"I'm Honoring My Mother and Father!!"

Recently I borrowed a book from our church library called "Let's Chat About the Bible."  The book contains Bible stories written at a child's level with questions based on each story, as well as drawing connections between the Old Testament stories and New Testament truths.  Robby reads a story from this book almost every night.  We have enjoyed the great discussions encouraged by the book so much that we have actually ordered our own copy of it to own.

About two weeks ago, Robby taught the girls about the Ten Commandments.  The girls really pay attention during the lessons and he takes the time to answer all of their questions and explain any terms they may not understand.

A few days after that lesson, Catherine and I read a book about Noah and the Ark.  As that book opened, the text described that people disobeyed God.  The picture showed some people fighting and others stealing from a neighbor.  Catherine stopped reading to me and studied the picture.  She pointed to the theft and said "that person is not following the Ten Commandments.  He is taking something that does not belong to him."  I was so impressed that she remembered that not stealing was one of the Ten Commandments that I didn't have the heart to tell her that God did not deliver the Ten Commandments to Moses until much later than the Flood.

A few days after that incident, Robby taught them a lesson from Judges.  As he was reading the story he said "the people were worshiping idols."  Catherine immediately gasped and said "Uh-oh!  They shouldn't do that!" 

This morning Catherine woke up fairly sick.  We read for awhile and then she began projectile vomiting.  She was feverish and hot to the touch.  As I held her while she was sick, I asked Sabrina to get me another towel (the first was covered in vomit).  Sabrina promptly did.  Then I asked Sabrina to get me the baby wipes so I could clean Catherine's face and hands.  As Sabrina was walking down the hallway to the bathroom to get the baby wipes, she turned to me and said "I am honoring my mother and father because I am obeying you!" 

I am so glad that we are able to teach them these lessons and that we see evidence that they are learning and applying the lessons. 

Perspective

Sabrina is at that wonderful age when she has no perspective.  I remember how cute I thought it was when Catherine went through this stage and am loving the wide swings of Sabrina's emotions. 

Sabrina can instantly, and I mean instantly, go from fine to elated to devastated to fine and back to elated.  This cycling through of emotions can happen right in front of your eyes.  The extreme nature of her emotions is adorable.

Even cuter is the cause of these emotional swings.  Finding the pink crayon in the big tub of crayons can elicit squeals of joy.  Dropping a stuffed animal while strapped into a car seat can cause a meltdown.

The other day Sabrina came down the hallway to my room, bawling her eyes out.  With tears streaming down her face, she screamed out "My sister says I'm younger!" 

I really wanted to laugh, but I fought back even cracking a smile.  It was obvious that this issue was important to her and had struck an emotional chord for her.  There are times when I just ignore these kind of meltdowns, but on this occasion I had enough patience to respond to her gently (sadly, that's not always the case).

I told Sabrina "Sweetie, you are younger.  You were born two years after Catherine, so you are younger.  It's not a bad thing.  It just is the way it is."

Sabrina was not pacified.  She continue to cry.  Tears continued to flow down her face.  "But I don't want to be younger!"

Again, I tried to console her with the reality that she is younger and that is not a bad thing.  Unable to calm her down, I offered to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with her.  Because that is her current favorite show, she immediately screamed out "Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggety Dog!" and jumped on my bed to watch the show.  See what I mean about mood swings?

This incident struck me and made me think about the triviality of some of our own emotions and how God must react to them.  

We get devastated about some issues that have no lasting consequence.  We pray for a certain guy to call.  Or for a good grade on a test.  We fret when we don't get a job.  At the time, all of these incidents seem very important to us.  Just like Sabrina's momentary devastations, we do not have an eternal, or even a life-long, perspective.  We live so much in the moment, that we allow our emotions to take over.

Does God ignore our cries and deal with the important issues?  Or does He try to console us?  If He can't console us, does He just redirect our attention?  Does He try to fix the petty situation which is causing our meltdown?

