CONNECT: Night OUT, Night IN

This weekend, we had our February Connect Event....Adults Night OUT, Kids Night IN. While the adults enjoyed fellowship without interruption over an abundance of food at cloverleaf restaurant, our kids were able to eat pizza, play high energy games and prepared a nice, surprise coffee and dessert table for the adults when they returned by making them cookies, decorating the tables, and setting up the coffee table. What a blessing to be able to enjoy our church family. Some pictures from the event:

Making the cookies:

Waiting for the cookies to bake:

Decorating the tables:

Capturing Patrick: 

Freeze Tag and Octopus:

RUN!!

Hide and Go Seek:

Babies :)

Cookies are READY! Decorate!

The finished delicious cookies:

They LOVED running the coffee table:

My personal favorite pictures from the night: 

Another successful CONNECT evening. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to make this happen. 

The Bible Doodle Book

Just wanted to share with you one of my favorite gifts my son Isaac got for Christmas from his Uncle and Aunt... THE BIBLE DOODLE BOOK. {They also have a "pocket" edition) This thing is so great! It's just like those doodle books you see everywhere, but this one helps you focus on Bible stories and challenges you to complete the pictures. I look through it all the time and smile. It's great for road-trips, quiet-time and even LifeGroups! {It also makes an AMAZING gift for the kids in your life!}

Family Friendly Apps Part 2

I have finally entered the world of smart phones (Yes, I am a late bloomer). Pastor Lori's recent post about this app sparked an interest in me to find more family friendly apps. 

#1 FOCUS ON THE FAMILY APP

I am a BIG fan of focus on the family so I was thrilled when I found they have a free app. This APP is A*MAZ*ING! It has 3 parts - focus on marriage - focus on parenting - and - focus on kids. 

Focus on Marriage has conversation starters, encouragement & tips, insights, and date night ideas. They also give you an option to send the article or tip to your spouse after you are done reading it ;)

Focus on Parenting has spiritual growth for kids articles, age appropriate insights & guidance, family activities (for example, during family tv night, press the mute button and make up your own dialogue... the wackier the better) and dinner table conversation starters...spin the spoon and whoever the spoon lands on has the answer the question that pops up! (LOVE!)

Focus on Kids has audios of adventures in odyssey to listen to, a clubhouse and clubhouse jr brush you spin to get a craft or activity, and jelly telly videos.

#2 PLUGGED IN APP

This FREE app is also by Focus on the Family. It provides the following:

• Watch or read Christian movie, music, TV and game reviews
• Use their Family Friendliness Rating and member ratings to quickly find the best movies for your family
• Watch movie trailers and Plugged In video reviews
• Find nearby theaters playing your movie and purchase movie tickets 

This app is great in finding an appropriate and family friendly movie. It makes it really easy to find out if a movie contains something specific you want to avoid. If you find a movie you like, you can go right to your local movie theater and look up times it is playing. It also allows you to add tv shows or movies you find to your netflix queue! This is a great app since Tommy and I tend to be last minute movie goers and are always quickly trying to find out if its appropriate to watch. Happy watching!!!

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.

$1.99 of pure genius.

I purchased my 1st app today.

Yes... I am a "free app" kind-of girl.

This was worth giving up my daily Biggby drive-thru today!

Check it out: Parent CUE
 

There are weekly ideas for BED-TIME, MEAL-TIME, DRIVE-TIME and HANG-TIME... plus some extras for PARENT-TIME

Here's the 411 taken right from their mouths:

What’s a CUE? It’s a prompt. A nudge to talk about God, faith, life or to just have fun together.

It’s a way to incorporate conversations about God and His big story into everyday moments—during mealtime, while playing a game outside, and in the car.

These CUEs will help parents do three things:

Connect to God’s story. Uncover something about life.
Experience something together.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 says: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Little Town of Bethlehem

Route 412 Reaching Out @ Christmastime

Route 412 (our 4th and 5th grader leadership team) had our winter outreach yesterday to HarborChase Senior Living Center. Our plan was to do a Christmas program at two of their living facilities. We were very punctual and actually arrived a half hour early so the kids were asked to play Bingo with the residents prior to our Christmas program. This may have been one of  my favorite parts of the evening. I watched how the elderly would light up as the kids excitedly squeaked in delight about winning Bingo. I also saw the kids sharing Bingo boards with the seniors and the kids would help point out to the residents when they had a winning number. What a precious moment! 

We then performed two Christmas programs. At the first living facility, the kids sang Christmas carols, read scriptures about the Christmas story, shared what they thought Christmas was all about, and painted a picture of the manger scene. The kids got a big round of applause after each song by the residents. 

 At the second facility, we did the same Christmas program. At this facility, the seniors had moderate to severe dementia so it was a unique experience for the kids. The kids again did great and were a blessing to the seniors. I am so proud of these kids going outside their comfort zone and ministering to others! The kids also passed out homemade Christmas cards that they had made special for this event.

I imagine that many of these residents may be lonely this Christmas and these kids def brought life to the facility. I want to encourage everyone to go out of their comfort zone this Christmas and reach out!!!

A special thanks to Mr. Remy who works at HarborChase and helped coordinate this event.

 Another special thanks to Ms. Mercedes for planning and implementing the entire Christmas program!

Our group picture....

Also thanks to the parents and small town leaders who came out to support!!!

We Need To Pray...

I think all of us are gut-wrenched and brokenhearted by the horrific events this morning at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. My heart and mind can't focus on anything else and my prayers continue to be cut short by tears the entire evening.

WE NEED TO PRAY...

not say we are going to pray, not make great intentions to pray... but actually pray. We need to cry out to God for these devastated families and traumatized children. It's our mandate.

Throughout the day I've come across some great resources that a lot of my friends have sent my way and I wanted to share them in case anyone has need of them.

{If you have come across some resources that have been a blessing to you, please pass them along in the comment section so that we can all benefit}

For your soul:

• "A Christmas Prayer" by Max Lucado
• "...a time to mourn..." blog post by Lindsay Leigh Bentley 
• "Parenting in the Midst of Tragedy" by Focus on the Family
• "Why God, Why?" by Focus on the Family
• "My Reaction..." by Greg Stier of Dare-2-Share

For your kids:

• "Talking to your children about the recent spate of school shootings" by the American Psychology Association
• Emotions Vocabulary Chart (we have a book like this at home that I use with the kids when they are having a hard time figuring out how they feel about something.)
• Child Stages of Grief and How To Help by Children's Grief Education Association
• "Helping Your Child Cope With Trauma" by Focus on the Family
• "Acknowledging Feelings" by Focus on the Family

For your prayers:

• Psalm 147:3- "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
  
• Psalm 73:26-  "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
• Matthew 11:28-30- "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
• John 14:27-  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
• Psalm 55:22- "Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." 

CONNECT: AngelTree, a night of giving

Our Night of Giving was a success.....

22 Families, 43 Children from our local area were sponsored through Angel Tree.

By being a part of this program, kids will be connected with their incarcerated parent this Christmas and these kids and their families will learn of God's love for them that goes beyond what they can imagine. 

Nursing Home Residents and Prisoners will be receiving heart felt letters reminding them that they are not alone this Christmas....that God has not forgotten them. They will know they are loved.

Our own kids were a part of something much bigger than Christmas presents. They are learning that there is a world out there that is in need. A need we can respond to.

John 15:12-14

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. you are my friends if you do what I command you.

Philippians 2:4

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

Matthew 25:40

And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." 

Gifts that Give...

 

 

It's the "Most Wonderful Time of Year"!!!

 

 Among the hustle and bustle of decorating, all day shopping, midnight-shopping, deal-snagging, truffle-making, cookie-baking, santa-sleighing, reindeer-playing, popcorn-stringing, carol-singing, must-do's, must-go's and must-HAVE's...

 

There are a few treasures that I have come across that help celebrate God's love throughout the season and beyond.  While my kids love all things Lego, Batman, Hello Kitty and My Little Pony (and I do too:) there a couple of things that I am ecspecially excited for them to be receiving this year...

Veggie Tales 'All About Me' book...a place to record all about her life and faith, including her favorite things, and even a special spot for her prayers...can't wait to fill it out together!!!

 

Armor of God for my little warrior...because what child doesn't like to dress - up and what better way to teach than during play-time???!!!

 

 

and my ALL-TIME FAVORITE...

 

Hearts4hearts...These dolls represent girls from different countries, and each one comes with accessories and a story about who they are and how they use what they have to reach out to their communities and share love...even better, the manufactuer is partnered with WorldVision and a fraction of money from purchases will help real children with real needs.

 

you can read more HERE...

 

 

 

 

 

...and lastly, this one is for the family.  After a conversation with a dear friend about giving, I remembered seeing this book last year and look forward to seeing what kinds of ideas are in store...

 

 

 

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 



In a Frenzy :)

Fall Frenzy 2012

Route 412 Greeters

Candy Station!!

Stephanie's Photo Booth

Relay Race

Pumpkin Painting

Pie Smash!!

Bounce House

 Sumo Wrestling!

Kiddie Tattoos

Spider Web 

Balloons 

Hay Ride

Costumes

A special thanks to everyone who came out.

An extra special thanks to all our volunteers! We LOVE you and are grateful for you!