Josiah's Challenge of the Week 4

Week 4 (June 23): Learn to play chess.

Components:

• Go to Chess Club at the Shoreview Library.
  
• Practice and play chess with instructors and others.
  
• Have lunch with friends.
  
• Challenge Victor to a game of chess.
   

Bonus: Lifetime chess skills :)

 Memory Verses: 

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction...

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

Josiah's Challenge of the Week 3

Week 3 (June 16): Learn the whole laundry process.

Components:

• Sort clothes (lights and darks).
  
• Load and start washer.
• Switch load to dryer.
  
• Fold clothes and put away.
   

Bonus: Josiah and Elliot had a mall adventure with me this week (while the younger two were at a zoo and Victor was at camp). We completed an alphabet photo scavenger hunt, which was a lot of fun! And then they got to get some bouncy balls and gum at the mall vending machines. :)

 Memory Verses:

(review of 2 Thessalonians 1)

6 Years Old!

6 years old!

 

5 years old

 

4 years old

 

3 years old

 

 2 years old

18 months old

1 year old

 11 months old

10 months old

9 months old

8 months old

7 months old

6 months old

 
 5 months old

4 months old

3 months old

 2 months old

1 month old

2 weeks old

Dear Calvin,

Happy birthday to you! You are 6! Wow!

- You are a bundle of joy and creative ideas! Just about anytime day or night, you are bubbling over with inquisitive, imaginative, energetic fun. 

- You love examining and investigating books with lots of details and design. You also have authored a few of your own books (latest: My Things, complete with your own zoo, bike, and flying car). 

- You are also blossoming into quite an artist. You have wonderful vision for making raw materials into something cool, such as turning a cardboard box into a volcano and village, a mitten into a felt-decorated monster, and a laundry basket into a ship. You enjoy painting, sculpting, and drawing. It's so fun to see your creations! It's the image of God on display.

- You are (normally) a very patient and accommodating big brother to Jemima. You will play as her pet, help build her a fort behind her bed, and give her space to look at books alongside you. I love to see you both enjoying each other so much!

- You did great with kindergarten this year, gained good reading skills, whipped through your math book (and got a start on next year's), and prepared a very interesting science presentation on Saturn (because your big brothers were), even though the rest of your class wasn't actually tackling that. It's so great to see your good mind at work, learning and growing!

- You are doing a great job learning 2 Thessalonians with the rest of the fam (a summer project)! I love it when you get me back on track if I miss a phrase here or there...

- You are getting stronger and more capable in so many ways. You're a great bike rider and have biked along while I've run several times this summer, which is so cool! You don't complain about hills or even getting soaked in the rain! I love sharing those adventures with you, and I appreciate how it highlights not only your physical growth but also your growing maturity, flexibility, and perseverance.

- You have a great sense of humor and are very quick to pick up a pun or joke or clever idea. I pray that your joyful spirit will always be a refreshment to others as you are steadily refreshed and encouraged in the Lord. It is a joy to be your mom!

 

The new Bible study that we're walking through this summer focuses on the hope of heaven, and our first lesson asked the question, Will heaven be your home? We live in a culture that doesn't like to think about death, or that flippantly assumes things will turn out fine as long as we aren't as bad as the really bad people, but that is a pretty foolish and short-sighted way to live.

Today we walked thoughtfully through John 3:14-18:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 

We have a really big problem: we are sick with sin, and as Romans 6:23 reminds us, sin earns death. But the solution is not some elaborate list of requirements we need to do to impress God. Actually, quite the contrary. 

God seeks those who will humbly recognize that they cannot do anything to solve the problem of their own sin--and rather who will believe in the Son of God, who took our place, bearing our punishment so that we could be saved. Three times in this passage it says "whoever believes in him"... the door is wide open! How I pray that you will see and keep seeing the greatness of Christ, believe and keep believing in His all-sufficient redemption, love and keep loving Him for His immense grace and wonderful heart.

I'm thankful that you hear and understand these truths quite well, and I pray the Lord will make them the rock-solid foundation of your whole life. There is nothing better!

I love you so!

Mom

Josiah's Challenge of the Week 2

Week 2 (June 9): Learn some new kitchen skills

Components:

• Learn how to cut a watermelon.
  
• Help Mom put together dirt dessert for Calvin's early birthday celebration.
• Help wash the dishes.
  

Bonus: Lick the bowls. :)

 

Josiah had commented to me that he thought he'd be a good watermelon cutter, so it was time to give him the opportunity! He did a nice job and did not lose any fingers. Win, win. 

 

 Memory Verses:

...when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:10-12

 

P.S. The finished product:

Josiah's Challenge of the Week 1

The summer "Challenge of the Week" is back! This time, Josiah takes the helm.

Week 1 (June 2): Start taking piano lessons.

Components:

• Weekly piano lessons through the summer (or as much as summer schedules allow)
• Practice, practice, practice!
   

Bonus: New piano books and bag, compliments of Mrs. Vicki

 

It's really sweet that God provided a way for Josiah to get some piano lessons. I couldn't figure out a way to finagle it during the school year, and this is an answer to prayer!

 

 Memory Verses: (we are working on memorizing 2 Thessalonians this summer as a family)

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore, we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. 

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering--since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-9