Tonight we were blessed to have Jenny Vandlen as our speaker. She talked to us about teaching our children about nature. She told us it's important to bring our children outside to get them away from tv, internet and video games and into God's beautiful nature. While we are out with them, it's an incredible time to talk to your children about Creation and dissolve some myths about creation vs. evolution.
She encouraged us to get excited about spending time outdoors with our children, learning together about the trees, animals and wildflowers. She gave us some fun ideas for hikes we can do with our children like an ABC Hike where we find objects that start with the letters of the alphabet, or an Onion Hike where you rub an onion along a trail and the child has to find the way using their nose!
She gave us several ideas for fun outdoor activities to do with our children like making a plaster mold of an animal track or playing a game of symphony where everyone is quiet and they need to count how many sounds they hear.
She even gave us activities to do on COLD days!! My favorite being "Freeze a Bubble"--when the weather is below 32 degrees, blow a bubble and catch it with your wand. Wait and watch as it freezes. It will turn into a crystal ball and then shatter like glass.
What a great reminder for us to take time with our children outdoors and explore the glorious world God gave us.
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,How great Thou art, How great Thou art.Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeurAnd see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,How great Thou art, How great Thou art.Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,How great Thou art, How great Thou art
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Cooking Mama's
We got a new Wii game at our house called Cooking Mama and that's exactly what we did last night at Club Mom and Girlfriends! Except we used real food and we made them to freeze and give them to the families that are going through the Quality Living budgeting class at our church.
Even though it was a light crowd-most likely due to the extreme cold and horrible road conditions-we were able to put together 38 Pizza Burgers, 48 Chicken Chimichangas, and 4 pans of Peanut Butter Chocolate bars.
Our 7 families that are involved with Quality Living will be enjoying these meals over the next few weeks. They receive a few boxes of food each week from our Food Bank and these will be an addition to those boxes. A little love of a meal ready to go from our Club Mom and Girlfriends group.
Thank you ladies for all
your work!
Even though it was a light crowd-most likely due to the extreme cold and horrible road conditions-we were able to put together 38 Pizza Burgers, 48 Chicken Chimichangas, and 4 pans of Peanut Butter Chocolate bars.
Our 7 families that are involved with Quality Living will be enjoying these meals over the next few weeks. They receive a few boxes of food each week from our Food Bank and these will be an addition to those boxes. A little love of a meal ready to go from our Club Mom and Girlfriends group.
Thank you ladies for all
your work!Thursday, January 8, 2009
Tending to your Children
We started the year off with a reminder to play...with our children.
Pastor Rich started our Bible Study tonight talking about Tending to our children. He reminded us that we are not the only "gardener" in our children's life. They are influenced by other adults, peers, media and more.
He encouraged us provide a solid community to surround our children. In that community, we should put marriage first and continue to build up the relationship between husband and wife so our children have a sense of stablity in the home. He also reminded us that our children watch our every move so only do things we want them to copy!
He encouraged us to spend time with each child individually, laugh and play with them, encourage proper interactions with other siblings and be an example of hospitality to others.
He told us that healthy parenting requires healthy parents so we should take time for yourself, let yourself de-stress, give yourself permission to ask for help and to be aware of what our stressers are and get strength from kindness to others.
He gave us three ways to set an example for your children:
1) Tkae time to play with them
2) Be kind to others
3) Keep a positive outlook
We spent time together reading what advice the bible gives parents, and then got through a few questions in a brainstorming session on how to handle parenting issues.
Thank you, Pastor Rich, for some great things to think about as we become more intentional about being better parents.
Join us next week as we make freezer meals for our Quality Living families. Bring an apron and a smile!
Pastor Rich started our Bible Study tonight talking about Tending to our children. He reminded us that we are not the only "gardener" in our children's life. They are influenced by other adults, peers, media and more.
He encouraged us provide a solid community to surround our children. In that community, we should put marriage first and continue to build up the relationship between husband and wife so our children have a sense of stablity in the home. He also reminded us that our children watch our every move so only do things we want them to copy!
He encouraged us to spend time with each child individually, laugh and play with them, encourage proper interactions with other siblings and be an example of hospitality to others.
He told us that healthy parenting requires healthy parents so we should take time for yourself, let yourself de-stress, give yourself permission to ask for help and to be aware of what our stressers are and get strength from kindness to others.
