Celebrating Easter

Coloring eggs

 Although this past weekend seemed very busy, we enjoyed celebrating the resurrection together as a

family.  We had several opportunities to visit with our extended families to share meals and hunt for

eggs. 

The Armor of God (from Dylan's Easter basket)

 Twice, we went through the Resurrection Eggs, which Dylan loves and is a great way to talk about

the purpose of Easter.  Dale used the armor of God (pictured above) in his sermon on Sunday

morning.  Dylan was smiling as big as possible.  The armor was a great addition to the sermon.  I

loved how I was able to picture how we are supposed to use the armor of God daily!

Celebrating Jesus at church on Easter morning.

Homeschool Life

Science experiment from A Reason for Science.

Well, we've made it so far!  We officially started homeschooling in August and we've made it half way through our year.  At first, it was a little rough, but the last few weeks I feel like we have made a change.  Dasia is flying through her work with a lot less complaining which makes it so much nicer for both of us.

After Christmas, we added a few new subjects.  We are now also using "A Reason for Spelling", "History for Little Pilgrims" and "Grammar & Punctuation".  Although we added a few additional subjects, she is doing great! 

I was thrilled earlier this week when Dylan started showing more interest in writing letters!  I think I've been a little concerned for no reason.  I often forget he is only three.  He is the same size as Dasia who is two years older. 

Homeschooling is a wonderful blessing to our family.  I am thankful to the Lord for opening up the door to allow me to teach my two little ones and spend so much time with them.

Memorizing Scripture - Why Not Start Now?

A photo of the snow we had last week.

Several months ago, I started working on scripture memorization with my children who are 3 and 5.  We finished all the verses on the list that we were using except for the ones that were too long for them.  I noticed that if the verse was way too long, I wasn't able to remember it as easily either which resulted in less practice for the kids. 

Dylan received a VeggieTales Bible Storybook for Christmas. So, I created a new scripture list for us to memorize using some of the verses at the end of each story.  Dasia and Dylan each have their own list with a check box to indicate that they learned the verse.  We will keep their lists on the closet door in our living room which is where we also keep our chore chart.  So far, this has worked really well for us.  It's a high traffic area so we are able to look at it often. 

We try to memorize one verse a week, but sometimes it takes longer.  Our verse for this week is

In all things God works for the good of those who love him.  Romans 8:28

Operation Christmas Child - Lesson in Giving

Our shoe boxes are packed and ready for Operation Christmas Child.

Several years ago, before Dasia was born, Dale and I started filling shoe boxes each November for Operation Christmas Child.  One year, we took our youth group to Wal-Mart and had the kids pick out items to fill shoe boxes.  We then went back to our church for an overnight party where we ate, played games and filled up several shoe boxes with gifts for the children who are blessed through Operation Christmas Child.  Every year, I look forward to participating in this ministry. 

This week, Dasia, Dylan and I made a trip to the Dollar Tree to purchase items to fill up four shoe boxes.  It's a good opportunity for the children to give to other children.  They both enjoyed picking out a few toys to put in the boxes.  That evening we wrapped and filled up our gifts.  It was an emotional time for Dylan who would really like to have some of the toys we put in the boxes.

National Collection Week is November 12-19, 2012.  If you would like more information on this ministry, visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ.

God's Ways....Are Not What We Would Think

My mums that I bought from Aldi either last year or 2 years ago.  Beautiful this year!

Last night, our story for the evening from "Little Boys Bible Storybook" was about Joshua and the wall of Jericho.  Every time I read about Jericho from one of our children's Bibles, I laugh out loud.  Here's an excerpt of what I find so funny (and amazing!).


     "God said we can capture Jericho," Joshua annouced.   "Alright!  We'll attack them so hard that they won't know what hit them!"  The Israelites cheered.   "No.  We're going to do exactly what God says: March around the city once a day for six days-without saying a word!"  Joshua was very firm.  "Huh? We'll look like fools," the people muttered...

      HA! Look at those crazy Israelites!" the men of Jericho laughed.  "What do they think they're gonna do...shake the walls so hard that they fall down?


