St. Michael the Archangel

 

In the traditional liturgical calendar, September 29th was celebrated as the feast of St. Michael the Archangel. In Britain, the holiday became known as "Michaelmas," since the faithful gathered for "Michael's Mass" on that day.

 

In the contemporary calendar, Saints Gabriel and Raphael are also honored on St. Michael's feastday, but in our home, we still call it Michaelmas and focus on the older celebration, which specifically commemorates when St. Michael cast Lucifer out of Heaven.

 

I’ve written about St. Michael in previous years. Here are some more ideas for celebrating the holiday in your home.

• Go blackberry picking. Legend has it that when St. Michael cast Satan out of Heaven, the devil fell into a blackberry brier and cursed it. It's supposed to be bad luck to pick blackberries after Michaelmas Day. If you still have blackberries ripe where you live, have a berry-picking excursion, complete with story-telling of the legend. Afterwards, you can bake a tasty dessert with them to celebrate.
• Roast a goose! Goose and Michaelmas just go together and always have done. In England during the Middle Ages, it was considered to be good luck if your family could afford a goose for this beloved feastday. The bird was also a symbol for St. Michael, seeing as they both have wings. If you can't obtain (or don't wish to obtain) a goose, do consider roasting some sort of poultry for dinner, such as a chicken or a duck.
• In England, St. Michael has long been associated with St. George. St. Michael cast out Satan, who is often depicted as a serpent. St. George was legendarily famous for slaying dragons. The connection is easy to see. Why not gather the family around to enjoy a read aloud of St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. The gorgeous illustrations, reminiscent of medieval illustrated manuscripts, give a historical and liturgical flavor to the tale that is perfect for Michaelmas.
• Talk about St. Michael with your family. Young boys, in particular, seem to be drawn to St. Michael's heroism and position as the commander of God's Heavenly host. Speak about how we, as Christians, are warriors for Christ. Talk about the significance of this calling. Ask each family member to commit to one way in which they can strive to boldly do battle for God's Glory in the coming year.
• Make toy swords with the little boys in your life (this is easily done by cutting out cardboard in the shape of a sword and gluing tinfoil to the "blade" portion). You can fashion some angel wings, too, if you'd like. Let the boys don whatever play armor they've got. Then, let them have at it!
• St. Michael is God's chief warrior against Satan. It is fitting that, on his feast day, we would seek his intercession and protection against the devil's snares in our own lives. Pray that St. Michael would defend you and your loved ones from the temptations of Lucifer, and that he might aid you in your fight as God's warriors. Again, this goes over particularly well with the lads of the household.

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

 

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -- by the Divine Power of God -- cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Picture Credit: “St. Michael” by Raphael

This post has been edited from the original version, posted September 29, 2009.

Gingerbread Man

Knowledge cannot be accumulated in a void. In order for the things we hear about and read to stick, we need to make connections. We need to integrate facts with other facts. Sometimes, we need to experience the information in different ways. Only then can we make it our own and absorb it into ourselves as something to draw on again and again for years to come.

This concept has been important to me as I have planned homeschool curricula for the past two years, but it is especially vital for me when it comes to religion.

I am not interested in filling my daughter up with a bunch of facts about the faith, valuable though each of those bits of information may be. I want her to absorb them, to integrate them, to see each year—each day!—more and more of our great God, to cherish His love for her, and learn how to love Him well in return.

I plan our curriculum with this idea in mind. I ask myself a few questions: What do I want my child to walk away with this year? How do I want to see her grow in faith? How does she need to grow in her love and knowledge of God?

This year in our homeschool religion class, we are focusing on the person of God and His relationship to Man. So far, we have covered who God is, the persons of the Holy Trinity, the story of Creation, the Fall, and the concepts of original and actual sin. The Baltimore Catechism is a wonderful resource for teaching concepts like these to little ones.

But, I didn’t want to rely only on rote memorization. We are also learning prayers and experiencing them by praying together, seeking answers to curious questions, creating art, getting to know Christ in the Mass, memorizing Scripture, singing hymns, and even…

baking cookies.

There’s a story behind this, of course. And it goes like this.

