Talking with Your Kids About God

I have been reading Talking with Your Kids About God  for a little while now.  As I've been reading, I have been writing about this book off an on as things strike me or I have something to get a little deeper in my thinking, but now that I finished this book, I wanted to put down a few more of my thoughts on the book.  I was looking forward to reading the book based on the title and concept of the book.  As a parent, who can't use another tool to help guide their children? 

However, as I dug into the book, I wasn't quite as thrilled.  The beginning was a big turn off for me, to the extent that I almost stopped reading it.  (I am glad I kept reading.)  The beginning conveyed a very serious tone about how important it was to have these conversations with your kids and that left me feeling like I was a terrible parent if I didn't, or if I'd never picked up this book. 

As I kept reading; I realized that I have been very fortunate that I have lived in a Christian community most of my life.  I haven't had to face many of the things this book talks about in a personal way.  I'm grateful I read this book for my own personal development to begin thinking about those things.  As I read I for the most part I knew where I stood about the topics presented, science and God and what not, but this helped me to be able to verbalize or explain my stance. 

I also though toward the end of the book that the author only valued the two extremes of the spectrum of atheists to theists.  Yet in reality I think there is a sliding scale of that.  I think there are many people that fall somewhere in the middle of the arguments she makes.  Sure, they may not have any backing, Biblical or scientific, for their beliefs, but they are still there and if they are talked about and shared exist and could be something we face as well. 

The author was well researched and knew her content well, and there were several scriptural references in the book as well that were helpful.

But have I had these conversations with my kids?  No.  Do I plan to?  In this formal organized fashion she presents?  No.  But, do I plan to be more aware and offer better explanations or presentations of things when it arises?  Yes.  I think some of these concepts are just part of growing your faith.  And I will certainly always teach my kids that we at home are a great resource to help you through the questions when they do arise. 

Song of Solomon

My notes were brief from the short book of Song of Solomon.

It is the story of a love story between a man and a woman.  Each always spoke of praise and positive words about the lover and the woman to her friends did so too.  The had a great desire for each other. 

Why didn't God revewal more of himself to us in the Bible?

These are my notes from reading this chapter in the book Talking With Your Kids About God by Natasha Crain.

The Bible does tell us what we need to know.  That does mean it tells us what we need to know.  Read 2 Timothy 3:15-7. 

We aren't God.  We were created in His image, not to be him.  It would not be good for us to know all that God knows.  If we knew all the answers we wouldn't need to develop a relationship with God through prayer and study.  We wouldn't get to know him on a personal level through time with him.  This forces us to trust him; rely on him, and have faith.  Read Proverbs 3:5.

Ecclesiastes

I finished Ecclesiastes this morning in my morning reading.

• Things don't change; people are still human and the Earth is still the Earth
• The person who gains more knowledge also gains more sorrow; more wisdom = more disappointment
• Useless
• Having fun doesn't accomplish anything
• "There is nothing to gain from anything we do here on Earth."
• Wisdom > foolishness
• Wise & fools die
• A time for everything
• Dead > living; never been born even better because they haven't seen the evil of the Earth
• Be content with what you have
• Strength with each other (family/friends)
• Fame & power are useless
• Think before you speak
• Bad dreams come from worry
• Keep your promises or don't make promises
• Don't mistreat poor
• Work hard = peaceful sleep
• Can't take materials with you at death
• Enjoy life
• Wise think of death; fools think of fun
• Be patient
• Don't reminisce about why good old days were better - that is unwise
• No one knows what tomorrow may bring
• God made us good; we find ways to be bad
• There is a right time and way, but we get confused
• Enjoy life and do the hard work God gives us
• We cannot understand God's ways
• We all die and can no longer participate in Earthly ways
• Enjoy life; time & chance happen to us
• Calmness solves problems
• No one knows the future
• Invest in more than 1 thing for return for you don't know what the results will be
• God will judge everything we do
• Old age will come with problems, then you will die
• Too much study will make you tired; be ware of other teachings
• Honor & obey God - He will judge everything we do, even things done in secret

A few other thoughts from my reading of Ecclesiastes.

• We can't find meaning to our life on our own
• We do not have control; we have free will
• Death is equal, it comes to us all for judgement