Animal Walks
A while back Doug saw my reference to "animal walks." He was not sure what that was. Tonight, I want to explain it to him and to anyone else who does not know about that terminology. I pray it will spur us on to do something similar with our families.
Kade and I started taking animal walks last summer when they got here from Japan. The reason I called them animal walks was to try to get him to be a little quieter, in case there were some animals to see. We have foxes and deer behind our house, as well as some turkeys. God blessed us, and on a couple of occasions, we were able to observe some deer. This is significant, because there are no deer in Japan. Also, there are no squirrels in Japan, and we saw a lot of them. Mostly, we took animal walks to enjoy God's creation and to talk with each other. What a novel idea. However, it is a very good thing.
Now, it is up to Jacob and I to keep the tradition alive. Jacob may have seen the tails of a couple of deer as they ran off, but not too many will stand still long enough for him to gaze at them yet. We do a lot of looking at leaves and little things. It is amazing how much pleasure a leaf or a stick can bring to a boy. This evening I caught a grasshopper for him. I held him up, so he could see him spit his tobacco. Every boy needs to see that and do it himself. We stopped to examine some ants building a mound, too. I teach him a lot of things, and he teaches me how to slow down and smell the roses. We love to find a dandelion that is ready to be blown. Jacob kind of puffs at it, and I blow it off, so we can see God's way of sending out the seeds. Mostly, we hold each other. Touch is a great thing, too. Try it.
Now, you know all about animal walks. That is not so important. The main thing is to know all about the Lord and your family. That takes some time, some quiet, and some conversation.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Song of Solomon 8 and Isaiah 1-2.
Kade and I started taking animal walks last summer when they got here from Japan. The reason I called them animal walks was to try to get him to be a little quieter, in case there were some animals to see. We have foxes and deer behind our house, as well as some turkeys. God blessed us, and on a couple of occasions, we were able to observe some deer. This is significant, because there are no deer in Japan. Also, there are no squirrels in Japan, and we saw a lot of them. Mostly, we took animal walks to enjoy God's creation and to talk with each other. What a novel idea. However, it is a very good thing.
Now, it is up to Jacob and I to keep the tradition alive. Jacob may have seen the tails of a couple of deer as they ran off, but not too many will stand still long enough for him to gaze at them yet. We do a lot of looking at leaves and little things. It is amazing how much pleasure a leaf or a stick can bring to a boy. This evening I caught a grasshopper for him. I held him up, so he could see him spit his tobacco. Every boy needs to see that and do it himself. We stopped to examine some ants building a mound, too. I teach him a lot of things, and he teaches me how to slow down and smell the roses. We love to find a dandelion that is ready to be blown. Jacob kind of puffs at it, and I blow it off, so we can see God's way of sending out the seeds. Mostly, we hold each other. Touch is a great thing, too. Try it.
Now, you know all about animal walks. That is not so important. The main thing is to know all about the Lord and your family. That takes some time, some quiet, and some conversation.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Song of Solomon 8 and Isaiah 1-2.