“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” (William Arthur Ward)  Share this quote with your children and teach them that since everything comes from God, we need to express thanks to Him for everything.  We should also express thanks to those God leads to give to us.

Gratefulness

Bible Verse: James 1:17  Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars.

Bible Stories:

1. Psalm 127:3 The Bible says that children are a gift from the Lord.  Every good gift comes from God. God gave Mom & Dad a very special gift (age of your child) ago.  We are so thankful God gave us the special, special gift.  Do you know what that gift was? – It was (child’s name)!

2. Psalm 68:19 Praise God who daily loads us with benefits The Bible says God daily loads us up with blessings.  Blessings are anything God gives us just because He loves us.  Can you name something God gives us every day? (Jesus, food, sleep, sunshine, happy times, smiles, hugs, water, love, friends, air to breath, etc)

3. Genesis 1 In the beginning of the world God made everything.  He made the animals, trees, blue sky, water, stars, sun, clouds, birds, plants, etc.  After He made His beautiful world, He made Adam and Eve.  He gave all He had made to them to enjoy.  God also gives all He has made to us to enjoy.  Thank you God, for your good gift of your beautiful world.

4. Philippians 4:10-19 Paul had need of something.  He was locked up in jail for preaching about Jesus.  The people in the church in the city called Philippi decided to send some gifts to Paul.  They loved him and wanted to help him.  Paul knew that it was God who had helped them to give the gift.   Paul knew that every good gift comes from God.

5. Philippians 1:1-5 Paul wrote a thank you letter to his friends in Philippi while he was in prison.  He told them that he thanked God for them every time he thought of them.  His friends cared about him and Paul was grateful for their friendship.  He knew they were a gift from God to him.  We need to thank God for our friends and those who help us.  We need to tell others we are thankful for them.

Prayer: Thank you God for all the gifts you have given us.  Help us to always be thankful to you and to others.

Activities:

1. Look at baby pictures  and express your gratefulness to God for giving you your children.

2. Cut out pictures of things that God gives us.  Put them in a a ‘thankful box’ and pull them out regularly and thank God for them

3. Play out in God’s beautiful world and sing one of these thankful songs.

4. Find or draw a picture of Paul in jail and talk about what gifts God might have led his friends to send him.  Do you know of someone that has a need that God could be leading your family to give to like the Philippians gave to Paul?

5. Train your children even now to always be quick to thank those who give to them.  This should also be those who give of their time to them. Help them write a thank you, complete with art work, to someone God has used to bless them (grandparent, pastor, s/s teacher, waitress, sales clerk, doctor, mailman, etc).

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November 13, 1922 – October 31, 2011

Dr. Jo Bevington went to be with the Lord Monday morning. She was my friend, my mentor, and my prayer warrior for the last 35 years.  Her love for Jesus and for children totally shaped my life.  She has influenced countless others through her many years of loving and serving the Lord!!

I will miss the joy in her voice every time I called her and the songs we would sing together over the phone and the Scriptures she would share.  I will miss hearing her say, ‘The Lord is good’.  Jo had a way of saying it with such delight that you had no doubt she knew intimately Who she was talking about and it made you want to know Him that way as well.

I have never met anyone else who had such a passion for Jesus! She is now rejoicing in finally seeing Him face to face!!! And heaven is rejoicing to have her home.

See the links below where I have written in the past about this amazing lady who spent her life walking intimately with Jesus and establishing His Word in children.

A Visit With Jo (video of Jo the last time I saw her in July of this year).
Power in the Name
Sing-Sing-Sing
Joy in Your Journey

Thank you, God, for Jo Bevington!!!!

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Daniel 2:21
And He changes the times and the seasons;

Celebrate each season, emphasizing God’s hand in it all.  Autumn is such a fun tme to enjoy God’s beautiful world with your children. Go outside and play in the leaves – build a leaf fort, bury each other in leaves, walk on the dry leaves and hear them crunch, see who can find the most perfect, colorful leaf.  Be sure to thank God for the leaves as you play. And don’t forget to sing!!!

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Security

(Structuring my life around what is eternal and cannot be destroyed or taken away)
God can never be taken away from you!!

Bible Verse: Joshua 1:9 I command you be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Bible Stories:

Joshua 1 God told Joshua he was to lead his people into the land that God had promised them.  He told Joshua to be strong and not to be afraid.  He said to go where He told him to but not to be afraid because He would go with him everywhere He told him to go.  Joshua obeyed God and God kept His promise to Joshua to be with Him.

