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Deuteronomy 11:18-21, what do you do?

post #1 of 12
Thread Starter 
Hi there.

I am a christian mama that wants to infuse the love of God and all that he is to her little three year old as she grows. I want her to know that this world is not about things and etc...but about God and serving him and doing his will. And so, I ponder Deut. 11:18-21.

"18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."

Aside from reading, praying and living by example....what are some practical ways you apply this scripture in your home? What are some ways and things that you do each day to infuse your children with the love and knowledge of Christ?

Looking forward to hearing your ideas.

J.
post #2 of 12
We talk about God and Jesus a lot - "Look at the pretty colors on the trees - God is amazing!". We sing songs. With the Christmas season approaching, I find it easy to talk about Christ's birth, and how Jesus was a baby (dd loves that).

With my older boys, when we talk about science and the world around us God sometimes comes into the discussions. I must admit, I'm better at it with my dd than the older kids!
post #3 of 12
Hey! Great thread! I'm really looking forward to reading other practical suggestions as well!

I try (with my 3yo dd) to be a verbal example. Meaning, that as I make choices that reflect my Christianity throughout the day, I try to frequently (not always...I don't want to make it boring or unreal) to briefly say why I'm doing it. Like, "Jesus said that when we love someone, we're loving him, so let's take this casserole to so and so's house." Or, "God loves me and wants what is best for me, so even though I WANT to do x, I'm going to listen to God (insert verse) and do what HE says, because I know he loves me." And, I also tell stories about answered prayers. Maybe when she's really scared about something I'll tell a story about when I was scared and chose to trust God and I prayed and the positive outcome. I do try to stress that what I want may not be what God wants, so I need to pay attention to HIS will and not mine...which means the answer to my prayer may be unexpected or just plain not what I wanted. Oh, and often, when she asks me to tell her a story, I tell her about a Bible character. I don't wwant Bible things to be segregated to a church building, or Bible class. So, I talk about them casually, all the time, and I talk about Paul the same way I do Abe Lincoln. I also give her the Biblical cause of things around her. People get sick and die because Eve messed up and didn't do what God said. The world is a mess now, but it's okay because God still loves us and if we do what he says then we can be in the perfect Heaven with him when we die. Or, again (not to pick on Eve, here ), we have to work so hard pulling up the weeds in the garden, and hauling water (and praying for rain) because Adam and Eve messed up. God didn't make it that way. Etc. Etc.

I've also discovered that with 2 (and a third on the way), I just don't have much time for individual study or meditation. So, I instituted "Bible Time" at our house. Just after breakfast, and we're dressed and the house is generally tidied for the day, and the kids have burned off a bit of that early morning energy, I say, "Bible Time!" and they both run for the couch. I have toddler Bibles for them, and they look through their Bible while I read aloud one chapter of mine. (I usually read the chapter that we are studying on Sunday mornings, and I read it everyday for the whole week.) Reading it aloud lets me think about it without any distraction from their chatter, and reading it everyday means it's on my mind and I can meditate on it without much effort as I go about my day. Looking at their Bibles keeps them quiet, too...and I kinda use this time as an opportunity to help them learn how to "be still" for Sundays, too. Anyway, after I read the one chapter, I read another small section that we're working on memorizing. (Right now it's Psalm 100). Then, I read one story (whatever he wants) from ds's Bible, and then one (again, her choice) from dd's Bible. Then we might sing a bit, but not always.

I'd read somewhere (Ruth Beechick?) that the KJV, while having more difficult language, is actually much easier to memorize because when they translated it, they payed specific attention to meter and cadence. Therefore, the flow is easier to retain than the easier language of the NIV or ASV or whatever. She also recommends that instead of setting out to memorize a certain thing by just saying it over and over, instead, expose it over and over. Eventually, you've heard it so many times, you can recite it without effort...and it is truly "written on your heart." That's been true for dd thus far, and while it seems a little slower, the process is painless and the learning deeper. And that goes for things that aren't Biblical as well.

Other verses we quote a lot are of Christian character. ("A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger." Or, "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." or "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." Etc.)

