Archive: June 2012
How to Talk to Our Kids about Fear, The Psalms, and God’s Refuge
As I lay in bed last night, wondering what I was going to write for today’s blog post, the only pictures I had in my mind were those of the wildfires still burning out of control in Colorado. My heart was aching for all the people who risk losing their homes, as well as the firefighters who are putting their lives on the line, fighting this out-of-control blaze. Living most of my life in California, I am no stranger to wildfires and the devastation they bring. I have friends who live in the Colorado Springs area, and who have had to be evacuated—still not knowing for sure if their home made it through last night’s inferno! How terrifying for all these people! I’ve been there. I know.
Fear is something we can all understand. Feeling helpless in our fear is something that the enemy desires; wanting us to forget, even momentarily, that our God is standing right beside us, wanting and waiting for us to call out to Him for comfort, peace, and strength. Our children are no different than us. Their fears are just as real…and just as debilitating. How do we remind them that God is there for them during these scary moments? How do we know for sure that He really cares?
Because He said so. He gave us His Word to remind us that we are never alone, even in our darkest moments of fear.
When Joshua took over Moses’ role in leading the people of Israel, God didn’t leave him hanging out there in the wilderness. The Lord told Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
In the latest edition of What’s in the Bible? (Volume 8, the Writings), Psalms and Proverbs are taught. The Book of Psalms covers so many topics, but abiding in the Lord during moments of fear is a particular theme which is highlighted in my personal Bible! Psalm 91 is the anchor I reach out for when I start feeling scared, overwhelmed, or alone. It reminds me that God is where I find my safety, especially in my most fearful moments. This Psalm will help you and your kids face fears with the knowledge that our God is our safe place. He is who we must run to.
Please continue your prayers for the people of Colorado, and that during this most fearful of situations let us intercede for them, that God continues to be their refuge and strength.
Psalm 91 / My Refuge and My Fortress:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge[b]—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
About the author: Lisa Strnad is a freelance writer who works in the field of Christian media, specializing in marketing, promotions and public relations. She and her husband live in Nashville with their two sons. Lisa is a weekly contributor to What’s in the Bible and Jellytelly.com
Church Edition Volume 8: My Favorite Highlights
Oh happy day! Our latest volume of What’s in the Bible? curriculum is available today–Volume 8: Words to Make Us Wise {Psalms, Proverbs & The Writings}.
I wrote this post back in february while in the middle of writing this volume of curriculum, and today I’m even more mindful that teaching context to children is critically important.
The highlights of volume 8 {for me}:
Job: While sharing the story of Job, we included a quiet time of discussion for children to discuss trusting God during bad times. It was important that we helped children know that the book of Job is a wisdom book, which means that from Job’s story we learn to trust God’s wisdom. Encouraging children to understand the context and type of book enabled us to write a lesson that didn’t question God’s fairness, but instead trust His wisdom.
Psalms: We included an activity that identified the various types of psalms and after learning about the types, children will have the opportunity to create their very own psalm. I’m absolutely dying to see the psalms the children will create when given the opportunity. Will you do me a favor? Would you email me {amy@lemonlimekids.com} with a few of the psalms your children create? It would mean so much to me. Thank you!
Proverbs: Man oh man–so many highlights in this lesson! I love, love, love that we highlight the difference between being smart vs wise by giving children scenarios and encouraging them to determine if the person must act smart or wise. Oh! and, probably my most favorite section of this entire volume is the principle vs promise activity. We teach children that proverbs are not promises but principles and lead them to determine the principles in various proverbs. C’mon! Now that’s just good.
Ecclesiastes & Song of Solomon: We focus the majority of content around Ecclesiastes and reviewing the writings books, and not much time at all unpacking the book Song of Solomon {phew!}. Because Ecclesiastes means “the preacher” we wrote an activity in which children create their own sermon and then “preach” it to the rest of the small group. They can even dress up like their pastor if they like. What’s more fun than this?
Bonus! We’ve included a Proverbs family calendar for an at-home activity.
Pick up your copy today–don’t forget free shipping is included for purchases over $15. If you’re interested in testing the waters, you can order a single week of curriculum and see what you think.
Cheers to teaching kids the bible!
How To Talk To Your Kids About Trusting God
Why do bad things happen to good people? We’ve all asked that question at one time or another. It seems like when there are circumstances either in our own lives or in the lives of others around us which are unjustified or unfair, we look up and ask, “why?”.
If God loves us, why would he allow us to feel such pain?