Daniel 3:12-26 The King Nebuchadnezzar told everyone to worship a statue rather than the one true God.  Three men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego loved God and said they would only worship and pray to Him.  The king put them in a fiery furnace to kill them.  But God was there; He didn’t let them burn.  The king looked in the furnace and saw 4 men instead of 3 men in the furnace.  It was Jesus in there with them!  God is with you wherever you go!! (see picture above)

Exodus 3:1-12 One day Moses was watching his sheep and he saw a bush burning.  When he went over to the bush, he heard God talking to him.  God told Moses He wanted him to go help people because they were being treated badly.  Moses was afraid to go, but God told him not to be concerned about going to talk to the mean king because He said, “Certainly, I will be with you.”

Jeremiah 1:1-10 God told Jeremiah that He had chosen him to be one of his preachers.  Jeremiah said, “But God, I can’t speak for I am a child”  But God told him, “Don’t be afraid for I will give you the words to say and I will be with you to help you out of any problem”

Matthew 1:23   Psalm 46:1 God loves us so much that He wants to help us in times of trouble.  He wants to be with us all the time.  He sent us Jesus to live with us here.  Jesus has another name.  He is called Emmanuel.  Do you know what Emmanuel means?  It means ‘God with us’!  I’m so glad that God is with us wherever we go!!!

Prayer: Help us remember that You are always with us to keep us safe.

Activities for younger preschooler:

Talk about God being with him while in the bedroom, living room, etc. as you go from room to room

Make up a song with the verse to the tune of  “Mary Had a Little Lamb”  Here’s an example – God is With You Wherever You Go

Share the verse in a dark room

Share the verse outside in the sunshine or during a rain storm

Share verse in the car as you are traveling somewhere

Activities for older preschoolers:

Go outside at night and talk about God being with you in the day time and in the night time

Illustrate the Bible story from Daniel about the Fiery Furnace – make a fire out of red, orange, and yellow construction paper.  Cut out 4 men.  Put 3 in as you tell the story, then add the 4^th at the end.

Go outside in the morning and talk about how God will always be with us just as the sun will always come up every morning.  Draw a picture of the sun.

Paste pictures of different places he goes – write Bible verse on paper. (See picture on a related post). Everything you do this
week be sure to include the thought of the presence of God – as playing say, “God, I’m glad you are here with us.”  As going to the grocery store say, “God, thank you that you are going with us to the store.”

Find pictures of children in other lands to color and talk about God is with them just as He is with
us here  – Look at globe or maps and share verse

Songs:

Three Good Men by Bill Gaither  This is from the album Especially for Children of All Ages.
I have only found it in vinyl - Especially for Children…of all ages

God is With You Wherever You Go

Books:

Find these stories in a children’s Bible.  If you don’t have one, check here or here for some good ones.
Arch Books has a book about many, many Bible stories.  Begin building your library with these colorfully illustrated paperbacks:

Journey to the Promised Land: Exodus 15:23-Joshua 4:24 for children (PassAlong Arch books)

The Fiery Furnace

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Our Big God

God is greater than man.
Job 33:12

Bible Stories:

1. Psalm 104 David wrote about how great God is.  He knew God was greater than man.  It was God that made the heavens, water, and earth.  He puts the mountains and valleys in place..  God walks on the wind, causes the thunder, gives water to all the animals, and causes the grass to grow.  It is God who has made darkness, feeds the animals, causes the sun to rise and set, gives the animals homes, makes the moon to rise and set.  Man could work from morning to night and not be able to do all God does and has done and will do!!  Truly God is greater than man.
2. Exodus 2:11-14; 3:1-22; 14:15-31 Moses saw one of his people being beaten by an Egyptian.  This made Moses angry and he wanted to help his friend.  Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in order to help his friend.  The next day someone found the Egyptian that Moses had buried and knew that Moses had done it.  Moses ran away.  God followed Moses and told him that he saw how bad his people were being treated and he was going to use Moses to help them.  God lead Moses to gather the people and lead them out of Egypt.  The Egyptian army followed them.  When they got to the sea, God parted the water and let them pass to the other side.  Just when the army started to pass, God caused all the army to be buried under the water.  God showed Moses that He is greater than man.  When Moses tried to help his people, he only helped one, only destroyed one Egyptian, and then didn’t bury him very well because someone found him.  When God helped His people, He helped them all, destroyed the entire Egyptian army, and completely buried them in the sea.  God IS greater than man!
3. Isaiah 55:8-9:25-31 God is greater than man.  God said that His ways are higher than our ways.  The things God thinks and plans are greater and wiser than the things we think and plan.  That is why we should always ask God what He wants us to do because He knows what is best for us.  God is greater than we are and knows more than we know.  Always ask God to show you what to do because He is greater than you.
4. Matthew 14:25-31 Jesus’ disciples were in a boat one night and Jesus came to them walking on the water.  Peter then wanted to come to Jesus and walk on the water, but he began to sink in the water because he was afraid.  Jesus was greater than Peter.  Jesus could walk on the water but Peter couldn’t.  God is greater than man and can do things greater than men can do.
5. Philippians 2:9-11 Jesus is greater than man.  God has even given Him a name that is greater than any man’s name. God says that at the name of Jesus everyone and everything shall bow down.  Jesus’ name has power and we can use His name to help us with any problem.  When we use Jesus’ name everything and every person will have to respect His name.  God is greater than man.  Jesus is greater than man and His name is greater than man.
6. Mark 4:36-39 Jesus and His disciples were in a boat.  Jesus was taking a nap.  All of  sudden a big storm came up with strong wind that was tossing the boat back and forth.  The disciples were afraid.  When they woke Jesus, He spoke to the wind and said “Peace, be still”.  Immediately the wind stopped.  Only Jesus can stop the wind!!

