The flowers are springing up,
and the time of singing birds has come,
even the cooing of turtledoves.
Song 2:12 

 In Matthew 6:25-34 , Jesus must have been enjoying spring time as He taught His friends about how much God loves them.  He noticed the birds flying around and said,  ”Look at the birds! They aren’t worried about having enough to eat because God feeds them.  In the same way, you shouldn’t worry about what you will eat.  God will feed you too!”  Then Jesus picked up some flowers that were blooming and said, “These flowers don’t have to worry about what they will wear because God has beautifully clothed them.  You don’t need to worry about clothes either for God will make sure you have something to wear.”

I hope your main activity with your children during this season can be outside enjoying nature together. Share with them that the Bible says in Psalm 145:10 that all God’s works shall praise Him.

As yall observe the beauty of God’s creation, join with the flowers, trees, and birds in praising God.  Here’s some songs to sing as you do.

This one is an old recording, but you can get the idea, or better yet, you can make up your own:

 Now the Flowers Are Growing

And another about God’s Beautiful World:

http://youtu.be/AbWgeJOMQ4U

Isaiah 55:12 says the mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! So even if we don’t praise the Lord, creation still will.  Here’s a song about this that was recorded for me and my children by a friend, Patti Bennett:

 The Rocks and Hills Will Cry Out

These next two are from children’s musicals when my children were small.  Yeah, I know they are dated, but give them a listen:

http://youtu.be/W8wFjhWztcw

http://youtu.be/HLsh3lwKv5c

Happy Spring!!!

I recently had the opportunity to visit with my mentor, Dr. Jo Bevington.  Three years ago I first wrote about her on my blog;  click here to read that post.

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!

Psalm 127:3
Children are a gift from God; they are his reward.

It seems in every disappointment in my life, God has always used children to lighten my heart.

In this video, a baby is laughing hysterically at ripping paper.  The amazing thing is the paper being ripped is a job rejection letter the dad had just received.  How good is God to cause the baby to be so amused by the ripping of the paper and thus bring such enjoyment to the dad in the midst of his difficult situation!

Now click here, listen to this song by The Oak Ridge Boys, and ‘Thank God For Kids’!  Children truly are a gift from Him!

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)

Books:

The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes

He Remembered to Say Thank You (Arch Books)

Joshua 1:9
…the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

We all need to be aware that ‘God is with us wherever we go.’  This is called ‘practicing the presence’.  If you would like to learn more about this for yourself, I suggest reading Practice the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.  In it he says, “There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it.”

Begin to practice the presence of the Lord daily in your life, if you don’t already, and then lead your little ones to grasp the concept that God is always with them.  Here are some simple suggestions to get started:

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.  Thank God that He is always with us.  Paint a picture of the sun.

Make a night time picture with moon and stars and thank God for being with us in the dark.

Make a Bible verse reminder to hang on the fridge by pasting pictures of the different places your family may go.  Write the verse out and repeat it often. (see picture above)

In everything you do 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 with us and will help us as we shop.”

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 a globe or a map and share Joshua 1:9.

Sing the Bible verse to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”:

‘God, you’re with us wherever we go,
wherever we go, wherever we go.
God, you’re with us wherever we go;
God, you’re always near.’

Sing about where you are going or what you are doing – ex. God, you’re with us as we ride in our car, when we hurt ourselves, when we play at home, as walk in the park, when we are feeling sad, when we are feeling glad, when we visit a friend, etc.

Lay this foundation early and practicing the presence will be firmly established in your children’s lives.  What a relationship they will have with the Lord!!

Ephes. 6:2-3
“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise.  And this is the promise: If you honor your father and mother, “you will live a long life, full of blessing.”

No matter what our age, this commandment applies to us.  Appreciate your Dad this week; make him feel special.  If your Dad is no longer living on earth, remember him in love  as you tell your children about their grandfather.  My Dad has been in heaven for 18 years now, so I will ask God this Father’s Day to tell him how much I love him and appreciate the heritage he gave me and my children.

My Dad was such a friendly man; he never met a stranger and would greet anyone he passed on the street with a friendly ‘Hello, how are you?’ People don’t do that much anymore – we walk past one another and don’t even acknowledge anyone is there – but not my dad – I think of him every time this happens.

