A Letter of Thanks to Church Childcare Workers...

If you spend your Sunday mornings in the church nursery,                                                 
                                   or at the kiddie drop-off booth,
                                                              or playing Red-Rover with sixteen four-year-olds,
                                                                                  Thank you.

If you have fed my teething, slobbery baby animal crackers to soothe him until the Worship Service was over,
                or searched for twenty minutes to find his lost pacifier in the toy box,
                                or prayed with my daughter after she's been rejected by the other kids,
                                              or (bless your heart) answered her favorite question a hundred and fifty times, "WHY??"
                                                                                                              Thank you.
 

If you have ever cleaned up my son's blow-out diapers,
          If you have listened to him scream for the entire hour and a half while he was under your care,
                        If you have ever been clonked on the head by his flailing arms or smiled as he tore at your hair in curiosity,
                                            or been the victim of a full on spit-up assault,
                                                                                Thank you.

I try to remember to give a heart-felt thank you, but let's face it: In the midst of the masses coming to collect their children, it often goes unsaid. Or amongst all of the "Mommy! Look what I colored!!" and "I wasn't done playing!" and "What's for lunch?!?" coming from my offspring, it often goes unheard, bouncing away on the tops of the noises that fill the halls.

I know it's tough. I've been there. Nursery workers are not cowards- this job is not for the faint of heart. And the older the kids, the tougher the job. You have to be on your toes... or you'll get tackled by a herd of three year old boys! You pour out love until you feel completely empty, but then, suddenly, you feel full again- God's grace, no doubt.

What you may or may not realize, is how important your job is. You sit with my children and keep them safe. You keep them happy- or busy, at least. But it's more than that.

You provide me, as their mother, an opportunity I rarely experience during the week- an hour or two to sit in God's presence, learn from His Word, and worship Him without distraction.
                                                                                     Thank you.

I have no worries during that time. No fears. I can completely let go of my maternal distractions for a little while and focus on Jesus- because I know that you are taking good care of my children. I know this because they don't want to leave the nursery when church is over. They can't stop talking about what they've learned, what they played and what they sang. During the week my daughter will say something completely profound and full of love and truth. She says she learned it at church. That was something you said.
                                                                                                  Thank you.

I love the way you invest in my children- you're not a babysitter. You're changing the world by loving on kids, one Sunday morning at a time. You reinforce the truths and values I try to set at home. You show my kids a piece of Jesus every time you hug them, serve them, or teach them.
                                                                               Thank you.

Thank you for the time, energy and love you pour into my kids every time the church doors are open. Thank you for greeting me with a smile that says, "Go, enjoy God today. I've got this under control." Thank you for giving up so much- in that, you are giving my family more than you know. I appreciate you. Every one of you.

On Combining Hobbies and Motherhood...

What is your hobby? What do you spend a large portion of your week doing or thinking about, aside from taking care of your kiddos? Is it watching old movies? Photography? Bible study? Song writing? Crafting? Sewing? Blogging? Landscaping? Facebooking? Whatever it is, your kids know it's important to you. They see you sitting at the computer or drooling at Home Depot as you walk through the rose bushes. They notice that you always seem to stop off at Hobby Lobby but rarely get anything. Naturally, we all have things we love, or things we loved before we had kids but simply just don't have time for anymore. It doesn't mean we've lost our passion for the hobbies we've held dear, it just means that some of us have put them on hold for a while until our little ones are self-sustaining enough, napping long enough, or old enough to spend a day at school. I'll bet, however, that if you're really passionate about something you find time for it now and then, even in 10 or 15 minute spurts before the kids wake up in the morning, or while they're at the table with a couple of Go-gurt tubes. "I'll clean up whatever mess they make," you convince yourself, "because it's worth it to me to fit in just a few moments of me-time."

Let me suggest that there is a way to combine your children with your hobby. Maybe you can't take them sky-diving or shark-hunting, if those are your passions, but you can include them in little ways. My hobby is photography. I am still an amateur, but I love (LOVE) it. I read everything I can get my hands on, I try fifteten angles for every shot, I get terribly under and over exposed pictures because I love to experiment with the aperture and ISO functions on my camera. I'm slowly but surely improving... SLOWLY, but surely. I bought an external hard drive in April of 2009. In three years, I have created 722 folders with over 24,000 files (namely, picture and video files with a small handful of documents). Crazy, right? 24,000! But I just love documenting life. One day I'll go through and delete the bad pics- blurry, grainy and what-not. For now, I will just keep taking pictures of the things I love, stealing away a few minutes during the day to edit them. My kids know how much I love taking pictures. They know not to touch my camera, and they know that if I get the camera out I'm more than likely going to point it at them. They're fine with this.

Today I decided to combine motherhood and photography- not taking pictures OF my kids, but taking pictures FOR them. I've read a few "How to photograph newborns" articles lately, since they've been on my Facebook Timeline. My daughter is absolutely in love with the idea of motherhood, telling me often that she wants to be a stay-at-home mom just like me when she grows up (*awwww!*). Her "daughter" (my grand-daughter) is Baby Granna. She was a gift to Courtney at Christmas, just before she turned two. Baby G goes all over town with us, across state lines, to church (although she usually naps in the car while we worship) and more. I mentioned to Courtney that we could take newborn pics of her baby doll, and she was SUPER excited! So we had a spontaneous little newborn photo shoot. It was so fun:) Courtney and I had a great time. She chose the outfits, several poses, and blankets. She was just like a real mom- "I want her to look like an angel! Let's make angel wings for her!" She even pulled out a toy camera and started taking pictures of her own:

She had a blast, and we had a great bonding experience... while my 1 yr old son took off his diaper and climbed into the bathroom sink. (A word of advice, if you're crazy about your hobby, like I am, stay alert and make sure all kids are accounted for at all times, haha!)

