Post by MrsDeweySmith on Jul 10, 2005 15:40:20 GMT -5
disclaimer: I think many of these are good ideas...however, find the bones and spit them out and be discerning.
Deanna
40 PRACTICAL IDEAS
1. During your engagement period, read through the Bible to find every verse that pertains to the topic of marriage-there are about 350 in all. Try to study and memorize one verse each day together during your first year of marriage.
2. Purchase an inexpensive stereo for each occupied bedroom in your home and play the Bible on cassette tape/compact disc whenever you or children are in your respective rooms (bed-time, play-time, etc.).
3. For memorization purposes, teach your children as many Scripture songs that set the Bible to music as you can find or create on your own. Nothing is more helpful for long-term retention than setting God's Word to music.
4. Decorate your house with as many Scripture verse plaques as you can find. Also, choose a number of very short excerpts from Scriptural passages which the Lord has used in the past to provide direction or comfort for you at crucial times in your life (ex. "Have Faith in God"-Mark 11:22 or "Rejoice in the Lord always"-Phil. 4:4).
5. Purchase the books of the Bible that have been produced on video and make their viewing a regular part of your family's routine. There are also a number of dramatized Bible stories based solidly on Scripture on cassette tape (See the "Bible Resource List" included on this web site for details).
6. Let your child's imaginative world be centered on the Bible and its characters instead of solely on Walt Disney characters and other such television and movie personalities.
7. Emphasize a different Bible character each week and do craft projects during the day to help your children learn the story (ex. "Moses-day" in which you and your children part the "Red Sea" in the bathtub-you can use your imagination).
8. Make Bible story costumes. If you do not have money for materials, you can use old bathrobes and towels that you could find at any local Goodwill Store.
9. Create a 30-minute "daddy tape" for each of your children to listen to on which their father records a specific message tailor-made for that individual child. This is an excellent way for the children to feel close to their father even if he is gone on a trip away from home.
10. Schedule a separate time with each child at bed-time that lasts 5-15 minutes for personal discussion about the events of the day and for prayer.
11. Give yourself to interceding with God for your children and pray for them whenever you have mental down-time throughout the day. Remember that only God can draw their heart to Christ and cause them to persevere in the Christian walk.
12. Make yourself a detailed list for each individual child of what the Lord lays on your heart concerning that child and purpose to pray through that list once each day.
13. Buy a timer for each child ages 4-12 and have them spend a certain amount of time each morning for their personal devotions.
14. Create a prayer notebook for each of your children for them to pray through each day and add new requests. You can make this out of construction paper and use yarn to bind the pages together.
15. Start your child on music lessons early in elementary school, not only to develop their musical abilities, but to teach them to the discipline of mental concentration for extended periods of time.
16. Get your children started listening to the "Suzuki" violin tapes as early as newborn to help train their musical ear. You can purchase these through your local music store.
17. Create a listening schedule for your children including Bible tapes and stories, sermons, Christian and classical music, etc. Remember that "an idol mind is the devil's workshop" so always have them listening to something.
18. Memorize one doctrinal hymn each month at dinner time.
19. Purchase specific materials which you will regularly use for family devotions each evening and develop a regular routine: Bible story, Bible songs, Bible trivia, Hymn of the month, Bible reading, prayer, etc. The "Abeka" flash-a-card series is excellent for children's devotions (Available from "Abeka Book.")
20. Collect as many missionary biographies and videos as you can for your children to keep the "Great Commission" at the forefront of their thinking.
21. Make Sunday your "missionary day" in which you emphasize one missionary or mission field and tell a missionary story or watch a missionary video.
22. Create a "Sabbath-day" treasure chest filled with activities the children can do on Sunday to set that day aside as special in their minds.
23. If at all possible, make it a habit to always take at least one of your children with you whenever you leave the home.
24. Establish a period each day called "alone time" when each child has a few toys to play with in a room by himself.
25. Make special cards for your children and place them at their plates at dinner. Make a box for each child in which they place your love-letters. You can write notes with the future in mind as well.
