Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Helps for Vacation Bible School
Hello,
I am republishing this post. I forgot to put a title on it yesterday.
I found two helpful books if you or your group are doing Vacation Bible School this year. I found them on amazon.com and they each had some good reviews on them. There was one review that did not give it a thumbs up but the other reviews were good.
I hopefully will be teaching the little ones at our church. Our material was already ordered for us or I would have checked into this. It looks good.
Also, I found a site with free crafts and lessons for either Vacation Bible School or Sunday School.
"Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies." Psalm 60:12
Monday, June 29, 2009
Fourth of July Poem
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Importance of Prayer
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Looking for an Expression of God's Love
Monday, June 22, 2009
Being Determined
I have published an article on sqidoo on this subject. You can find it here.
If you are trying to lose weight, which is an issue for me, determination will help you meet your goal.
Have a great day!
Friday, June 19, 2009
By Aurelia Williams, author of Understanding Your Teen
If you are the parent of a teenager, you are familiar with mood swings. One minute, your teen is happy and loving, the next they are sullen or angry. These mood swings can happen fast and can seem to come out of nowhere and it's one of the reasons I created my Understanding Your Teen Guide.
You may find yourself wondering what you did or said to cause this shift in your teen’s mood. The truth is, you probably didn’t do anything wrong at all. Your teen’s mood swings are normal, and there is not much that can be done to stop it.
Your teen is slowly becoming an adult and they are developing the skills the need to handle the pressures of the adult world, but this process takes time. They may have a school project due, have chores around the house to complete, and then they get into an argument with their best friend.
Some of these things may seem silly or trivial, as you have work to do and a lot more housework on top of that. Try to remember that your teen’s brain is still growing and they may simply not have the ability to handle all of those pressures and keep a smile on their face at all times.
While you may not be able to end your teen’s mood swings all together, you can use these techniques to help both you and your teen learn to cope:
· Encourage your teen to talk to you when they feel upset or overwhelmed. Let them know that you are there for them, and that you have experienced those same feelings from time to time.
· If your teen doesn’t want to talk, encourage them to express their feelings in a creative way, such as painting, drawing, or writing. Let them know that they can keep this private, that they do not need to show anyone. Once they get their frustrations out, they will feel a lot better and will be able to move on.
· Try not to react to your teen’s mood swings. Sometimes, they say things just to get a reaction. If you ignore the bait, they may change their attitude.
· If you and your teen do get into an argument, diffuse the situation by getting up and taking a break. When both you and your child are calmed down, you can finish discussing the issue.
At times, it can seem like your teen is from a foreign country. They have different behavior and customs and sometimes, and sometimes it can seem as though they are speaking a different language.
Even though there are difficult times, try to enjoy this period of your child’s life as much as possible, because these years will go by very fast.
Next Steps
1. To gain a little more patience and whole lot more understanding of your teen, pick up Aurelia's Real Life Guidance to Understanding Your Teen - it's a lifesaver for so many parents.
2. If you're gearing up for another summer with your teen and want to dread trying to keep them occupied, happy and out of trouble, check out School's Out for plenty of expert resources to make it a great summer.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I found this poem and it expresses what a Father is and how important he is to his family. My Dad is gone but I think about him everyday.
DADS are special people
Dads are special people
No home should be without,
For every family will agree
They're 'SO NICE TO HAVE ABOUT' -
They are a happy mixture
Of a 'SMALL BOY' and a 'MAN'
And they're very necessary
In every 'FAMILY PLAN'
Sometimes they're most demanding
And stern, and firm and tough
But underneath they're 'soft as silk'
For this is just a 'BLUFF'
But in any kind of trouble
Dad reaches out his hand.
And you can always count on him
To help and understand -
And while we do not praise Dad
as often as we should,
We love him and admire him,
And while that's understood,
It's only fair to emphasize
His importance and his worth -
For if there were no loving Dads
This would be a 'LOVELESS EARTH'.
~ Helen Steiner Rice ~
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Flag Day
Today, June 14 is Flag Day. There are flags flying all around our city and our country today. This is the day we honor our country by honoring our flag.