So what's your hobby, and how can you share it with your kiddo? Can she help you write a silly song? Could he be your assistant in the kitchen? Could you sew a quilt with his favorite sports teams on it? Perhaps she can help you plan your next shark-hunting trip by pointing out the kinds of sharks she would like you to find, or by helping you choose your new goggles? Here are the results of our little photo shoot. Maybe I'll print them and put together a little photo album for Mother's Day? I know, this may seem creepy to some- taking pictures of a doll, but it meant the world to my little girl. What a wonderful memory. I encourage you to think outside of the box now, and make some great memories of your own! :)


I used free (FREE!!) Photoshop actions from thecoffeeshopblog.com and MCP Actions. Click on their names to get your free actions and presets. They are a-mazing time savers, and work with old editions of Photoshop as well as new, including Lightroom!

Easter 2012, Day 5: Resurrection Cookies

We made these cookies last night and had so much fun! I was really surprised at how easily Courtney understood all of the imagery in this lesson. It all made perfect sense to her. I recommend putting a bookmark at all the verses before you start. I thought about just typing them out on a sheet of paper, but I think it's important for our kids to see us opening our Bibles. My toddler even got involved. Naturally, he enjoyed crushing the nuts with a wooden spoon! (I used Walnuts because they were half the price of pecans). We were super-excited to open our oven door this morning, and this is what we found:

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Resurrection Cookies

1 c. whole pecans (I used walnuts)

1 tsp. vinegar                               zip lock bag
3 egg whites                                wooden spoon
pinch salt                                     tape
1 c. sugar                                    Bible

"Bring the story of Christ's death and resurrection to life for your children. Start a new & meaningful tradition in your home. Here is a wonderful hands-on teaching tool to teach your children the story of the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus made for us on the cross during Passover.Preheat oven to 350 degrees (this is important). Place pecans in zip lock bag and let the children beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces (you can substitute with a stick). Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3 and Luke 22:63-65. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11. Sprinkle a little salt in each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27. So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add the sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to HIM. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16. Beat with a mixer on high for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents that purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto wax covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66. Put the cookies in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66... GO TO BED!!. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20-22.... On Resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! At first, Jesus' followeres were amazed to find the tomb open and empty! But they soon found out Jesus had risen from the dead. Read Matt. 28:1-9 and Rom. 8:11 and 1 John 3:8."

Sandifer, Kay, Vickie Eppinette, and The Leggett Family. "Resurrection Cookies." A Taste of Grace. Comp. and ed. Grace Baptist Church. Kearney: Morris Press Cookbooks. 2009. 205. Print.

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Today's Activities:

Game:

Play hide and seek. Talk about how the women looked for Jesus but couldn't find Him because He had risen from the dead. Talk about how excited they were when they finally saw Him.

Craft:

My daughter insisted on doing another craft today- she LOVES crafting (wonder where she gets it from??)- so here's today's activity:

The Empty Tomb

First, start with two sheets of construction paper. One black, the other can be any color. Cut a circle from the top sheet, only don't cut all the way around- see pic.

Next, clue the two shets together, being careful not to place glue where your tomb opening will be:

Then, using a white crayon, write something inside like "He is risen":

Now, decorate the outside of your tomb! Use stickers, some of the glitter you made yesterday, crayons, or whatever you want!



Easter 2012, Day 4: Jesus' Death, Burial and Resurrection

Today's text is from Matthew 21:1-11 and 26:1-28:20. For more background, read Luke 22:1-24:53. Also Zechariah 9:9-11. Again, this is the long, drawn out version. Adapt this to fit your family's needs.

The story of Jesus' crucifixion can be long and boring for kids when read straight from the Bible- mostly because it's filled with the people and places and long words that they don't understand. If your child will sit and listen, great!! I sugggest reading from Matthew. If you have a younger child, try this link to a very accurate, but kid-friendly, version of the Easter story. It starts off after the crucifixion, so I've summed up the events leading up to His death below to help.
http://childrenschapel.org/biblestories/easter.html

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Main Events Leading up to His Death (You can use this to sum up the story of His crucifixion):

Matthew 21:1-10. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey- a colt that had never been ridden before. This showed both His humility and His Lordship. It was prophesied several hundred years earlier in Zechariah 9. The people were overjoyed- they thought Jesus was coming to set up an earthly kingdom- one that would free them from the Roman government. Jesus' Kingdom, however, is not of this earth. It is a spiritual Kingdom.

Matthew 26:6-13. Jesus was annointed with perfume. Jesus said that this was done to prepare Him for burial. John 12:4-6 explains that Judas Iscariot, who would betray Him, was angry with the woman. The perfume was very expensive and could have been sold. Judas said he wanted to sell it and give the money to the poor, but he really wanted to keep some of the money for himself. In Matthew we see that he went to the chief priests after this and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?" (Matt. 26:14)

Matthew 26:17-30. The Last Supper. Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples. While sitting at the table, He stated, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” (Matt. 26:21) He knew it was Judas and called him out on it. Judas left to get the chief priests

Matthew 26:36-46. The Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus and His disciples went to the garden to pray. His disciples kept falling asleep. Jesus prayed that God would deliver Him if there was any other way that He could save the people without going through the agony of the cross- but He prayed for God's will to be done, not His own. In Luke we learn that He was distressed to the point that He sweated blood. This is a very rare condition, but real- it's called Hematidrosis. Click here for a wikipedia page to learn more.

Matthew 26:47-56. Jesus is arrested. Judas came to the garden with a crowd carrying clubs and swords. He gave Jesus a kiss- a common greeting custom of the time- to indicate that he was the one who should be arrested. We learn in the next chapter that Judas felt sorry for what he had done and tried to return the money. He then went out and hanged himself. The priests used the money to buy a field to use as a cemetery for the poor- also prophesied about several hundred years earlier.

Matthew 27:11-26. Jesus stands trial. Here, Jesus stood silent. He was beaten badly, even though neither Pilate or Herod Antipas could find anything to charge Him with. The people were indignant. They were given the chance to have a prisoner released, but instead of Jesus they chose Barabbas- a rebellion leader. To please the people, Jesus was sent to the cross to be crucified.