I also do not get too excited simply because Sabrina is excited.  I love her energy and her joy, but I cannot rejoice over the discovery of a crayon.  It just is not important enough for me to get too happy, no matter how thrilled Sabrina is.  Does God get as happy for us as we get for ourselves over petty joys?  I doubt it.  God knows what is important and what is just a fleeting gleeful moment. 

Sabrina will develop perspective over the next few years.  I hope I will stop my emotions and use some perspective.

Burning Bush

Recently we told the girls about the story of Moses and the burning bush.  I think they got it, but am never sure.  I do think they understand the concept of "miracle."  Here is the craft we did with it:

The girls loved making flames out of tissue paper.  I have found that any kind of 3-dimensional aspect I can add to a craft makes it considerably more fun to them.

Daniel and the Lions

Recently we taught the girls the story of Daniel and the Lions.  Robby used a power point presentation which he found on the internet to tell the story.  The girls loves this:

After the story, we used dry pasta, glue and a paper plate to make lion faces:

I can't remember why my girls are topless, but that frequently is the case inside our home.  They loved this project and kept talking to the lion heads they made, saying things like "the angels said to shut your mouth!  Don't eat Daniel!"

Jesus' Miracle of Loaves & Fish

Yesterday we did another Bible story with a craft.  We told the girls about the miracle of Jesus using 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to feed 5000 people.  Then they made a craft to accompany the story:

 The girls glued blue tissue paper onto a bowl I drew in, and then added 2 construction paper fish.

After they glued 5 loaves of bread onto a plate I drew, they wrote numbers on the loaves (I had to draw dots for Sabrina).

This was a great project.  I saw the tissue paper fishbowl project and wanted to try that with the girls.  I decided to add a Biblical lesson to it and the girls, as always, LOVE hearing Robby tell them Bible stories.  We realized this was the first time we had taught them about a miracle performed by Jesus.  They seemed to understand what a "miracle" is and realized that only Jesus can perform miracles.

Worry

Scripture tells us not to worry. But, I really struggle with that.  Because of Catherine’s medical history, I do have a tendency to think of the “worst case scenario” explanation.

Lately Sabrina has started stuttering about 60-70% of the time. She has never stuttered before. Now she will say things like:

“I-I-I want some milk.”

“You-you-you are funny.”

Her stuttering is always in the beginning of a sentence. Robby thinks it could be part of her language development and a signal of how excited she is. When we asked her questions, she was able to answer them all without stuttering (What color is your shirt? What is my name? What room are we in?”

Still, there is a part of my mind that cringes every time she stutters. My mind goes haywire and I think “Did she have a stroke? Does she have a brain tumor also?” I try to take captive those thoughts and push them out of my mind. I am not always successful.

Story of Jesus

Our latest Bible story that we did was the story of Jesus.  This was fairly simple.  I found some worksheets on the internet and the girls glued them in order colored them. It is kind of a summary of the New Testament.

I have no idea what educating toddlers is normally like, but I feel like with my kids they learn at least one nugget of knowledge with each of these projects.  Sabrina kept holding her hands in the "prayer position" and repeating "Jesus prayed."  Catherine seemed more focused on Jesus being born in a barn with the animals and the empty tomb (perhaps because she already knows those two stories).

Wise - Foolish

Our Bible study lesson this week with the girls was Proverbs 10:1.  We tried to explain what a proverb was, and then introduced them to their first proverb:

A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

We changed it to "child" for the purpose of the study.  Then we explained that we make decisions every day.  A good decision is wise, which makes Daddy happy.  A bad decision is foolish, which makes Mommy sad.  We then made two posters, one for wise and one for foolish:

 The girls decorated the Wise poster with sparkly decorations and the Foolish poster with dried beans.

We then gave the children a number of scenarios on small post-its and told them to decide if the decision was Wise or Foolish.  Catherine was great at this activity and categorized the decisions correctly. 

Sabrina did not seem to understand the exercise, or she just liked the word "foolish."  She answered "foolish" to every single decision, even ones which were obviously good decisions.  We corrected her so that her posters were correct.