He gave us three ways to set an example for your children:
1) Tkae time to play with them
2) Be kind to others
3) Keep a positive outlook
We spent time together reading what advice the bible gives parents, and then got through a few questions in a brainstorming session on how to handle parenting issues.
Thank you, Pastor Rich, for some great things to think about as we become more intentional about being better parents.
Join us next week as we make freezer meals for our Quality Living families. Bring an apron and a smile!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Keeping the Christ in Christmas
Tonight Pastor Rich set the tone for the rest of our December as he read aloud Luke 1:5-56-the amazing story of the birth of Christ. He also gave us 20 ways to help us stay focused on keeping Christ as the center of our celebrations.
1. Keep a relationship going with Christ all year round
2. Attend church all four Sundays of Advent as well as Christmas Eve.
3. Say "Merry Christmas" and refuse to say "Happy Holidays"
4. Send Christmas cards with a religious message.
5. Listen to religious Christmas music
6. Give God one very special gift just from you to him...spending more time with him, forgiving, etc.
7. Read the Christmas story in Luke-Luke 1:5-56 and 2:1-20.
8. Set up a Nativity scene in your home.
9. Write a Christmas letter to a missionary.
10. Give a gift of service to your family.
11. Plan some good will..adopt a family.
12. Schedule movie night with your family-watch an old classic Christmas movie
13. Make a family advent wreath, lighting one candle each week until Christmas and then lighting the Christ candle Christmas morning.
14. Bake a cake for Baby Jesus and sing "Happy Birthday" on Christmas morning.
15. Make a "Jesse Tree" celebrating the lineage of Jesus.
16. Collect change and donate to Salvation Army ringers on your way to church Christmas Eve.
17 Buy Candy Canes to give away with the story of Jesus: His shed blood and how our sins becomes white as snow.
18. Display several ornaments that are part of the Christmas story and retell the story as they are hung.
19. Invite a guest for your Christmas dinner.
20. Don't end Christmas on Christmas day. Remember, there are "12 days of Christmas" so party on until Jan 5!!!!!!!
Enjoy your time together as families and keep the reason for Christmas in perspective.
JESUS CHRIST is the REASON for the SEASON!
See you next week for the Cookie Exchange.
1. Keep a relationship going with Christ all year round
2. Attend church all four Sundays of Advent as well as Christmas Eve.
3. Say "Merry Christmas" and refuse to say "Happy Holidays"
4. Send Christmas cards with a religious message.
5. Listen to religious Christmas music
6. Give God one very special gift just from you to him...spending more time with him, forgiving, etc.
7. Read the Christmas story in Luke-Luke 1:5-56 and 2:1-20.
8. Set up a Nativity scene in your home.
9. Write a Christmas letter to a missionary.
10. Give a gift of service to your family.
11. Plan some good will..adopt a family.
12. Schedule movie night with your family-watch an old classic Christmas movie
13. Make a family advent wreath, lighting one candle each week until Christmas and then lighting the Christ candle Christmas morning.
14. Bake a cake for Baby Jesus and sing "Happy Birthday" on Christmas morning.
15. Make a "Jesse Tree" celebrating the lineage of Jesus.
16. Collect change and donate to Salvation Army ringers on your way to church Christmas Eve.
17 Buy Candy Canes to give away with the story of Jesus: His shed blood and how our sins becomes white as snow.
18. Display several ornaments that are part of the Christmas story and retell the story as they are hung.
19. Invite a guest for your Christmas dinner.
20. Don't end Christmas on Christmas day. Remember, there are "12 days of Christmas" so party on until Jan 5!!!!!!!
Enjoy your time together as families and keep the reason for Christmas in perspective.
JESUS CHRIST is the REASON for the SEASON!
See you next week for the Cookie Exchange.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Called to Forgive and Give Grace
Tonight, we were blessed to have Shelly Beach speak with us about "Care taking". Shelly is the author of 3 books, Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Abundance Grace, and her Christy Award winning book, Hallie's Heart.
Shelly shared her stories about caring for her family; her father-in-law and her parents, struggling with OCD, Alzheimer's and dementia. She shared with us what she learned during the process of caring for her family in her home.
The heart of care giving is to be the heart of Jesus to others.
