God deserves all our praise and thanksgiving, but He also wants us to have a grateful spirit toward others. God says in Matthew 25:40 that when we do something for others, it is like doing it for Him.
Everyone needs to feel appreciated. Tell others how thankful you are for them, what they do, their attitude, their smile, their words, etc.
Make thank you notes for people in your life that you don’t normally think of thanking, such as the mailman, doctor, teacher, grandparent, the men who pick up the trash, your waiter, the paint mixer at Lowe’s, the UPS delivery man, your children, your spouse.
Be specific and creative. Lead the whole family to participate in making cards or expressing thanks in some way.
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”- William Arthur Ward.
About the 1st of November, I always put a large piece of paper on the refrigerator with the words, “Thank you God for” at the top. Family members are encouraged to regularly write down something they are thankful for. This has been a tradition for many years in our home. We enjoy writing our own and reading what the rest of the family has written.
This year we are separated from most of our children so my husband had the idea to make a google document that we can all add to – great idea, Billy!! If you are separated from your family, you might consider the same thing. If you aren’t familiar with how to do that, you can get step by step instructions at http://tinyurl.com/2fqacyb
Writing down your blessings can really change your outlook. As the old hymn by Johnson Oatman says, “Count your many blessings; name them one by one; and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”
Here a Little, There a Little is a compilation of Bible activities I created years ago to use with my preschool children. It was designed to spend a week memorizing the verse and reinforcing it through 5 Bible lessons and 5 activities. I hope you find this helpful.
Memory Verse: In everything give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Character Quality – Thankfulness
Bible Thoughts: (Read and then tell in your own words)
Hebrews 1:15 God wants us to give Him thanks more than anything. He would rather us tell Him “thank you” than to give Him money. He would rather us tell Him “thank you” than give Him presents. God likes to hear “thank you”.
Psalm 119:1 David thanked God for everything God did. He thanked him for the good things. He even thanked God for the bad things that happened. David thanked God even when he was hurt because it helped him to learn God’s Word. The bad things that happen to us can help us learn more about God when we go through the hurtful things. God wants us to thank Him when good things happen and not so good things happen.
John 6:1-13 One day Jesus was teaching a lot of people and they were all hungry. Jesus took what food was given to him by a little boy and thanked God for the food. God made enough food from that to feed all the people. Jesus gave thanks for His food and so should we.
Luke 17:19 One day 10 sick men came to see Jesus. They asked Jesus to help make them well. He told them how to be healed. When they obeyed him, they were healed. All 10 were healed but only 1 came back to thank Jesus.
Psalm 139:14 David thanked God for making him. He said, “I will thank God for making me wonderfully” David thanked God for making all of his body – eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands, feet, stomach, etc. Thank God for making all of you.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for all You have given us.
Activities for baby: Thank God for someone special; show picture of them. Pull pictures of things out of ‘thank you box’.
Show familiar objects while you say “thank you, God for…”
Sing “In Everything Give Thanks”.
Play with hands, feet, etc while you say “thank you, God for…”
Activities for older preschoolers:
Thank God for someone special and make a card for them.
Look for pictures of things to be thankful for and put in a ‘thank you box’.
Paste picture of foods (favorite and not so favorite) on a paper plate and write the Bible verse on it.
Make paper cut outs of the 10 sick men and act out the story.
Play ball together and thank God for each part of the body as you use them.
Songs: “In Everything Give Thanks” (be creative and put the verse to a simple tune)
(This is another lesson from Here a Little, There a Little, a compilation of Bible activities I created years ago to use with my preschool children. It was designed to spend a week memorizing the verse and reinforcing it through 5 Bible lessons and 5 activities.)
Self-Worth
(a sense of your personal worth and value to God and others)
Bible Verse:I will praise God for I am wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
Bible Stories:
Psalm 139:14 Did you know that God made you? He made you when you were in Mommy’s tummy. He made your arms and legs, your eyes, nose, ears, hands, feet. He made your inner parts too- your heart, your stomach, your lungs that help you breathe. God did such a wonderful work when he took all these parts and knit them together into you. I’m glad God made you. I praise God that you are wonderfully made.
Proverbs 16:4 God has made everything for His own purposes. He made you for His purpose. He made Mom and Dad and brother for his purpose. We must ask God what he wants us to do. God will show us why He made us and what He wants us to do with our lives. Let’s ask God to help us know why He made us. We need to remember that God has a special plan for us.
Psalm 150 The Bible says we were made to praise God. We should praise Him for His wonderful works. We should praise Him for being so great. We should praise Him with music. Everything alive should praise God. Let’s praise Him right now with words and singing.
Genesis 1:26-28 In the very beginning God made the world. He made plants and animals to live in His world but He wanted someone to take care of His world. So God made man and woman. He made them like Himself. He told them to take care of the plants and animals. He also told them to have children. That is how we all began. God made Adam and Eve and they had children. Then their children had children and on and on until your Mom and Dad had you.
Job 33:4-6 The Bible says that God has made me. God has breathed life into me. Because of God I live – I run – I eat – I sleep – I play – I grow. The Bible also says I belong to God. Since God made me, I belong to Him. We should always remember we belong to God and try to act like we are His children. God wouldn’t like one of His to act unkind. That would make Him unhappy. God made us wonderful. Let’s make God happy that He made us.
Prayer: Thank you God for making me wonderful. Help me to act like I am your wonderful creation.