I've heard this story many times, but nothing has done it justice like children's Bibles and VeggieTales.  Take a few moments and think about what it was like for Joshua.  The Israelites would assume they were going to fight.  Who wouldn't have thought that?  Joshua had to believe God and put himself out there.  And then once they started marching, can you imagine what the people of Jericho said? 

How can this relate to our lives today?  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.  Isaiah 55:8  Years ago, God did things differently than  you or I would have.  And....He still does today.  Ask God what to do with the difficult areas and problems in your life.  Take time to listen for His voice and answer.  There's a pretty good chance that what He tells you may not be what you would have decided to do on your own or what you would learn from worldly magazines and tv. 

Spending Time Together - Family Fun Friday

Dylan at his gymnastics class.  He likes the class, but dislikes stretching.

 Our lives have changed a little since we started homeschooling in August.  But, we are enjoying it and have settled into some what of a schedule.  Here's a little of what we've been doing lately...



Dasia walking the balance beam at gymnastics.

Making a chart during school.  Mommy found a great use for Microsoft clip art.

Feeding the ducks at the park.

 

 

Family Day at the Lake of Egypt Fire Station

Dylan and Dasia both loved using the geoboards that came with our Saxon Manipulatives Kit.  Dasia carried hers around all day.

This was our second trip to the local science center for the homeschool class.  The kids made weather vanes.  They both enjoyed it.  I was impressed with how well Dylan paid attention.  (and thankful that the center lets a 3 year old participate!)

Movie Ratings

Back in July, we purchased a Spiderman (cartoon) DVD for Dylan's birthday.  He was turning 3 and was recently enjoying pretending to be Spiderman.  Dale watched this DVD with the kids.  He later told me that there were a couple curse words in the movie.  I was shocked.  Really, in a Spiderman cartoon?  Needless to say, we threw the DVD away.

While discussing what we had discovered with my sister, she said, "Did you check the rating?".  Well, of course not because it was a Spiderman cartoon.  It never crossed my mind that it would have inappropriate language.  Dasia wasn't interested in super heroes and this was our first experience with any movie like that.

Recently, while at the movie theater, I saw a flyer about movie ratings.  This is what I learned....

G - General Audience, All Ages Admitted: A G-rated motion picture signifies that the film rated contains nothing most parents will consider offensive for even their youngest children to see or hear.  Nudity, sex scenes, and scenes of drug use are absent; violence is minimal; snippets of dialogue may go beyond polite conversation but do not go beyond common everyday expressions. 

PG - Parental Guidance Suggested.  Some Material May Not Be Suitable for Children.: The PG rating indicates that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children.  A PG rated motion picture may contain some profanity and some depictions of violence, sensuality or brief nudity.  But, these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance.  There is no drug use content in a PG rated motion picture. 

(Ratings descriptions were taken from the brochure printed by the The Classification and Rating Administration.  For more information, see www.filmratings.com.)

I was suprised that the PG rating meant that a movie may contain some profanity and brief nudity.  I hadn't given it much thought.  We only take the kids to movies that are G at the theater, but as far as movies that we rent to view at home, we weren't necessarily checking the rating.  I do monitor the cartoons that we view on tv and those usually are only on in the morning.  Once afternoon arrives, the cartoons appear to be targeted to older children. 

In the future, before I purchase any DVDs at Wal-Mart, I will be checking the rating.  I was very thankful that Dale watched the movie with the kids so that we were aware of the content. 

T-shirts with a Life Changing Message

Do you love Christian t-shirts as much as I do?  I've always liked the cute sayings on the shirts made by Kerusso.  Check out Kerusso's site to see the many shirts they have available.

Morning Devotions

I've been asking God to show me how to teach my children and to guide us to materials that will help us.  Every night before bed, we read a story from one of our children's Bibles.  However, I really wanted to do something with the kids in the mornings before school to start our days off with a focus on God and something that concerned "character".  We stopped by Lifeway today and I found a wonderful little devotional for 2-5 year olds.  I had no idea that there was anything like that for young children. 

