Quantcast
Channel: Christian Children's Authors »
Viewing all 365 articles
Browse latest View live

Cold Day Fun

0
0

snowflakeEven in sunny Florida we have colder weather and that reminds me of activities i did as a child and a mom to counter the gray skies and low temperatures. It can be too cold to 52Famdevosbe outside more than a few minutes in some places, o you might be more confined indoors. When it is below freezing but safe to go outside think of fun activities to do.

  • Hold an indoor picnic. Turn the heat up a little warmer, put a tablecloth on the floor, and hand a large paper sun on the wall. Enjoy pretending it’s summer and eat some of your favorite summer treats (watermelon, popsicles, etc). If you have a fireplace or wood stove you can add roasting marshmallows or hot dogs. Otherwise make  s’mores indoors in the microwave.
  • Fill milk cartons or other containers with colored water and set them outside to freeze. Slide the ice blocks out and use them to build a colorful sculpture. Use a little salt to get them to stick together.
  • Go outside, blow bubbles and watch them freeze. Check for more on Pinterest.
  • Do indoor snow sculpting with ice cream and whipped cream
  • Go skating or, if there’s no pond for that, pour some water on the ground outside to create a frozen puddle or river. You can see what it’s like to slide on it. Chat about your faith:Is it frozen? re you just sliding through the week without prayer?
  • Play some fun, but different Olympics like who has the broadest smile, indoor hockey, or dance to some of the figure skating theme songs.
  • Do indoor exercises like running in place and jumping jacks or pumping weights with bottled water.
  • Snuggle up and read some fun books that are set in the summer and chat about what you’ll do in the summer
  • Make snow
  • Make plans for what you’ll do when it warms up. Choose various temperature goals and activities for each. Post them and as the days warm a little and then a lot, check off the activities as you complete them.
  • Take photos of everyone bundled up to remember the cold.
  • Read Isaiah 1:18 and God’s words about snow forgiving sin. Chat about that and how snow is really white when it has fallen and not been touched.
  • Read Proverbs 31:8 and chat about how you are prepared for the cold.

 

Blessings,

Karen

 

 

 

 


Do You Haiku?

0
0

chickadeeChildren love the rhyme and rhythm of poetry, the quick stories told in vivid language. If you’re unfamiliar with haiku, you’ll find them just a little different.

Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry that is usually about nature. It has only three lines. The last line is often unexpected, a surprise ending. The first and last line contain five syllables. The second line contains seven syllables. There is no rhyme, only the rhythm of the syllables. The words create a unique picture with that surprise ending. Here’s an example.

Thieves visit my house.

Black-capped, watching, snatching quick.

Chickadees in flight!

Were you expecting the thief to be a bird or the house to be a bird feeder? How did the first two lines make you feel? Did your emotions change with the last line?

Helping our children write haiku encourages them to use descriptive language in a playful way. The unexpected ending is almost like solving a riddle. Haiku is also way to capture those nature walks with God that are full of things to notice, but often contain overlooked surprises. Why not try journaling in haiku. Surprise us with what you discover. By the way, there are opportunities for kids to submit their writings. Guardian Angel Kids is a great place to start.  http://guardian-angel-kids.com/submissions.html. They may just earn their first paycheck with a haiku.

Whatever is Lovely: A Coloring Book for Reflection and Worship

0
0

#Whatever is LovelyWe live in such a hectic world – but what waits for you inside this adult coloring book is a way to quiet the noise, express creativity, and spend some sweet time with God. Each page features an original design from one of a dozen different artists, beautifully illustrating a contemplative quote from an inspirational writer, a beloved hymn, or Scripture.

 Published by WaterBrook Press.

~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~

I love colouring!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have enjoyed colouring, so I am very pleased that adult colouring has taken off, and also that Christian publishers are now providing colouring books with a Christian theme.

I would have loved for these to have been around when I was a teen, when I was longing to still colour, but wasn’t wanting to colour in children’s pictures.

Jesus Sought Me

#WhateverIsLovely

For Christmas I received the Whatever is Lovely colouring book, and as you can see by this picture, I have already finished colouring one of the pictures!

I like how each page has either a Bible verse, a line from a hymn or a quote from a Christian for you to meditate on while colouring.

