Philip. 2:12-16

1. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
2. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
3. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  
4. holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

As I was running recently I was questioning if all the efforts to get up and out early to get a run in was really making a difference.  Then I heard the above scripture as I was listening to Philippians on my iphone.  My thoughts immediately went from physical to spiritual and from efforts for my physical health to my efforts for my children’s spiritual health through the years.

Paul’s source of joy and desire for his beloved Philippians should be every mother’s joy and desire for her children:

1. That they would obey not only in her presence but much more in her absence
2. That they would take charge of their own spiritual lives, allowing God to work in them His good pleasure
3. That they would shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation
4. That they would hold fast the Word of Life until the day of Christ so that she can rejoice that she has not run in vain or labored in vain.

This reminded of the time my sister and I decided to surprise Mom and Dad with new living room furniture as theirs was completely ruined from the pets they so lovingly allowed me to have all through my childhood . When Dad sat down on the new furniture he said with tears in his eyes, ‘We must have done something right to have children to treat us so kindly.’  I was thankful that we gave my Dad and Mom cause to feel they had not run or labored in vain.

Now on this Mother’s Day I want to say to my four beloved children, “Thank you for holding forth the Word of Life and giving your Dad and me reason to rejoice that we have not run in vain. We see yall taking charge of your own spiritual lives and shining as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.  Yall have made me a happy mother!!!!”

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John 1:4

Telling the Story:

Read the book of Job and tell it dramatically in your own words or read it to your children from a Children’s Bible.  My First Study Bible tells and illustrates the story excellently.

Here’s a suggested telling of the story.  ”Job loved God and had been very blessed by Him with many animals, nice houses, 7 sons, and 3 daughters. He was very happy.  But one day thieves stole all of his animals.  Then a great wind destroyed the house that all of his children were dining in and they were all killed.  Then Job became sick with sores all over his body.  He was sad that God had allowed all these bad things to happen to him but he never stopped trusting God!!

His friends came to sit with him and told him that all these things had happened because he was a bad person.  Job knew that wasn’t the truth.  He cried out to God for answers.  God came to Job in a whirlwind and reminded Job how big He is and all the things He can do.  Job believed that God is greater than man (Job 33:12)  God told him his friends were wrong and then God told Job to pray for his friends.

The Bible says that after Job prayed for his friends God began to restore all that had been taken away. He gave Job TWICE as much as he had before – (Job 42:10 When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes.) Job was happy again.  Job knew and loved God even more now.

Activities:

Use a circle cut from cardstock and covered in clear contact paper as Job’s face.  Glue on wiggly eyes. Use play dough to show the different feelings Job had (glad, sad, and glad again) Show the sores on his face and then show his face after God healed him.

Lunch can be a sandwich made to look like sad Job.

Mark two jars, one with ‘God Can’ and the other marked ‘I Can’.  Write on legos somethings that only God can do (ex. – make a fish, cause the sun to shine), and somethings that we can do (ex. – catch a fish, turn on a flashlight).  Drop the legos in the appropriate jars.

Sing “My God is So Big”

Lead children to pray for their friends like Job did.  Especially tell them about and pray for a friend your family might know who quit trusting God when something bad happened.

(Click here for another lesson on How Big God is.)

. . . And look at all those children! There they sit around your table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees.
Psalm 128:3

I love it when research actually validates what God has said! This verse indicates that children are healthy when they sit around your table and now a recent research reveals that children and adolescents who share family meals 3 or more times per week are more likely to be in a normal weight range and have healthier dietary and eating patterns than those who share fewer than 3 family meals together.  And this article points out the multiple advantages to family meals together.

Simplify your life – cut out an extracurricular activity if you have to – but make meals together a family tradition that your children will remember long after they have left home.  Meal time is important, not just for the physical nourishment your children need, but also for the mental, emotional, and spiritual nurturing they need.  

Here are some suggestions to help you meet those needs around your table:

Conversation starters during the meal:

• What did you enjoy doing today?
• What did you enjoy learning?
• Who did you enjoy being with today?
• Did you do something kind today?
• What was your high today?
• What was your low?

After the meal:

Do a short devotional, read a Bible story,  or spend time memorizing a verse together.
Our family’s favorite thing was Playdough Devotionals.  Each person would make something out of their playdough and the rest of the family would guess what part of the story they were illustrating.

