(Bible) Reading and Mealtime - Our New Technique

There was a time in my life where I used to read Hunter three chapters out of the Bible at (close to) every single meal.

The idea of trying to pull that off now seems comical.

To say the least, we haven't been getting much Bible reading in for a while. That is, until I discovered this neat little trick, and its simplicity is leaving me to question why I never thought of it before now. 

Rather than trying to keep everybody at the table after we're all done eating (very difficult with a 10-month-old), we have started listening biblegateway.com's free audio bible while we eat.

Laptop on table, audio rolling, listen away while we chew.

And what is even more, we can get a good 3-5 chapters in during a typical meal, and it only takes the time that we were already spending eating.

I am trying to be intentional about our listening, to make sure that it doesn't become "background noise". Keeping our conversation to what is being read helps too. I try to comment here and there about what is being said, and after mealtime is over and we're cleaning up, to really discuss more about what we listened to.

This has been wonderful for my goal of quantitive Bible reading. That is, reading scripture, over and over, in large quantities. Exposure. Immersion. Long-term repetition. At the rate of 9-15 chapters a day, that is getting us through the Bible three to five times per year. That's approximately 50-90 times of reading through the Bible in 18 years, and all in the time we were already spending on eating. Talk about productive multitasking.

I still am making it a point to do other types of Bible reading, too. For instance, even though we are loving the audio, I still believe it is important for my boys to actually hear me reading the scriptures, and in Hunter's case, to actually read them. So our bedtime routine is currently involving reading of the Psalms and Proverbs.

The Bible is also incorporated into regular school hours, through memory verses, history, character studies, and stories. Not that all of this stuff happens every day. But we try.

 And believe me, I am no roll model. Our family and personal Bible reading has fallen by the wayside lately, in a way I would describe as dismal. But we are picking up and moving forward. And I'm hoping our little laptop companion will get the ball rolling again.

 Because I know how important it is.

 P.S. How does your family like to read the Bible (ideally)? Do you find audio recordings of all sorts to be useful in other ways for multitasking and teaching kids? I would love to hear your comments.

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 3:15

Hunter is 7 years, 1 month old
Damien is 10 months, 3 weeks old

Encouraging Day

Today, was an encouraging day.

I read a little something that encouraged me in my decision to go the route of traditional [early] potty training.

Not that I was planning on changing my mind. But more so that I no longer feeling that I need to be embarrassed by it.

Or that it is "weird" or "crazy".

I mean, I'm not the one that is unusual. Early potty training is the global and historical norm.

So anyway, it was nice to get a little encouragement and affirmation.

Encouraging thing number two:

Damien went in the potty four times today.

He pooped once, and all the other times I put him on the potty (three) he peed in it as soon as I set him down. Even though I wasn't trying to catch his pees.

So it would appear that he definitely gets what it's for. And has at least some control over his elimination functions.

Encouraging thing number three:

I read to Damien from the Bible today for the first time in quite a while.

And it made him stop fussing.

Mr. wiggle worm himself relaxed on my lap listening to me read the Psalms.

And it just made me smile.

And...

On a side note, I got flowers. From a ship. And a text message.

It's the little things.

Damien is 3 months, 3 weeks old (16 weeks)

For This, My Son, Have I Taught You... Hunter Reading from the KJV

 

"So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society..." 

-John Quincy Adams

With great fanfare, on Hunter's half birthday, I announced that now that he was five and a half, he was finally big enough to read from the Bible.

And without hesitation, Hunter read Genesis chapter one from the King James Bible.

I cried.

This very Bible, that he read from, was a gift I bought him almost three years ago.

I was a young mom. Early and hopeful in my adventures with Doman, wielding away for hours upon hours and carefully painting big, red-lettered words on long strips of card stock for my two and a half year old son. I wanted to teach him how to read.

There had always been a bigger picture involved in our educational pursuits. I told him, again and again, as I repeated for years, that the reason he must learn how to read, the reason I was teaching him, was so that one day, he would be able to read the Bible for himself.

