. . . “Behold, I make all things new.” . . .
Rev. 21:5

Memorize this verse today and tell your children that Jesus gives us a new year full of new experiences and new opportunities.

Spend time talking about the new things yall could do this year – visit a new place, help a new person, make a new friend, read a new book, start a new habit, learn a new craft, memorize a new scripture each week. Write a few things down and encourage your children to illustrate them.  Keep on the fridge all year as a reminder to carry out these new experiences.

Thank God for the past year and ask Him for help to do new things for Him this year.

May your 2012 be filled with fun with family and fellowship with God.

Romans 11:36
For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore.

The Pilgrims acknowledged God as the One who had provided all things during their first year in their new land.  Have fun making your children aware of the first Thanksgiving by acting it out with Indian headbands and Pilgrim hats. Click here for a coloring book you can download and print that gives a simple explanation of the first Thanksgiving.  Talk about each page as you color.

The following sites have patterns for pilgrim hats and Indian headbands:

http://crafts.kaboose.com/pilgrim-hat-for-girls.html

http://crafts.kaboose.com/pilgrim-hat-for-boys.html

http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/crafts/indian.htm

Encourage each family member to thank God for something; be ready with suggestions or even have pictures of things to be thankful for.   Have a Happy Family Thanksgiving as you give thanks to the Giver of all things!!!

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.
Mark 16:15

History:

‘In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue!’  Why did he set sail?

“Christopher Columbus had a belief that God intended him to sail the Atlantic Ocean in order to spread Christianity. He said his prayers several times daily. Columbus wrote what he called a Book of Prophecies, which is a compilation of passages Columbus selected from the Bible which he believed were pertinent to his mission of discovery.  Columbus’s own writings prove that he believed that God revealed His plan for the world in the Bible, the infallible Word of God. Columbus believed that he was obeying the mission God staked out for his life when he set sail west across the Atlantic Ocean.“  Phyllis Schlafly Radio Script, October 14, 2002

Washington Irving writes of Christopher Columbus: “ Whenever he made any great discovery, he celebrated it by solemn thanks to God. The voice of prayer and melody of praise rose from his ships when they first beheld the New World, and his first action on landing was to prostrate himself upon the earth and return thanksgivings.”

The results of Columbus sailng the ocean blue was the discovery that the Earth was indeed round and the settlement of new lands.  This resulted in the further spreading of the Good News which led eventually to our hearing the Gospel of Jesus.

Activities:

Teach your children that today we celebrate the life of a brave explorer who loved Jesus and obeyed the Bible’s command to spread the gospel.

Play with a ball, preferably an inflated globe ball, and talk about the fact that Columbus discovered that the world was round.

Trace his journey on a globe from Spain to San Salvador Island.

Tape off a boat on the floor or make one out of a box and pretend to be Columbus discovering America.  Then get out and lay on the ground and thank God and sing as Columbus did.

Check out this site for more great ideas to celebrate Columbus Day with your children.

So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height,
for the people had a mind to work.
Nehemiah. 4:6

Labor Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women. It has been celebrated as a national holiday in the since 1894. You can read the history of this holiday here.

Labor day is a good time to memorize this verse and talk about having a mind to work.  Read the story of Nehemiah in your Bible and tell it in your own words – 0r – find it in a children’s Bible and read it to your children.  The walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed and Nehemiah led the people to rebuild them.  They had a mind to work.

• Build a wall together out of pillows and share the story.
• Talk about having a mind to work.  Think of ways your children can ‘work’.  Find suggestions here.
• Memorize Nehemiah 4:6 “…the people had a mind to work.”
• Thank God for the work that Dad does and the work that Mom does.
• Lead your children to be thankful to those they encounter doing their work.

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36

Another holiday is another opportunity to teach your children why we celebrate.  Try to always have a centerpiece that represents the holiday so you can be reminded to talk about it at meal times.

This weekend we need to help our children understand that God has allowed us to live in a free country and that many brave soldiers have fought physical and spiritual battles to ensure we have FREEDOM.