Matthew 27:27-44. Jesus is crucified. The soldiers beat Him badly. They put a crown of thorns on His head and a purple robe on His back- no doubt painful after being flogged. The whips they used at that time had shards of glass, bone and rock woven into them. He was spit on, kicked, beaten and mocked. He was so weak that the soldiers forced a man named Simon to carry His cross to the crucifixion site. They placed a mocking sign above Him that said "This is the King of the Jews." While He was on the cross, darkness fell over the land from noon until about 3pm. When He died, there was a huge earthquake. The Temple curtain was torn in two- symbolic of our now being able to approach God through Christ. The Bible states that several godly men and women rose from the dead at that time, as well. This is where the story I've linked to above begins.
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Today's Activity:
The first one is appropriate for toddlers AND preschoolers- yay!

Again, to print, right-click on the image and select "Print Target" or right click on the image, select "Save As" and save it to your desktop. Print from there.

1) Make a cross

You will need:

Crayons (or whatever you have)
Cheerios, macaroni noodles or other glue-able food
Glue
(Optional) Beads, buttons or other glue-able crafty things
(Optional) Sugar and food coloring- mix the sugar with a few drops of food coloring to make glitter. Totally safe if the little ones want to eat a bit. You can also color cheerios and noodles with food coloring- put them into a baggie, add a few drops and shake. Just be sure to let them dry on a paper towel before your little one's hands touch them, or they'll be stained:)

Decorate the cross below (or make your own) with cereal, noodles, sugar glitter or other fun crafty things! To make it more sturdy, cut out the design on an empty cereal box instead of paper.

Easter Maze:
Help your kids get through the maze of events leading up to the cross! (Lovely, isn't it? *cough*cough*) Start at the donkey and end at the cross, talking about each as your kiddo makes her way through.

Again, be sure to keep the conversation going today about Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Be sure to tie in the lesson from yesterday about our sin being transferred to Him when He died. This is why we celebrate Easter! Because Jesus died, taking our sins, and rose again, defeating death. Because He died, we can have eternal life! More on that tomorrow- until then, happy crafting:)

A SPECIAL NOTE:
Tomorrow I'll be posting the recipe and instructions for "Resurrection Cookies". I REALLY want to encourage you to participate in this- it's such a great visual of Easter. Many people like to do this on Saturday before Easter, then eat the cookies Easter morning. I'll be cooking them tonight and then we'll eat them tomorrow, so that I can post here (and because we'll be out of town for Easter). Here is the ingredients list so you can be prepared:

1cup whole pecans
1tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
ziplock bag
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

Easter 2012, Day 3: Someone to take our sin

Today's background texts are Leviticus 4:27-31, Isaiah 53:4-6, and Hebrews 9:13-15. Again, adapt this lesson to fit your family's needs.

Today we want to talk to our kids about how Jesus took our sin upon Himself so that we could be forgiven. Leviticus 4:27-31 explains the process of sacrificing an animal as a Sin Offering. This can be a bit much for little ones to understand when reading it straight out of the Bible, so I summed it up and told Courtney in my own words. Then we used this illustration:

The Sin Chain

This activity works well for the older ones- preschoolers and up. You will need:

1 sheet of paper
stapler or tape
something to write with
stuffed animal
chair

First, ask your kiddo to tell you some ways people disobey God- some sins. Courtney said things like "killing good guys" and "throwing fits". I added a few in there to make sure we had plenty of sins to make a chain. Then, we cut the paper into strips, with one sin on each strip, and made a chain by circling them around each other and stapling them in place:

I explained that we all have sinned (Romans 3:23), and placed the chain on Courtney's neck. We took turns walking with the chain on our neck, saying "Oh no! I sinned! Now I have this heavy chain of sin weighing me down! How can I get free and get back to GOD?!?" Naturally, it was a big production, as everything is with a 4 yr old princess:) **(Don't I look sad carrying all my sin?? Courtney wouldn't let me take her pic with the Sin Chain, but that was okay by me because she had pancakes on her face and glue in her hair anyway, haha!)



Next, I explained to Courtney that a long time ago, before Jesus came, the people had to put a very special animal on what was called The Altar of the Lord. They would place their hand on the animal's head, and then kill the animal. When they did this, all of their sin would be transferred to the animal, and the animal would die so the people wouldn't have to- again, reiterating that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). We set up a chair to use as the altar, then put an animal on it- she chose her monkey. We placed the Sin Chain on the monkey, put our hand on its head and moved our sin from ourselves to the monkey. Of course, she loved pretending to kill the monkey and kill her sin along with it. Then we celebrated because she was free from her sin.

I then explained that this wasn't enough, because guess what??? It's next week and I have sinned again!! We went back and forth several times, saying "Oh! I sinned again! I have to go make another sacrifice!" each time putting the Sin Chain back on our shoulders.

This was a great place to start talking about Jesus!

Next, read (or summarize) Hebrews 9:13-15 and Isaiah 53:4-6. The blood of the goat (this is where they get the term "scapegoat", or so I'm told) wasn't enough. It worked for a little while, but God knew He needed to find another way- so He sent Jesus. Jesus took the place of that animal- and since He is God's Son, then His sacrifice meant more than any animal's sacrifice ever could. The animal sacrifice took away a person's sins, but couldn't help with any he committed in the future. He'd have to keep going back to make more sacrifices... but Jesus died to forgive our sins once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). This means that once you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior, you are completely forgiven for everything you're doing, all that you've done, and all that you will do in the future. Note that it's still important to ask forgiveness, because this keeps our relationship with God free & clear of hindrances- much like our relationships with one another.