There was a book for girls and one for boys.  I picked the one for boys.  It's called "Fun Devotions for Boys: Gotta Have God 3".  Each devotion starts with a verse from the Bible followed by a short real life story, questions and an activity. 

My plan is to read and discuss the devotion in the mornings with both kids.  I'm excited about starting this because it seems to be perfect for us! 

Memory Verse for the Week

Dasia did well with last week's verse.  Dylan kind of got it, but I decided to move on anyway.  I think he does a great job for his age. 

Our verse to memorize for the week is Psalm 34:13.  Keep your tongue from evil.  My translation (NLT) reads, "Then watch your tongue!  Keep your lips from telling lies!

Memory Verses - How We Do It

Just for fun

Back a few months ago, I came across a printable list of verses for children to memorize.  I loved the layout!  There was one verse for every letter of the alphabet and a checkbox to complete after the verse was memorized.  I printed a sheet for Dasia and one for Dylan and hung the lists on our closet door above our chore charts.  I thought others might be interested in using it for their children.  You can print the list here.

My goal is to learn a different verse every week.  However, sometimes the verses are long and we work on them for a longer time period.  And, sometimes I forget and we do not practice the verse enough during the week.  We are currently on letter H and the kids are doing great!  Each night after we read our Bible story and another book or two, I say the verse and have each child repeat it.  During Sunday School, I ask both of them to tell me their Bible verse.  I usually have to prompt them with the first couple of words.  If they get it mostly correct, they get to pick a prize out of our prize box.  Our prize box consists of $1 items that I let them choose from Wal-Mart and Target. 

Periodically, we recite the previous verses we memorized to keep them fresh in our minds.  Notice I said "our".  This has been not only a great way for the kids to learn scripture, but for me too!

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalms 119:11

The Home

I recently happened upon (I think God intended for me to have this book) a book about home schooling.  However, I wanted to share a little from the book that applies to anyone with children.  The book is titled "What Your Child Needs to Know When".  I thought it was a book that just had checklists of what your child needed to know at each grade level.  It's much more than that.  Following is an excerpt that I wanted to share with you.

Today's Christians have it backwards.  The primary sphere of religious activity should be in the home, not the church.  The dinner table was a place to gather-not just for food (Deuteronomy 8:3)-but also to study God's Word, pray, praise, and worship.  The home was more important than the synagogue.  The center of all training-religious, education, and family-was the home. 

Awhile back, a friend had told me that her church was focusing on teaching families how to teach their children about God at home.  Basically, her church is following what the author was saying above.  The center of your family's faith in God should come from your home. 

While this is not a new idea, it is something that we must be intentional about.  Pray!  Ask God how to teach your children to walk with God.  Don't just walk with God alone, walk together as a family!

Dasia's First Bible

Our church presented Dasia with her first (big girl) Bible this morning as a celebration of her new life with Jesus.  We were surprised and very blessed.  They even had her name put on the front of the Bible. 

Unrealistic Expectations

On Thursday, Dylan and Dasia attended a gymnastics class at a new place.  Dasia had already taken classes at another facility, but this was Dylan's very first class.  Dylan will be three in July and Dasia will be five.  Dasia's class went great!  She enjoyed it and did what the instructor asked of her.

Dylan's class was a mommy and me format.  Until a few minutes into the class, I completely thought that Dylan would behave perfectly.  I expected that he would sit still, wait in line, and do only what was asked of him.  Seriously, this is how my mind typically works.  It's not that I always expect positive things, I think I have unrealistic expectations for how daily life will take place. 

So, he wasn't that bad, but he didn't want to do everything that the instructor asked him to do.  He really wanted to play on some of the nearby equipment.  He laid down on the floor and said he was too tired.  Due to my unrealistic expectations going into the class, I felt overwhelmed.  Looking back, I would have felt better if I had previously considered that the class may not go perfectly.  Remember, Dylan is two and this was not only his first experience with gymnastics, but also his first classroom experience.