In preparation for that day, I searched for a Bible with bigger print for his little eyes. I eventually settled for a $12 Giant Print Bible from Amazon. That Bible has stayed with us for years, all in anticipation of this moment.

It has been our companion reading together for hundreds upon hundreds of hours, but alway with the intention that, one day, my son, you will read from this all by yourself, every day of your life, to know the wisdom of God in your life.

Hunter, age one, with his first Bible, fun,
but with too small of print for little eyes

And so it finally happened. My baby has become a true reader.

Maybe I didn't realize it was coming, and maybe him turning the half-year mark had nothing to do with it (it convinced him, right?), but he has crossed the threshold. He made a milestone.

And it is moments like these, where everything in parenting, was worth it.

"And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them"

Deuteronomy 17:19

Hunter is 5 years, 6 months old

Traveling with Dinosaurs through the Land of Nod

We're being chased by Velociraptors near the Pishon river, being hired by Jubal's family in the land of Cush, swimming frantically away from a great Plesiosaurus, and finding gold in the land of Havilah.

And learning about ancient biblical history hasn't ever been more fun, I think.

It's a shame this closet treasure is long out of publication (originally published in 1988) but we played The Great Dinosaur Adventure: an educational game of creation and bible knowledge for the first time all the way through last night and had an awesome time.

The history of the people, places, and events of the first ten chapters of Genesis are woven throughout this fun and educational board game, focusing specifically around the time before and directly after the flood.

Traveling around the board with your dinosaur pawn, you make your way through the lands of Nod, Havilah, Assyria and Cush where the four rivers of Eden flow. The board is filled with pictures of dinosaurs, peoples of the Bible, and other geographically and historically interesting tidbits of this time period of the first two thousand years of human history. Land on an event card and you might get sent on a gem mining hunt in Havilah, running from twelve-inch long dragon flies, or farming with Cain's great grandsons in Assyria.

You also might happen to land on take a card in which you get to draw from a thick stack of dinosaur-themed cards and get a chance at answering some multiple-choice or true or false questions. These range from the scientific method to fossils to the ice age to giant kangaroos and sea monsters, with dozens of topics being covered including geology and archeology, changes in human life span, climate, and animal behavior, loads of information about dinosaurs and other extinct animals, the men of this time period in the Bible, and the biblical account of creation.


He loves the dinosaur theme, and I love having a resource for teaching him about dinosaurs that isn't drenched in evolutionary propaganda. Funny how there is an amazing amount of evidence that dinosaurs and humans indeed existed together, yet it doesn't "fit" with the evolutionist's theory so it is ignored. One simple little site I have enjoyed on this topic is Forbidden History: Dinosaurs and the Bible.

We have been casually studying ancient history over the past year of so, so this will be a splendid and invaluable addition to our learning adventures. So little is known and understood by most Christians about the biblical history pre-Egypt, and even I myself have learned so much in the very recent past. I am deeply excited to be sharing these things with my son and giving him an early understanding of the true account of world history.

And what better or more interesting way to do it than a game, no?

"Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together." 

Job 40:15-17

Hunter is 5 years, 1 month old

Days of Creation Craft

For history this unit, one of the things we're learning about is the creation of the world according to the Genesis record. With this new school year, we're going to be doing a lot more crafts rather than exclusively open-ended art activities. Not that we're cutting out painting or playing with playdough, not by any means. But up until this point we haven't done that many crafts because most of the time, the preschool craft ideas I see are just plain dumb.






I got this idea from a half-made craft similar to this I saw with my mom's old homeschooling supplies.

I used six-inch high card stock numerals that I traced and then cut out myself (template to be available as soon as I can get my scanner to work). Then, we decorated each day as follows:

Day 1: God makes light and darkness

I glued black construction paper on the bottom half, and Hunter sprinkled white glitter on the top half.
Day 2: God makes the atmosphere

Hunter's favorite! He colored numeral blue, then tore up and glued on pieces of cotton balls.

