My Back Door: children

Showing posts with label children. Show all posts

Nascent Talent

My friend and fellow writer, Jan Ackerson, has an amazing skill of writing whole stories in just a few words -100 words, to be exact. She has written a whole book of these slices of life - 366 of them, to be exact, one for each day including leap year day.

Nascent Talent

My mother grinned as she handed me the container. “It’s all your papers and art from when you were little,” she said. “I thought you’d enjoy them.” A few afternoons later, I opened the box, interested in early samples of my writing. Were there any signs of nascent writing talent?

You decide—here’s a paragraph from 8-year-old me:

Fat Men

In my opinion, I like men. They look so funny and dieting usually doesn’t do them any good. When they try to squish into a tight suit they, are the oddest things I’ve seen. I like fat men. Do you?

***

If you enjoy tiny little stories like this, you can find 366 of them in Stolen Postcards, available here:

(Amazon)
You can also read new 100-words stories on Mondays and Fridays on Jan's blog: (100 Word Stories) Follow her on Twitter: @janackerson1

Or on Instagram: janackerson

I love that this short story was written by an 8 year old girl. Do you know any young person that is bursting with stories in their mind? Polliwog Pages is a place where youngsters can develop their writing skills and post them for others to read.

Splash in, and join the fun!

Picture Book Idea Month

I've found a fun challenge that fits me right now.

Picture Book Idea Month

Normally, I'd join the frenzy of NaNoWriMo

(National Novel Writing Month)

but this year, it just wasn't practical.

But, I knew I could come up with 30 ideas for children's books.

I'll post some of my ideas along the way.

Our Family is Growing and Growing

Only God knew what this year would bring into our family -

A new daughter-in-law

Abel and Jenny's wedding

(Kansas)

A new granddaughter -

Caleb and Kimberly's baby

Baby Cora

(Alaska)

A new grandson-

Grace and Matt's baby

Baby Sawyer

(Texas)

HOW EXCITING!

"Billy the Kid"

Billy the Kid

“Mrs. Blake? We have a visitor for your class today.”

“Hello. What’s your name?”

“Billy. I’m this many.”

“Four years old? I’m glad you came to Sunday school. Why don’t you sit next to Sarah? No, don’t stand on the chair. Turn around and look at me. No, Sarah doesn’t want you to poke her in the face.”

“Where’s my mommy?”

“She is upstairs listening to Pastor Mason.”

“When’s she coming back?”

“When Sunday school is all done. Let’s sing our butterfly song. Everyone stand up and do the motions. Be careful, Billy! Don’t hit Timmy with your arms.”

“That was fun. Can we do it again?”

“Maybe later. I have a story to tell you… Long, long ago, before there were people, before there were animals, before . . . ”

“Before dinosaurs? I like dinosaurs. ARGGH!”

“Yes, even before dinosaurs, there was God.”

“My daddy says “God” all the time, when he’s mad.”

“Billy, shhhh . . . Listen to the story . . . God is so big and powerful that he made everything by just speaking. He said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light! (KJV) He made the earth and the water and it was good. Can everyone say, ‘It was good.’?”

“I can say it. IT WAS GOOD!”

“That’s right, Billy. Look at this picture . . . No, sit down on your chair, so the other kids can see, too.”

“I see some apples. Right there . . . see?”

“You’re right, Billy. Now, sit down…God made the trees and the grass and the flowers, and ‘it… was…”

“GOOD! . . . Can we eat something, like apples? I’m hungry!”

“Later... after this story. Now, sit down and listen… God made the sun and moon and stars, and ‘it… was…”

“GOOD!”

“That’s right! God also made the fish and the birds . . ."

“Look! There’s a shark! I want to hold the picture.”

“OK . . . turn it around, so the others can see it… Hold it still… God made all the fish and birds, and it . . . was . . . ”

“GOOD!”

“OK, Billy, sit down with the rest of the kids . . . Then God made all the animals.”

“I don’t see any dinosaurs. Did God make the dinosaurs?”

