2006 at 10:43 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
Filed under
Fun Stuff Friday Funnies
Hope y’all get a laugh out of this week’s Friday Funny from Karen. Why not read a good book this holiday weekend?
See you Monday,
Nicole
for Carolyn, Kristin, and Janelle
"I taught Art in our Christian school. First and second grade were together. My son Ethan was in the second grade. As I’m sitting at the table talking to them, one of the first graders goes into a long rambling story, very hard to follow. When he was done, my son turns to me and whispers, ‘that’s 2 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.’ I have to admit I was thinking the same thing!"
2006 at 2:12 pm | by Carolyn Mahaney
Filed under
Biblical Womanhood Reading
Surely we’d all agree—reading is a good thing. Yet many of us despair that we don’t have time to read. But is that true?
Well, if I may be so bold, I would propose that our problem is not a lack of time for reading, but a lack of planning. And here is my justification for such an assertion. Two separate authors have recommended reading plans that I think even the busiest person would have to say, “I can do that.”
Donald Whitney encourages busy people to “find the time to read one page of a book each day.” He expands:
“It might mean sneaking a page during a visit to the bathroom, sitting in the car an extra two minutes at the end of the morning or evening commute, or standing by the bed to read a moment before crashing into the pillow at night. By reading one page per day you can read 365 pages in a year, or the equivalent of two full-length books. That may not sound like much, but it’s far better than not reading at all.”
John Piper lets us in on his findings:
“One of the most helpful discoveries I have made is how much can be read in disciplined blocks of twenty minutes a day. Suppose that you read slowly, say about 250 words a minute (as I do). This means that in twenty minutes you can read about five thousand words. An average book has about four hundred words to a page. So you could read about twelve-and-a-half pages in twenty minutes. Suppose you discipline yourself to read a certain author or topic twenty minutes a day, six days a week, for a year. That would be 312 times 12.5 pages for a total of 3,900 pages. Assume that an average book is 250 pages long. This means you could read fifteen books like that in one year.”
Reading one page a day or reading 20 minutes a day. Now that’s a plan anyone can do! Wouldn’t you agree?
2006 at 12:42 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
Filed under
Biblical Womanhood Reading
Mike came home from work the other day with something I just have to tell y’all about. It looked like a thick journal. It was black and had an elastic strap to hold it closed. He opened it to show me, and it was a Bible! Crossway, the publisher that brings us the English Standard Version, has created a “Journaling Bible.” This edition actually has lines in the margins where you can write. It is perfect for the 45% of you “underlined with notes” people.
The Crossway website gives this description, “The Journaling Bible™ is a unique format with wide margins and ruled lines designed for writing prayers, observations, sermon notes, and personal reflections. It also includes a one-year Bible reading plan.”
Mike has come up with a unique plan for his Journaling Bible. He wants to fill the margins with his own reflections and pass it along to Caly someday. I can’t imagine a better gift for my little girl!
2006 at 10:13 am | by Nicole Whitacre
Filed under
Biblical Womanhood Reading
I am going to wager a guess that the 22 percent of “nappers” from yesterday’s poll is made up of college students, over-worked career women, and moms with young kids. During those stretches when life is mostly about surviving to the next nap, books (that you haven’t been assigned) can quickly start collecting dust.
But there is one book we cannot afford to lay aside—that greatest of all books, The Bible. When we talk about reading, there are really two categories: the Bible, and everything else. While the great works of men certainly reflect our Lord’s creativity, the Bible contains the very Words of God. Wow. That’s why the psalmist appropriately gushes, “More to be desired are they than gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).
And that’s why Horatius Bonar warns: “See that your relish for the Bible be above every other enjoyment, and the moment you begin to feel greater relish for any other book, lay it down till you have sought deliverance from such a snare, and obtained from the Holy Spirit an intenser relish, a keener appetite for the Word of God (Jer 15:16).”