“…the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

We use flour to make gingerbread men, the way God formed Adam from the dust of the earth. The way we are all dust. To dust we shall return.

We mix and roll the dough with great care. We take pride in setting each decoration in place.

We watch over them with great care.

Some people may think our gingerbread men look funny, but we think they are wonderful. Each one is a little different, but we enjoy them equally, and they are equally delicious.

God made each one of us to be unique, but we are all made from the same “dough.” Each human being has inherent dignity and worth, just as each gingerbread man is inherently fragrant spicy-sweet regardless of the toppings we use.

Our God loves us. He made us. And, as they say, God doesn’t make mistakes.

Ballet Lessons

Two weeks ago was Sophia’s first ballet lesson. I think I was at least as excited as she was. I remembered when I started ballet as a kindergartener, myself. I was thrilled at the idea that she would be able to have the same fantastic, confidence-building, creativity-nourishing experience that I had. Then, I saw her in her pint-sized slippers and little bun, and my mother heart melted to consistency of warm honey.

Brian was at a youth ministry conference that morning, so I prepped breakfast the night before and laid out clothes. In the morning, everything went smoothly, and I managed to get even my contrary two-year-old buckled into his car seat with plenty of time to get lost on the way. Which I did. But, thanks to my handy iPhone app, I managed to find my way back lickety-split and we still had fifteen minutes to spare before class would begin.

I snapped a few shots of Sophia while we were waiting for her teacher to arrive. I tried to introduce her to some of the other little girls. But, I could tell that something was off. Sophia was speaking in one-word sentence, a very odd thing for my loquacious social butterfly. Then, she started sucking on her two middle fingers, a habit she’d given up with infancy. Now, she only does it when she’s hurt…or scared.

My anxiety was starting to rise on her behalf. And, then her teacher arrived.

The other girls got ready to follow the lovely teacher into class, but Sophia suddenly had other ideas. Or needs. Tears spilled out of her eyes, and she reached for me, whimpering, “Mama! Mama!”

At first, I was sympathetic. I held her and calmly introduced her to the teacher, who Sophia seemed to warm up to right away, despite the tears. Our sweet instructor told me that I was welcome to come back with her for this first class, although normally parents are only allowed in for designated “watch days.” So, I took Sophia by one hand and James by the other. But, she dragged her feet. The tears continued to fall, and I knew that this was fruitless. By the time we reached the door, both children were crying in earnest and both begging me to hold them.

I was frazzled. I was frustrated. And, oh, I was so sorely disappointed.

All my dreams for my daughter, all my excited anticipation, my hopes for some peaceful alone time with my second-born while my eldest learned knew and exciting skills and made some new friends…it all washed away in my daughter’s desperate tears.

I would like to tell you I was sweet and compassionate. I would like to tell you I knew what to do. I would like to tell you I handled things differently.

In truth, I could barely contain the embarrassment and irritation swelling in me like hot air in a pressure cooker. My simmering lid was starting to rattle. I called my husband in desperation, and though he offered to talk to our daughter, it did nothing to calm her hysteria. I thought about lifting one kid under each arm and heading for the car.

Retreat, I thought. Just admit you’ve been beat.

YOU?

Reality hit me upside the head, as it so often does. This wasn’t about me at all. Who cared if the other mothers did think I was a helicopter homeschool mom who raised her children to be forever dependent on her? Who cared if they thought I had raised a couple of crybabies who didn’t know how to behave in public? Who cared if they raised their eyebrows at me thinking, Why is she losing her cool? Can’t she tell her daughter just isn’t ready? Why did she even think to bring her here?

The answer, of course, was plain. Me. I cared. I cared a lot. But this wasn’t about me. It was about my daughter. A new challenge in her sweet, young life. An opportunity to face fears and, hopefully, to overcome them. My only role was support. Could I push aside my own insecurities, my baggage? Could I humble myself and learn a lesson at her side?

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.’” – Matthew 19:26

I ferried my children off to a quiet corner where we could see through the windows to watch the class. I gently coaxed my daughter to share with me how she was feeling. Of course, she was too overwhelmed at this point and hardly spoke beyond the occasional whimpered request for Daddy or for Agnes, her stuffed sheep.