Have prayer time, but before you do, ask:

• What happened today you are thankful for?
• Who did you talk to, or see, or hear about that we should pray for?
• What happened or is going to happen that we need to pray about for you?

Try to relax and enjoy time together eating a nourishing meal, talking with your children, and growing closer to God as a family.  Then you can truly say, ‘Look at my healthy children around the table.’

(Oh –  and don’t forget to talk about 1 Cor. 3:9 ‘We work together as partners who belong to God’ as everyone helps to clean up the kitchen when it’s all over so Mom can enjoy the time without thinking about what needs to be done afterwards.)

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!!!

Here are some ideas to help you teach your children about showing love during this week of celebrating Valentine’s Day.

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 Word in your children this week!!!!

Day One

Bible Verse: 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: 1 John 4:7 – Love one another.

Story: Elisha’s Friends (2 Kings 4:8-11)

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: Galatians 5:13 – Help one another
Story: Four Friends (Mark 2:1-12)

Activity for Baby to 3: Make Valentines for friends and pray for for their friends as you do.

Older Activity: Same as for Baby to 3

Day Four

Bible Verse: 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: Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another.

Story: 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 friends and tell them about God. Lead child to send a Bible verse or Bible story to one of his friends.

Let your children know the history of special days or the reason for celebrations. God commanded His people to do this in Joshua 4:20-24:  At Gilgal Joshua set up the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan. [21] He said to the people of Israel, “In the future when children ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ [22] the children should be told that Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. [23] The Lord your God dried up the Jordan ahead of you until you had crossed, as he did to the Red Sea until we had crossed. [24] The Lord did this so that everyone in the world would know his mighty power and that you would fear the Lord your God every day of your life.”

We are familiar with February 2 being called Groundhog Day. But did you know it is also called Candlemas?  It is celebrated forty days after the birth of Jesus Christ.  In Luke 2:22-35, it is recorded that Mary and Joseph took infant Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for the ritual purification of Mary after childbirth  and in order to present their first born which was required by the Law of Moses. As they presented Jesus to Simeon, he prophesied: “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of manyhearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).

Celebration of Candlemas Day began by Roman Catholics with lighting candles and parading through the streets as a commemoration of the presentation of Jesus and the prophesy of Simeon.  German immigrants known as Pennsylvania Dutch brought the tradition to America in the 18th century.

But where does Groundhog Day come in?  Candlemas occurs half way between the first day of winter and the first day of spring.   Ancient thought was that hibernating creatures were able to predict the arrival of springtime on this day.  Traditionally, it was believed that if Candlemas was sunny, the remaining six weeks of winter would be stormy and cold. But if it rained or snowed on Candlemas, the rest of the winter would be mild. If an animal “sees its shadow,” it must be sunny, so more wintry weather is predicted.

So now you know and can tell your children.  Be sure and read Luke 2:22-35 and tell in your own words about Jesus going to ‘church’ for the first time.  Then just have some fun with groundhog crafts:

http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mgroundhog.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/groundhogday/popuphog/ (my personal favorite!) Sing this song Mr.-Groundhog when you finish this craft.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/groundhogday/

Never stop praying. – 1 Thes. 5:17 
When they call on me, I will answer;  - Psalm 91:15
. . . men always ought to pray and not lose heart,  - Luke 18:1
Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God. Colossians 4:2

“The reason we should teach little children to pray about the little insignificant things but are significant to them, very early in life, is so they learn that if they talk to God, He will answer their prayers.” Dr. Charles Stanley

Begin early to establish a pattern in your children to pray.  Teach them that prayer is simply talking to God about anything and everything just as they would with a friend.  Prayer can be saying thanks for something or asking for help with a problem.   Jo Bevington in her book, I Can Pray, described prayer as ‘feeling, thinking, listening, and talking to a very special Friend’.

With your older children, help them to start a prayer notebook with a list of things to be thankful for, things to pray about, and people to pray for.  Encourage them to make note of when God answers.

A tangible way to establish prayer in a younger child’s life is by beginning a prayer box. Definitely have pictures of people and things to thank God for.

Also include pictures that will be a reminder of things to pray about.  Look together through magazines to find pictures or draw your own.  For example:

Help me share with my friend

Help me go to the potty

Heal my neighbor’s dog

Mark these pictures with a ‘PTL’  or a sticker and the date when you see an answer.  Help your children know that they can trust God to hear and answer.  In Luke 18 Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up until the answer comes.  The answer may be yes, no, or not yet –  but God will answer!!!