What does this have to do with God?  Everything!  Sometimes, we have unrealistic expectations of God.  We may expect Him to answer our prayers faster than He does.  We may expect to have no or very little difficulties in our lives as we walk with God.  We may expect God to deliver us from a situation and instead He asks us to walk through it.  We may expect God to provide a new job and instead He leaves us at our current one.  (This last one happened to me.  I looked for a new job for almost eight years while I was "left" at the current one!)

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

Life simply will not go as planned!  We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.  Proverbs 16:9 I have tried for years to make it work and it just does not.  Many times, my stress is just a result of life not occurring as I expected.  If this is you, join me in asking the Lord to change you and help you "see" that it is ok when everything does not fall perfectly into place.  God loves you and wants you to have a blessed life!  Stress is not blessed!  Let Him set you free by renewing your mind in this area.  

We can gather our thoughts, but the LORD gives the right answer.  Proverbs 16:1

And the Angels Rejoice!

And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”  Luke 15:9-10

 On Sunday night, my sweet daughter, Dasia, asked Jesus into her heart.  I was surprised when she said, "I don't know how to do it."  At first, I didn't know what she was talking about.  We were reading a Bible story from one of our children's Bibles and talking about heaven and hell.  After a couple questions, I discovered that she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart.  After putting Dylan to bed (he was exhausted and fell asleep before we finished our nightly routine), Dasia, Dale and I talked about believing that Jesus was God's Son, asking forgiveness for your sins and asking Him to come into your heart.  We prayed together and Dasia asked Jesus into her heart.  After we finished, the smile on her face was glowing!  I praise God for tugging on her little heart to become His child!

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

VeggieTales $5 Sale

VeggieTales is having a $5 DVD sale.  I love these movies!  The DVDs and books are a great way to teach your children about following Godly principles. 

The Vision for Our Family

 Five years ago, my husband and I were introduced to Victory Christian Center, a church in a nearby town.  We were looking for a church home and soon began attending there.  That's where we were when God called Dale to pastor South County Line Christian Church, which is where we are now.

While attending Victory Christian Center, we had a chance to observe some special families.  That's where I saw what I wanted!  The pastor was a father to 10 children.  I watched each Sunday as those children served God.  I listened to those young adults pray during the service.  I watched those children jump up and down and worship the Lord.  And I stood in amazement.....this was my first experience to really see a family in love with God that it couldn't be denied.  These children weren't just attending church because their parents said they had to go, they had relationships with God themselves!  And I knew that I wanted that too!  At the time, we did not yet have any children.  I remember walking to our car after service one day and the pastor ran out to catch us and asked if he could pray that God would bless us with children.  Well, God did!  And He gave us so much more, something to "see", how a family could follow God together.  

And so, here is our vision for our family........

                    That God will use our family to point others to Jesus.

                    Children who have their own "walks with God" so that when it becomes time for us 

                    to let them go, they will go the only way they know.  Following hard after God!

                    To live the life that God has called us to wherever that may lead.

Sharing the Daily Word

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on 

them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven 

belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and 

blessed them before he left.   

Matthew 19:13-15

Did you catch the part of the scripture above that says the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children?  Trust and believe God like a child would!  What a wonderful way to love your Heavenly Father!

You Don't Need to Ask God for That

Image Credit

As I was snuggling with Dasia tonight, I noticed she had the hiccups.  So, I prayed and asked God to cause the hiccups to go away.  Dasia said, "Mom, those will go away on their own.  You don't need to ask God."  I said, "But God cares about everything.  He wants us to ask him for help!".  It's true.  God cares for you.  Everything about your life is important to Him.  You are so special to Him that He let His only son die for your sins!   Praise God for Easter!

Preparing for Easter Fun

  Dylan coloring Easter eggs.









Filling plastic eggs for the Easter egg hunt at church.

Dasia really enjoyed decorating monster eggs.  I
bought this set last year when it was marked down thinking Dylan would like it, not Dasia.

Dale and Dasia coloring eggs.







Have you decorated Easter eggs yet this year?  My kids really enjoyed it, especially Dasia.  Dylan did a few eggs and then went to play.  We are going to make Easter cupcakes again on Friday and practice hunting for eggs.