Valentine's Day with Family

Photo by vancity197 at stock.xchg

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, what better way to say “I love you” or “I care about you” than spending some quality time with your family and/or child(ren) crafting, playing a game, reading or doing an activity together.  

Have your child create a graph using conversation hearts.  You can find a printable graph here:   http://blissfullydomestic.com/life-bliss/valentines-heart-math/30392/

Make a fun heart or Hershey kiss shaped Rice Krispie treat to share with teachers, friends or neighbors.  You can find the recipe/instructions here:  

http://spoonful.com/recipes/sweet-heart-krispie-treats (for heart shaped treats)

http://partiesandholidays.blogspot.com/2010/02/rice-krispie-kisses.html (kiss shaped treats)

Make Valentine cards, or just sweet, happy, encouraging cards, and drop off at a nursing home or hospital.  Your child could even have fun painting and mixing colors on a plain white sheet of paper first, then once dry, cut out hearts to decorate a Valentine with.  

Place red-hots, conversation hearts, or another type of candy in a jar and have family members estimate.  

Attend Valentine Family Night at Ceramic Café in Leawood.  Pizza and flat studio fee is $15.  Call to register at 913-383-0222

Since February is also heart health month, have each family member cut out a paper heart and write an activity they will do to keep their heart healthy this month in the center of it.  Display these in a prominent place to hold each other accountable!  

As a slight variation, each family member could write 4 or 5 heart healthy activity hearts to be placed in a jar.  One could be drawn daily or weekly to jazz up how the family is staying active together, especially with all this cold weather!

Some other special days to consider this month:

February is also National Dental Health Month, African American History Month, International Friendship Month, and Red-Hot Month

Lincoln’s birthday (12^th) and Washington’s birthday (22^nd)

Random Acts of Kindness Day (17^th)

Cherry Pie Day (20^th)

National Tortilla Chip Day (24^th)

I’ll be praying everyone gives and receives plenty of love this month!

Julie

For a Season

Last night I dreamt I walked outside and it was a warm spring day. Twice.  It's not that I don't like winter.  I just don't like to be cold and weeks like this one the two go hand-in-hand.  As the snow poured down and my spring loving heart grew impatient I decided to surrender whatever wasn't to what was.  So, here it is...I love slow pace, clock-less days. Hot drinks, preferably with chocolate in them. I love the quiet of hum of sisters cooperating and hot soup. I love curling up with a good book and the warm glow of a burning candle.  I love neighbor kids spilling in and out of our home for hot chocolate. I love a kitchen warm from a baking oven. I love not being in a carpool line. I love God's irony of a blinding sun on a frozen world. I could go on, but I want you to take a few minutes and think of yours.  I'll leave you with these words to live by from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3...

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Wherever God has you today I pray you know His ever-present love and you find ways to thank Him for seasons of life that lead us closer to Him...

Jena



Be the Light

Photo by afasoulis via stock.xchng

It was just a little soccer ball night-light that miraculously enabled my nearly two-year-old to finally sleep through the night. We had been going through a rough patch of waking up every hour throughout the night. Finally realizing, or at least considering, that he might be afraid of the dark, I spent a whopping $2.99 at Wal-mart. And then our lives were forever changed. A few dollars bought my family some sanity. 

And so, after the dust settled with this fiasco, I started thinking about the night-light. What was the big deal? It was just a tiny light. With the main light on in my son’s room, the night-light wasn’t in the least bit visible. But at night, with the lights off in the bedroom, this little light shown incredibly brightly, creating such a notable difference. And although small, this light brought comfort and security to my son. 

Then I thought about how often Jesus spoke about light during His ministry on Earth. I looked up the word light and found that it was used over 250 times in the New International Version of the Bible. Right out of the gate, in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, God made a point to tell us that He separated the lightness and the darkness. In this way, He wanted us to know that light is distinct. It is vastly different from dark.

