
My boys had an assignment: spend three hours with someone, the other person's choice of activities, nothing immoral or illegal, just no input from them. Then they had to write about how they felt being completely present to/for someone else. My boys chose their little siblings.
As Psychology experiments go, this one I could get behind. I felt I had to put certain restrictions on their partners: no, you cannot make your brothers clean your room; no, you cannot turn your brothers into your personal servant; no, you may not demand to use anything that belongs to the brothers; and so on. If everyone has fun, they can play this way every time the brothers have to babysit.
As things were getting started, I started to make no's into yes's. I realize this was not a part of the assignment, but Hildi wanted to try paper mâché, so I taught them how to do paper mâché. Henry loved to make movie posters, so I found poster paper, so they could make movie posters. The more I added to their options of activities, the less the phones came out as the go-to for entertainment.
Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful. Let your good sense be obvious to everybody. The Lord is near. Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude, and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, let your minds be filled with everything that is true, everything that is honorable, everything that is upright and pure, everything that we love and admire -- with whatever is good and praiseworthy. Keep doing everything you learned from me and were told by me and have heard or seen me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4: 4-9
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