Good Morning! Time - Making Connections

Morning Time Goal :

I thought I'd share today what the WHOLE goal or beautiful picture of Morning Time is : TO MAKE CONNECTIONS…connections of seemingly unfamiliar things.

My-oh-my! When this happens it really almost takes my breath away…in fact, I get giddy! (If you know me well, you know what happens when I get giddy - I can't help but talk about what God is doing!)  I see God so much in the making of connections - things that I would have never connected on my own. Now, the beauty of Morning time, for me, is my kids are starting to make those connections. Not every day. Not every week even. But connecting the dots nonetheless. 

Recently, we started Morning Time WAY late. We have a baby who isn't feeling well and boys with an unusual amount of energy. I will be honest, I woke up this particular morning wishing I could go back to sleep just for 10 minutes to start the day over. I knew it was going to be a long day when I was awakened to RJ crying (loudly) for daddy all because he had a runny nose. It seems he is petrified of his own snot these days…really.

I rolled out of bed, fed littlest one who is just "off" and headed downstairs. 

After breakfast, showers, making of disheveled beds, finally getting a couple down for early naps (this is a RARITY in our house…early naps that is.)  we started Morning time at 10:00am-ish.

We started this day with a book called, "God's Names" by Sally Michael - can I just tell you I love this book! It is so well written for kids (in my opinion…just my opinion) I don't think that you need devotional books to get into the Word. Infact, most often that is where we are reading from…the WORD. But in oder to study God's names, this books has been so helpful in directing us to specific spots in His WORD where His specific names are used.

So, this particular morning…the one where I wished I could go back to sleep…started off with Elohim - our Strong Creator. As we continued on in our morning time we read Paddle-To-The-Sea (another LOVELY book) and without any planning or prompting my two big kids connected Paddle-To-The-Sea to Elohim; which lead to talking about our Zoo trip recently and how we saw Elohim there. How Creative is our Creator!  And then to a hymn - How Great Thou Art and how that hymn talks about our Strong Creator. They made these connections…on their own. And I wanted to cry! It was beautiful in ways that words cannot express.

speaking of zoo animals

Even later that already late morning, our civics questions lead to talking about the riots in Baltimore and what our founding Fathers who wrote that beloved paper we call the constitution would think of this rioting…which lead to a conversation about freedom of speech and John Bunyan….which was PERFECT because we are memorizing 'To Be a Pilgrim' right now in our M.T.

All this to say, this was the first time this year where my oldest two have started making this many connections all on their own (while the littles listen in…well, let's be honest, kind of listen in) and I am SO thankful and grateful that God revealed Himself in all of these things. After all, HE is in all things. Let me be clear, This is NOT my doing. This is not because I am following a specific "curriculum" or book. This is a result of God's mercy and the asking of Questions resulting in conversations. Jesus was the greatest Socratic debater of all time…hence the reason for socratic method and why I want to emulate Him.
(Socratic Method (n.)

A pedagogical technique in which a teacher does not give information directly but instead asks a series of questions, with theresult that the student comes either to the desired knowledge by answering the questions or to a deeper awareness of the limits of knowledge.)

I will get back to more specifics of Morning Time soon - but I had to stop and share the goal…so just maybe it might help the long term vision. 

The Pilgrim

BY JOHN BUNYAN

Who would true Valour see

Let him come hither;   

One here will Constant be,   

Come Wind, come Weather.   

There's no Discouragement,

Shall make him once Relent,

His first avow'd Intent,

To be a Pilgrim.

Who so beset him round,

With dismal Storys,

Do but themselves Confound;   

His Strength the more is.

No Lyon can him fright,

He'l with a Gyant Fight,

But he will have a right,

To be a Pilgrim.

Hobgoblin, nor foul Fiend,

Can daunt his Spirit:

He knows, he at the end,

Shall Life Inherit.

Then Fancies fly away,   

He'l fear not what men say,   

He'l labour Night and Day,

To be a Pilgrim.

highly recommend this book - we are reading it now.