paths

Her father taught his children, never doubting, that there was a single path from antiquity to eternity. Learn the psalms and ponder the ways of the early church. Know what must be known. Ancient fathers taught their ancient children, who taught their ancient children, these very things. Puritan Milton with his pagan muses. It is like a voice heard from another room, singing for the pleasure of the song, and then you know it, too, and through you it moves by accident and necessity down generations. Then, why singing? Why pleasure in it? And why the blessing of the moment when another voice is heard, dreaming to itself? That was her father humming "Old Hundred" while he shaved. It was John Keats in Cheapside, traveling his realms of gold. No need to be a minister. To be a teacher was an excellent thing.

from Home by Marilynne Robinson

(art credit to CMZart)

For Our Children

Father, hear us, we are praying,
Hear the words our hearts are saying:
We are praying for our children.

Keep them from the powers of evil.
From the secret, hidden peril;
Father, hear us for our children.

From the whirlpool that would suck them,
From the treacherous quicksand, pluck them;
Father, hear us for our children.

From the worldling's hollow gladness,
From the sting of faithless sadness,
Father, Father, keep our children.

Through life's troubled waters steer them;
Through life's bitter battle cheer them;
Father, Father, be Thou near them.

Read the language of our longing,
Read the wordless pleadings thronging,
Holy Father, for our children.

And wherever they may abide,
Lead them Home at eventide.

by Amy Carmichael, Mountain Breezes

A prayer

"For this reason also, since the day we heard of it,
we have not ceased to pray for you
and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
to please Him in all respects,
bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power,
according to His glorious might,
for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;
joyously giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."
Colossians 1:9-12

One of my most favorite prayers to pray for my kids...

Ties of Affection and Companionship

"Make it a special object of attention and effort to gain an influence over the minds of the children with whom you shall find within your reach. Parents often pay too little attention to this. Their fellowship with children is only the necessary contact of command and obedience. A father who devotes some time daily to involving himself in the pursuits and pleasures of his children: talking with them, playing with them, or reading stories to them, will gain an ascendancy over them which, as they grow up, will be found to be immensely powerful. They are bound together by common feelings, by ties of affection and companionship, which have a most controlling moral influence upon the heart. It is, however, often neglected."~Jacob Abbott, Training Children in Godliness