Prayer: Help us to always be aware that You are greater than us and we should depend on You to handle our problems

Activities for younger preschooler:

1. Go outside and point out all God made and share the verse
2. While in the tub, tell the story of God parting the water
3. Let him look in the mirror and talk about only God can make a cute little baby like him.
4. While in the tub, tell the story of Jesus walking on water
5. Sing ‘Jesus, Jesus, There’s Something About That Name’ from Bill Gaither’s Especially for Children
6. Let him feel the wind and talk about how Jesus stopped the wind

Activities for older preschoolers:

1. Put the verse on the refrigerator.
2. Play in the pool or bath and tell the story about God parting the waters
3. Show a rock, sand, water, etc.  Tell him to try and make a rock.  Share the verse.
4. In the tub or pool, tell the story of Jesus walking on water.  Try to walk on water.
5. Print the name of Jesus in block letters and let your child color it while you sing ‘Jesus, Jesus, There’s Something About That Name’ from Bill Gaither’s Especially for Children
6. Stand in front of a fan and try to stop the wind

Songs:

“Jesus, Jesus, There’s Something About That Name“
Listen to it here
Purchase it here

“My God Is So Big”

Books:

Check your children’s Bibles for the stories mentioned above.  If you don’t have any, there are several recommended on the Train Up The Child aStore

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When Jo was 58 she earned her Doctorate in Preschool Education.  Her dissertation was  ‘Faith Development in Children Birth through Three’!!  She has taught at Biola University and New Orleans Seminary, served as Minister to Preschoolers in several large churches; and has been my friend and mentor for 30 years now. It is her profound and lasting impact on my life that has instilled in me the strong desire I have for establishing God’s Word in children.

Jo contacted me about a year ago when she was about to move into a nursing home; she wanted to give me all her files from a lifetime of working with children!!!!!  She is 88, is almost blind, walks with a walker, and only quit teaching preschoolers about two years ago!!!

Billy and I took a quick trip to Texas last week to pick up the files and spend time with Jo. It was a privilege to sit at her feet again. She has always inspired me with her intimate relationship with the Lord. Her spirit shines forth so strongly that I hardly noticed her physical limitations. (2 Cor. 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.)

Here are some videos of our time with Jo.  Please watch and be inspired by this 88 year old saint who passionately walks with the Lord and loves children like no one else I have ever met!

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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:

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Day Six
(click for a printable pdf)

Day Six – God Made Animals and God Made ME

God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals . . . And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life—the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, and small animals.” . . . Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way. This all happened on the sixth day.
Genesis 1:25-26, 31

Bible:

Say: “On the sixth day God made many, many different kinds of animals.  Then God made the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, to help Him take care of all He had made.  This is what the Bible says about that: God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals . . . And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life—the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, and small animals.’ . . . Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way. This all happened on the sixth day. God was very happy with what He had created.”
Read about Day Six of Creation in a Bible story book

Activities:

Make a picture like the one above or use the printable pdf.

Animals:

• Have books and pictures of different animals to look at as you share ‘God made the animals’.
• Click here to see photos and information about many animals.
• Get many different animal coloring pages here
• Play a game of matching animal sounds here
• Watch a video of a song about animal sounds here

ME:

(click picture for larger view)

Get a large piece of cardboard or poster board and trace your child.  You can connect the limbs with brads so it is movable.  Cut it out and let him color it to look like him.  He will enjoy playing with the life size copy of himself. Talk about the fact that he is wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:14). You could write this verse on it.

