My boys eat blueberries like candy. I’d rather they eat blueberries than candy. We buy them in large bags, freshly frozen, and we pour them liberally, summer’s bounty in a mid-winter bowl. One child— he who likes sameness and predictability— asks for them daily. For health and possibility and love, I oblige. As I thaw another handful under the cool flow of water, I remember the prick of bushes, sweetness wafting on the air, and a steep descent. The heat, the sweat, the weight, the work— All for a small pail of goodness To be picked through and washed and savored. I am suddenly aware of our family’s wealth And our poverty. Even as I rejoice over the goodness I […]
Minimalism
Minimalism is an economy of less to make adequate space for most important things.
The Love of God for Parents
I recently re-read this passage from The Legacy Path, by Brian Haynes, and my heart was greatly encouraged. Just wanted to share the encouragement with you. What a God we serve! What does it mean to have a father in God and to be His child even as we are parents ourselves? Having a father and being His child comes with privilege and responsibility. At its core the Father and child relationship between God and His people can be described in one word: love. A quick study of a familiar passage shows just what kind of love God expends toward His people. You know The Ten Commandments. Consider Exodus 20:5. “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, […]
Jesus Modeled D6!
–Originally published on FWB21 June 23, 2011– The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to something today. As I was reading this morning, the realization dawned on me that the Deuteronomy 6 way of teaching was perfectly modeled by Jesus Christ himself. I’m sure this is probably not news to most of you, but I personally had never really thought about it that way before. Even though he was not a parent, Jesus taught his disciples both in the house and walking by the way, when lying down and rising up. Think back on the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. He was constantly teaching His disciples. After encounters with various individuals, He would take His disciples aside and explain some truth […]
Why Honor?
–Originally published on FWB21 May 6, 2011– Does it ever seem strange to those of you who are parents that we are the ones who have to teach our kids to honor us? There have been times that I feel quite uncomfortable demanding that my son honor and obey me, for I am keenly aware of my own shortcomings and inconsistencies. It is those times that I have to remind myself that it is not I who demand honor and obedience, but God: Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving […]
C.S. Lewis on Faith: Part 2
–Originally published on FWB21 May 2, 2011– My previous post covered Lewis’ take on Faith in the first sense: Belief. His comments concerning the second, higher sense are even more compelling, for I have personally experienced that of which he speaks: No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. … Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. … That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. … The main thing we learn from a serious attempt to practice the Christian virtues is that we fail. … Then comes another discovery. Every faculty you have… is given you by God. If you devoted […]
C.S. Lewis on Faith: Part 1
–Originally published on FWB21 May 2, 2011– As I said before, lately I have been devouring Lewis’ Mere Christianity. I just finished the chapters on Faith, and I felt that I must share some thoughts on the subject as I feel they must have some implication for parenting. Lewis talks about Faith in two senses: 1) Belief, and 2) a higher sense. For space, I’ll share these two treatments of Faith in two different posts. First: Belief. Faith [in the first sense] is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods. For moods will change, whatever view your reason takes. … This rebellion of your moods against your real self […]
Connecting the Dots
–Originally published on FWB21 April 25, 2011– This Easter weekend, I had the wonderful privilege of sharing the Story in a way that was meaningful to my son for the first time. He is finally old enough to remember facts from the stories he hears, and as we read picture books that spoke of the last supper, the betrayal, the trial, the crucifixion, the burial, and the resurrection, I could see understanding beginning to dawn. As we tie in some of the things we have discussed in previous months, he is beginning to comprehend some of the importance of Jesus’ death and life. It hit me yesterday that sharing the gospel with my children is turning out to be a […]
Defining Obedience for Our Children
–Originally posted on FWB21 April 10, 2011– 3rd post in the series: Seeing the correlation between obedience and true faith, it is imperative that we train our children to mold their hearts after obedience. As Paul points out in Ephesians 6, the way children obey God is to obey their parents. Since we are responsible for training our children to love and obey God, we are responsible to hold them to God’s standard. Anything less is an injustice to them. When we give ultimatums or show inconsistency in our expectations, we do not give our children a clear picture of our unchanging, holy God. If we give our children a set of rules and expectations that they are capable of […]
Sha-la-la-la-la-la…
–Originally published on FWB21 Mar 31, 2011– I like to sing. I mean seriously. I sing a lot of places, but when I’m working at home I like to really let it go. So, I was doing laundry the other day, and a song I haven’t heard in years popped in my head. Before I knew it, I was belting out: Sha-la-la-la-la-la, Live for today! As soon as the words escaped my lips, I stopped and shook my head. What on earth was I saying?! Immediately I was convicted. I am daily concerned with teaching my children truth and trying to live consistently what I say, yet here I am being thoughtless and careless with my words at the top […]