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Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
help us trust you
all the time.
Read this Bible thought from Isaiah 26:3-4. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
We have peace
when we trust God.
When my kids were small, they enjoyed doing things with me that were a little bit scary but where they had a lot of fun and would laugh and laugh. Have something in mind to do with your kids like wrestling with them, tossing them gently and catching them, doing something "gymnastic" like holding them while they stand on their hands. Make sure it's something that you have done before with them and something that you know they like! You want this to be an experience where you can talk about trust.
Say something like this... Again, make sure that what you are using as an example is something that you know they like to do.
Do you like it when I (wrestle with you, catch you, hold you up... whatever you plan to do...)?
Your child will say yes!
Surprise them by doing whatever you have planned for a couple of minutes.
Then stop, catch your breath, and say:
Did I surprise you? We had fun, didn't we? Why is it fun for you?
Let your child say whatever they want.
Then continue by saying something like this:
When we have fun, we are "trusting" the one we're having fun with. That's why we can have fun even when it's a little scary.
Just like you trust me, I trust God. I hope you will learn to trust God too!
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
help us trust you
all the time.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Isaiah 26:3-4. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
We have peace
when we trust God.
Put out the candle.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Giving What We've Been Given
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Note: This Sunday there will be a big event at our church. You can read about it on the front page of the Enterprise-Dispatch newspaper this week or on my blog for After this Sunday's children's Christmas program we will all line up, children, adults and youth, to pass food in a big line from the church to the food shelf. This will be a great way to teach your children about sharing.
Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you are full of kindness,
help us be kind too.
Read this Bible thought from Matthew 15:37. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
When Jesus fed the people,
everyone had enough.
Read this Bible story - based on Matthew 15:29-37
Many people came to see Jesus because he was making sick people feel better. They stayed with Jesus for three days. Jesus saw that they were hungry. He asked his helpers to share their food. They said they didn't have enough to share. But Jesus didn't want the crowd to go hungry. So he prayed and thanked God for the little bit of food that his helpers had. Then he divided it up and his helpers gave the food to the crowd. And all of the crowd, thousands of people, had enough to eat. There were even seven baskets of food left over.
Talk for awhile about the story.
It's amazing what Jesus does when the people shared!
Tell them we're going to do something like this on Sunday -- tell them about the food shelf.
It would be great if you could go to the store with your children and get a sack of food to bring to church that day. Maybe you could plan a time to do that with your child. You can learn more and get a list about what is needed at the Cokato Food Shelf by clicking here.
Finally, talk about the Christmas program on Sunday and what your son or daughter will be doing. Help them if they have lines to memorize or a song to practice.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you are full of kindness,
help us be kind too.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Matthew 15:37. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
When Jesus fed the people,
everyone had enough.
Put out the candle.
Note: This Sunday there will be a big event at our church. You can read about it on the front page of the Enterprise-Dispatch newspaper this week or on my blog for After this Sunday's children's Christmas program we will all line up, children, adults and youth, to pass food in a big line from the church to the food shelf. This will be a great way to teach your children about sharing.
Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you are full of kindness,
help us be kind too.
Read this Bible thought from Matthew 15:37. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
When Jesus fed the people,
everyone had enough.
Read this Bible story - based on Matthew 15:29-37
Many people came to see Jesus because he was making sick people feel better. They stayed with Jesus for three days. Jesus saw that they were hungry. He asked his helpers to share their food. They said they didn't have enough to share. But Jesus didn't want the crowd to go hungry. So he prayed and thanked God for the little bit of food that his helpers had. Then he divided it up and his helpers gave the food to the crowd. And all of the crowd, thousands of people, had enough to eat. There were even seven baskets of food left over.
Talk for awhile about the story.
It's amazing what Jesus does when the people shared!
Tell them we're going to do something like this on Sunday -- tell them about the food shelf.
It would be great if you could go to the store with your children and get a sack of food to bring to church that day. Maybe you could plan a time to do that with your child. You can learn more and get a list about what is needed at the Cokato Food Shelf by clicking here.
Finally, talk about the Christmas program on Sunday and what your son or daughter will be doing. Help them if they have lines to memorize or a song to practice.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you are full of kindness,
help us be kind too.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Matthew 15:37. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
When Jesus fed the people,
everyone had enough.
Put out the candle.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Thanking God for Jesus
PRINTER FRIENDLY AVAILABLE HERE
Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you show God's love.
Help us love you.
Read this Bible thought from Luke 10:21-23-24. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Jesus says:
Little children
can understand
and know my love.
Talk to your child.
Look around. What do you see?
Let them answer however they want to.
Hold a Bible or a Bible story book in your hand.
What is this?
Who is in this book?
Help them remember names.
In this book we learn about Jesus.
What do you know about Jesus?
Help them remember stories where Jesus shows his love (healing, feeding, teaching).
Jesus always loves us, even when we aren't good.
Help them sing this song. You can find the melody by clicking here.
Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me (repeat 3 times)
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me when I'm good. When I do the things I should.