So, we prayed. I laid my hands on her hot, little head, and I asked God to grant her the grace to be brave. I asked for the grace to walk her through this. And, grace came down.

We never made it into class that day, and all week, I admit I was anxious. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back and try again. I was afraid I wouldn’t it any better this time. I was afraid I would handle it worse. This was a challenge as much for me as it was for Sophia, and I didn’t know if I could face it.

I knew, though, that running from a challenge out of fear is never the answer. So, this Saturday, we ate breakfast, buckled into car seats, and headed off for the studio again. We met a few of the little girls we had watched through the glass the last week. We spoke with our teacher, who kindly offered to give us a quick tour of the studio. Agnes, the sheep, came with us, too, on the understanding that she would be placed against the wall to watch.

I prayed. I prayed hard.

And, do you know what? Everything went fine. Of course, Sophia still refused to go across the floor for one-at-a-time exercises, but her teacher assured me that was fine. “A few weeks, and she’ll be itching to try it,” she said.

I underestimate my children so often.

Just like I underestimate my God.

I am flawed, it’s true. But, He is not, and He is stronger than my weak faults. And, He is strong enough to be the Parent I cannot. And, He is strong enough to make me the Mother I should be.

The Drafting of Josephine Saito

When I announced last week that I have FINALLY signed with a literary agent, I had a lot of readers asking about the project I was signed for. In short, I have been (quite unusually) signed for a work in progress, The Drafting of Josephine Saito. It’s a contemporary YA (young adult) novel about an 18-year-old girl who gets drafted into the United States army.

Josephine Saito has just graduated valedictorian of her Seattle high school. She should be partying with her friends, Evie and Rain, and getting ready for her freshman year at Brown University. But, the United States is at war with China, the draft has been reopened…and Josie’s card is up.

During her grueling basic training, Josie learns the true meaning of friendship, sacrifice, and honor. She is launched from there on a deployment to Hangzhou, China where she discovers that there is much more to survival than escaping death. Stripped bare by the atrocities of war, Josie is at last able to discover her own worth, as well as a powerful reason for living.

I have the whole book outlined, but I’m still writing like mad and researching like…um…madder. My latest word count stands at just over 28,000. Josie’s in basic training at joint base Fort Lewis-McChord and getting prepared to deploy. My plan is to get a first draft to my agent (THANK YOU JESUS, I HAVE AN AGENT!) around the first of the year, and we’ll proceed from there.

I will keep all of you abreast of developments. I covet your prayers as I knuckle down to work, and for each one of them, I give you my thanks.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

"How splendid the cross of Christ! It brings life, not death; light, not darkness; Paradise, not its loss. It is the wood on which the Lord, like a great warrior, was wounded in hands and feet and side, but healed thereby our wounds. A tree has destroyed us, a tree now brought us life." - Theodore of Studios

BOOKS

Saints: Lives and Illuminations by Ruth Saunderson
The Tale of the Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt and Tim Jonke

ACTIVITIES

• attend Mass
• Polish the cross you wear around your neck; if you don’t have one, this would be a wonderful day to purchase it.
• Clean the crosses that hang in your home, or if you do not currently have one, see about purchasing one so that the eyes of your household may literally be on the cross of Christ daily, reminding your hearts to do the same.
• Tell the story of St. Helena and the finding of the True Cross to your children.
• According to one legend, the True Cross lay buried beneath a patch of basil, the flower of royalty. St. Helena had never before smelled it’s enchanting scent, but as we know, Italians now are very familiar with basil, so it must have migrated to Rome since Queen Helena’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Consider making a dish with basil for dinner tonight, or perhaps harvesting the remainder of your plants, which do not winter well, and concocting a big batch of pesto to freeze for the winter.

I have written about Holy Cross Day here, here, here and here, as well. Feel free to explore these older posts for inspiration and more ideas on how to celebrate with you family.