On the back of the page is the verse or hymn printed in full so you can appreciate it more fully.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve had this hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, on my mind and quite often throughout the day have been singing it, particularly the line Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand’ring from the fold of God. I’ve been appreciating that truth just lately, so that has been a nice outcome of my colouring time!

There is a link in the book to a playlist on Spotify for you to play as you colour. I haven’t a Spotify account, so haven’t used it, but I have plenty of instrumental music of my own that I have playing in the background.

There are 45 different colouring pages, having very different styles of illustrations and fontsCrayons giving a nice variety of illustrations to colour.

There are a couple of fonts I really don’t like as they put a “g” in this lower case style, but just make it bigger when they need it for a capital. When then used for God’s name, it just looks wrong and irks me. Personally, I would have preferred a different script to have been used so it looked more defining that God’s name had been given a capital. However, this is my preference, and I know there are others who are not going to be bothered by it. There are only two that have this problem, thankfully for me!

On the whole, though, it’s a book I like and I can see many hours being enjoyed colouring and worshipping.

~ Wendy Sparkes ~

Book Review: To the Moon and Back by Kathi Macias

0
0

Moon■To the Moon and Back
■Author: Kathi Macias
■Pages: 224
■Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (October 19, 2017)
■ISBN-10: 1975940237
■ISBN-13: 978-1975940232
■SRP: $12.99
■Reviewed By: Cheryl Malandrinos

Though we usually review children’s books, I like to toss in something helpful for big people upon occasion.

Rating: :) :) :) :) :)

To the Moon and Back by Kathi Macias is a story of family, faith and forgiveness.

Rachel’s life has changed drastically since the accident that made her husband a semi-invalid. Nothing, however, could have prepared her for the forgetfulness, fear and confusion that seem to happen more and more often. Their daughter, Lilly, lives hours away and is dealing with her own issues. As the darkness threatens to overwhelm them all, they must seek the unconditional love of the One who will never fail them. But how?

Macias has always been one of my favorite Christian authors. It’s been way too long since I’ve read one of her books. When we reconnected on Facebook, she sent me a copy of her latest novel that deals with the effects of Alzheimer’s on a small family already struggling with other issues.

The author has a way of writing the most heartwarming stories. It’s rare I don’t cry somewhere along the line. I’ve always loved how she writes in conversations with God and shows the characters’ journeys back to Christ in realistic ways. One can’t help but be uplifted right along with her characters. Reading To the Moon and Back made me realize how much I’ve missed Macias’ writing. I’ll definitely need to add more of her stories into my reading schedule this year.

I received a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

cherylsignature

Heart Change vs. Perfection

0
0

heart change

A few years ago, a popular television program called Monk featured a lead character consumed with perfectionism. He couldn’t prevent the murder of his wife, so he spent the rest of his life trying to do everything perfectly.

For a while, my nickname became “Mrs. Monk.” I admit it: I like control. I’m happiest when things are done exactly to my standards. (Cue lots of sympathy for my long-suffering husband!)

Thankfully, the older I get, the more I’m learning to relax. I’m finally getting over my perfectionism, both physically and spiritually. This is a good thing, since on the spiritual front, perfectionism can lead to performance-based Christianity.

That was the Pharisees’ problem in Jesus’ day. They were consumed with doing everything perfectly right. To ensure their absolute compliance with the Law, they created even more laws. But they focused on externals. Their spiritual life was all about impressing people with their performance. Problem is, they also thought they were impressing God.

I can be like that, focused on playing the role of the perfect Christian. I forget that God is more concerned with the state of my heart than He is with the stage of my life. As He told the prophet Samuel, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). I may be able to fool people, but I will never be able to fool God.

When parenting (and grandparenting) children, we can lead them into a performance-based life without realizing what we’re doing. If we focus on external behavior without internal heart change, we create a mindset of going through the motions. The result is seen in the story of a little boy who disobeyed when he was told multiple times to sit down. When he finally did sit, he defiantly said, “I may be sitting on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside!”

Our relationship with God is based on His grace, not our performance. Our salvation is not payment for good behavior, it’s a gift given to us because of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice. The good we do is not to earn God’s favor, it’s to thank Him for what He has already done for us. And when we do obey, He wants our obedience to flow from a heart changed because of our relationship with Him.

