Thorburn Family

Regardless of your political persuasions, you must admit it is an honor to have a national figure stop by the house on a Tuesday.  Sarah Palin stopped by the house today for a photo shoot.  (We couldn’t find Lydia anywhere.)

Good at multi-tasking à

Determined à

Now and then she gets away from the kids à

She even folds the national laundry à

There are many facets of teaching children the Scriptures:  the transmitting of academic Bible knowledge, modeling & Bible application during daily life together, teaching them to pray and how to study the Word on their own, teaching them what being “devoted to the Word” means in the context of church-life, and probably many other things — all important.   Our job is SO big!   This post is certainly not about all those things :^), it is on one thing the Thorburn family has been doing, one method for systematizing Bible teaching for numerous children of different ages. Having an over-all plan to systematically teach the Bible also gives us a “jumping off place” for the daily-life, 1:1 teaching that comes along the way as well.  We currently call it “Bible Time,” and in our house it happens at 6 AM around the table during our “Bible/Breakfast” time slot.   If sharing the specifics of what we are doing helps someone else in forming their own plan, great.

I should clarify that we want to teach straight from the pure Bible and not so much out of Bible story books.   God has said His Word is sufficient and we want to make sure we don’t transmit any other message.   Without a plan, this mission can get really rough.  On top of the obstacles of battling our own laziness and character issues which can get in the way of consistency, the Bible is big, deep, sometimes filled with chapter after chapter of violence (read Judges lately?), chronologies, and the sheer number of people and true accounts of history can be tedious and overwhelming to navigate, especially with very small children.   We once spent about three years in Genesis, explaining and learning every little thing verse by verse.   Oh, it was rich and we had a ball!  Then a new child came along and we felt lost.. how do we re-teach to the younger child (and future children) all that we’d just taught, and still keep everyone else going forward?  And, if we kept teaching in that same manner, once we got to the book of Nehemiah (which in reality would take more years than we have to raise the children), would our children remember anything from the three years in Genesis?  We needed a system to cover it all from the Bible and make it stick, with an easy way to review, memorize, etc.  We also want our children to find all of Scripture familiar and have a time-line view in their heads of how different aspects interrelate, what came first, second, etc.   This gives a foundation for future learning and growth in the Scriptures.

Enter Veritas Press Bible cards.  We use them as our framework for teaching through the Bible, not exactly as VP recommends.   We study Scripture, not the cards — the cards are like our visual post-it notes through the Bible, to tell us what to study next, what to memorize, giving us a way to review, etc.   They are guideposts/a framework/markers.   Any plan that keeps you systematically teaching the pure Word to your family is worthy of consideration.  Veritas Press Bible cards cover a timeline of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.   In all, there are 160 cards, each covering a different Biblical event or person in chronological order.   Each 5X7 inch card front includes the name of the event, a good picture (often famous works of art of that event or person–perfect for memory association for the smaller children!), and the Biblical reference.    For instance, card #42 is:  The Ark Is Taken Into Captivity / I Samuel 4-6.   On the back of each card is the estimated date and a summary of the event. It also contains a little box with resources listed w/page numbers for finding more information. The Bible cards also come with optional worksheets for various age-levels to print out freely. These, and memory songs for all the card titles and references are available on CD ROM or in a book form w/song CD. The memory songs are perfect for little kiddos. Your three year old may not understand all that is taught during Bible Time, but they can be collecting a huge catalog of effortlessly-memorized information, as well as a sweet taste in their mouths for Bible Time, to draw upon a year or two later. 

Wouldn’t you love to be able to recall 160 events in biblical history and the place to find them in Scripture?  Think how useful it would be to have these things stored in your memory when processing history lessons, when hearing preaching on any subject, or when processing Biblical truth in any other context — you’d have chronological reference points of how God had worked in history in 160 people/events, and you’d know just where to go to find them!  On this framework we can easily recall the great works of our Creator and praise Him. 

So, at 6 AM, a typical scene in the Thorburn home is this: Jesse grabs the “Bible bin” as everyone sits down for breakfast. We pray together. Rich grabs the lesson plan binder, goes to today’s plan & pulls out the card we are working on. “Ok kids.. we are starting card #41, Samuel, The Last Judge Of Isreal, I Samuel 2-4.” Rich reads the summary on the back of the card, and then asks Jubilee to read I Samuel 2 aloud to us.  We all follow along. After she is done, we all discuss it.  The Bible reading and discussion, and memory of the event w/reference is the priority of Bible time.  Rich keeps things moving along. If I have listed a supplemental resource, he pulls it out of the Bible bin, turns there or asks one of us to do so. If it is a short children’s Bible commentary on the event, we read it, if it is a picture of the region, we look at it, and if it is a list of questions, he asks them. If there is a worksheet/activity for that day, he passes it out when we have about ten minutes left. Till Bible Time is finished, the older kids may be looking something up in Scripture and writing about it, and Benjamin might be drawing a picture, and often Rich and/or I are working with the younger children during that time. Some days we have “review days” scheduled, where we flip through the cards while the children shout out the event/person and its reference in Scripture, and where we will randomly pick a few cards and ask the children to tell us everything they know, or go over that event in detail again, or how this applies to their own lives. It is amazing how much they can retain!!!

The planning of a year of Bible training is not overwhelming. I take approximately one weekend a year, gather my Bible, the next 32 cards, and extra resources. I just go card by card (really, event by event/person), read all the Scripture, and write up what we will do day by day to cover the Scripture & instill each event.  Some cards take 2 days, some take up to 2 weeks, depending upon how much Scripture we need to cover w/ the event.  I make sure everything we need is printed, labeled, and in the Bible bin so we aren’t fumbling on a daily basis.   Whatever plan you choose to systematically teach Scripture to your children, this is a God-ordained, proper use of our time, creativity, money, effort, etc. — it is a primary duty for which we should try to become increasingly skilled and equipped!   

Every time a family rotates through the five sections of Bible history, the children absorb it with fresh, more mature, experienced eyes.  Meanwhile, they haven’t forgotten all about what they learned before because of the memorization piece. This system is great for parents who don’t have much of a background in Bible knowledge as well.   It has been the best we have used thus far, and we are more excited about it every year!  There are many good ways to go.   The point is, anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ needs to be teaching their children the Scriptures.   This is more important and will yield more fruit than academic success, sports training, or any number of things that we might take the time & effort to plan and do.  “Where your treasure is, your heart will be also!”  God will bless our efforts as we seek Him and rely on Him, regardless of our weakness or the obstacles that seem to be in our paths.  He is faithful and loves to show His greatness, despite us.  Let’s press on together.  

I have a post coming, probably tomorrow  (I am looking for a spare 20 minutes ;)).   I thought I would jot down some gems I am thinking about this week:

Psalm 119: 103-105  ”How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.  Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.”

Psalm 119:11  ” I stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes!  With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.  In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.  I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.  I will delight in your statues; I will not forget your word. ”

2nd Timothy 3:16 & 17  ”All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” 

Hebrews 4:12  ”For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

Ephesians 6:4  ”Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” 

There are people from different walks of life, religious beliefs, and lifestyles who read this blog (a mine-field! LOL).   Well, this is a heads-up that I am going to use our blog over the next week to write down some things that have helped us in teaching our children, because this subject is coming up over and over again in conversations lately.   Ours has been a very imperfect journey so far, we have made some big blunders, but it’s been filled with God’s grace and help.  Over the next week or so, I plan to just quickly run-down what we have done and are doing as far as training children in the Scriptures.  I’d love you to share your methods and resources as well so we can learn from each other.   

First, it seems important to state upon what premises we are operating, what our goals are (and aren’t).  Three things:

1) We are banking on the fact that the Bible is the infallible Word of God and that everything God wants us to know pertaining to living life and knowing God, as well as answers for eternity, can be found here.   Nothing we are pursuing is original.  We believe that being able to handle God’s Word well is one of the most important tools we can give our children, so this is a top priority in the list of our goals in parenting and education.    We don’t worship the Bible.   It is the way to know God’s character and His will for our lives, so we can worship Him.   

2) On Results:  We pray for & expect various types of results from training our children in the Scriptures. We are thankful that God has seen fit to use it mightily in our children’s lives thus far for their good.  However, we aren’t doing it primarily for results, and the results can’t be “results” for us, or they just become an idol.   Any results we see at any time are a work of God alone, perhaps using some of the means we are employing, but it is all by Him, through Him, and to Him.   We believe our bottom-line duty as parents is to bring God glory on this earth, and we perform that effort by God’s grace alone.   We would love to see each of our children walk with Jesus their entire life and live with Him forever.  If we spend 18 years proclaiming the glory of God to our children and appealing to them by every method to love and serve their Creator.. and in the end they reject the truth and go their own way, our efforts will not have been in vain (and we’ll deeply love them regardless!).   Proclaiming the glory and majesty of God and giving children every tool to know Him and their duty to Him is an end in itself.. God is glorified and He is worthy of this, and yes, many many times it is the means God uses to draw our children to Himself,  and we have great reason to hope for that.   So, we plead with our children, we appeal to them, train them, using every good means possible to commend the gospel to their hearts. We show them deep affection and transmit to them that this true love is what has come out of our own relationship with Jesus Christ.  We let them observe the way He is changing us by His grace.  We pray for the Spirit of God to light the fire and start a work in their own hearts.  And we do even these things imperfectly as we are growing along the way ourselves!  But at every turn from the start to the last… we want to find our satisfaction in Christ, not in our parenting journey or in the “fruit of our hands,” and bow the knee to the plans and will of God. We don’t know what the future holds for our children but we know He is sovereign, and good.   We can trust Him, period.  So, as we seek to apply Biblical principles and directions to the training of our children, it is not about being entirely pragmatic (though we want to carefully consider the best paths), but rather, simply seeking to do our duty as parents as we seek to live satisfied in Christ. 

3)  We believe it is very hard to train a child in the Scriptures and in anything good, really, unless you have first trained them to listen to your quiet, first-time word.   So, from babyhood, basic child-training is a priority.    When our children were small, we were blessed with great teachers in this area, and we have praised God many times for having those counselors and examples in front of us.   We watched people, watched families, asked questions, took truck-loads of advice from worthy, biblical advisors, and prayed a lot — and that journey is far from over for us.   We have held onto this verse as a compass:  Hebrews 13:7: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God.  Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”  So, we watch, consider, imitate.  A child who can sit contentedly, whose body can come to rest and relax during story time, and who will obey your quiet, sweet directions for them.. is a child who can be taught more lofty ideas at a young age, and a child with whom you can likely build a close relationship.  If you must grab a child’s attention with a dancing vegetable to teach them anything about God (sorry, Veggie Tales :)), or wrestle with them on every point, you will miss out on using some better resources with your children that require a more mature habit of conduct to absorb. Children are far more capable than modern society imagines, and we do them a disservice if we don’t train their habits & tastes early.   A note on this:  Three of our children are adopted:  Jubilee came at age 4.5, Jesse came at age 6.5, and Benjamin was 4.5    None of them (with the exception of Jesse for his first year out of the Russian orphanage where he lived with another Christian family) had any prior training.   All I can say is that they come along quickly.   God is gracious and He’s blessed every effort.  It is a great joy to hear Benjamin excitedly asking, nearly every day, “Is it Home Fellowship day?”  ”Is today the Lord’s Day?”… and hearing him recite the Books of the Bible in order and a few hymns, and working on memorizing the first chapter of James.   It’s been the same with all our children, even though there might be some special obstacles with children adopted as non-infants.   God has also given special grace for this and doesn’t leave us hanging with no answers.

So, if this subject interests you, stay tuned for a few posts about specific methods for training our children in the Bible, a couple resources we like & are using, and (if I can pull it off), relaying tidbits we’ve been taught about steering children into deep involvement w/their local church family & devotion to the preached Word.   And feel free to jump in!

This past weekend, Rich and I took a jaunt to Hampton Beach, NH.  I think we’ve found “our” new spot!!!!   Just two hours from home, the shore was gorgeous (SO gorgeous that I forgot to take a picture!).    We found a new restaurant that was scrumptious and all diets were “off” for this weekend (whoohoo!).   One of Rich’s favorite things is deep sea fishing, so we caught a boat on Saturday out of Rye, NH to go after some blue fish.   It was COLD on the boat that morning.  Good thing we brought soo many clothes; we wore almost all of them on the boat!  I could barely move underneath my yellow rubber coat and overalls.   We did not catch any fish but others on the boat did (see fish below).  

Many thanks to Rich’s mom and grandmother for watching the kids during the days, and the Gasiorowski’s for watching them at night!   The kids had as much fun as we! 

We use an online source, The Potters School, with help in tutoring some upper level courses in our homeschooling.  One of our girls’ classmates was Emily Stauffer, a lovely 14 year old girl who described herself as, “A follower of Jesus Christ, a goof, a bad listener… who tries hard.., love rambling through the woods taking pictures of nature.”  By all accounts, she was an authentic, a real-deal, and God graciously saved her as a child. She was prepared to meet him.  

On September 27th, around 4:45 PM, Emily was attacked and murdered by an unknown man on a trail near their home, in her small Canadian town.   Two young boys saw the attack and ran for help, but it was too late.    

Please pray for this family.  They are a homeschooling family who had four children; Emily was the second-oldest. Emily’s Dad is a pastor, very like-minded w/us.   Reading the parents’ blogs is immensely encouraging. Unimaginable pain and sorrow lay ahead, but even greater grace.  

Please pray for this precious family. Here’s her dad’s blog:   http://newlumps.blogspot.com