jeanied

Thank you Jenell and Dutch for your encouragement. I spent the last while thinking, praying, and thinking all over again. I'm 35 - and this reminds me of a story from when I was in grade 7. I'd been invited to a local church to see a movie, which was about the end times. I came home afterwards and was absolutely terrified. I remember saying to my mom, "Oh my gosh! There's going to be demons lurking on corners trying to hurt Christians. I didn't know the world was going to end!" And my mom's response was that she never wanted me to know about that story, not at least until I was older, that there were people who interpreted the Bible to mean that's what was going to happen. That was over 20 years ago, and I think it was my mom's way of trying to shelter me from how some people interpret the bible, or from some of the stories in there. It did stop me from asking her, however, "when will the second bible be written? And what do I have to do to get mentioned in the 2nd bible?" ha ha ha. But what I really don't want is for someone else to teach my child about the Christian tradition. I go to a united church (in Canada), which is very liberal (for those of you outside of Canada), but there is always an element that is still traditional and I don't really know what's taught at SS. For a brief moment, I wanted to just let someone else teach my daughter, but that's not the road I'm going down. I feel more positive, and hopeful. And I thank you for coming back to this conversation and giving me encouragement to forge ahead and *think* about how I can do this. It's not easy, but I really appreciate your kindness and encouragement.

Oh my! Please don't judge me - I never in a million years even thought about the stories from the perspective you've just given me. To tell you the truth, I feel a little bit stunned. It's so hard. I want to relay the Christian tradition to my child, and never in a million years did I consider what you've shared with me. I want to raise my child to know about God and Jesus, yet in an inclusive manner rather than exclusive. I was most concerned about teaching from a book that would illustrate an "us versus them" attitude (Christians versus "non-Christians"). I don't have more to write mostly because I need to think about what all of you have written, and how I plan to address this. I wonder if it's best for me to relay stories about Jesus, as you've recommended, and apply them to our own lives. Hmmm. Thank you so much. So much to think about, and I suddenly feel so incapable.

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had advice about what type of bible to purchase for toddlers+. I am cautious about the type of bible to purchase as I don't want to buy something for my child that is too traditional, and that I won't feel comfortable with. The only bible I've found thus far is The Family Story Bible by Ralph Milton. Is there another one you'd recommend, or is this the standard bible you'd recommend for young children? Thanks.