As parents we can expect challenging questions from our kids on this very subject. How do we explain that the God who created the universe and breathed life into each of us also allows bad things to happen to those He loves? It’s tricky. Kids, like many of us adults, see things as either fair or unfair. They understand punishment and reward. But they can’t truly make sense of bad things happening to good people, especially those they love. Reassure them that them that God is bigger than that compartmentalization. We must help our children through the healing process when bad things do happen to even the most righteous people, reminding them that the circumstance doesn’t mean God has stopped loving those people, or that He is punishing them. Sometimes all we can do is simply say, “I don’t know why this is happening, but we need to trust God in even this.”
We are called to trust in God during all times – the good and the bad. The best example of this is found in the book of Job. Granted, it’s not usually my go-to book of the Bible when I think of teaching my kids about God’s love. But certainly, the book of Job gives us ample examples of His Sovereignty. The fact is that God is truly in control of not only our own lives, but the very happenings in the universe! He is indeed THAT BIG and THAT POWERFUL. The newly released Volume 8 of What’s in the Bible? covers the Book of Job in a way that helps children (and adults) better understand the concept of trusting God. Here’s a song from Chuck Waggin about the book of Job:
The book of Job teaches us that we can trust God in all things … even when the bad stuff happens. It can be a tough thing to do, but He wants us to learn that even though we don’t understand why He allows bad things to happen the way they do, He is always in control. Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.”
I think it’s pretty safe to say that most of us have struggled with trusting God when going through a personal struggle. Whether it’s a medical diagnosis, a financial fiasco, or the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one; when tragedy strikes our lives, are we able to grieve but still trust God’s plan–even in the midst of our pain? For many of us the answer is, sometimes. But as God’s children, we are called by our Father, to trust Him at all times and in all things.
Parents, how have you taught your kids that we should trust God at all times?
About the author: Lisa Strnad lives with her husband and two sons in Nashville, TN. She works freelance in Christian media in the areas of writing, marketing strategies, and promotions. Lisa homeschools her youngest son, and actively supports local and nationally based autism awareness organizations. She is a weekly writer for the What’s in the Bible and Jelly Telly blogs.
Who Are You?
Today’s guest post in our series in honor of Father’s Day is by Paul Spite, a father and writer from Cookeville, TN.
“I don’t even know who you are.”
This was the answer I was given. The question was what was on my eighteen-year-old daughter’s mind. We were returning from a trip to my alma mater. I needed to visit an old mentor. She wanted to see if it was a university she might want to attend. So we went together.
Our itineraries were different. I would interview my old professor. She would roam the campus and check out the library. Then we would reunite. We never got that far. A true educator, my old friend let her know she would be welcome to join our meeting. So for two hours, she sat as unobtrusively as he would allow her to remain. She sat and listened to two educators discussing how cognitive capabilities are hindered by cultural and familial paradigms.
The return trip was mighty silent. Finally I pulled off the road, turned to her, and asked. I honestly worried that an older student at the library might have made a crude suggestion to my young, beautiful and sheltered daughter. No, it turned out I was the one who had shocked her. She had no idea who the academic who had taken her father’s place might really be.
How could I tell her? Dreams get put on hold when your children need to pursue their own. Play dates and children’s events fill adult schedules too. Changing diapers and reading Golden Books leaves little time for expanding our own minds. That it takes years before the tasks of child-rearing are replaced by friendships in which ideas and dreams can flourish.
It seemed important to try.
It’s always been a trade-off. Love requires we give up our time, goals and lives to those we love. Love requires dreams and desires of others supersede our own. Ours can wait. So we proudly announce our coming parenthood and place our lives on hold. And hope the investment will pay off – that the ends of our lives will be less lonely, full of friends we shaped and formed. And who also desire our friendship..
That last one’s a bit tricky. God never commanded us to be friends with our children. Just to raise them in fear and admonition of the Lord. That means sometimes, maybe often, we also deny them their hopes and dreams. We intervene to save them from their plans. If we do our jobs, we risk their anger. And hope and pray this too shall pass, as time brings new perspective.
Love requires us to sometimes say ‘no’. Wisdom requires us to know how to let go gently, one layer of responsibility at a time. They are definitely going to leave us, one way or another. We either release them, hopefully with guidance. Or they tear themselves free, creating scars on two or three sets hearts in the process.
My children are all gone and married. And I’m not yet sure how well I planted. I believe I have two friends in my daughters. The jury is still out on my son. He hasn’t yet figured out he was never in competition with me. That my accomplishments never set his bars any higher, just my own.
