Oh, Michele! I wish I had time to develop my thoughts more, but I do want to at least get started sharing with you about how the catechism has impacted our family.

So, very briefly and to the bottom line. The most important, immediate result of the study of the catechism with my youngest was the impact it had on ME. The purposeful, intentional study of the catechism cannot happen apart from the study of God's Word. I found that as I was preparing to teach my son, God used it to transform my thinking and to renew MY mind. I began to think in a more biblical way, which in turn equipped me to teach truths to my children in ways that I had never before experienced.

Sam memorized the questions and answers and one scripture proof for each of the questions. I know that there are some he has forgotten entirely, some he remembers imperfectly, and some that he really didn't understand at the time, but God is really bringing fruit in my son's life through the study of the catechism. We talk about spiritual things as a natural course of conversation in our home and he is able to make very astute observations.

Just yesterday in science, we were studying the Big Bang theory. We reviewed the Scientific Method and talked about how we test our theories: our theories must be both observable and repeatable. I was telling him that the Big Bang Theory and Evolution are not provable because the origins were not observed by anyone, no matter how authoritatively the scientists talk about what they "know."

Sam looked at me and said, "But Mom, it was observed! God was there and He wrote it down!" And this came out of the study of the catechism; not just from one question and answer, but from what it communicates about God's eternality, His omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and about the reliability of Scripture, and the role of the Trinity in Creation. . .it goes on and on.

The study of the catechism will first change YOU and then as you teach your children you will be teaching them more than dogma. You will be helping them develop a Biblical worldview.

Some side benefits just from an educational aspect: the way the Q and A's are set up as a question and the question is restated in the answer is an excellent way to demonstrate to your children how to really read a question and then teaches them to use the question as a tool to help them answer the question. It is great preparation for essay tests because it teaches you to slow down and discern what the question is really asking of you and then to use the question to provide the answer. It demands orderly and logical thinking.

I could go on and on, but we're getting ready to go out and run some Saturday errands.

Hope this helps.

Blessings,

Kim

Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love and the future to God's providence." - St. Augustine
Hiraeth