Operation Christmas Child

Here is a great way to focus kids on helping others.  We are looking forward to doing this next week.  November 14-21 is the collection week.  You can find more information for packing your shoe box here.  We are hoping to make it a little party for the kids. 

Loving our neighbors

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”    Matthew 22:36-40


Megan, a friend who is living with us for a couple of months, challenged me with the idea of raising our daughter to live to give.   It is a total mind shift but I believe a biblical one.  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself", is pretty far reaching.  I have to admit that I do a lot more for myself than those who have greater needs around me.  So in a small way we began to love our neighbors.  We needed bread so we made some for us and some for our neighbors.  Calissa had a blast and talked about her little friends next door and across the street who were going to receive the bread.  We made it a little more special than usual.   

 I need to get a food marker to draw eyes on next time. 

On a little more serious note, I have been thinking a lot about the way we live for awhile. 
I have curtains, a couch, plenty of food, toilet paper etc.  There are many around the world who are dying from lack of food and I have the ability to help if I were to love them... I could go with a lot less so that they might have life.  I know I can't afford to feed all the hungry in the world but I can feed some, I can love some.  What if I spent just as much on others as I do myself?  

Temptation

In learning about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, we wanted our daughter to understand what temptation is, and what it feels like.

Our daughter loves ice cream more than anyone I have ever known.  She can hardly contain herself with it so it was the perfect way for her to feel tempted.

We put blueberries and ice cream in front of her and told her not to eat the ice cream but she could have the blueberries.  We then left the room and watched from where she couldn't see us.  She poked  the ice cream with her fork but eventually put it down and ate the blueberries.  It was a great way to talk about temptation.  After that we read the story of Jesus temptation in the wilderness from the bible (NIrV), using felts to illustrate.  Although, I must admit that our daughter now thinks Jesus was offered ice cream instead of bread...

We then talked about how Jesus and His words (Jesus answered temptation with the word of God, nothing else) help us to beat temptation.

"For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted."  Heb. 2:18


The next morning for breakfast she got an ice cream breakfast with a little real ice cream (on the side) too.  

More food ideas from friends

could use for the story of Samson or Jonathan

Jonah, fishermen turned fishers of men, or the coin found in the fish's mouth are some options

Noah's ark

Dove:  came to Noah, came down after Jesus' baptism

Raven fed Elijah

Angel:  Zachariah visited by, Mary visited by, Shepherds.... lots of options

Little Dresses for Africa

Little Dresses for Africa was previously posted...

Here is one of the dresses made at a sewing party.  It was made out of a pillow case.  This particular dress is going to go to Fuji with a medical mission trip led by Carmie Hadley.

While making the dresses, my daughter kept clarifying that the dresses were being made for other little girls who didn't have clothes.  I want to do this again when I have older children that are learning to sew, it is VERY simple to make.

If you are interested in the mission trip, they go several times a year and are in need of those in the medical profession.  I can put you in contact with the leader.

Here is a link with instructions directions for makeing a dress from  pillow cases.  

Music

Recently I have searching for more scripture songs.  I know that when a scripture has been put to song, it is hard to forget.  All during the week we play Steve Green's CD "Hide 'em in Your Heart" .  I want our minds filled with God's words.  


While contemplating all of this a friend that I hadn't seen since high school sent this  link!  It is a song that covers  the main ideas of the 10 commandments.  He learned it growing up and said he still refers to it.  

I also received CD suggestions from a mom whose son I taught while in high school.  He is now in college.  He has a heart for Jesus and for service.  His mom said, "he fell asleep many nights listening to these songs."


*these are not scripture songs  

1.  Cedarmont kids hymns (she did not recommend other albums by them)

2.  "Sleep Sound in Jesus" by Michael Card

3. "Come to the Cradle." by Michael Card

Coming soon, we are going to post some video's of scripture songs written and sung by Godfrey and Debbie Miranda!!!  I can't wait!  :)  

The mother of Moses

This excerpt if found in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 244, by Ellen White.  My father-in-law sent this to me.  It is very motivating and affirming of the role a mother plays in the life of a child.


 "How far-reaching in its results was the influence of that one Hebrew woman, and she an exile and a slave! The whole future life of Moses, the great mission which he fulfilled as the leader of Israel, testifies to the importance of the work of the Christian mother. There is no other work that can equal this. To a very great extent the mother holds in her own hands the destiny of her children. She is dealing with developing minds and characters, working not alone for time, but for eternity. She is sowing seed that will spring up and bear fruit, either for good or for evil. She has not to paint a form of beauty upon canvas or to chisel it from marble, but to impress upon a human soul the image of the divine. Especially during their early years the responsibility rests upon her of forming the character of her children. The impressions now made upon their developing minds will remain with them all through life. Parents should direct the instruction and training of their children while very young, to the end that they may be Christians. They are placed in our care to be trained, not as heirs to the throne of an earthly empire, but as kings unto God, to reign through unending ages."