I am currently sure of this. He is tired of having friends compare him to me. So in the past two years, I’ve tried to make the larger than life image all fathers become, a bit more human in scale. He has still begun a life completely different from mine. I wish him well. I will support and encourage him however I can. Mostly, I will wait anxiously for the day when our lives will again come together. It may never be as equals. I don’t believe God ever intended for that to happen. But at least, I hope, a basis has been established for friendship.
You see, friendship with our children requires us to eventually let them know. Who really are those people they call Mom and Dad? Do they know what we want from our lives? Do they know what wakes us up in the night in the cold clutches of fear? Have we ever let them hear our heartbeat?
We did at the beginning. They laid against our chests while we read to them from Golden Books. Then the frantic flurry of growing up pulled us into separate worlds. Mostly theirs.
But before they leave us forever. When they are facing their own futures, but still leaning on us. Let’s pull them close. Let them see our fears and our tears. Let them hear, one more time, the heartbeat of the man or woman who gave them more shelter than mere arms. Let them see us as people.
So they never have to ask. “Who are you?”
Paul F. Spite lives with his wife Sally in Cookeville, TN. There he enjoys the occasional company of three children and one granddaughter. He is launching a full time writing career with his first novel, Power of a Pawn. He is also working to become a screenwriter of excellence for Christian and family friendly film markets. He can be reached at afd1@frontiernet.net with questions, ideas for collaboration, or just plain discussion.
What’s in the Bible? Volume 8 Review
Hey friends, I can hardly wait for you to see the soon to be released newest edition of What’s in the Bible?, Volume 8: Words To Make Us Wise. What a fun show! This time Buck Denver and Phil Vischer take us through the next five books of the Old Testament, known as “The Writings”. These books are are full of poetry, song and wisdom! Just like the other volumes of What’s in the Bible?, we adults can sit alongside our kids and learn so much about these wonderful books of the Bible!
Words to Make Us Wise has two episodes which take us through Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
You, together with your family or small group, will learn the clear messages found in each of these books. In Job we learn to trust God’s wisdom all of the time, even the hard times. Psalms, which is another name for “songs”. It’s the book of the Bible that gives us words (or songs) which we can use to pray, sing, or praise God.
Proverbs was written to teach us how to make good choices, and the What’s in the Bible? team does a great job teaching the difference between being “smart” and being “wise”. Ecclesiastes can be a difficult book to get into, but once we do we see that it’s a great book used to discuss our search for meaning and happiness in a world that is filled with uncertainty; once again pointing us in the direction of trusting God, following His Commandments, and looking to Him for our happiness.
Now you’d think a children’s DVD series might skip over a tricky book like Song of Solomon, but not What’s in the Bible?! We learn that while, yeah, there is a lot of mushy love talk in this book, romantic love is not only a powerful emotion, but part of God’s plan! I guess that means it’s okay–and not too gross– when dad gives mom a big kiss when he gets home from work!!
Like all the other volumes of What’s in the Bible?, Volume 8; Words To Make Us Wise has wonderful songs, created for and performed by the lovable cast of characters, headed up by Buck Denver–newsman extraordinaire!
You’ll definitely want to get your copy of Volume 8, when it’s released on Tuesday, June 19. You can purchase the DVD at the online store or wait and get your own digital copy to download next week!
Tips for Busy Dads
Today’s guest post in our encouraging fathers series is from Tom Pounder. Tom is the “Family Guy” at New Life Christian Church in Northern Virginia. He has 4 beautiful daughters that enable him to have 1 crazy life. You can follow him on twitter @tapounder and read his blog here.
I love my job. I am the “Family Guy” at New Life Christian Church in Northern Virginia. I oversee the Children and Youth Ministries with direct involvement with the youth program. I am also a father of 4 beautiful young girls ranging from 11 – 4 years old. Growing up as a member of a 4 boy family, I never had the experience of growing up with girls. So all of this – the princesses, the nail polish and the EMOTIONS …(oh yes the emotions!) is all new for me. But I love it. I absolutely love being their dad.
But being the “Family Guy” at my job, I must admit, I feel an extra pressure on me. After all, holding this position implies that I might know something about raising a healthy family. It infers that in order for me to have this position, I must have created a very family-oriented environment in my own household and spend as much time as possible with my girls.
But despite my best efforts, sometimes coming home from a long day at work, being family first and focusing solely on my girls does not always happen. In fact, it is sometimes the last thing I want to do.
Paul says it right when he says, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Now, in that context, Paul is talking about struggling with sin in his life. But, I think this verse directly applies to fatherhood as well. So many times I want to come home, get out the toys and play outside with my girls until its dark outside. But that rarely happens. Too often I find myself sitting on the couch being annoyed that I’m attacked by my little ones…sorry, just trying to be honest.
