Scripture & Music

I've written before about the importance of singing with your children. I won't go into much detail again but I did want to expand on one thing.
Scripture promises the following about itself:

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

With those promises in mind, I encourage you to sing Scripture over your children and even have it playing in the background as you go throughout your day. There are several groups that publish verses put to song. Because we have the promise that God's Word will not return empty, why wouldn't we want to let it go forth over our children on a regular basis? So grab some cds, turn the volume up, sing along and have faith that His Word will penetrate the hearts of our little ones.

Recommendations:

Seeds Family Worship

Godprints - Scripture Memory Songs for kids (no site - available on ITunes)

Bedtime With Your Toddler

As you put your child to bed every night, you probably have a routine you follow. This routine may include a bath, putting on PJs, reading a story, but does it include time with God? This is a continuation of a multi-part series on how to use your bedtime routine as another setting during which you can teach your child about Jesus. Last time I posted about bedtime with your baby. Let's talk today about your young toddler.

At some point , you will watch your toddler learn to understand and use language. He will learn to obey when you ask them to complete a task (come to me, bring me your shoes, etc). He will point at objects wanting you to identify what he sees. He will begin to say the names of people he loves. One of the activities most fun for your toddler will be imitating those people who are most important in his life. As your child grows, your teaching will increase. Your toddler can understand that God is in charge of everything as you teach him about God and their environment around them. Your toddler can understand that God is good as you teach him about His love for him. Your toddlers can understand that we can talk with God as you pray with him throughout your day. Your toddler can understand that the Bible is God's Perfect Word as you read to him from His Word.

You are not only teaching your child the importance of spending time with God, but giving him the tools to continue to do that throughout his life. After reading a short Bible story, talk about the pictures he sees, ask him questions about what happened in the story. (Answering them if he doesn't or can't will only help to reinforce what you are teaching him.) He will learn that not only is reading the Bible important, but also understanding it and applying it. While singing a song of praise or Truth, your toddler can begin to sing along with you.

After reading a story and singing a song about Jesus loving the little children, your prayer may go something like this: "Dear God, I praise you that You are good! Thank you for giving us the Bible to teach us that you love little children. Thank you that you love (Jacob). Please help him to always have confidence that you love him. We love you Jesus. Amen." As your child's communication skills improve you can begin to leave space in the prayer for fill-in-the-blanks. Giving thanks is a great way for your child to begin to pray on his own.

As these things become a routine in your family, your child is learning the value you place on time with God. Giving him the early practice of reading God's Word on a daily basis and teaching him to be in the habit of praying regularly will teach him what a healthy relationship with the Lord looks like.

If you are looking for a recommendation on a toddler Bible, you might consider this one that our family uses as we raise toddlers, The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers, which lists for $11.04 on Amazon. Beyond the Biblical accuracy, we like the rhyming, the illustrations, and the content choice of this Bible.

Carols & Hymns

One of the most unique aspects of the holiday season is the music. As children grow, they come to know and love the Christmas Carols and Hymns that surround the season and associate them with fond memories, special activities and meaningful traditions.
I encourage you to talk through some of your child's favorite Christmas Carols. They often convey very deep, very sweet theological truths that unless looked for or explored, may be missed by you and your children. So talk through the lyrics to Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, and other favorites. Even secular carols can communicate the excitement of the holidays and provide a transition to talk about the spiritual.
So take some time these next few weeks to talk about the words we are singing, and, like always, let me encourage you to sing with your child often and loudly, and in so doing convey a joyful worship to our King!

New Music

Andrew Peterson is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists and I just discovered that he has a children's cd out!


This is a collaborative effort with Randall Goodgame. The cd is a mix of silly, kid-friendly fun tunes and sweeter, more serious songs about God. In my opinion, it's best suited for ages 4 and younger.
You can find Andrew's children's cd Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies here or on iTunes if you search Andrew Peterson and click on Children's Music.

Singing with your children

One of the little things I look forward to most about being a mother is singing with my children. I have yet to meet a child who does not love to listen to music and sing and dance along.
Music can be a powerful tool to communicate foundational truths, namely, the greatness of God. Children can begin to understand not only who God is, but why we sing to Him and what those songs communicate.
There are numerous CDs with songs that present Scripture, biblical attributes, character values and other spiritually enriching content that are fun to listen to and sing along with.
The great thing about singing with children is that they don’t care how good you are! I have absolutely no musical abilities, but when I sing with or to the children on Sunday mornings, they love it! I think it’s because children hear the heart behind my voice, a heart that loves to sing praises to our Lord.
Singing with the children not only teaches them truths about God, but it models praise and worship. Our children typically do not go to church with their parents, so for them to get to see Mom and Dad singing at home with them shows them what it looks like to come before the Lord in worship through song.
I want to encourage you to make singing with your child a part of every day. Be intentional in your song choices and choose music that reinforces the truths of what you’re teaching about God at home. Play the music during playtime or craft time and take time to sing along. What a great thing for a child to grow up in an atmosphere saturated by the Word of God expressed in word, deed and song!

A couple of my favorites:
Phil Joel
Seeds of Praise, Seeds of Worship