Easter is the time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but this usually gets pushed aside by traditional Easter activities such as the Easter Bunny, colored eggs, and new clothes.  Easter comes at springtime and some of our traditions at Easter are actually a part of the pagan springtime celebration.  But that’s ok . . .  we can use these tangible things to help children understand intangible ideas.

The bunny stays in a rabbit hole in the ground all winter.  When spring comes, the bunny comes out of  his hole.  We can relate this to Jesus being in the tomb for three days, but on Easter morning, He came out and is alive today.

Eggs remind us of new life.   Coloring them reminds us of how beautiful our world is as the earth comes back to life again with new flowers and new leaves and grass.  Relate this to Jesus coming back to life.

New chicks, bunnies, lambs, and ducks are  also reminders of new life.    Jesus gives us new life by what He did on the Cross for us.

Put Bible verses on the eggs you hide and then gather together to read them all.  Some suggested verses are:

Revelation 21:5 Jesus makes all things new.

Galatians 2:20  Jesus Christ lives.

Matthew 28:6  Jesus is risen.

Song of Solomon 2:12  The flowers appear on the earth.

2 Cor. 5:17 (Living)   When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!

Make a cross out of twigs or craft sticks and keep it in a prominent place during the Easter season.  Point out that it is empty because Jesus didn’t stay on the cross or in the tomb . . . He is alive!!

A great book to teach the real meaning of Easter is Easter Bunny, Are You For Real?

10-hooray This is a song that children really love about the empty tomb .  It is from Every Song a Bible Story from Maranatha Music.

Make Easter a family time of worshiping together and thinking about the risen Lord.  Read the Easter story together from Matthew 27-28, Mark 15 – 16, or Luke 23-24.

Happy Easter from my family to yours.

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 Wird 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.

I think we would all agree that there are things going on in our culture today that need changing.  I recently heard it said that if you want to change the world, move to Hollywood.  Well, two of my sons heard the same quote and decided to take it literally.  They are now residing there and hoping to be light in the midst of a wicked and perverse industry. (Philip. 2:15  …so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.)

Please read this blog post written by our son Jeremiah  http://www.andydarnell.com/?p=2293

If you want to help change the world, but can’t just up and move to Hollywood, consider encouraging other Christians who are willing to go.  When we were there last week, we met several Christians who felt called to the place that many Christians have given up on.  They were struggling to keep their cars running, pay their bills, and just survive as meagerly as possible in order to work in the industry.  Their desire through all of this is to live their lives in such a way that those who have no hope will see and come to know the hope and peace that passes understanding that is only found in Jesus Christ.

If you would like to give to help any of these ‘missionaries’, we have a 501c3 vehicle you can give through.  Just make the checks out to Refocus Ministry and we will send it to the one in greatest need at the time, or we can give you names if you would like to specifically support someone .  You may want to support Tinseltown Ministries which has a powerful weekly Bible study on the Fox backlot for people in the industry.

Refocus Ministry will keep track of your tax deductible gifts and will keep you informed as to how your support is helping to change the world.

Refocus Ministry
2955 Phillips Bend Crossing
Buford, Ga 30519

We just lost a very important member of our family, our sweet golden lab, Goldie.

Mr. Rogers When a Pet Dies (A Mister Rogers’ First Experiences) is a helpful book if your family ever experiences this.

Proverbs 12:10 says “The godly are concerned for the welfare of their animals.”  My dear husband  spent almost $4000 trying to stop her suffering, but early this morning around 1:30 am we knew we had to take her in and say good bye to her.  This was the hardest thing we have ever done.  Everyone but Jenny got to give her one last hug .  Jenny has made a wonderful video tribute to Goldie.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gx0eF1yG7A

We prayed earnestly for God to heal Goldie, but He had a reason to handle the situation another way.  I know that one day we will be able to comfort someone in our situation.  “God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Cor. 1:4)

“Why love, if losing hurts so much? …The pain now is part of the happiness then. That’s the deal.” C.S. Lewis (Shadowlands)

“The living God gives us  all things to enjoy.”  (1 Tim. 6:17)  Thank you, God, for giving us  12 years of  joy with Goldie.