Yesterday we received a sweet email about a woman with a keen appetite for the Word of God. Jayne writes that, “My Dad’s favorite memory of his mother is of her kneading bread on the kitchen counter with her Bible open, dusted by the flour. She had 11 children and made all the family bread from scratch each day. Money was in very short supply but her love of the Word was plentiful. Working within her limitations of strength, time & duty, she found a way to fill her days with reading the Word.”
Similarly, Donald Whitney points to the example of another woman whose “longings for the things of God reached as high as ever” even when “her time and energy had new and severe limits.”
So if you find yourself living between naps, and your relish for God’s Word has diminished, then pray as the Psalmist did: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). Then dust off your Bible and read.
2006 at 11:02 am | by Janelle Bradshaw
Filed under
Biblical Womanhood Reading
It’s been raining for days now. Not a normal experience for us Marylanders. Although the sun has finally come out this morning, all this soggyness makes me want to curl up on the warm, dry couch with a good book. Add some hot tea, and it’s perfect.
I pitched the idea of some reading time to Caly, but I didn’t receive the answer I was hoping for. The rain doesn’t seem to have the same effect on her as on me. She is still looking for some undivided attention. The good book and tea will have to wait until she is in bed for the night…and the dishes are washed…the house straightened…Mikey’s shirts ironed….
With the busyness of life, reading is hard to squeeze in. And it’s easy to lose sight of its importance. But it is important. I love the way John Piper puts it: “If you want to stay alive to what is great and glorious and beautiful and eternal, you will have to fight for time to look through the eyes of others who were in touch with God.” This requires reading and reading requires effort. But this effort yields beautiful rewards.
So, welcome to reading week here at girltalk. We are gonna chat about this delightful pastime for the next few days. And I thought it would be fun to start off with a little survey. We want to learn about the reading interests of our readers. So Nicole (the girltalk technical director) has set one up on the sidebar. Simply read the question and select the option that best describes your reading habits. We’ll post the results and take a new poll tomorrow.
2006 at 3:00 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
Filed under
Biblical Womanhood Suffering
A young mom in our church recently learned that her unborn baby has a serious neural tube defect known as Anencephaly. Barring a miracle, the baby has no chance of survival outside her womb.
The following are some recent ponderings she has graciously allowed us to post. Her extraordinary faith and eternal perspective will surely turn our eyes heavenward. Together with her, we long for the day when "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
We found out at our last doctor’s appointment that we are having a baby boy! No names as of yet, but we will keep you posted. C was very active in the womb, but nothing compared to this little fellow. As I lie awake at night from his fierce kicks, elbows and jabs, I imagine that he is going to be strong. I imagine that just like his big brother he is going to love to dance and run and kick the ball. I love to imagine him running, unlike C constrained by mama’s words of, ‘no street, son,’ or ‘hold mama’s hand,’ or the fence in our backyard, I picture him running in fields so vast and beautiful—beyond my imagination. Colors so vibrant and alive, too beautiful for my meager mind to comprehend. I picture him dancing to a melody never heard before by C or me. A melody so sweet, so fragrant, so amazing, breathing life into his soul. I imagine his smile (will he have a dimple like his brother?), will his eyes glisten, be blue?!? I imagine him worshiping and dancing from day one, something that has taken C a year to figure out…this little one will be doing from the very beginning. I imagine the day when I will be able to dance hand in hand with my son… not on his wedding day…but on a day more glorious and more special…the day when we will both be face to face with our Savior!
It breaks my heart to imagine how frail and weak my little boy is now within the womb. But when he kicks me with such strength, I am reminded how in only a few short months he will be made new…no deformities, no weakness!!! I imagine how the Lord is going to use my son’s strength for his glory and his purposes in Heaven. What even brings me more delight is to know that the strength of the Lord truly is going to be his delight each and every day. How precious these moments are for me as a mommy, to feel my son within me. My love for my new son grows stronger with each and every kick. I know that far too soon I will long for these days again (as hard as some of them have physically been). I am blessed with this time now that he is in my womb, for I know until ‘that day’ comes when I will see him again, this is my time with my precious little boy! Please pray that I cherish each and every one.
2006 at 12:22 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
Filed under
Biblical Womanhood Living Intentionally Motherhood Teenagers
Congrats to all of you who graduated this month!
