Theology for Your Progeny

The kids and I are studying the theory of evolution this week in science. We spent some time discussing what a theory is, why some people believe in evolution and some people don't, where science leaves off and speculation begins. You know, easy concepts that most six to eight year olds can grasp without any trouble.

Anyway, through the course of our discussion, I explained (once again) what the Man and I believe. The kids have heard the gospel more times than I can count. Sometimes daily. But each time the Man and I are careful to explain that our beliefs don't carry over onto them. As I said today, "Your dad and I want to share about Jesus with you because we love him and because that's what we believe to be true, but you have to make up your mind for yourself. And we're not going to shove Christianity down your throat." Because that just doesn't work very well (note multiple historical examples--I picked the Crusades).

I share this because we recognize that there is a fine line between sharing our love for Jesus and the truth of the gospel with our children and refraining from beating them over the head with our Bibles. With that said, I wanted to give you a few resources that do a good job of presenting Christ to our kids. Please note that The Jesus Storybook Bible (still the twins' favorite) isn't on the list simply because I already wrote about it on here several years ago and because it's been getting a lot of attention lately (I had a friend receive three copies when she had her first son last year).

First on the list is one that I've only read snippets of but has come highly recommended by many friends, The Big Picture Story Bible by David R. Helm. I heard it described as a step before The Jesus Storybook Bible, if you have slightly younger kids who can't hang in there for all of Sally Lloyd-Jones' poetic language. The pictures are on more of the cartoony side and there's less type per page, but it shows the whole arch of the gospel from Creation to Christ in easy to understand terms.

Then if you want to take a step back even farther, there's the board book The Biggest Story ABC by Kevin DeYoung. The illustrations are beautiful, and it does well for your littles who just can't sit still for very long. I liked that it didn't dumb down the theology even though it was written for smaller children, but it gives just enough to introduce the big ideas of Christianity to a young kid.

Once your children are getting older (and tired of being subjected to The Jesus Storybook Bible every night by their routine loving little brother), you might want to give The Ology: Ancient Truths, Ever New by Marty Machowski a try. My mom gifted me this one for my birthday this year, and it's really a beautiful book. Andy McGuire's illustrations are a perfect companion to the systematic breakdown of theology through story and instruction. I also appreciated the inclusion of more scripture (because we don't want to just read storybook Bibles to our kids...we actually want to read them the Bible).

The Man and I have also started working through a few catechism questions with the kids a night, just so they understand what we believe and why. I had a friend suggest My 1st Book of Questions and Answers, and it has been a perfect fit for even the twins. It gives verses that inform each of the answers as well, which has been really helpful.

The Man's parents gifted the kids Trillia Newbell's God's Very Good Idea (with super fun illustrations by Catalina Echeverri) for Christmas this year. I loved this unique way of presenting the gospel that included snippets of history, a lot of diversity, an excellent explanation of sin (that went past "stop doing bad things--shame on you!"), and a beautiful introduction to Jesus' love, forgiveness, and plan for all of us.

I included this picture just in case we were all taking ourselves a little too seriously.

Finally, at Christmas, my sister sent us Everyone A Child Should Know by Clare Heath-Whyte. It took me until late January before I managed to pry it out of Tiny's grasp (he likes to hoard books under his bed), but now it's one of the kids' favorite parts of family devotions. Each spread shares a brief story of a Christian who influenced history (think: Rosa Parks, Augustine, Eric Liddell). Honestly, I wish this book were longer, mostly because my only complaint is that they could have included more examples from non-white believers--of which there are so many. Still, I love that the kids are a) learning history and b) learning about heroes of the faith and c) seeing what the Christian faith should actually look like when it's worked out in the day to day. Side note, Bruiser told me today that his heroes are God...and the Flash, so I think we're going to keep reading this book and hope that one day he will include Hudson Taylor or George Müller.

These are just a few examples of tools you can use with your children, but they will never be a substitute for reading the Bible with your kids and, possibly more importantly, them actually seeing you walk with Christ day to day. My hope is that I can enjoy Christ with my children, learn alongside them, and one day joyously see them walk closely with him.