We ended here and started our day, but I have been intentional about keeping our conversation open. When she did something wrong at the library, she prayed and asked God to forgive her. Then we talked again about our sin going to Jesus and His taking our punishment of death so we could live. I encourage you to keep the conversation going, and if you don't know the answer to a question, find someone who does- look in the Bible, do a Bible search on Google, or whatever you need to do.

Toddler Activity:

Color the picture below.If you have an older toddler, let them glue cotton balls to the sheep to make it fluffy! This is a reminder that Jesus is called "The Lamb of God" and that He has taken our sins upon Himself so we can be forgiven. (To print, right click the image and click "Print Target"- if that doesn't work, right click the image and then select "Save As." Save it to your desktop and print from there.)

Easter 2012, Day 2: Why we need a Savior

Today's background text is Genesis 3. Also read Hebrews 9:22, Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 as a refresher. Also, please adapt this to fit your family's needs. This is the long, drawn out version. If you need to shorten it, add to it, or focus on a certain point, by all means, do so! You know your kids better than I do, after all:)

Today we want to share the story of Adam and Eve with our kiddos. It would make no sense to celebrate God's salvation if we didn't know we needed saving, right? So let's talk to our kids about sin. When I mentioned Adam and Eve to Courtney this morning, she was super excited. She ran to her room, grabbed her Children's Bible and read the story to me. It was short and sweet. Then I read from my New Living Translation to her.

When reading straight out of the Bible to kids, I have found that it's important to read in the same tone of voice you'd read an adventure book to them at bedtime. It may feel strange at first, but you'll get their attention. I stopped often with questions and statements like, "What did she eat? That's right! High five!" or "Oooh, that snake was trying to trick them! That's not very nice! Let's see what happened next!"

We stopped at a few places to discuss the story a bit deeper. Here are a few "Talking Points" I suggest. We talked as we read, just to save on time and keep her attention. The main idea here is that they understand that Adam and Eve sinned, tried to cover their sin in their own way, but then God, even though He had to give them consequences, took care of them by covering them with animal skins. This took a sacrifice- something shedding its blood. Hebrews 9:22 says " without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."


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Talking Points:

1) What did God mean by saying Adam and Eve would die? This meant a spiritual death. In the Bible, death is often defined as separation from God. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." To explain this, I talked about Adam and Eve dying in their hearts, but not in their bodies. I asked Courtney how she would feel if she had to live forever and ever without God- not being able to talk to Him or sing worship songs or know Him at all. She said she'd be super duper sad. She got the point as much as she could. Remember that your kids may not be able to fully grasp these concepts- it's even hard for adults! Just bear with them and help them get the main idea.

2) The fruit on the tree LOOKED good. We talked about how sometimes sin looks good but isn't good for us. If there's one thing we as parents NEED to teach our kids, it's that just because it feels right doesn't mean it is right. I used this example: Let's pretend you see a beehive. You can smell the honey and see it dripping off the hive. It looks SOOOO good! But I told you not to touch it. It looks good, it smells good, and you don't see any bees around- should you do it? No- because what you don't know is that there are bees hiding INSIDE of there that could sting you! When God tells us not to do something, it's always to protect us. Sometimes something looks good, but it's not good for us- like Snow White's apple. It looked so yummy, but was it good for her? (No, it was poisonous!)

3) Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin their own way. They sewed big fig leaves together to make clothes- but what happens if you pull on a leaf? It breaks or tears. So what if Adam started running? The clothes he made would pull and stretch- then what would happen? They'd tear right off! When we try to cover up our own sin, or to be right with God in our own strength, it's just a temporary fix and really won't do the job. We need God to help us.


4) Adam and Eve hid in the garden when they heard God coming. Here I stopped to ask Courtney if she's ever felt like hiding when she's disobeyed her Dad & me. We talked about what Adam and Eve should have done: come clean to God & tell the truth.

5) God made animal skins to cover Adam and Eve. God had to give Adam and Eve consequences, but He still took care of them by making animal skin clothes for them. These were warmer and wouldn't fall apart if Adam started to run! The clothes in this passage are symbolic of forgiveness. An animal had to die for the skins to be made. Sin is very serious- The price we pay is our life- what we get in return is death (Romans 6:23). That is why Jesus died on the cross in our place (again, Hebrews 9:22 and Romans 5:8). The animal skins didn't offer Adam and Eve forgiveness for all the sins they'd ever commit in the future- they just covered them this one time. That's why we need Jesus. More about that later this week. This one may be hard for younger ones to get- just make the point that God took care of them and loved them, even though they disobeyed.

6) God banished them from the Garden of Eden for their own protection. If God had let them stay and if they had eaten from the Tree of Life, Adam and Eve would have been eternally separated from God- and so would all of us. The only way God could ensure that we'd have a chance for salvation was to keep Adam and Eve as far as possible from the Tree of Life while they were under sin's curse.

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Follow-up Questions:
When we were done, I asked a few questions to make sure she got the main points of the story. She was becoming disinterested, playing with her dolls, so I grabbed some Froot Loops. "Every time you answer my question I'll throw a Froot Loop in your mouth!" Boy, that got her attention! Here are the questions I asked:

* What were the man and woman's names in our story? Adam and Eve
* Who tried to trick them? The snake (the devil)
* How did Adam and Eve disobey God? They ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
* How did they try to cover themselves after they sinned? They made clothes from fig leaves
* What did they do when they heard God coming? They hid
* What were their consequences for disobeying God? They had to leave the garden- kudos if they remember all the curses!
* How did God take care of them after they sinned? He made them clothes from animal skins
* Why did God put an angel and flaming sword at the entrance to the garden so they couldn't come back? So they wouldn't eat from the tree of life
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Today's Activities:
For Toddlers: Play peekaboo! Use a towel or blanket. If you have older ones around, explain as you play that there's so much more joy when you can see each other than when one of you is hidden. It's the same way with God. When we're hiding, there's not much happiness in our relationship with Him- but when we're face to face with Him, we are full of joy!  You could also play hide-and-seek with the older ones.

