Josiah's way

I knew almost from the moment he was born. In the delivery room I asked my husband, "Did our other kids cry like that?" He assured me that they did, so I let it go for the moment. Now I look back knowingly. What I heard was the angry cry of a newborn that was not at all happy with this whole "birth" thing, and who was frantically doing all he could (already) to set things right in his world again. We named our son Josiah, which means "God supports." I would cling to that meaning often in the days ahead.

When Josiah was 3 weeks old, the crying began again. My little boy, uncomfortable from what we would soon learn was acid reflux, did a lot of crying the first 9 months of his life. I had many moments I wanted to scream with him. During one of the first, when he was 5 weeks old, I chose instead to whisper a promise in his ear, "Dear little boy, whatever happens, you and I are going to get through it together, with God's help." It was my promise to keep hoping and trusting God for His provision, no matter how hard things got. It was a promise I would look back on often in the days and weeks to come.

By 3 months, Josiah's reflux had become so intolerable he weaned himself from nursing. I was crushed, tried my hardest to keep things going for him, and finally gave in after a consultation with a pediatric gastroenterologist who told me if formula worked for him, it only made sense to switch. Josiah was vomiting breast milk, so I didn't have much choice. By 4 months, this little boy was so frustrated with feeding he began to reject the bottle as well. At 5 months we had him at the Children's Hospital in Peoria for tests, which did little more than prove what we already knew, he was suffering from infant reflux. After many medicine changes, Josiah finally began to level out around 6 months and outgrew reflux almost entirely by 9 months.

At 10 months, the ear infections began, and the crying returned, along with screaming, hitting, and other frustrating behaviors. After two sets of tubes and adenoid removal by age 2, we expected Josiah's behavior would improve. For a time it did, and then the the hitting returned. He rarely followed directions without a long, drawn-out fight. By the time Josiah was 2 1/2, I was hitting a brick wall. The consequences I had tried with my other two children were not working. In desperation, I started talking to people. Friends, Bible study prayer requests, and talks with my pediatrician, all in one week. And almost everyone I talked with said the same thing. "Read Kendra Smiley's book called Aaron's Way: The Journey of a Strong-Willed Child." I had known it all along, but there it was to be acknowledged as a reality. I am the parent of a strong willed child. As one mother put it, "Welcome to the club."

Looking back, a lot of thing began to click. Almost from birth, Josiah has been trying to manipulate his world so that he could be in control, a definate mark of a strong-willed child. "Eating hurts, so I'll control my source of nourishment." "I'll hold off as long as possible before taking that bottle. And then eat and eat and eat to make up for the hunger I feel for waiting so long." (A surefire way to exacerbate reflux symptoms by the way.) "My ear hurts, so I'll use whatever means possible to get my way and get Mom to comfort me" (which she was and still is very willing to do!) "Oh, and people, I'm not in favor of how things are going around here, so I'll use my behavior to manipulate my world. And no one, especially Mom, is going to control me."

I have learned a lot from Kendra's book, a CD given to me by a friend, and transcripts from a radio program with her and her now-grown son, Aaron, on Family Life Today. I am indebted to all three people who recommended her insights to me. More on that to come!

I have to add a disclaimer of sorts. Josiah does not always cry, nor always lash out with his behavior. There are stretches of time, days, even weeks when he is feeling well, that he is a happy-go-lucky, irresistibly charming child. (It seems like his strong-willed nature is especially triggered when he does not feel well.) He is a blessing to our lives and we thank God for sending him into our family.

summer reading list: helping my children to enjoy great literature

As mentioned earlier, both of my children were given a bingo challenge at the beginning of the summer to read some books beyond what they might normally pick out at the library. In exchange, they would earn prizes as they reached goals for books read. They have been reading a lot this summer, both things on their bingo sheets as well as their own picks. Here are a few gems they have been encouraged to enjoy:

Rachel:

-Nim's Island (the movie was great, I'm guessing that as usual, the book is better. The story was first developed by the author at age 11.)

-Louis Braille (also on Micah's list. He was fascinated to find out Braille was blind and amazed at the frustrations he faced in getting his alphabet to be accepted and used, finally succeeding only a few years before his early death.)