Every May our youth ministry has “Senior Challenge Night.” On this evening the graduating seniors get a chance to publicly address their underclassmen. They get five minutes to challenge them to live their high school years for the Lord. A few of these seniors addressed the Covenant Life Church congregation and we have included their words here.
Parents, you may want to consider using these with your teens. But you don’t have to be anywhere near high school to benefit from these truths.
Stacey
So many people today have categorized ‘teenage years’ as ones distinguished by rebellion and foolishness; characterized as a time to ‘find yourself,’ a time when a young person can only associate with their peers, a time of understandable disobedience of authorities, a time where we are incapable of responsibility and a time where being friends with your parents is just downright weird. This is clearly not the way that God characterizes our teenage years in the Bible. Read more.
Brett
If you were to ask me: ‘what has been your most significant means of grace over your high school years?’ I would say, without hesitating, that my parents have been the greatest means of grace in my life. Read more.
Timi
Deceitfulness is a trap that is very easy for teens to fall into, and it is this very trap that I fell into in my teen years. Read more.
Hannah
Aside from our salvation, this church is one of the greatest blessings that God has given us, and I believe that it is only right to give thanks to Him for it. One of the things that He has been showing me over my past four years of high school is not to take the church for granted.Read more.
David
There exists a temptation for all of us, and especially us youth, to allow the phrase. ‘living in light of eternity’ to become a cliché. I want to ask all the youth a question: What could be more important than being ready for the moment you die, the moment that mist disappears? Read more.
2006 at 9:10 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
Filed under
Fun Stuff Friday Funnies
Having just finished a pile of dinner dishes, this Friday Funnies from Shannon hits close to home.
"While visiting my sister, I was talking with my niece, Cosette, and nephew, Mark, ages 8 and 5. They started singing the Bob the Builder song (if you have small children, then you should know what I’m talking about). They started making up a song about themselves. Cosette started singing ‘Cosette the singer…can she sing it? Yes she can!’ and Mark started singing ‘Mark the pizza maker…can he make it? Yes he can!’ (he wants to be a pizza maker when he grows up). Then I asked what we could sing about mommy…they both jumped up excitedly and started singing…‘Mommy the dishwasher…can she wash it? Yes she can!’ I about died laughing!"
We’ll be back on Monday!
Janelle
for Carolyn, Nicole, and Kristin
2006 at 9:01 am | by Carolyn Mahaney
Filed under
Motherhood Young Children
As we draw this series to a close, we want to leave you with a few thoughts:
-A schedule is meant to serve, not rule. When it doesn’t serve, dismiss it. Lay it aside and pick it back up later.
-A schedule must be exercised in dependence upon God. It can greatly enhance our mothering, but it can never eliminate our need for God’s help.
-A schedule should be implemented humbly. We must avoid being self-righteous and judgmental in our communication about mothering practices. We must also avoid sinfully judging other women that they are being self-righteous and judgmental. In many cases they may simply be trying to help.
-A schedule is optional. You can certainly glorify God and be an effective mother without a schedule.
-A schedule is not the most important thing about us. Remember D.A. Carson’s admonition:
“So many Christians today identify themselves with some ‘single issue’ (a concept drawn from politics) other than the cross, other than the gospel. It is not that they deny the gospel. If pressed, they will emphatically endorse it. But their point of self-identification, the focus of their minds and hearts, what occupies their interest and energy is something else” (The Cross and Christian Ministry, p. 63).”
The gospel—and not a schedule—should always be what we’re most passionate about. And this is not a suggestion.
2006 at 10:24 am | by Carolyn Mahaney
Filed under
Motherhood Young Children
At the beginning of every school year and at the start of every summer holiday, I create a new schedule for Chad. Then I sit down with him and fully explain the new plan, answer all his questions, and consider any reasonable requests for modification. The schedule is ready to go. Almost. For I’ve learned that what looks good on paper doesn’t always work in real life. Some fine-tuning is required before the schedule starts to work efficiently.