For Preschoolers: Activity Sheets! Ok, I drew these myself... applause! applause!... or not:) To print these, right click on the picture and select "Print Target". If that doesn't work, Right click on the picture, select "Save As" and save it to your desktop. You can print it from there. If it still won't work, you can draw your own- don't worry. I've seen plenty of coloring books out there that look like they were drawn by 6 year olds. Just do your best:)

1) Adam and Eve in leaves. Your preschooler can color this, or go out in the backyard and find some leaves to glue onto their clothes.

2) Adam and Eve in animal skins. Again, your preschooler can choose to color this, or you could cut up strips of fabric to glue on. If you don't have any fabric lying around, add a few drops of food coloring to some water. Dip a paper towel in, dying the towel, and let it dry for an hour or so. Then use it as your "animal skin".

And that's it for today! Let's try to keep an open conversation going this week with our kiddos as we work our way toward Easter Sunday.

Easter 2012... Day 1

Easter is this Sunday! Can you believe it?!? I have been planning to do something with my daughter, who is four, to help her understand Easter a bit better, and I thought: "Why not share it on my blog, one day at a time, so others might get an idea for their own kiddos?" So, in preparation for Easter, I will be posting something each day from now (Monday) through Friday- some sort of fun activity to give you a base to start from as you help your kids understand why Easter isn't all about bunnies and egg hunts. (Note: I heart Easter bunnies, egg hunting and candy- not hating here, just trying to give my kids a bit of truth in the midst of the commercialism.) I'll even have cute ideas for toddlers and printable coloring pages, too-so stay tuned!!

Today I want to encourage you as parents to read the Easter story on your own. If you are familiar with it, you can teach your kiddos much better. I love http://www.biblegateway.com/ because I can easily type in the verses I want and it pops up in any translation I choose. If you're new to the Bible, I personally recommend the New Living Translation. It's easy to understand with no Thee's and Thou's. (If you aren't sure how to understand the way we write down Bible verses, check the bottom of this post for an explanation.)

For those who have read these passages a million times, I encourage you to try a new traslation for a better grasp of the story. Try The Message for a new perspective, or if you really want to delve into the original language, try the Amplified Bible. Regardless of what translation you choose, it is important that you read or re-read the story before we get started. Ask God to open your eyes to something new and give you a greater appreciation of what He did when Jesus died on the cross. Take time today to read the following. I know it looks like a lot, but it shouldn't take long at all. If you're pressed for time, focus on the passages that have an * next to them, and read the others as we go- but if you can read all of them, the other lessons this week will make much more sense.



Genesis 3
Leviticus 4:27-31
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Zechariah 9:9,11
*Matthew 26:1-28:20
*Luke 22:1-24:53
Hebrews 9:13-15, 22
*Isaiah 53

For our purposes, these are the texts we'll focus on, although the entire Bible points to this amazing event we call Easter Sunday. When you read Matthew and Luke, you'll find that it's the same story- only pay attention to the details, as Matthew and Luke both expound on different points.  As you're reading, ask yourself these questions. Keep a notepad handy if it will help you remember- but I'll recap with each day's lesson and activity to help refresh your memory:

What is happening?
Who is involved?
What does this story tell me about God?
What does this story tell me about myself/others?

And that's it for today! It could take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to read, depending on your reading speed and how deeply you answer the questions above. The point is not to gather enough info to write a thesis on it- just familiarize yourself with the passages.

I can't wait to dive in tomorrow and have some fun with our kiddos as we celebrate the true meaning of Easter!




** How to understand the scripture references I've used today**

The way we write verses can be confusing sometimes. I've met people before who had no idea how to read a scripture reference, simply because no one had ever shown them.

If you see "Matthew 26:1-28:20", this means the verse is in the book of Matthew, starting in chapter 26 at verse one. It goes through Matthew chapter 28, verse 20. Basically "Book chapter : verse - chapter : verse" 

"Hebrews 9:13-15,22" means verses 13-15 in the 9th chapter of Hebrews, then skip down to verse 22 in the same chapter.

When you see "Isaiah 53", it means to read the whole 53rd chapter of Isaiah (don't worry, it's not long at all).

Larger Sandbag...

You may remember my last post, where I put up a little tutorial about making a sandbag for my workouts. You can see it here. A friend, who first got me interested in bodyrock.tv, asked me to make one for her, but a bit larger- holding 30 lbs instead of 20. I made it pretty much the same way with three differences:

1) I made more handles. The more I used my 20 lb bag, the more I wished I'd added more handles, so that I could hold the bag in different ways.

2) I put velcro on the liner. This will be helpful because she'll be moving a lot and will want to replace the sand without carrying it with her.

3) I used velcro to hold the outside shell closed, but found out that it won't hold up to 30 lbs- so I'll need to get a heavy duty zipper to hold it shut. I will be doing that in the next few days.

Soooo.... here is the bag! (Still with velcro in this pic, but will have a zipper or other heavy duty closure along the right side soon.)

 This side has three handles down the middle. The black sports strip is the part you hold, and the fabric strips are there for reinforcements.

This side has six handles. The black sports strip is a reinforcement, while the fabric strips above and below it are the handles.

This is the liner. I put the velcro on the top so that it wouldn't be on the same line as the opening to the outer shell. This holds three gallon-sized baggies full of sand, a total of 30 lbs. I like to have a liner because it makes me feel better- as in "maybe the sand won't get all over my floor if the baggies break."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Finished dimensions are about 12x24 if you're looking straight on while it's full... in my opinion, it's a good size for a sandbag. Easy to drape over the shoulder, or to hold at shoulder width apart. In layman's terms, it's "this big":  (terrible pic, but you get the idea)



And, of course, here is my living room (which was clean when I started) after a few hours of not paying attention to my children. Not too bad- won't take long to clean up, but interesting nonetheless... and yes, those are Fruit Loops all over the couch:)

I hope you enjoyed this little post- Now, go get creative!

Sandbag Tutorial...

