Read a Good Book Lately?

Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 
           Judges 13:8

God told Manoah he would have a son. Manoah wanted to know how to teach his son. Seemingly there was nothing special about his upbringing. He was raised during hard times. He had to hide just to thresh the grain for his family. But, Manoah's son was Gideon who delivered the children of Israel with 300 men. Manoah taught his son to believe and trust God. 

Last week we discussed how to help our children read good literature, literature that demonstrated Christian values. Teaching our children to recognize Christian values is more than just reading a story. We must also teach them to analyze. 

How did the story begin?
Did the story begin with a problem or was it just an ordinary day that ended up in a storm? 

What was the problem?
What happened to cause a problem? Was the main character in the wrong place at the wrong time or did the main character create the problem? 

How was the problem fixed? 
Something needed to happen to bring the story to an end. Was the problem fixed by the main character or did something or someone have to intervene? 

What was your favorite part? 
Figuring out our favorite part is the beginning of recognizing the value of a story. Often the favorite part is how the main character "fixed" the problem. How did the main character change or grow to be able to "fix" the problem? This may be the key to teaching our children the value of a story.

What books have you identified as demonstrating Christian values?

Hey Kids:
Did you find some good books this week?
Here's a partial list of the books I like.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle -a salvation story - the caterpillar eats the wrong thing and though he tries to turn over a new leaf, he still must die to his old way of life to gain a new life with a new body.
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle - be aware of who you hang out with - every animal invited the spider to come and play, then left except a fly who kept hanging around. He eventually was eaten by the company he kept.
Beauty and the Beast - a servant's heart story - our kindness can make a difference in so many lives
Little Red Riding Hood - listen to your parents - a story of Satan who walks about seeking whom he may devour
Elephant and Piggy by Mo Willems - a variety of stories about two friends who face common or funny situations but manage to do the right thing to resolve the issue
The Grinch by Dr. Seuss - Christmas is not about gifts but about the Gift
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss - a sanctity of life story
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - stories of family life centered around family values
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - a fantasy genre that depicts the war between good and evil
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - Historical fiction about a ten-year-old girl whose family hides a Jewish friend to protect her from the Nazis. A story about doing the right thing even in the face of grave danger.

Happy Reading!

Gail

Your children's literature

Dear Parents,

Have you read your children's literature lately? I recently had a conversation with a lady who is helping raise her seven-year-old niece. She was horrified with the language in children's books promoted in public schools. So what's up?

Children enjoy books that use less than polite words for bottom and bodily functions, words many Christians don't allow their children to use. Publishers and authors want to sell books so they use language that will get a giggle. Children will read a whole series if they get that giggle factor. Teachers just want children to read. 

But is it all the teachers' fault? 

Most children are not homeschooled nor do they attend Christian schools. Is it not our job as parents to monitor the literature our children are subject to and promote literature that has positive examples and Christian values? 

Where do we start? 

We can take our children to the library and read to them and with them. Start early, really early, like at birth. We can evaluate what we read. We can let our children know how we feel about a book and how it does or doesn't match our values. I love Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. I don't know her faith but her book promotes positive family relationships and a dad who is worthy of imitation. I'd put her picture book at the top of a list of best books for young children.

Let's start a list of great reads to share with our children. Post the book, author and a little blurb about the positive values the book demonstrates. I'd like the books to be those that can be found in any library or classroom. Books about God and Jesus are great but they're not likely to find their way into your child's public classroom. We need to be like Paul on Mars Hill. 

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. Acts17:23. 

We can help our children find a way to use the secular world to show their classmates Jesus. Isn't it all about demonstrating Jesus, not just telling about Jesus that will make a difference?

Love and blessings,

Hey Kids:

What do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

Why? Now that is the question. 

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen is one of my favorite books. Why? Because it's about snow and hunting and being with Dad. The child loves and respects his dad. They have a great relationship. I think this book shows me without telling me to honor my parents and appreciate God's creation. 

Do you have a favorite book that shows Christian values? Be sure to let your parents know so they can add your book to the list I've asked them to share. 

Love and blessings,

Gail

Pumpkin Time

... Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. Esther 4:14

The world celebrates with witches and ghosts and worse if there is such a thing. We either join in or try to change the tone to something less evil (let's call it like it is). But is there a way to be in this world and help our children not be of this world? If you homeschool, the answer is yes, but if, like most people, your child attends a public school, it becomes ever more difficult to be separate from the world. I teach in a public school because God has opened that door of witness for me. The fall is a difficult time of year for Christian teachers and students because we are bombarded with Halloween. Though jack-o-lanterns have a less than perfect history, they are one thing I can use to create a positive situation. I center my unit on fall farm with pumpkins as the highlighted crop. Of course, Old MacDonald gets his place with the animals as well. We get to learn about the night, moon phases, constellations, and nocturnal animals. You know, bats and owls. All of these things, pumpkins, animals, bats, owls, moon, even chilly weather are all part of God's creation and need teaching in a positive way. In my classroom, The Five Little Pumpkins don't say "there are witches in the air". I take the liberty to change the words to "there's a chill in the air". See, it goes right along with fall, not ghouls. 