Jesus loves me when I'm bad, even though it makes him sad.
Yes, Jesus loves me (repeat 3 times)
The Bible tells me so.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you show God's love.
Help us love you.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Luke 10:21-23-24. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Jesus says:
Little children
can understand
and know my love.
Put out the candle.
Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you show God's love.
Help us love you.
Read this Bible thought from Luke 10:21-23-24. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Jesus says:
Little children
can understand
and know my love.
Talk to your child.
Look around. What do you see?
Let them answer however they want to.
Hold a Bible or a Bible story book in your hand.
What is this?
Who is in this book?
Help them remember names.
In this book we learn about Jesus.
What do you know about Jesus?
Help them remember stories where Jesus shows his love (healing, feeding, teaching).
Jesus always loves us, even when we aren't good.
Help them sing this song. You can find the melody by clicking here.
Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me (repeat 3 times)
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me when I'm good. When I do the things I should.
Jesus loves me when I'm bad, even though it makes him sad.
Yes, Jesus loves me (repeat 3 times)
The Bible tells me so.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you show God's love.
Help us love you.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Luke 10:21-23-24. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Jesus says:
Little children
can understand
and know my love.
Put out the candle.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Choosing the Path of Light
PRINTER FRIENDLY AVAILABLE HERE
Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
when things are bad
help them get better.
Use us to help.
Read this Bible thought from Isaiah 2:4-5. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
The Bible says:
Someday God
will make everything good.
Let's be good now.
Talk to your child or read this to them about what is good and not good.
What do you really like to do?
Let them answer however they want to.
What makes that good?
Help them find an answer.
What "not good" things do you know about?
Maybe talk about sickness or pain that they or a loved one have suffered.
How can people make things better?
Talk about bandages or medicine or kindness...
God wants things to be good, and someday everything bad will be gone!
Imagine with your child what that might be like!
Jesus came because he loves us.
Talk about some of the ways Jesus helped people.
When Jesus comes back, everything will be good!
We can get ready by helping and being good too.
What can we do to help someone who is hurt?
Talk about praying for someone or visiting or helping someone.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
when things are bad
help them get better.
Use us to help.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Isaiah 2:4-5. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
The Bible says:
Someday God
will make everything good.
Let's be good now.
Put out the candle.
Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
when things are bad
help them get better.
Use us to help.
Read this Bible thought from Isaiah 2:4-5. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
The Bible says:
Someday God
will make everything good.
Let's be good now.
Talk to your child or read this to them about what is good and not good.
What do you really like to do?
Let them answer however they want to.
What makes that good?
Help them find an answer.
What "not good" things do you know about?
Maybe talk about sickness or pain that they or a loved one have suffered.
How can people make things better?
Talk about bandages or medicine or kindness...
God wants things to be good, and someday everything bad will be gone!
Imagine with your child what that might be like!
Jesus came because he loves us.
Talk about some of the ways Jesus helped people.
When Jesus comes back, everything will be good!
We can get ready by helping and being good too.
What can we do to help someone who is hurt?
Talk about praying for someone or visiting or helping someone.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
when things are bad
help them get better.
Use us to help.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Isaiah 2:4-5. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
The Bible says:
Someday God
will make everything good.
Let's be good now.
Put out the candle.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Paying Attention
PRINTER FRIENDLY AVAILABLE HERE
Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you are coming.
Help us get ready.
Read this Bible thought from Mark 13:35-37. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
The Bible says:
Be ready!
The master
is coming soon!
Talk to your child or read this to them about being ready.
At night we get ready to sleep.
What do we do to get ready to sleep?
In the morning we get ready for the day.
What do we get ready for the day?
What else do we get ready for?
During "Advent" we get ready for Jesus!
Someday Jesus will come with his love.
Who else loves us?
Talk about people who care for and love you and your children.
How do we get ready for them?
Talk about what you do to get ready to visit them or when they come to visit you.
Getting ready for Jesus is a little like that.
We are excited because Jesus loves us very much.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you are coming.
Help us get ready.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Mark 13:35-37. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
The Bible says:
Be ready!
The master
is coming soon!
Put out the candle.
Light one candle.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you are coming.
Help us get ready.
Read this Bible thought from Mark 13:35-37. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
The Bible says:
Be ready!
The master
is coming soon!
Talk to your child or read this to them about being ready.
At night we get ready to sleep.
What do we do to get ready to sleep?
In the morning we get ready for the day.
What do we get ready for the day?
What else do we get ready for?
During "Advent" we get ready for Jesus!
Someday Jesus will come with his love.
Who else loves us?
Talk about people who care for and love you and your children.
How do we get ready for them?
Talk about what you do to get ready to visit them or when they come to visit you.
Getting ready for Jesus is a little like that.
We are excited because Jesus loves us very much.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
you are coming.
Help us get ready.
Add your own thoughts and prayers.
Read this Bible thought from Mark 13:35-37. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
The Bible says:
Be ready!
The master
is coming soon!
Put out the candle.
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