How's THIS for cute??

"What is it?" you ask... it's a sandbag! I've been working out with bodyrock.tv for about 12 weeks now. I love it. I started with no weight, then moved to 5 lbs (I had two 5 lb dumbells in my closet). I then moved to 10 lbs, but after a few weeks felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. Time to up the ante... so here is the 20 lb sandbag that I made for less than $10. (At this weight, they sell for $30-$40 retail and aren't NEARLY as colorful.)

I started with two gallon sized bags full of sand, weighing 10 lbs each. I super-glued them shut, then put each of them inside of yet another gallon sized baggie... just to make sure they'd stay shut. I then laid them side by side and used an old pillowcase to cover them. I cut it to size and sewed the top shut. That was the hard part- I would use velcro if I ever had to do it again.

I used it to work out yesterday, but realized that I needed handles- it was too chunky and hard to hold on to. So today I spent about $6 on 1/2 yard canvas fabric and some velcro, and voila- sandbag. Here is a pic of the inside-out, so you can see the basics of how I put it together.

To make the handles, I used two 6" strips. I folded them until they fit into my hand without bunching, pressed and sewed a seam along each of the long sides. I pinned them to my fabric, between the right-sides, then secured using a TON of backstitches. I wanted them stay in place, since there would be a lot of pressure on them. I sewed the velcro in place along the edge- make sure the velcro is not on the edge your handles are on- all the pressure from the handles will open the velcro. I then trimmed along the edge near the velcro opening and the corners at the bottom, just to make the it all fit together more nicely.

The handles worked great- no need to give them extra slack.  Here is Little Man to demonstrate how they work.

So here's my encouragement to all of you today: If you want something, but don't have the cash, maybe there's a way you can make it for cheap- or maybe you have a friend who could make it for you in exchange for, say, babysitting or something along those lines. Shoot, there's a lot I would do for a friend in exchange for babysitting! My point is this: get creative. Think outside the box. Here's to happy crafting and new ideas today!

The Power of Positive Speech...

"You'll get more bees with honey than with vinegar," my own Mama used to tell me. Maybe your mom said something similar? The point is that we get further with people when we're positive. While studying social work in college, I was taught the fundamental truth that if you speak using negative words to your clients, they will quickly become defensive; if you use positives, they will be more willing to work with you toward change.

I used to be pretty good at this. I suppose it was all of the practice through my social work classes and internship. During that time, I experienced first-hand through my work with homeless men and women the power of positive speech. For instance, if I said something like "You didn't turn in your forms yesterday. I've been looking for them, but they're just not here," I was met with crossed arms and excuses. However, if I said "Have you turned in your forms yet? They were due yesterday, so I've been watching for them," my clients were much more reasonable and open to correction. Notice the difference was the lack of negative words, especially "NOT."

Naturally, I thought that this would continue into my parenting. It did, for about 5 or 6 months, until my little princess realized she had a will of her own... a very STRONG will.

It was at about that time that I started incorporating more negative words into my mommy vocab. At 8 months old, she didn't understand long sentences, such as "This is an electrical socket. If you put a key in there, it will hurt you." Instead, I said "No!" and gave her a little thump on the hand, taking the key away and moving her to a different part of the room. (Spare me the tale of outlet covers- my kids always pulled them out anyway.) Over time, "No" was followed by a brief explanation: "No-This will hurt hurt you," or "Don't-This will give you an owie." (How do you even spell owie anyway??) This was appropriate during her toddler years, but eventually, her vocabulary and understanding of cause and effect expanded. But it was too late for me... I had already formed a habit of using negative speech.

I have noticed it more and more lately, now that my daughter is nearly five years old. When I reprimand her for doing something wrong, she responds so much better when I use positive language. As soon as I say "You didn't..." or "That's not..." or "You can't..." she shuts down. However, if I use terminology that has a positive inference, she is more willing to hear me out. Her body language tells me that she's comfortable, not defensive.

This sounds so easy, but I would challenge each of you to monitor your speech for an hour and count the number of times you use negative wording. You might be surprised. I was.

Just since we've been up this morning, I've said to my children,

Don't take your diaper off.
Stop getting out of your chair.
No! Stop doing that- it isn't going to work.

...And more. I've been working on this, but it is such a hard habit to break. It literally causes me to stop and think before I speak- something I used to be much better at. Instead, I should be saying:

Leave your diaper on.
Stay in your chair till breakfast is over.
Let's try something different.

My goal is to significantly work the negativity out of my speech. Obviously, we can't take EVERY negative word out- we need them to convey certain points. I do believe, however, that I can change the attitude and atmosphere of my home if I could just speak more positively.

Here are a few scriptures to help us all out:

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." ~Hebrews 3:13


"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." ~Proverbs 31:26


"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." ~Psalm 19:4


"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. " ~Proverbs 16:24

Time Out...

I just had to post this. Matthew is 19 months old as of yesterday. I have no idea where the time went, but here we are, right in the middle of the tantrums and time-outs that come with a child's broadening worldview. In this instance, Matthew discovered that he can drink from a sippy cup without a lid on when Mama is helping. Naturally, he wanted to try it without my help, but I wouldn't let him since he made it clear that he wanted to go into the living room with it. I put a lid on the cup, and a time-out worthy fit ensued. He's still in that cute "You're so little, I can't believe you got in trouble, but I know if I don't discipline you now it'll be so much harder when you're older" phase, so I sent him to time-out in his room. Then, of course, in my never-ending quest to get EVERY one of my children's milestones on video, I shot this vid when Matthew came out of time-out today. His language is still his own, so here's the interpretation: "Kyuk" obviously means yes. "Myah Mah" means  "Yes ma'am."

Blue Jean Blahs...