The day the school celebrates Halloween, we carve a pumpkin. We measure the height and the circumference before we slice into it. When the pumpkin is opened, my pre-K class does all the yucky faces about the "guts". So. I allow each child to reach in and take out the yucky stuff. They then have to count the seeds. The students choose the shapes we will use to carve the face but we discuss the smile; scary, sad, happy, funny. Here is where we discuss that the pumpkin is like us. Is there yucky stuff in us? Does it make us happy or sad? Are we sometimes angry? How do our feelings affect others? If we take the yucky stuff out and replace it with good things, how do we feel? Do we smile or frown? Are we happy or sad? 

Our conclusion is that when we take out the yucky stuff inside of us, then we smile. Our pumpkin gets a smile as well. We add a candle to our jack-o-lantern because just like us when the yucky stuff is out, our lights shine in our eyes and in our smile. Scholastic has a version of This Little Light of Mine that works well in my secular situation. It shows a girl who helps, takes turns, and shares. Isn't this the way Christians first begin to show others that Jesus has taken out our yucky stuff and replaced it with His Light? Do not our actions speak far louder than our words? 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Hey Kids:

If you carved a pumpkin, I doubt you hid it under a bushel. You probably set it out on the porch or by a haystack or scarecrow. You probably lit a candle for all your neighbors to see. Do you think your neighbors smiled when they saw your pumpkin all lit up? 

Think about ways you can demonstrate Jesus' light. Can you be a helper at school and home and at play with your friends? Can you take turns with your siblings and friends? Can you share your toys with others? You may want to keep a journal of drawings and/or writings of how you felt and how others felt when you let your light shine. 

If I sneaked a peek at your journal, I would probably see a lot of happy faces and stories. Would you allow us the privilege to see a few ways you lighted your world by posting a picture or story?

Blessings,

Gail

The Innocent for the Guilty

The boy's stomach growled. Several of the boys looked his way. Most just looked straight ahead.

When the teacher dismissed the students for lunch, the boy watched as Big Jim left his lunchpail by the steps to play ball. The boy knew stealing was wrong. He also knew Big Jim could squash him in a minute if he got caught. His stomach growled again. Surely it was worth the risk. Besides if Big Jim was hungry he would eat and not play ball. Just this once, no one would know. He grabbed a ham biscuit and scooted behind the school where no one would see.

When Jim came back for lunch, he was surprised there was nothing in his pail. No one ever dared to steal anything at school. Teacher would use that big stick in the corner and whoop a boy good if he was caught stealing. The teacher spied Jim's look of surprise.

"Ma must have forgotten to pack my lunch pail," Jim replied. The teacher rang the bell for the students to resume class.

"Now," said the teacher in a stern voice, "who took Jim's lunch today?"  No one answered. They only looked around the room for the guilty child.

"I took it, sir. I didn't have any lunch and I was powerful hungry, " answered the boy.

"Step up here," replied the teacher as he reached for the stick in the corner.

"Wait." Big Jim jumped from his seat and ran to the front, standing between the boy and the teacher. "Sir, he's awful small to take a whooping. You see how scrawny he is. I know you got to punish someone for the deed so's no one else tries the same, but could you whoop me instead?"

"Yes son, I can." The teacher motioned the boy back to his seat. With tears streaming down his face he gave the licks to Big Jim.

"Can you fix an extra biscuit every day for a friend so he doesn't get a whooping?" Jim asked his ma that evening.

From then on, Big Jim and the boy ate lunch together. The teacher didn't need to use the stick again.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

This is the story the preacher told the night I confessed my sins and took Jesus as my Savior. He's taken care of me ever since. This is my modern day parable. Yes, it's just historical fiction but it worked to touch my heart.

Hey Kids: 

Last week I wrote about Jesus' story of the wise man who built his house upon the Rock. It was a parable the people of the first century understood. With all the floods and hurricanes, it may be one that you understand as well.

Do you have a parable you can share with a friend or family that could make a difference in their life? Ask Jesus what He'd like you to share. We would love for you to share your stories with us.

Blessings,

Gail