Picture credit: “St. Helena and the True Cross” by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Cincinnati Art Museum, bequest of Mary E. Emery

Cider Man’s Favorite Apple Pie

 

I grew up with a New Englander’s taste for apple pie, tart, heavily spiced and running with juices. But, my husband likes his apple pie a little different: a bit lighter on the nutmeg—no allspice or cloves, and he likes his filling gooey. It’s taken me some time to tweak the recipe to that sweet spot of bliss-inducing rightness, and along the way, I had a surprise. I discovered that my taste in apple pie is really not so different from my husband’s—I just didn’t know I liked it better his way!

1 recipe Cider Mama’s Perfect Pie Crust
5-7 Granny Smith apples (depending on size of apples and whether you are using a deep dish pie pan or a regular one), peeled, cored and sliced very thin (about ¼’’ thick)
½ c. granulated sugar
¼ c. golden brown sugar, packed
¼ c. cornstarch
1 T lemon juice (since I’m not using zest, I just use bottled lemon juice; it’s cheaper)
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
½ t. nutmeg
¼ t. salt
1 T butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg beaten with 1 T water
granulated sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 425F.

Mix the apples, sugars, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Mix it really well. You want everything to be completely distributed over the apples.

Roll out one disk of pie dough and place in greased 9’’ pie dish. Fill crust with apples. Dot with butter pieces. Roll out second pie dough disk and place over the apple filling and butter. Cut your crust overhang to 1’’, fold under, and flute the edges. (Tip: If some parts of your overhang are scanty, use scraps of dough that you’ve cut away to bolster it by rolling your edges around bits of scraps you set in place. This will fill out your edge and help it keep from burning in places.) Brush the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake pie in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. (Tip: You may have to set your rack just below the center setting because a pie is thick and domed, not flat like a cookie sheet, and you want the pie itself to be centered, not merely the rack on which it is placed.)

Turn the heat down to 350F and bake for a further 35-45 minutes until your crust is golden and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and cool on rack 1 hour.

I highly recommend serving this pie a la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That’s the sure way to melt Cider Man’s heart, and I suspect it’ll work the same magic on any man.

For a traditional New England treat, serve leftover slices at room temperature the next morning with slices of sharp cheddar cheese on top!
 

This post was previously published on September 20, 2010. The recipe itself has been slightly updated here and the former post deleted.

Good News!

I have the second best news in the world! (No, I’m not pregnant—that would be the BEST news!)

I HAVE A LITERARY AGENT!!!!

It is official: I just signed a contract with the completely awesome Hannah Brown Gordon of Foundry Literary + Media.

I am overjoyed. I am overwhelmed!—because Hannah signed me under some pretty unique circumstances. Namely, she signed me for a book I haven’t actually finished writing!

For those of you who are totally lost right now, I am a novelist. Most novelists choose to have a literary agent who helps them manage their careers and takes the responsibility of selling the author’s works to publishers. You basically cannot sell to the major houses without an agent. They are awesome people, but they are tough to get. In the writing world, many people refer to agents as the “gatekeepers” of the industry, and getting past the gatekeeper is a fledgling writer’s consuming dream and goal. I’ve been working toward this moment for four years—and it has been so worth the wait!

When I first contacted Hannah, it was with Guardian, a Young Adult paranormal romance that was intended to be the first in a 4-part series. I finished the manuscript this past winter and immediately knew it was the strongest thing I had written to date. (Guardian is my third novel.) I shopped it around with dogged determination—and I had some pretty positive responses. Hannah, among other agents, contacted me to talk more about the project. What she had to say might have sounded discouraging at first, but when she told me that she thought the project was incredible but ill-timed, I knew more than ever that I would love to have her represent me.

Hannah was looking at my career in the long-term, not simply eying Guardian as a single project. We both knew that the market is totally saturated with paranormal YAs—especially ones that star angels and daemons! In a few years, we might have a really great shot at making a great deal on this series, but for the time being, she asked me if I had anything else to show her that we might be able to put on the front burner if we worked together. I sent her my second novel and two works in progress: an untitled piece and a contemporary YA titled The Drafting of Josephine Saito. We set up a phone conference for the following week.

Conference two rolled around. She enjoyed the other novel, but wasn’t completely in love with it like she had been with Guardian—BUT (it’s a big BUT!) she was head over heels for The Drafting of Josephine Saito! Which only had five chapters at the time!!! She liked it so much, she was willing to sign me to represent a book that is not yet written!!!