“Yes, but this picture just doesn’t show any. God made the elephants and the lions and the dogs and the raccoons . . . ”

“I see some hippomintpossomusses."

“Really? . . . God made all the animals, and ‘it . . . was . . .”

“GOOD!”

“Next, God made a man. He made him special. God didn’t just speak; He carefully formed the man with his hands, and breathed His life into him.”

“Like this? Whoooooooooo!”

“Yes, something like that. Then when God was done, He saw everything thing that He had made, and it was VERY good.”

“IT WAS EXCELLENT!”

“Let’s sing our butterfly song again. We are not animals. God made us special. He loves us and wants us to love Him.”

“I can’t see God.”

“No, but you can see what He made.”

“Then how can we love Him, if we can’t give Him a hug?”

“We can love Him by believing and obeying His word, the Bible . . . Let’s color a picture of what God made . . . Amy, will you give everyone a paper?”

“I want to help!”

“Billy, you can share these crayons with Timmy.”

“I want that green crayon. Gimme it!”

“Billy, Timmy had that crayon. Find another green crayon . . . Sarah,is that a flower? That looks like a fish, Timmy. What is yours, Amy?”

“Teacher, I’m making a dinosaur!”

“I can see that, Billy.”

“I’m going to make lots of dinosaurs . . . Teacher? Teacher? Did God make lots of dinosaurs?”

“Yes, He did. He made all the animals. Would you like an animal cracker and some juice?”

“Mmmm! I’m a dinosaur. I’m going to bite off the camel’s head! ARGGH!”

“Can everyone say the verse with me? ‘And God saw that it . . . was . . . good.”

“It was EXCELLENT!”

“Good job! Let’s pick up the crayons and cups. Don’t forget your papers.”

“Mommy! Look at my picture. Did you know that God made excellent dinosaurs? I like Sunday school. Can we do it again?”

(Pray for all the "Billys" who need

to hear of the God

who made the dinosaurs

and who loves them so much.)

Friday Fiction - The Girl in the Back Row

This story is a reminder

to pray for the many children

who will attend church camps this summer -

children who are hurting and sad,

children who need a Friend,

children who have never heard the Good News of salvation.

The Girl in the Back Row

The girl in the back row had her fingers in her ears. Fifty kids wiggled and waited for the missionary story, so they could slip down the big water slide. I might not have noticed the new girl, but her scrawny elbows stuck straight out, and she had her fingers in her ears.

I had never seen her at summer day camp before. Most of the kids knew each other from school or church. They squished together in clusters – forming cliques and excluding others – like the girl in the back row – the one with her fingers in her ears and the scowl on her face.

Her bangs were too long. Occasionally, she tossed them out of her eyes – until someone spoke to her. One of the leaders sat next to her. She scooted to the other end of the pew and hid behind her curtain of hair.

Her eyes met mine as I opened my missionary book, and I smiled at her. Her eyelids narrowed, and she pretended to be interested in something outside. I tried to focus on the story I was telling, but I continued to watch the girl in the back row.

“Since there are new kids here today, can anyone tell me where we left little Tifam?”

Fingers wiggled like a bed of sea anemone. I chose one. “There was an earthquake. Tifam’s mother hurt her foot, and they had to go the mission house.”

I showed the page of Tifam and her mother at the mission house. The girl in the back row stood to see the picture better, with her fingers still in her ears. I sent up a quick prayer. Lord, give me the words to reach into the heart of this girl.

“Tifam was frightened. What would her Papa say? He was the witch doctor. He might put a curse on them.”

The girl’s elbows sagged. Soon her hands dropped to her side.

“Tifam clutched the magic charm around her neck. The spirits would keep her safe. Where was her mother’s charm? …”

Now she was sitting on the edge of the pew. I caught her eye, and she slumped backwards and ducked behind her hair again.

“The missionary opened her book. Tifam didn’t want to listen. She covered her ears and whispered, ‘Lies! Lies! Lies!’ Tifam could still hear the missionary’s words. ‘God loves you. He loved you so much that He died for you.’ The missionary read, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ Tifam had never heard of a God that loved her.”

I turned the page, and the girl leaned forward to see the picture again.