That beats a performance-based life every time!

Less is more – New schedule for CCA

0
0

65071547_sSeveral of our authors have begun to realize that less just might be more when it comes to blogging. We have realized that people who subscribe to blogs that post every day don’t always find time to read all the posts.

So we have agreed to create a new schedule with only two posts a week instead of six. We hope you will find greater quality in our posts when we are under less pressure to write so often.

This change begins immediately (but this post doesn’t count – it’s just an announcement). Look for posts on Mondays and Thursdays in the weeks ahead.

Photo copyright: netsay / 123RF Stock Photo

Jesus is My Valentine!

0
0
Bible Heart

Bible Words of Love

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Who is your Valentine? My husband likes to joke that every day is Valentine’s Day for me because I have him. He also likes to tease me that Valentine’s Day is just another way for me to milk him out of his hard earned money. I love his sense of humor.

 

Children enjoy making Valentine’s Day cards to give to their friends. My children loved taking an ugly shoebox and transforming it into a beautiful masterpiece decorated in red, white, and pink hearts.

I deeply love my husband and my family. However, my true love is my Lord and Savior, Jesus. He is my perfect husband, friend, and provider. Every day, He shows His love for me in so many ways. After all, He is love personified.

Love Is Kind.                                                                          Jesus Is Kind.

Love Is Patient.                                                                      Jesus Is Patient.

Love Easily Forgives.                                                             Jesus Easily Forgives.

Love Is Never Selfish.                                                            Jesus Is Never Selfish.

Love Is Self-Sacrificing.                                                         Jesus Sacrificed His Life.

Love Covers Many Sins.                                                        Jesus Covered Many Sins.

Love Provides.                                                                       Jesus Provides.

Love Is Powerful.                                                                   Jesus Is Powerful.

Love Is Free.                                                                           Jesus Gives Freely.

I could add many more comparisons to this list. The implications of it are profound. When we show true love to the people in our life, we are teaching them about Jesus. 1 John 4:8 tells us, “Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.”

Remember that, by giving love to others, you can become a living testament of the love of Jesus! Happy Valentine’s Day!

GLMPublishing.net

GLMPublishing.net

The Greatest Love

0
0

Christ_on_the_Cross_silhouette“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 NKJV

“I asked Jesus, ‘How much do you love me?’ And Jesus said, ‘This much.’ Then He stretched out His arms and died.”
– Unknown

You are loved!Simple-Red-Heart

All we have to do is believe in Him, that He willingly paid the price for our sins in our place, and we won’t perish, but have everlasting life!

Definitely a love worth celebrating!

So along with celebrating romantic love this Wednesday, why not also celebrate as a family the wonderful and enduring love of God towards us, as well as the redeeming love of  His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for us on the cross, in songs of worship (check out Precious Love) and in games (check out Valentine’s Day Bible Game).

 Happy Valentine’s Day!

~ Wendy Sparkes ~


Ten Little Night Stars

0
0

762126My friend Deb Gruelle gifted me with her latest board book Ten Little Night Stars. Sweet, precious, and adorable are all fitting adjectives for this counting book for little ones. Each two-page spread features a baby animal with its mother or father helping with their bedtime routine. An elephant baby is in the bathtub. A baby bear brushes his teeth. A daddy lion helps his little one pull on pajamas. And so it goes, page after page of cute cuddly animals getting ready for bed. On the left side of every spread is a window that gives you a glimpse of the nighttime sky. The first page shows one star in the sky, and with each turn of the page, another star is added, until the final spread shows ten stars.

The text is written in smooth and lively rhythm and rhyme which adds to the appeal of the story. This book is engaging for children and a delightful read at bedtime or anytime. I highly recommend this book for babies and toddlers.

The quality of the book and colorful illustrations make it a great baby or birthday gift. This will be one of those books that a child will want to read over and over again. And the good news is that moms and dads will enjoy it too!

Congratulations, Deb! Beautiful book!

:) :) :) :) :)

Crystal

From Ashes to Life by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

0
0

Silver round button with silhouettes of priest giving the cross to an parishioner in her forehead on Ash Wednesday celebration.

“Mama, what is that black dirt on that man’s forehead?”

Perhaps your child has asked you this question on Ash Wednesday. If so, did you have trouble responding?