Elated, I did the courteous thing and emailed all the other agents who were currently in possession of drafts of my other two full-length manuscripts to let them know I’d received an offer of representation. I gave them the standard deadline of one week to weigh in. I got a ton of really amazing feedback. I promise y’all, despite rumors to the contrary, literary agents really aren’t scary ogres! They are some amazingly visionary, dedicated people, and I am so grateful to every single person who took the time to read and evaluate my work. In the end it was clear that Hannah was the right fit for me, and I wrote to tell her I was ready to sign that contract!

Now, I have a deadline for completing my novel, which we hope to spend the late winter editing. And, then we’ll start submitting it to publishing houses! I’ve got a LOT of work ahead of me. It’s a long road to publication, and who knows if, even with a stellar agent, this book will cut a deal, but I am a million steps closer toward realizing my dream of becoming a published author! I am so thankful, for this opportunity, and for a truly amazing fit with a truly wonderful agent!

Now, I am ready and willing to roll up my sleeves and get down to business—my passion, my job, my art—writing! I am beyond thankful to a gracious God who knows the desires of my heart, who gave me my skills with words, and who has given me a passion and a career that I can pursue in consort with fulfilling the even more amazing vocation of being a wife and mother and homemaker. He is so, so good.

Thank you, too, to everyone who has been praying for me! I will keep you all updated, and I cannot thank you enough.

Friday Fun

I honestly have so much admiration for single parents. Military spouses, widows and widowers, and all other manner of moms and dads who are going it alone, I salute you!

Tonight, my husband was at a youth ministry training retreat. Which means he didn’t come home for dinner. And, he’ll be gone all day for the same thing tomorrow. And it’s been a very long week.

So, what’s a mama to do?

Pizza party!

The kids made their own English muffin pizzas (green pepper, mushroom, and black olive). Then, we had a picnic in the living room and watched Ratatouille.

You know, they say dads are the ones who get a free pass to eat junk food and go crazy when moms aren’t home. But, I say every parent reserves the right to be a little silly, a little messy, and a lotta fun with their children! Especially when they’re flying solo.

A(P)BC Sandwich

Apple-Peanut Butter-Cinnamon, that is!

In a small bowl combine 2T softened butter, 2T sugar, cinnamon to taste, and 1 t. vanilla extract. Blend it with a knife until smooth and well mixed. Slather 4 slices of bread with this mixture. On 4 more slices of bread, spread peanut butter. Thinly slice an apple or two (I think Macintoshes taste best) and lay the slices on the peanut buttery half of the bread. Top with the cinnamon-butter bread slices. Cut in half and serve with a tall glass of cold milk.

Apple Affiliate

Shabby Apple.

Frankly, it just has a nice ring to it. Well, at least I think so ;-)

Ever since I first discovered this lovely online clothing site, I’ve been hooked. They specialize in feminine, modest dresses with lines now for maternity, baby, and girls, as well as their standard line for women. The styles are vintage-inspired, and though they are pricey, they are well-made (ie. lovely fit and made to last). Consider any purchase from Shabby Apple a quality investment in your wardrobe.

Well, needless to say, when the Shabby Applettes contacted me to ask if I’d like to be an affiliate and advertise their site here at The Apple Cider Mill, I was delighted!

So, without further adieu, let’s give a warm welcome to our new Apple Affiliate: Shabby Apple!

Disclosure: I receive 5% of every order made through this website. 50% of these proceeds will go to supporting Suited for Success, a Catholic charity in Tacoma, WA that provides workshops and clothing for those seeking employment. Thank you for your support!

Out Labors Begin

Sophia’s first day of kindergarten…

I am so proud.

I am so excited.

Blessing
for the
Beginning of a School Year

Blessed are you, God our Father,
Maker of the universe:
You have sent Jesus to be our brother
and to save us in Your love.

Bless + us as we begin this year,
and help us in all we do for You.
Let Your Holy Spirit give us light,
and lead us to You
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The 4th R

Reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic have long been considered the core subjects of education, but I would like to offer a fourth: Religion.

Of course, it’s not a new idea. In The Little Town on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder recounts her 19th century school mistress beginning class with a recitation of the 23rd psalm.