So, I've been working out. Hard. Some of you know this, as I've been posting my progress on Facebook. It's been so good! I have only lost 3 lbs, but my muscle to fat ratio has improved significantly. I've lost 2.5 inches in my waist and 2 inches in my hips. I even bought a size 8 dress for the first time since my wedding dress! I went out Sunday with my hubs (birthday date- woot!!) feeling pretty and lean. We went to the mall to see a movie, then to PF Changs for dinner. We had about an hour before the movie started, so we decided to pick up some jeans for Hubs. He's needed some for a while. I glanced in the mirror in the restroom and thought, "Good job! Kristi, you've been working so hard and it's really paying off!" Two days earlier, I took my monthly progress picture, and I could see some amazing results, even in the short 8 weeks I've been working out. I felt great!

Then we stepped into the department store...

Hubs disappeared into the dressing room to try on several pairs of jeans, so I texted him something like "I'ma try on some jeans 2." They were on sale, after all. I gathered up a few of my favorite cut, but noticed that they weren't exactly the same as my old jeans. Of course, I bought my faves almost 5 yrs ago, when stretchy fabric was not even an option at this particular store. The trouble with the stretch jeans is that they fit so much tighter in the hips and thighs- I think they're supposed to, but I have no idea. I'm no fashionista, which may have been part of my problem.

Back to the story.

I went into the dressing room with what I thought must be my size, and then one size smaller, in hopes that the 2" I'd lost in my hips would pay off... they didn't. The jeans looked AWFUL!! It was most likely the cut, the stretchy fabric, or something along those lines. They seemed to "fit" inasmuch as I got into them just fine, they buttoned in the right place, nothing was "hanging over" the edges, and I felt no pain when I bent over... but they were disgustingly tight. I wanted to cry.

I had dreamt up this amazing moment in my mind of what it would be like to try on jeans. I've never really liked jeans shopping. Somehow, I thought this time would be different. I imagined myself like the girl on the Special K commercial- you know the one- trying on jeans, admiring my new, slimmer figure in the mirror, excited that I could get away with something so cute as a red bikini (although I'd never wear one in public). It didn't help that I was surrounded by overized pictures of 19 year olds wearing the same jeans and looking A-mazing. I brushed it off (sort of), put the jeans away and brushed my hair, suddenly convinced that it was my best feature.

What happened??? Not even 20 minutes earlier, I was giving myself a high-five in the mirror! Now, after trying on one little pair of jeans, I was ready to cry. I told Hubs all about it as we walked across the mall to the theater.  He was unreasonably patient as I vented- perhaps because it was my birthday? We went to the movie and I forgot about my ranting. Afterward we went to PF Changs for dinner. I loved every bite, but in the back of my mind I couldn't help but feel guilty for eating so much. All I could think about were those jeans.

The next day, I was still loaded up on MSG. I felt bloated and moody. I started my workout and hated every minute. That's a first for me. I love working out- always have. Halfway through, I considered calling Hubs for a pep-talk. Luckily, he drove up to the house for lunch at right about that time. He walked in and I started bawling my eyes out while doing squats. You should have seen it! I put down my weights, ran to him and cried, "I don't wanna work out anymore! It's not even worth it if I can't get into the jeans at the mall! Boo hoo hoo!" He tried to hug me, but I was covered in sweat, so his hand carefully touched my shoulder before finding a safe, dry spot on the back of my sports top. He listened for a few minutes as I ranted again, then reminded me of the progress I've made. He pointed out that the pictures showed how much I've changed. He gave me a few encouraging words, and I was all better. I decided to push through the rest of my workout. I'm glad I did. The next day, I was right back on track, and I had a great time working out. I even caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror and felt thin.

I have been thinking a lot about that experience. How could I let one little pair of jeans nearly make a trainwreck of this particular part of my life? It's silly, really. But it happens. I've been learning so much about my walk with God through working out. I'll go into those lessons in later blog posts. Today I want to focus on discouragment. Sometimes we're trucking along, reading our Bibles, spending good quality time with Jesus, watching our attitudes and seeing little changes in our lives. We feel so encouraged and right with God- but then something little happens that sends us into a whirlwind of discouragment. We blow up at our kids, we disobey God, we lie, or do some other stupid thing. We let one little mistake make us feel completely ruined.

But the truth is this: Trying on those jeans didn't undo all of the hard work I'd done to lose my mama-belly. They didn't set me back at start. All they did was remind me of how far I still need to go to meet my goals. (And sometimes that sort of reminder is a good thing!) The jeans didn't change me, they only changed my perception of me. In the same way, whether I weigh a lot or a little, I am still me. Nothing can change that. Size 14 Kristi and size 8 Kristi are the same person when you get right down to it. Same habits, same preferences, same sense of humor, same pet peeves.

In our walk with Jesus, our goal is maturity in Christ. That's a long road. In my experience, it usually happens slowly and takes a lot of hard work (sort of like exercise). There is abundant grace from God to get there, and He helps us more than we could ever know, but there are tough decisions to be made along the way. There are habits to be formed or discarded. There are obstacles to overcome. Every time we lean on God's grace and walk in obedience, we grow a little more.

 The truth, however, is that while all of that hard work builds you up to be more mature, it doesn't change your position in Christ. If you are saved- if you've surrendered your life to Him- you are His child. Nothing can change that. All of your hard work will help you grow, but it won't make you more saved. Sometimes we let one little stumble change our perception of our maturity or position in Christ. I know I've done it a thousand times. I think, "Oh, I thought I was doing so well! I thought I was really on track with what God is doing in my life right now- but I ______, so I must be worse off than I thought! All that prayer isn't working, so it's not even worth it to get up early to pray!" Condemnation sets into my heart and discourages me. Doubt sets in, and it makes me want to give up- even more than I wanted to give up that day after trying on the blue jeans. Sometimes I press through, glad that I did, and reap the rewards of faithfulness. Other times, I'll confess, I give up for a day- or a week- or a month. I give up having my quiet time, or meeting with other believers, or praying. But God is always so faithful to call me back. He is always waiting for me with open arms, drawing me, as the Bible says, with cords of loving kindness. He is, as Hebrews 11:6 states, "a rewarder of them who diligently seek him." When I return to Him, I don't have to go back to "Start", but I am always reminded of the blessings I missed out on while I was off sulking in the corner, instead of living in the freedom of Jesus' love. Blessings of peace, joy and more.