Another thing I've been pondering a lot with dd is that everywhere I go (homeschooling circles, more conservitive Christians, etc.), the emphasis for girls is very much on being a wife and mother and staying home. Which is great...I know many disagree, but I do think that's the best place for women, and God ordained. But...I'm watching a lot of floudering teenage girls (mostly homeschooled, but not all) who are just "waiting" for Mr. Godly, so they can get married and have babies. School isn't all that important for them, though they dutifully do what their parents give them, and it seems they have very few real interests or intrinsic drives. The more I watch and think about this, it really bothers me. Certainly we should teach our children (boys and girls) to embrace the roles God has ordained for them, but it seems something is missing in the overall picture. I've landed on this. I'm no longer encouraging dd to be a stay at home wife/mom. I'm holding that up as the ideal...how good it is for children and marriages, and what they Bible has to say to mothers and married women. But, I'm encouraging HER to seek God's calling as an individual. Then, she will be prepared to truly be an interesting helpmeet to her husband, SHOULD she be called to marry. Otherwise, she is still fulfilling her role as a servant of God, and "redeeming the time wisely". I heard someone say that "you shouldn't get married unless you are certain that you can be of greater service to God as a couple than you can be as an individual." Not that the girls I mentioned before aren't using their time wisely, many of them are learning to sew, cook, etc, but I wonder if there may be more for them? I realized that it was because of my deepest interests and goals that I am now prepared to be an understanding wife to my husband. If I had not had the experiences I did...I wouldn't have nearly the foundation I do know, if that makes sense.

Anyway, there's my lengthy 2 cents...
post #4 of 12
For us, homeschooling is a big help. I feel like I have time to do all that Biblical teaching that I wouldn't have if they were in school. We cover Bible as a subject in our homeschooling and dh also reads it to them before bed.
post #5 of 12
We talk about Jesus and God a lot through the day. DS asks questions and I ask him questions to find out what he thinks and has learned. And also, we learn bible verses together. We have a great little book for young children. It has A-Z verses. So he learns his letters, too. It makes it really exciting for him. The A verse is "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each one to his own way." We don't do verses on any kind of a schedule or anything. I just bring it up occasionally "Would you like to learn a verse today?" And he either says yes or no. I don't push it, so it stays fun. He usually wants to learn the verse, though. Anyway, you can get the book from www.scripturememoryfellowship.org I cannot remember what it's called and can't find it right now, but it's easy to find on the site - it's a really small site.
post #6 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by phathui5 View Post
For us, homeschooling is a big help. I feel like I have time to do all that Biblical teaching that I wouldn't have if they were in school. We cover Bible as a subject in our homeschooling and dh also reads it to them before bed.
: We do daily Bible and catechism lessons. It's been a big help in daily incorporating our faith. :
post #7 of 12
we're working on bringing scriptute memorization into our daily life. but other than that God/christianity is a huge part of our lives. our lives revolve around it. we homeschool so that certainly helps. if they we're in lublic school 6 or 8 hrs a day it would make it a whole lot harder for us to raise them in this way.

we don't seperate God stuff from real life stuff. meaning we don't have "talk about God time". we talk about God all through out our daily life mixed in with other things....
post #8 of 12
Just shooting off some of the things we do in our home:

- Pray many times throughout the day - formally and informally. Individual and family prayer is an important part of our day. The children hear (and eventually want to pray themselves) us being grateful and thankful for all we have and know that it comes from God, not our own efforts.
- Read scriptures
- Listen to uplifting music - many hymns and Church songs
- Read uplifting books with messages of Christ
- Serve others - that might be members of our own family, Church members, or community members.
- When conflicts occur among children we emphasis the family/community is important. We discuss how Christ shows us how to behave.
post #9 of 12
:
post #10 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by HennyPenny View Post
we don't seperate God stuff from real life stuff. meaning we don't have "talk about God time". we talk about God all through out our daily life mixed in with other things....
i agree, my husband and i are still TTC but we have a 2 yo brother(adopted) and whenever we babysit him or take him out we incorporate god into what we are doing.(my in laws are also religious so we are not undermining anything just supporting)
we also have pictures of christ in our home. not just crusifixtion, but him with children ect; it encourages them to ask questions and tie christ to everyday things as well as the atonement/sacrifice.
post #11 of 12
post #12 of 12
Since we are Orthodox we have a lot of physical reminders. We wear crosses that remind us of our baptism and Chriosmation. They were blessed in the baptismal waters and our hands touch them every time we make the sign of the cross. we have Icons up all over our house. the lives they represent remind of Gods goodness and faithfulness as well as reminding us to live holy lives and the very real way those people lived holy lives. We also fast regularly which forces us to move God into even the most mundane of our daily tasks.
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