ABC Memory Verses

Now that my daughter is 2 years old, I wanted to start hiding the Word of God in her heart.  I searched the internet and found different ABC verses to do with pre-schoolers. My daughter, Leona, knows her ABC's, so I thought it would be great practice to make that my focus.  I wasn't very satisfied with the verses they had, so of course I had to tweek them :)  I also made most of the letters correspond with the character trait that we are going over.
Let me emphasize that my goal is not memorization, except for a few main ones.  Memorization for her can come later.  My main goal is to get her familiar with scripture and to just hear it over and over again.  My other goal is to use these times to teach and reteach some sign language as well.  I will try to insert pictures for the signs I use.

I will post each letter as we complete them and any other ideas I come up with as I go along.  I am going to focus on a letter each week.  I did combine some of the end letters to get finished before Christmas.

The nice thing about this format is that you can make it fit any age 2-5 by just building on the letter or idea :)

I hope you can use what I have put together!  Feel free to use whatever you want from my ideas!

Easter Jelly Bean Poem

I wrote this Jelly Bean Poem to teach my Chapel kids with some inspiration of other poems online. I called it "An Easter Promise". The kids really understood the colors and loved that there were more colors than just the gospel colors.  The first graders loved practicing their color words too! The loved coloring in the empty jelly beans, but I included the copy of the colored one too!

Resurrection Rolls

Here is a great recipe for teaching the Easter Story...

>Basically you can use any dough recipe.  (a friend's dough recipe at the bottom)
>Dip large marshmellows in melted butter. Roll in cinnamon and sugar.
>Wrap the marshmellows in the dough. Pinch the sides really well to prevent the marshmellow from leaking out.
>Bake ar 400' for about 15 min.

The marshmellow represents Christ---perfect and spotless lamb.
The butter and the spices represent the oils and spices his body was prepared in before burial.
The dough is the tomb his body was placed in. The marshmellow will melt leaving an empty tomb. HE IS RISEN!

Here is a sample bread dough recipe that you can use for making this delicious treat.  If you want to make it simple, you can just use a can of crescent rolls, I just prefer homemade. My friend also uses this recipe for garlic pull-apart bread and cinnamon pull-apart bread.  I tend to use my bread maker, but this is a great way to involve your children too!

Finding Easter in Bunnies and Baskets Article

I just found a great article from Focus on the Family that I want to share with you.

It saddens my heart that children are more excited about a fictitious bunny delivering a basket than the miracle of Christ's resurrection.  This article is a part of a series about helping your children understand the meaning of Easter. This particular article, Finding Easter in Bunnies and Baskets, discusses how to use our culture's common decorations to tell the true meaning of Easter.

Here are the links to the other articles in the series...
Do Your Children Understand Easter?
Easter Traditions that Matter

The Easter Story Activities

Make Resurrection Cookies with your family. 

As you put the ingredients together and make these cookies, you can tell the story of Christ's resurrection.  Check out a detailed recipe here.

Teach them the Easter Egg colors.
The colors of Easter Eggs can also tell the story about Christ conquering the grave.  Check it out here.

Read the Jelly Beans and Jesus Poem.Read this poem while enjoying the truth found in the colors of the jelly beans. If you're using this for a larger group of kids, place the poem and each color of the jelly beans in a plastic egg to take home.

Jelly Bean Treats
I also found this cute craft/treat that goes with the ideas of Jelly beans too.  A blog writer named Jocelyn uses a book called My Easter Basket by Mary Manz Simon. Check out her blog here. She makes these cute ice cream cone treats with the story too. Check out the recipe here.

Open those Resurrection Eggs.
Resurrection Eggs are a common way to tell the story of Easter.  Starting 12 days before Easter, which falls on April 12, 2011, an egg is opened to tell the awesome story of Christ's arrest, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.  You can buy premade ones in the store or even make your own.

Instilling Humility in Children article

"A truly humble person knows he's great,

but he recognizes God as the source of his greatness."

Read this great article on "Instilling Humility in Children" by Sarah Chana Radcliffe, M. Ed.

Sarah gives some great examples, ideas and tools for teaching your children respect! She also gives a five-step approach to teaching humility...TEACH, REMIND, PROMPT, BLOCK and DISCIPLINE.

Check it out!

"Don't equate humility with weakness. The truly humble person is the strongest of all,

as the example of Moses aptly demonstrates."

April's Theme: Humility

DEFINTION: giving up what you want by putting others first

MEMORY VERSE: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3 

CONNECTION: use a first place medal or medal stands to show "Who's takes FIRST place?".  Label the stands as "God on top", "Others come next.", and "I take last."

    (a connection is a visual reminder of the virtue)

SYNONYMS: meeknesss, selflessness, lowliness, back seat

Christ is Humble

“By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!” II Corinthians 10:1 (NIV)

“so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” John 13:4-5 (NIV)

““Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”” Luke 22:39 (NIV)

Believers should show Humility

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV)

Humbleness leads to repentence

“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)

Leaders should lead with Humility:

“In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.” Psalm 45:4 (NIV)

Humility focuses on Others

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

God wants us to be Humble and submit to Authority

“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” I Peter 5:5 (NIV)

Humility produces Honor and Wisdom

“Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 15:33 (NIV)

“Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12 (NIV)

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13 (NIV)

Humility also means to Fear the Lord

“Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4 (NIV)

“because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.” II Chronicles 34:27 (ESV)

Obedience requires being humble

“So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.” Exodus 10:3 (ESV)

Humbling circumstances are for our good

“who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.” Deuteronomy 8:16 (ESV)

Fasting is an act of humility

“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.” Ezra 8:21(ESV)

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18 (NIV)

ANTONYMS: selfish, prideful, pompous, self-centered, egotistical

Pride does not come from God

“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” I John 2:16 (NLT)

Prideful men do not seek God

“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” Psalm 10:4 (NIV)

God hates pride

“The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself—the LORD God Almighty declares: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.”” Amos 6:8 (NIV)

God punishes the Proud

“I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.” Isaiah 13:11 (NIV)

“If you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD’s flock will be taken captive.” Jeremiah 13:17 (NIV)

“If you are proud, you will be destroyed. If you are proud, you will fall.” Proverbs 16:18 (NIrV)

“But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.” Daniel 5:20 (NIV)

“If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me--I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies--or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land.” Leviticus 26:40-42 (NASB)

“And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (ESV)

Pride deceives us

“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’” Obadiah 1:3 (NIV)

Pride produces disgrace/shame

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)

“Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.” Proverbs 29:23 (NIV)

“A man who brags will be brought low. Men who are proud will be put to shame. The Lord alone will be honored at that time.” Isaiah 2:17 (NIrV)

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Daniel 4:37 (NIV)

Pride needs to be confessed

“Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.” II Chronicles 32:26 (NIV)

Pride produces lying lips

“Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.” Psalm 31:18 (NIV)

“For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,” Psalm 59:12 (NIV)

Pride produces violent behavior

“My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me.” Psalm 56:2 (NIV)

“Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.” Psalm 73:6 (NIV)

Pride leads to arguing

“Pride only leads to arguing. But those who take advice are wise.” Proverbs 13:10 (NIrV)

Unbelievers are selfish

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)

Selfishness leads to fighting

“An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.” Proverbs 18:1 (NIV)

“For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.” II Corinthians 12:20 (NLT)

Selfishness produces other sins

“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” James 3:16 (NIV)