So I leave you with this: Are you tracking along? Or has something as trivial as a pair of jeans thrown you off course? If you have given up, let me encourage you to push through. Get out of the pity corner and run to Jesus. Whether in your goals or in your walk with God, don't give up. God is waiting there for you, with encouragement and love. He is our Ever-present Help. Let Him remind you today, as my hubs did that day for me, of how far you've come and how worth it all of this really is.

Love Week- Days 5 & 6...

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day- are you ready? Just to re-cap, at our house we've been taking time each day to think about God's love, encourage one another and do an activity that expresses love. Check my archives for the last 4 days worth.

Day 5 didn't quite go as planned. I was up till 4am taking care of my son, who (I think) still has an ear infection, even after taking antibiotics last week. He's still pulling at his ears, clingy and not sleeping at night. So we were all exhausted. Courtney cried in her sleep every time he'd start crying. We went to church, came home, did some grocery shopping, had dinner and went to bed. I spoke with Courtney briefly about how we can show God love by worshipping Him, but I confess that it just didn't turn out the way I planned. No biggie- I'm learning that plans don't always turn out- and that's okay.

Day 6 was supposed to be "clean up at the park" day, but the weather turned nasty last night. Sleet, rain, cold cold cold temps- so we found something we could do at home instead: Pray. We discussed 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Then we took time to pray for some of our family. I had to try not to laugh as Courtney prayed for my 9 yr old brother, "God, please help J to clean his room, 'cus if he doesn't, Papa said he'd get a trash bag out and start throwing his stuff away- so let J say, 'I'll do it! I'll do it!' and get it all cleaned up. Jesus' Name, Amen." (My dad was half joking, by the way, when he told her that the other day, but it definitely made an impression.)

Tomorrow morning we'll head to Chick-fil-A for breakfast (a long-awaited treat!). It's been a good week, and I'm so glad that I took time to be intentional this week. One thing I've learned through it is that Courtney likes verbal praise, but it is in no way her love language. She would rather have us hold her hand, read to her or help her with her chores. She's an acts of service girl... and a gifts girl, of course- what kid isn't?? As a mama, that's a good thing to know! What are your kiddos' love languages? Tomorrow could be a great day if you can figure that out and hone in on that language to show your kiddos (husband, too!) how much you love them!

Love Week- Day 4...

Day four of Love Week is upon us- today was the day I stepped out of my comfort zone just a bit. We discussed John 3:16 and then made cookies for our neighbors.

We have a great sugar cookie recipe, so we whipped up a batch, added pink icing and sprinkles (ate a few while we were waiting for the last batch to get done) and took them to our neighbor. This is where it got tough for me. We don't know our neighbor very well. He introduced himself when we first moved in, and we've had a few "Can you believe this weather?" and "Has the mail run yet?" conversations, but that's about it... and I've been fine with that. I like to think I'm a fairly outgoing person, but I have come to realize over the last few years that I tend to lean toward the reclusive side if I'm not intentional about community. It's not that I'm shy, I just like my routines. It's easy as a mom of little ones to find myself completely out of touch with the rest of the world and have no idea how I got there. Busyness, sick kids, errands and everything else seem to get in the way. I'm often content with just checking Facebook posts and commenting on my friends' pictures, instead of getting out and meeting new people. Since we've moved to Texas, I confess that I still haven't met many people here. I've reconnected with some old friends and some family, but getting to know anyone new has not been on my agenda.

So, I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to working up the courage to go up and start a conversation with a stranger. Sounds silly, doesn't it? But some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. Well, we wrapped the cookies and started toward the house next door. I kept remembering this idea that has been flooding my head as of late: If I don't step out of my comfort zones, neither will my children. Courtney is such a little mini-me when it comes to her personality. I look at her and I see myself, only without the baggage. She hasn't been rejected at the 3rd grade lunch table yet. She's never been told to mind her own business. She has yet to be a victim of a clique. She just loves everyone and believes they're all her friends- or could be, if they got to know her better. She is confident and outgoing, full of joy and great ideas. I want to nurture and shape that as much as possible while she is young...

So, here we go! Deep breath...

As we headed out the door, my heart raced. Why? Who knows? Keep going. I had already told Courtney we would go, so we had to follow through. Either I would step out and do the right thing, or I would cower away and break my daughter's heart. So I sucked it up. I "put on my big girl panties". I pulled up my bootstraps- or whatever you want to call it, and we started walking across the yard. We rang the bell. A minute later, a scowl slowly peeked around the door. Oh, great- he doesn't like visitors! He's having a bad day! This was a bad idea! I thought. Trying to break the ice, I smiled and said, "Hi! We were making Valentine's Day cookies today and thought we'd bring some over!" in my most cheerful, sing-song voice. His expression changed, a smile swept over his face, and he opened the door. He seemed genuinely surprised and blessed by our little act of love. We talked for a minute and then Courtney and I headed back across the yard.

...And, exhale.

I am so glad we took the cookies to the neighbor, but I realized that over the last few years my comfort zone has been shrinking. I have got to get back on the ball and stretch myself from time to time. The Kingdom of God is all about people and relationships. If I can get comfortable taking cookies to the neighbor, then I'm sure I can get comfortable doing other things to express God's love to people. Baby steps, for sure, but steps forward, nonetheless.

So my heart for all of you today is that you can find the courage to step out of your comfort zones to express God's love to someone in need. Start small if you have to. Cookies. Brownies. People love food. Think about the kind of person you want your child to grow up to be- and then model that for them, the best you can. Let God strengthen you as you go, but just GO. You never know- when you get out of your comfort zone, you may just find yourself acting like the person God created you to be!