There are several songs and activities at a previous post on my website that will reinforce the idea that God made us special.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for the many interesting animals you made.  Thank you, God, that I am wonderfully made by you.

Songs: Sing the following words to God Made the Whole World by His Hands

God made all the little animals by His hands
He made all the big animals by His hands
Then God specially made ME by His hands
He made the whole world by His hands.

This song is from the Psalty Kids’ Praise Songs back in the 80′s.  My kids grew up listening to them.

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings
If I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing
If I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee
But I just thank you father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

If I were an elephant, I’d thank you Lord by raising my trunk
If I were a kangaroo, You know I’d hop right up to you
If I were an octopus, I’d thank you Lord for my fine looks
But I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you Lord that I could squirm
If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d thank you Lord for my fuzzy, wuzzy hair
If I were a crocodile, I’d thank you Lord for my great smile
But I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

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Day Five
(click for a printable pdf)

God Made Fish and Birds

So God created great sea creatures and every sort of fish
and every kind of bird.
God saw that it was good. This all happened on the fifth day.
Genesis 1:21

Bible:

Say: “On the 5th day of Creation God made fish to live in the waters and birds to fly in the sky. The Bible says ‘So God created great sea creatures and every sort of fish and every kind of bird. God saw that it was good. This all happened on the fifth day.‘  Again the Bible says that God was pleased with what He had made.”
Read about Day Five of Creation in a Bible story book.

Activities:

Make a picture like the one above or use the printable pdf.

Fish:

• Pretend to be a fish.  Make fish faces   Sing Little Fish Swimming.
• Make a fishing pole out of a stick with a piece of string tied to it; tie a magnet to the string.  Cut out fish patterns and attach paper clips at their mouths. Lay the fish on a blue cloth or paper to be the lake.  Catching fish can be hours of fun.  You can put Bible verses on each fish and say them when each fish is caught.

Birds:

• Pretend to be a bird flying.  Sing Little Bird Flying
• Use this pattern to make a bird.  Print on printer paper, cut slit in the body of the bird, slide the wings through, then tape the bird to a craft stick. The wings will go up and down as you move the stick up and down.

Song: Sing the following words to God Made the Whole World by His Hands

God made the fish and the birds by His hands.
He made the fish and the birds by His hands.
God made the fish and the birds by His hands.
He made the whole world by His hands.

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Day Four
(click for a printable pdf)

God Made the Sun, Moon, and Stars

And God said, “Let bright lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. They will be signs to mark off the seasons, the days, and the years . . . For God made two great lights, the sun and the moon, to shine down upon the earth. The greater one, the sun, presides during the day; the lesser one, the moon, presides through the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the heavens to light the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. This all happened on the fourth day.
Genesis 1:14-19

Bible:

Say: “God made the sun for light in the day and the moon and stars for light at night.  God is so powerful all He had to do was speak and they were made.  This is what the Bible tells us: And God said, ‘Let bright lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. They will be signs to mark off the seasons, the days, and the years’ . . . For God made two great lights, the sun and the moon, to shine down upon the earth. The greater one, the sun, presides during the day; the lesser one, the moon, presides through the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the heavens to light the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. This all happened on the fourth day.”
Read about Day Four of Creation in a Bible story book

Activities:

Make a day time/night time picture like the one above or print the pdf.

Go here to find some basic info about the sun, moon, and stars

• Make sun prints by placing a colored piece of art paper in the sun and put a small shape such as a key, toy, or whatever on it.  Come back a little later and the sun will have made a print of the shape on the paper.  Sing: The Sun is in the Sky
• Go outside at night and look at the stars and moon.  Sing: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; God Has Put You Where You Are.
• Play with play dough on a black piece of art paper:
  • Make a large round yellow ball for the sun.
  • Make a smaller yellow ball for the moon and put indentions in it for craters.
  • Make a crescent moon or other phases of it and talk about the fact that sometimes we can’t see all of the moon. (Click for another way to illustrate all the phases of the moon)
    
  • Use a star cookie cutter and make stars.
• Cut sandwiches in shapes of sun, moon, and stars or make cookies in the shapes.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night.

Song: Sing the following words to God Made the Whole World by His Hands

God made the big, round sun to brighten the day.
He made the moon and the stars to light up the night.
God made the sun, moon, and stars by His hands.
He made the whole world by His hands.

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