Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 10: 10 Days of Valentine's

Today's verse and prayer for my children will take on even greater meaning, I expect, after today. We got to experience the Compassion International Experience that came to our town; to listen to the stories of children around the world in desperate need of teaching, food, necessities and hope through sponsorship. We took this very seriously, knowing this would be a long-term commitment and something we wanted our boys to take an active role in. I want to add the name and face of this little boy in South America to the prayers every day for my own two sons. My oldest asked if he could consider our sponsored boy like a brother. I hope this will help him grow in interest and compassion for the millions of faces that God would shine His great love upon.  

If you would like to learn more about this sponsorship check out:

http://www.compassion.com/

Parent's Prayer Day 10:

1 John 4: 9-10 - Father, Thank You that Your love is not kept reserved and far from us. What an extension of Yourself to send Your Son down to walk the dirt among us! Thank You for the new life that we may live through You. I pray for that life for my sons (here and around the world); a life of freedom, purpose, and hope, living in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.    

You can download and print the 10 Hearts 

to give to your loved ones each day here.    

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Resurrection Advent: Days 2, 3 & 4

Today is Wednesday of our Advent to Resurrection Day (Easter). My oldest is not feeling his best so we have taken a break from our studies today to craft for Passover and review these stories. I'm excited by so many awesome ideas on the internet of what other creative families have done! So far we've made a toilet paper roll Moses, there is a mound of paper scraps covering my hearth from cut-out paper crosses my 5yo offered to make to decorate our windows, stamped Passover placecards are started, and we've planned out a few others ideas for which we are short one ingredient each. But can't make it out to the craft store today. Phooey.

From the couch with his knee propped up, I enjoyed overhearing my 9yo read through the pile of Passover and Easter books I had laid out (no set-up there!) to his brother.

We have been reading the Resurrection week stories during breakfast every morning so far this week, again, trying to make this Advent distinct from Christmas. So far we have read about 1) The Triumphal entry into Jerusalem (leaf), 2) Jesus Clearing the Temple (pigeon), 3) Jesus' Last Lessons to the Disciples- Love the Lord and your Neighbor (heart), and 4) The Last Supper (bread). This is what our felt map looks like so far:

We let them choose a few songs they knew, some from Christmas, to sing. We asked them also to close their eyes and picture what God on His throne might look like. Then to picture this and ourselves before Him as we sing these songs of praise. We want to encourage them to be thoughtful about this and not just copying us. It's interesting to hear their imagination or visualization. It is a good reminder for me too to slow down and think of our praise actually being received by God and our hearts offering it to Him; not worrying about teaching harmony or if little feet are being still. I think I can make an endless list of crafts and lessons to do but our display of loving God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength will leave the greatest impression.

Painting my son did this weekend.We are decorating the dining room with their art for the Passover Seder. I wish you see how sparkly his skyline is.

Advent to the Resurrection: Day 1 Palm Sunday

On this Palm Sunday we join with many around the world, reading about Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Like Christmas Advent, we wanted to create a tradition of countdown and remembrance. Unlike Christmas, which is a celebration each night with a little surprise or candy, this week is more somber until the end. We are still trying to figure out a new and unique rhythm but we began this evening reviewing the Christmas Advent ornaments and the events they represent. I was surprised how much they remembered! Christmas is significant in that the Jews had waited thousands of years for a Messiah to come. They celebrated and we celebrate. We will detail this week why the Resurrection is significant. Christmas Advent is typically done in the evenings. Resurrection Advent we hope to continue in the mornings so that our reflection on Jesus' life can continue throughout our day more easily.

Our goal this week is teaching them how to seek Jesus. Really, in anything that we do all year, that is the ultimate goal for us. We just love these holidays as a concentrated time to help us to focus in on this goal with teaching and special time together. Tonight we talked about what it means to truly believe in Him or want to leave Him as Jesus asked His disciples, read the story from our Bible in Stories and decorated our felt wall hanging "map", sang and prayed together. At Christmas we wanted to make sure that we taught Christmas hymns and for Resurrection we wanted to teach related songs known by most, so for Day 1 we sang "Amazing Grace." It is amazing that we sing so many great songs with our Church body but often classics are not repeated enough to be learned.

Background begins with Road and Hill, Clouds, and Sea

This season I created a Resurrection Advent map out of one of my favorite materials- felt, with a Reading guide and activities. This is something you are welcome to cut out or adapt yourself or I have some kits ready-made in my Etsy shop. Basically, you begin with a long road up to the hill of Calvary, adding a piece to go with a story picked out for each day of the week. Tonight's story of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem added a green palm leaf. This set covers 10 days of teaching including the time Jesus spent with the Disciples after the Resurrection and His Ascending into heaven before them, because I thought it important not to end at the Resurrection. Adding these 2 stories will help to lead into conversations about Jesus' work and role after the Resurrection and to our future. I'm excited to see how these elements fit in with our seeking Jesus together as a family this week!

This is what the "map" looks like by Day 10- teaching the Triumphal Entry through the Ascension.