Ah...a new computer. A much overdue purchase we recently made. It will no longer take me 15 minutes just to turn the computer on. Needless to say, I'm a happy camper! And hopefully, this means I will do more writing...hopefully...we'll see.
So...kids say the darndest things. If you have kids, or have been around them much at all, then you know this is true. Allow me to share a couple recent Oliverisms...
1. The other day we were talking about consequences. This is something we've been talking about QUITE frequently in our house, as Oliver has randomly decided it's fun to pretend he wears diapers again (even though he's been potty trained since November). I'll spare you the gorey details. Anyway, Oliver asked the question, "Where do consequences come from?" (This is a common question he asks..."Where does _____ come from?" Sheesh, I'm realizing how much I don't know!) I told him that consequences come from God. He disagreed. He said, "No, consequences come from "Shrek!" This one still puzzles me...I have yet to go watch, "Shrek" to see if there is, in fact, any mention of consequences in the movie. I said, "Well, maybe...but really consequences come from God. He talks about it in the Bible." Oliver's response: "No, Mom, consequences come from Shrek and God. Shrek and God." Like they are pals or something. I still chuckle at this when I think about it.
2. Just yesterday, we were praying before Oliver's nap. It's typical that we thank God for the day, pray for good sleep, etc. But yesterday, he was thinking of all sorts of things to "pray" about. It was, perhaps, his way of stalling his nap....but it was pretty cute, nonetheless. Here are a few of the things he said:
Specifically, I want to talk about Easter, since it's right around the corner. If you are a Christian (and maybe even if you're not) you know what the true story of Easter is about. It's not about a giant bunny that delivers baskets of eggs and goodies. Which, by the way, ALL easter bunnies are creepy...I don't know who ever decided that was a good idea. But that's neither here nor there. Easter is the story of Jesus, dying a terrible, gruesome death on the cross, so that he could come to life again 3 days later and ascend back into Heaven, proving He was and is the true Messiah. It's the story of you and me, sinful people, who were provided with forgiveness and redemption all because God loved us so much that he sacrificed his only son.
Torture. Crucifixion. Death. Raising from the dead. Sin. Sacrifice. These are tough things to think about, much less talk to a young child about. It's certainly not the warm and fuzzy story we get to share with our kids at Christmas time....Jesus's Birthday! It's easy to talk about a baby being born. It's not so easy to talk about a man being killed.
But I believe that we do our kids an incredible disservice by withholding this phenomenal story from them. Sure, they may still hear about it. If they're at church on Easter Sunday, they'll hear about it. But they need to hear it from their parents. Don't take your kids to church, hoping that they'll get the gist of the story there, giving you the opportunity to avoid the subject all together. I know it's hard to figure out how exactly to put this into words that they can understand. Believe me, I'm struggling with the same thing. This really is the first year that we will be teaching Oliver, our 3-year old, about what happened on Easter so long ago. And honestly, I'm a little nervous.
Oliver, like any other child, asks, "Why?" Surely, if you have a young child, yours does too. And you may be thinking, what if I don't know the answer? This is an absolutely legit concern. However, God gives us the perfect tool to use: His Word. So let's use it. My plan is, over the next couple weeks, to spend time going through the Easter story with Oliver...reading it directly from the Bible, itself. I challenge you to do the same. Use a version that is more understandable for a child. Not to bash the good ole' King James, but it may not be appropriate here. I suggest the NIrV (New International Readers Version). It's worded specifically for kids. It doesn't water down the message. It just makes it a little easier for them to understand.
Read to them about Jesus getting arrested. Read to them about Jesus being put on trial. Read to them about His death and burial. Read to them about how He rose again. Read about God's amazing love for us. Go over these stories before hand, preparing what you will point out after reading from the Bible. Think about how you can answer the questions your children may ask. Pray that God will give you the words to say, and your children the understanding.
This will take time. But it's important. I'm writing this to myself, just as much as I am writing to you. After all, I told you when I first started this blog, that this is primarily a tool with which to keep myself accountable. Let's not allow another year to go by, deciding to take the easier road. Let's not avoid talking to them about the most important event that took place in the history of the Earth. Consider the long-term investment you are making in the lives of your children. And again, don't underestimate what they can comprehend.
