Circa 2000. John, Alexis, and Kelsey.
Something that I started doing when the children were wee little thangs… was to memorize Scripture.. put to our OWN tunes.. while trying to laugh along the way… making it a fun experience and memory. The picture above shows a little of what it was like. We’d memorize a verse (or two if they were short) by repeating it over and over, then we’d sort of get a catchy rhythm from it, and we’d make up a tune that seemed to fit those particular words and rhythm. We’d laugh along the way. Oh my!
There were many times (most, actually) that when we went to “record” the kids would run to the kitchen and grab noisy appliances to be the rhythm section. uhh.. such as electric can opener, electric knife (welllll… picture the noise that makes). They’d grab things like pans and wooden sticks, and other various noise makers. I’m gonna just tell ya – the Lord used THIS particular activity to help me LIGHTEN UP, to FOCUS ON THE GOAL – which was to hide scripture in their heart and enjoy the process with each other. Another goal that I had when this happened was to remain calm, not show that it bothered me that things felt chaotic (I don’t like it when things are out of place) AND to make sure they put these random items away after we used them. Did you catch that I LEARNED to laugh and to go with the flow. I am going to reiterate for those of you who feel my pain – this was a learned behavior. See? God can change us if we allow Him. And, it truly was FOR MY GOOD… and for the good of the tone of our home. (I’m going to look for photos and videos that may show these random items being used during scripture memory. I’ll do more posts on scripture memory.)
The VIDEO (posted below by way of a LINK) is one of those such memories- minus the kitchen appliances. It’s from 2009, on a somewhat unusual day -when we had a unique mixture of children at our home. My three older children were not at home, we had a cousin whom I was homeschooling, and two friends who were staying with us while their mother visited her mother out of town to care for her while she was ill. Also in this video is my dear friend Mel, who was a college student at the time and worked in my home around her college schedule, helping me homeschool, take care of the home, and raise these youngin’s. (She’s actually planning on writing a blog post once a month or so. She is the MOST AMAZING elementary school teacher evaaahhhhh).
I liked having college girls who were majoring in education work in our home. It gave them experience teaching on a range of grade levels and ages, gave them experience in life of multitasking and taking care of home and family, showed them different personalities, gave them opportunity to be mentors in my kids’ lives and in turn, allowed me an opportunity to invest in and mentor them. I’m so close to each who helped.
Soo, back to this particular video. Three of those in this video were new to this crazy Ellis scripture tune writing and singing.
Click this link to watch a video recording of the video recording from us putting scripture to a tune in 2009. The link takes you to Facebook because I could not figure how else to do this since it is a recording of a recording. Sorry about that.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203863239932201
This passage is Proverbs 27: 1-2.
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.”
We thought it would be fun to put similar words to the tune of a familiar song from the musical Annie. “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, don’t boast about tomorrow.. for we know not what a day may bring..Let another man praise you and not your own lips.”
When we first started this, CASSETTE TAPES were all that we had. I still have the cassette tapes and they are PRECIOUS to me.
If we had to pack up and leave for fear of a hurricane, this would be something I’d grab! The yellow cards and that pretend vitamin bottle is something that our church made for kids in the fourth grade for their scripture memory cards. We would pull a card out, learn it, and then write the date that we memorized and recorded it onto that card. I think this particular cassette tape recorder is the only item in the house that the kids KNEW to NOT TOUCH. You see, back then, you could accidentally record OVER something else without realizing it and there was not an “undo” button. It was gone…solid gone. SO, I was super careful to not let these precious memories disappear.
Today, recording a video is SO easy… what a TREASURE this will be for you to have your children’s voices AND faces recorded. MY OH MY!! Start today!!
You know – even today – years after beginning this tradition, when we hear a particular verse during church or a car ride or wherever – one that we’ve memorized to music, we will all look at each other and smile. These are the BEST memories and traditions!!
Rhonda so.Getinthere.Laugh.Memorize.PressRECORD. ellis