Activities for baby:
Let him look in a mirror as you repeat the verse
Listen to music and say, “Thank you God for ears”
Let him smell a flower and say, “Thank you God for my nose”
While feeding say, “Thank you God for my mouth”
Clap hands and sing, “Thank you God for hands”
Activities for older preschoolers:
Look at baby pictures and foot print when he was a baby
Trace his hands and sing, “Thank you God for hands”
Let him smell different spices and say, “Thank you God for my nose”
Let him look in a mirror and thank God for making him so wonderful as he points out his eyes, ears, nose,
mouth, hair, chin, etc.
If you haven’t already, hang a growth chart on the wall and measure his height.
Have him color, run, jump, help in some way. Talk about how God made him so wonderful that he can do all these things.
Look at pictures of the inside of our bodies and repeat the Bible verse.
Video
This is a great video for teaching your little one how special God made them.
Songs:
You Are Special cd with several self-esteem building songs by Mister Rogers
Because He Lives mp3 download (second verse is a favorite I have always sung to babies.)
Can you define Godliness? Sunday night Pastor Billy asked all the children to help him define it by drawing a picture or making an acrostic of the word godliness.
Here’s what they said:
G - goodness giving great attitude good with Jesus
O – obeying the Lord obey only worship God
D – determined discipline do what is best do good deeds even when it’s hard do help people
L – loving love others as God loves you loving everyone love all your neighbors
I – insight incouragement
N – nice never stop doing good now obey the Lord
E – enjoy exercise energize even when its hard love others everyone gets treated fairly
S – sweet save sometimes its hard but do it Satan will never stop you
S - spirit savior so always trust the Lord
There were pictures of: washing the dishes, feeding the dog, helping others, sharing, reading the Bible, and praying.
Thank you children of Dudley Baptist Church for helping us learn the character quality of Godliness!!!!
Psalm 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
This is definitely something you want to nip in the bud!
Here are a few things you might try:
Talk to your child about the fact that God gave us hands to love, help, pray, etc.
Sing “Be Careful What You Do Little Hands.”
Share 2 Timothy 2:24 – “Be gentle to all”. Make up a song using the verse and naming who or what we should be gentle with: be gentle to your friends, your pets, your books, etc.
Demonstrate a gentle touch.
Find pictures of children hugging or touching an animal gently.
Pray with your child, asking God to help him be gentle to all.
You might try putting him in his crib to isolate him. Tell him he can come out when he learns to control his hands and be gentle.
This is the week before Valentine’s Day. Here are some ideas to help you teach your children about showing love.
Creatively work together to display each day’s verse on the fridge. (cut, color, or paint a heart and put the verse on it)
Repeat the verse often during the day as you reinforce it as you go – here a little, there a little. (Deuteronomy 6:7), (Isaiah 28:10)
Read the Bible stories yourself and then tell them in your own words. Be animated and use visuals when possible.
Have fun establishing God’s W0rd in your children this week!!!!
Day One
Bible Verse or Thought: Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loves at all times.
Story: David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18 1-4)
Activity for Baby to 3: Have a friend over to play with child. Tell story of David and Jonathan. Share toys. For infant, spend time talking about and thanking God for all the baby’s friends, after reading story.
Older Activity: Have child help make cookies and then invite a friend over to share them with. Talk about ways to show love to our friends.
Day Two
Bible Verse or Thought: 1 John 4:7 – Love one another.
Stories: Elisha’s Friends (2 Kings 4:8-11); Abraham and Lot (Genesis 13:1-18)
Activity for Baby to 3: Tell the story of Elisha and talk about how you prepared a room for baby to show your love for him. Point out things in baby’s room.
Older Activity: Read story. Draw a picture of the story.
Day Three
Bible Verse or Thought: Galatians 5:13 – Help one another
Story: Four Friends (Mark 2:1-12)
Activity for Baby to 3: Make a card for a friend and pray for for their friends.
Older Activity: Same as for Baby to 3
Day Four
Bible Verse or Thought: 2 Corinthians 1:24 – We are helpers.
Story: We Work Together – (Nehemiah 1:1-11, 2:1-20, 3:1-32, 6:15-16)
Activity for Baby to 3: Help fold laundry or pick up toys.
Older Activity: Play blocks together and pretend to build the wall as you tell the story. Dads, let child hammer some nails in some scrap wood while you supervise.
Day Five
Bible Verse or Thought: Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another.
Stories: A Kind Man (The Good Samaritan) – (Luke 10:30-35); Philip’s New Friend – (Acts 8:1-39)
Activity for Baby to 3: Do something special for baby or child like making him cookies or getting him a new inexpensive toy. Give him a hug and lead child to give someone a hug. Talk about ways he can show kindness.
Older Activity: Read story. Say Philip showed kindness by reading the Bible to his friend and telling him about God. Let’s be kind to our friend ______ and tell him about God. Lead child to send a Bible verse or Bible story to one of his friends.
Honesty is “being careful of what you say and do so others can trust you”. As usual God is our example. Many times in Scripture God says, “I have said it; I will perform it.” Hebrews 10:23 says “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”
We are encouraged throughout Scripture to be honest:
Proverbs 11:1 The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty.
2 Chron. 18:15 … say nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord
Ephes. 4:15 …speaking the truth in love…
In teaching our children honesty, we must be an example to them. Always do what you say you will do. If you make a promise, keep it; and never make a threat in disciplining that you can not follow through with if they disobey (example: I will throw you out the window if you scream one more time) Children need the security of knowing they can trust Mom and Dad. A child’s healthy relationship with his parents paves the way for a healthy relationship with God. We are God’s representative to them and need to show them they can trust us and Him.
Tell your children stories of men and women in history who told the truth and those that didn’t and suffered the consequences. Here are a few book or website suggestions:
cd with several self-esteem building songs by Mister Rogers
mp3 download (second verse is a favorite I have always sung to babies.)
I highly recommend this whole cd