Jesus was a caregiver in all his ministry. We can classify care giving as being based on a motive and that motive is love. Jesus is our example.
Jesus tended, administered and healed. Jesus spent time privately praying. Jesus spent time with friends praying. Jesus publicly gave thanks and reflected glory to God. Jesus faced crisis with calm assurance. Jesus is our example.
Our ultimate source of strength is who you are in Jesus Christ.
Thank you Shelly for coming to share your story with us.
No Club Mom and Girlfriends next week. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Shelly shared her stories about caring for her family; her father-in-law and her parents, struggling with OCD, Alzheimer's and dementia. She shared with us what she learned during the process of caring for her family in her home.
The heart of care giving is to be the heart of Jesus to others.
Jesus was a caregiver in all his ministry. We can classify care giving as being based on a motive and that motive is love. Jesus is our example.
Jesus tended, administered and healed. Jesus spent time privately praying. Jesus spent time with friends praying. Jesus publicly gave thanks and reflected glory to God. Jesus faced crisis with calm assurance. Jesus is our example.
Our ultimate source of strength is who you are in Jesus Christ.
Thank you Shelly for coming to share your story with us.
No Club Mom and Girlfriends next week. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
I like how you be
Shame...not something we want to admit we deal with in our lives. We keep it hidden. We deal with it in the dark, alone. Until now.
Alison Hodges came to speak at our group tonight to talk to us about Shame.
As women, we feel shame and we feel alone. We may have a bad day and yell at the kids, or our husbands. We may feel bad about that day, ask for forgiveness but deep down we feel shame because it's not just a bad day, it's who we think we are.
Alison encouraged us to "say no to Shame". She told us to find out what triggers shame in our lives, to practice critical awareness, and reaching out to the community by finding safe people in your life.
She shared a story about her neice writing a note to her that said "I like how you be". She told us that's how God sees us...He loves how we are no matter what...he likes how we be.
She encouraged us to have personal acceptance of the forgiveness of our sins when we ask God to forgive us. God grace is enough.
Join us next week as we hear Shelly Beach talk about "Caregiving:Blooming and Thriving when you're waist deep in weeds."
Alison Hodges came to speak at our group tonight to talk to us about Shame.
As women, we feel shame and we feel alone. We may have a bad day and yell at the kids, or our husbands. We may feel bad about that day, ask for forgiveness but deep down we feel shame because it's not just a bad day, it's who we think we are.
Alison encouraged us to "say no to Shame". She told us to find out what triggers shame in our lives, to practice critical awareness, and reaching out to the community by finding safe people in your life.
She shared a story about her neice writing a note to her that said "I like how you be". She told us that's how God sees us...He loves how we are no matter what...he likes how we be.
She encouraged us to have personal acceptance of the forgiveness of our sins when we ask God to forgive us. God grace is enough.
Join us next week as we hear Shelly Beach talk about "Caregiving:Blooming and Thriving when you're waist deep in weeds."
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tending to your family
Tonight we had Pastor Rich talk to us about taking care of our parents. Statistically speaking, many of us will be taking care of our aging parents in one way or another: financially, emotionally, physically. Pastor Rich talked to us about what the Bible tells us about caring for our parents. The 6th commandment tells us to "Honor our father and mother" in Exodus 20:12. Ephesians 6:1-2 tells us to honor and obey our parents.
He gave us some very practical advice on how to deal with our aging parents. He encouraged us to have "the talk" with them--not "the talk" they had with us about the birds and the bees but "the talk" about finances, wills and living wills.
He encouraged us to show them respect, to honor them and most of all, be patient. As our parents age, we need to be patient with them as they were patient with us once upon a time when we learned to tie our shoes, potty train or ride a bike!
**A huge thank you to the sacred dancers who performed their dance for us this evening. What a special treat to see the dance before they perform for the congregation!
He gave us some very practical advice on how to deal with our aging parents. He encouraged us to have "the talk" with them--not "the talk" they had with us about the birds and the bees but "the talk" about finances, wills and living wills.
He encouraged us to show them respect, to honor them and most of all, be patient. As our parents age, we need to be patient with them as they were patient with us once upon a time when we learned to tie our shoes, potty train or ride a bike!
**A huge thank you to the sacred dancers who performed their dance for us this evening. What a special treat to see the dance before they perform for the congregation!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)