Parenting Like Hannah

Finding God at the Zoo

Finding God at the Zoo - Parenting Like Hannah I have a confession to make. My family is addicted to zoos and aquariums. We enjoy seeking out new ones when we travel. We have ridden a camel, fed a giraffe and touched sharks, sting rays, sea squirts and numerous other slimy and furry “critters”.

We live in Atlanta, home of the fantastic Georgia Aquarium. My daughter and I love to go there and just soak in the wonder of their largest tank. It houses several whale sharks (they grow to be the size of a bus) and thousands of other fish, rays and sharks. They have a classical music piece playing in the background that was especially composed for the exhibit. I always feel so close to God in that room. As my daughter and I sat there a few weeks ago, I realized she has probably heard the same dialogue from me a thousand times.

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Baptism Study for Parents to Use

Free Baptism Study - Parenting Like Hannah — Photo by Derek and Sarah Grant

Over the years, I have had numerous discussions with parents about what to study with their children when they start asking questions about baptism. A few years ago, my own daughter began showing an interest in baptism. Over the course of a week, I wrote a study as we talked about what she knew and what concerns she and her friends had about baptism. I based the lessons not only on scripture, but on the common questions she and her friends had on the subject.

Over time I have lengthened the study. I did this for two reasons. One to provide meaningful support activities for parents to use to help their children grow spiritually either before or after their baptism. The second reason was to provide a subtle way for parents with children who really aren’t ready for baptism to continue the dialogue with their child over a longer period of time. The leader’s guide gives you guidelines about shortening the study for children who are ready and lengthening it for children who are not quite ready. The leader’s guide also has additional scriptures that can be used with children who need further study in a particular area.

I am making this available here for free to any parent who may find it helpful. May God bless you as you study with the children in your life.

A Fun Way to Introduce Sermon Listening

When our daughter was about four or five years old, we decided we wanted to make sermon time more relevant and not just a quiet play time. Realistically, she was not old enough to listen to or understand an entire sermon. We wanted her to learn however, that the preacher was trying to teach Bible lessons during sermon time.

I went to the school supply store (I believe you can find them in office supply stores also) and found a spiral notebook that has story paper in it. The top of the page is just white space and then there are a few lines in the last third to use for writing.

During sermon time, whoever was helping her “take notes” would draw pictures about the story or theme of the sermon. My daughter could then spend the rest of the sermon coloring and adding to the drawings if she knew the story.

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Steps For Developing a Heart for Missions

Steps for Developing a Heart for Missions - Parenting Like Hannah Our daughter is currently working on her Silver Award project for Girl Scouts. She is collecting hundreds of books and setting up libraries and a reading incentive program for the children in a children’s home in Mexico. Although the award only requires a service project of 40 hours, her completed project will take probably three times that amount of hours to complete. Yet she is excited and has managed the project with a flair and maturity well beyond her years. I believe this is not only because she has a passion for the project, but because of her love for the recipients.

When our daughter was two years old, she went on her first mini mission trip. We were vacationing in Mexico and went for the day to encourage a missionary family we knew in another town. Since then, we have been on numerous full length mission trips to help with a children’s home that was established in that city. Our daughter would move to Mexico in a heartbeat to help with the mission. The worst punishment we could give her would be to lengthen the time between our visits. In fact, we often joke that one day she will live with her future husband in Mexico as full time missionaries.

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Why do I Try to Parent Like Hannah?

When I gave birth to my daughter, I kept thinking about the Bible story of Hannah. Like Hannah, I was having my first child later than many women. I meditated on the verses in I Samuel chapter one. I marveled at the grace of Hannah as she not only dedicated her young son to the Lord, but later left him to be raised by Eli.

I longed to have the attitude of Hannah. While I have no desire to send my child to be raised by someone else, my husband and I wanted to dedicate her to the Lord. I prayed to the Lord that He would give us the wisdom to train her heart and mind to long to follow His path for her.

Over the years, I have studied scripture to glean wisdom on training children. I have quizzed women who have adult children who love the Lord. I have used what I learned while studying for my degree in education to write Biblical lessons for my daughter that were fun, exciting, real and practical.

I hope to use this blog to encourage parents who embark on the journey of raising children they have dedicated to the Lord. I don’t claim to have all of the answers as I am still on the journey. I only know what has worked for us (so far) and what I have learned from more experienced mothers whose children are still actively faithful to the Lord.

I pray you will join me on this journey. May God bless each of us as we attempt to raise our children to be enthusiastic servants of the Lord.