And then in Mathew 5:14, Jesus proclaims, “You are the light of the world.” I like to think of Jesus smiling as He delivered this line to His disciples. I imagine He was thinking something like this as He taught, “Do you even know how much of a difference you can make in a world full of darkness?” He went on in verses 15 and 16 to say, “A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

So WE are to be the light of the world; it is our responsibility to bring light into a darkened world. You can look at this concept as a heavy burden or an incredible privilege. But that’s not really where the lesson stops. And this next part continually blows my mind whenever I think about it. Jesus calls Himself the light. WHAT?? I’m the light AND He’s the light? I don’t feel like I deserve having the same characteristic that is also used to describe Jesus. 

But He says in John 1:9, I am “the true light that gives light to everyone coming into the world.” And in John 12:46, He says, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”  Wow.

I don’t deserve being called the light. On my own, I just don’t deserve it. But Jesus sacrificed His life for me, so that I may have salvation and in turn, be a light in a darkened world. It’s really that simple. I can be the light because I am reflecting the true light of the Father.

And even though I may sometimes feel as useless as a little soccer ball night-light, I can still make an incredible difference in the life of someone else. We were designed to be the light in a darkened world. So, think about what you can do today to be the light in someone’s life. Whether it’s a phone call, a hand written note, a meal or chatting with a friend over coffee, go do it. Go into the world and be the light. You will make more of a difference than you could ever know.

- Rebekah H.

Pathways

My husband and I met playing basketball sixteen years ago.  He was a good player but I was better and the rest is history. :) Even after all these years he and I can still connect running on trails, shooting hoops, or playing in a sloppy game of tennis.  Of course, there are many ways we enjoy each other's company, but being active (and maybe a little bit competitive) is definitely one of our easiest paths to connecting.  Relationships are personal, they're distinct and are blessed by time and intentionality.
Today we are taking a closer look at unique ways we connect with God and how we see him communicating with us.  How we relate to God and grow closer to Him is personal because we are His unique creations.  The Spiritual Pathways Assessment (was attached in an email sent to you last Friday) results are designed to point you to a clearer understanding of your relationship with God.  We pray you find your results enlightening and encouraging.  God loves you and desires for you to walk close to Him and hear His promises with faith-ready ears.  Read the 23rd Psalm and note all the specific ways God is present with us...

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.



Jena M.

Resolutions- Comparison or Imitation?

Photo by ColinBroug via stock.xchng

I find the whole idea of resolutions very interesting.  I’m not necessarily for or against them per se, but our reasons for them often have some sort of relational root.  For many years I’ve set resolutions for the new year (and I’ve done it at different times during the year), as 2013 came to a close and the hope of a new year began to form, I ran through the laundry list of areas in which I need to improve.  I need to be more consistent with my exercise, my nutrition, being more intentional with family time, spend more time with Jesus etc. I trust you know the list just as well as I do.  Honestly, the idea of forming a grandiose plan around even one on the list was less than enticing!

Naturally, my next human reaction included downplaying the importance of making resolutions in the first place by questioning why so many of us seem to have the desire to do so sewn into our identity.  It must be our evil comparison ridden society!  At least that’s where I tried to conclude my self examination…

I did, in fact, table the discussion with myself to go pick up my boys from school.  After all, we had a busy afternoon ahead!  Homework, piano practice, making and sitting down as a family to dinner, Scouts, and then the start of the bedtime routine, which for my teenager included more homework after scouts and very little, if any down time.

Now, I understand that we can find ourselves in all kinds of seasons, but the season I currently find myself to be in includes very little self care.  I’m not referring to showering and brushing my teeth.  I’m talking about nurturing my soul! Somehow I was getting enough water to maintain, and that’s what my boys were doing.  I found this unsettling to say the least!

Yes, seasons existed where I modelled these things better, but the Spirit convicted me that if I wanted my boys to practice a different rhythm in their lives, in every season, then I had to first model that for them.  

Just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4

14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Imitate me, by imitating my son/daughter who has spent time watching me imitate Jesus Christ.  Who doesn’t want to send out their children and be able to say this?  Who doesn’t want a life worth imitating?  

Almost a month into the new year, I’m creating my plan.  A plan to renew my resolve, not to be a perfect example, but a living one.  An honest and transparent example, inviting those near and dear to imitate anything in me of Jesus and nothing that isn’t.  

