There are several good story books to talk about how our faith grows. One is called The God Seed by Ester Armstrong. This great little book talks about how we are all born with a seed of faith and we grow at our own pace. www.quaker.org.nz/publications/books-children is where this little gem is available for kids of all ages AND adults.

Another great book to sit and read together is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. This is available at online book stores and tells a story of hope, growth and the beauty in the world.

As always, have fun reading and exploring together as families.

Being Attentive
Home school families are busy and often quite good with keeping on task. You may use a clock or section of time for an activity. But one of the best things about home school is that children can go at their own pace. Explain that being attentive is different than being focused. When we are attentive we are open to everything around us that is happening. When we are focused, we only see project in front of us. Both attentiveness and focus are important skills to learn.
While children are working ask them to stop several times and pay attention to everything they hear, see and smell. See if they can receive any information by just paying attention. Can you tell what is for dinner or lunch? Can you tell what tasks others are doing? Can you tell what time of day it is by light?
Those who are rooted in faith can be attentive and focused. When we are attentive, we are open to the presence of God using all our senses. Help your children be attentive.

Grandparents can live close or live far away. Keeping in communication with grand children can happen through Skype on computers that have cameras. Communications can happen by email, phone or letters. If you travel in the winter, or anytime of the year, make mailing labels with each child’s name and address. Stamp the cards ahead of time. Send postcards from new places. Let your grand children know that wherever you are, they are in your mind and in your heart. Even when grandparents roots are the four tires of a car or Recreational vehicle, they are still caring for those special grand children.

Help kids understand that roots grow first to support a plant and bring nutrition. Grow carrots inside. In a shallow dish, cut the wide end of the carrot off and place in the dish. Tend your carrot plant. Add water and see what grows. What things does the carrot need to grow? What things do we need to grow in faith?
Carrots are root vegetables. What happens when there is no soil for the root to grow downward? Your carrot will tell you the answer.

Does your family have grandparents? Or maybe even great-grandparents. When grandparents are visiting, take a family walkabout. Passage into adulthood is marked by Australian Aborigines with a walkabout. This is a journey of living off the land. Take your family walkabout in a park or in your neighborhood. Talk about how you would live off the land. How would you build shelter, find food and protect yourself. Grandparents and great-grandparents will have wonderful stories to share about food and shelter in an earlier time.

Everyone does some schooling at home. But for those caring dedicated parents who choose to teach their children as an alternate to public or private schools, faith roots run deep.

Home school is deeply rooted in the belief that the best teacher of any subject, including faith, is the parent(s) who know that child best. Faith in home schools, may know that an advanced reader is ready for the greatest chapter book of all times-the Bible. This may or may parallel the congregational Bible awards, but parents are to be the main faith teachers. Their intimate knowledge of their child’s abilities and readiness for faith concepts makes their child’s journey into faith formation unique.

Go, home school parents! Know your child and know when they are ready to go forward in faith!

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. Ralph Waldo Emerson (Us essayist and poet 1803-1882)

Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase. Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968

Our faith is like tree roots. Holding us strong and bringing us nutrition. In your family, try this family faith formation idea.
Make a simple family tree together. Instead of putting the people of the past in the branches, put the people of the past in a deep root structure. Use the branches to put words that each family member uses to describe dreams and hopes for the future. Glue or tape to an old refrigerator magnet and display for all to see.

Talk in your family about how your faith is deeply rooted.

When working in a congregation, I wanted a visual representation of how faith was formed in our congregation. A wonderfully talented woman named Sue drew this great apple tree. The amazing thing about the tree, were the hundreds of intricate and unique deep roots. Our faith life is like those roots. We need the grounding of deep roots. What do your faith roots look like? How many faith roots do you have? Think about this during the week to come. Are you rooted in faith? When are you a root that brings nutrition and stability for the faith of others?

Greetings! I’m Christy Olson and I invite you to view my first ever video here on my first ever blog post at TheFaithGardener.com