Laura knew the Psalms by heart, of course, but she loved to hear again every word of the twenty-third, from “The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want,” to “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Then Teacher closed the Bible and on all the desks the pupils opened the textbooks. School work had begun.

Those of us who home educate have the opportunity to take things much farther and deeper, of course, than Miss Garland, and even those parents who don’t home educate for other academic subjects have the freedom to develop a meaningful course of religious education for their children. In fact, the Church says that parents are called by virtue of their vocation to stand as the primary educators of their own children, and this is especially important with regards to education in the faith.

"Since parents have conferred life on their children, they have a most solemn obligation to educate their offspring. Hence, parents must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children. Their role as educators is so decisive that scarcely anything can compensate for their failure in it.”
– The Second Vatican Council

Many churches, mine included, have excellent faith formation programs. In my opinion, these are wonderful supplements to the sort of religious education that should be going on in the home. Even if your children attend a parish school, remember that God intends for you to be the primary vein through which your children learn and learn to live the faith of Jesus of Christ. It’s a weighty obligation, and one that calls for real vision, effort, and intent.

So, what does it look like to “teach the faith” to our children? First and foremost, it means knowing and living the faith ourselves. You’ve heard the adage, “Actions speak louder than words,” and it’s true. If you are invested in living an authentic life of faith that is centered on a knowledge of and love for Jesus Christ, your children will pick up on it. If you don’t, they’ll pick up on that, too. Your life and priorities send a message, loud and clear, to your children.

But, sending a message is not enough to ensure that your children are well-educated in the faith. Consider that faith itself is grace, it’s an unmerited gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). We cannot teach our children faith. But, we can and must nurture our children’s hearts to make them ready to receive the grace of faith and, once they have found that faith, we can educate them in the knowledge of Christianity and disciple them to live that faith out.

We nurture our children’s faith lives by creating a home atmosphere where God is spoken of, loved, honored, and obeyed. We do it by praying with and for our children. We do it by living the liturgical year and participating in the life of the Church. We do it through acts of service and sacrifice. In short, we do it by following Jesus in our daily lives.

But, education is something else. Some people like to call their children’s religious curriculum “Bible,” but I prefer the term “Religion.” I like this term because it encompasses all aspects of the faith, not just Scripture study and Bible history but Christian worldview, doctrine, apologetics, Christian living, Church history, the lives of the saints, and anything else you can think of that falls under the umbrella of Christian theology. All of these things come together to give us and our children a solid knowledge of the faith.

There are programs out there that can help you get started if you’re feeling intimidated about teaching religion to your children. Sonlight curriculum has built excellent cross-disciplinary units combining Bible lessons with world history for all ages. I’m sure there are excellent Catholic curricula out there as well (Sonlight is non-denominational Christian), but I point to this particular company because of their interdisciplinary approach. Even if you don’t choose to purchase pre-designed curricula (I don’t, personally), this is a valuable method to employ. As Christians, our faith informs every aspect of our lives. We should demonstrate to our children that it can and does touch every discipline of education, as well, from English literature to mathematics.

Next week, I hope to write a post on the curriculum we’ll be using this year for religious education. In the meantime, you can feel free to peruse the previous posts on the liturgical year to glean some ideas for activities and points of doctrine to explore with your family.

You may feel empowered and excited about the idea that you are ordained by God to be the primary educator of your children. Or perhaps you find this idea completely terrifying. Maybe you haven’t read the Bible, or even if you’ve read it cover-to-cover, you still feel you can’t make heads or tails of it. Perhaps you grew up in another faith and don’t feel qualified to teach about the liturgical year, Church history, or the lives of the saints.

Don’t worry! Every education has its gaps. Aspects of mine have been known to resemble the Grand Canyon. It’s okay if you don’t know it all. Faith is a journey, not a destination. Heaven is the destination, and the God of Heaven has personally equipped you with everything you need to take your children in hand and lead them along the path to Heaven: the Holy Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the unique imago Dei of yourself.

Learn as you go. When your children have questions, “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer for you to give—then go find the answer together. Seek truth together. Seek God together. You will find all that you need.