Children's Books for Summer Fun

I love old children’s books, and have been listening to free MP3 versions of some classics over the summer. The stories are simple, perhaps. But there’s something wonderful about happy endings, about stories without violence or illicit sexuality, and about the picture of another time that comes through the best narratives. And while I listened, I was surprised to find that some of them expressed good theology, too.

The suggestions below are books in the public domain. You can find free mp3 files for all of them through www.Librivox.org , and all of them are available to download for free for Kindle through Amazon.com. Of course, they may be available though your local library, too.  Here are a few of my favorites:

The Railway Children, by Edith Nesbit – When Father is called away suddenly and mysteriously, Mother and the three children move to Three Chimneys, a home in the country close to a railroad station. The book tells of the adventures of the children, and of the friends they make in the little town.  Mother expresses trust in God’s providence in a difficult situation and urges the children to pray. I especially liked this book because it wasn’t overly moralistic—as many older books are—and showed the children both quarreling and making up. I highly recommend the Librivox version of this book, read dramatically by Karen Savage. If you enjoy this book, look for The Treasure Seekers and other books by this author.

Heidi, by Johanna Spyri—Heidi is a young orphan girl, sent to live with her reclusive grandfather in the Swiss Alps. At first he has no use for the girl, but over the next three years they learn to love each other. Heidi is taken away from her grandfather to become a companion to a rich girl in the city. While there, the girl’s grandmother teaches Heidi about God, and later, redemption also comes to Grandfather on the mountain.

Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe—Shipwrecked on a desert island, having only what he can salvage from the sinking ship, Robinson Crusoe learns to make do, and to be grateful for what he has. Crusoe finds God on the island, and repents of his former wicked ways. Younger children may find that the action moves a little slowly, but it’s sure to capture the imagination of older boys.

Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss—This Christian classic tells the story of a young believer’s life from her teen years through old age. This is an excellent book for mothers and daughters to read or listen to together.

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, by Mary Mapes Dodge—Hans and his sister hope to win the beautiful silver skates that are offered as first prize in a race. The children in the story demonstrate selflessness, honor and respect for parents in this story set in the Netherlands. Christianity is portrayed as a natural part of life in praying for others and thanking God for the wonders of medicine.

Pollyanna, by Eleanor Porter—After the death of her missionary father, Pollyanna moves in with her strict Aunt Polly. Despite the grim circumstances, Pollyanna chooses to play the “Glad Game” taught to her by her Father, always looking for something to be happy about in any circumstance. The book falls short in that it treats a positive attitude as the end goal instead of gratitude to the Giver of All Good Gifts, but the story is helpful and uplifting and I recommend it with that one caveat. This is book one in a series.

Anne of Green Gables (Series of 12 books), by L M Montgomery—Anne is a young orphan girl, sent to live with an elderly brother and sister by mistake —they had wanted a boy to help with farm chores. But Anne charms them and the community with her joy in life and her dramatic emotions. Christianity is portrayed as a natural part of life, though perhaps not as central to her decision-making processes as we might wish.

Still Letting It Go - More about Guilt

Yesterday I threw away two full bottles of almond extract and a jar of pimentos. It nearly killed me (figuratively, of course).

I think of myself as frugal by nature. It's hard for me to believe that I can be truly grateful and wasteful at the same time, and so I probably work too hard at not throwing things out, especially food. But I really don't care for the taste of almond extract and the two bottles on my shelf were just taking up space. And I know the pimentos were over four years old. Time to let them go, too. But I felt terrible about it--very guilty.

My guilt was misplaced.

The wrong thing I did was not throwing out these items. The wrong thing I did was to buy these items in the first place. I obviously bought items I didn't need, and that's where the wastefulness occurred.

Defining this is very helpful, not just for the silly example of a few bottles from my spice shelf, but in the bigger picture. Should I give away the vest I ordered and never wore? It's brand new but just not flattering. Every time I put it on, I end up taking it off before I leave the house. Giving it away isn't wrong. Buying it was wrong--or maybe not returning it before now. I should have been more careful, but holding on to it isn't going to make that error go away. The box of books I never got around to reading, the clothing that is just a little too tight or the kitchen gadget I was sure I had to have will meet the same fate. Out the door -- keeping them doesn't fix my lack of self-control in spending. I need to focus my guilt on the real sin.

When we do the house purge each year, letting go of items I should never have bought in the first place makes me acknowledge that I spent money wastefully, and that hurts. It proves to me I am not the careful spender I think myself to be, and reminds me once again that I am a sinner in need of a Savior.

