Resurrection Eggs

GO HERE to learn how to make your own Resurrection Eggs - we love these for Easter!

Bible Memorization

We use Children Desiring God curriculum at our church and promote scripture memory so this app is just such a great fit! Justin Taylor had some words about it as well. I wanted to pass it along in case anyone was interested.

Family Time

Love this YEARBOOK idea!!!

Time Flies

I encourage you to take the time to read this blog post - GREAT reminders!!!

Roller Skating Night

Roller Skating Party

SUNDAY, February 27, 2011
6:00 PM- 8:00 PM

Roller Roulette, Sheldon, IA

Everyone is welcome to come to skate or not to skate. The facility is setup so everyone can enjoy the skating and fellowship. We are encouraging life groups to participate as we'd love to have parents attend as well!!

Cost is $3.50/skater ($2.50/child 6 yrs. & younger)
(This includes the rental of the quad skates. Inline skates are available for an additional $2.00/pair. No discount for bringing your own skates, which need to be approved by the Roller Roulette staff prior to use.)

Food is available for additional cost through the concessions at the rink. They offer all the best in junk food including pizza and soft pretzels!

Bring board games and cards for those not skating. Plenty of booths are available to gather for conversation and fun.

Lots of Good Reasons!!

Wow - great information here!! When you have time, read and see - you will be encouraged too!!

68 Benefits of Children's Ministry

Teaching our Little Ones to Pray

I found this insightful - maybe you will as well.

Pray Without Ceasing

Christmas Celebration

What a wonderful program we had - and all because each of you shared your gifts and talents! I wish I'd gotten pictures of all of you - but I missed some. Enjoy what I did capture!

Merry Christmas!

Haiti Packing Night

We were blessed again by all of you! Thank you for giving so willingly - giving your time, your selves and your money - all so generously.

Our Middle Schoolers were AMAZING help!!!

In all, we packed 117 bags to go to Haiti to bless others.

We were blown away by your generous donations of personal supplies.

You can tell we've been doing this a few years - our veteran workers have it ALL under control - and even take the new workers "under their wings"!! You guys really are SO good!

We had some GREAT looking picture frames!! :)

Making our Christmas cards to stick in our bags. This was a busy spot!!

I am telling you, not a slacker in the bunch!!

Oops - they can't go to Haiti - we better not seal that one up!!

Boxes packed and ready to go!

I only wish we'd had pictures of the kitchen crew - I didn't have my camera out yet - but THANK YOU to the kitchen crew as well. It really speaks highly to our church - our body really all pitches in! Can't wait to hear about Christmas in Haiti!!

Uniqueness

Uniqueness is learning more about others so you can know more about yourself.

At Studio252, we believe that when you take the time to get to know someone – really understand what makes that person unique – you actually start to discover what makes you unique, too! And as a child begins to understand just how unique we all are, he starts down a path of discovering his own niche or significance in the world. Here are just a few ways you can help your child learn more about the people around him and even discover his own uniqueness in the process!

• Make a unique Peanut Butter & Cheese sandwich for lunch
• Look in a mirror with your child and write down all the differences you see
• Help your child construct a list of things he wants to do in his life
• Share unique tricks or talents with your family
• Go on a scavenger hunt to find even more unique things God made

For these activities and more visit our website studio252.tv. Register to gain access to this month’s CueBox, weekly bedtime stories on what God says about uniqueness, interactive devotionals for your children, questions to start meaningful conversations about uniqueness, even blogs and videos from your favorite Studio252 characters!

Studio252.tv and CueBox is designed to help you as the parent connect with your child in a fun way to discuss virtues, like Uniqueness, that will ultimately play a significant part in your child growing into the person God made him to be. So visit studio252.tv and check out all the fun we have planned for your family this month!

VIRTUE VIDEO: Uniqueness (November 2010) from Orange on Vimeo.

**We do not necessarily endorse all you will find on these websites - but you may find some of it useful.

Thankfulness

I came across this article today - I thought it was good and the book sounds helpful as well - wanted to pass it along!

What mom doesn't want to grow grateful kids? And by grateful we mean more than saying "thank you" without being prompted, although that would be nice. The kind of grateful we're talking about is the kid who somehow rises above the entitled, me-me-me attitude that seems so prevalent in our world today. Susie Larson's newest Hearts at Home book release Growing Grateful Kids tackles this issue with gusto.

Here are five strategies every mom can use this Thanksgiving season.

1. Model Thankfulness. "Cultivating a heart of gratitude in our children is impossible unless we ourselves are grateful. We can't impart something we do not possess."

2. Practice restraint. "In this day of entitlement, self-restraint has become a lost art. We do ourselves (and our kids) a great disservice if we never practice restraint."

3. Develop Compassion. "Our darling, self-centered children love it when life is all about them...we must interrupt their plans to be selfish and introduce them to the idea that God has a big giant heart for the least of these, and He has entrusted some of the world's needs to our care."

4. Embrace Contentment. "When our children watch us battle through our appetites and unfulfilled desires to find contentment, they'll learn that though it's not always an easy win, it is possible, and it is a good fight."

5. Give Grace. "When you blow it, give yourself some grace. When your kids act like the little humans that they are, correct them, teach them, forgive them, and then offer grace."

Megan, a mother of four, said after reading Susie's book, "The biggest lesson I learned is that growing grateful kids does not start with their hearts, it starts with mine."

(All quotes taken from Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larson)

Adoption Video

In honor of National Adoption Month -

We've had people ask for a place to watch the video again so I will post it here.

What blessings!!!

Adoptive Families in our Body from Becky Bilby on Vimeo.