May we think about those in the military today and their families. I think today has a special meaning for them. They are making sacrifices for us. Our soldiers are missing there families and their families are missing them. May the Lord keep them all safe from harm and bring them home.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Prepare, plan, pray, and proceed. God will enable you to do the things you need to do. This will help you to go through the day without worry, knowing He will provide.
In review of "Loving God With All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George, I learned a lot about keeping my mind on truth and what is good. Mrs. Elliot has been in the trenches for many years. She was a missionary's wife until he was killed. She has suffered many things in her life and she told how she had bouts with depression. This made me realize that I was not alone. I was not a terrible person because of it.
Her suggestions and advice on thinking right and focusing on the moment have helped me to see some of my own problems are because of the way I think.
It is a well written book. I will have to read it again.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Don't worry about the interuptions God sends your way. If you can focus on the task at hand you will gradually get the things done that need to be done. Be open to God's plan. It will help you walk with God.
After you have prepared for the day and made your plans for the day then pray for your day. Trust that the Lord heard your prayer and will guide you. You can make progress in peace. Don't second guess yourself. Just do what needs to be done.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Free Report on Talking to Teens
Ever feel like you don't understand your teen?
Maybe you are a new teen parent and just need some guidance how to handle this new territory.
We've found a good and quick reading report by Aurelia Williams to help you.
Download it here for free.
Below is another book by the author, Aurelia Williams. I think it would be a good read.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Homespun Wisdom
Homespun wisdom says, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Although you won't find it put just that way in the Bible, you will find many stories of both effective and poor planning. The Bible teaches that God is a God of both purpose and planning. His purpose is to draw all humanity to himself in order to forgive and redeem. His plan—from Creation, to the Law, to the Prophets, to Jesus and the church—is what we are seeing when we read and study the Bible. Planning is part of all of our lives. The only question is if, in all our planning, we ever consult his perfect and eternal plan.
(Tyndale House) p 1243
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
Friday, June 5, 2009
Hello,
I decided to put a couple of pictures up instead of writing a post. The first picture is of my brother holding up a bass that he caught. The next picture is of a baby calf that was born in the pasture behind my house.
Have a good weekend.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Pray to Win Over Worry
Our next guideline from the book "Loving God With All Your Mind" is Pray. We need to pray as we plan. In prayer give God everything. Say out loud, "Lord, I give you myself. I give You the things in my life; my family, my possessions, my body and my mind." Give Him your schedule. Let His plan be your plan. Then you can say, "Ok God, let's see what is going to happen today". You will know whatever happens you can handle. He will give you the power to do what is necessary.
Stay with me and next week we will go over guideline four which is Proceed.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Win Over Worry by Planning Ahead
Plan Ahead. Planning ahead includes short term goals and long term goals. Long range is key to planning birthday parties, weddings, vacations and the like. Adding on to your house and redecorating also require long term planning. Break the projects into day-sized chunks. Add the part you are going to do next onto your daily list.
Short term planning means planning your day. It helps you to meet the day's demands. Lists can help with this. Lists and a schedule can help get things done.
Tomorrow we will go to guideline 3, which is Pray.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Win Over Worry from the Book, "Loving God With All Your Mind"
In Matthew 6:34 It says "Do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." This verse teaches us that our responsibilities are today's responsibility. Today is all we have to manage. These words of Jesus tell us we can handle today and not worry about the worries of tomorrow. He will help us to obey Him. It is funny, but we need His help to do what He tells us to do.
Mrs. George gives five guidelines to help with this.
- Prepare
- Plan Ahead
- Pray
- Proceed
- Trust God to Provide
Prepare. Prepare in the evening. Look at the next day's calendar. What is scheduled? What is happening in each member's life. What is for dinner? Prepare part of it the night before. Fix lunches, set the table for the next meal. Put everything you need by the door before you go to bed.
In the morning take time for Jesus. It may only be a couple of minutes but it will help keep the day in perspective. Remember the words,"Do not be anxious for tomorrow". Concentrate on doing what you can get done today.