Saturday Prayers

In children's church this week, we talked about some of the miracles Jesus performed in the book of Matthew, and then the kids worked to memorize Matt 9:36, which says that when Jesus looked at the crowd "He had compassion on them." My initial reaction was to remember the many times my heart hadn't been filled with compassion towards the suffering, the many times my heart hadn't even been filled with compassion for my own children. I prayed immediately that Jesus would help me be more like him, that he would take my old heart and give me a new one full of love. But I admit, I felt guilty about the many times I don't treat others with compassion, the many times my selfishness or impatience wins out.

This kid doesn't require much work to love.
Except for when she poop bombs nap time.

Then I remembered that when Jesus looks at me, he has compassion for me too. He looks at me and he loves me. Sure, he's fully aware of the times I lost my temper and yelled at my kids, but he still loves me. He is full of compassion for me and longs to heal me of the sickness of my heart that twists who he originally intended me to be into something ugly. He does not look at me in disbelief, frustrated that I am screwing up yet again. He does not look at me in impatience, astounded that I yet again need his help and forgiveness. He does not look at me as a problem to be solved, something broken that needs fixing, or a minor inconvenience to his day. He looks at me as his dear child, who was worth the payment of his life.

Watching the Hot Cross Buns bake.
They look so calm.

It's an illusion.

I write this after a long week with the kids. The Man was gone on a work trip, and I was not at my best. Every day was a struggle to present my children with the mother they needed, the one I wanted to give them. And many days I felt that I failed. It was hard to hear at the back of my mind, over and over again, that Christ was looking at me with compassion. I didn't want compassion--I wanted my kids to get a break from me. I wanted a break from them! But instead of a break, I was given Christ. He gives us himself so that we can persevere, grow, and give him to others. Much like the feeding of the five thousand with the five loaves and two fish, when Christ gives us himself, it doesn't look like much at first, but it is amazing how it multiplies when we give thanks and keep breaking off pieces to pass to the next person.

When the Biggest Big helps fill in for me...

This kid is so compassionate, he let's
Rolly read over his shoulder...

So here it is, Saturday morning after a challenging week, I can hear the rustle of legos from the Bigs room and the twins trying to rope Twinkle into playing Pretend in their room. The cats are curled up beside me in bed. My husband is on a plane, flying home to us (hurray!). Soon, we'll be up and making crepes and bacon (as promised earlier in the week) before I con the kids into helping me clean the house and go for a walk. But for right now, in this brief moment of quiet, I'm praying for myself that I would be more like Jesus--full of compassion--because I'm looking straight into his eyes and seeing the gentle love he has for me. If you'd like, I'll even pray it for you too.

SorryNotSorry Saturday Sunrise

Dear driver who nearly ran over me but did apologize,

I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was playing chicken all morning with drivers who woke up with the sole purpose in life to first blind me with their headlights and then run me off the road into ankle deep, sopping wet grass. You were the first person to apologize for nearly mauling me, but, unfortunately, when you rolled down your window to yell "SORRY", you positioned yourself for the fall out when the straw broke the camel's back. Sure, I played  the Mom Card--you guys need to watch where you're going!--as if the five of you colluded together at 6 in the morning to space yourselves out along the road and try your best to give me a heart attack. I also may have exaggerated slightly--I've been run over five times already this morning!--which was blatantly and obviously untrue because if I had been run over, I wouldn't have been out running still, but keep in mind that every word counts when you're slogging through 9 miles and slipping in an "almost" would have weakened the point. Still. I realize that my response wasn't exactly loving.

Consequently, you may choose from a variety of different response options should you try to run me over again next week.

Option A) I have five kids! Is this an offer to help my husband raise them?

Option B) I get that you need to retake driver's ed, but this is not the right way to ask!

Option C) I am not a small woman. I will put a large dent in your car!

Option D) I know where I'm going if you plow me over. Do you know where you're going if you hit me with your giant SUV? Jail.

Option E) You're forgiven. Go forth without hitting anyone else, drink some coffee, and sin no more.

I felt extremely guilty for the next mile after I yelled at you (which, incidentally, somehow managed to improve my pace--so, thanks for that), but when I got home, my husband informed me that you probably deserved much worse. In his defense, he was most likely imagining his life without me, which would call for a fairly strong response on his part. Rumor has it, he actually likes me, and not just because I keep the masses relatively under control. Still, if I ever see you again, I will graciously accept your apology and then graciously proffer one of my own, because I try not to yell at total strangers. Only at my children when they shoot me with nerf guns before I've had my coffee or leave half a PB&J smeared across the floor at lunch. Because I have standards.