So...kids say the darndest things. If you have kids, or have been around them much at all, then you know this is true. Allow me to share a couple recent Oliverisms...
1. The other day we were talking about consequences. This is something we've been talking about QUITE frequently in our house, as Oliver has randomly decided it's fun to pretend he wears diapers again (even though he's been potty trained since November). I'll spare you the gorey details. Anyway, Oliver asked the question, "Where do consequences come from?" (This is a common question he asks..."Where does _____ come from?" Sheesh, I'm realizing how much I don't know!) I told him that consequences come from God. He disagreed. He said, "No, consequences come from "Shrek!" This one still puzzles me...I have yet to go watch, "Shrek" to see if there is, in fact, any mention of consequences in the movie. I said, "Well, maybe...but really consequences come from God. He talks about it in the Bible." Oliver's response: "No, Mom, consequences come from Shrek and God. Shrek and God." Like they are pals or something. I still chuckle at this when I think about it.
2. Just yesterday, we were praying before Oliver's nap. It's typical that we thank God for the day, pray for good sleep, etc. But yesterday, he was thinking of all sorts of things to "pray" about. It was, perhaps, his way of stalling his nap....but it was pretty cute, nonetheless. Here are a few of the things he said:
- "Thank you, God, that Mommy loves purple flowers."
- "Thank you that Daddy still thinks Mommy is a beautiful princess, even when she's not wearing a dress."
- "Thank you for Mimi and Grandaddy and Grandma and Grandpa. I love them. They love me."
Specifically, I want to talk about Easter, since it's right around the corner. If you are a Christian (and maybe even if you're not) you know what the true story of Easter is about. It's not about a giant bunny that delivers baskets of eggs and goodies. Which, by the way, ALL easter bunnies are creepy...I don't know who ever decided that was a good idea. But that's neither here nor there. Easter is the story of Jesus, dying a terrible, gruesome death on the cross, so that he could come to life again 3 days later and ascend back into Heaven, proving He was and is the true Messiah. It's the story of you and me, sinful people, who were provided with forgiveness and redemption all because God loved us so much that he sacrificed his only son.
Torture. Crucifixion. Death. Raising from the dead. Sin. Sacrifice. These are tough things to think about, much less talk to a young child about. It's certainly not the warm and fuzzy story we get to share with our kids at Christmas time....Jesus's Birthday! It's easy to talk about a baby being born. It's not so easy to talk about a man being killed.
But I believe that we do our kids an incredible disservice by withholding this phenomenal story from them. Sure, they may still hear about it. If they're at church on Easter Sunday, they'll hear about it. But they need to hear it from their parents. Don't take your kids to church, hoping that they'll get the gist of the story there, giving you the opportunity to avoid the subject all together. I know it's hard to figure out how exactly to put this into words that they can understand. Believe me, I'm struggling with the same thing. This really is the first year that we will be teaching Oliver, our 3-year old, about what happened on Easter so long ago. And honestly, I'm a little nervous.
Oliver, like any other child, asks, "Why?" Surely, if you have a young child, yours does too. And you may be thinking, what if I don't know the answer? This is an absolutely legit concern. However, God gives us the perfect tool to use: His Word. So let's use it. My plan is, over the next couple weeks, to spend time going through the Easter story with Oliver...reading it directly from the Bible, itself. I challenge you to do the same. Use a version that is more understandable for a child. Not to bash the good ole' King James, but it may not be appropriate here. I suggest the NIrV (New International Readers Version). It's worded specifically for kids. It doesn't water down the message. It just makes it a little easier for them to understand.
Read to them about Jesus getting arrested. Read to them about Jesus being put on trial. Read to them about His death and burial. Read to them about how He rose again. Read about God's amazing love for us. Go over these stories before hand, preparing what you will point out after reading from the Bible. Think about how you can answer the questions your children may ask. Pray that God will give you the words to say, and your children the understanding.
This will take time. But it's important. I'm writing this to myself, just as much as I am writing to you. After all, I told you when I first started this blog, that this is primarily a tool with which to keep myself accountable. Let's not allow another year to go by, deciding to take the easier road. Let's not avoid talking to them about the most important event that took place in the history of the Earth. Consider the long-term investment you are making in the lives of your children. And again, don't underestimate what they can comprehend.
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