A book was left in my letter box. There was no card, no note … just a book. The book is called Their name is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World” by Johann Christoph Arnold. I have not read it yet … so I cannot attest one way or another as to its value but it looks good …
I brought the book into my home, wondering who had left it for me … wondering whether it was for me, whether it had been put into the right letter box. At first I had thought it must be junk mail … until I looked a little closer … I then wondered whether the book was left there by accident …? I doubted it … many people know that I love books on parenting, books that call children into their destiny, that discuss how to equip them into becoming the best that they can be … books like The woman who changed her brain: How I left my learning disability behind and other stories of cognitive transformation by Barbara Arrow-Smith Young. Books like this fascinate me, and so I thought perhaps someone, knowing my interests, had popped it into my letter box. I don’t know, but I’m going to read it in any case because as I flicked through its pages briefly … and glanced at a few passages … it looked promising … the passages I read as I wandered up my hallway immediately inspired me … including this at page 94:
Children Learn What They Live
By Dorothy Law Nolte PhD Writer and Family Counsellor
If children live with criticism,
They learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility,
They learn to fight.
If children live with ridicule,
They learn to be shy.
If children live with shame,
They learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement,
They learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance,
They learn to be patient.
If children live with praise,
They learn to appreciate.
If children live with acceptance,
They learn to love.
If children live with approval,
They learn to like themselves.
If children live with honesty,
They learn truthfulness.
If children live with security,
They learn to have faith in themselves and others.
If children live with friendliness,
They learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
Copyright © 1972/1975 by Dorothy Law Nolte
This is the author-approved short version.
click here for link to the long version
As I read, I knew I needed to post this poem/commentary onto God is Good! This was no coincidence. The book had to be for me … (and a friend who I called, thinking she had left it for me but she hadn’t … she is a children’s pastor and after reading two passages to her, she put her name on it next!)
In any event, I knew I needed to post … if purely to invoke thought about how we raise our children … how we treat the children around us … how we treat one another as God’s children … how we “hear” from God as children … for isn’t He the perfect parent?
And so, I agree with Dorothy Law Noite, that children (that is all of us) learn through what I would call “loving kindness” for it is loving kindness that leads us to repentance (a change of mind and hence behaviour) (Romans 2:4). I believe that we learn best this way, and I believe that this is so purely and simply because …
God is Good!
Hi “God is Good”.
Brilliant!
It is also interesting that someone is blogging again, today especially. Coincidental – I think not.
Bless you Gary Berry
Sent from my iPhone
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Hi Gary
I had not thought of that connection 😏 … Interesting insight 🙂
Thanks for your comment!
The blog was a bit different to standard but I felt to post so I did lol!
Blessings, God is Good!
When I found your post waiting in my email today…..YAY!!! I smiled. 🙂 I have this book too. I received it a few months ago. I started it, but didn’t get very far before needing to put it aside. I had a lot of other materials vying for my attention. You have reminded me of the book. And you shared a book title I was unaware of before now: The Woman Who Changed her Brain. I just placed a hold on it at our library. Thank you! I love to follow Dr. Caroline Leaf’s work on the brain and neuroplasticity as well. Did you see her recently on BVOV by chance?
I have missed you and thought of you OFTEN, especially in the past couple of weeks.
Have a great week!!
Hi Jessie. So good to hear from you. Thank you for your excitement 🙂
It is so bizzare … I still don’t know where the book comes from, but I am enjoying the read.
I do like Caroline Leaf’s book too! I haven’t seen her on BVOV … really she confirms what the Copelands have been teaching all along 🙂
The book I mention, is not by a Christian author (I don’t think so any way) but it is a fascinating read around the concept of neuroplasticity. Another one I found fascinating was “The Brain the heals itself” by a psychologist I think and he outlines the dangers of violent sexual content of movies and porn and how that hard wires us into desiring that sort of connection in real life … in fact his book would make a wonderful tool to argue against such books as 50 Shades of Grey, porn in general, violent movies etc. The book talks of how people have been able to relearn gentler sexual behaviours and desires through the concept of neuroplasticity, but it is sad that these people have had to even go there in the first place.
I hope you are all doing ok?
Many blessings, God is Good!
Hi God Is Good!
So good to hear from you and to read your post. Your posts have been really missed. Hearing about your praying for those who Holy Spirit leads you to has always been a delight. Welcome back to blogging! 🙂