Have you ever read any of those cute little prayers from children? This one is priceless:
Little boy's prayer: "Dear God, Please take care of my mommy and daddy and sister and grandma and grandpa. And please, God, take care of Yourself, or else we're all sunk!"
This was my calendar "joke" for Friday, but these childish words are no joke. They are good sound theology. Without the Lord God Almighty, this whole universe is done. We're all sunk. But God is perfectly capable of taking care of Himself along with the rest of us.
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. I Chronicles 29:11
There is one thing modern technology hasn't ruined. We can still give our kids a blank piece of paper and a box of crayons and keep them occupied for who knows how long. And what benefits! The TV and computer have not yet taken away this wonderful means of encouraging imagination and quiet time activity. Do you keep the projects that your children so lovingly give you? You can always date them, punch holes, and start a notebook to give to them when they graduate from high school! Wish I had done that!And aren't coloring books wonderful ? One of the few things that is still cheap at that!Maxine
This picture is of a Pakistani family receiving one of the Voice of the Martyrs Action Packs. The sweet smile of the little girl certainly warms our hearts, doesn't it? Another face of courage in the midst of adversity. You've probably heard about the recent flooding in that country. Also, there is much persecution against Christians that goes on there, which we recently talked about in a Kids of Courage post. Perhaps your family or Sunday School could put together an Action Pack to send. Go to the VOM site for more info.
"Let us teach our children to value the Bible. The very best portion we can give them is a knowledge of the Scriptures." ~ J.C. Ryle
We're having VBS at our church this week and our theme is the story of Joseph. Need I tell you of the many lessons which kids can learn from this Bible character? It's a story of forgiveness, of course, but there are many other important Biblical truths to be learned. Have you ever read through the account of Joseph to see all of the similarities to Jesus in his person and life? You might want to get out a little notepad and jot them down. You may be surprised at how many there are. Our pastor handed out a listing of some. Here's an interesting one: "Both Joseph and Jesus were stripped of their clothes." That's really something! I hope you'll be teaching your children about this Old Testament saint, instilling meaningful lessons of godly principles while you do. He's one of those Christian heroes we want to hold before them, even if he was from long ago.The above image is a little craft you can do with children from this story, either in your home school or Sunday school. It's one of the many neat crafts found at a favorite site of mine. Go here to check out this activity and many others.
How big is a mosquito? Not big at all, right? But oh, the damage and sorrow one little mosquito can cause. This is especially true in some areas of the world where malaria is a danger. Just imagine. There have been cases where a child has died from one mosquito bite. You could help, you know. By sponsoring a child in certain endangered places through World Vision, you could help protect that child from malaria by providing funds which could be used to provide insecticide treated bed nets. This is just one of the many that sponsorship could help. And think about the experience it would be for your children. Think about the lessons they will have in compassion. How much is that worth? More information is here and we invite you to pray and think about it if there is any way you could work this out in your household.
Baseball is the game I enjoy the most, even though this year my favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies, is not doing very well. Above is the Phillies Phanatic, the team's mascot, and he's been pretty sad of late. Oh well, it's important that we all remember to take it for what it is, only a game, and make sure our children see it as just that. The guys who play are entertainers and certainly not heroes. There are many Christian Heroes whom we may hold before our kids who can be for them so much better as examples.But having said that, baseball is fun and it's a good and healthy activity for all ages. A very interesting site has been brought to my attention through one of my groups and I wanted to pass it on. It's all about the sport which is known as our national pastime and I think you and your children will like it if you like the sport itself. Enjoy it here.
We all know that we should never leave a small child alone with the family dog, no matter how wonderful our pet may be. But when properly supervised, the relationship between these "siblings" can be rewarding for both. What fun these two are having! Your kids of all ages will enjoy this one and you will too.
Look what I can do, Mom!
This time of year two years ago, I wrote an article for our newsletter on the topic of instilling patriotism in children. It's now archived on our site and I thought I'd link to it here in case any of you would like to read it.
A blessed fourth of July weekend to all. Stay safe and healthy. Please enjoy your Independence Day, but remember that more importantly, it's the Lord's Day.
God bless, Maxine
Pakistan is a country that is dear to our hearts. You see, we have precious Christian friends who come from there and they still even have family there. I see that Voice of the Martyrs featured Pakistan on their Kids of courage site for the month of June and I wish I had seen it sooner. Well, better late than never. Please have your children read about a Pakistani teenager named Sidra. After you read this story, please talk to them about what it must be like to be a believer there, and especially what it must be like to be a young person who loves Jesus in that country. Then, most importantly, have them pray for the children there. You can read the article here. If they've changed the article on the VOM site, it will be in archives. I'll try to catch it and move it to the archive link in a few days, but if I miss it you'll be able to find it through the link at the top of the page at the Kids of Courage site.
Unusual playmates at a zoo! Wonder how these chicks got in there!?
There's something about children's parties you may not know, especially in our day: Your sons and daughters, of any age, can have just as much enjoyment at a party at home as they could at McDonald's, Chuckie Cheese, or any other place. Going on an outing to the skating rink or the like is great, but the contention here is that for their birthday party, home can be a fun place to have a fun time and for you, it could be at a fun price. If you don't teach them differently -- they won't know any better! It may cost you more time and effort, but less money, and this is a promise: it would be quite meaningful. Here are some suggestions for a good party:
1. Don't Leave God Out
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31. This verse applies to a party as well as anything. If you think of ways to have the Lord be a part of your festivities, He will be pleased and you'll have the joy that comes when Christ is honored in the life of your family. If you child has a life verse, maybe that could be brought in somehow. If you put your mind to it, you'll find there are many creative ways that God's Word can be included. And don't forget party favors -- you can often include something spiritual there. A word of caution: don't overdo this, especially if there are children attending who come from unbelieving families, but do try and think of something to bring glory to God.
2. Have a Theme
There is something about having a theme that brings about excitement and anticipation. A theme enhances the enjoyment of party preparations and draws out the imagination and creativity of the birthday child, especially the older one. Usually, the theme of a party is a reflection of your child's interests; thinking up decorations, game and crafts will add even more pleasure to an already happy occasion. If you try it, you'll see.
3. Keep it Short
Two to two and a half hours is plenty of time to get everything in without allowing the goings on to get stale. In some cases, especially for children over ten, three hours will work out okay, especially if there's a meal, but seldom does it need to go any longer. No matter how much fun is being had, after two and a half hours or so, weariness sets in for all, and the likelihood of irritability and crossness increases. You want everyone to part in a good state of mind, and that usually can be accomplished more readily when the party is short and sweet.
4. Let Your Child Help
The older the host child, the more he or she can do. Who cares if everything isn't done perfectly? You'd even be surprised how much younger children can do (with just a bit more patience on your part), such as putting stickers on favor bags or sorting colored strips of paper for craft projects. Actually, learning can take place during party preparations. Be innovative about duties and how you can add them to the overall education process. As they mature, give them more and more responsibilities depending on their aptitudes. Eventually, they and their siblings can do almost all of it themselves and all you need to do is supervise!
5. Have Various Activities
Plan and be prepared. Make a list of several activities -- games, crafts, music, snacks, gift exchanges, whatever. Have plenty to fill the time, and even some extra things in case they're needed. Better to have more activities than needed in case something flops.Hope in the future we can give you some ideas for themes and some other tips. We've had a lot of homemade parties at our house and loved ever minute of it!
