Big Truths for Young Hearts

Below are the three parts to Family Life's interview with Bruce Ware about his new book, Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God:

Introducing Your Child to God
Are you helping your children know God? Bruce Ware, professor of Christian theology at Southern Baptist Seminary, urges parents to use the ordinary moments of life to introduce their children to God and grow disciples in the faith.

Sandbox Theology
Do your children sense God's awesome power? Professor Bruce Ware, author of Big Truths for Young Hearts, encourages parents to use God's wonderful Creation and other everyday examples to give their children a sense of awe at the thought of God.

Helping Your Child Understand the Holy Spirit
How, and what, do you teach your children about the Holy Spirit? Today Professor Bruce Ware helps equip parents to teach their children about the Holy Spirit in terms that even boys and girls can understand.


We just got ours in the mail today and I have already read most of the first chapter. It's an excellent tool for parents. Can't wait for our family worship tomorrow night!

Tonya

answered

God granted our request. We have been watching on Craig's List for an older swing set to use while we are here. (obviously we weren't able to bring ours along) Several swing sets had been posted for free pickup but every time we would respond to the ad, we were too late. Understandable. Who wouldn't want a free swing set? So we kept the list up on the computer and kept refreshing it over the next few days and prayed that God would grant our request and give us a swing set or help us to be content without one. We did get one and even though it's quite old, the children are enjoying it so much. It's neat to see a direct answer to prayer sitting in our back yard!


trying out the slide


Grazzin enjoys putting things together


everyone wanted to help


swinging is one of Mia's favorite things


Kaci tried out a big kid swing for the first time and loved it


notice the coats .. lovely New England spring weather?


Kaci tried her hardest to push Mia around


so excited to have a bar to do flips on


our little carpenter


Lots of hours will be spent in our back yard now!
Tonya

Trivia Question

What's different about Kaci? A big shout out to the first person who has the correct answer! I might need to add a hint: This has been Kaci's look for the past four days straight. (Hope that helps!)

3:05 pm Update: Greta won!! See comments!



Tonya

big problem

We just discovered that our house has no air conditioning!
It's 83 degrees inside. God is sovereign .. God is sovereign..

Tonya

happy friday

Mia is the clown of our family!

Tonya

What Is My Greatest Marriage Problem?

ME!

“Let me give you a Biblical view of marriage. Here it is: It’s a flawed person married to a flawed person in a fallen world but with a faithful God.” Paul Tripp

Paul Tripp has a conference DVD out on marriage: What Did You Expect?
Publisher's Description: It won't take long for you to realize that your marriage hasn't escaped the reality of sin or the brokenness of the world. It's what you do next that will make all the difference in the world in the character and quality of your marriage. The key to marital unity and love is not romance, rather, it is worship. It is only when I worship God as Creator, Sovereign, and Savior that I will ever love as I should.





I would encourage you to watch this marriage DVD with your spouse. And for those of you who are single, it's a must before you begin dating! WTS Books also has some bonus videos with short answers by Tripp to some important questions. Watch here.

Read an interview with Paul Tripp on marriage here.

Tonya

finger paint

Mia enjoys all kinds of activities during our school day. Today we tried some homemade finger paint. It turned out great and she created a masterpiece! Kaci got in on the fun and kept herself relatively clean. Who would've thought?


Here's the recipe:
Mix 1/4 cup cornstarch with 2 cups cold water.
Bring to a boil.
Let cool, then pour into paper or plastic cups and add food coloring.


Yes, it's that easy. Happy painting!

Tonya

buds

We finally have spring in Massachusetts!

Tonya

Happy Birthday, Reece!

Today Reece turns six! Happy Birthday from your cousins. We hope you have a great day and a fun party. We miss you a lot.







Tonya
(image courtsey of smitenandcompany)

Pig in the Toilet

Taj loves to pick on Mia and mess with her toys while she is playing. Mia "claims" she doesn't like it but we can all tell that she enjoys it very much. Yesterday, Mia found this in her dollhouse:


Everyone knew who the culprit was!
Tonya

baby dolls

Our girls love dolls! They carry them around, dress them, push them in strollers, talk to them, feed them, and of course, take lots of pictures with them. One of them usually has a baby in her arms. It's so cute to watch them be little mommies. It is also a humbling reminder that my girls "parent their dolls" in the same way they see me parent them. My prayer is that they will see Christ through me so they will learn to love Him above all things.

happy

The Power of the Cross by the Gettys

(Note: We are not endorsing the prayer line shown on the video!)

Easter Fun

The focus of Easter is remembering Christ's death and resurrection from the grave. Because of Christ's sacrificial death, we can have forgiveness for sin. We have been studying that all week and have been working through the Easter story from Scripture. Our children learn that the Easter bunny is not real and that eggs have no connection to the story of Christ! (But we still let them color some for fun.) I think Kaci really enjoyed her egg!

Easter Story with Playdough

Here's a link to make a great Easter illustration with your kids!

Click here.

Our Field Trip

Ever met a horologist? If you have, then you know where we went on our field trip today!

Our friends from church have a clock repair shop in their home and were very kind to have us over, explain their profession to Grazzin, and show us around their shop.


Here are some of the repaired clocks, ready to go home


Explaining the process to Grazzin


lots of tools are needed




Mia enjoyed the tour!


Demonstrating the different clock chimes


The insides of a grandfather clock


Thanks to the Paulsons for a great field trip. We all learned a lot!

In case you are curious, horology is the art or science of measuring time. People interested in horology are called horologists. That term is used by people who deal professionally with timekeeping apparatus (watchmakers, clockmakers).

How often are we guilty of this?

James 3
3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Wisdom from Above

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Taj

Kaci's Crash

Kaci fell in the fellowship hall at our church last night. Ouch! She cried and cried right when it happened but it hasn't seemed to bother her this morning. We are glad that she is going to be fine!

Tonya

New Product from Doorposts

The Put On Chart

"Does anyone in your household ever have trouble being patient? How about compassionate? Or forgiving? As much as we love the members of our own family, it seems like home is where our ability to truly love is put to the greatest test.

Like we have for almost 20 years now, we at Doorposts have turned to Scripture for answers. Our new chart, “The Put-On Chart,” and its companion study book are designed to help your family “put on” the character qualities of God’s children. Based on Colossians 3:12-14, it leads you in studying what the Bible says about compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness and love.

The illustrated chart associates each quality with a piece of clothing, providing object lessons that help younger children understand how they can put on this quality. Specific Bible verses and suggested actions encourage immediate application.

Visit our website to learn more about “The Put-On Chart" and view sample pages. Place your order before April 13 and receive $2.00 off as an introductory discount!"
Click here.

I plan to order one today. They have great resources to use in training your children.

Tonya

Here are two of their products that we have and highly reccommend:


Polished Cornerstones for Girls
Click here for more info


Plants Grown Up for Boys

Click here for more info

Putting Your Husband Over Your Children

How do we as mothers of young children put our husbands first? My favorite blog, Girl Talk, just talked about this very issue last week. They can say it so much better than myself so click here!

And to follow the previous post, read here to finish the article.

Our role as women should be to serve:
1. God
2. Our husband
3. Our children

(in THAT order)

Tonya

new socks

Mia has been longing for the day when she could buy some short socks like her big brother. The time finally came! She was so proud of them and even rearranged her sock drawer to make room for her new purchase. It was so cute! Oh, that the simple things in life would always be a delight!

Tonya