26. Purchase the "You're Special Today" plate and use it for birthdays or special days.
27. Keep a journal for each one of your children. We recently purchased hand springs that come with a built in tape recorder. You can burn the recorded information onto C.D.'s and give them to your children when they leave home.
28. If your child exhibits behavioral problems after consistent discipline, consider changing his diet. Be especially cautious of sugar intake.
29. Read through the Bible in a year and memorize one Bible verse each day during lunch time. Review your verses on Saturdays and Sundays.
30. When nursing or feeding your baby, look into his eyes and speak loving words, sing hymns, and talk to him about what you want him to become some day.
31. Teach your small children to sit still in church by having them practice sitting still on the couch for 30 minutes each day at home.
32. As a motivational incentive, make a private deal with your children that if they receive a compliment for their behavior from someone while on an outing, that they will receive a treat or a quarter. (My father-in-law did this with the 5 children and they loved it!)
33. Invest in storage bins for efficient home organization. Label bins and store them in your basement or garage. Keep clothing bins easily accessible so you'll be ready for garage sale finds and clearance sales when you come across them.
34. Purchase clear plastic storage containers with drawers, label them and put a colored picture on them of their toys. This makes clean up for a child very easy.
35. Purchase a foreign language program on audio or video tape for the children to grow up listening to and master at least one foreign language. It is said that children can easily learn 4-5 languages if you start teaching them early enough.
36. Sit with your children during play time and use this as a child training opportunity. Their interaction with one another will give you many chances to teach them how to respond to one another when you are not present with them.
37. Make a monthly grocery list and a yearly purchasing plan for ready reference.
38. Pray for one unsaved person and one missionary each day at dinner.
39. Always quote an appropriate Bible verse to your children during your discipline sessions with them and use these times as discipleship opportunities. Have a counselor's reference book handy with topical verses listed for easy access.
40. When trying to teach your children to say "Yes, Sir" and "No, Sir" place a cup with treats on one of your kitchen counters and promise them a treat each time they remember to say this.
Deanna
40 PRACTICAL IDEAS
1. During your engagement period, read through the Bible to find every verse that pertains to the topic of marriage-there are about 350 in all. Try to study and memorize one verse each day together during your first year of marriage.
2. Purchase an inexpensive stereo for each occupied bedroom in your home and play the Bible on cassette tape/compact disc whenever you or children are in your respective rooms (bed-time, play-time, etc.).
3. For memorization purposes, teach your children as many Scripture songs that set the Bible to music as you can find or create on your own. Nothing is more helpful for long-term retention than setting God's Word to music.
4. Decorate your house with as many Scripture verse plaques as you can find. Also, choose a number of very short excerpts from Scriptural passages which the Lord has used in the past to provide direction or comfort for you at crucial times in your life (ex. "Have Faith in God"-Mark 11:22 or "Rejoice in the Lord always"-Phil. 4:4).
5. Purchase the books of the Bible that have been produced on video and make their viewing a regular part of your family's routine. There are also a number of dramatized Bible stories based solidly on Scripture on cassette tape (See the "Bible Resource List" included on this web site for details).
6. Let your child's imaginative world be centered on the Bible and its characters instead of solely on Walt Disney characters and other such television and movie personalities.
7. Emphasize a different Bible character each week and do craft projects during the day to help your children learn the story (ex. "Moses-day" in which you and your children part the "Red Sea" in the bathtub-you can use your imagination).
8. Make Bible story costumes. If you do not have money for materials, you can use old bathrobes and towels that you could find at any local Goodwill Store.
9. Create a 30-minute "daddy tape" for each of your children to listen to on which their father records a specific message tailor-made for that individual child. This is an excellent way for the children to feel close to their father even if he is gone on a trip away from home.
10. Schedule a separate time with each child at bed-time that lasts 5-15 minutes for personal discussion about the events of the day and for prayer.
