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)

Songs for Uniqueness

Here are just a few songs I have come across to use to teach Uniqueness:

Knit Me Together by Steve Green (Hide ‘Em In Your Heart CD)

Nobody Like You by ReThink Group (Nobody Like You CD )

You are Very Special view here

We Are the Gospel Fuzzies view here 

What If You Maybe by ReThink Group (Between You and Me CD )

ReThink has some great upbeat songs for teaching biblical character.  You can see their materials here.

Practice Your Gifts

+  Grow in your Gifts  After taking an inventory of all of your spiritual gifts, make a plan to grow in your gift.  For example, if you are good at teaching, maybe you will go into a classroom and observe a teacher and help out.  Maybe you are good at basketball and have the gift of leadership.  Find a team that you can help a coach teach younger students to play basketball.  Maybe you love to serve others and make them feel welcome.  Plan a babysitting night for several families or serve at a homeless shelter.

+  Practice the Gift of Intercession  Pray specifically for the gifts God has given each one of you. For example, “Thank you God for the wonderful ways You have made us. God please build-up the gift of ___ in my friend ___.  We confess that we don’t always use our gifts for You or others in our lives. Please help us to always use our gifts to help others. Let his/her gifts combine with the gifts of others to bring You glory and to show others what you are really like.  Amen.”

+  Practicing the Gift of Generosity  Clean out your toy boxes, book shelves, and closets.  Do the 27 Fling Boogie (idea from www.FlyLady.net) and take the items to a children’s home, Good Will, Salvation Army or local pre-school.

+  Practice the Gift of Teaching  Find a younger person to invest time teaching them either subject material or biblical lessons.  Maybe this is a brother or sister.  Maybe this is helping in a Sunday school class.  Maybe this is someone from school.

+  Practice the Gift of Hospitality Make others feel welcome in your home by taking their coat or taking them on a tour of your home.  Make others feel welcome in your neighborhood by taking them a meal when they move-in, are sick or just need to be reached out to.  Make others feel welcome in your church or school by showing new kids how things work, where to go or even introduce them to others.

+  Practice the Gift of Leadership  Lead others by giving them a good example to follow.  Find a talent that you have that you can help lead others in.  Maybe you are good at singing; start a singing group.  Maybe you like sports; help coach a team. Maybe you like organizing things; ask a parent an area of the house that you can help organize and then show the rest of the family how to keep it organized.  Maybe you like to plan events; help plan a party for your family, friends or even your neighborhood. Maybe you could even start a fundraiser to help someone who is sick. Make sure to plan how others can help you accomplish your goal (delegating).

+  Practice the Gift of Prophecy  If you like to speak boldly about what you believe, pray about who you can tell God’s message to.  This could be anything from salvation to character that should be in someone’s life.  Make sure to practice humility and sensitivity when you speak to others.  Make sure you have worked out what may be sin in your life before you talk to them.

+  Practice the Gift of Mercy or Service  Pray for who God would have you to show compassion or kindness to that are around you.  This could be someone in your family, school or neighborhood.  It could be someone you know or someone you need to get to know.  Maybe you could take a trip to a Nursing Home to encourage the elderly.  Maybe you could help at an animal shelter.  Maybe someone in your family or church is not well and you can go and help them for a couple of hours.

+  Practice the Gift of Encouragement  Think of someone who may need encouraged and make a card for them.  Tell them specifically what you admire about them or what gifts you see in them.  Encourage them in any areas they might be struggling in.  Make sure to find some scripture that may speak to their heart as well.

Exploring Your Gifts

+  Make a Uniqueness List. Make a list of talents and spiritual gifts that God has given each one of you. Using a highlighter, highlight the gifts that you feel are the strongest. Discuss ways that you can use those gifts to serve others and bring glory to God.

+  Spiritual Gift Boxes.  Discuss all of the different spiritual gifts: teaching, leadership, service, hospitality, intercession (prayer), mercy (compassion), encouragement, prophecy (speak boldly about what you believe), and generosity (giving). God wants you to discover and use the gifts He has given you. Decorate a box with different pictures or drawings of things God has gifted each one of you.  Discuss how you can use those gifts and talents for God’s glory.

+  Body Outline Using large paper, trace each one of you.  Decorate the head to look like yourself.  Decorate the body showing special qualities that you have been given by God. (ie: holding an instrument, kicking a soccer ball)

Writing About Your Uniqueness

+  Complete the Sentences...

People say that I am___.

My family thinks I am___.

I think I’m different because___.

I can see that one day God may use me to___. 

I don’t like being___.

But I love being___.

Share your answers with one another.

+  Caterpillars are Meant to Fly  Discuss the process by which the caterpillar turns into a butterfly.  Discuss how God is completing a work in us.  As we grow, God continues to teach us and grow us in areas before He shows us our finished project.  You may not know why you are good at drawing pictures or teaching others until one day He shows you that He wants you to be an illustrator or Christian school teacher.  We have to look for our gifts and take the opportunities to grow our gifts so He can use them in our future. Sometimes that also takes embracing that He made us different from others.  Write about how God might use your gifts in the future.