While we were getting ready for bed, Catherine asked me what the word was again that means "not a wise decision."  I answered "foolish" and she said to Sabrina "Don't be foolish!"

Foot Washing

Last week for Easter we modeled Jesus' behaviour by washing each other's feet.  The kids absolutely LOVED this activity, which is apparently a lot like water play for toddlers.  We did it in our bedroom, which was kind of a mistake. We should have held it outside, because there is a certain amount of spilling involved.

We used warm water with a little bit of oil. 

We tried to explain that this is not play time, that it is an act of service.  I am not sure if they understood that, so I told them that we should do nice things for each other like Jesus did nice things for us.

I think the kids took the "washing" part pretty literally because Catherine got a little sponge to help wash Sabrina's legs. 

 They both washed my feet:

Jesus Loves Me

We were away all weekend, so we were exhausted.  But, the girls asked several times after dinner if we could do a Bible study.  We did not have the energy to do a full study, so I just picked out a quick craft. Robby told the girls that Jesus loved them, read them John 3:16, and we cut, taped, and colored.

We also sang the song a few times while we were doing this craft.

Catherine could read all the words (of course she knew the song), so she was so proud of herself: 

I was glad we did this craft.  I thought it would not be actually educational for them, but I think in the end it was.  Robby asked Catherine how she knows that Jesus loved her, and she said "because the song says so."  We had to explain that the Bible says that Jesus loves her and the song is based on the Bible.

If you want to do this craft, google "Itty Bitty Books."  There are tons of them - about animals, Bible stories, etc.  We have used them a lot.

Joseph and His Coat

These Bible study posts are out of order, partly because we traveled in February and partly because I was unable to blog for a little while. Plus, I temporarily lost my box full of Bible study craft & lesson ideas. But we have been doing them. So, bear with me as they are published out of order.

I love how intensely the girls listen to the stories.

For the story of Joseph and his multi-colored coat, I used a worksheet of a coat and we glued fruit loops for a design:

Sabrina of course ate about as many fruit loops as she glued: 

Sometimes I debate the value of doing these stories.  This is one lesson when I wonder if we should spend the time on it. There doesn't seem to be much theological about this Bible story. And there are some questionable parts ... Joseph's dad loving him more, his brothers hating him and selling him into slavery. And, with Jesus being the only path to Heaven, does this story even matter? But, the kids love these Bible projects we have been doing (and I want them to love the Bible) and it does give them a concrete lesson about a multi-colored coat.

David and Goliath

Recently the weather was so great that we were able to do our family Bible story on the deck (yes, Catherine is usually in a princess costume when she is home).

For the craft, we made pouches out of yarn and paper plates cut in half.  The girls were allowed to decorate their pouches (they called them purses) however they wanted:

Sabrina picking out five stones for her pouch:

 I wonder if David had princess stickers on his pouch:

Connection Card

Every Sunday our church includes a "Connection Card" in its bulletin.  All the attendees are asked to fill it out and turn it in, so the church can keep some type of attendance.

On the back of the Connection Card, there is a place to write in any specific Prayer Requests that you may have.  In the past I have written an update of Catherine's medical shenanigans every week.  We would then receive a phone call, and sometimes a handwritten card, from a member of the prayer team.  If I specifically stated that we would be in the hospital, then we usually got a visit from a pastor.  We have been so blessed by the intercessory prayers from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church!

Last week, when I was filling out the Connection Card, I was a little shocked when I flipped it over to the Prayer Request side.  I had nothing to write.  No concerns with Catherine.  Sure, I had petty kindergartener concerns (learning sight words, still writing her numbers backwards), but nothing real.  No tests or procedures on the horizon.  No surgeries to heal from.  No blood counts to stress over.  Nothing. 

What a blessing!!  I remember years ago listening to a sermon from Andy Stanley of Northpoint Community Church.  He said that if you are in a Bible study and it is your turn to say your prayer request and nothing immediately comes to mind, then you do not have a prayer request.   

We are so blessed to be where we are ... and humbled by the simplicity of my petty concerns.  Praise God!