Day 3: God separates the dry land from the water, makes all vegetation

Hunter colored the top half blue with waves, bottom half brown and green, then glued on leaf and flower cut-outs.
Day 4: God makes the sun and moon

I covered the numeral in black construction paper, then Hunter glued on handmade sun and moon cut-outs, as well as little star cut-outs.



Day 5: God makes all birds and creatures of the sea

Hunter colored the top half light blue, the bottom half dark blue, then glued animal stickers on.
Day 6: God make land animals, insects, and man

Hunter colored parts of it green, and drew a picture of Adam (since we didn't have any "man" stickers on hand). Then he covered the rest in animal stickers.

Day 7: God rests from his work

Hunter colored the numeral a light blue and then drew Z's all over it.






I hope this doesn't sound too complicated, because it really wasn't. All I did was think about what was made on each day, then went around the house looking for something that could represent the work of that particular day.

The stickers for days 5 and 6 came from scrapbooking materials we had, and the stars for day 4 came from a specially-shaped hole-punch, as did the flowers.

A few days before we did the craft, I gathered all the materials, did all the prep work (such as gluing black construction paper to days 1 and 4), and then placed it all in a bag, ready to use on that day! Preparing ahead is SO, SO important. I can just imagine spending half the morning searching around for all the materials, doing the prep work, getting everything set up, and then by the time it's all said and done, that's the only thing we got done that morning!

It was a really fun craft, which Hunter REALLY enjoyed (and has wanted to make more crafts ever since then, especially with glitter and cotton balls). I'm looking forward to more craft ideas for the coming year that will reinforce our lessons as well as be a fun keepsake for years to come.

Get free template for numerals by clicking here.

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good..."

Genesis 1:31

Hunter is 4 years, 2 months old

Passover

Tomorrow is Passover, one of the most significant (yet least celebrated) events in "holy week".

It is going to be Hunter's first Passover, as we have never formally celebrated it since Hunter has been born. We are both very excited and have been preparing for days.

One of the things we did was make a "Pesach" (Hebrew word for passover) place mat, which has the Seder plate (Seder, the Hebrew word for order, is what the Jews call the passover dinner), the four cups (glasses of wine or juice that are drank at various time throughout the meal), pieces of matzah (unleavened bread), and a picture of a lamb and a cross to represent Jesus, our passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). The verse, Exodus 12:26-27, is on the left side:

"And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses..."

Back from the very first passover (the actual one, when all the firstborn of the Egyptians and unbelieving Hebrews were killed), God instructed the Israelites to tell their children the story of their deliverance from Egypt every year at this time. It was on Passover that Jesus had his last supper with his disciples, and told them the famous words, "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."

The placemat has that verse on one of the pieces of matzah, and on the other piece it has John 6:35,

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

Over the picture of the lamb and the cross are the words John the Baptist spoke to the crowd when he saw Jesus coming,

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

There is so much significance in all of these symbols, and I can't wait to share with you all the many things that I have learned in preparing for this celebration. Our whole family is going to be taking part in the Seder meal, so because of work and school schedules we will not be celebrating until Saturday night. Looking forward to telling you all about it!

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD."

Psalm 34:11

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

Getting Ready for Passover

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."

Exodus 12:14

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

Imaginative Play

Hunter doesn't watch movies much but, when he does, he remembers everything. For days and sometimes weeks after he's viewed a particular film he will randomly narrate certain parts of it, giggling about something humorous or questioning something serious.

He always amazes me with the detail with which he remembers something that he has only seen once and also with how much he analyzes the things in his life, pondering issues while I thought he was just staring out into space.

On one hand, that's a good thing but on the other hand, not so much. With such a memory, there is no hit-or-miss exposure to movies, games, or books. There is a huge responsibility that comes along with it - a responsibility to carefully guide what goes into his brain.

But lately he has not only been narrating with perfect detail every movie he has viewed in the past six months, but incorporating it into his dramatic play, too. Yes, recently he has been quite the actor and likes to take Anthony, Mommy, and all his toys on exciting adventures in an imaginary world where you can be anything that you want to be. This has been great, but it has got me thinking, What kind of things do I desire for him to be pretending? After all, the power of a child's play is great, and as saith the scriptures, "As [a child] thinketh in his heart, so is he".

