First Irving Ladies Book Club

OK, ladies! I'm POSITIVE you've had opportunities to practice the heart-probing questioning techniques in chapters 3 & 4. Don't give up on practicing it. . you'll get it with a little practice. . .and your kids will come on board, too. I've been using the "Are you making peace or trouble?" question quite frequently. My little ones know exactly what I mean, and they really want a peaceful home, too, so this question seems to work well for us (this week :) ).

One story from late in the week.. ..
My three year old son, 6 month old baby and I were at Mardel's Christian bookstore. I wanted to buy Jackson a new Bible because he loves reading his toddler Bible, and I wanted to get him a a more pre-school version for us to read. I also wanted to see what they had in the way of devotionals for my 7 year old. (I'll take suggestions, by the way.) Anyway, the Thomas the Train section was conveniently located adjacent to the Bibles and devotionals, so J was entertained while I browsed with baby H. I chose a couple of things--J was NOT interested in getting a new Bible--but he WAS interested in the TRAINS. You can see where this was going. . . as I said, "OK, J-man, time to go!" he began to cry. . and cry. . .and scream. . and throw a fit! I calmly got down on his eye-level, and gently began to probe his heart with these wonderful questions we've been trying to learn. "Jackson," I asked him, "are you being thankful or greedy?". (I thought about using the covetousness vocabulary, but I just didn't think I could explain it in that moment.) He answered at the top of his lungs, "GREEDY!!!! I want the train!!!!!!". I tried a few other things to calm him down, and then finally had to decide our shopping trip was over. This was the kind of crying fit that every shopper in the quiet store (about 11 am) could hear! So as we began to leave, he wised up and said "I want the Bible! Won't you just get me a new Bible?!!!!". At that point, though, we were heading out. . no going back in for a Bible!

So. . . .may you have wisdom--and may your children respond--to your heart-probing questions this week!

Keep reading! We're on for chapters 5 & 6 for Wednesday! See you then!

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