What resources would you recommend to encourage your kids to know and love the Bible? 

I’m asked this question often.

And I understand why.

More than almost anything, I want our family to be grounded in their faith—and that means being grounded in the Bible too.

Because I’m convinced that no matter what the future holds, they will be well-equipped if they have the Word of God on their minds and hidden in their hearts.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Prov. 30:5)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

As a family, we’ve tried a variety of ways to encourage our children to know and love the Bible:

• We’ve often had family devotions where my husband reads aloud to them from Scripture.

There’s an annual debate among my husband and his siblings.

No, it’s not about who gifts to who for Christmas. Or even where we spend the holidays.

Instead, it’s about how soon is too soon to break out the eggnog and the Christmas music.

Personally, I prefer to savor my fresh-pressed apple cider until Thanksgiving has come and gone. Then, and only then, do I break out the raw milk, farm-fresh eggs, and whole nutmeg to create the most delicious (and nourishing!) homemade eggnog.

When my one CD of Thanksgiving music has been on repeat for several weeks and it’s time to pack up the Thanksgiving books and autumn decorations, then I begin to play our most beloved Christmas carols.

While the rest of the country is out shopping for good deals, I’m sitting at home, sipping my eggnog, and listening to my own curated Christmas playlists.

Here is some of my favorite Christmas music; the songs I grew up on and the albums my whole family enjoys.

Not all the best Christmas music can be found on the radio! 

Do you want to know a fantastic way to help your family memorize scripture with no effort?

A song comes on the radio and you’re singing along before you realize it. The tune might even put you back in the place and time you first heard it, or a special person you heard it with.

“Our brains are hard-wired to connect music with long-term memory,” but music does more than just evoke pleasant memories.

Music is a powerful mnemonic device. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, “the song’s structure is what allows a person to recall the information it holds—not necessarily the catchy tune itself.” One study shows that the tune itself isn’t even necessary to help in recollection–oftentimes the words themselves are enough to activate the memory of a song.

Your children sing a silly little ditty one too many times and it’s stuck in your head the rest of the day. You might even be able to help them easily memorize math facts or Bible verses when they are set to music.

Music engages a large percentage of the brain.

In the midst of the long, busy days of motherhood and homemaking, it can often be a struggle to keep a smile on my face and a song in my heart. But I know that the state of my heart sets the tone of my home.

There’s more truth than I want to admit to the old saying, “When mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” But by the same token, when mommy has a song of praise on her lips, it’s like the “spoonful of sugar helps makes the medicine go down”: everyone gets a delightful dose of “cheerful heart medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

I’ve found that one of the best ways to make sure that “in my heart there rings a melody” is to keep hymns of praise playing in my home. It may be no more than background “noise” much of the time, but it helps set the tone. And, often just the right lyrics prick my heart at the very moment they are needed.

While I love many of the songs and choruses of praise and worship, I’m also endeavoring to teach my children the timeless hymns of our faith.

I like to think I have fairly simple criteria when it comes to music for my kids.

1. I have to be able to understand the words (above/in spite of the music).
2. The tunes should be catchy and easy to learn (if they aren’t already familiar melodies).
3. The songs have to be ones I’ll actually want my kids to be singing all day long (they don’t have a pause button like the CD player does).
4. The music should not give me a headache or generally drive me crazy (see number 3).

Our collection has been 8 years in the making. And some of the albums below are still on my wishlist. But I’m gradually filling the kids’ iPod with music that they love and that doesn’t drive me crazy.

Rain for Roots

I love Rain for Roots! Simple, timeless truths put to music that the whole family can enjoy. Most of their songs are so easy-listening that Rain for Roots passes for bedtime music in our home.

• Big Stories for Little Ones
• The Kingdom of Heaven is Like That
• Waiting Songs (Christmas)

Songs for Saplings

Songs for Saplings is theology put to music.