So I have been encouraging and participating in all sorts of historic dramas as told in the Bible. The picture above depicts the boys playing Jonah and the great fish with a tumbling mat at the gym, and the picture to the left shows the boys playing David and Goliath as they throw bottle caps at the giant painting on the wall.

To say the least, they have loved it.

Hunter has, for some reason, always had a huge fascination with story-telling. No pictures, no flashing screens, just "tell me a story!" And now, instead of reenacting the scenes of Madagascar or The Lion King he is happily building a firm foundation in Biblical and historical literacy as well as, most importantly, developing a fear of the Lord.

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..."

Proverbs 23:7

Hunter is 3 years, 10 months old

A is for Albania

You Can Change the World

Those are some pretty weighty words to be saying to a three-year-old, especially when you're not talking in future tense. But that is the title and focus of the new book we're going through, and it's not about building kids' self esteem but about teaching them to pray for the nations.

The book mainly focuses on praying for your family but I got the great idea to start praying for the nations, and we're using the book "You Can Change the World" by Jill Johnstone. It is the children's version of Operation World. Each week we will be praying for a new nation or people group, and learning things about them to better help us know what to pray for. The book we're using is written for children and is in alphabet-style format, with a different country or people group for each letter. The first country is Albania:

A is for Albania, where Christians once were banned; But God has stepped in and is changing this land.

Hunter is very excited to be praying for the people of this nation, and to know that he is having a lasting effect on the eternal souls of these people.

But perhaps you're thinking, do the prayers of toddlers really mean anything? Isn't changing the world a little much for a three-year-old? Are the prayers of tiny kids simply cute, innocent, and sweet, or are they capable of having a true and lasting effect on the world? I believe whole-heartedly that God views little children as so much more than "cute" and takes their requests seriously.

"And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." (Mark 10:13-16)

"Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great." (Luke 9:46-48)

"... but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger." (Luke 22:26)

God puts little children as an example for us, a role model, and says that the greatest among us shall be like the youngest, says that we must become like them and receive God's kingdom as they do in order to enter therein.

Little children - yes, even toddlers - can have a world-changing impact through their heart-felt prayers to their heavenly Father, calling on him to change a nation - and he will. "The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer." (Psalm 6:9) "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13

So we are going to be praying - and praying a lot! And we are also going to be learning a lot about the land, the people, and their history of each country we pray for. I spent this weekend researching Albania and learned a great deal of interesting things. The first thing I made was a list of "Programs of Intelligence", which is basically the Doman term for facts about a subject. The point of Programs of Intelligence is not to cover every single fact about the subject, for that has the potential to go on infinitely. Rather the point is to give a good general overview of important things about that subject. The POI's for Albania include things about their culture and geography, like their language, climate, type of government, location, and other interesting facts.

We're also learning a few things about their language (common phrases and counting to ten), and learning about the history of their nation. Here is the information I compiled:

Programs of Intelligence for Albania:

1. In Albania people shake their head back and forth to say yes and nod their head up and down to say no.
2. The Albanian word for Albania is Shqipëria (shchih-PIRd-ia) which means the land of eagles.
3. The national motto of Albania is "Albanians place their faith in Albania"
4. Albania is located in southern Europe and borders the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
5. The capital of Albania is Tirana.
6. The official language of Albania is Albanian.
   
7. The climate of Albania has a moderate, Mediterranean climate with an average temperature of 7° C. in the winter and 24° C in the summer. Its landscape is mostly covered with mountains and hills, with small plains near the sea.
8. The natural resources of Albania are petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, and hydropower.
9. Albania’s form of government is now a Parliamentary Republic. The Albanian Constitution was adopted on November 28, 1998
10. During World War II the Albanians protected the Jews that lived there and provided refuge for Jews from other countries. Only one Jewish family was killed during the Nazi occupation of Albania. Albania was the only country that had more Jews living there after the war than it did living there before the war.