Many parents in non-liturgical, Pentecostal denominations have not grown up celebrating Ash Wednesday. Although I grew up in a liturgical, mainline church, the church I now attend does not practice the custom of placing ashes on people’s foreheads on Ash Wednesday. Many believers are unfamiliar with this practice.

So, what does placing ashes on the forehead actually mean?

Perhaps Ash Wednesday can best be described as a day of confrontation. A day to confront the truth of our sinfulness in the first Adam. That original sin brought death into the world–not only spiritual death, but also physical death.

The ashes placed on the forehead on Ash Wednesday are a reminder of that physical death. As Genesis 3: 19 reminds us: “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  Even more, the ashes are a reminder of the terrible spiritual effects of sin–eternal damnation: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6: 23).

But the ashes also represent the hope of resurrection. The hope that came in the second Adam, Jesus Christ. He came “to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes” (Isaiah 61: 3).  Jesus came to restore us to the life He originally intended for all humanity before Adam and Eve sinned.

Ashes on the forehead on Ash Wednesday remind us of this great truth: In the first Adam, all die. In the second Adam, all live.
___________________________________________________________
Copyright 2018 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be reprinted or republished without the written permission of the author.

WHO IS JESUS? by MaryAnn Diorio

For that special child in your life . . . 

WHO IS JESUS by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD

In this delightful, charming book, Dr. MaryAnn Diorio presents Jesus Christ as He truly is–our loving, compassionate Savior who desires a deep relationship with each of His children.

BUY NOW!

Available in hardcover, softcover, and e-book formats.

 

God’s Reflection in Creation ~ by Kristie Wilde

0
0

Chick hatching RGBAll Creation declares the glory of God.

Jesus often uses His creation to communicate spiritual principles, and reveal God’s character. Because He designed, created and breathed life into all creation around us – it inherently reveals His character. We can learn a lot about Him by studying His creation.

Jesus conveys His resurrection using this example from creation –

John 12:23, 24 – But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
We, the followers of Christ, are the grain His death has produced.

We can use this world around us to teach the children in our lives many things about God.
Watch a chick hatch from an egg and talk about the wonder God’s wisdom revealed there.
Observe the grapevines after they’ve been pruned and discuss how and why God removes some things from our lives so new things can grow in and through us.
Watch a squirrel stashing away nuts and revel out loud over the amazing wisdom God placed inside that little squirrel.
Point out to them aspects of their own character God made unique to them, and let them know He loves the way He made them.
These may seem like deep concepts, but they can be shared in simple ways to meet the level of the child’s understanding. They will begin to connect the world around them with the God who created it.

There are wonderful discovery opportunities waiting. When we take our children and grandchildren out exploring God’s creation, with the purpose of discovering more about our Him, He reveals Himself in plentiful ways.

Another way to learn about God and explore His creation is through reading books, like, the Joyful Creation Series books, Made For a Purpose, So Great a Love. The 3rd book in this series, It’s a Jungle in Here, will be released April 6th.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JoyfulCreationShop

Have a blessed Easter!

Remembering America’s Pastor, the Rev. Billy Graham

0
0

grahamPhoto from tableforoneministries.com

The body of the Rev. Billy Graham currently lies in honor at the U.S. Capitol–only the fourth private citizen to be so honored. A counselor to presidents and a gifted evangelist, Graham touched the lives of millions of people around the world.

President Trump called Graham, “an ambassador for Christ who reminded the world of the power of prayer and the gift of God’s grace.”

What a touching tribute to such a good and godly man. America might have lost its pastor, but Heaven has gained a wonderful angel. May we one day rejoice together in our eternal home.

Below are some quotes from Graham and quotes from people who have shared their thoughts since his passing.

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.

Christ not only died for all: he died for each.

The cross shows us the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.

Sin is the second most powerful force in the universe, for it sent Jesus to the cross. Only one force is greater—the love of God.

I have never known anyone to accept Christ’s redemption and later regret it.

I’ve read the last page of the Bible, it’s all going to turn out all right.