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)

http://www.trainupthechild.org/2008/11/20/keeping-thanks-in-thanksgiving-bible-stories/

How:

Isaiah 28:10 (NKJV)
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.”

When:

Deut. 6:6-10 (NLT)
And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today.  Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again.  Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Enough said 

Just wanted to point you to a great site that will give you complete directions for having family nights at home this summer.

Thank you North Point Kidstuf for helping bring the family together. (“His preaching will turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the hearts of children to their parents.    Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:6 )

Click here and then go have a family night!!!  This is what memories are made of.  

We have had our four children in Christian school, public school, and home school.  We started home schooling when the youngest began kindergarten and the oldest started 10^th grade.    They all went on to college; three have bachelor degrees; one has an associate of arts degree and is presently working on a bachelor degree.

Recently, someone who is starting to home school in the fall, asked about socialization when you home school.  This is the number one question people ask when the subject of home schooling comes up.  My answer is that socialization is not always a positive thing.  What about the negative behaviors that children pick up from one another?

When you home school, you have more control over who your children  socialize with. We always enjoyed having friends over to our house. While still having them socialized, we could monitor any negative socialization going on and deal with it immediately before a bad behavior took root.   Sunday School and other church activities provided the majority of our children’s socialization. There were also extracurricular activities such as ball, dance, etc.

Whether we home school, use public school, or send them to Christian school, our responsibility as parents is still to teach our children as we go:

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NKJV)
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Make every situation a teaching moment with your children!!

I can’t believe our little girl has graduated college.  Where did the last 22 yrs go. For that matter the last 32 years since God first made me a mom.

Deuteronomy 6 says we are to teach our children “at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again.”   This indicates that we are to spend much time with our children.  Don’t waste one moment with them  because they don’t stop growing while we are busy doing other things.

I am so thankful for all the tea parties, for bedtime prayers and tucking in, for snuggle times we had, books we read and Bible stories we talked about.

I am thankful for all the tents we made inside with sheets and the huts we built outside, for nerf wars and sock wars.

I am thankful for the picnics and the lazy summer days swinging together as we pretended to take some sunglasses to the sun.

I am thankful for the pretending with dolls and GI Joes, for the hours watching Mister Rogers and eating peanut butter sandwiches.

I am thankful for all the masking tape we put on the floor making Dawsville, and for all the messes with flour, and playing snake pit or avalanche with all the pillows.

I am thankful for the Daws family Christmas traditions, the birthday celebrations, the popcorn and movie nights, the playdough devotions.

I am thankful for the Disney trips, the camping trips, and the walks in the park and in the neighborhood.

I am thankful for fun times with all our varied animals through the years. (frogs, newts, gerbils, iguanas, snakes, fish, bunnies, ferrets, turtles, dogs, and cats)

I am thankful for the hours of homeschooling and even the struggles with math, for the time making costumes for Halloween or Christmas plays or just because we wanted to play civil war or Star Trek in the backyard and really dress the part.

You know, I don’t have a very impressive resume.  I have not spent the last 32 years teaching at a major university, or meeting with heads of state, or making major business deals.  I don’t have awards or degrees on my wall, but I have 32 years of making memories with my children,  and  nothing I could have been doing with the prime of my life could have ever been more important or rewarding than this!!

Thank you, God, for  calling me to the most important and awesome  profession in the world
- being Jenny’s, Jon’s, Jer’s, and Josh’s Mom!

Building Memories
By Sandra D. Romans

So much to do – I have no time
To listen now, I say,
And hurry back to the chores
That always fill my day.

No time to listen? A small voice
Seemed to whisper in my ear…
Soon your little ones will be gone
And you’ll wish to hold them near.

I left my broom – the chores undone
And found them under the apple tree.
I held them close and listened while
They shared their love and we built a memory.

“Your children love you, they want to play with you. How long do you think that lasts? . . .  We have a few special years with our children, when they’re the ones that want us around. After that you’re going to be running after them for a bit of attention. It’s so fast . . . It’s a few years Peter and it’s over. And you are not being careful. And you are missing it.”  from Hook

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.