Posts Tagged children
Why Kids Don’t Like Church
Posted by annaldavis in Cyberculture on April 23, 2011
Yesterday I went as a chaperone on my daughter’s second grade field trip to Dallas Heritage Village, an outdoor museum of historic buildings and furnishings from the 1800s. The kids had a great time. Their favorite building was the school house, where they took turns playing “teacher.”
Several of the girls headed up to the front immediately, opened up the teacher’s desk and pulled out dozens of real reading primers. Other kids sat down in the chairs and dutifully awaited instructions. Two of the kids went straight to the piano in the corner, serenading us with haphazard tunes.
It was very hands-on. Obviously where they wanted to be, the children felt immediately welcome and engaged in the schoolhouse, free to interact with history and each other.
Contrast that with the historic church building on the site. When we walked toward the church, I heard one boy say “Ewww, I hate church.” Cringing inside, I could imagine that boy sitting in a pew next to his parents, trying his best to be quiet but really wanting to go run and play. I can imagine this so well because I have seen it in my own son.
When we opened the door to the church, we had to go in a smaller group, because only the small front foyer was open for guests. The rest of it, the pews and aisles and such, were blocked off by a plastic see-through barricade. Just look, don’t touch.
Just look.
We didn’t spend very much time in there, obviously. As we left, one of the girls said that the church smelled like dead people. Cringing again, I wanted to sit down with all of those second-graders in the field of wildflowers and explain that Satan has really done a number on the church. God meant for it to be hands-on, and interactive. But somewhere along the line we believed the lie that we should just look. Don’t touch. I wanted them to see the God that I see, the adventurous and fun One.
But I didn’t. I couldn’t think of any words. And to be honest, I agreed with them. The church did smell a bit like dead people.
Lord, help us be more like an interactive school house and less like that old historic church.
Three Reasons Writers should Play LEGOs
Posted by annaldavis in Writing on February 15, 2011
A few weeks ago a huge ice-storm derailed my weekly writing goals. I’m sure many writers without school-aged children were thrilled to be home, strapped to their laptops and writing happily while icicles formed on the eaves.
I, on the other hand, spent some time playing Legos with my kids. And in the process I also learned some things about writing.
1. You have to create. My son makes the coolest vehicles and buildings with Legos. When asked how he comes up with his ideas, he said, “Oh, you know. I just think about what I want to make and then find the first pieces!” Sounds a lot like writing to me.
2. The building process can be tedious. Have you ever listened to kids playing with Legos? There are a lot of shuffling noises, occasional grunts of frustration, and even outbursts of anger when pieces don’t go together right. Sometimes the pieces get stuck together and it can really hurt the fingertips to get them unstuck.
In writing there are thousands (millions!) of word combinations in one chapter, just like there are many tiny Lego pieces in one Lego army vehicle complete with weapon gear. Sometimes the right words won’t go together and the wrong ones stay stuck. But we keep at it, because what good is an unfinished army vehicle?
3. There may be a “lightbulb” moment. Have you seen “Despicable Me?” Whenever the main character gets an idea he says “lightbulb!” in a characteristic way, which I won’t try to imitate here. Anyway, my kids love that movie. When we were playing Lego’s the other day, quiet mostly except for the clinking sound of the pieces, my son smiled and said (you guessed it) – “Lightbulb!” because he had a moment of inspiration for his Lego creation. Then he started digging in the Lego box for that perfect piece.
And isn’t that just like writing?
Expired Coupons
Posted by annaldavis in Everything Else on December 31, 2009
In all the craziness of the holiday season, I did something twice that no stay-at-home mom on a budget should ever do: I went grocery shopping while hungry, and without my coupons. I didn’t even try to use the coupons. The thought of sitting down with the store circular, my list, and my overflowing coupon organizer just seemed too overwhelming, so I threw caution to the wind and just went shopping.
Well today I sat down to discard of all the expired coupons, and realized that I bought many items full price when I could have saved money. As I threw away numerous coupons reading 12/6, or 12/27, or 12/31 — I wondered if it was worth it, taking the easier way, but paying more money for it?
As we say goodbye to 2009, I wonder how many expired coupons exist in my spiritual life. Were there times when God offered me a discount, a freebie, more of something (buy one, get one), or a package deal and I turned Him down because it required some extra effort on my part?
Were there moments of joy I could have experienced had I only waded through the sorrow, or sweet kindness I would have felt had I endured the crankiness? Of course, I did take His offers many times. I am so very grateful that I did. The difficult road, when it’s the one God has placed before us, often yields amazing rewards.
In 2010 I want to have fewer unused, expired coupons. I want to see and accept more of what God offers to me. Not always easy, often requires much effort — but worth it.
