Lessons from 4-year-olds and the Newsboys

We must have the biggest four-year-old Newsboys fan in the world. Case in point:

While standing around waiting at the Wal-Mart pharmacy counter to get the youngest some medicine, Dad was trying to keep him entertained. So we pulled out the old cell phone and started looking at pictures and videos. Kenaniah then says, “Can you take a movie of me now?” Dad says, “Sure, what are you going to do?” “I’m going to sing a song.” Then, completely unrehearsed or un-coached, this was the result.

The audio isn’t all that great, so you may not have heard. He is singing the chorus to “I’m Not Ashamed” which goes like this:

I’m not ashamed to let you know
I want this light in me to show
I’m not ashamed to speak the name
Of Jesus Christ

Of course, all the folks standing around thought this was just great. And in addition to singing an old song from one of Dad’s favorite bands, how great is it to have the four-year-old singing about Jesus in public like that. May we all have that kind of reckless abandon when it comes to praising our Lord.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, ESV)

Our Daughter…The Journalist

First short stories and poems; now the newspaper.

A couple weeks back our older two went to the state capitol with a group of other homeschoolers for a homeschool day at the capitol kind of thing, sponsored by Families for Home Education. My requirement of them was that they would have to write a paper on the experience when they got back.

Our oldest decided to have some fun with that assignment and write it up as a news article. After reading it, I thought “this is pretty good. Why don’t you go ahead and send it in to the paper and see if they’ll print it.”

So, she sent it to the Marshfield Mail, and after some editing to remove the “opinion” like comments, they ran it in this week’s paper. Unfortunately, the “Education” section is not part of their online edition, but this is what the printed copy contained:

Area homeschoolers visit State Capitol
By LoriAnn Weldon

On Feb. 2, a group of about 30 home-schooling teens and their chaperones — including six from Marshfield — descended on Jefferson City in force, driving in from southwest Missouri for a day at the capital.

“We even had homework to do in the car on the way there,” one student said.

LoriAnn Weldon, a junior from Marshfield, explained, “We were given an example bill with all the parts labeled; and we created our own proposals for things we thought should be laws.”

When they arrived in Jefferson City, the first stop was the state Supreme Court building, where they toured the courtroom and library.

“Our guide told us that lawyers don’t really use the books much anymore, though,” one teen said. “It’s all stored electronically; and some of the attorneys would even consider it malpractice to not use the computer, because it’s so much more thorough.”

After an early lunch, ambassadors from Families for Home Education passed out pocket calendars to the teens.

The students’ job was to deliver one to every congressperson’s office as a thank- you from homeschoolers, for their sup port of homeschooling in the state of Missouri.

“Don’t forget that we represent not only FHE,” the spokeswoman directed, “but also homeschooling as a whole. The public-school kids are here monthly; the legislators have met them often. We come infrequently — this is our chance to show them who we are.”

The students were received well by the clerks and secretaries they delivered the calendars to; and when they had finished distributing their gifts, the students met their district representatives and senators, thanking them for their work in Missouri’s government.

“Our senator (Dan Clemens) was out, but we did get to see Rep. Mike Cunningham,” Weldon said. “He was really nice, taking time to ask about our day and talk to us, even though he had a meeting in a few minutes.”

When they had finished, the homeschoolers trouped down to the Rotunda for a tour of the capitol building. Their guide led them through the building, pointing out the Missouri-hewn stone, and the artwork that adorns much of the wall-space.

The highlight of the tour, to many of the students, was the knee-busting, sweat-breaking, brain-dizzying climb to the very tip-top of the dome, where they could look out over the city 230 feet below. The only thing higher than you at that point is the bronze statue of Ceres, goddess of grain, which tops the dome.

“The only disappointment was that they took out the peregrine falcon’s nest-box that used to be up there,” Nathanael Weldon said.

After the group descended from the heights, they were introduced as special guests to the Senate session by a Joplin area representative. As the last thing they did that day, the group was granted an audience by Ron Richard, the current Speaker of the House.

As they left the capital, each student was given a copy of the Missouri constitution to keep. “I hadn’t realized the constitution was so long,” one noted, flipping through the 170-plus page book.

A Must Read For Dads of Daughters

All parents want their daughters to marry godly young men. But which qualities, specifically, should they be looking for? What will you say when that certain young man sits down in your living room, sweaty-palmed and tongue-tied, and asks your permission to marry your daughter? What criteria should he meet before the two of them join together for life?

As a father with two teen daughters, this promo for Voddie Baucham’s latest book hits close to home. Actually, I’ve been looking forward to this book for almost a year. Dr. Baucham mentioned it during the Answer’s In Genesis family conference we attended in Branson. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release ever since.

Here’s the deal. Even though I haven’t even read it yet, I can guarantee this is a book that I’ll be recommending for years to come. I’ve heard enough of Voddie’s teaching to have a general idea of what’s in here, plus the promo tells us what to expect:

"What He Must Be... If He Wants to Marry My Daughter" outlines ten qualities parents should look for in a son-in-law, including trustworthiness, a willingness to lead his family, an understanding of his wife's role, and various spiritual leadership qualities.

Dads, let’s resolve now that we will take the admonition’s we’ll read here to heart. I don’t know about you, but I have pretty high standards for the young man who will eventually marry my daughter, and I’ve been praying for him for years.

Folks, I’m telling you now, this is a must read. Without having cracked the cover, I know this to be true. In fact, you can click on the picture here or on the book title above and order it right now from Monergism books. Or wait a couple weeks and it will be in most stores. But get this book.

The Mom Song

If you haven't seen this yet, it will be well worth your time to check it out. Christian comedian Anita Renfroe shares all those common "mom" phrases in one song: the William Tell Overture! Enjoy...

Three Teenagers!!

Well, our little baby girl is now a teenager. Hard to believe. That makes three in our house.Fortunately, she still asked for bike accessories instead of typical teenage girly stuff, so Dad is happy.

Happy Birthday Joy, Joy!