Including Hymns Into a Child's Daily Life

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:18-20 NKJV

One of the things that the Lord has impressed upon my heart with my children is including hymns into their daily life. Since they were babies, I sought to incorporate hymns into our daily routine and to instill in them an appreciation for the old beloved hymns of the faith. 

I love hymns. I grew up in churches where hymns were sung with power and joy and conviction, not woodenly and lifelessly. 

I love the theology contained in them, the joy expressed within their beautiful metered stanzas, and the deep rich heritage that they hold for us in the faith. 

I love the stories behind them, the lessons held and buried deep and true in their author's lives and in the Lord's dealings with them. There is a vast treasure-house of beauty found in reading about the lives of the hymnwriters--George Matheson, Fanny Crosby, John Robinson, Charles Wesley, Issac Watts and the list literally goes on and on. 

I want to pass that joy onto my children. 

Am I recommending only hymns, exclusively hymns, nothing else? Absolutely not! :-) I appreciate and enjoy praise choruses and songs steeped in the Scripture; I love the Psalms sung out as songs in modern language. I think that these can also be useful and beneficial in our lives, in our children's lives, and in the life of the church. 

But hymns, sung from the physical hymnal or from memory can enrich our lives and our children's lives greatly, and I believe can strongly enrich the church in terms of the deep theology that they hold for every generation. 

So how do I incorporate hymns into our daily lives? 

We attend a church that sings hymns. This is very important to me. It was a blessing for me to find a church in the Midwest that sings exclusively from the physical hymnal. I want that experience to be a strong part of our children's lives. 

We sing hymns at home. We have collected a number of hymnals and sing from them regularly. We sing a hymn in the morning together when we have our daily devotional time and we sing a hymn at night together after supper after a brief time of Bible reading. We sing hymns at night before bed. I rock my children and sing them hymns or very softly play a CD of hymns as they fall asleep (or do both). In this way, hymns are included into our daily life. 

We listen to hymns on CD--in the house, in the car, wherever! We love hymns! :-) I believe, and this is my personal conviction--take it or leave it--that young children are better off listening to slower-paced music that is simple and edifying and fun, rather than the fast-paced "fluff" that is usually offered to them.  Hymns fit this principle wonderfully. Some examples of what I mean by this are below in the CD's that I recommend--

Sometimes hymns are thought of as dreary and droll and boring--but the very opposite is true! It is so much fun to gather together with other believers and sing the great hymns of the faith with a tambourine, a guitar, a piano, or other instruments! It creates and builds a deep bond of fellowship. It strengthens us as believers spiritually and encourages unity and togetherness through our Lord and Savior. It encourages and edifies our children through the powerful reinforcement of the principles in God's Word through the songs of His people. 

So sing hymns! :-) Include them in your daily life with your children, in your family, as part of your home life. I promise you that it will be a blessing. 

Suggestions and Resources that have blessed us greatly as a family (these are clickable affiliate links to Amazon): 

Hymns For a Kid's Heart Volume One (Book and CD)

Hymns For a Kid's Heart Volume Two (Book and CD)

Passion Hymns for a  Kid's Heart (Book and CD)

Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart (Book and CD)

Scripture-based songwriters and CD's :

The Shadow of Your Wings~Fernando Ortega

Hymns of Worship~ Fernando Ortega

Hymns and Meditations~Fernando Ortega

Peace Like a River: The Hymn Project~ Chris Rice

Helpful Books/Resources: 

The Shaping of the Christian Family, by Elisabeth Elliot

You might find me on these link-ups:


Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Messy Marriage,  Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, SHINE Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party, Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup, Writer Wednesday, Tea and Word

He Lifts Us

The sky is ashy and pale as I back out of our slushy driveway. 

Alone. 

For the first time in weeks. 

I have a doctor's appointment--

Worried; thinking of Debbie, thinking of her little face as I left -- knowing that she will be safe and cared-for while I'm gone; my Mama is with her -- but feeling so strange without her little person following me here and there and everywhere . . . 

Frustrated; by situations out of my control, by the "clutter" of life, the "clutter" of anxious thoughts, the "clutter" of trying to neatly figure everything out--

Situations, beyond my control, rise up like serpentine phantoms and the tears come -- and I force them away. 

Frustrated, overwhelmed-

Drive down the familiar street, the street where I've lived, played on, ridden my bike up and down, for the past 31 years. The street that has been so familiarly comforting to me.  

But it's icy now, covered by a thick sheet of glassy laminate and I turn the corner and it's the same, so I creep along. I try to brake and the brakes don't take, so I slow down even more. 

Where has that old familiar pavement vanished?  

And I creep along until suddenly the ice is gone and I can drive again on clean pavement and know that the wheels are gripping something. 

My husband has a CD in the player -- I don't know what it is, but I turn on the volume and the sweet music fills our old car with grace and light. 

I'v never heard this CD before -- a collection of hymns -- Chris Rice -- and I listen. And the music ministers to my weary, hungry soul. 

It is well with my soul . . . 

How Great Thou art . . . 

Speak to me, Lord; I am listening now. I wasn't before. 

Too preoccupied with my own worries, fears -- and now the tears come again, but they are not tears of anxiety, but tears of rest and peace. 

The music speaks to my soul; He speaks to my soul. 

Refreshed. 

He has never failed us -- will He now? 

Rock of ages, cleft for me -- let me hide myself in Thee--

In Thee -- the All Sufficient One -- and sing--

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One with Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

And this is what I've discovered in my life--that it's not so much that He meets me where I 

am, but that He lifts me up to where He is -- plants my feet on a "Rock that is higher than 

I," where I couldn't pick myself up, couldn't pick up my emotions, couldn't change my 

circumstances. He lifts me up to where He is--my great high Priest who is seated at the 

right hand of God-- and my name is written on his nail-torn hands. 

Praise His name . . .