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raisingcovenantchildren

"The streets of the city shall be full of boys and

"The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing." (Zechariah 8:5)

"Play makes boys and girls learn better when it is over. They come back to lessons sharper, quicker, and more clever than if they sat reading and writing all day long. Brains and nerves and mind are all better for play. Play of any kind is better than idleness. 'Satan always finds some work for idle hands to do!' If boys and girls do not have some nice games to take to after school, they are quite sure to get into mischief. Dear children, you see that I am a friend to your playing. I am not ashamed of being so, because I see that God approves of it. God allows us to do anything except sin; and play in moderation is not sinful."

— J. C. Ryle, "Boys and Girls Playing" in Children's Stories

I posted about our repurposed photo box organizer

I'm part of three reading groups at the moment, on

I'm part of three reading groups at the moment, one of which is #100daysofdante. If you've started following Kristen Rudd's reading guide and you're behind like I am, fret not! Another one just started recently. The @100daysofdante commentary by Fred Sanders (yes, the guy who's been writing about the Trinity!) on Canto III is worth watching.

I've been meaning to get the Anthony Esolen and Dorothy Sayers translation. But alas, I couldn't find it anywhere locally. Even Amazon wouldn't ship the books directly to the Philippines! So I ended up with the John Ciardi translation, which belongs to my husband. And I'm glad because I actually enjoy reading through it since his version employs rhyme and meter. I still want to read through Esolen though. First, I've been reading a number of his books and I appreciate his voice on classical education. Second, Esolen is a Roman Catholic and I think his work will provide a unique and valuable insight into Dante's theology. Another one of my goals is to listen to his Dante lectures on Audible.

I also read a retelling from "In Story Land" to my Kindergarten student this morning. He drew the scene in Inferno with an embellished Dante (with a staff and a sword) encountering the spotted panther, the lion, and the wolf.

Reading Inferno has been really depressing so far. But I shall tread on until I reach Paradiso. Then I'll finish up this short retelling soon, so I'll get there first before my own reading.

I have long wanted to create a Shakespeare doll fo

I have long wanted to create a Shakespeare doll for my own kids. But I realized that letting them do it for themselves would be even more fun. So I partnered with @antspocketph to create this unique and exclusive Shakespeare doll kit. Anne and her company have been designing felt toys for years. My children's earlier birthday celebrations wouldn't be the same without their wonderful creations, either as decoration or giveaways. They're like the local Etsy maker that can whip up so many creative things!

So I'm very happy to share this sewing kit with friends and other homeschool families who might be interested in having their children learn some sewing basics. I think that doing this handicraft would also be a great opportunity to talk about the bard if you're jumping into Shakespeare for the first time.

The kit comes in a box which includes a 12" felt doll (a bigger version of Ant's Pocket's usual lineup), yarns, felt decals for the face, fiber fill for stuffing, a safety needle, and some glue. The first batch sold out quickly and I have a few on hand right now that are ready for shipping to Philippine residents. Please message me if you'd like to order. See some more stories on this kit by clicking on 'Merch' found in my Highlights. This will be the last batch for the month of September. I'm working on a few more designs. But that's a post for another day. 😊

#RCCXAntsPocket
#ShakespeareDoll
#HistoryDollsPH

Tell me you're a homeschooling family without tell

Tell me you're a homeschooling family without telling me you're a homeschooling family. 😂

We finally got a proper globe from a local seller. Our history, geography, and science lessons are definitely more interesting because of it. The decent ones from abroad cost an arm and a leg. So this was pretty reasonable! And you know what the best feature is? It doesn't have the nine-dash line!

P.S. My supplier said this globe is already sold out. But you can message her @annsergs if you're interested to get other designs.

Puberty is an awkward time for many. So I know tha

Puberty is an awkward time for many. So I know that I wanted my children to first learn about it from my husband and I before they hear it elsewhere.

Over the years, I've collected books that address puberty. These are mostly books on the biological end. But we're not just physical beings. We are embodied souls. And I have not yet found a resource that addresses the whole person which I'm satisfied with, until I got 'Growing Up God's Way' by Dr. Chris Richards and Dr. Liz Jones, both of whom are pediatricians.

Right off the bat, the book begins with God's purpose and design for puberty at the very first chapter. This is very important because the foundation is laid upon God's Word before you spring off to different important topics as such marriage, bodily changes, and physical intimacy. The overall tone is wise and assuring without being condescending. It is straight forward, including anatomically correct illustrations to help explain some concepts. It also doesn't get bogged down with irrelevant stories. That being said, I would recommend the books if you're on the look out for a resource that addresses puberty from the Christian worldview. Swipe to see the flip-throughs.

As parents, it's great to have these tools to help us, but we also need to gradually, actively, and prayerfully consider these things. I say 'gradually' because discussions like this don't just happen in one sitting. It should also be developmentally appropriate, which means parents get to share these things with their children during the many stages of their children's growth.

I also say 'actively' because it's not something that you just happen to talk about when it comes up. Instead, we must actively find opportunities to speak about the God-ordained plan and purpose for marriage, sex, and family to our children.

Lastly, parents must be 'prayerfully' thinking about the ways to impart the good news of Jesus and it's implications in their children's lives.

Marriage, sex, and family is God's good design to bring glory unto Himself! We must share this wonderful news with love and wisdom to our children as we ourselves seek to honor God in our own hearts and homes.