Conversation:

Explain that we have physical freedom in our country to go where we want to go and do what we want to do.   Soldiers gave up their lives so we could live in a free country.  Tell your children about America’s history.  Watch these informative Early American Series videos and then retell the stories in your own words to your younger children; be animated and use visuals if possible.  Older children might enjoy watching the videos.

Be sure and emphasis that we have the highest form of freedom, spiritual freedom, because Christ died on the cross to set us free from the punishment for sin and free from the power of sin which is freedom to make wise choices.  Since Christ’s death and resurrection, many soldiers for Christ have fought spiritual battles against the enemy, Satan, so we can know the message of salvation.

Prayer:

Thank you, God, for the freedom we have in our country to go where we want to go and do what we want to do.  Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the Cross so we can be free from the punishment and power of sin.  Thank you for the soldiers who fight for freedom.

Crafts:

Printable color by number American Flag

Printable ‘Pray for Your Leaders’ coloring page

Mini Flags to Make

Activities:

Start a tradition of each 4th of July reading the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere and/or The Declaration of Independence
and playing patriotic music all day.

Watch patriotic movies -
Our favorite is the old Disney classic Johnny Tremain [DVD] (1957)
Another suggestion is Liberty’s Kids cartoon  – The First 4th of July

Sing -
I’m in the Lord’s Army – lyrics and motions
I’m in the Lord’s Army – video

March to patriotic music holding flags you made or purchased.

Patriotic Music:

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/musicpatriot.htm

http://www.patrioticon.org/patriotic-soundfiles.htm

In I Chronicles 29:19 King David prayed for his son, “And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep your commandments, testimonies, and your statutes, and to do all these things, and to build a palace, for which I have made provision.

Then in 1 Kings 5:3-5 Solomon begins the task of building the temple, “You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the Lord put his foes under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence. And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to my father David, saying, “Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name.”

King David had a desire to build the temple for the Lord to dwell in.  However he was not able to build it because of wars surrounding him.  So he made preparation for his son Solomon to build it.  Solomon was glad to carry out this desire his dad had.  Solomon spent 7 years building the temple for the Lord.  This made his dad glad!!

Just as David made preparation for Solomon to build the temple for God to dwell in, fathers are to make provision for their children to build a temple. I Corinthians 3:16 points out that God desires to live in us now, “Don’t you know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Then children are to take the provision of instruction and training in the Word from their fathers and build their lives to be a dwelling place for God.  This should make a glad dad (3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.)

Spend the day making your dad glad and leading your children to make their dad glad!

Let’s take this week before Father’s Day to concentrate on teaching our children to be grateful for their fathers, listen to their instruction, and make Glad Dads.   If your child does not have an earthly father, emphasize his relationship with his Heavenly Father.

…children take pride in their fathers
Proverbs 17:6

My son, hear the instruction of your father…
Proverbs 1:8

A person who loves wisdom makes his father happy…
Proverbs 29:3

Bible:

Proverbs 29:3 Are you doing those things that please your Dad?  The Bible says the best way to make your dad happy is to be wise – to do and say those things that please God – to choose to do the right thing.  We can ask God to help us make our  ‘dad glad’.

John 8:26-28 Jesus said, “I do always those things that please the Father:  His Father is God.  Jesus always pleased God.  Jesus said that He only talked about the things He had heard His Father talk about.  He said He did nothing but what His Father had taught Him to do.  God is our Father too and we should always please Him.  But God, who is our Heavenly Father, has given us an earthly Father.  We please God when we listen to our dads just as Jesus listened to his Dad.

Luke 15:11-22 There was a young man who didn’t listen to his dad.  He decided he wanted to leave his dad so he asked for all the money that belonged to him and he left.  When the son got far away, he began to do bad things in bad places with bad people.  Soon he had spent all his money and had nothing to eat and no where to go but back home to his father. He went home and told his dad that he was sorry for all the bad things he had done.  His dad was glad he came home; he forgave him for everything.