He was an entrepreneur, always trying something new. He liked to say that he was a ‘jack of all trades and a master of none’.  But that’s not true – he mastered being a dad above anything else!!!  I could talk to him about anything. He was always kind and patient.

He loved his family.  He would tell anyone that would listen about his children and grandchildren.  And he had such a tender heart for his pets.  He even taught our dog to stand up and pray

He became a Christian when I was 12 and immediately delved into the scriptures and became the men’s Bible teacher in our church for a while.  I have so many fond memories of him, but one is particularly special – we had just gotten some good news from my Mom’s doctor and as we left the hospital, walking arm in arm, we sang, “Let’s Just Praise the Lord”!!  One day we will do that again!

I wish every child could have the childhood I had.  Thank you God for my Daddy, Marion Eugene Head.

I’m thankful my children have had that kind of childhood.  Check out the excellent audio sermon series this month about Fathering and Family by the wonderful father of my children at http://www.dudleybaptist.org/

http://www.trainupthechild.org/2008/11/17/keeping-thanks-in-thanksgiving-songs-and-psalms/

Our son Jon proposed to Mallory tonight!  She is an answer to 25 years of praying.  “We didn’t even know her name, but we were praying for her just the same, that the Lord would write His name upon her heart, because somewhere in the course of this life, our little boy would need a Godly wife.”  We are very thankful for God’s gift of Mallory to Jon and our family.

Please listen to this song.  We first heard it when our boys were very small.  It is a father singing about the little girl that will one day become his little boy’s wife.  Becca and I listened to it together when Josh proposed to her;  Mallory and I just finished listening to it together.

11-somewhere-in-the-world [mp3 download available at Somewhere In The World (LP Version)]

Pray for your children’s future mates.  God is faithful to hear and answer your prayers.  Thank you, Father!!!

I have recently discovered I am not super woman  – surprise, surprise -  and can not continue to work full time and adequately accomplish the  things that God has for me to do .

I am thrilled to resume my God-given role in the home again after working for five years.  Although I will greatly miss the people I have had the privilege of meeting and working with, and am sad to leave the children I have so enjoyed watching grow and learn, I know this is what God wants for me.

Right now I am thankful for the opportunity  to spend every day with our 11 month old grandson and his mom, Becca, and dad, Josh, as they have recently moved in with us.  In January they will move to California to answer their calling to be a positive influence in the entertainment industry.  Becca and I are duplicating some of my visuals (like Joe) for her to use with Grant.

I am now available to take calls any time of the day from Jer who lives in California, Jon who travels a lot, and Jenny who lives in Orlando.  This last week I loved  having all of the Daws clan (but Jenny  ) under the same roof as Jer has been home for a visit.  We have enjoyed our time together, but missed Jenny, of course.  We had fun Wednesday night as everyone carved a pumpkin and then Friday night as we made fondue,  complete with cheese appetizer and chocolate dessert.

Although our children are grown and don’t physically need us as much, our prayers are even more important in their lives than ever, as they face many challenges in this world.  Billy and I are able to spend more time in prayer for them and also for others each morning. Please give us the privilege of praying for you as well; just email your prayer requests to sheilahdaws@gmail.com

I am now free to be more of  a support and encouragement to Billy in ministry, which is what we have always enjoyed doing together.    Also, it has continually been such a blessing for us to use  our home as a place of encouragement and refreshment  for others and now I am able to do more of that.

Billy and I, and the family, are running on a regular basis and are changing some eating habits.  Becca and I are enjoying trying some new recipes.  I am researching the importance of what we eat  and the affects it has  on our health -  something I have been interested in for years.  I hope to start taking classes soon in regards to that.

I am typing up my book of activities I used in teaching scripture to my children through the years and now am able to fulfill Deuteronomy 4:9 by having a part in teaching my grandchild.   I will soon be sharing on this blog some of the material from the book.

Without my salary, we are in a position once again in our lives to see God miraculously provide for our needs as we exercise our faith in Him. God has led us to this point and “where God guides, He provides”  We have a journal full of entries of how God has provided for us through the years.

I am so thankful that God has given me this opportunity to be at home again, not that I deserve it, but that in His grace and mercy He has chosen to bless me with the desire of my heart.

God is good

He is always right

And His timing is always perfect