Story Cards
Church at the Kitchen Table – Simple Steps!
My daughter, Maya Hagan, just wrote some words this week entitled “Uncharted Territory,” and I think that we would all agree the spread of the coronavirus in the details of our days is certainly a place we have never been. In this place, there could be fear and possibly some frustrations. I know that for the three young people living in my home as well as Ron and I we are experiencing a myriad of fears and frustrations. In fact, we made a list of them on Sunday as we were having church around our kitchen table. It was important to give everyone a chance to share some words and explain their thoughts. With Maya and Ada being seniors in high school, they are...
Read MoreTime together, working it out . . . .
We had some church around our kitchen table that was rich! Three Questions, one piece of paper, a marker and a Bible! That was it and off we ran. I posed the first question for us all to write down our response on our paper. Question #1 – What is a challenge to you right now? What is causing you some pause or stress? We all wrote down our thoughts on our piece of paper. No conversation as of yet. I threw out the next question for reflection. Question #2 – What is the enemy trying to get you to believe about that problem/struggle/issue? What are the agreements he is trying to get you to make? Then, I threw out the last question but still now conversation as...
Read MoreA Prayer for our Families in 2014!
Started our year in “love,” because our family desperately needed some! Why is it that Christmas break breeds some sibling shenanigans? We all started in Matthew 22:37-40 which then led us to the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6! Praying this for all of our homes this morning! “God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got! Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children.” from The...
Read More“Tucking the Girls Into Bed”
I was tucking the girls into bed last night, and somehow we got on a discussion about baptism. I think they had mentioned at church that they were going to have a baptism soon. Perhaps that is why it was on Maya’s mind. She has been contemplating it for some time now. And so the conversation goes like this. Maya: “Mom, I really need to think about this baptism thing.” Me: “Sure honey, whenever you and Father make that decision that it is time to tell the world, you go for it.” Maya: “Yea. I know.” Me: “Good night, girlies. Love you soooo much!” Maya: “Mom, you know that is why I like the God cards. Well the Me...
Read MoreMaya and Father’s Great Conversation! (Story card #4 and study)
We want our children to know that Father God speaks. In all kinds of ways, he is looking for conversation and relationship. He created everything, so why wouldn’t he use all aspects of his creation to draw us to his love and attention? In this moment, he used the Bible to remind Maya that he is watching over her all the time. In this moment, Maya will never forget she has a Father in heaven speaking to her! The picture above tells the story best, but let me give you a few words too. We were studying Psalm 103. As I write, I have no memory as to why. I do love that chapter, and for some reason, we were letting it rest over us. Anyways, after we read the chapter,...
Read More“Raising Compelled Children not Compliant Children!”
The Story cards along with the God and Me cards are first our own experience of redemption and rescue. Father God loved us, saved us, spoke to us and won. He thinks about us, looks for us, tells us in terms that we get it, puts his arms around us, kisses us on the forehead, calls us by a new name and includes us in his family. This is the truth of the Bible! If you sift through all of those big words of systematic theology and if you read for yourself the words in the Bible, this is the story you get. And that language, the language of a story, motivates me. It draws me, and I want to respond. Much of the spiritual formation or Christian curriculum out there fills your...
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