For now, you should know that next week I'm coming armed with a paint gun and will take aim at any car that attempts to run me off the road.

Yours,
Crazy early morning runner lady

PS I'm including this picture of myself eating pineapple out of a super sweet pineapple bowl with a tiny fork so that you can see what I look like when I'm not drenched in sweat and yelling at you. I don't look insane at all, right? Right? RIGHT?!

PPS I'm also including this picture of my youngest progeny. This may confuse you initially, but look closely. While at first she appears adorable and innocent, sitting on the curb, eating her apple like a little paragon of virtue, when you look closer, you will note that she has the crazy eyes. Run me over next week, and the Man will sic her on you. 

Blurbity Blurb

It's Friday night, and while there is a whole dryer full of clothes I could fold and a whole bowl full of cookie dough I could eat, I am choosing to stay in the healthy middle ground and watch The Great British Baking Show on Netflix while working on a blurb blog. That's about as much brain space as I have left after a week of homeschooling my hoydens. Although, now that I think of it, the chocolate oatmeal cookie dough in the fridge might boost my brain power... More importantly, some blurbs for the week!

• Adult pants should have adjustable button tabs at the waist band for those days when you have, say, eaten a ridiculous number of breakfast tacos or a whole bowl full of cookie dough (on the one hand) or for the days you find your pants sliding off continually because you have no butt (on the other hand).
• The twins had a singing and dancing rodeo performance this week. No, I won't subject you to five different videos of awkward preschool cuteness, but I will let you know that their preschool worked hard to brainwash the kids into believing that Texas is the be-all-end-all. Bruiser will now tell you without a hint of hesitation that Texas is the best state in the union. Propaganda, I tell you.

Firefighter dragons have no loyalty to their birth states.
Also, firefighter dragons may need to retire their old--
and incredibly outgrown--Halloween costumes.

• I made the kids animal pancakes the other day. Bruiser asked for a dinosaur. He got a brachiosaurus that lost its tail mid flip, but close enough. Tiny got a dolphin, and Bee an orca whale. Littles bullied me into making Twinkle a rose. But I drew the line with he asked me for an ankylosaurus. There are just some things one does not do before coffee.
• Twinkle's nap time on Thursday afforded me with some time to get the mopping done. Don't be too impressed: I'd been putting off the mopping for quite some time. I hadn't had time to vacuum before she went down and I didn't want to risk waking her, so I mopped without the prerequisite vacuum. Before you ask why I didn't just sweep instead, please remember my middle name is "Lazy". Also, I had vacuumed both days before and how dirty could the floors really have gotten during that time? Evidently, far dirtier than I had anticipated. I was knocking grit into my ankles with every sweep of the mop. Lesson learned. Mainly the lesson learned was that my children are like little tornados of dirt and grime.

Spring has meant picnic weather...and squinting.
The more meals we eat outside, the fewer crumbs I have to sweep.
Or not vacuum. Same same.

• Twinkle decided to dump half a bag of rice this week. In my attempt to make lemonade out of life's lemons, we first did sensory play with the rice and then made stress balls out of rice and balloons. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of using that phrase out loud (when life gives you lemons...), and the kids spent the rest of the day asking when I was going to make lemonade for them. We did make a stress ball for the Man, which Littles suggested be taken to work in case his dad needed to destress by chucking it at people who drive him nuts.
• The kids and I have been reading Cheaper by the Dozen this week. First, I totally did not realize there was that much swearing in that book. I'm doing some heavy, on-the-spot editing, but it has been worth it. While the twins are missing a good portion of the humour (and Bruiser can't understand why the dad is always yelling), the Bigs and I are howling.  Now I'm determined to teach all of the kids Morse code...and considering possibly having seven more children. As one does. I've heard they come cheaper by the dozen.

At any rate, tomorrow's long run is going to come early so high-five me for my blurbs (but don't stab me with a pencil!--the high-fiving homeschooling mom's deepest fear), and I'm off. Especially since, rumor has it, my husband is almost home for the night. Live from Texas (the greatest state in the nation, evidently), it's Friday night!