Mike Farris:
Children naturally love routine. What parent hasn’t heard this: “Read it again, please!” Noël, one of the chapters in your book is called “Everyday and the Ultimate.” Can you tell me about that?

Noël Piper:
I think children, through the very everyday things we’re doing, are learning who God is. One of the important things, I think, that we’ve done for our kids, for instance, is just building into the morning routine their own (we call it) “Bible time” where they go alone, together with their Bible, maybe with a hymnbook—it’s up to them—and have time with God. And before they were able to read, we would put on cassettes or CDs with Bible stories on it.

Because I think it is obvious that it’s easier to get a 3-year-old, a 5-year-old, started in a good habit than to suddenly say to a 13-year-old, “Okay, now, here’s something I want you to start doing that's going to be important for the rest of your life.”

Mike:
Noël, I know how that works, because one of my own daughters—I did a program to encourage her to read the Bible every day, and after the third year, she said to me, “I can’t imagine going through a day without spending time in God’s word.” And it’s amazing what a solid foundation can be built with that kind of daily repetition.

I want to thank you so much for the encouragement to be faithful in little things. I’m Mike Farris.