“Tifam’s mother said, ‘I’ve stolen and lied and hated others. Why would this God love me?’ The missionary said, ‘God loves you and wants to forgive you.’ “

I looked at the rows of faces. “We have all sinned – every one of us – me, too. We have disobeyed our parents. We have told lies. We have gotten angry. We have stolen things. All of those are sins, and God hates sin. He is holy and can’t let any sin in heaven…. But he loves us and wants us to be in heaven with Him.”

I saw her rest her forehead on her arm. Lord, speak through me.

“God wants us to go to heaven, so he sent His Son, Jesus, to earth. Many people did not like Him. Some arrested Him and beat Him. They nailed Him on a cross to die.”

I paused, and there was silence. The girl in the back looked up for a second. Her eyes were wide and sad.

“Jesus wanted to die, because He loved us. The punishment for sin is death. He wanted to die for all our sins, so we could go to heaven. He died for my sins, and He died for your sins.” I pointed to myself, to a few of the children, and to the girl in the back row. She looked at me. There were tears.

“God can forgive your sins, too. Bow your heads. Pray with me. ‘Lord, I’m sorry for my sins…”

As the director announced the team points, I walked past the girl in the back row. She looked up with tears still in her eyes and smiled.

Being a PK

Being a PK (preacher's kid) has its trials.

(I know, I was a PK once.)

But it also has its wonderful benefits.

Read how this new PK Polliwog Kid sees her father.

(CLICK HERE)

I wrote this article, showing how my daddy's daily life was a sermon to me.

DADDY'S SERMONS

Come, Darling. Come to Daddy. Walk to me. You can do it.

“He hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace…”

Trust me, Darling. Jump. I won’t drop you. The water isn’t very deep. Trust me.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

You want to help me? Well, pretty soon I’ll need somebody to hold the end of the board steady while I cut it. So, don’t go far. Listen for my call.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Sh-sh. I’m here, Darling. Don’t be afraid. The lights will come back on soon. I’ll stay with you until then. How about I tell you a story?

“…He will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.”

Once upon a time, there was a man with a hundred sheep, but one sheep…

“The Lord is my shepherd…”

“Hello, Mrs.Chadbourne? It’s me, Pastor Phillips. I’d like you to meet my daughter.

“Pure religion and undefiled before God is this; to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction…”

Would you like to take a walk with me and watch the meteor shower? Oh yes, I saw it! Look, there’s another one. Just think... God knows the name of each one of them.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Are you getting tired? We’re almost home. Here, sit up on my shoulders. Is that better?

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…”

I know what you’re thinking, Darling. You wish you could have a new bike, too. I don’t know if we can afford it. You ought to be thankful for the one you have.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

I made something for you. Open your eyes! What do you think? I made it to look just like Grammy’s house. You really like it? I thought you would.

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think..”

Young lady, don’t let me hear you talking to your mother like that again! You go apologize to her. You are just getting a little too big for your britches!

“Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the earth…”

You don’t need to do everything that other kids are doing. I don’t care what other families do; you are part of this family.

“…I will be their God and they shall be my people; wherefore come out from among them and be ye different…”

I’m sorry, but you disobeyed me… This hurts me as much as it hurts you. You are my daughter. I love you.

“For whom he Lord loveth, he chasteneth…”

Ask your mother if there is enough spaghetti for one more? I found this fellow hanging around, and he looked hungry.

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Wake up! It’s a beautiful day! The bus will be here in a half hour. Have a good day, Darling, and look for opportunities to serve the Lord.

“This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

No, I don’t want you working today. It’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day. You’ll just have to tell your manager to change your schedule.

“Remember the sabboth day to keep it holy…”

I’m proud of you, Darling. You did the right thing, even though it was hard.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily unto the Lord and not unto men.”

Where have the years gone? It seems like you were my baby girl just yesterday. Now, you’re a young woman and leaving home.

“But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

I love you, Darling. I always will, no matter where you go or what you do. You are my daughter. I love you.