So as I try to be the best dad that I can, I have jotted down a few practical ways that I have found to get re-energized before I get home:
1) Set your expectations right. Expect chaos because so many times when I get home, chaos is happening. Rare are those days where I walk into my house and my family just ministers to you with a soda, newspaper and the evening news (were those ever the days or just drawings from Norman Rockwell?). Usually I get girls telling me about their day and wanting me to do things with them…things that just make me tired thinking about it. So make sure your expectations are right before you walk through your door so that you don’t get frustrated.
2) Be flexible. No matter how many books you read on parenting and children, the bottom line is no one can prepare you for what you are going to encounter. No one specific book can tell you exactly how to raise your children. The rules break all the time. That is why you need to be flexible and roll with the punches. The more we are flexible and have our expectations set right, the less frustrated we will be when things don’t go quite as we had planned or as the book says. By being flexible we are able to really learn who our children are and how we can best meet their needs and help them grow to be healthy children and young adults.
3) Inject a little Christ in your life. On your way home, turn on the Christian music station or read some scripture before you walk into your house…scripture on patience 
Seriously, I have found the more I listen to Christian music before I go anywhere, the more my mindset changes and get focused on the right priorities.
4) “Be here now” – That’s a saying at a high adventure camp I went to in high school. “Be here now” implied that it doesn’t matter what you could be doing somewhere else or should be doing. What is most important is that you stay focused on where you are at. So that means, when you are at home with your kids, you focus on your kids. That means no cell phone, iPad or any other work distraction you may have. I know that is easier said than done, but the reality is we have at least 9-5 M-F to focus on our work and toys (yes, our iPhone is definitely a toy). We need those few hours each day when we get home to be focused on our children and loving our wife.
When you do these things, all things will turn out just right. Well, maybe not, but the reality is doing these 4 things in my life with my children makes me a better person which makes me a better dad.
I hope you and your family have a great Father’s day.
From Fathers to Their Children {Psalm 139}
Next up in our guest blog series about celebrating & encouraging fathers in the month of June is a post from Jesse Smith, who blogs at www.coffeewithdad.com
I’m not sure who put the little headings at the beginning of sections of scripture, but sometimes I think they got it wrong. In the NIV, Psalm 139 says “For the Director of Music” as the heading…I wonder if “From Fathers to Their Children” would be a better heading.
I have two boys and I desperately want them to understand how much God loves them and that they have a place in His story; how can I help them be more like Christ is consistently at the front of my thoughts (okay, I’m human and often have me at the front of my thoughts, but I want that to be one of my primary thoughts!).
Psalm 139 begins by acknowledging the Lord knows us, he has searched us. I can’t know my child’s inner thoughts, but I can ask.
My first step in this journey was to begin to ask them about their heart. We read Proverbs 4:23 which tells us to guard their heart and I’ve used that verse most of their lives to ask them questions at bed time: Did anybody break a promise to you? (That can be a rough reminder for me.) Are you mad at anyone? Essentially, how is your heart? You can read more about our heart checks on my blog.
Mid-way the psalm describes that God knit us together and we are wonderfully made.
After years of heart checks, I knew simply checking their heart wasn’t the only thing to do, it was a perfect opportunity to speak into their heart – my wife and I began to bless them. It was odd for us because we were not blessed as children; what would we say, how would it work?
Near the end of Numbers 6 God told Moses how to bless the Israelites so that seemed like a reasonable place to start. Now, all of the blessings for our youngest must mention “the shiny face”. It has also been incredible to see how important this has become to them. We still struggle with what to say at times, but I can tell that the blessings are speaking to their inmost being.
The psalmist continues by speaking about how precious God’s thoughts are, which brings me to the hardest part of fatherhood: shaping their worldview. Our children, as are we, are bombarded by a culture that is trying to shape the way they see the world. Culture desperately wants them to see man as the center and it is imperative that they see a loving Creator as the center – they were made by God and for God. The battle with worldview can’t be fully explored in a closing section but we must help our children know that even though they are the crowning glory of God’s creation, Christ is to have preeminence and supremacy in our lives.
As you ponder these thoughts this Father’s day, I wish you the best in your parenting. If you’re feeling overwhelmed in fatherhood, read Psalm 139:7-12 and rest in the knowledge that God is with you, you couldn’t hide even if you wanted.
Jesse and his wife (of 20 years!) are homeschooling parents raising two sons in the suburbs of Chicago. Jesse is a graduate of Bethel Seminary and serves as the Pastor of Children and Families in Wauconda, IL. You can follow him on twitter (@JesseMax) or read more of his writing on his blog, Coffee With Dad.
