Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Posted on August 15th, 2006 by hanfaith.
Categories: Book Reviews, Family, General.

It’s three weeks until we move into our new house (not that I’m counting down!), and I’ve been trying to stay busy with my various “projects”.

One, I mentioned below, and Margaret commented on, is Latin. I haven’t learned a new language in about seven years, so this is an exciting project for me. While my memory isn’t as good as it used to be (seems to exponentially decline with the birth of each child), I’m having a lot of fun tackling the translations. In case you didn’t understand my reply to Margaret in the post below, let me fill you in on what it means to be a “Bowditcher”.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is one of my favorite children’s books. I read it first when I was a teen visiting my Aunt Margaret. In the book, Nathaniel Bowditch accomplishes great things in the midst of daunting circumstances, by sheer perseverence. He teaches himself several languages, and his work in navigation is still used today. Bowditch “sailed by ash breeze” - i.e. “rowing” instead of sailing. After reading the book, my aunt and I decided to become “Bowditchers” and teach ourselves various things. My first project, was studying architecture. I then progressed to filling Bowditch books (composition books given to me by my aunt) with my next Bowditch project - drawing. I still have those notebooks!

A couple of years ago, my aunt published one of her Bowditch projects, aptly named The Bowditchers. The story follows a family with five children who also form a Bowditch club and strive to accomplish various things over the course of a year. I’m still anxiously awaiting a sequal (hint, hint)! The Bowditchers is next on my list of chapter books to read to Éva. We’ve been reading through the All-of-a-Kind Family books together. Great fun!

So this post is in a way, a thank-you to my Aunt Margaret, who inspired me to try new things, and still inspires me to “Carry On”.

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Book Review

Posted on January 3rd, 2005 by hanfaith.
Categories: Book Reviews, General.

I’ve been wanting to read Noël Piper’s book, Treasuring God in Our Traditions for quite a while now. I asked for it for Christmas this year, and this week I finally was able to read it. What a great book! I think it will now become my favorite choice for wedding and baby shower gifts.

The book, as its name indicates, invites parents to embrace traditions as a way to pass down a godly heritage. Instead of harbanging against the capitalism of Christmas (and other holidays), Noël shows how we can use this “especial” holiday to teach our children about God’s character. I love how Noël reveals how her family’s faith is woven throughout their family traditions - from daily traditions, such as meal prayers, and blessing the children before bed, to annual traditions, like an advent calendar that teaches the story of Jesus’ birth, and spaghetti suppers for birthday meals, to occasional traditions such as family gatherings surrounding funerals and marriages.

This isn’t a how-to book. It’s not a book full of ways to celebrate each holiday. Instead, it is a gentle testimony of a family that has found ways to pass on their hope to the next generation by making it an integral part of their family celebrations.

I love traditions. In the days approaching advent, I look forward to lighting the candels. And who could forget the fudgies at Christmas! After reading this book, I have a new appreciation for traditions and some new ideas for our family. We have been doing family devotions, morning and night, for a few months now, and I love how it is a purposeful way to teach our children about God. Éva is already able to answer many of the questions in her catechism.

I think this book is primarily about finding little ways to pass down a godly heritage to your children (and other children that you come in contact with - this was also written for single people). In the Old Testament, God commanded special days for the Israelites to specifically remember God timeline of love. I think we can take this principle into the present with our children.

“I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.

He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments.”
~ Psalm 78:2-7

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