 

Rev. Billy Graham dedicated his life to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every part of the world. His service is a testament that, with faith in God, one person can do so much good. The whole House sends its condolences to the Graham family at this time of loss. – Speaker Paul Ryan

Billy Graham was a humble servant who prayed for so many – and who, with wisdom and grace, gave hope and guidance to generations of Americans. – President Barack Obama

Billy Graham was a modern day prophet. He didn’t preach to be famous or rich. With lightning in his eyes, he urged people to accept Christ and avoid hell. The greatest single man in the past 100 years. Imagine Heaven standing at attention as he entered the gates! – Musician John Rich

Deep thanksgiving for the life and ministry of Billy Graham. – Author/singer/songwriter Michael Card

Lenten Journey

0
0

Christ-on-the-Cross-Silhouette-300pxLenten symbols conversation and activity

It’s lent  and a time to journey toward the cross. This activity can help you talk about lent and Easter.

Find objects related to the words to show or a picture of the object.Check out the verses to see how they relate to Jesus.

Chat about each one during lent. Decorate a Lenten tree with the symbols (cut from paper or use little toys).

Or fill a basket with the symbols and take one out each day to chat about it. That might be an Easter basket you’ll use later to celebrate that Jesus rose as you gather eggs.

 

Bowl, Matthew 27: 24-28                                             Nail, John 20:25

Cross, Hebrews 12:2 and John 19:17-18                    Thorn, John 19:2,5

Purple cloth, Mark 15: 16-20                                        Ash, Matthew 11:21

Rooster, Luke 22:54-65                                                Ear, Luke 22:50-51

Sponge, John 19:28-30                                                Pray, Mark 14:35-39

Lamb, 1 Peter 1:19 and John 1:36                                Heart, John 3:16

Dice, John 19:23-24                                                     Kiss, Matthew 26:47-48

Silver coins, Matthew 26: 14-16                                    Flower for garden Matthew 26:30,36

Let your children play with the objects and chat again later in the day to see what they recall. It takes time for children to understand the sacrifice Jesus made and the facts around it. It’s good to simply introduce a little at a time and answer their questions.

 

Have fun building your child’s faith     karenheadshot8191652Famdevos

Karen

 

 

 

Introducing Easter Love Letters from God, with a Giveaway & Free Resource Pack

0
0

Easter CoverAre you looking for a meaningful family devotional to use during Holy Week? You might just find it in Easter Love Letters from God, the newly published, fifth title in the popular Love Letters series.

Beginning with the ride into Jerusalem and ending with resurrection, this book contains seven stories and seven lift-the-flap love letters from God, each of which can be personally addressed to the child.

Written for children 4-8 years old, this book provides a unique, interactive journey through Easter. Here’s your sneak peek inside its pages, with some of my favorite illustrations and excerpts…

 

20180118_112446

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he didn’t come to fight the Romans. My son came to fight hatred, sadness, and unkindness. And the only way to fight those enemies is with love.

20180118_112352

Right there, in that room, Jesus showed his disciples what love looked like. He took their feet in his hands, and washed them, just like a servant would. The hands that created the world washed their feet. The special one from heaven made the disciples feel like they were the special ones.

20180118_112050

The wind howled. The whole earth trembled. The rocks shattered. The hills quaked. And the mighty curtain in the temple split in two. But Jesus was still.

It was finished.

20180118_111913

The birds could feel an early morning whisper, a song, gliding through the trees. And now, the birds could hear it- a whisper that got louder as it danced along. It was a name. A name carried on the wind, sailing through the leaves, rushing through the grass. The birds perked up and opened their beaks to join the chorus of all creation as every living thing sang the name, the name that is above any other name.

“Jesus! Jesus! Jesus is alive!”

The book closes with an invitation to write back to God and a blank, lift-the-flap letter is included, where your child can do just that.

Since the book contains seven stories, it makes an ideal daily devotional for families to use during Holy Week. A free, downloadable Activity and Resource Pack containing coloring sheets, Bible verse cards, cut-outs and more is available when you subscribe to my website.

You can also win this premium picture book by entering this giveaway.

Happy Easter!

Glenys

Easter Through a Donkey’s Eyes

0
0

donkey on a fenceChildren relate to animals. They allow animals to think like themselves. In The Easter Donkey, by Donna Thornton, Drupelet, a little donkey is brought to church from a local farm to help in the retelling of the Palm Sunday story. The people are so happy and the bells are ringing. Though Drupelet has no idea what his is doing, he enjoys being part of the celebration.