“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love…”

• All Scriptures, KJV
II Tim. 1:9, Prov. 3:5, John 10:27, Deut. 31:8, Psalm 23:1, James 1:27, Psalm 46:10,
Deut. 33:2, II Tim. 6:6, Eph. 3:20, Ex. 20:12, II Cor. 6:16&17, Heb. 12:6, Matt. 25:40,
Ex. 20:8, Col. 3:20, II Pet. 3:18, Jer. 31:3

Friday Fiction - "Casting a Line"

There are children all around us who need a godly influence, who need attention, who need someone to listen to them and help them grow.

Casting a Line

“Mr. Tucker, thanks for taking me fishing with you.” Zack slammed the old truck door. “It’s really early! I don’t think I’ve ever gotten up this early before!”

I waved at his mother on the back step. “I’ll get him home by noon,” I said. She nodded and wrapped her sweater around her pajamas.

Zack bounced up and down as I shifted into reverse and backed out of the driveway. “My dad took me fishing once when I was five years old.” He put his head down and mumbled, “But that was before he…”

I didn’t hear the last few words, but I didn’t need to. I gave Zack a smile and knocked his tattered baseball cap’s visor over his eyes. “Hey! It’s no fun going by myself. I miss having my boys go with me.”

Zack straightened his cap and grinned at me. “I never knew you had boys.”

“Yes, sir, I have four boys, but they’re all grown-up and have kids of their own now.” I turned onto the highway that led out of town.

“Four boys? I’ll bet you did a lot of fishing with them. I like fishing, but Mom thinks fishing is gross.” Zack’s eyes got dreamy. “If I had four brothers, we could play ball and go camping and, maybe, even climb a mountain.” He turned to me. “Mr. Tucker, did you do those things with your boys?”

I liked the way the way he lifted one eyebrow. I smiled. “Yes, I guess we did a bit of camping and hiking.”

Zack shook his head. “I knew it! If my dad wasn’t such a bum, we would…” Zack talked and talked all the way to West Branch Pond. He talked about his dad; he talked about school; he even talked about girls. I nodded and grunted once in awhile to let him know I was listening, but the words spewed out of him like a fizzy bottle of pop.

As the old Ford bounced over the rocky mountain road, Zack gave an ongoing report of the passing scenery. I parked the truck beside the road. “Why are we stopping here? Is this where we’re going fishing?”

I grabbed our poles and my tackle box from behind my seat. “Yup! This is where we hike to the pond.”

Zack pranced around like a puppy. The questions popped out of him faster than I could answer him. “How far do we hike? Is this where you took your boys? Is this a secret fishing spot?”

As I led Zack through the woods, I knew he was following right behind me. I could hear him talking the whole way. The trail was a longer than I remembered, and I was huffing by the time we broke through the bushes to my favorite spot—a big rock on the edge of the secluded pond. I realized that Zack was silent—but only for a few seconds.

“Whooee! Wow! This is awesome!”

I helped him bait his hook and showed him how to cast his line. He must have pulled it in a dozen times to see if the bait was still there. Now, some people may say that you have to be quiet when you’re fishing. I don’t think it matters. It certainly didn’t matter that day. I think the freckles on his cheeks touched his ears when he reeled in a white perch.

Zack kept a running stream of comments all morning. We talked about different kinds of tackle and where fish liked to hide. We talked about the bullies at school and the time he got caught stealing from Bert’s corner store.

My bobber dipped beneath the surface, but I ignored it and told Zack about the day I stole some money from my teacher and then lied about it.

“Mr. Tucker, you really did that?” Zack shook his head. “You ain’t like that now. You ain’t like my dad. When I grow up, I want to be good like you.”

I prayed while I put some new bait on my hook and cast it into the rippling water. “Zack, have you ever heard about Jesus?” His puzzled look and shrug gave me my answer.

Zack listened while I talked. I told him about Adam and Eve in the garden. I told him about the promised Savior. I didn’t catch any fish that day, but it didn’t matter. I’ll take Zack fishing again soon.

Almost

Cameras aren't fast enough to capture Audrey's smiles.

Silly Cousins

It's fun to be silly!

