Journaling with Children-it's the little things that produce big results

I started journaling with the kids the other night. I bought my four older girls those 10cent notebooks when the stores do those back to school specials. And my youngest, Micah, I bought him the journal with space at the top for drawing a picture and lines below for writing. We've only been doing it a few days now but it has been fun and rewarding. Micah and I draw pictures to each other and I write him a short sentece as a note. The other night he secretly asked his sister's for help to spell words for his little sentence back to me.

He wrote: I (heart symbol colored in pink) you. It was very sweet.

I'm getting a chance to write little notes back and forth to each of my kids. I'm always curious to what they write back or how they perceive this "exercise". I don't correct spelling, grammar, or punctuation. It is merely for the practice of putting words to paper. My Annaliese, 8 years old, really looks foward to it. It's like passing notes in school but you don't get caught by the teacher. Instead the teacher is the one who started it. I've noticed in one of my children that she can share her personal thoughts better on paper than in coversations, she has a hard time finding the right words when talking. And that's okay. She will learn and grow and this keeps it easy and free for her to talk about things. With another child it was neat to see the Holy Spirit working in her, convicting her of wrong doing. She took the time in her note the other day to apologize for her behavior. So it's those little things, the fun things, that often touch the heart of a child and produce big results.

A Devotional Thought

In the previous post, I mentioned a book I just started reading. I found an interesting Bible verse mentioned, Hebrews 10:31 - "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" quoted from pg 18 in Arthur's Just book. That verse had never stuck out in my mind before but I see that as fearful but also comforting at the same time. Yes, we should be fearful of the true God, the one who holds the power to lift up or destroy, who allows us to keep breathing day after day but I also find comfort there. Comfort in knowing that the same God can calm the "storms" that are thrown at us, who can hold us in the palm of his hand and carry us on his shoulders- the gentle Shepherd of our souls.

Heaven on Earth - a Good Read!

I happen to stumble upon a Lutheran blog site and found this book today. I asked my pastoral husband if he owned it and sure enough he did. I really had no doubts about that one. I typically pick up a book based on the title, I don't know why I do this but if the title intrigues me then often I will glance through the book or even read it. This title did just that. It peaked my curiosity.

The author, Arthur A. Just Jr., has done well to keep the book easy to read and understand for those who sit in the pew and did not attend "seminary" classes. I'm only into the first 18 pages but I feel this book is worth the reading. In the introduction, he hit the nail on the head - living in a world that has forgotten the story - the story of redemption. "HIS-tory" - God's story as revealed to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Another thing I appreciate about this book is how it ties you back to the Old Testament. There is so much there in the Jewish culture that helps us understand worshiping God. I happen to be one who loves the symbolism found in the Old Testament, the foreshadowing, the "types" that point us to Christ.

This is so far a good read!

Perspective

I recently had the opportunity to go with my husband and visit a member's daughter who was diagnosed with cancer. I don't usually make hospital visits with my hubby but this time I felt compelled to go. Upon arriving I was surprised to find a room full of people, almost a party. They were all in good spirits and hopeful that their daughter would survive. I didn't feel it made much difference for me to go on this hospital visit but I am told that sometimes just being there is what is needed. The whole experience from the first phone call announcing this family's crisis to the continuing of chemo treatments give us new perspective on our lives here on this earth. I can't begin to imagine what this family is going through, what the mom is going through. My heart breaks for them. We have many things that we complain about here in rural Wisconsin. My own heart longs to be in a different place. But for now God is using us in this family's lives and in the lives of others in our church. Although I am not always happy about my husband's calling to be a pastor it is an important work. Life has a way of putting things into perspective for us, letting us see a glimpse of how fragile life can be. Even though I wish for us to be in "suburbia", our frustrations are minor compared to life threatening illnesses. I can be thankful that my children are healthy and that God is in the midst of it all.