He can observe the church from his little farm. Later that week, he notices everyone’s joy has turned solemn. Drupelet tries to think like a person. He worries that he has done something wrong. The other animals try to discourage him from thinking. They think people are odd creatures. Drupelet will not be discouraged. He has to find out what is going on.

The men construct a chicken wire structure on the lawn. Early Sunday morning people began bringing flowers to place in the structure. The sadness is gone and the people are singing again. Buster the cat, finally tells Drupelet what this is all about. Why hadn’t Buster told him sooner? “…to understand the meaning of Easter, you had to endure the sorrow…” was Buster’s reply.

The beautiful illustrations coupled with the simple way Mrs. Thornton presents the gospel bring the story to life for elementary age readers. The childlike thoughts of the donkey also make the book ideal for parents to read to young children just beginning to understand the true meaning of Easter.


FREE-The Story of Easter Coloring Pages and Handwriting Practice

0
0

Story of Easter Coloring Book Easter is the most amazing time, remembering the most incredible moments in history. This Easter Story Coloring Book includes seventeen verses from the Easter story your children can trace, alongside pictures to color that illustrate the story. Help them make their own personal story of Easter book this year, and don’t miss the end of the book where we find out what we are supposed to do in response to all that Jesus did!

Download The Story of Easter Coloring Book

Crucifixion – How much can children understand?

0
0
Jesus Christ carrying cross - click on picture first to copy & paste for coloring.

Jesus Christ carrying cross – click on picture for coloring page.

I would like to write a children’s picture book about Easter, but I keep stumbling over this question, “How much can children understand?” The message of Easter includes some really gruesome scenes leading up to and including his crucifixion. Without the crucifixion, you can’t have Easter. But how much is enough, and how much is too much?

Some parts are easy enough. We can breeze through Palm Sunday singing praises and glorifying Jesus as the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah. But it doesn’t stay this easy.

Jesus turns the tables on the money changers and the people selling animals for sacrifice. We can emphasize the importance of Jesus’ determination to keep the temple pure and not let swindlers use the temple for buying and selling and taking advantage of the people who come to worship.

Jesus teaches in the temple using parables, but the stories make the religious leaders angry enough to want to kill him because they expose the wrong things the religious leader do. Jesus heals people on the Sabbath. The religious leaders are both angry and jealous of the attention the people give to Jesus. Children should be able to understand their hypocrisy.

The account of the Disciples meeting with Jesus in the upper room for the Passover Meal includes so much. Jesus teaches about putting others first and serving them as he washes the Disciples’ feet. He tells the Disciples that he is going to be put to death and gives them bread and wine saying this is his body and blood. He tells them to eat the bread and wine to remember him after he is gone.

We can teach the importance of staying awake to pray when we tell children about Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane while the Disciples kept falling asleep.

Then it starts getting rough when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. How much do children need to know at various age levels about what Jesus went through from this point up to the crucifixion itself?

Before we can decide what to include and what to leave out, we need to answer this question: What are the most important teaching points in the crucifixion and resurrection for children? I come up with these three:

  1. All people sin and grieve God. Jesus came to earth and willingly died to save us from our sins.
  2. When Jesus died on the cross, those who loved and trusted him lost all hope. Their light was gone.
  3. Jesus rose from his grave on Sunday morning and appeared to many people. This proved to the world that Jesus was the Son of God. Hope was restored for all who love him.

Using these three points as a framework what would you include to teach your children (or grandchildren, nieces or nephews . . .) the message of Easter? What ages are the children?

Photo copyright: regina555 / 123RF Stock Photo

For your convenience – links to Scripture passages about the week between Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem and his resurrection: Matthew 21-28 Mark 11-16 Luke 19:28-24:53 John 12:12-21:25 (John 12:12-18:40 & John 19-21)

This Is Easter

0
0

077385This Is Easter is another title in the board book series Our Daily Bread for Little Hearts. The square, chunky board book is just right for little hands and would be a great addition to any child’s Easter basket.Written in lyrical rhythm and rhyme, the story begins by telling little ones about Jesus, His followers, His healing powers, and His love for children. The ride into Jerusalem on a donkey sets the stage for the following pages which tell how Jesus died on the cross, then came back to life. The last spread shows a modern-day family worshiping God on Easter Sunday with  text that reads:

This is the day we go to church
to sing a happy song.
This is Easter, filled with joy
that lasts the whole year long. 

