Why Am I Doing This?

How many times in a week do you end up asking yourself this question? If you are anything like me you probably hear this phrase running through your mind daily. Even though in most situations when this question arises it is out of desperation, I am beginning to learn to stop and answer that question for myself.

Perspective and focus I believe are two very undervalued states of mind. We are so often caught up in the rushing current of life and the chaos that accompanies it that we can forget the very reason we set out to accomplish certain goals. However, this Christmas season I challenge you (as if you needed one more thing to do), to pause at different times and remind yourself and your children of the reason why we celebrate Christmas; because a God we forgot, was faithful in remembering us, and took the miraculous and humbling step of coming to the earth in the form of an infant to remind us of His unremarkable love for us.

If you are interested in more check out this article by Angela Klein about an experience she had with her 3 year old daughter and how she regained her perspective - Going to the Stable.

Hoogle Boogle Express Test 11/28

Sunday November 28 -

This Sunday is our Hoogle Boogle Express Test. Hoogle Boogle is a review game that we play at the end of each series to go over what we learned throughout the month. Here are some review questions:

MY LIFE
1. Practice this month’s catch phrase: “When others’ choices give me strife, God will help me with My Life.”
2. Who’s life have we been watching this month? (Jake Mitchell)
3. How can you honor God when faced with a bully? (show them God’s love)
4. What are the three steps to handling a bully? (1. Tell them to stop, 2. walk away, 3. talk to an adult.)
5. What are the 3 steps to handling someone who is angery? (1. talk in a calm voice, 2. walk away, 3. talk to an adult)
6. Complete this sentence from our memory verse in Proverbs 15:1 about dealing with angry people, “A gentle answer turns _______ ______?” (anger away)
7. How can you respond to an unfair person and still honor God? (show them respect)

Bringing It Home 11/21

Good Morning Parentz,
Below is a brief summary, main verse, "Catch Phrase" and a few discussion questions you can use to reinforce what we're learning this Sunday. I hope this can be a meaningful tool for you to help your children apply what they learn in Kidz Express.

Sunday November 21st-

MyLife.
Almost everyone is guilty of whining, complaining, or tattling at some time or other. But some people seem to do it all the time about everything. Sometimes we can talk to the person about what they are feeling and help them express their frustration in a better way, but some whiners just seem to want to be whiny. This is usually because they are immature and they are unable to handle emotions like frustration, disappointment, disagreement, or change in a healthy way. When someone’s whining or other immature behavior is driving you nuts, a good way to handle it is to pray for them. When you are praying for someone on a regular basis, it’s hard to stay annoyed at them because God starts to change your heart. Sometimes God will help you learn to tune out the whiny, complaining tone and understand the frustration or real problem behind it. The bottom line is, when someone is complaining all the time, they have a problem with ungratefulness. Instead of taking it personally, take it to God. God hears their complaining too. God is the only one who can do something about it.

Verse:
Colossians 1:11 "His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything…"

Discussion Questions:
1. Who is the whiny person you have to deal with most often?
2. Kids are often whiny because they feel frustrated or disappointed and can’t handle it. How can knowing this help you be patient with them?


Material and images based on "My Life" by Lifechurch.tv

Thanksgiving equals... ?

Every year around this time we can guarantee 2 things:
1. We are beginning the process of being bombarded by media and corporate America with the commercialism of the next 2 holidays.
2. Someone in your life, if not you, will comment on the ever increasing intensity of said bombardment.

So in light of reminding our children the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving, here are a few activities from Focus on the Family you can enjoy together...

Give Thanks. Age-specific ways to help your kids experience the meaning behind the celebration on Thanksgiving Day.

Feel free to email me some pictures from your Thanksgiving festivities on Thursday or Friday and I'll put them up Sunday morning at Kidz Express.

Bringing It Home 11/14

Hello Parentz!
Below is a brief summary, main verse, "Catch Phrase" and a few discussion questions you can use to reinforce what we're learning this Sunday. I hope this can be a meaningful tool for you to help your children apply what they learn in Kidz Express.

Sunday Nov. 14th-

MyLife.
Lots of people have a problem with their temper. But anger isn’t always a problem, it becomes a problem when we choose to take it out on others. James tells us that letting our anger run wild won’t accomplish what God wants for us. The best way to deal with someone whose anger is out of control is with gentleness. When someone has already lost their temper, responding in any other way than with gentleness will probably only make them more upset. When someone is yelling at us or is just mad in general, speaking to them in a calm, quiet voice works best. Reminding them that you care about them and want to help them resolve their problem may help them get control of their anger. Even if it doesn’t, it can help you from having your feelings hurt by their anger and taking it out on someone else. When someone’s mad, that’s not the best time to tell them what they’re doing wrong. For right now, just love them, forgive them, and be gentle with your words and actions. You may have to just not say anything at all to the person and instead take your concerns to God in prayer.

Verse:
Prov. 15:1, "A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger."

Catch Phrase:
When others' choices give me strife, God will help me with MyLife.

Discussion Questions:
   1. Share a time when someone lost their temper with you.
   2. How could you respond with gentleness in each situation?


Material and images based on "My Life" by Lifechurch.tv

A Choice to Choose

Have you ever had a situation where someone else in your life made a poor choice and you had to deal with the aftermath? We have all experienced these unfortunate circumstances and most likely have dealt with it in a negative way. I remember when I was about 11 years old and my older sister and I were watching Saturday morning cartoons and we were each allowed to choose a 30 minute program to watch. When her thirty minutes were up I got up and changed the channel but to my surprise she wasn't ready to relinquish the control. To make a long story short, a fight ensued and I walked away with a bloody, bruised leg and she walked away with a fat lip.  As Gary Smalley states, "You can't always choose your relationships, but you can choose how you will act in those relationships." What can we do to help our children learn how to minimize the physical and emotional pain these types of problems can stir up?

This month we are starting a new series called MyLife. We will be talking about how to handle situations where other people's poor choices affect our lives and what we can do to productively handle the situation while maintaining a godly attitude. It doesn't take me long to think of countless other times when I handled a situation poorly and have seriously damaged relationships because of my inability to confront people in a healthy way and I'm sure you can think of many of your own inappropriate reactions.

So, I challenge you to talk with your children (and even practice this in your own life when the opportunity arises) about what to do when we face bullies, complainers, tempers, and unfair authority figures. Here are a few steps to get you started:

1. Pray for the person. The person may not change but your heart will!
2. Walk away.
3. Get support from a caring adult.

Bringing It Home 11/7

Hello Parentz!
Below is a brief summary, main verse, "Catch Phrase" and a few discussion questions you can use to reinforce what we're learning this Sunday. I hope this can be a meaningful tool for you to help your children apply what they learn in Kidz Express.

Sunday Nov. 7th -

My Life
We all know people in our lives that make poor choices. But what do we do when others' wrong choices effect us? This month we will be talking about what we can do when we suffer consequences for the bad choices of others. We will explore the things Jesus said and did to show us how to love those who hurt us.

Verse:
Matthew 5:44, "...Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you."

Catch Phrase:
"When others' choices give me strife, God will help me with My Life."

Discussion Questions:
     1. Share a time when you faced a bully.
     2. How can you use Jesus' strategy of loving your enemies in your next bully situation?



Material and images based on "My Life" by Lifechurch.tv