Teaching Thoughtfulness Alongside Creativity As I shared in my thoughts On The Importance of Creativity, creativity does not need to always be about productivity. It’s about the process of creating and what that process does in us. And sometimes the focus on the end product can get in the way of that. That said, it also seems like a waste to have all of our children’s artwork sitting in piles around the house. And there’s only so much space on the refrigerator. There’s a sweetness to children’s art, as if their innocence somehow comes through even there. With my own child and the little one I nanny, we’re currently in…
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Nurturing a Whole Child in Spiritual Growth
When I set out to find resources for nurturing development in children, most of what I encountered had to do with their mental or physical development. This was to be expected. But the more I researched the more the imbalance began to strike me as uncomfortable. There was seemingly a strange, unspoken pact to isolate the mind and the body for cultivation and to ignore the soul entirely. That’s bound to have some long term consequences. Every aspect of our personhood is vital, but it awakened quite a bit of concern in me to imagine what happens when we ignore this spiritual component altogether. I believe concern is the right…
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A Journey in Nurturing a Whole Child
This series of thoughts on whole childhood began as a real time documentation of our learning process and reflections through our first year with Graham. I felt so overwhelmed from the beginning that I would fail him unintentionally by my simple lack of knowledge in how to nurture his proper development. I knew that I wanted to nurture the whole of him, equipping him with resources early on for connecting with his emotions and creativity and spirituality. I knew that I wanted to instill a love of learning and a heart of compassion. I knew that I wanted him to have an appreciation for nature and the physical world, as…
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Lamentations 2:22-23 | Memory Verse Collection
Our memory verse for November is found in Lamentations 2:22-23: “The faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh every morning.” It seems appropriate that this month it would be a verse that focuses on abundance. That as we count our blessings, we would intentionally dwell in the abundance of God’s love and mercy. I find encouragement in the reminder of mercies anew each day because on the days that are hard and discouraging, it’s a welcome reminder of God’s ability to break the cycle of darkness and replace it with light. We carry around a lot of expectations…
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8 Playlists for Children (That Are Equally Pleasant for Adults)
I’m frequently searching for ways to better practice presence in each moment. One of the most helpful tools for me has been intentionally creating ambience. Ambience is about completely enveloping. It’s about creating backdrops for desired experiences. The ambience I often strive to create is one of calm and beauty that allows me to recognize the sacredness of ordinary moments. Music can serve us by ushering us deeper into these moments. It’s all rather magical. And also useful for someone who struggles to get out of their own head. Now—I have some feelings surrounding music for children. I can appreciate a proper dose of nonsense for the fun of it,…
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John 1:16 | Memory Verse Collection
Since we desire to raise Graham as one who seeks hard after the good, the true, and the beautiful, I wanted to begin intentionally introducing him to truths that have enriched my own life. I find the memorization of scripture a helpful anchor to remember who we’re called and created to be. In my own life, I’ve been feeling prompted to be more intentional about extending grace. I’m grateful for the refreshing presence of a few friends in my life who embody grace for me, who inspire me to be the sort of person who is quick to assume the best of others, rather than the worst. Around them, it…
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On the Importance of Creativity
Creativity tends to immediately stir up thoughts of arts and crafts, glitter and glue, paper and paints, but it’s really so much more than that. More than just a matter of fine arts, creativity is where the physical, spiritual, and cognitive realms all meet and mingle. It fuses together so many of our experiences as humans and awakens something in us that makes us feel alive. I was fortunate to grow up in a household where creativity of all sorts was encouraged: Music was appreciated and made. There was plenty of time and space for crafting, imaginative play, writing, baking, nature, etc. A few years back, I sat with my…