Bug Object Lessons for Uniqueness

Check out this information on the "10 Most Unique Insects" on the Succeed With Us blog.

Here are some Unique Insects...

Black Bulldog Ant of Australia
"Most Dangerous Ant"

Desert Locust
"Most Destructive"

Goliath Beetle
"Heaviest"

Giant Stick Insect
"Longest"

Sunset Moth of Madagascar
"Most Beautiful"

Thorn Bug
"Weirdest shape"



And of course just some beautiful favorites:
Orange Stink Bug
Leaf bug
Preying Mantis
Tiger Moth
Virgin Tiger Moth
Wild Cherry Sphinx Moth

 

Bugs Teach us Uniqueness

Man has only discovered about 900,000 different kinds of living insects.  Most bug experts think there are way more than that that haven't even been discovered.

thorn bug

Here is what the Department of Systematic Biology, Entomology Section, of the Smithsonian Institution states on their Bug Info page:

"It has long been recognized and documented that insects are the most diverse group of organisms, meaning that the numbers of species of insects are more than any other group. In the world, some 900 thousand different kinds of living insects are known. This representation approximates 80 percent of the world's species. The true figure of living species of insects can only be estimated from present and past studies. Most authorities agree that there are more insect species that have not been described (named by science) than there are insect species that have been previously named. Conservative estimates suggest that this figure is 2 million, but estimates extend to 30 million. In the last decade, much attention has been given to the entomofauna that exists in the canopies of tropical forests of the world. From studies conducted by Terry Erwin of the Smithsonian Institution's Department of Entomology in Latin American forest canopies, the number of living species of insects has been estimated to be 30 million. Insects also probably have the largest biomass of the terrestrial animals. At any time, it is estimated that there are some 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) individual insects alive."

background by vladstudio

Did you count all of those zeros?  That's 19 zeros!  There could be over 10 quintillion individual bugs walking around; each one created by our Awesome Creator. I'd say that that is a whole lof of Uniqueness!

God is infinitely creative, but His creativity doesn't stop with bugs!  Take a look at people around you! You know who did that?  God did! 

background by vladstudio

The more we discover about other people, the more our Uniqueness becomes evident and stands out to us.  It's so important to embrace the qualities or GIFTS He has given you and USE them for His glory.  Bugs are a great way to show kids that there is purpose in the way God creates things.  Some things that may seem to be differences that are ugly or unwanted, are really things that help or protect each species.  This can lead into a great conversation about self-worth and accepting all of the ways God made each one of us.

March's Virtue: Uniqueness

background by vectorjunky.com

DEFINTION: looking for the gifts in others shows us more about ourselves

MEMORY VERSE: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

CONNECTION: bugs to show how unique our God created our world and us

    (a connection is a visual reminder of the virtue)

background from vladstudio

SYNONYMS: one-of-a-kind, special, different, distinctive, individuality, rare, extraordinary

God is unique:

“But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does.” Job 23:13 (NASB)

Jesus is unique:

 “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God.  But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart.  He has revealed God to us.” John 1:17-18 (NLT)

God made each man unique:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

God gives us special gifts & talents:

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.  If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.” Romans 12:6 (NIV)

“He is the One who gave some the gift to be apostles.  He gave some the gift to be prophets.  He gave some the gift of preaching the good news. And He gave some the gift to be pastors and teachers.  He did it so that they might prepare God’s people to serve.  If they do, the body of Christ will be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIrV)

“There are different kinds of gifts.  But they are all given by the same Spirit.” I Corinthians 12:4 (NIrV)

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV)

“Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him.  Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded:” Exodus 31:6 (NIV)

“So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.” Exodus 36:1 (NIV)

“He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems.  Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” Daniel 5:12 (NIV)

God uses our unique abilities to help Believers:

“For just was each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5 (NIV)

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” I Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

The Day of the Lord is unique:

“On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness.  It will be a unique day—a day known only to the LORD—with no distinction between day and night.  When evening comes, there will be light.” Zechariah 14:6-7 (NIV)

background from vladstudio

ANTONYMS: commonness, similar, standard

Don’t hide your uniqueness:

“For am I now seeking approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man?  If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (ESV)

BIBLE STORIES/LESSONS

+  Deborah (Judges 4:1-24)— The prophetess & judge helps Barak lead the Israelites into battle against Sisera & the Canaanites.

+  Gideon (Judges 6:11-7:22)—The youngest of the weakest family is chosen by God to lead 300 men into battle against the Midianites.  

+  David & Goliath (I Samuel 17)—God uses a small boy named David to defeat the Philistine champion with 5 small stones.

+  John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-6)—God uses a very unique man to share God’s message.  He lives in the desert, eats bugs & wears animal skins.