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
Psalm 119:37

What Holds Us Back from Letting it Go

Yesterday I finally threw them away. I had several jars of home-canned beans on a shelf in my basement that we were never going to eat. I think they were about seven years old, and I was afraid that the quality and nutritional value of the food (not to mention the taste and texture) was not good. My mom had canned them back when she was feeling well. She always canned more green beans than our family could use. After she got sick, I couldn’t bear to throw away this tangible expression of her love for us.

That’s one of the most difficult things about purging the house. How can I throw away gifts that were given as in love? The beans my mom canned, the pictures my Sunday school students draw for me, the gifts of clothing that don’t fit or the knickknacks from Christmas . . . I know you have this stuff, too.

Here’s what I try to remember:

1.       The giver never meant for this item to be a burden I need to keep shuffling from place to place in my home. Their intent was to give me something I could use or enjoy. Mom would be the first to understand about the beans. In fact, I remember her struggling to throw out huckleberries my grandmother put up—Mom experienced exactly the same situation!

2.       The gift is not the affection someone felt for me — it was a result of the affection. Throwing out an item is not throwing away love.

3.       I can keep the items that bring me joy and happy memories, like the handmade gifts from my children or a special coffee mug from my husband. Art from my students can be photographed and saved to a computer file. Some things are worth saving even if they have no other purpose but making me smile. I have a talking mustache keychain that falls into this category.

4.      Some things that make me sad will probably always make me sad. I can let them go. Today I threw away all the condolence cards I saved when my mom died.  They were sweet expressions of loving kindness from my friends, but they reminded me of an awful time in my life. (One exception to this is when grief is fresh. When mom died, I could not bear to see her photo for the first several months. Now that a few years have passed, I treasure those pictures.)

5.       Sometimes it helps to wait. If something doesn’t go in this purge, I know there will be another one next year. So if I can’t bear to let something go right now, it doesn’t mean I will have it for the rest of my life. The guilt or attachment I feel to certain items changes over time. I won’t beat myself up over holding on to a few extra items for one more year.
 

6.   Sometimes it helps to remember that one day, I will be called to give up everything. No physical item will go with me to Heaven. There's nothing I own that I need to be perfectly happy and at peace with God.

A 10 Point Theology for Decluttering

Here's what I preach to myself as I declutter in January:

1.       Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. Luke 12:15

2.       Spiritual life can be choked out by clutter, which is part of "the cares and riches of this life. " Luke 8:14

3.       God is pleased when we give things away cheerfully.  2 Cor. 9:7

4.       Sharing our excess goods is one way to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Luke 3:11

5.       One of God’s names is Jehova Jira – God who provides. If we give away something and end up needing it later, we can trust God to provide. Phil. 4:19

6.       Giving to those in need stores riches for us in Heaven, and is an expression of love for the church.  Luke 12:33

7.       Sharing what we have pleases God. Hebrews 13:16

8.       Everything we own has been given to us by God.  We are only stewards of our stuff. Psalm 24:1
 

9.    God is not a God of confusion, but of order (think about how this is exemplified in creation).  An orderly home reflects God's character. Genesis 1
 

10. Hoarding goods "just in case" can be a way of trusting my stuff to keep me safe and happy instead of my God. Psalm 31:6

The January House Purge

The day after Christmas is the saddest day in the kid calendar. Even if every material wish has been granted, all of us, kids and adults alike, find the reality of possession much less exciting than the expectation of it. The day after Christmas the plug has been pulled, and we all begin to circle the drain of normality. Soon the kids will return to school, the parents to work, and the cold gray months of January and February will grind on.

In our family, the tree comes down the day after Christmas. (As my cousin says, “There’s nothing sadder than a tree with no presents.”) The decorations are packed away for next year, and the annual house purging begins.

My goal in purging our home of clutter and excess is being able to access any particular item without moving other items to find it. It isn’t always possible. Another rule of thumb is that any time during the year that I hear a family member rummaging for something and getting angry as they try to dig it out, I take action. I can’t protect my husband from workplace frustration or my son from traffic or either of them from a thousand other irritations in life, but I can get rid of excess clutter and organize my home so that they can find the scissors and the tape on the first try.

As we are growing older, my husband and I find that having a few well used tools we can access freely is a thousand times better than having the perfect gadget for the job buried deep in a drawer full of other perfect gadgets. I’d rather chop a mountain of onions with my knife than move six items to unearth my perfect onion-chopper. Somehow, though, it seems we forget that during the course of the year. At least, I can say that every year, we have no shortage of items to purge. How else did I accumulate three drip coffee makers and a coffee press?

So from now until the end of January, we purge and organize and give away our excess to those who can use it joyfully. We affirm, in this practical way, that life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions (Luke 12:15).

“Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.”
― G.K. Chesterton

“Yet as I read the birth stories about Jesus I cannot help but conclude that though the world may be tilted toward the rich and powerful, God is tilted toward the underdog.”
― Philip Yancey