So let’s give thanks to God today
for all that he has done.
He let’s us join His family
through Jesus Christ, His son.

Colorful and kid-friendly illustrations by Luke Flowers emphasize the joy of Easter and help communicate to young children that this dramatic story has a happy ending!

I wish all of our blog followers a happy and blessed Easter!

Crystal

 

 

The Lamb of God

0
0

Lamb of God

 

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” John the Baptist exclaimed.

Why would John say such a thing? The answer is found way back in the book of Exodus.

After God delivered Israel from Egyptian slavery, He established Passover as a time for them to celebrate their deliverance. Every year, the Israelites would remember how the blood of a lamb caused the destroyer to pass over their home, sparing them and their families (Exodus 12).

Centuries later, the timing of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem was not a coincidence. Even as He rode into the city on a donkey, on the day we now celebrate as Palm Sunday, the people were choosing the lambs to be sacrificed for the Passover.

In fact, all the sacrifices of the Mosaic Law pointed to the coming Messiah. Yes, all of them. The sacrifices that started in the Tabernacle during the wilderness wanderings and the ones that continued in the Temple built by King Solomon in Jerusalem.

For example, the Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1:4-9) was sacrificed to atone for (or pay for) an Israelite’s sin. The Sin Offering (Leviticus 4:1-4) was sacrificed to pay for an Israelite’s unintentional sin.

God established these sacrifices to teach the people that payment to cover their sin required the shedding of innocent blood. The writer of the book of Hebrews described it this way: “The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22 NIV).

But unlike the Passover lambs that needed to be sacrificed year after year for each family, Jesus’ sacrifice was once for all (Hebrews 7:27). The sacrifices associated with the Mosaic Law could not take away sin, they could only cover the sin temporarily.

That’s why John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus’s once-for-all sacrifice did what all the previous sacrifices for thousands of years could not do.

Jesus is indeed, the perfect, spotless Lamb of God. His sacrifice takes away your sin and mine, if we place our faith in Him as our Savior. That’s what Good Friday is all about. And we know God accepted Jesus’s sacrifice as full payment for our sin. Nothing more is necessary.

How do we know this? Because after we commemorate Good Friday, we celebrate Easter Sunday, sometimes referred to as Resurrection Sunday. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof that His sacrifice was complete on our behalf, and completely accepted by God.

So as we move into Easter weekend, would you thank God for His amazing plan of salvation? Would you thank Him for Jesus’s complete payment for the sin that separated you from your heavenly Father?

Then teach the children in your life so they might learn that, while they cannot earn God’s approval, they can receive it as a gift purchased for them by Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Activities for Easter

0
0

Hot cross bunsAs we are approaching the Easter weekend, I thought I would do a round-up of activities to do with children to help them remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Hot Cross Buns are so very nice to eat! It was tradition as a child for us to have Hot Cross Buns for breakfast on Good Friday. And as Dad was home that day, he made breakfast. Then we would be read the account of the crucifixion.

Tell the sweet story of Easter with M&Ms or Skittles.

Make Resurrection Rolls or Cookies – Great for Sunday morning!

Go on an Easter Scavenger Hunt. You could collect the items, just look out for them and tick them off on your sheet when you find them, or take a picture on your phone/camera and make it into a booklet when you get home.

Download an Easter Workbook which includes a Wordsearch, Dot-to-Dot, Maze, Colouring Pages, and a JigWord

Listen to The Witness: An Easter Musical.The Witness

Sing some Easter songs: He Paid a Debt, How Deep the Father’s Love, The Power of the Cross, In Christ Alone, See What a Morning, E-A-S-T-E-R  (personally with this song, I would sing the two verses together so the word Easter is together, then sing the chorus only at the end).

Download a Colouring Book with Bible Verses.

Easter Bible Verses – Free printable Easter themed Scriptures on Easter Egg templates for children to learn.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend as we focus on remembering our Saviour’s wonderful sacrifice for us at Calvary, and then His triumphant victory over death when He arose three days later!

~ Wendy Sparkes ~

But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 NKJV

Viewing all 365 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images