Spurgeon for breakfast

The children are now getting a healthy dose of Charles Spurgeon at the breakfast table.

I thought the Prince of Preachers might be a little too advanced for some of them, but they are actually quite attentive. (The food helps!) I even get reminded if we happen to forget.

I’m always looking for ways for us to have corporate study of the Word.  At this stage in my life, independent, quiet study is not realistic most days.  I could turn it into a source of real frustration and blame my children for needing me too much and hindering my relationship with God.  Wow that sounds terrible!  I might as well start requesting some “me-time”!  I’ve been encouraged recently to bring them along in my pursuit of knowing my Redeemer. I shouldn’t go to great lengths to get away from everyone to meet with him.  Serving my family is serving Him, not getting in the way of serving Him!

Studying with your children is no less holy or spiritual than studying alone.  Sure, a lot of the material we use is on a child’s level, (who’s to say I don’t need that, too) but it is also good to give them something to grow into, to ponder.  I love John and Noel Piper’s booklet “The Family: Together in God’s Presence.”

“Not everything children experience has to be put on their level in order to do them good. Some things must be.  But not everything.

For example, to learn a new language you can go step by step from alphabet to vocabulary to grammar to syntax.  Or you can take a course where you dive in over your head, and all you hear is the language you don’t know.  Most language teachers would agree that the latter is by far the most effective.

Sunday worship service is not useless to children just because much of it goes over their heads. They can and will grow into this new language faster than we think-if positive and happy attitudes are fostered by the parents.”

So, today is Spurgeon.  Tomorrow, Baxter and Edwards!

Contentment on the Journey

I”m the kind of woman who likes to know where I’m headed.  I prefer to know far in advance, too.  I like to make plans in my head about what it’s going to be like and what I’m going to do once I get there.  In other words, I find I spend far too much time with my head in the future and far too little enjoying what God has blessed me with today.

Well, my Father has a way of changing me in a very hands-on style.  Sure, all I need for life and Godliness is right there in His Word, and many times His Word and His Spirit are all I need to change.  But for the toughest cases in my life, like patience and contentment, it seems I’m on a lifelong journey.

So now he’s brought me a thousand miles from home, and I still don’t know where I’m going to be this time next year!  A couple of years ago, Kim would have fallen apart if she could have seen where she would be right now.  How scary, how unstable, how alone, how could you possibly plan things for goodness sake!   But oh, He is so faithful!  He changed me!  He knew where I was going to be and he changed me and gave me exactly the right amount of grace and experience I was going to need.  Wow!  I’m getting excited just typing this!  The creator of the universe is sovereign over all the little details of me! I can be content no matter where He takes me!

Knowing this, I can enjoy what’s going on right now.  I don’t have to worry about what piece of land we’re going to buy, or if our savings are going to be enough to buy it, or if we’re really going to be able to bring Josh home to us and still eat regularly.  Today we have enough to eat.  Today my children’s closets are embarrassingly too full.  Today this wonderful rental house is home, and home is the nicest place in the world!

And tomorrow?  It doesn’t matter.  He is there.  And He is getting me ready for it right now.

Oh, He is so good!