-Any American Girl book: Rachel chose Kit and immediately started dressing up like her and playing with her Kit doll again

-Anything by Bill Peet; I love his story-telling in rhyme.

-Books about money chosen by Mom: My Rows and Piles of Coins, The Riches of Oseola McCarty

-The Story About Ping, a rather delightful story about a duck who learned that accepting discipline in a loving environment is better than experiencing the freedom of doing things his own way.

Micah:

-The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith (think Babe. Yes, the movie.)

-Peter Pan

-My Side of the Mountain: he loved this one and there are two sequels

-The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth Speare, a Christian writer. I can't wait to have him read The Bronze Bow, a story set in Jerusalem around the time of Jesus' life. The themes are more mature so I'll wait at least another year before challenging Micah to read it.

A few other things I look forward to reading/discussing with the kids:

Tuck Everlasting, a book that helped me to see eternal life as granted by God is the only happy way to live forever.

The Bridge to Terabithia: Katherine Paterson grew up in China as a daughter to missionary parents. While a Christian, her books do deal with difficult and sometimes controversial themes, but they make for great springboards to higher thinking and living. She also authored Jacob Have I Loved.

Are there any other childhood favorites I should be adding to their list? Please share!

hiking

One of Micah's 4-H projects, Outdoor Adventures, requires that he take a 1-2 hour hike for his first year. This morning we headed to Comlara to complete his requirement, also a perfect excuse to do one of our favorite family activities. Here are some pictures of our adventure!

The kids' keen eyes caught sight of this and several other animal tracks. The mud meant our shoes got dirty, but it was worth it to glimpse the evidence of creatures lurking in the brush around us.

Micah was our trail guide, which meant he cleared out the cobwebs for those who followed.

The sparkling waters of Lake Evergreen

These were most definately eggs, but from what? Snakes? There were several holes nearby so we walked quickly.

This fuzzy little guy was a beautiful blue dragonfly who wouldn't hold still for us to capture his picture.

Another beautiful black dragonfly. He was shy up close but seemed to enjoy attention from a distance.

Josiah got up close and personal with a Daddy-Long-Legs.

His little legs never seem to run out of steam, nor his mind jobs he can help with.

Getting ready for a picnic lunch. What a great day for a hike, and what fun enjoying God's beautiful and marvelous creation!

world's best pizza

This afternoon I called Eric to check in on some financial questions. He answered the phone (knowing it was me) with one word, "Tobin's." The name of our favorite pizza place made me giggle. Micah was listening to every word and immediately on board. He fell to his knees. "Mom, please, please, please can we have Tobin's for supper?"

Seizing the moment, I had both Micah and Rachel write a persuasive paragraph on why we should have Tobin's for supper.

Pizza (by Rachel)
Here is some reasons why we're going to have Tobin's pizza
1. because it's so good.
2. the middle has no crust.
3. because everybody likes it.

Tobin's Pizza (by Micah)

Tobin's pizza is the best pizza in the world. It is baked with a very thin crust and with your favorite toppings. Mom, you should really get pizza because you have a coupon, everyone likes it, and it would save you work in the kitchen. I love Tobin's!

I guess I know what our supper plans are for tonight.

recommendations

Thanks to a tip from my parents, Eric and I took Micah and Rachel to see the movie Up today. We'd both highly recommend it for both being family-friendly and having great lessons to talk about. I'd have to admit the 3-D was a fun twist. (It is a bit too intense for small children.)

If you like brass music, check out http://www.kingsbrass.org/. Tim Zimmerman and the Kings Brass was in concert at our church several years ago. I recently remembered them when Micah and Josiah were enjoying the 1812 overture from a Kindermusic CD, looked them up online, and ordered a couple of CD's. They are awesome!! If you live in Central IL and have no plans for tomorrow night, they are in concert at Gibson City Bible Church.

easy, tasty recipes

Rachel and I have found that the recipes in Highlights' High Five Magazine are very kid-friendly. As we began planning to make some things together this summer, I found more recipes on their website. Check it out at:
http://www.highlights.com/mt/parents/activities_for_parents_and_kids/recipes_from_high_five/

The Rebelutionaries

As I continue to read anything I can get my hands on about the teen years, I stumbled across this book by (teenagers) Alex and Brett Harris, Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Though written for teens, many adults could benefit from their message. Check out their website at http://www.therebelution.com/.

back to Colossians as promised

A little sample of the three question method at work!