“Efficiently” typically only lasts for a couple of weeks, before more conversation is needed. The schedule is tweaked where necessary and we’re back on track. Just when things are running smoothly a holiday or vacation arrives and wipes out the schedule completely. We’re back to square one.
So you may be wondering: Is a schedule really worth all the time and effort?
Yes! For many reasons. But perhaps most importantly, it cuts down on nagging. It prods on my behalf. The schedule tells Chad exactly what he needs to do, when he needs to do it, and how long it should take to complete. As the mother of a teenage son, anything that minimizes continual reminders and non-stop commands is well worth the effort. For less nagging means there is more time for laughter, affection and special mother-son conversations.
So, instead of constant nagging, let your schedule do the talking. By now, I hope you know that it’s just a suggestion.
2006 at 11:19 am | by Nicole Whitacre
Filed under
Motherhood Young Children
Wouldn’t you just love to have coffee with a few experienced moms who could answer all your questions about putting your children on a schedule? While we wish we could set that up for each one of you, of course that isn’t possible. But we think we’ve got the next best thing. We’ve asked a few moms to share how scheduling has worked for them, and we want to post their thoughts here for your benefit. So why not ask your husband for an hour at Starbucks and “take” these ladies with you! (Meet them here, here, and here.)
Each of these three women have multiple children and years of experience with scheduling. Most importantly, their lives, marriages, and children are bearing fruit and bringing glory to the Savior.
To serve you best, we asked these women to get as specific as possible. But as we’ve said before, please consult your doctor before putting an infant on a schedule. And of course, these kind women would like you to know that their schedule is just a suggestion.
2006 at 9:44 am | by Nicole Whitacre
You know what today is? It’s our birthday. One year ago today we put up our first post (it only took us twenty hours or so). Actually, it was barely over a year ago that we learned what a blog was. It might be fun to give this a try, we thought.
We never expected all of you to show up at Mom’s kitchen table. We’re even more surprised you stuck with us for this long. But we’re so glad you did. And today we want to say thank you.
Thank you for being a part of our lives this past year.
Thank you for going on vacation with us and trying out our recipes.
Thank you for rejoicing with Mike and Janelle at the birth of Baby Caly.
Thank you for laughing on Fridays.
Thank you for joining the 5:00 club.
Thank you for cheering Kristin on in the middle of motherhood.
Thank you for considering courtship.
Thank you for writing beautiful and fitting tributes to your moms.
Thank you for praying for Carolyn in busy seasons.
Thank you for following the Savior by dressing modestly.
Thank you for entering our contests.
Thank you for comforting and encouraging Nicole.
Thank you for asking questions.
Thank you for sending us your emails. We’ve read and treasured every one.
Thank you for holding fast to the gospel.
Our prayer for this blog is one we’ve adapted from Philip Doddridge (a Puritan who never would have imagined it being used in this context!)
“However weak and contemptible this blog may seem in the eyes of the children of this world, and however imperfect it really be, may it nevertheless live before thee; and through a divine power, be mighty to produce the rise and progress of the gospel.”
Lord willing, here’s to many more conversations at our kitchen table.
Carolyn, Nicole, Kristin, and Janelle
2006 at 9:35 am | by Kristin Chesemore
Filed under
Motherhood Young Children
Andrew just finished kindergarten! Actually, I feel like I just finished kindergarten or Homeschool 101. The fact that Andrew can now read and that I have survived the school year with my sanity in tact is a testimony to the grace of God and my trusty little schedule.
I use my schedule as a guide and not a rigid routine. Its purpose is to serve my family; I don’t feel obligated to accomplish every item on a given day. The schedule doesn’t always go smoothly or perfectly, because my boys are little sinners like their mommy! But it has brought a degree of order to what would otherwise be a rowdy riotous day with a six, three, and two year old. I can’t imagine doing life, much less homeschool, without it.
7:00—7:30 Breakfast with Daddy
My husband reads the Bible to them and helps my oldest son to memorize Scripture.
