If I tell you everything that jumps out at me I'd be retelling what they've already published. But hear are some random questions:
Do you make time and space for your children to encounter God? How? When? Where? [CM p. 252] Watch and listen to you children: At what point when you have a wonderful experience together (yes, it can even be a "learning" experience) at what point do you find you and/or your children looking up at God (literally or figuratively) full of wonder, adoration, praise, thanks, awe....
Open your eyes. Look. See. Notice when a child or even when you, yourself, are "engaged in [your] own learning." I'm a rookie learning to help with dog obedience classes. One of the hardest things to do is to learn to see. Timing rewards and corrections is critical. Relaxing and having fun is critical, too. But seeing...a good teacher, a good coach, a good trainer is someone who can see. One of the qualities that endears God to me is that I know He sees.
"...[C]hildren are not just part of the church tomorrow. They are part of the church today...children learn as part of a community that is committed to their development." [CM p. 256] When and where are the children around you learning? How are they learning? I don't mean "in the classroom at 10 pm every Sunday morning". I mean the things that they take away and keep doing. The things that surprise you. The things you didn't "teach" them. The things that change how they think and how they act - the things that change them.
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Hi Mom, it's Mindy... I've finally bookmarked your site so I'll be back more often! When I do a search it doesn't come up on its own it comes up referenced on someone else's site. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteThis post (and the next) remind me of the conversation we had a few months back about talking about the scripture with kids and asking what they hear or what they see in what's read, versus worrying about saying the "wrong" thing or not explaining things "correctly" and so not saying much at all, not asking questions and going outside of the text... boxing it in instead of sharing what you understand/believe at the time and allowing that faith and/or your beliefs to be something different at a different/later time in your life.
I may have taken it out of context somewhat (and have definately rambled it out into one very long sentence :-) but wanted to say hello and not forget the thought before we talk next. I'm going to take my back slashes and quotes to bed now! (Love to you)