He determines the course of world events;
he removes kings and sets others on the throne.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.
Daniel 2:21

1 Tim. 6:15 tells us that God is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. However, God gives us opportunity to seek out people to lead us.  This week we have the privilege to vote for wise leaders.

In 1 Samuel 16. God gave Samuel the job to seek out a king for his people. This is what He told Samuel,

“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

Samuel annointed David to be the new king.  God was very pleased – look what He said about David!!!!

After removing Saul, he made David their king.
He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart;
he will do everything I want him to do.’
Acts 13:22

Talk with your children about this and lead them to pray with you that our nation will vote for people with good hearts.

Take your children with you to vote if possible.  Never miss a teaching moment; take advantage of every opportunity to establish God’s Word in them as you apply it to every situation.

For fun on Election Day:

- March and wave flags as our nation exercises the freedom to help choose our leaders

- Make a red, white, and blue dessert.

- Go here for a fun way to learn about when David was chosen to be king

I was busy making ghost costumes for my 3 young boys when Betty Rich called and asked what I was doing. I was embarrassed to tell her. She was such a Godly lady, I thought she would surely be disappointed in me for allowing my children to participate in the holiday. However, I still marvel at her wisdom in the comment she made that day, “Sheilah, don’t make your children so different from the world that the world doesn’t want what you have.” I have heeded that advice through the years and applied it in numerous situations. With that in mind, we enjoy the innocent fun at Halloween.

But some things that go on at this time go beyond fun and can cause fear in children. Thus, this is a great opportunity to use the fear to teach scriptures about the power of Jesus. You could start by saying that there are bad spirits in the world, but we don’t have to be afraid of them if we believe in Jesus because of 1 John 4:4 “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won your fight with these false prophets, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.“

Emphasize this is why it is important to stay close to God because He is greater than the bad spirits. In fact, they are afraid of Him and the Bible says that at the name of Jesus they have to run away (Philip. 2:10 “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”) He said we can use His name to tell the bad spirits to go away (Mark 3:15 “and he gave them authority to cast out demons.”) Talk to them about the power of using the name ‘Lord Jesus Christ’.

God has given us good spirits called angels to watch over us (Psalm 91:11-12 “For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.”) All of Psalm 91 is about God’s protection – good psalm for us parents to memorize.

Choose at least one scripture to memorize with your children that they can quote when they feel fearful. Two that I always use with children are:
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.”
Psalm 56:3 “What time I am afraid, I will trust in God.”

Tell them the story of when Jesus used scripture to battle the devil (Luke 4) Emphasize that there is power in the Word (Isaiah 55:11 “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”)

Tell them that God doesn’t want us to be afraid (2 Tim. 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”)

A good book to teach children to use this holiday to celebrate God’s victory over evil spirits is Halloween: Is It for Real? by Harold Myra

Please check out Ministry to Children for great insights and ideas to help use Halloween to emphasize trusting Jesus.

Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Josua 1:9

Just as the verse promises, God was with Moses wherever he went throughout his life and He will be with us wherever we go.  Have fun teaching the life of Moses and this wonderful promise to your children.  I recently spent a week doing this with my grandsons and we had a blast!!

Read the Scripture passages and retell the stories in your own words.  Also read the stories to your children from a children’s Bible.  Share  Joshua 1:9 often as you do the following activities.

Moses is born
Exodus 1:8 – 2:10

(Make a basket out of paper and put a baby in it.  Hide in real grass or make paper grass)

God Calls Moses
Exodus 3

(Put bits of yellow, orange, and red construction paper in a bush to represent the burning bush)

Crossing the Red Sea
Exodus 14

(Take blue construction paper and fold the ends to the center.  Glue sand or brown construction paper in the center)
(Use toy figures and don’t forget the army men)

Eating and Drinking in the Wilderness
Exodus 16:1 – 17:7

(Let manna fall from heaven (soda crackers or popcorn cake or any kind of white wafer)

(Run a hose pipe under a rock and have someone turn on the water as the child strikes the rock)
(Notice the backpacks packed for their trip in the Wilderness)

Here’s a song with motions to help memorize the verse: