Making the Most of those Christmas Moments 2016….

Calming the Holiday Din

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Purpose of Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Party for Jesus

 

Here We Come A-Caroling! 

 

Christmas Artichoke Dip

Easter: Making the Holy Week Wholly Yours

Bring the Easter Story to Life for Your Kids!

Enjoy these great family focused ideas and activities for observing Holy Week & Easter — from Focus on the Family and Thriving Family magazine.  Click here for a free download.

A Basket Full of Easter Ideas

 Here’s a basket full of Easter ideas to help you spread the good news of Jesus’ resurrection with these new “egg-citing” experiences. By Children’s Ministry Magazine

• Easter Idea #1: He Is Risen! Best for Ages 3 to 6. This simple craft lets children picture Jesus’ empty tomb.

  Get Ready: You’ll need paper or foam plates, scissors, glue, paint (gray or brown), paintbrushes, black cardstock or construction paper, and paper lunch sacks.

  Get Set: Help children each cut a plate in half and cut out an opening in the center to look like a cave or tomb. Then let them paint their plates. When the paint is dry, glue black cardstock to the back of the plate. Next, have children create a “stone” by wadding up a paper lunch sack and placing it in front of the tomb.

  Faith Talk: Read Mark 16:3-4. Tell children to roll back their stones and ask them what’s inside. When they say “nothing,” remind them that’s because Jesus has already come back to life. He died to forgive our sins, and now he’s alive in heaven.

• Easter Idea #2: Egg Guessing Game Best for Preschool

  Get Ready: You’ll need plastic eggs, taped shut, with different objects inside, and prizes.

  Get Set: Simply have kids shake the eggs and guess what’s in there, for a prize. You could also put two of the same objects in plastic eggs and put all of the eggs in a pile. Like Memory, have kids shake eggs to see if they can match up the sounds, and then keep the “pairs” of eggs.

  Multiply the impact by having multiple families–invite neighbors over for egg hunting, candy, games, and, most importantly, the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. What a great way to leave a lasting impression!

• Easter Idea #3: Scrambled Egg Hunt Best for Ages 6 and up

  Get Ready: You’ll need two egg-hunting areas, one without eggs and one with lots of filled plastic eggs.

  Get Set: Before this year’s egg hunt, help children try to imagine what it was like to be at the first Easter. Gather in a room separate from the hunt location. Read or tell about Jesus dying on the cross. At the part when the soldiers put Jesus’ body in the tomb, have a volunteer interrupt to take children to the egg hunt. Tell children you’ll finish the story when they return.

  At the egg-less location, ask children what it’s like to discover that something’s unexpectedly missing. Discuss their feelings and explain this is probably how Jesus’ friends felt when they went to the tomb and couldn’t find his body.

  Faith Talk: Read Luke 24:3-6. Say: “Jesus wasn’t in the tomb because he’s alive. This surprised Jesus’ friends, but it was a good surprise. The good news of Easter is that Jesus didn’t stay dead. By rising, he gives us good gifts such as forgiveness and peace.”

  Then send children to the hunt location that’s filled with eggs and have fun hunting.

• Easter Idea #4: Hands-On With Easter Best for Ages 8 and up

  This year, help kids experience the Easter message with a hands-on lesson that appeals to all their senses.

  Get Ready: You’ll need a Bible, an audio clip of an angry mob (available for download here), a bowl of water, some thorns, vinegar mixed with water and a bit of grape juice (divided into small cups), a clean cloth sprayed with fabric softener or linen spray, cotton balls sprayed with cologne, and a room that can be darkened.

  Faith Talk: Open your Bible to Matthew 27:11. Say: “Jesus has just been arrested and is on trial before Pilate. When Jesus is accused of crimes, he says nothing. Pilate lets the angry crowd choose one prisoner to go free, and they choose Barabbas, not Jesus. (Play the audio clip.) Pilate, tired of the ordeal, washes his hands in front of the people. He wants them to know that Jesus’ death is their responsibility.” (Wash your hands and pass around the bowl so kids can do so, too.)

  Say: “Then the solders strip Jesus and put a red robe on him. They twist together a crown of thorns. (Pass around the thorns.) They mock Jesus and lead him away to be crucified. Jesus stumbles under the weight of the cross, so the soldiers make Simon, a bystander, carry it for him. They offer Jesus a drink, but he refuses it.” (Pass around the drinks for kids to taste.)

  Say: “The soldiers nail Jesus to the cross. He suffers because of physical pain and because he knows he will die on the cross. As Jesus dies, the temple curtain tears and a great earthquake hits. Everything is dark.” (Turn off the lights.)

  Say: “Joseph, Jesus’ friend, wraps his body in a clean cloth and lays him in the tomb. (Pass around the cloth.) Women who are friends with Jesus prepare spices for his body, but they must wait until after the Sabbath to use them.” (Pass around the cotton balls.)

  Say: “At dawn, some women go to the tomb. (Lift a small part of the window coverings to let in a bit of light.) An angel greets them. (Turn on all the lights.) The women are afraid, but the angel says that Jesus has risen. Then the women run to share that good news with others.”

• Easter Idea #5: Resurrection Cookies Best for Ages 6 and up

  Families can use this classic, interactive recipe at home the night before Easter. Allergy Alert: Some children have food allergies that can be dangerous.

  Get Ready: You’ll need one cup whole pecans, a baggie, a wooden spoon, one teaspoon of vinegar, three egg whites, a pinch of salt, one cup sugar, a mixer, a greased cookie sheet, tape, and a Bible. Heat the oven to 300 degrees.

  Get Set: Place the pecans in the baggie. Let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break them into small pieces. Say, “After Jesus was arrested, soldiers beat him” (John 19:1-3). Next, let children smell and taste the vinegar. Put one teaspoon in a mixing bowl. Say, “When Jesus was thirsty on the cross, soldiers gave him vinegar to drink” (John 19:28-30). Add the egg whites. Say, “An egg can sometimes have a new life in it, such as a bird. Jesus died so we can live with him forever” (John 10:10-11).

  Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let kids brush it into the bowl and then taste what’s left. Say: “Salt represents the tears of Jesus’ friends” (Luke 23:27). Add the sugar. Say: “The sweetest part of Easter is that Jesus died because he loves us-and then he came back to life” (Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16).

  Beat ingredients with a mixer on high for 12 to 15 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Say: “The color white represents how we become pure because Jesus washes away our sins” (Isaiah 1:18). Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Say: “Each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid to rest” (Matthew 27:57-60).

  Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door, and turn off the oven. Give each child some tape to seal the door. Say: “When Jesus was sealed in the tomb, the world was dark” (Matthew 27:65-66). Tell children it’s time to go to bed and ask how they feel about leaving the cookies in the oven overnight. Say: “Jesus’ friends were sad to leave him in the tomb, too” (John 16:20).

  Faith Talk: On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! Say: “On the first Easter morning, Jesus’ followers were amazed, too. The tomb was empty because Jesus came back to life” (Matthew 28:1-9)!

Easter Extravaganza

Easter Week gets off to a spirited start when it includes family devotions, service projects, easy crafts, yummy snacks, fun games, a complete Seder Meal plan, and more!  By Children’s Ministry Magazine.

• MAUNDY THURSDAY  The Thursday before Easter is called Maundy Thursday. The name Maundy is Latin for “command,” and it refers to the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples to love one another.  Celebrate this day with an Agape Feast, footwashing, or observance of communion. As an option, use this Seder Meal to celebrate Passover as Jesus did with his disciples on this night and help your family understand its connection to the Lamb of God at Easter.

  Throughout the world each year, Passover is celebrated by Jewish families as a remembrance of how God freed their ancestors from slavery. This gathering is the most significant home event of the year. The Seder meal is an important part of this celebration.

  •Special Foods-You’ll need lamb — either roasted or in a stew; a roasted bone; unleavened bread or matzo crackers; a pitcher of grape juice; maror or bitter herbs, such as horseradish, onions, and radish; charoseth — a mixture of ground apples, raisins, nuts, figs, and honey; baked eggs; parsley; lettuce; celery; and salt water.

  You’ll also need a large Seder plate in the center of the table & cups. The plate contains the foods used during the service to represent the life of the Hebrews in Egypt. 

  •The Seder Ceremony-The Seder meal itself contains several parts. This service is based on a Messianic Jewish order of service called a Haggada. Adjust the service and include the prayers that are special or important to you. Follow this order:

  1. Light a candle. Say, “Blessed are you, oh Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sanctified us by the blood of the Messiah and commanded us to be a light for the nations and gave us Jesus, our Messiah, the light of the world.”

  2. Bless the first cup of juice. “We take up the kiddush cup and proclaim the holiness of this Day of Deliverance!” Everyone drinks the juice.

  3. The green vegetables represent the hyssop that was used to place the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts. As you say the following, everyone takes a green vegetable and dips it into the salt water.

  Say, “Blessed are You, oh Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruits of the earth.”

  4. Next, everyone takes a matzo, holds it up, and says together, “This is the bread of affliction, the poor bread, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in want share the hope of Passover.”

  Everyone places the matzo back on the plate.

  5. Pour a second glass of juice as you tell the story of the Hebrews’ deliverance in Exodus 12. Everyone drinks.

  7. Hold up the maror and say, “The Egyptians made the lives of our forefathers bitter. The bitter herb speaks of sorrow.” Hold up the charoseth and say, “This represents the mortar the Hebrews were forced to use building the Egyptian cities.”

  Mix the maror and charoseth. Place them between two pieces of matzo, and everyone eats.

  8. Pour a third cup of juice. Say, “Blessed are you, oh Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.” Everyone drinks.

  9. Point out the egg on the plate. Say, “The egg is not touched because it symbolizes sacrifice. Jesus was sacrificed for our sins.”

  10. Pour a fourth cup of juice and say, “The redemption is not yet complete. The fourth cup recalls us to our covenant with the Eternal One, to the tasks that still await us as people called to the service of God, to a great purpose for which the people of Israel live: the preservation and affirmation of hope.”

  11. Lead children in singing praise songs. Then close by saying, “The Lord has remembered us. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless those who revere the Lord, the small as well as the great.”

  God waits to use you, Mom or Dad, to make Easter come alive for your child… Be faithful and enjoy! 

Super Single Parents – Help for when the “Super” goes AWOL

Courtesy: Thriving Family Magazine

The Overwhelmed Single Parent: 

“Last week everything seemed to go wrong at my house. Add one dental emergency, three sick children, one wet basement and two unexpected medical bills to the everyday stress of single parenting, and it’s all just a giant train wreck. I most definitely don’t have a handle on this life. I’m not even touching the handle. Is there a handle?”  Read more…

School’s Out! Now What?

“As a struggling single mom, I dreaded the stress of summers. Summertime simply meant school was out, evenings were longer, I’d need extra funds, and I’d be worried about how to keep my kids entertained while I was at work.”  Read more…

Summer at a Different Address:

“Tina tiptoed into 7-year-old Jack’s room, checking his toy-packing progress. He was leaving in two days to spend the summer with his dad—three states away. Jack sat on the edge of his lower bunk, hugging his teddy bear, tears running down his cheeks.”          Read more…

Disciplining as a Single Parent:

“When a tag-team wrestler wearies in the fight, he works his way to the corner of the ring. Tired and worn out, he reaches to tag his partner — who then replaces him on the mat. Weary single parents often wish they could ease over to the corner of the ring, tag a partner and take a break. But that rarely happens.”  Read more…

Take Care of Yourself:

“Shortly after becoming a single parent, I noticed that my daily life had changed, and peace was far from my home. There were days that I struggled just to make it through; I was exhausted and spent.”  Read more…

Focus on Your Home:

“Judy, a single mom, has a tough time sending her kids to their father’s for the weekend. She is angry about the divorce and does everything she can to sabotage the visitation arrangements.” Read more…

The Path to Healing:

“From the moment I first held each of my five children, I looked forward to walking through life together. I pictured days of joy and laughter, and even moments of scraped knees and hurt feelings. But I never imagined I would walk with my young kids through the tragedy of divorce. While nothing prepared me for this sorrowful journey, God has lovingly guided us toward healing and hope.” Read more…

Your Child and the No-Show Parent:

“The broken promises of an absent parent can lead to deep insecurity and confusion in a child. While one parent cannot control the other’s actions, she can shape a child’s understanding and response to disappointment.” Read more…

Easter is a Season, Not Simply a Weekend

Celebrating the Easter Season

• Ideas to build faith with your kids throughout the Easter season:

1. Thriving Family Magazine “The shame isn’t that we are celebrating Easter Day; it is that we are missing the Easter Season. It’s like scraping off the icing without realizing you could have had cake too… Read more.

• Exploring Easter: Simple Ways to Celebrate Easter with Your Kids

2. HomeFront Magazine, March edition. A Spiritual Parenting resource.

3.  Two wonderful Crafts for Lent and Easter!

 

4.  Watch the Beginners Bible – The Story of Easter video link

5.  Countdown to Easter Devotions: 40 Days to Go! Countdown to Easter

6. Watch Easter and the Resurrection With Ray Vander Laan video link.

7.  Make Resurrection Rolls for Easter morning breakfast:

A Brand New Day…

I love intrepid Anne’s perspective, especially given that life hadn’t been served up to her on a silver platter. (Anne of Green Gables)

As I consider a new year and the fresh start it brings, I think of a young teen named Daniel and the choice he made to press into the Lord against all odds… “But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet.” (Daniel 1:8)

Sure, our circumstances may differ (although embracing a healthier diet is on many of our minds…) still, it is Daniel’s RESOLVE -i.e. inclination, determination (of will)– that is remarkable.

May we allow God to generate that same inner resolve to yield to His plans in 2015! You’ll find some inspiring content in the links below.

Resolutely yours,

Kathy.

• Single parenting: “Hope for the New Year“
• Raising Socially Competent Kids in a Screen Driven World
• Extinguishing Marital Conflict
• Reassess the Decisions That Affect Your Family

Making the Most of those Christmas Moments….

Calming the Holiday Din

Putting Christ Back Into Christmas

The Purpose of Christmas

A Toddler Sized Christmas

The Gift of Grace

Building up your spouse one word at a time.

Five easy peasy Christmas gifts to make with your kids

Can Christmas really bring Sabbath?

The Imperfect Christmas Get Together

Helping teens handle family conflict.

ADVENT: Great Resources to Prepare your Family to Celebrate Jesus’ Birthday

  

 

Eager to keep the focus on Christ and not consumerism this Christmas?  Looking to be more intentional about celebrating Jesus’ birthday?  Explore the terrific links below… choose 1 and stick with it as much as possible. You’ll be glad you did!

• Journey to the Manger– Focus on the Family 2014 Advent Activity Calendar. Print the ADVENT POSTER, CHRISTMAS CHARACTERS and PARENT GUIDE to lead your family through the season of Advent. It offers a plan for each day, which includes a Scripture reading, prayer and kid-friendly activity highlighting a different Bible-time person or animal related to the Nativity. 
• The Advent Book_Digital Edition- a devotional guide to help families recapture meaning and anticipation this Christmas. “It is hard for us as adults to keep Christ centered in our hearts during the busyness of the Christmas season. For children, it is all the more difficult…” 
• Adventures in Odyssey Advent Calendar– Focus on the Family 2013 Advent Activity Calendar (great activities, simply adjust the dates!) Christmas can be a hectic time of year. Visiting family, hosting dinner parties, attending Christmas celebrations—we pack our schedules with activities and festivities. Sure, many of those things might be enjoyable, but it’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed with all we have to do. That’s why it’s important to turn our eyes to the meaning behind the season and help our families enjoy holiday celebrations built around the hope and truth of Christ. 
• Four Advent Adventures for Your Family – Focus on the Family. “If, like me, you’ve never been able to maintain daily Advent devotions from December first ’til Christmas, here’s an easier challenge: Can you manage four?…” Adventures in Odyssey advent calendar aio-town2-templates aio-town3-templates aio-town4-templates aio-town-templates
• The Jesse Tree  –  This is a tree, or a large banner of a tree, that helps us connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events leading to Jesus’ birth. The ornaments of the Jesse Tree tell the story of God in the Old Testament, connecting the Advent season with the faithfulness of God across four thousand years of history. 
• Wycliffe 12 Days of Christmas:   Christmas and Missions rolled into one!  *Learn how 12 different countries celebrate Christmas; *Make delicious Christmas treats or fun crafts from around the world; *Remember the true reason for the season — Jesus Christ!  
• Henri Nouwen: ADVENT PRAYER  “Lord Jesus, master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas. We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day. We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom. We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence. We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!” Amen.

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands…” (Psalm 90:17)                                                                                                                                             Enjoy!                                                                                                                                                    Kathy.

Remembrance Day – Raising Awareness among Your Kids

Why Poppies?

A Canadian doctor, John McCrae, wrote a poem in 1915 about the devastation he saw in the Flanders area of Belgium and in northern France during the First World War. The land lay destroyed by terrible battles, and many men were buried there. But despite the devastation of battle, the wild poppies survived. Dr McCrae’s poem was published in Punch magazine, and the poppy became the symbol of remembrance. We have a printable version of his poem here: Remembrance Day Poems

• A simple first step: Watch a segment of the Charlie Brown video, What Have We Learned – A Tribute,  here with your children. 

Next Steps: The Canada Remembers Program of Veterans Affairs Canada encourages youth to take an active part in remembrance learning, activities and events within their schools and communities.

• Take Time to Remember is an activity booklet, created for students from kindergarten to grade 2, which offers learning activities that introduce concepts of Remembrance in a fun and educational way.
• Tales of Animals in War newspaper, for ages 5–11, also introduces the concepts of remembrance and thanks to younger children.

Remembrance Day, or Poppy Day: 

is held in Commonwealth countries to remember members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty, as well as all those who have been involved with and affected by war and conflict. Originally declared a special day in 1919 by King George V to remember the soldiers killed in the First World War, now we remember soldiers from all wars who have given their lives.

As the First World War was formally declared over “at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, we traditionally hold two minutes of silence throughout the Commonwealth on 11th November every year.

• Terry Kelly song video: A Pittance of Time

In addition, the second Sunday of each November is known as Remembrance Sunday, and church services remember our fallen soldiers while the Queen, members of the Royal Family, politicians and old soldiers lay poppy wreaths at the Cenotaph in London (near the Houses of Parliament).

Leading up to Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday we buy small paper “poppies” to show that we are remembering the sacrifices of those who died, and also to raise money to support serving and ex-Service personnel and their families. People who have lost a loved one in service put small wooden crosses near war memorials around the country, and local branches of the Royal British Legion lay wreaths.

Poppies at the Cenotaph

2014 marks 100 years since the beginning of World War I. Considering that and the recent tragic events in our nations Capital, participation in Remembrance Day Ceremonies across the country is expected to be heavier than ever. Why don’t you capitalize on the teaching opportunity in your home?

Blessings,

Kathy.

The Quandary of Halloween

    

3 TIPS FOR DISCIPLING YOUR KIDS THROUGH HALLOWEEN

by John Murchison: http://www.vergenetwork.org/2013/10/25/3-tips-for-discipling-your-kids-through-halloween/

Halloween seems to be the one holiday in (North) American Christianity that we just don’t know what to do with. We are happy to celebrate cultural or historical holidays like the (Canada Day), Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s Day. We love religious holidays like Easter and Christmas. But Halloween… Halloween has quite a mixed history, and so we don’t know how to approach it.

In one sense, it is a religious holiday. After all, it started out as “All Hallow’s Eve,” the night before “All Hallow’s Day,” which was a Christian holiday celebrating the lives of saints. In another sense, and one that is far more obvious to a 21st century (North) American, it’s a cultural holiday.

To most families in (North) America, Halloween is a fun time to eat candy, dress up, and have fun with friends. Yet because some choose to use this holiday to celebrate evil and its effects, it also can be a dark holiday.

Click to Tweet: “It’s important for each family to use wisdom and discernment to determine how to celebrate Halloween.” @JohnMurk

Choosing wisely

With such a complicated mixture of influences, it’s important for each family to use discernment and wisdom in determining if and how to celebrate this holiday. I believe that there are sinful ways to participate in Halloween, just as there are with any holiday.

However, I also believe there are many aspects of this holiday that we have freedom in Christ to participate in. Regardless of how you choose to engage in this holiday, I urge you not to miss out on all the opportunities to disciple your kids that the Halloween season provides.

Because this holiday can be a complicated one to disciple your children through, I have three tips to help you lead well during this season.

1. Every Decision is an Opportunity for Discipleship

Each October, your family is faced with a multitude of decisions regarding Halloween. Will our kids dress up and go trick-or-treating? What should we let our kids dress up as? Should we decorate our house like all the neighbors do every year? Will we let our teenagers go to a Halloween party or a Haunted House with their friends? Is it ok for my preschooler to watch the Curious George Halloween episode, or will it be too scary? Are we ok with pictures of ghosts in our home? Witches? Jack-o-lanterns? And on and on.

Leaning on the Word, prayer and community

Fathers and mothers should answer these questions through consulting the Word of God, through prayer, and through community. The principles of Scripture need to be applied by each family with wisdom and discernment. Because every family, every child, and every ministry context is different, there is no “one size fits all” answer for how to approach the season.

Click to Tweet: “Don’t miss out on all the opportunities to disciple your kids that the Halloween season provides.” @JohnMurk

However your family decides to answer all the questions that arise during Halloween, keep in mind that what is most important is how the decision is made. As long as each decision is made with the goal of honoring God and leading your kids to know Him more, then it is a good decision!

Share your reasoning with your children, along with how you are trying to honor God with your decision. In this way, every decision you make this Halloween can be opportunity for you to point them to Jesus.

