The Warren & the World Vol 4, Issue 6

The Warren & the World is Story Warren’s weekly newsletter, providing a round-up of our favorite things from around the web as well as a review of what was on our site over the past week. We’re glad you’re here!

Around the Web

Looking at the Beatitudes through the Lens of Parenting

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to show Christ to our families–in fact, that may be the hardest place to do so. At the Lifeway blog, Jessie Weaver examines the Beatitudes through the lens of family.

Parenting isn’t about feeling good all the time.Make it that, and you’ll have kids who run the house and don’t understand the word no.Some of my best parenting moments are when I feel the worse, I think. Holding a screaming, flailing 5-year-old who is throwing a temper tantrum – when really I just want to shut her in her room and go eat chocolate cake. Taking a deep breath and explaining to my 3-year-old onemoretime that “I need” is not the way we start sentences to ask for things. Not biting back when my 17-month-old decides to gnaw at my shoulder.
Often parenting is going against my human nature and trying to latch on to my Jesus-nature instead, asking for His power to flood me. Because seriously, there is no way I can do this on my own.

When Parenting Is Scary

Kristen Welch writes about standing your ground as a parent.

Sometimes right before I tell my kids no, that split second before the word comes out of my mouth, I am afraid.
I am afraid to be strong.
I am afraid to follow through.
I am afraid of what will happen when I say no.
I think every mom knows this fear. We know it’s often easier to give into demands than to dig in to our resolve. Sometimes it’s easier to run away than stand and be courageous.

Here’s the Snowstorms

I know a lot of people who complain about the winter weather of January and February. It’s no secret that I’m a fan, and while I don’t expect others to join me in my excitement over snow, I do think there’s something to be said for taking the seasons as they come and finding joy in each one. Here is a poem by Jen Rose Yokel celebrating a snowstorm.

Here’s to anticipation
because meteorologists are not clairvoyant.
We know that. Everyone knows that.
But we are people of plans and details
and we crave prediction, accuracy  right down
to next Thursday’s temperature at 2pm.

The Normal Battle with Bitterness

Eric Davis writes at the Cripplegate about the battle with bitterness. It’s a battle we all fight, and a battle our children must learn to fight.

It’s inevitable. People are going to hurt us. Even those close to you. In fact, perhaps especially those close to you.With every hurt, there is the potential to wake the bitterness monster. He’s a light sleeper. And he’s more clever than we think. Even a small relationship scuffle is enough to arouse him into action. We mustn’t underestimate him.
Bitterness: hurt incurred from either real or perceived offense, gone unchecked, and allowed to continue by failure to apply biblical principles and thinking to the hurt, resulting in hatred and resentment.

Around the Warren

Naming Our Children a Thousand Times

Rebecca Reynolds reminds us that naming our children comes with the smallest of actions: even the sorting of their treasures–and that the action can point them to Christ.

Somewhere out in the world there is a 30-something Pintrest mom whose kids have been filing their own coloring pages in manilla folders since they were 11 months old. These kids know where the puzzles go. They don’t make a mess when they finger paint. I am not that mother. Our house operates by a system that I call “Nuclear Boho.” My domestic elan lends itself to blow-everybody’s-mind creativity about twenty-five days a year, and then we spend the other 340 days looking for clean socks and underwear.OK that’s an exaggeration. Kind of. But sorting kid stuff is difficult for me because I analyze everything too much. I get too emotionally involved.

“…magic things, patiently waiting…”

Words from Yeats. Graphic from Paul Boekell.

Madeleine Takes Command

Liz Cottrill introduces us to a reprinted novel by Ethel C. Brill, Madeline Takes Command.

As I write, the temperatures in Virginia rival the bitter winters of the far north. My children and I just finished reading a book about a hero of those brutal, wintry regions. Canada values the feat of courage and fortitude displayed by one of her pioneers so much that a statue stands on the bank of the St. Lawrence River, a small figure, musket in hand, a memorial of gratitude to a person whose courageous efforts helped take a foothold in the wilderness, helped to forge a nation.

Something to Do with Your Kids

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, so some of you may already have flowers in your homes, but if you’re looking for a Saturday family activity to brighten the weekend and for some flowers that won’t fade away in the dark, cold winter, maybe these paper daisies will do the trick.

And Something to Watch

I really don’t care if Amazon can deliver a package in my driveway via drone. I firmly believe the primary purpose of recreational drones should be to take gorgeous video of coastlines.

Thank you for reading. We’re on your side.