11. Give yourself to interceding with God for your children and pray for them whenever you have mental down-time throughout the day. Remember that only God can draw their heart to Christ and cause them to persevere in the Christian walk.
12. Make yourself a detailed list for each individual child of what the Lord lays on your heart concerning that child and purpose to pray through that list once each day.
13. Buy a timer for each child ages 4-12 and have them spend a certain amount of time each morning for their personal devotions.
14. Create a prayer notebook for each of your children for them to pray through each day and add new requests. You can make this out of construction paper and use yarn to bind the pages together.
15. Start your child on music lessons early in elementary school, not only to develop their musical abilities, but to teach them to the discipline of mental concentration for extended periods of time.
16. Get your children started listening to the "Suzuki" violin tapes as early as newborn to help train their musical ear. You can purchase these through your local music store.
17. Create a listening schedule for your children including Bible tapes and stories, sermons, Christian and classical music, etc. Remember that "an idol mind is the devil's workshop" so always have them listening to something.
18. Memorize one doctrinal hymn each month at dinner time.
19. Purchase specific materials which you will regularly use for family devotions each evening and develop a regular routine: Bible story, Bible songs, Bible trivia, Hymn of the month, Bible reading, prayer, etc. The "Abeka" flash-a-card series is excellent for children's devotions (Available from "Abeka Book.")
20. Collect as many missionary biographies and videos as you can for your children to keep the "Great Commission" at the forefront of their thinking.
21. Make Sunday your "missionary day" in which you emphasize one missionary or mission field and tell a missionary story or watch a missionary video.
22. Create a "Sabbath-day" treasure chest filled with activities the children can do on Sunday to set that day aside as special in their minds.
23. If at all possible, make it a habit to always take at least one of your children with you whenever you leave the home.
24. Establish a period each day called "alone time" when each child has a few toys to play with in a room by himself.
25. Make special cards for your children and place them at their plates at dinner. Make a box for each child in which they place your love-letters. You can write notes with the future in mind as well.
26. Purchase the "You're Special Today" plate and use it for birthdays or special days.
27. Keep a journal for each one of your children. We recently purchased hand springs that come with a built in tape recorder. You can burn the recorded information onto C.D.'s and give them to your children when they leave home.
28. If your child exhibits behavioral problems after consistent discipline, consider changing his diet. Be especially cautious of sugar intake.
29. Read through the Bible in a year and memorize one Bible verse each day during lunch time. Review your verses on Saturdays and Sundays.
30. When nursing or feeding your baby, look into his eyes and speak loving words, sing hymns, and talk to him about what you want him to become some day.
31. Teach your small children to sit still in church by having them practice sitting still on the couch for 30 minutes each day at home.
32. As a motivational incentive, make a private deal with your children that if they receive a compliment for their behavior from someone while on an outing, that they will receive a treat or a quarter. (My father-in-law did this with the 5 children and they loved it!)
33. Invest in storage bins for efficient home organization. Label bins and store them in your basement or garage. Keep clothing bins easily accessible so you'll be ready for garage sale finds and clearance sales when you come across them.
34. Purchase clear plastic storage containers with drawers, label them and put a colored picture on them of their toys. This makes clean up for a child very easy.
35. Purchase a foreign language program on audio or video tape for the children to grow up listening to and master at least one foreign language. It is said that children can easily learn 4-5 languages if you start teaching them early enough.
36. Sit with your children during play time and use this as a child training opportunity. Their interaction with one another will give you many chances to teach them how to respond to one another when you are not present with them.
37. Make a monthly grocery list and a yearly purchasing plan for ready reference.
38. Pray for one unsaved person and one missionary each day at dinner.
39. Always quote an appropriate Bible verse to your children during your discipline sessions with them and use these times as discipleship opportunities. Have a counselor's reference book handy with topical verses listed for easy access.
40. When trying to teach your children to say "Yes, Sir" and "No, Sir" place a cup with treats on one of your kitchen counters and promise them a treat each time they remember to say this.