I've been into #punchneedle embroidery lately. It

I've been into #punchneedle embroidery lately. It takes about an hour or less to finish a simple design, which is right about the same amount of time as one podcast episode. I taught my daughter the same thing for her #handicraft because it's a relatively easy thing to do. It also keeps her focused on one thing at a time.

You can swipe to the right to see some of the pieces I've created. The very first one is a design by @reftoons. Pattern by @thenimblehook. Guess who? It's not as fine as I would like because the yarns are somewhat thick. But I think I've finally found a hobby that I will enjoy for years to come. My husband will testify, if you ask him, to the amount of passing fancies I've tried over the years we've been married. 😂

The very last design is my best creation yet since it based on a meme that I most enjoy. It also describes #pandemania season and pretty much what I feel about how the government is handling everything right now. 😬

What have you been up to lately? Please share some of your current hobbies below.

I know the importance of equipping myself, but I n

I know the importance of equipping myself, but I never really felt a great sense of urgency until I read 'Irreversible Damage' by Abigail Shrier a few months ago. I understand how ideas shape our realities, but it only dawned on me when I realized how vastly different my generation was from my own children. Maybe you find yourself ignorant about the ever-changing world and feel ill-equipped to help your children. I feel that way most of the time. Thankfully, the Lord has blessed the church with people who write books (and elders for the local church) who will help us navigate through the dangerous siren songs that seek to lure us and our children away from God's timeless truths. Allow me to share with you some of the relatively new resources (published within the last 2 years or so) that I have found useful for parents or people who work alongside children:

'Caring for the Souls of Children' by Amy Baker equips adults to counsel children and bring the truth of Christ to bear upon those who struggle with anxiety, abuse, sexual identity, etc. I also recommend David Murray's 'Why Is My Teenager Feeling Like This' for parents whose children may have depression.

'Mama Bear Apologetics' by Hillary Morgan Ferrer is a rich resource that help empower children how to combat cultural lies. Their next book about sexuality is also great. I'm so glad to be part of that prayer and launch team!

'Ask' by David Robertson is a compilation of 52 real questions about the Bible, Jesus, the Christian faith, and our culture, gathered from teenagers around the world.

'On the Road with Saint Augustine' by James KA Smith shows how Augustine's ancient wisdom transcends time and speaks to present issues, such as freedom, ambition, justice, friendship, etc.

'Confronting Christianity' by Rebecca McClaughlin addresses common objections and explains that Christianity is a true religion undergirded by facts and powered by the Gospel which brings hope and real satisfaction.

'The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self' by Carl R. Trueman gives an excellent survey of how ideas have shaped culture and our very human search for identity.

Have you read any of these? Do you have other recos?

Over the years, theology has "drifted" away from t

Over the years, theology has "drifted" away from the Great Tradition. Thankfully, we have teachers like Matthew Barrett who seek to recover the historical and Scriptural roots of some of the key doctrines in Christianity.

Our church's adult Sunday school will begin with Barrett's 'None Greater' starting tomorrow. In this book, Barrett clearly explains how God is not like us. O how easily we can carve an image in our own imaginations by following our own whims and wills. I'm excited to be digging through this book once again after reading it a few years ago. His reference to the A-team (Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas) is also the reason why I've chosen to read through Anselm and Aquinas' biography for our medieval church history. We already covered Augustine last year.

I also cracked open his latest 'Simply Trinity' which I only got a few weeks ago. It's certainly not the easiest theme to tackle, but Barrett affirms the eternal generation of the Son and unpacks why this matters. I have yet to read through the whole book, but finishing the first few chapters gave me a glimpse of how exciting the entire thing will be! I'm not a huge fan of sports metaphors, but thankfully I'm familiar with the Dream Team that he references in the book since I'm a child of the 80s/90s. 😂

I'm not just here for classical education, I'm also here for classical Christianity. If this is your thing, too, take up and read.

We decided to jump into Julius Caesar for Shakespe

We decided to jump into Julius Caesar for Shakespeare by following the AO recommendation for this school year. While this historical tragedy is filled with gore and terror, it ends with Mark Antony regarding Brutus as the noblest Roman of them all.

In my meager efforts to provide a beautiful education to my children, I've been looking for ways to make it worth their while. Since my daughter has learning differences and struggles with working memory, scaffolding each reading by providing images and cutting the story down into smaller chunks for narrations has been helpful so far. One thing that has stayed with me when I read Karen Glass' Know and Tell was, "One of the particular benefits of narration is that it allows a child to tell you what she knows, rather than calling attention to what she does not know. Children who have the opportunity to tell or show what they have learned do not feel like failures because they cannot answer someone else’s question. Allowing children to narrate demonstrates that you have respect for each individual child and her ability to apprehend knowledge for herself. This kind of respect and appreciation can be very affirming for children with special learning needs. Even a child who struggles with speech or expressive language can demonstrate knowledge."

It's not the easiest thing to homeschool. And more so if you have children with special learning needs. The good news is that a Christian's acceptance before the Holy God is secured because of Christ's righteousness. God has treated us according to his grace and mercy, not our performance. We are clothed with the good that Jesus has done. We are accepted by God because of Christ's perfect life and sacrifice. May the truth of the Gospel turn our days filled with worry, weakness, and wailing into worship.

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