You can speak Albanian! Useful and common phrases we will be learning in Albanian to give us a brief but meaningful overview of the culture and language:

Numbers:

1 një (nyUH)

2 dy (dEW)

3 tre (trEH)

4 katër (KAHT-uhr)

5 pesë (pEHS)

6 gjashtë (JASH-tuh)

7 shtatë (sh-TAHT)

8 tetë (tEHt)

9 nënd (nUHnd)

10 dhgetë (duh-YEHT)

Common Phrases:

Hello – Tungjatjeta (toon-jat-yeta)

Goodbye – Mirupafshim (meer-oo-pafsheem)

How are you? – Se jeni? (See-yeenee)

Where are you going? – Ku po shkoni? (koo-paw-shkawnee)

Good morning – Mirëmëngjes (meer-mihn-JEHS)

Good afternoon – Merëdita (meer DEE tah)

Good evening – Mirëmbrëma (meer-EHM-bruh-mah)

Yes – Po (pOH)

No – Jo (jOH)

Thank you – Faleminderit (FA-leh-meen-DEH-reet)

Please – Ju lutem (joo-LOOTehm)

Sorry – Më fal (muh-fahl)

History of Albania in a nutshell:

1. The land of Albania was once the Roman province of Illyricum since the year 165 B.C. Later on this land was divided into two provinces, Dalmatia and Pannonia.
2. In 476 A.D. the Roman Empire fell and Albania was now under the Byzantine Empire, administered from Constantinople. Albania was under Byzantine rule up until the 14^th century.
3. In the 14^th century the Ottoman Turks took over the land that is now Albania. The Turks ruled this land until the 20^th century.
4. Albania is mentioned in the Bible in Romans 15:19 where Paul says he preached the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum. In 2 Timothy 4:10 we learn that Titus went on a mission to Dalmatia. Albania was once filled with Christians but after the takeover of the Ottoman Empire in the fourteenth century many people converted to Islam – the religion of the Turks. Albania became the only Muslim nation in Europe for many years.
5. Between the years 1444 – 1466 a man named Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg led the Albanians in driving out the Turks. Skanderbeg led 30,000 men to successfully hold off the brutal campaigns of the Turks. The Albanians were independent for a very short time of just 24 years. Albania became famous throughout Europe for their resistance to the Turks. Skanderbeg is still a hero to this day and a symbol of hope to Albanians.
6. The Albanians continued to resist the Turks for many years, and Albania finally became an independent nation on November 28, 1912.
7. In 1939 Albania was invaded and conquered by Italy who made Albania part of the Italian Empire.
8. In 1944, during World War II, the Italians and Germans were driven out of Albania and Enver Hoxha became the dictator. Hoxha set up a communist form of government. The state owned and controlled all factories, farms, power plants, schools, hospitals, and all other businesses. They also controlled all communication and transportation facilities. The government controlled all peoples’ lives and did not allow the people to have things like cars or refrigerators, did not allow people to travel and did not allow them to sell things with other countries. Religion was banned and people were not allowed to pray, talk about God or own any books that spoke about God. Parents were not even allowed to name their children Christian or Muslim names. The government tried to control everything so they could improve the country’s education and industry, but Albania became the poorest country in Europe. Many people saw the horrible situation in Albania but no one was allowed to go in or out of the country.
9. In 1985 Enver Hoxha died. In 1991 the communist government was forced to resign. Since then Christians and many others have been coming into the country to help the Albanians with food, clothing, and medical supplies, and tell them about the gospel. They are still one of the poorest countries in Europe but are improving with the help of new government leaders and with freedom of religion.

Can you imagine what a thorough understanding you would have of geography and each country's place in world history if you learned 50 facts like these for each nation and people group of the world? I wouldn't doubt that after learning 50 or so facts like these about each country of Europe you would have a better understanding of the geography and history of the continent than do most college professors.

He is going to be learning a lot and getting a very good understanding of the nations of the world, but the most important thing he will be learning - the whole reason that it is important to learn about geography and history in the first place - is that he is developing a missionary's heart. From this young age, he is learning that his life has meaning, has significance, for eternity.