For example, let’s say that my oldest, who’s now two, decides that she wants to wear a princess costume in a few years. Rather than just saying “yes” or “no,” I need to see that as an opportunity to talk with her about God.

As my wife and I pray about it and discuss it, we might decide that the reason she wants to be a princess is because she’s focused on external beauty. If that is the case, then we would tell her that she can’t be a princess, and explain that Jesus cares more about inner beauty than about external beauty.

Click to Tweet: “Every Halloween decision is an opportunity to disciple your kids.” @JohnMurk

On the other hand, we might decide that her request to be a princess is a great opportunity to talk to her about being a daughter of God. In that case, we would tell her yes, and explain to her that every girl who trusts in Jesus is a princess, because she is adopted into God’s family and is a daughter of the King of kings.

So you see, whether we say “yes” or “no” to her request is not as important as seeing it as an opportunity to tell her about Jesus. Seen through this lens, Halloween is simply full of opportunities for great discussion with your children.

2. Do Not Fear

Right now in Austin, Texas, where I live, there are billboards on every major highway advertising an attraction called the “House of Torment.” The advertisements for this “premiere haunted attraction” contain large pictures of characters that are downright frightening. I’m dreading the day that my two little girls notice these pictures while driving around.

The really scary part

To be honest, I’m scared of those billboards. I’m not scared of the pictures themselves – I’m scared of the conversation that I will need to have with my daughters once they see them. Scared that I won’t have the words to comfort them. Scared of saying the wrong thing.

One reason we parents tend to agonize over each little decision regarding Halloween is that we are scared. We’re scared that if we make the wrong decision, that we will scar our kids for life. We’re scared that we’re too strict, or that we’re too lenient. We’re scared because we care for our children so much, and want to make sure that we always do what’s best for them.

Click to Tweet: “This Halloween we may make parenting mistakes because there is only one perfect parent, God. And our kids are in His hands.” @JohnMurk

In these moments, God has words of comfort for us. When God’s people, Israel, were in fear of the nations around them, He said, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Good news for parenting mistakes

When Jesus was preparing His followers for going out and telling others about Him, he says “…do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11-12).

As we speak to our kids about Christ this season, God has promised to be with us, and Jesus has promised that the Holy Spirit will give us words to say. And yes, we may make mistakes. After all, there is only one perfect parent, God the Father.

But the good news is that this Father is more wise, more powerful, and more loving than we are, and our kids are in His hands. He will use all of our successes and all of our failures in our parenting to bring His children to Him. We can rest in that promise, and we have no need to fear.

3. We’re All on the Same Team

Every year in the weeks leading up to Halloween, my heart breaks to see Christian parents tear each other down. Because we’re all a little insecure over whether our decisions were right or not, we tend to attack anyone who decided differently from us. Each year I see blog posts, Facebook status updates, and heated discussions full of “friendly fire” from one Christian parent to another. This type of talk is neither useful for building up the body of Christ nor helpful in sharing the good news of Jesus to others. It needs to stop.

I want to remind all of us parents that we all want the same thing. All of us are doing the best we can to lead our children through this life, praying that God will bring them safely home to Him. While other parents may make different decisions regarding Halloween than you have made, what we all need most is not judgment and criticism, but rather prayer, encouragement, and support.

Our enemy would love nothing more than for us to tear each other down during this holiday. Instead, I pray that this season will be filled with love – for our kids, for each other, for our neighbors, and most of all, for the Lord.

Happy Halloween, however you decide to spend it!

John Murchison   Verge Network

 

Summer Spiritual Fitness Plan!

CELEBRATE 

SCHOOL’s OUT and you’re experiencing a little more free time in your child’s schedule…

Take advantage of this short lived opportunity to intentionally build faith in your kids over the summer months. We already know how fleeting the time frame is. As a mom of 4 children aged 18 – 26 years, let me assure you that the window of opportunity that seems to stretch out endlessly before you actually ends long before you are ready for it.

Explore these websites for great ideas to help you nourish your child spiritually:

• Going on a Driving Adventure? TIPS for the trip.
• Summer Reading: BOOK REVIEW for parents.
• KIDS of INTEGRITY: free, downloadable lesson plans that help parents instill Christ-honouring character traits in their kids.
• Free FAMILY RESOURCES
• The FAMILY FAITH CHALLENGE:living in your home doesn’t mean your kids are catching your faith…
• FAMILY CHALLENGE FREE BOOK download.
• Fun ACTIVITIES for building faith in kids.
• FAMILY TIME Activity Books.