Colossians 1:1-2

Content:
Who and what: Paul (an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God), Timothy (our brother), brothers (saints and faithful) in Christ at Colossae, God (our Father), grace and peace to Colossians from God
Where: Colossae, we find out later Paul was in prison, Timothy also seems to have been there as Paul's companion though not fellow prisoner
When: not given in text, most scholars agree book was written in or around A.D. 60

Lessons:
-Paul's apostleship is by the will of God. Ponder for awhile all that this brings regarding the authority of the book and the Colossian church, who had never met Paul yet were expected to hear and apply what he wrote them especially regarding false teaching and the deity of Christ.
-Paul was an apostle by the will of God. As we serve the Lord, it is important to know we are in His will. Paul's encounter with God on the road to Damascus shaped the rest of his life and ministry. Our encounter with God's grace will also shape where we minister and what we spend our life pursuing for His kingdom's sake.
-Timothy was Paul's partner in ministry. We cannot serve God alone but need the help of others who are faithful to His service. Those partners will have a heart for God's work wherever it may take them and will be an encouragement to those they serve as well as those they serve with.
-The Colossians were regarded as saints and faithful brothers. Their faith was evidenced by changed lives, in this case faithfulness. The term "saints" reflected both their position before God and their practice before men.
-Grace and peace were given by God to the Colossians. We must have God's grace to experience peace with Him.

Application:
1. In what area am I serving "by the will of God?" This should not be some kind of service I dream up for myself, or sign up for reluctantly because someone has highlighted an area of need, but something that God has led me to do. It will be something for which He has prepared and equipped me uniquely, and will flow out my encounter with His grace on my life. Where can I serve and say, "Leah, a ________ by the will of God." (There is nothing too big nor too small if it is by the will of God!)
2. With whom will I begin to partner in ministry, or who is my ministry partner? Is there an area of service where I am trying to go it alone? Do I see someone else serving whom God is prompting me to get behind and support?

Just a scratch, digging with a spoon where I need an excavator. How deep is the truth of the word of God when it penetrates our hearts and thinking!

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Col. 3:16)

so serious

Today I helped a very excited 2 1/2 year old assemble a Thomas floor puzzle. When done, Josiah pushed himself back to get a good look. "Isn't it beautiful?" says he, shaking his head.

summer days

After school got out last Thursday, I took the kids directly to the library to sign up for the summer reading program. I have rarely seen Micah without a book in his hand since that morning! Rachel, too, has been reading more than usual, and playing with toys I haven't seen out for months. Three cheers for summer!

To go along with the reading program, I gave the kids bingo sheets with book titles I would like for them to read this summer. This keeps Micah from getting stuck in a Star Wars/dragon book rut and challenges Rachel to read some things she may otherwise not realize she can handle. There are 25 squares to mark off, and some of them are free choice. They get prizes for reading 5, 10, and all 25 books, easily coordinated with the prizes from the library reading program. For instance, the final prize is dinner out at a favorite restaurant, and Micah is planning to use his book bucks to buy a Chili's gift certificate at the library.

There are math facts to learn (with help from a program borrowed from Eric's sister), 4-H projects to start, writing journals, memory verses (one from each book of the New Testament)...and lots of restful summer days with bike rides, trips to the park and pool, the library program, and day camp ahead. It's great to have my school-age kids home again! And now I get to indulge a little in the homeschooling desires that still rage in my heart. They have come to expect a little academic work as much-anticipated part of each summer.

Rachel and Josiah enjoyed playing in shaving cream yesterday. This picture cracks me up; I didn't realize I'd also captured Micah reading in the background.

Josiah was afraid to touch it at first...I think the idea grew on him quickly.

Did I mention it is 7:45 a.m. and the kids are still in bed???