To say the least, I am very excited about our new geography curriculum!

"Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name."

Psalm 86:8-11

Hunter is 3 years, 8 months old

Vote

It was Hunter's first time going to the polls today. I'm not sure why I've never taken him with me, maybe I just never thought about it before. It was a beautiful day, so beautiful we decided to walk.

The church where we were to vote was about a block away, and the whole family went together. It was a solemn walk, a quiet, thoughtful walk. After months upon endless months of fierce debate, talk, and discussion of the weighty issues that are at stake, judgment day has finally come. It seemed almost unreal, that this historic campaign would ever end. It's been an intricate part of our lives for almost two years now, but the issue will finally come to a close as people cast their votes on who will lead this nation over the next four years.

As we walked, it was so solemn because it was now obvious that, on the larger scale, everything was now out of our hands. You can put on a convincing debate but in the end, what you have concluded on the issues doesn't dictate much. We knew, today, that it is all in God's hands.

So we did our civil duty, we learned about our democratic-republic form of government, we learned about modern voting machines and about different men who want to be our leaders and why we vote for certain ones and what they stand for and why we don't for others. And, most importantly, we learned why we pray for them. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." 1 Peter 2:1-2

That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty - that pretty much sums it up right there. We want leaders who will allow us to lead a quite and peaceable life in godliness. There is a great danger pressing, a danger of leaders who believe that the government is the dictator of our life, that children are the property of the state and all of our choices ought to be approved, monitored, and controlled by it. That, my friend, is why we vote, why we are involved in public policies and offices and campaigns. It is so vital to our freedom to worship and rear our own children, and nothing is more important than that. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

There's a lot of issues at stake, but in the end, it is all in the hand of the Lord.

"By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth."

Proverbs 8:15-16

"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will."

Proverbs 21:1

Hunter is 3 years, 7 months old

"He needs Jesus"

"Yuck, that is very evil, we don't want to look at that." I said to Hunter in subtle disgust referring to a quite graphic movie poster of the "Mummy" that was hanging on the windows of the Taekwondo school.

To which Hunter replied, "He needs Jesus."

"Yes, he does" I smiled. I remember saying that about some other evil figure we had encountered not too long ago, and apparently it stuck.

I've been "here a little, and there a little" talking to Hunter about the horridness of evil and the nobility of good. I can't shelter Hunter from all the wickedness in the world, and teaching him how to confront evil will do him far more good than pretending that it doesn't exist.

When it crosses our path, I point out evil music, evil figures, and evil acts. I have in many ways had to do this out of necessity, as so much evil is no longer hidden in the darkness but proclaimed to the whole world on billboards, grocery store checkout lines, and restaurant radio stations. Looking the other way will do no good. If I don't teach Hunter how to think about these sorts of things (the way God does, with disgust and condemnation), then someone else will.

Hunter knows that ghosts, monsters, and demonic-looking figures are evil, not fun and cute. He knows that certain music is unpleasant, and other music is evil, singing about people sinning and doing things that God hates. Hunter knows that God hates sin, and is familiar with the way God has dealt with sin in the past. These messages are in no way over-bearing, and I don't go around looking for evil to teach him about. But when we come across something that is evil, I tell him that it is indeed evil, and not something to be fond of.

Most people think that their three-year-olds are too young to understand this. To avoid this type of confrontation, waiting until they're older to discuss it (or perhaps thinking that they will figure it out on their own) will produce undesirable results. At three years old, a child will willingly throw away an evil toy that was given too him, hide his eyes from an obscene movie poster, or walk away from a wicked movie. At this age they are so young, tender, and open, and if we do not teach them how to respond to the evil they will confront, someone else will. An eight-year-old is not so easy to teach as a two-year-old. Equip them young, that they may be able to "resist the devil" (James 4:7) and "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." (1 Cor. 16:13)

I remember my brother-in-law, telling of a time when he was five years old, as he was listening to books read at story time at the library with his three-year-old sister, when the librarian picked up a book about witches he abruptly stood up, grabbed his little sister's hand and informed the entire room that he would not be staying for that evil book. Children are able to understand and discern much earlier than we give them credit for, and they need to be equipped.

We must remember that God said that his people are destroyed, not by lack of protection, but by lack of knowledge. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). We certainly need to protect our children, and keep evil forces away from their tender souls. One certainly does not teach a child how to swim by throwing him in shark-infested water. But if we keep our children in the "greenhouse", safe from the world about them and innocent of the "wiles of the devil", they will certainly drown when confronted with the evil one, who cometh only "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy".

Hollywood, the media, and the culture is anxiously waiting to ensnare your child's soul to the occult, and all forms of corruption, at the earliest possible age. By keeping your child at home and taking responsibility for your own offspring, you have a the incredible opportunity to shape the way your child thinks about the world. A child needs to be protected AND equipped. When they look at a poster of a disgusting, scary Mummy, will they respond in fear, respond in enthusiasm ("I wanna see that!"), or respond with "He needs Jesus!"? This is not indoctrination: this is an acquaintance with the ultimate source of truth, an introduction to the reality of good and evil, holiness and wickedness, falsehood and truth.

We must nurture them, teach them, equip them. And when we do, they will be ready. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6) The world needs Jesus, and there is no better time for a person to learn this than when they are tiny.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints"

Ephesians 6:10-18

Hunter is 3 years, 4 months old

Bible Genealogy

I've decided to start systematically teaching through the whole Bible through stories, engaging activities, and memorization games. Today we did our first Bible genealogy (there are many of them found throughout the Bible) and it was the generations of Cain. I wasn't sure at first how I was going to incorporate lists of names into our stories times, but decided to print out word cards of everyone who is named and create a sort of family tree.

I started with God at the top and put Adam and Eve below. Then Cain, Abel, and Seth and then put all of Cain's sons below him. I narrated as I laid them down and also mentioned whatever the Bible may have mentioned about a particular person. Sometimes it simply says "And Irad begat Mehujael" and tells how long a person lives, but other times it says something about them like "And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle." If they say something extra I tell him about it. Then we review them in a fun way.

I also got the idea to make the "holding hands" paper people and put all the names on it, from oldest to youngest. He had fun and held onto every word. I'm glad we're doing this because knowing the genealogy of the Bible is important, and it is often neglected in Sunday schools and by parents. If God thought it important enough to put in his word, then it is important enough for our memory! And fun, too.


"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."

Proverbs 30:5

Hunter is 3 years, 3 months old

Making a Genesis Terrarium

My brother David brought home from vacation Bible school a small jar containing some gravel, dirt, and a little figure of a man and a woman next to a plastic dinosaur. It was a terrarium depicting what the earth was like when God first created it, before the flood.

What a fun idea, I thought, and immediately wanted to make one of our own with Hunter. I found out that the gravel was necessary and we made a field trip to the pet store.

We decided to make a big one in an empty aquarium we have and put about an inch of gravel in the bottom.

We put about two inches of potting soil on top of the gravel and scattered random flower seeds in there to see which ones will grow. Okay, so maybe not the best way to do it: but of all the seed packets we had, they were all pretty old and I wasn't sure if any of them would grow anyway, so I figured with about five packets of seeds in there perhaps some of them will sprout. I also stuck in there all the little flower sprouts that grew in spite of me in our flower flat we've had for the past few weeks.

Alright, so I'm not the greatest gardener, but I'm learning. Maybe after we learn a few things from this one we will have a real one that we can work to keep up later on. But either way, the point of this terrarium is to demonstrate the way water was distributed when God first created the earth: it circulated through the air and moistened the entire environment. It was never too hot, never too cold, it never rained, and man didn't have to do anything to make the plants grow, because they grew on their own.


"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."

Genesis 1:6-8

Hunter is 3 years, 2 months old  

First Big Bible Verse

Hunter has memorized his first somewhat large Bible passage! (Luke 2:8-12) I have a video but it's on my camcorder so whenever I get the right cord I will be able to upload it. I am so proud of him!

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people..."

Luke 2:10

Hunter is 2 years, 8 months old