John 3

30 He must become greater; I must become less.

In order for Him to increase in me, what must decrease?  That which is worthy of imitation must increase and that which isn’t must go.  

I don’t want to be a guide in Christianity, instructing and teaching on what was and what is supposed to be.  I want to be a Mother in Christ, with many spiritual children, helping to imprint the way of life in Christ on many.  

- Nanette H.

Snow Much Fun!

Image by vjeran2001 on stock.xchng

If you are like me and my kids, we love being outside, even if just for a short time.  This cold weather that we’ve been having definitely makes that challenging and sometimes impossible.  If your kids (and you!) have a little cabin fever, here are a few activities to add a bright spot to everyone’s day.  Since we’ve had some snow, and are likely to have more, the activities are “snow” themed to make the most of our natural resources…hopefully you can find something you and your kids would be interested in!

Snowman Estimating:  Cut out three white circles, small, medium, and large (construction paper, regular copy paper, or whatever you have will do).  Glue the circles together, one stacked on top of the other to make a snowman.  Have your child estimate how many marshmallows or cotton balls will fill up the snowman.  You could have them estimate the whole snowman or just each section.  As an added bonus, let your child actually glue their estimation materials down and decorate their snowman!

*Tip:  When cutting out your snowman, the smaller it is, the simpler and easier the estimation will be.  Consequently, the larger the snowman is, the more challenging the estimation will be.  This activity can also be done just by drawing a snowman on paper too instead of cutting one out.  

As a fun family activity, make torn paper snowmen.  Each family member can tear and create their own or work on one snowman as a family.  Don’t forget the accessories!

Indoor snow:  If you are feeling particularly adventurous, check out the website/blog Modern Parents Messy Kids (http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2013/01/making-snowmen-inside.html) for making indoor snow.  This activity SOUNDS super easy with just two ingredients but I’ve not made this yet.  I vow now to make it though so I can let you all know how it turns out!  I can guarantee though that our snowman will look nothing like the one she has pictured on her blog (see below).  And I’m okay with that.  ☺

If you aren’t digging making indoor snow, then bring the snow indoors!  Use a bucket, plastic storage container, or even your bath tub…and fill it up with some snow!  You could even give your child a spray bottle filled with colored water to “paint” the snow.  Imagine the fun and laughter when they (or you) “paint” their name, letters of the alphabet, numbers, the possibilities are endless!

Lastly, if you feel like your house is closing in on all of you and everyone has some serious cabin fever, meet up with some friends at Cedar Ridge coffee house or the Great Mall.  Bonus?  Your children can burn off some energy for free!

With some new activities to try, I bet you just can’t wait for it to snow again…right?!  ☺  I’ve got more snow themed activities up my sleeve so come back to check out my post next month too!  

Julie C.

Words of Encouragement

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.  Proverbs 25:11

Think back to the last time you've heard a gracious and kind word spoken to you. Would you agree that they are "sweet to the soul" and like "apples of gold"?  This week we are looking at the power of words and how God uses them to speak truth and life into our identities in Christ.  The Bible is full of wisdom, instruction, and truth about the power our words can have to speak life and death into a person's life (Prov 18:21).  Do Luke's inspired words ring true in your experiences like they do mine, "for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."? (ch6, v45)
Start thinking right now how you can choose to speak life into the people God has uniquely positioned in your life today.  Pray for those people daily and ask God to show you His heart for them.  You never know when an authentic word of encouragement spoken in love just may be the honey-sweet, apple of gold that person didn't even know they needed to hear.

This week:
Be alert this week to your consistent places you have contact with possible people of peace. How do you know a person of peace?  A person of peace...
a. Likes you. They are already asking for your time, asking for advice or prayer. 
b. Serves you. They ask to help you! 
c. Is hungry to grow in their faith. A learner, but not needy. 
d. Listens to you and desires to have a faith like yours. Willing to listen and apply what they are learning.

Who are the people of peace God has brought into this season of your life? Write their names down and commit to praying for them for 30 days.  May God make the abundance of your Christ-centered heart overflow into words of encouragement and life.

Jena