Family Scripture for the year....

We just finished a series in Legacy called JUMP: a faith so wild it will make you never look back. It was about overcoming the things that consume you from the past, pushing past the things that control your present, and getting rid of the things that are going to stop your future. At the beginning I read Isaiah 61 because I truly feel like that is the destiny that God has called each of us to... the purpose we are on this earth for. I've started reading this over my kids every morning... sometimes they listen, sometimes they don't... but I want them to get so sick of it that it makes it's way down to their little hearts.

As a family, find a scripture that you feel your kids need to grasp, and bombard them with it... write it around your house, speak it while in the car, make up a cute song to it that you sing over and over. My dad did that when we were growing up with Psalm 91 and Proverbs 3 and to this day I have both of those chapters memorized!

You may also consider making a family vision board for the year. I have a friend who makes some incredible ones and is in town for 2 weeks taking special orders... if you are interested, then please comment here for more information or email me. Here is the one he made for his family last year. He can make it any size you would like it and write anything on it that's important to you.

 

Our family scripture for 2013:

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

scripture scraps

I needed a solution for all of the wonderful papers my kids bring home from church. I'm not as sentimental as most, so I have no problem purging myself of things I don't feel any attachment to. I keep the things that I love and discard the things that I don't. Recently though, I have been having a hard time getting rid of the stuff that comes from church, because it is saturated with things that we are discussing throughout the week in our family time and in our LifeGroups. I wanted a way to hang on to it so the kids could reference it, without having it clutter my kitchen counter or refrigerator. I decided to purchase composition notebooks for each of the kids (only $.50 right now at Target) all in different colors.

I started to take each of the things the kids brought home, cut it to size and place it inside the notebooks. It doesn't look pretty, but the kids love seeing what is new in their book and start telling me the lesson that goes with the page. It's not only a way to organize, but a wonderful way for the kids to review what they are learning each week.

I got this great idea from lowercase letters and you can check the original out here. As with most things I try, mine is so amateur compare to hers, plus she used some TLC and made scriptures by herself for her kids. Whichever way you choose to go, it's a great way to continue to surround your children with the Word of God.

Matthew 28:19

Our kids in Small Town, Big God (grades 1st through 5th) have learned a new song "GO" from Seeds Family Worship.  If you want to practice it at home, here is ROUTE 412 (4th and 5th grader leadership team) leading the kids in the actions. Feel free to  watch the video and join in. Come on - get up out of your seat and worship!!!!

To listen to the song or worship from home, click here!!

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and 

of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

remembering God's love for us....

Are you looking for a fun, easy craft for Valentines Day? Right before Valentines Day last year I found a fun recipe for Homemade Gel Paints. The kids had a blast painting old cardboard with the paints, and then I cut them into hearts. I hid the hearts around the house and throughout the month of February the kids had to find them and bring them to me. I plan on doing the same thing this year, except I want to attach a scripture verse on love to each heart. When the kids bring it to me I want to read the verse to them and then display them throughout the house. Just an easy way to remind the kids of the love of God!

Scriptures on God's Love to get you started:

• {1 John 4:10}This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 
• {Romans 5:8} But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
• {Romans 8:38-39}For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
• {1 John 3:1} See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 
• {Psalm 36:5} Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies.

Recipe for homemade gel paints:

Over a stovetop, heat 1/2 cup of cornstarch and 2 1/4 cups of water.
Wisk until gel forms. Once cooled slightly, pour into heat safe containers.
Mix with food coloring (about 10-12 drops) and stir.
Make sure the kids don't use them until they have cooled off enough.

 

 

Happy 2012!

 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

2 Corinthians 5:17

  

HAPPY NEW YEAR NEW LIFE FAMILIES!

It may be cliche', but I LOVE being able to re-access my life at the beginning of the year and make changes for what works for our family. It's like a fresh start... and I LOVE having a fresh start. So, as I am figuring out ways to better organize my office and more efficient ways of meal-planning, I am also pondering ways to purposely focus our family's attention more on Christ in the year 2012.

One goal that I have set for our family this year is to really step up our scripture memorization. We always use our drive to school in the morning as our time to go over our scripture songs (I put all of our scriptures to cute little songs to make them more fun and easy to memorize). The kids love it and I find that it gets us all focused on the right things early in the morning. I found this really great site that gives me ideas for scriptures to memorize with my children. Check it out here at Seeds Family Worship: Verse Memorization Check-list. (If you find it hard to come up with songs yourself, or if your kids are struggling in the memorization, there are plenty of scripture memorization songs available online for you to purchase/download. Even if you have them playing each morning and say nothing, those songs/scriptures will make their way into their memory by default! Seeds Family Worship has some GREAT ones HERE)

 Another fun activity I am excited about it going through the ABC's with scripture. I did this when I was young and can still remember most of the scriptures for each letter. Here is a cute little website that will get you started (just click on each of the letters to get the scripture and some activities to go with it.) It might also work great to have the kids write out the scriptures for each letter and display them in their room or playroom to keep them reminded.

Lastly, I am starting a prayer wall for my kids. I remember Tommy and Keri having this up in their apartment when they first got married, and have wanted to do it every since. Just get some poster-board, or a large sheet of paper, and have the family keep track of prayer requests over the year on the board. (If the little ones are too young to write, have them draw pictures). It is also neat to write down when a prayer is answered and the date God made it happen! How fun to look back next New Years Day at all the things you prayed for throughout the year, and how faithful the Lord is to answer! (Here is a similar idea from "Kids Prayer" called a "Kid's Wailing Wall")

Some links for Resources for the New Year:

"One Thing" Lesson for New Year

3 Biggest Dreams Printable

3 Happiest Moments Printable

25 Day Challenge Chart Printable

50 Day Challenge Chart Printable

Progress Road-map Printable

Hidden Treasure Scriptures

This is a fun, little activity to do at your house with your toddler or preschooler to help them become familiar with some of your favorite scriptures. 

Hide envelopes around your house.

Tell your toddler you are going on a special hunt to find some great, secret treasures of the Bible. Then, have your toddler scurry around the house in search of the hidden envelopes.

When they open each envelope, they should find a blank paper with a scripture at the top.

Then, they will have to find the hidden message by using water colors to go over the blank page which will reveal the picture.

This is done by using a white crayon to draw invisible images. Your images will be revealed after painting over it with water colors!

When the picture is revealed, read the coordinating scripture.

Here were my 5 pictures/scriptures: 

House: As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Cross: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Star: You will shine among them like stars as you hold firmly to the word of life.  

Happy Thought Bubble: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Purse: My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.