7:30—8:00 Back on their beds with a few toys or books
8:00—9:00 School Time
The boys play in the basement for a few minutes while I clean up breakfast and then do school with Andrew. The younger two think they are doing school too, even though they are only coloring!
9:00—9:30 Show Time
They watch a tv show.
9:30—10:00 Blanket Time for Liam and Owen
(Andrew normally reads books on the couch during this time.)
The two younger boys get a snack and a toy and sit on their special blankets. Then at the 15-minute mark I give them a different toy. These are toys that they don’t get to play with any other time of the day. I used to put their blankets side by side, but then they would throw toys from one blanket to the next or tempt each other to mischief. Since I moved their blankets to separate floors, it is working much better!
10:00—11:00 Play Outside
11:00—12:00 Chad Time
My brother comes and plays with them 3x per week. This is a wonderful blessing. I recommend that all mothers have a mother’s helper if possible.
12:00—3:00 Lunch and Naps
3:00—3:45 Project Time
3:45—4:15 Stroller Time
I have been training my three year old to hold on to the stroller when we are out (rather then riding). Taking walks around the neighborhood helps me reinforce this practice.
4:15—4:30 Pick-Up Toys
4:30—5:00 Video Time
5:00 - 5:15 - Table Time with books.
I got this idea from my friend Beth when I lived in Chicago. She had her children sit quietly and read books at the end of the day. I have my boys sit at the kitchen table and give them each a different book to read. Then I set the time and finish making dinner in the kitchen right next to them. Last week, I needed more than 15 minutes, so I kept adding to the timer when they weren’t looking!
5:15—7:30 Dinner and Bedtime Routine
Scheduling—and can I say, re-evaluating and scheduling again—has really served me over this past year. It has not only made homeschooling Andrew possible, but it has enabled me to get a morning devotional time and some “down time” during naps. Scheduling has helped me to be intentional and proactive, rather than reactive in training my children.
Writing this post makes me excited about my summer schedule. And it’s just a suggestion, but why don’t you try a summer schedule too?
2006 at 8:46 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
Filed under
Fun Stuff Friday Funnies
From our dear friends Gary and Dawn, this one’s for all the dads whose kids ask tough questions about the Bible. Have a splendid Father’s Day Weekend!
Nicole
for Carolyn, Kristin, and Janelle
My family is reading through the M’Cheyne Bible plan again, and when we cannot read it together we try to discuss it at our family mealtime. Wednesday at lunch Katie and Gabe both, very seriously, asked me why the Israelites craved Chinese food. I was lost, so I asked them what they were referring to.
Psalm 106:14 says, "But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert…"
2006 at 9:32 am | by Nicole Whitacre
Filed under
Motherhood Young Children
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Jack’s life is not so simple as Caly’s. He’s a three-year-old boy. (I can see you moms of sons smiling and nodding to yourselves. You understand.) So far, he’s an only child. He has no other siblings to fight play with. That means “Mommy” is his primary playmate and conjurer of entertainment. Jack—as much as I love him—is also a whiney child, and easily bored.
Schedule to the rescue again. The same principles that helped regulate Jack’s feeding and sleeping as an infant provide order, structure, purpose, and fun to Jack’s toddler days. There’s “breakfast time” and “toy time” and “school time” and “video time” and “outside time” and “table time,” mostly in ½ hour increments. You get the idea. And so does Jack. Recently, I took him out of the bathtub and he excitedly announced, “It’s towel time!” (I guess there really is a time for EVERY matter under heaven!)
It took some effort to get his wake-time schedule up and running. I blocked out a week where I was home in the mornings and focused on moving Jack through his day. We have a timer (which has since been dunked in the bathtub) to help him know when it’s time to transition to the next activity. Mom encouraged me to label each part of the day to help him understand.
There’s always more tweaking and troubleshooting to do. But now that the structure is in place, I have great flexibility. I often shuffle the late-morning and afternoon activities around, depending on the day. Even if we miss a day, Jack easily slides back into his schedule the following morning.
Moms with multiple children might not need a schedule quite as intense as mine (that’s why it’s just a suggestion). But my three year old is a lot less whiney on a schedule. And so am I.
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