Martin's Big Words.  With bold, lovely collage illustrations and just 3-5 simple sentences per page, I anticipate that his book will hold my kids' attention well.    As we read, we'll discuss that there was a time when people were very unkind to other people who looked different because their skin was black--linking back to the good Samaritan story that God wants us to love and care for others.  This book does include very simply, but plainly, that Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and died.  I am planning to skip that page this year.

To wrap it up, I'm going to give Sis and Big Brother each a sheet of paper that says "God makes lots of people in all colors shapes and sizes.  He loves them very much!"  Then I'm going to give them magazines to look through and cut out pictures of people.

As we do this we'll talk about all the differences we see, but highlight that God made us all and loves us all.

Isn't it amazing how creative God is to make so many people who look so differently?  Isn't it amazing that everyone of us is special to God?