Ephesians 6:1-2 God tells children to obey their parents and to honor their father and mother.  This will please God and it will please your dad.  Obeying your parents means doing what they say to do.  Honoring your parents means to have respect for them – like when your dad is talking, be quiet until he has finished – or when your dad says something, don’t argue with him.  Obeying and honoring your parents will please your dad and it will please God.

Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. Jesus did always those things that pleased His Father.  How can we always do those things that please God and our dad?  The Bible says that God will work in us to do those things that please Him.  Sometimes when you find it hard to do the things that please God or your dad, remember that God promises to help you do the right things if you ask Him.

Prayer: God, thank you for my dad.  Help me to listen to him and obey.
Thank you that my dad takes care of me.  God, please take care of my dad and help him with all the things he has to do.

Suggested Activities:

1. Make a poster for the fridge with one of the Bible verse and a picture of dad and pictures of some things he does.
2. Play ‘Follow the Leader’ with dad being the leader.
3. Play ‘Dad Says’ like ‘Simon Says’.
4. Show things that belong to dad. Cover the items, sneak one item away, and let child guess what is missing.
5. Make hand prints on a plaque for dad.
6. Greet Dad with hugs and kisses at the door when he comes home from work.
7. Make a thank you card for dad.  List, draw, or find pictures of things dad does and thank him for doing them.
8. Color one of these pages from Ministry-to-Children.com or one of these pages from Kaboose.com
9. Bake cookies for Dad in shapes of things he uses such as a car, tie, hat, ball, tools, etc.
10. Talk about ways to make a ‘Glad Dad’:
    1. come when he calls
    2. listen when he talks
    3. hear and obey his instructions

Songs:

God Made My Daddy (listen)
(lyrics) God made my daddy; he helps me do so many things.
I love my daddy; he takes care of me
or
God is my Father; He helps me do so many things.
I love my Father; He takes care of me.”

Glad for Dad (listen)
(lyrics)I’m glad today; I’m glad today.
For my Dad, I’m glad today.
God, please help me make my Dad glad

Books
We’re Very Good Friends, My Father and I
The Prodigal Son (Arch Books)
Just Me and My Dad (Little Critter)

In Memory of Three of My Favorite Soldiers

Joshua 4:6-7
We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future, your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’  Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a permanent memorial among the people of Israel.”

This is Memorial Day Weekend.  Don’t forget to let your children know what it is all about – to remember  those who served in the military and to honor those who are presently serving, helping to keep our country safe.

• Ministry-to-Children.com has a great Bible lesson for Memorial Day based on the above verse.
• Look at pictures of soldiers.
• Thank God for the soldiers.
• Ask God to protect them.
• March like a soldier to this song:  March, March, March like a Soldier

As children, our boys loved to pretend to be soldiers, dressing in full camouflage.  When they got older they made this short film to illustrate one of their father’s sermons:

Have some fun with these videos.  Let them spark conversation about the real meaning of Easter.

Did you or your children ever wonder why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?    I’m not sure what lies behind some of the traditions associated with the day, but the man that the holiday is named for has a story children need to hear.

Did you know Patrick isn’t Irish? He was born into a wealthy English family about 385 A.D. He died on March 17, 461.  When he was 16 years old, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave where he worked as a shepherd.  During this time he was lonely and afraid; this caused him to turn to God with his whole heart.  After about 6 years as a slave, Patrick escaped and began studying to be a priest.

However, he did not forget Ireland; he had a desire to go back one day and tell them about Jesus.  He did eventually return there as a missionary.  Isn’t that amazing that he would want to go back to the place where he had been enslaved and tell them of God’s love?  What an act of forgiveness! Eventually Patrick was called a saint by the Catholic Church because of his love and kindness to the people of Ireland.

It is believed that Patrick brought the shamrock plant to Ireland and used the three-leafed plant to illustrate the message of the Trinity. This would be a good time to teach about the Trinity.  Click here for help in sharing the concept with your children.  A good children’s book to illustrate the Trinity is 3 in 1: A Picture of God.

Go outside and look for clover and talk about the Trinity; be like St. Patrick teaching the Irish.

Click here for a shamrock craft.