What Does The Bible Tell Us About the Role of Fathers?
June is the month we set aside to honor our fathers. It’s a time to reflect on, and then celebrate, the role our fathers play (or have played) in our lives. Instead of just one article focusing on dad this month, we’ll be discussing different elements of fatherhood throughout the month of June with a couple of guest dad bloggers who are living in very different seasons of fatherhood. I’m looking forward to their personal perspective and how they’ve applied what the Bible says about the importance of fathers.
When looking at the what Scripture tells us about fatherhood, the idea of honoring our fathers is an important theme throughout the Old and New Testaments.
(Ephesians 6:1-3) “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Paul took this directly from the Ten Commandments! It’s the first commandment that also has a promise attached to it, so we can see how important honoring our parents is to the heart of God.
Proverbs 10:1 teaches us that, “A wise son makes a glad father.”
Ok, but what makes us wise? The Bible tells us wisdom comes when we honor God our Father!
Sort of full circle, isn’t it?
Solomon, known for his gift of God-given wisdom writes: (Proverbs 6: 20-22) “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you;and when you awake, they will talk with you.”
We are so thankful for our good men; husbands and fathers, whom God has blessed us with. They are divinely designated as our first teachers of faith and our examples of courage and honor. Here is a poem that I thought really summed up the role of our earthly fathers:
With these three words,
“Dear Heavenly Father,”
I begin my every prayer,
But the man I see
While on bended knee
Is always my earthly dad.
He is the image
Of the Father divine
Reflecting the nature of God,
For his love and care
And strong faith laid bare
Pointed me to my Father above.
–Mary Fairchild
How has your father help shape who you are today? How is your husband positively impacting your children’s faith? We’d love to hear about your relationship with your dad and your kids’ relationships with their dads!
About the Author: Lisa Strnad is a freelance writer/blogger, who regularly contributes to What’s in the Bible? and Jelly Telly. She is a homeschooling mom of two, who works independently in Christian media in the areas of writing, promotions and marketing. She lives with her husband and children in Nashville, TN. You can follow Lisa at her personal blog, Talking Like A Girl
Father’s Day Blog Series: You’re A Father Forever
This June, we wanted to take time to recognize and encourage the dads in our community in honor of Father’s Day! Here is the first in a series of guest posts we’ll have between now and Father’s Day. Enjoy!
Today’s guest post is by Aaron Conrad, who blogs about faith & fatherhood at aaronconrad.com.
I was recently reading a new book by Mark Merrill called All Pro Dad. One particular quote jumped off of the page and grabbed my attention. The quote simply said “Realize that you’re a father forever.” I remember when our children were much younger and we entered the tough phases of childhood. I found myself often looking ahead and hoping we “get through this phase soon”. The reality of that statement is that the phases change, but being a Dad never ends. The phases, challenges, changes, wisdom and guidance continue on.
Dads, our role is huge. The investment is well worth the time. No other investment will remain for literally generations. Our words, our encouragement, our discipline are molding and shaping our little ones. If you’re like me, time can be a valuable commodity and limited. I have to daily remind myself of the short time all three of our children will be in our care. In a blink, they will move from children to teens and to young adults. Each moment I can spend playing catch, reading a story, having a lunch date or simply catching a movie will plant seeds and create relationship.
I once heard a story that I often think about when I am short on time. While a bit heavy, it always reminds me of how valuable my relationship with all three of my children is.
A young boy and his father sat in the doctor’s office; the doctor motioned to the father to come out in the hall with him. As they stood in the hallway, the doctor delivered the news that this man’s young son had a terminal illness, which would soon take his life. The father told the doctor that he would like to be the one to tell his son the news. The doctor agreed and the father and son went home.
As they stood in the backyard, the father explained what the doctor had told him and how sorry he was. The son listened to the news, paused, and then walked a few yards away for some time alone. When he returned to his father, he had a smile on his face. The father asked why he was smiling and if he was going to be alright. To which the son replied:
“While I was alone, I was talking with God. I was thinking about heaven and what that would be like. Then I thought of Jesus and how I will one day be with him. I realized that, if he is anything like you, I know I will be alright”.
Dads, our time is so limited. Our investments in our kids will last for generations. Take time today to ask each child if they know you love them and HOW they know. You’ll be surprised by the answers. I also highly recommend the new book “All Pro Dad” by Mark Merrill. It’s an outstanding resource no matter where you are in the fatherhood journey. Remember, you’re a father forever.
All Pro Dad Book – http://allprodadbook.com
All Pro Dad – http://allprodad.com
Mark Merrill – http://markmerrill.com