Eating bananas can be silly . . .

or scary noises . . .

or silly glasses . . .

or showing teeth . . .

and tongues . . .

or closing your eyes . . .

or wearing funny hats.

"I'm too little to be silly, yet."

A Bag of Bubble Gum!

Why am I so excited about bubble gum?

It's the name of my new book!

A Bag of Bubble Gum is a collection of short stories for little folks.

(Book One in the Country Store Collections)

Like bubble gum, each story has it's own flavor.

Just as an old-fashioned country store has something for everyone, this series of books is filled with a variety of short stories and poems for the whole family. (Look for a Christmas book to be coming out soon.)

A Bag of Bubble Gum

(Kindle and paperback)

can be found at Full Sail Books

and at Amazon.com
(or directly from me, for a signed copy)

A Visit from a Friend

Can you tell a story in 100 words? My friend, Jan Ackerson, can create characters, setting, and a plot in just a tiny slice of time. Here's one she created for any mother or grandmother -

Macy Helps

"Sleep when the baby sleeps," they say, but they don’t factor in the big sister. It was silence that woke Leigh. She looked at the clock; she’d only been asleep for ten minutes. “Macy!” she called. Toddler footsteps pattered away from little Nico’s room.

Leigh jumped up and followed, stopping for a peek in the bassinet. Nico was awake, happy, a smear of something on his face. “Macy!”

The two-year-old appeared at the door. “Emmies, Mama!” She held out a fistful of M&;Ms. “Nico have two emmies!” Expertly, Macy tipped open Nico’s chin and dropped another candy in his mouth.

~ ~ ~

To read more of Jan's mini-stories,

go to her blog One Hundred Words .

A Simple Snack Recipe

Try this simple snack recipe written by a Polliwog Kid -

How to Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

It's making me hungry just reading it.

This was a writing assignment from

Lesson Ten - "One, Two, Three"

(learning about sequences)

A Lifetime Together

Today marks thirty-five years together with my dearest friend. I am so blessed to have Randy as my husband. I look forward to the years to come, for each one gets better and better.

A Lifetime Together

We look forward to years of growing together,

We have all of a lifetime of being together.

Time for each other, a lifetime together,

For moonlit nights and flying kites,

For motor bikes and mountain hikes,

For shopping trips and new friendships.

But time becomes rare as others need care,

With midnight feedings and storybook readings,

With bicycle chains and basketball games,

With homework tips and camping trips.

There's less time each day, they're too busy to stay.

From early dawn to dark, they're gone,

From school to chores, from work to stores,

From in and out, with a yell and shout.

Where is the time, yours and mine?

To share a book or a secret look,

To hold my hand or write in the sand,

To take some walks on the island rocks?

There's still plenty of time for loving each other,

We have all of a lifetime of being together.

Time takes a rest with an empty nest,

There's left over food, but no help with the wood,

But not enough noise; we miss buying toys,

Love the phone ringing, missing their singing.

For once we are free, it's just you and me,

So much we could do, just planning for two,

To go on a trip, try a cooking tip,

Watch an old show, watch our family grow.

For our family is spreading, new directions are heading.

With wedding pronouncements and baby announcements,

Welcoming spouses, buying more houses,

Our joy is bubbling, when grandchildren we're cuddling.

We treasure this time of loving each other,

We have all of a lifetime of being together.

(to be continued)

I LOVE YOU, HONEY

They've Never Heard

If someone asked you

"In this age of technology and standard education,

are there still people who haven't heard about Jesus?"

You'd probably think of some remote village

or perhaps some street kids in a communist country,

but each year at our VBS day camp,

I am seeing more and more children,
right here in my community,

who have never even heard the name of Jesus.

They don't even recognize the story of his birth or know what the symbol of the cross represents.These are youngster who have never entered a church or held a Bible. They've never heard of the God, who created the universe.

It saddens my heart tremendously to think of what has become of our country - a country built on the desire to worship God - that has strayed so far that our future leaders don't even know who God is.

Pray -

Pray for these young hearts.

Pray for the teachers.

Pray for the families.