Digging through Daniel

At the end of my kitchen table, an old friend sat with her 3 year old daughter.  It was breakfast time and the little one picked at her food.  Her mom turned to the next page in a  book of animal stories from the Bible, a hand-me-down from our years abroad.  After reading several stories, my friend pulled out a book of virtues and reminded her little girl of yesterday's misbehavior and today's practical ways to show God's character.  

Does three seem young to you for daily Bible study and application?  Does vacation seem like an odd time to be focused on helping a little one come to know God?  Or like me do you see here the pattern of a life of service and discipline being laid down?  


Over the time that we have been blogging, Melissa and I have thought and wrote a lot about the best ways for Moms to help their kids grow in faith.  We have blogged about curriculum that public school parents could use after school, about how to help the 'tweens and teens in our life grow, and how we struggle as moms.   And many times we've tweaked our own efforts to study with our children as they (or we) have grown.  

This summer, having slacked off with my oldest through the year of public schooling, I was determined that all three of us girls would be getting in some Bible study this summer.  

However it wasn't until our visitors arrived from down South that a breath of fresh spiritual air blew into our house.  Listening to the devotionals from that familiar children's book, watching my 7 year old curl up beside them and enjoy the Bible stories too, sensing the interest as my oldest listened to the adults discussing some piece of deeper theology, it all reminded me how wonderful it is to have a house where God's word overflows.   Or as the Psalmist puts it.

      I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
            As much as in all riches.

      I will meditate on Your precepts
            And regard Your ways.

      I shall delight in Your statutes;
            I shall not forget Your word. (Psalm 119:14-16)

This summer my daughters and I have been digging through the book of Daniel. I had forgotten how once you dig past the technicolor children's stories there are powerful lessons in prayer, courage, arrogance, and blasphemy as well as lessons in how a person of faith lives and works in a faithless world.  

I knew it was time to come back to blogging, just like I knew it was time to come back to morning devotionals.  And so as I was casting about for the best thing to write about, I thought perhaps you could use some encouragement or even help to focus your children's minds on God's word.  

Whether you do devotionals each morning after breakfast, only on weekends when the kids don't have to get up early and go to school, or each evening as bedtime rolls around, I encourage you to make God a part of your home life.  Don't let your children imagine God in a "Sunday box" unable to reach out and touch their Monday to Friday world!  

Join us for the next couple of months as we delve into Daniel and his relation to us and our children's world.  And if you get a chance leaves us a comment and let us know what your family does to delight in the scriptures!