Jonah and the Whale

Recently we did a family Bible study on Jonah and the whale. Robby explained how the whale ate Jonah, so Jonah was in the whale's tummy. Catherine turned and asked me "Just like when I was in your tummy?" Not knowing how to respond, I said "Sort of." She asked the next logical question: "Why did you eat me, Mommy?" Trying to be honest, but vague, I replied "I didn't eat you, sweetie. You started in my tummy."

So our craft for the Jonah and the Whale story was guided painting. Each girl was given the same worksheet and painted the colors that I told them. They love painting, so this worked out well.

Ten Commandments Lesson

Due to our last minute vacation thanks to Children Battling Cancer, we got a little behind in our family Bible studies. So, we have had to do some catching up with our studies. Here is our study on the Ten Commandments. First, Robby told the story of Moses going up on Mount Sinai and God giving him the Ten Commandments for the people.

This elicited a lot of questions: What is an idol? But I love Cinderella! What is murder? What is adultery? What is coveting? But I want a Pinkalicious costume! What is bearing false witness? Do I have to do chores on Sunday? It was fun to watch Robby define these terms in toddler-speak on the spot. If you are going to do this at home, you may want to consider how you are going to answer some of these questions.

Then we made stone tablets of the Ten Commandments out of black cardboard paper. We told the kids that the Ten Commandments were very important, so the Israelites could not just leave them lying around the house. Instead, the Israelites built a special box just to keep the Ten Commandments in. We used a shoe box for our "special box:"

I am not sure why Catherine is topless - maybe because she saw me getting the paint out.

We painted our shoe box brown:

Then we affixed paint sticks for handles and the girls carried the Ten Commandments, in their special box, around the house.

Wow! She Said That!

I am still a young mother, with only a little over 5 years under my belt. But, I tend to feel overconfident and think I am ready for anything. Then my confidence is shattered when something happens which shocks me and completely catches me off guard.

The other day while we were driving, Catherine asked me "Where is God?"

I knew there is no way I could explain the concept of omnipresence to a five year old, so I said "He lives in heaven, sweetie."

Catherine's response was a dramatic "Oh man!," showing complete disappointment as only a small child can. I thought she was going to start crying.

I asked her why it bothered her that God lived in heaven.

Still with a disappointed tone of voice, she said "I want Him to live in my heart!"

Remember that I was driving a car at the time. I mistakenly thought we had several more years before she would have any chance at understanding the plan of salvation. So, I had so far put zero effort into trying to figure out how we would talk with her about these issues. I was completely unprepared.

I was shocked that she even knew the phrase "live in my heart." I assume they taught her this in church, because I don't think we have talked about this with her. We pray to God with her, but I have always doubted that she knew who God was. We have taught her some of the concrete Bible stories, but have not gotten deep with her.

She still seemed upset, so I told her that when she was ready God could come live in her heart.

That night Robby and I told her that we need to start talking with Catherine about her salvation. A friend of ours evangelizes to children, so we asked her to speak with Catherine. Unfortunately, the afternoon when we were able to meet with our friend didn't work well because Catherine was completely unfocused. She wanted to play more than listen to a theological discussion. But, at least we laid some groundwork.

We described Jesus taking the penalty for us as concretely as possible. I said "What if Sabrina disobeys Mommy. Instead of Sabrina getting spanked, you get spanked instead." Catherine's eyes bugged out, then teared up, said "no," and started rubbing her bottom with her hand. So I think she got the concept.

We tried to explain what faith and belief are, but I don't think she got it. I need to figure out better ways to teach her those concepts.

We'll keep trying!

Parting of the Red Sea

This week our family Bible story was on Moses parting the Red Sea. Catherine demonstrates Moses holding a staff in the air (I wish we had thought ahead to have a prop to use as a staff):

Sabrina demonstrates the water parting to both sides:

After Catherine and I curled the paper up on both sides, she put glue on the paper and sprinkled sand down the middle.

Robby helping Sabrina curl the paper (this was a great activity to illustrate the story, but neither girl was capable of actually curling the paper by them self).