True Treasures - a foray into character building

As I thought and prayed about the coming year with the boys, the issue of character kept coming to my mind. That is one of the major reasons we are homeschooling - to instill (or sow seeds of ) godly character.

Where to begin stumped me for a while, but then Colossians 3:8-9, 12-14 kept cropping up.

"Now, you must rid yourselves of all such things as these anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to one another . . . Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity."

I decided to use this passage to guide our first foray into deliberate addressing of character issues. So we are beginning our days together with "True Treasures" - coming from Proverbs 22 and from Matthew 6. I introduced Colossians 3 with this activity - I wrote some notes afterwards with the boys, I've left them on the last page of this document.

We are touching on one character quality each week. I am trying to address the character quality from a variety of different angles: the Word of God, application in our lives, stories, activities - anything to try and plant a seed of understanding in their hearts.

Our first week we looked at Compassion - to "rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15). We read stories on being Tenderhearted from "A Child's Book of Character Building" by Ron & Rebekah Coriell.

Our second week we looked at Kindness - we listened to a story and song by Steve Green from "The Adventures of Sir Bernard"; we talked about how kindness is showing God's love to others; we read from the Bible and acted out a story of Robin Hood and a poor knight as read by StoryNory.

This coming week we'll be looking at Humility. No plans yet - I want to ask the Lord for some ideas.

Mother vs. Drill Sergeant

I am missing something. Too often I feel like a drill sergeant rather than a mother. Maybe it's easier.

A mother needs to stop, to care, to guide - a drill sergeant barks orders and metes out discipline for infractions.

A mother needs wisdom from the Father - a drill sergeant makes sure the rules are obeyed.

A mother smiles - a drill sergeant glowers.

A mother patiently sows seeds of life into hearts - a drill sergeant, well, drills.

A mother recognizes that seeds take a long time to grow a good harvest - a drill sergeant is concerned about the outward, the now.

A mother needs to live by the Spirit from whom comes life - a drill sergeant lives by the law.

A mother gives - a drill sergeant demands

A mother conforms herself to the One who laid His life down - a drill sergeant requires recruits to conform to his standards, his schedule.

Lord, help me this day to seek to love, train, teach my children by Your Spirit - and not by the law, not by the flesh, not for my own convenience.

Molasses

Today was one of those 'slower than molasses in winter' days. Those are the days when two pages of maths can take all day. An opportunity to grow in patience and grace for me. At one point today I sought refuge on the kitchen floor, head between my knees: "Father, please help. Give me the wisdom, the patience to walk through this with the boys."

Such days bring me a conundrum (oh how I love that word): I want my boys to love to learn, to be diligent and hardworking in whatever is before them, I do not want to nag, nor do I want to use only entertaining items for learning. Yet sometimes these desires feel antagonistic toward each other. Hmmm... The first three of those things most parents would want for their kids - but some might disagree with me about the fourth. My reasoning behind such is that we all encounter situations and tasks in life that are not enjoyable in themselves but are necessary (washing dishes at least twice a day, picking up dog poo, reminding the boys to put away the obstacle course of shoes in the doorway for the fourth time that day... and more). These are the things which can be burdens or blessings simply by the attitude we take as we do them. I long for my boys to learn the power of this choice early in their lives, so that they might shoulder responsibility with joy and strength.

I was talking to my eldest about the power of his attitude this morning. Sometimes I wonder how much goes in or if my words are like the static from a non-broadcasting radio station.

But I am called to be a seed sower - frail and faulting as I am. So I sow seeds. Seeds of truth: "Consider it pure joy..." Joy is not a feeling, but a choice, an attitude. Seeds of hope: "Any of you who lacks wisdom should ask God..." Seeds of faith: "Seek and you shall find. Ask and you shall receive..." And you know, I think as I sow these seeds to the boys my own heart is fed.

May the Holy Spirit water and grow the good seeds planted today.

PS. If you want to share how you deal with such 'molasses' days - I would love to hear it.